5 odd memes in children's books

Hamsters.  Piano Hamster, notwithstanding, the presence of so many hamsters in children's books makes me very suspicious.  Are our children's minds being prepared for a cute tubby rodent takeover??? AAAAAAAAAHHH!  Hamster Princess, Hamstersaurus Rex.

Which one is the hamster?

Cystic Fibrosis.  All chronic illnesses are distressing.  Being born with something that threatens to end your life earlier than ever wished adds urgency and angst to your normally care-free childhood days.  Raina Telgemeier's Ghosts and Caleb and Kit, both deal with major characters who suffer from cystic fibrosis. 

Parentified children - This one is not new.  But it showing up more and more.  When parents become overwhelemd with anxiety, work stress, depression or illness, the children start to take on caretaking duties.  Children as young as seven serve as organizers and cooks. None of these children are quite so young. Caleb and Kit; Mrs. Bixby's Last Day; See You in the Cosmos

Lying - not new, either.  We tell lies to protect ourselves, to deflect blame, to hide, to manipulate and to gain power. Lying is so very prevalent these days. - We Were Liars, The Lie Tree

Wishing on trees.  This is a great idea.  We should all treasure our trees.  If superstition makes us take better care of oxygen producing plants, I say, Huzzah!  Wishing Day series.  The Wishtree.

Thanks for Raina Telgemeier

Tomorrow, we celebrate all the things we have.  We gather, with people we love, to give thanks.  Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a National Holiday during the Civil War.  The tradition has continued through the invention of the automobile, the telephone and manned flight; two World Wars; the Great Depression; the Civil Rights movement; The Cold war; peaceniks and hippies (Me!  Me!); the Space Race; the invention of the Internet; 9/11; reality TV.  No matter what is happening, we all set aside a moment or two to appreciate what we have.

One of the people I am grateful for is Raina Telgemeier, cartoonist.  I picked up Ghosts, her latest novel, and sped through it.  The story is a simple one, of a 12-year-old who has to find her way in a new town.  But here's the twist; Cat's younger sister, Maya, has cystic fibrosis.  The family has moved to a small town on the North California coast to help Maya's breathing.

Little do they realize that their new hometown is riddled with ghosts.  To Cat, this is horrifying.  To Maya, it is fascinating.  She has questions to ask the spirit denizens of her town.

Telgemeier does not sugar coat the realities of Maya's disease, or the strain it puts on Cat as she works to be accepted for who she is at her school.  Her characters' faces are so expressive, that often words are not needed.  This book won't stay on the shelf.