Apparently it’s my summer of Backman (or Spring/Summer of Backman since almost 90 degree weather day after day isn’t really summer until the calendar says so). Loved Beartown, so I am more than happy to spend time with its inhabitants in this follow up, regardless of the season. This book picks up shortly after Beartown is turned upside down in the wake of an assault. Sides are drawn and redrawn. Narratives are rewritten. Blame is shifted. Teams are renamed. It’s a whirlwind of gaslighting, denial, anger, shame and […]

This book needs to be required reading for older middle school, or first year high schoolers. I can’t think of a more instructive book about the intoxicating nature of power and popularity and the primal pull of self preservation. If you add any tool to a child’s life skills toolbox, let it be empathy. With empathy comes strength, resilience and just being a decent freaking human being. We could use more of that in the world. The subject matter here is something that could easily […]