Carie Juettner

A Fungus Among Us & Where to Find Me at TLA

Let’s pretend you don’t like mushrooms.

This is actually easy for me to pretend because I don’t, in fact, like mushrooms. I don’t enjoy their taste and, more importantly, I find their texture unnerving and their appearance vile, particularly that little hairy part. Ick.

So, you don’t like mushrooms. That’s okay. You don’t have to eat them. If you don’t want mushrooms in your house, that’s also okay. Your house, your rules. If you don’t want your children to eat mushrooms, fine. They’re your kids, and you can raise them however you want.

If you find out that a neighbor has been giving your children mushrooms and trying to make them eat the little fungi, it Is okay for you to have a conversation with that neighbor and ask them to please refrain from offering your child mushrooms because you are a no-mushroom household. If your child’s school cafeteria starts serving only dishes with mushrooms, it is within your right to request that they offer other options.

If, when you see another person eating a mushroom, you wrinkle your nose in disgust and tell them you don’t like mushrooms, I guess that’s okay. It’s a little rude, but you’re entitled to your own opinion. I may have wrinkled my nose at a few people in the past.

All of this is okay.

But…

Going to your neighbor’s house and telling them to stop eating mushrooms? That’s not okay. Calling the school to demand that they stop serving mushrooms? Also not okay. Standing outside the grocery store with a sign that reads, “BAN ALL MUSHROOMS”? Definitely not okay. And asking your politician to make laws against people growing mushrooms just because you don’t want to eat them? 100% not okay.

To sum up, it is okay for you to dislike mushrooms and choose not to consume them. It is not okay for you to try to remove them from society just because you think they’re gross.

Got it?

Cool.

THE SAME RULES APPLY TO BOOKS.

If you don’t like a book, don’t read it. Don’t buy it. Don’t keep it in your house. Don’t allow your children to read it, and make sure other books are available for your kids. Feel free to wrinkle your nose when you see someone reading the book and post a negative review about why you dislike it. All of that is okay.

Just don’t tell someone they can’t like it either. Don’t tell other people’s children they can’t read it. Don’t tell stores they can’t sell it. Don’t tell libraries they can’t keep it on their shelves. And don’t try to create laws to rid the world of the book. None of that is okay.

It’s simple. Don’t ban mushrooms. Don’t ban books. Get another hobby. (I suggest reading.)

There’s another thing I want to mention. No one says this enough. You’re allowed to change your mind. About books, about mushrooms, about politics, whatever. I’ve hated mushrooms my entire life, and I used to be really vocal about it, but a few years ago I realized I could handle them on pizza if they were cut up small and didn’t show any of the hairy bits. Then I found a big piece of one in my spaghetti sauce and decided to be brave. It didn’t kill me. Recently, I even survived eating a small stuffed mushroom at a dinner where the host ordered them and I didn’t want to be rude. I didn’t enjoy it, but it wasn’t as objectionable as I’d feared.

I won’t be ordering a portabella sandwich anytime soon, and I still gag a little when I see toadstools growing in my yard, but I have softened my stance against mushrooms. That’s okay.

So, if you ever find yourself alone in a room with a comfy chair and a cup of tea and a copy of a book you swore you’d never read, it’s okay to open it and peek inside and read a page or two. It’s okay if you don’t like it. Then again, it’s also okay if you do.

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This week I’m excited to be attending the TLA (Texas Library Association) annual conference in Austin. I’ll be talking about school visits and signing my Spooky America books at the SCBWI booth on Friday, April 21st from noon to 1:00PM. Stop by and say hello! Anyone who purchases a copy of The Ghostly Tales of Austin, The Ghostly Tales of New England, or The Ghostly Tales of Burlington will be entered in a raffle to win a free signed copy of The Ghostly Tales of Dallas which comes out on May 1st! I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of an organization dedicated to keeping books and libraries safe.

Interview With a Teacher #13: Ms. G

Fine arts teachers are amazing. I was in band in junior high and high school, and I never took any art classes, but I wish I could sneak into Ms. G’s high school and take her drawing class. Unfortunately, my gray hairs and complete ignorance of TikTok would probably give me away. Thank you, Ms. G, for inspiring kids to push themselves and embrace their creativity. And thank you for participating in my teacher interviews!

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A Note About These Interviews:

I taught seventh grade for almost twenty years and was constantly surprised at the difference between what friends, family, parents, neighbors, and community members imagined my job was like and what it actually was like. The few times I had the privilege of inviting a friend or family member to visit my classroom, they always left wide-eyed and exhausted. The purpose of these interviews is to allow the world a glimpse inside the lives of current educators. Now that I’ve quit teaching, I want to do what I can to support all the teachers still fighting the good fight, and I don’t want to forget what life is like inside a school.

All questions are optional. For confidentiality and privacy purposes, the name of the teacher’s school will not be published, and they may choose how they refer to themselves. (Full name, initials only, or even simply “Teacher.”) Participants have been asked to refrain from using student names or to change names.

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Interview With Ms. G:

I can’t stop looking at this drawing by one of Ms. G’s high school students. Gorgeous.

What is today’s date?

March 30, 2023
How old are you?

51
How many years (total) have you been teaching?

20
In what city and state do you teach?

Buda, Texas
What is your current salary?

$67,000
What grade(s) and subject(s) do you currently teach?

Art 1 and Art 2: Drawing
9th-12th grades
How many students do you teach total?

165, plus 22 in homeroom
How many conference periods do you have per day?

