Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman & Christian Robinson (2023)
Do you ever read something that sends shivers down your spine? Goosebumps across your skin? Amanda Gorman’s “Something, Someday” really gets at the heart of the way I live. It gets to the heart of why I taught in public school for 15 years and what I hope to instill in my own kids. Each person can make this world cleaner, safer and kinder. It may seem impossible at first glance, but if we take small steps each day, if we remain consistent and unafraid, then things will start to take shape. We will see change. It will bloom. We all know and love Amanda Gorman. Everything she touches is filled with hope and inspiration. Her latest picture book is absolute perfection. Give this book as a gift. Teacher appreciation day? Baby shower? Graduation? This book will inspire anyone who believes in working towards change for the greater good.
Heart: In my volunteer work as a gun violence prevention activist, sometimes the sheer magnitude of the problem can seem overwhelming. Just overwhelming. Turn on the news. A two-year-old found an unsecured gun, and, thinking it was a toy, shot himself. Teenagers shot their classmates as they were walking home from school. Overwhelming. Then, I meet with our Lake County State’s Attorney’s brand new office of gun violence prevention and I hear about the work they are doing and how we can collaborate. I meet the Peace Keepers who are working to decrease community violence in the 3 hardest hit communities: Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion. I watch my gun violence survivor friends, who lost sons and fathers, advocate in Springfield for a Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Bill. I watch a local mom who is a pediatric ICU doctor testify before our school board that secure firearm storage awareness works as she shares her stories of treating kids with bullet wounds. And, as I watch, I think of Amanda Gorman’s words, “Suddenly, there’s something, you’re sure is right. Something you know you helped fix. Something small that changed – something big. Something that worked. Something that makes you feel hopeful, happy, and loved.”
Head: The illustrator, Christian Robinson, made Gorman’s words come to life with his illustrations. The illustrations show us that a boy is concerned with trash in his community. He starts small by clearing away the trash. Then he expands his sphere of influence. He works with his community to build a garden. Christian Robinson, bravo!