Author Archives: Terri Schlichenmeyer OW Contributor

Imagine the first person who created a toothbrush.
Better yet – imagine life before a toothbrush. Think about it: getting your mouth minty-fresh wasn’t exactly easy with twigs or rags. Same things with clean hair, unspoiled leftovers, unsmelly bathrooms, or cool gamepieces, as you’ll see in “Brief Histories of Everyday Objects” by Andy Warner.
Scientists say you do your best thinking in the shower.

Being a responsible kid has its rewards.

First, there’s the feel-good; you did well, and you can be proud of yourself. That leads to the second benefit: adults see your responsibility, and you’ll have earned their trust. And in the new book “Little Shaq: Star of the Week” by Shaquille O’Neal, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III, there are other bonuses, too.

You had hope that things might be better.
We elected a Black man as President, and there was a minute where you could almost see a bit of racial optimism.

Mine, mine, mine.

When you were two years old, that was your favorite word. Everything you saw belonged to you, somehow, one way or another. If you liked it, it was yours. If you didn’t like it, it was yours, too. And as you’ll see in the new novel “You’re the One I Want” by Shane Allison, some people never outgrow that.

Charges dropped.
You were surprised, but not surprised. Hopeful that it might be different, but only barely.
You know that these days, the idea of justice can be a slippery issue that’s sometimes based on all the wrong things, and in the new book “Nobody” by Marc Lamont Hill, you’ll see how we’ve come to this.

The job you were hired to do and the job you do today sure are different.

The Old You, in fact, would only barely recognize the way things are done in the modern

workplace: you’ve welcomed revolving competition, new technology, and alternate

methods as they’ve arrived. For Allan Abbott & Gregory Abbott, that’s especially true

but in their new book, “Pardon My Hearse,” they offer snapshots of the ways we’ve

departed.

Your last family reunion was a big one. It was fun, too, and eye-opening. You hadn’t really stopped to think about how many people are related to you until you saw aunts you hadn’t seen in decades and met cousins you didn’t even know you had.

Sometimes, you feel like a boiling pot.

That’s because you’ve been cooking a story up and it bubbles and rolls just below the

surface of your mind, waiting to burst forth into a bestseller for an eager audience. It’s

always been your dream to be a famous author – and that could happen, but there’s work

to do first. “Infinite Words” by Zane can get you started.

Would you look at that.

Actually, probably, you already have. You’re one of the most observant people you

know, never missing a thing, always noticing. You make a great witness because you see

everything. And in the new book “One Night” by Eric Jerome Dickey, you see two

people about to make a mistake.

Would you look at that.

Actually, probably, you already have. You’re one of the most observant people you

know, never missing a thing, always noticing. You make a great witness because you see

everything. And in the new book “One Night” by Eric Jerome Dickey, you see two

people about to make a mistake.