I was happy to read the Christian Science Monitor article, “Drilling Deep for Heat” (Nov. 7) by Stephanie Hanes, about Cornell University’s geothermal energy program. The process seemed straightforward: dig deep wells, inject water into them, create production and reservoir wells, and then generate electricity from the hot water. Sounds good.

From my regular reading list: I had no idea why I put Elizabeth Harrison’s Sketches Along Life’s Road from 1930, on hold. Maybe because it was edited by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, and it came up in the listings for Bailey? It was essays and letters from a woman who was a pioneer in the development of child-centered learning in the late 1800s. It was hard to imagine that play focused kindergarten was a new concept that had to be proposed and promoted single handedly by a few stalwart women who reached out to mothers. Mothering is such a basic relationship and yet it was not well understood that mothers allowing young children to play was vital to their wellbeing. This was completely different from Bailey’s Miss Hickory; True Stories of Early American Toys and Children; Children of the Handcrafts; and, Pioneer Art in America. Now I have a better idea of why she focused so much on children’s toys.

I’m looking forward to continuing reading more Newbery Award winners. I’ll get 1947 and 1948 this coming week.

blog post. https://rokeefehistory.com/blog #amreading; #CelesteMarie Bernier; #SpecialDelivery; #UndergroundRailroadRochesterNY; #ChristianScienceMonitor; #CornellUniversity; #StephanieHanes; #geothermalenergy; #CarolynSherwinBaily; #ElizabethHarrison; #MissHickory; #NewberyAward;