I've Always Had Faith in the Dragonfly (Dragonfli) and Now I Have More Reasons Why...First Thoughts After Reading WOLF CLUB by James Bird (for a 2nd time)

Last year, after I was handed a t-shirt by Dr. Don Sawyer and his Fairifleld University team that read: HUMAN KIND, I started thinking about the Jesuit word accompaniment, and the power of human belonging. I was fortunate to have a decade teaching at a beautiful school in Kentucky, the Brown School, where its 1972 foundation of diversity and equity was made central to the way I understood classrooms, youth, books, and life-long learning. We live in a nation of beautiful stories, with youth communities that are rich with culture, traditions, histories, and joy.

Superdiversity and human excellence of every learner were central of our school's mission, its shared values, and its tremendous success with students because we, as a united staff, advocated for them (yes, a public school...yes, K-12, yes, founded the year I was born).

I'm declaring my 2026 mission to be Writing Our Lives and Bravely Belonging, which I coined in anticipation of new work I want to do with the Connecticut Writing Project, especially as we question what it means to 'be' and to 'long' as writers. Being means existence. Longing means hope. Belonging is central to this Frog who sits on his lily pad. I quickly learned this from Dragonfli (D-Fli), a student during my first year of teaching. She was a freshman, self-named, and helped me to establish a pond for mentoring, belonging, and simply being (a metaphor that became my teaching philosophy, as well). That is...students are so much more that the ways our schools categorize them. They dealing with a lot at home, with friends, with relationships, with societal history, both in- and out-of school. Dragonfli was quick to guide me on how to best guide all kids, up and beyond the curriculum I was supposed to teach in school: Turtle, Bunny Boofoo, Duck, Chipmunk, Crow, Bambi, Firefly, etc. etc. etc. Kids s kept coming with new titles and new issues, wanting Frog to help. It was because of my backpack. I had no answers, but I always had questions. I was always curious how we creatures might fight serenity with the chaos that surrounded us.

Years later, I'd meet the Pelican, Dr. Susan James, who came into my life around the same time a Rose bloomed before my eyes (it was when local teachers brought Hope Nation my way). It was Dr. Rose Brock. In 2024, both Susan and Rose had me on a panel regarding the writing of James Bird. I've spent the last year devouring his books, and last night I re-read Wolf Club for the 2nd time in two weeks. I'm mesmerized by it.

I am no Ojibwe, and remain wildly ignorant of indigenous history, even as such history is central to anything and all we do in the United States. Ecological work has kept me close to the land (totally inspired by my Grannie-Annie, who lived with Odè, heart, and taught me the ways of her Ukranian ancestry, which poetically reminds of Jibaay Nagamon, the spirit songs from an Ojibwa way of life). Grannie Annie was the one who gave me Maude, the offspring of God and Mother Nature, which she named the Earth. From here, I learned the Great Whatever...my personal religion for what it's all supposed to mean. I believe in the way the cards fall before me, including the fact that I teach at a Jesuit University, always trying to add that extra 'o' to God, so I might find 'good' in the world.

I read the tea-leaves of my every day, looking for spiritual guidance as I work to belong on this marble with the the short time I have. Of course, Ubuntu, and human togetherness, has been taught to me from all the work I've done with English language learners in my work as a National Writing Project director. 

All of this is to say young people need great books. Better yet, they need phenomenal storytellers. They need those who question the truths that are placed before them, and who work to challenge who it is that are allowed to belong in our schooling spaces. This is why I've gravitated towards the word of young adult literature and a passion to build young people as writers and storytellers of their own lived experiences, so they can become champions of their own communities. In my nerd state - the academic side - I've published over and over again on an importance for building community, knowing out-of-school literacies that come from out-of-school activity systems, when tapped, best support in-school success with most learners.

Wolf Club, by James Bird, hit me from every angle (the humor, the craft, the newness, the brilliance, the education, especially the Ojibwe vocabulary and spirituality, and the care for young people who don't quite fit the molds society wants to place on them). 

In my second reading, I also stumbled upon acknowledgements, and was blown away that both Drs. Rose Brock and Susan James were shouted out for their support of the author's craft (I love to discover such coincidences). I can't t help but think about  the energy that swirls around educational spaces and the importance of knowing good people who believe in great things. 

Storytelling is at the heart of James Bird and his books, and I'm mesmerized by this the most...so much so that I want to sit around a lit fire for hours to hear more about he's come to the craft the story that he has. I'm intrigued on losing of levels, especially his reason for advocating for the underdogs...the often forgotten...the brilliant ones who are often overlooked.

I'm a fan. I knew this from his other books, and this morning before starting my day, I want to shout it out again. 

Guess who will be getting a copy of Wolf Club this holiday season? D-Fli....the young sprite who I taught for 4 straight years and who remains one of my spiritual guides to this day (but from Alaska). Zoondig'ewin, bravery. The dragonfly's tail is always a sacred story and I know I wouldn't be the creature I am today if she wasn't always fluttering by my cattails when I first started my career.

So this is just a post to the bigger pictures of everything...to the amazing writers who commit themselves to doing good for young people who are also on the road to find out. Here's to all of us who guide them (and receive guidance in return)...the teachers and academics, like Rose and Susan, who work tirelessly to make sure such books are in the hands of our readers who need them most...including me. 

Today I'm renewed and refreshed, knowing there is so much more work for all of us to do. I'm heading into the journey open-minded and ready for all the creatures still to come. Yes, I definitely have more to say about Wolf Club, than my daily morning blogpost (& ritual) allows, but it's coming. I owe it to the Aki, the World. 

We must listen to Maude even more! The answers are everywhere when we listen.