Books
Day Shift, Night Shift
A young girl uses her wits, science, and a little inspiration from her train engineer grandfather to get her toy train to run in this endearing picture book.
“Well, good morning to you,” Pop Pop says.
“And good night to you!” Atticus says.
Each morning when the clock strikes six and the front door rattles, Atticus runs to greet her grandpa on his way in from work. Pop Pop’s tools go clank clank clank all through the night, so trains can chug chug chug and choo choo choo all through the day. He’s a railroad mechanic. And when Pop Pop ends his night shift, that’s when Atticus’s day shift starts.
She’s a train mechanic too. But when she can’t figure out how to get her toy train to climb a hill, can she and Pop Pop use their mechanic skills to get the problem licked and the train on its way?
Searching for Mr. Johnson’s Song
A touching story of the friendship between a young boy and his elderly neighbor, and how that boy helps jog the man’s disappearing memory
Caius spends summer mornings on his neighbor’s porch, and although Mr. Johnson doesn’t remember things as well as he used to, he can always sing the beginning of his favorite song, “Further Along.” Caius understands how nourishing music can be, and so he decides to find the rest of Mr. Johnson’s song. At the library he inspects shelves of hymnals and listens to recordings of protest tunes, but none of these is the one Mr. Johnson sings. How will he help his neighbor?
Exuding warmth, this story displays kindness and neighborliness, and portrays dementia with gentle authenticity.