As I sat at the dining room table of a new mom friend’s house, three kids deep into parenting, I asked which curriculum she used to teach her kids to read. Her kids were older and always seemed to be carrying a book around, so whatever she was using seemed to have worked. She looked up sheepishly, took a moment to assess whether I was a safe person to share this information with - as if she was going to share a new angle on the death of Diana - and in whispered tones asked, “

As a child, I made up a game that was one of my favorites: Cutting the Big Giant’s Hair. It was a simple game that involved sitting on the soft English grass, which I pretended was a giant’s head – one that needed a haircut. It was a big job, so I had to recruit helpers, but it was risky, because some people would make fun of my game. Gratefully, others would be heartily enthusiastic about the task before us. If I chose wrong, the game was over. Photo courtesy of Joni Harriso