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Gemma Mason's avatar

My work gives me 10 days of "family sick leave" each year, to be used for caregiving duties as needed. Its most common use is for sick children, but a sick parent or partner would also qualify, if they were in need of extra care for a few days.

In New Zealand, where I live, this isn't mandated by the government; nor is it a mere whim of my employer. Rather, this is a benefit arising from the fact that my workplace has a strong union associated with it. More specifically, we have a union that has always had a strong focus on the human qualities of workers. It's not just about getting higher pay, it's about making sure that work makes room for us as people with other concerns besides our job.

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Martha's avatar

I had a lovely conversation yesterday with a worker at a new union that will hopefully start bargaining their first contract in 2023. She's leading the formation of a Women's Committee (common in unions!) to ensure that women's voices are heard loud and clear at the bargaining table. It's inspiring stuff! And so vital!

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Monica's avatar

Miss Rumphius 🥰🥰💐

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Joseph Susanka's avatar

Eager’s books are wonderful, Leah. “Magic by the Lake” was one of my dearest childhood brushes with “low fantasy,” second only to E. Nesbit’s works (which do not appear on enough shelves, either, in my opinion).

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Leah Libresco Sargeant's avatar

And the kids in Eager all love Nesbit!

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Sarah Wheeler's avatar

miss rumphius was always a childhood favorite and i love reading it to my kids. i only realized as a parent that it was not actually called "the lupine lady," and i cant get through it without choking up....

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Michael Carpenter's avatar

Half Magic is a great rec!

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Analisa Roche's avatar

Everyone here loves Edward Eager!

My contribution to the recommendations are Lloyd Alexander's novels, which I have read, and Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities series, which I have not read but is much beloved by my young adults, lo, these last ten years.

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Virginia's avatar

Miss Rumphius!!! I loved that one from childhood too, but I similarly haven't met many people who know of it.

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Mary Ellen's avatar

My absolute favorite is "last stop on market street" about a little boy who rides the bus with his grandma, and what he sees and learns there, despite his desire to have a car or other, faster transportation. Omg. Love this story. I also love ms rumphius and the desire to make the world more beautiful

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