Sep 18

Sep 18 Episode 30: Tenets of Happiness! Tenet One: Spiritual

Grace and Alvina are back in the studio to talk about their Labor Day weekends and catching up on each other’s lives.

It was Moon Festival on Friday, September 13th! Grace has celebrated this event with her family since her daughter was a young girl and it is what inspired her picturebook, “A Big Mooncake For Little Star”. She was busy getting ready for the festival with some tasty traditions!

Grace was ordering mooncakes every year from the same company and this year decided to try a different company. Somehow the delivery went to her neighbors instead and in thinking they were lost in the mail, she ordered MORE mooncakes from the original company she uses. At the end of the day, she had twice the amount of mooncakes she usually has!

Alvina was happy to have spent her weekend in NYC where she truly appreciates a day where she is able to get Dim Sum, walk on the High Line, and visit the Whitney Museum.

Since Mooncakes make both Grace and Alvina happy, they started a discussion about the four tenets of happiness. Alvina took a trip down memory lane where she saw her father give a talk on whether or not love can buy you happiness. He talked about putting the money you have towards the four tenets and perhaps you will be happy. This develops into conversation with the BFF’s about the first tenet: Spirituality. They agree it’s not always about religion necessarily but more about what it is you are striving for. What is pushing you? They ask each other what it is they both worship. For Alvina her worship is happiness and for Grace her worship is acceptance and authenticity.

Grace and Alvina decide that they next three episodes of #BFF will be focused on the three remaining tenets of happiness: Physical, Mental, and Social. As usual, they express what they are grateful for. Grace is grateful that school is back in session and also for the opportunity to work on the board books that will be added to the TERC Math for ME project. Alvina is grateful for living in New York City.

2 Minute Book Reviews by Alison Morris!

Alison Morris is a nationally recognized children's book buyer with an infectious enthusiasm for reading and 20 years' experience matching books to readers. As the Senior Director of Title Selection for nonprofit First Book, she oversees the curation of children’s and young adult books on the First Book Marketplace, hand-selecting a diverse range of titles that speak to and address the needs of kids in underserved communities, with a keen eye to inclusion, authenticity, and kid-appeal. She previously served as Senior Editor at Scholastic Book Clubs, Children's Book Buyer for Wellesley Booksmith and The Dartmouth Bookstore, and was the founding blogger of the ShelfTalker children’s book blog for Publishers Weekly. She'll be joining us from her home near Washington, DC where she spends LOTS of time discussing books with her husband, illustrator and graphic novelist Gareth Hinds.

The book she is reviewing today is called “All the World” by Liz Garton Scanlon. It is tied closely with the episode theme on spiritual happiness and all creatures coming together.