By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

This is my first installment of an occasional series in which I share three great things on the internet—something to read, something to listen to, and something to watch. These range from the important to the fun to the frivolous. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have!

TLDR: This month I’m sharing a short essay by Toni Morrison, a spellbinding podcast to listen to with your kids, and an important video about pronouncing names.

To read:

My selfie with Toni Morrison’s portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, (c) Phoebe Farag, 2018

I have read and re-read this brilliant and brief piece by Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison in the New Yorker: “The Work You Do, the Person You Are.” If you’re having a bad day (or year) at work, read this to get wisdom and perspective. Incidentally, the same week I read this essay, I visited the National Portrait Gallery, and in the same room as Michelle Obama’s portrait was a wonderful portrait of Toni Morrison.

 

To listen:

A translation of some of Ben Franklin’s famous sayings into Arabic, on display at the museum on Ellis Island.

My eight year old son and I were OBSESSED with the new historical fiction podcast from Gen-Z Media, Young Ben Franklin. The first season of this dramatic and engaging podcast was released all at once on July 4th, 2018, and my son and I could not wait to get into the car and listen. We enjoyed it so much we binge-listened to the entire series again on a recent road trip. The series is fast-paced, adventurous, humorous, and educational to boot. I would recommend it for children ages eight and older—there are a few scary moments.  We became so interested in Benjamin Franklin that we later went and read James Baldwin’s The Story of Benjamin Franklin for Young Readers (only 99 cents on Kindle!) together. The following week on an Ellis Island tour, I discovered an Arabic translation of some of Ben Franklin’s famous sayings.

 

To watch:

Lately my kids have been complaining about how people mispronounce their names. Although I advise them to be charitable (not everyone knows how to trill the ‘R’), I try my best to learn how to properly pronounce people’s names, no matter how difficult for me. It’s a matter of respect. This short video, “Uzo Aduba Explains Why She’s Proud Of Her Name” is one I will play and replay for my children as long as it’s available.

I hope you enjoy these recommendations! Please share any recommendations you have in the comments below – they may be featured in future editions.

 

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