Courage Hat

I bought a book today, sight unseen.

No big deal—I do this all the time. (I’m sure you can relate!)

As a student in an MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, I regularly read between 50-80 books a month: everything from picture books to novels for all ages, short stories, poetry, craft books, nonfiction. . . Everything. 

At all times, I have a huge stack from the library, an audiobook cued up, a book in-progress on my phone, and a continuously rotating TBR pile from the bookstore (mostly MG and YA novels). 

It’s a little out of control, but I dig it. 

Today’s book purchase was different, mostly because it’s a picture book, and I tend to get my picture books from the library—in print and digital. I only buy the picture books I read, fall in love with, and feel compelled to add to my collection. Way too many picture books still make it home with me with this admittedly flawed system. . . but I easily rationalize these purchases as having value in both my educational and writing lives. 

The book I bought today is a new release by an author I love. (If you have not yet read Rabbit and the Motorbike, you should!) And although I kept seeing the cover of Kate Hoeffler’s new book teased, it was not yet popping up in my library. I was getting impatient. . .

And then this past week has just been one sign after another—not something I can talk or write about yet. But it prompted me to go ahead and order the book, because something deep down inside is telling me that I need it, that it will resonate with me in this moment.