Author Archives: Terri Schlichenmeyer

Some days, it seems as though you have super powers.

For almost every day of your life, someone’s reminded you to share.
Usually, it’s about sharing your toys but that’s not all. You share games, the sofa, your ideas, snacks, and any chore that needs four hands.

Around work, you’ve gotten a reputation as the go-to person for certain things.

Everybody has a talent; yours happens to be on the job. People know you’re good, they

utilize your ability, and you don’t mind. It’s not a big deal to you, but could there be

more to it? T.D. Jakes thinks so, and in his new book “Destiny: Step into Your

Purpose,” he shows how your talents may reveal a new path.

You think about it all the time.

The child making headlines in the news could be yours. He could be the kid wrapped up

in trouble he never meant to have, the one whose name is known for the wrong reasons.

And what would you do? You’ve thought about it, and in the new novel “Mama’s Boy”

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, two mothers act.

The color pencils are sharp, lined up like fence posts in their unscuffed box. So are the crayons, the pens all wear caps, and notebook covers are free of doodling.

Never underestimate yourself.

You can carry the weight of ten worlds on your shoulders, and still have time to do your

job. You can lift spirits, move mountains, and haul out in a hot minute. You have more

power deep inside you than you realize – but, as in the new novel, “Only the Strong” by

Jabari Asim, you still have weaknesses.

The animals look a little restless.

Maybe they’re hungry, bored, or tired of being watched. They seem angry. Observing

these creatures caged, it’s easy to believe that wild animals shouldn’t be penned like this

– and in the new book “Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga” by Pamela

Newkirk, neither should humans.

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.

Last years’ swimsuit is way too small for you now.

You’ve outgrown most of your summer clothes, in fact, and you’ve given them away;

you can’t wear them anymore, so someone else may as well use them. But clothing isn’t

the only thing you can hand-me-down. In the new book “The Red Bicycle” by Jude

Isabella, illustrated by Simone Shin, one boy’s outgrown bike becomes another child’s

treasure.

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.