THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 7
LOCAL LITERARY HIGHLIGHTS
bendbulletin.com/goread
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
DESCHUTES PUBLIC LIBRARIES
BY DAVID JASPER
The Bulletin
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
“My Thoughts Are Clouds:
Poems for Mindfulness,”
by Georgia Heard; Illustrated by Isabel Roxas
With poems that ex-
plore a variety of mind-
fulness techniques, Heard
shares verses that al-
low readers to focus on
breathing, being pres-
ent and taking notice of
the world around them.
With thoughts that
race a mile a minute,
or jump around like a
monkey, these poems
offer tools to help quiet
down the noisy mind.
Mindfulness is ex-
plored in ways that are
relatable to kids, like
in the poem “Selfie
Moment”, and in ways
that allow them to ex-
plore the words of the
poem, like in “Mind-
fulness is Like a Mir-
ror Haiku.” This book of mindfulness po-
ems is perfect for anyone needing to take a
moment to breathe and to focus on the now.
son is deserved: the right to take up space.
“Starfish,”
by Lisa Fipps
Twelve-year-old Ellie has been bullied
because of her weight for as long as she
can remember. She is called names and
fat-shamed not only by
the kids at her
school, but by
members of
her own family.
It is all she can
do to hold it to-
gether, but be-
tween her only
trusted friend
moving and the
on-going struggle
to prove her worth
to her overly criti-
cal mother, things
seem to be unravel-
ing fast. In this poi-
gnant middle-grade
novel told in verse,
Ellie must learn to
find her voice and
to fight for what she
feels that every per-
TEEN BOOKS
Mindfulness is explored in ways that are
relatable to kids, like in the poem “Selfie
Moment”, and in ways that allow them to
explore the words of the poem, like in
“Mindfulness is Like a Mirror Haiku.” This
book of mindfulness poems is perfect for
anyone needing to take a moment to
breathe and to focus on the now.
—Ericka Brunson, Deschutes Public Library
community librarian
“Dragon Hoops,”
by Gene Luen Yang
If you’re already missing March Mad-
ness go and get this graphic novel. It’s 2014
and Yang is a teacher at Oakland’s Bishop
O’Dowd High School where the storied bas-
ketball team regularly makes it to the state
championship finals without winning. Will
this be their year? Yang’s deceptively simple
drawings convey all the energy, nerves and
excitement of the game, yet the book’s qui-
eter moments spent getting to know coaches
and players are often its best. Yang twines
The Dragons’ story with his own struggle
with deciding whether to remain a teacher
or take a shot at being a full-time author.
You’ll be rooting for both him and the team
all the way to the final buzzer.
“Ashlords,” by Scott Reintgen
This incredibly detailed fantasy reads like
a mash-up of “The Hunger Games” and
“The Scorpio Races.” The Ashlords have
been gifted phoenix horses by the gods
Continued on next page