Tabatha's Bag of Books

Hiya, Readers! "In a world where you can be anything…be yourself." The quote offers genuine, valuable advice. Technology and social media platforms have redefined how we see the world. AI (Advanced Intelligence / ChatGPT) can reinvent our appearance and location with the click of a button. It's not like changing your hairstyle or hair color at your favorite salon. It's not like eating better and exercising to be healthier and fit. It's not like getting braces to straighten crooked teeth. There's no work and no creativity. AI can instantly change everything about someone's appearance! I remember being a teenager and admiring the models in magazines. They were beautiful and had fashionable clothing and accessories. I recognized that I wasn't them, nor could I ever fully embody their looks, and that was perfectly okay. Appreciating someone else's thick, flowing hair or dreaming about vacationing on distant beaches inspired me the same way characters had from my favorite books. With AI, we are altering our appearance by changing eye color, slimming waistlines, face shaping, and much more. The result often leaves us envying a generated version of our own identity. It's easier to accept that you may never look like Jennifer Aniston or Regé-Jean Page. It's harder to denote or live up to flawless (fallacious) images of ourselves. That's not all! AI can write essays, stories, vacation itineraries, job descriptions, recipes and more with a just few suggestions. No imagination, no deep research, no heartfelt character-driven stories. So, my hope with this column isn't to debate or cancel AI (despite its massive consumption of energy and electronic waste and rise in electricity costs in some regions). My goal here is to remind readers that in a world where you can be anything … be yourself because you aren't a generated copy! Embrace your own ability to write what needs to be said, even if it's imperfect and it requires several edits! That's how we grow and learn. Use your own imagination and research to perfect your work because that's what makes it original. You'll never discover your own voice if you're using someone else's. Keep in mind when using AI, there are countless hardworking authors, artists, and musicians whose intellectual property is being infringed on. If you choose to use AI, view it as an editing tool rather than relying on it to do all the work for you or to drastically change your appearance (unless it's for personal fun). Never forget that you are already magnificent and one-of-a-kind — just as you are! Now, to keep the pages turning, and to embrace that longer days and warmer weather are ahead of us, here's a project to do at home (and AI can't do it for you!). I've also included one of my favorite books for recycled projects. Recycled Water Bottle Planter Recycle a plastic water bottle by carefully cutting (an adult should do this part or supervise) the top half off and the bottom half off the water bottle. Add a few small rocks to the bottom half. Now have an adult drill a small hole in the cap and thread a shoelace through the hole (this will be the wick to keep the soil moist). Fill the top half of the bottle with some soil (cap is still on), being careful to keep the wick centered, then place seeds and cover with more soil. Fill the bottom half with water and finally place the top half of the bottle on top. In my photo, note that my shoelace is in the bottom part, and it's also sticking out of the top of the soil. This was a fun project. The proof is in the sprouts! *Follow instructions on the specific seed package for sufficient sunlight and proper watering care.* "Craft with Recycling: A Kid's Guide to Creating with Upcycled Materials"By Stéphanie Boulay, Grace McQuillan (Translator)Discover how to repurpose and reuse household materials in this 64-page book of step-by-step instructions and full-color photographs that have kids turning trash into treasures! Until next time,Tabatha Jean D'Agata I want to hear from you! If you have a topic or book that you'd like me to discuss, email me at: tdagata@gmail.com.