1
If you teach multiple classes, how many students are in your smallest class and your largest class?

My drawing classes are smaller than Art 1.
Tell us about your day today.

I come in about an hour early because I’m more productive in the AM. My first class starts at 8:45. The kids are always late because of buses or traffic. I love teaching HS but the apathy is really high and it’s hard some days to get them motivated. Art 1 is a crazy class, because they all need a fine arts credit and I’m it!! I tell them they all need me to graduate so they have to do the assignments or they are not getting the credit. Works pretty well, about 90% pass the year. I really love my drawing classes, the kids do beautiful work and they all want to be there. Days are long but we make it through with music and humor.
What’s the best thing about being a teacher?

I love the kids and art is my passion so that helps. Watching them create is the best feeling ever.
What’s the hardest thing about being a teacher?

The other things that you deal with! I have a great team so we really help each other out. Admin, paperwork, and outside demands from parents are the worst. Also I have a life outside and it suffers sometimes. I teach where my kids go to school, so that can be interesting.
What one thing would make your job better? I’m sure there are many, but if you could choose only one, which would have the biggest impact?

A fine arts secretary to help with paper work!
How satisfied are you with your current job? (1 = not at all satisfied, 5 = very satisfied)

4
As of right now, do you plan to continue teaching next year?

Yes, I have 5 years until retirement. Then I’m done!!

Teacher, I want to tell you something, and I want you to listen. You are amazing. You are creative and smart and hardworking and beautiful. You are valued by those who are paying attention, and you deserve so much more than you receive from society. You are a superhero, and the world is a better place with you in it. Thank you for everything you do for your students, your community, and your fellow teachers. I appreciate you and this glimpse into your world. ❤️

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If you are a current teacher who would like to be interviewed for my blog or if you know a teacher I should interview, contact me!

Ghosts Close to Home

I grew up in the Dallas suburb of Richardson. My family lived in an old house on an even older property, and every October we haunted the place with homemade decorations, spooky stories, and jump-scares. By a happy coincidence, I was born into my ghost-loving family on Halloween. My childhood consisted of birthday parties where my friends and I were the victims of my family’s backyard haunted trails, and my young adulthood consisted of me taking my turn behind the masks to scare the younger generation. But when we weren’t haunting our home, someone or something else was.

Several sheds dotted the acre behind our house. Strange things happened in more than one of these old buildings over the years, but most of the spooky encounters were concentrated at the one on the very back of our lot. We referred to this structure as “the ghost shed” for good reason. Spooky noises, unexplained shadowy shapes, items going missing and turning up later in unlikely places… these were the types of occurrences you could expect around the ghost shed in October, sometimes even in late September.

The ghost shed as it looked when I was a kid

When I was a kid, my friends and I would wait until the sun went down and then psych ourselves up to sneak out in the darkness and throw rocks at the ghost shed to try to make the ghost come out. I feel bad about this pastime now. Throwing rocks at anyone, living or dead, isn’t nice. I wouldn’t have blamed our ghost if it had swooped out of the shed and stolen our obnoxious little souls away. But the deceased must have the patience of saints because he never did that. Mostly he ignored us, choosing to make himself known on his terms and at his convenience rather than ours. Once in awhile, he let out a creak or sent a black shadow rising out of the ground or tossed a pebble or two back at us. Any one of those things sent us screaming back to the safety of the house.

Recently I’ve been thinking about our ghost again. One reason he’s been on my mind lately is because I was hired to write a fourth book in Arcadia’s Spooky America series: The Ghostly Tales of Dallas. I loved working on this project. Although I had my own ghost to play with when I was a kid, I didn’t know about most of the other spirits haunting the towns nearby. I enjoyed learning about the graveyard ghosts, haunted hotels, and other spooky sites surrounding Dallas.

The Ghostly Tales of Dallas comes out May 1, 2023!

For instance, did you know that Old City Park is haunted? I certainly didn’t when I went on field trips there in elementary school. And more than one nighttime driver has been lured in by the Lady of White Rock Lake. And McKinney has more ghosts than you can shake a stick at. (But I don’t recommend shaking sticks at ghosts.)

Another reason why I’ve been thinking about restless spirits is because I moved back to my hometown of Richardson last summer, and I’m renting a house that backs up to my parents’ property where I grew up. Which means, I currently live right behind the ghost shed. As I sit on my back porch, sipping my coffee and reading my book, I can’t help but wonder… is the ghost still there? Does he remember me throwing rocks at him? I hope not.

The ghost shed today, as seen from my back porch

I no longer throw rocks at ghosts, but I’m still just as curious about them. I’d love to share what I’ve learned about the spirits that haunt my hometown. The Ghostly Tales of Dallas comes out on May 1st. You can purchase it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Arcadia’s website, but if you’d like a signed, personalized copy, you can buy one directly from me. Just contact me. You can pay via PayPal or Venmo or mail me a check, and I’ll send the book(s) directly to you. If you’re a teacher or librarian in the Dallas area and would like me to come do a writing workshop or author reading for your students, let me know! I have a variety of presentations available for 5th-8th grades and am happy to work within your school’s budget.

Spring may seem like an odd time for the release of a book of ghost stories, but I think it’s perfect. If you pick up The Ghostly Tales of Dallas in May, you’ll have plenty of time to read it and get to know the area’s ghosts before you go sightseeing this fall. After all, you don’t want to wander into the Dallas Arboretum or Adolphus Hotel during October without knowing what might be waiting for you there… right?