Story Warren Weekend, Vol. 14, Issue 33

Hi there,

Monday is Labor Day here in the States. In my personal history, I have only ever known the day to be a “day off” and not much in the way of parades or celebrations. What about you? I was surprised to see this on the official government website definition for Labor Day:

Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades and parties—festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

Tell me, dear reader, do you have a festival or parade for Labor Day where you live?

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Around the Web

Everything I Might Have Been. I loved this little meditation about the various paths our lives might have taken. “My station, my field, my area of responsibility is exactly the one he has called me to, and I simply need to trust that he knows best.”

File this one under “most relatable articles of 2026.” Why Decluttering Books Is So Difficult. “How long should we keep a dress we plan to fit into (as soon as we improve our eating and exercise habits)? How long should we keep a book that we REALLY want to read, or hope someone in our household will read? Won’t we regret giving up a volume if it’s on a list we need later on?”

Around the Warren

Lara d”Entremont encouraged us parents to Stop Being a Snob. Read That Silly Book With Your Kids. “To move from cynicism and bitterness, we all need not just a bit of wonder and an eye for beauty, but a heart that can laugh. I wonder if silly kids’ books can help lighten all our heavy hearts so we can better embody joy.”

We revisited a short biography of Ezra Jack Keats. “Remembering his own childhood in Brooklyn, he featured brownstones, playgrounds, and snow-covered streetlights in his illustrations. His vision would finally be fully realized in the Caldecott Medal-winning The Snowy Day, published in 1962.”

Something to do with your kids

What We Do All Day suggests a tour around the world with folk tales and games. All it takes is some planning and a trip to your local library. Get started here!

Something to watch

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side.

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Kelly Keller

Kelly Keller is the managing editor of Story Warren. She has her BS in Elementary Education from Messiah University and has taught various ages, but her favorite was worldview and literature with high school students. The “gap” in her resume is actually a window of eighteen years of homeschooling, which she recommends as an effective, though demanding, way of expanding one’s home library.

When she’s not behind her laptop, Kelly enjoys live music, baseball, reading great books, and traveling with her husband, David. Kelly hails from beautiful snowy New England, but after two decades in North Carolina, she feels right at home.

She invites you to subscribe to her newsletter, On the Common, or to follow her on Instagram.

Latest posts by Kelly Keller (see all)

• An Interview with Jonathan Rogers - October 5, 2026
• Story Warren Weekend, Vol. 14, Issue 37 - October 3, 2026
• Congratulations: Our First Ally in Imagination - September 30, 2026