a package in the mail!

We got our first boxes of books this week!! Anyone who is friends with me on facebook will know the set up to this but let me give you just a bit of backstory here.

One of my all time favorite (and I truly believe most important) things to do with kids is to read with them. There are countless studies about what a good read aloud can do for a child’s developing language skills so imagine my dismay when I got here and discovered that my classroom had a total of 4 books in English! The principal had asked for suggestions on books to order but we’ve got limited access since many places won’t deliver this far. So, I put a plea out to the webosphere and I was thrilled by the response. Many offered to send books that their kids had outgrown or to gather books in their church, school, and scouting groups to send our way. I know the shipping costs are horrendous so I expected small boxes of maybe 4 or 5 books. Imagine my delight when the first two came weighing in at 20 pounds a piece and holding dozens of books each (including some activity books and flash cards)! It was better than Christmas. I opened them right up and did a bit of sorting to see which ones I would hold back as teacher-use only to fit with our teaching themes and then set the rest aside for kid use and daily story time.

The kids were as excited as I was! Instantly they were clumped in groups talking about the princesses or superheroes, listening intently to the antics of Arthur, Angelina Ballerina and Thomas as read by our intern and asking me if these were really all for us. It was awesome!

Thanks to Roger and Janeil for your amazing generosity. You’ve made a huge difference in the lives of these kids and saved my sanity! Whenever there is a spare few minutes where chaos is reigning or one of the other teachers fails to show (which, happens every day!) I know have something worthwhile to fall back on. You're the best!!

a bookish list.

I saw this posted a few weeks ago over at The Perpetual Page-Turner and I've been slowly working on it ever since. I figured I'd share it since I haven't posted much lately. Enjoy!

Author you’ve read the most books from: 

Mo Willems (children’s) Elizabeth Peters (adult)

Best Sequel Ever: 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Currently Reading: 

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky and  

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Drink of Choice While Reading: 

herbal tea (there’s just something about tea and a book that go together)

E-reader or Physical Book? 

Physical book. I understand the appeal of e-readers but the heft and smell of a real book just can’t be beat

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Gilbert Blythe (from the Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery)

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (I’m not a huge fan of his, I feel he tends to be a bit overrated, but this book lived up to the hype!)

 Hidden Gem Book:

Keeping the Castle by Patricia Kindl

Important Moment in your Reading Life: 

A conversation I had with a  college roommate lead me to re-reading children’s books as an adult and I’ve never looked back

Just Finished: 

The Amish Nanny by Mindy Starns Clark

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read: 

Erotica. A bit of story enhancing smut is one thing but you have to draw the line somewhere.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Chesapeake by James Michener (888 pgs)

Major book hangover because of:

Oh, too many to count! But most recently The Rose Garden by Susana Kearsley

Number of Bookcases You Own: 

At least 9 of various sizes but they are always filled to overflowing when they aren’t in storage (which is where they are currently.)

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: 

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (though always an abridged version)

Preferred Place To Read: 

Anywhere I can curl up and get cozy; bed, couch, hammock, etc.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:  

I’m opting out on this one, all my notes are in storage. But here’s a great bookish quote:

No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally—and often far more—worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond. 

~CS Lewis

Reading Regret:

Becoming way too obsessed with the Babysitters Club in elementary school. I shudder when I think of how many great reading opportunities I missed while reading and re-reading ALL of these books.

 Series You Started And Need To Finish 

(all books are out in series):

             Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card-especially with the movie on the way

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books: 

Legend in Green Velvet by Elizabeth Peters, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

 Unapologetic Fangirl For: 

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others: 

Nothing stands out at the moment but I’m always excited to read the newest Mo Willems

Worst Bookish Habit: 

Eating while I read. Gooey fingers and spills happen more often than I’d like to admit.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book: (random Goodreads ToRead bookshelf #27)  

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Your latest book purchase: 

Hello, My Name is Ruby by Phillip Stead

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): 

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

What would your answers look like? Do we have anything in common?

News and additional posts coming later this week.  I promise!  Thanks for sticking with me...

a good book.

Have you given me up for dead yet? Some of these days it seems to be not too far from the truth. I had mistakenly thought that being unemployed would mean days of leisure; time to work on my book, catch up my scrapbooks, make homemade jam, take a photography class, and a million other things. Not true. So far I've spent the majority of my time unpacking and trying to bring a bit of order to the shambles that is most of my existence right now. And then hours and hours of working on a TESOL certification class among all the other preparations for Thailand.  I'm in a bit of a holding pattern, waiting still for my placement and not knowing where exactly or what I'll be doing for the next six months. Aside from my class I've done all I can do, at this point, to get ready but there's still so much to do and so much that leaves me feeling unsettled.

In the midst of all the crazy I did find a bit of time (on the second day back) to visit my local library. (Have I mentioned how much I heart the library?!)  Let's ignore the fact that I brought a stack of books with me that I specifically didn't pack so that I'd have them to read while I was here (and while we're ignoring, please disregard the 24 or so boxes of books that I did pack and move and the who-knows-how-many other boxes were already here in the storage unit!) I have this completely irrational --obviously-- fear of being caught without something to read. So, to the library I went!

Here's my first take-home pile (minus 2 that didn't make it into the photo for some reason):

I'd love to tell you that you'll get reviews of all of these.  But I know that just isn't going to happen.  If you're lucky I'll give you a quick recap of them all. So far I've got 3 left, one of which --Godel, Escher, Bach--I think will take me at least the month I've got left before I go. (Anyone read it? Are those 700+ pages really worth it?! Maybe a better question is, will I get anything out of it?)

I am hoping to get back on a better schedule, though. A little regularity and structure are desperately needed and I'm slowly but surely getting there. Fingers crossed it will happen before I have to leave! I will be at least a bit more consistent in the posts from here out, I promise!

a random list of faves.

Some things I've been enjoying lately:

Yesterday's Google Doodle honoring movie title designer Saul Bass and featuring music by Dave Brubeck.  Perfect!

The Spock Vs. Spock Audi commercial.  "Technically we're not inside yet."

Playing weekly games of skee ball as a member of a skee ball league.  Yep, such things exist.  Who knew?! It takes me straight back to middle school and I'm loving it (even though we haven't yet won a game.) :) 

A little salad I whipped up for lunch (kale, mango, coconut, craisins, sunflower seeds, green apples, avocados, cucumbers) drizzled with dark chocolate balsamic vinegar.  Yes, it's as magical as it sounds.  It will change your world.  Try dipping strawberries in it or swirling it in your french vanilla bean ice cream.  Mmmm!

This book.  It's lovely and magical and surprising and I'm eating it up.

And trying to wade through this stack of books in my suddenly diminished reading time. *sigh* so many books, so little time!

The azaleas that are in full bloom everywhere you look right now. So vibrant and fabulous especially against a gray and rainy backdrop.

And planning for my upcoming trip to Germany. Life is definitely kicking my butt right now and I'm looking forward to riding the rails up and down the Moselle river valley, doing a little biking through Amsterdam and eating some chocolate in Belgium. The 20th can't come soon enough!

What's been on your plate?

a book of poetry.

As poetry month draws to a close I wanted to feature a few of my favorite books written in verse.  Often we think of poems as a series of short stanzas or maybe an epic narrative (generally translate from Greek or something!) but there's a relatively modern trend of using a series of shorter verses (often confined to one or two pages) that build on each other to tell a complete story. I've read some that follow very strict formatting rules (each character 'speaking' in a different poetic form, for example) though most tend to lean toward free verse. The great thing about these books is they tend to be very quick reads. So, take a half hour or so and dive into one of these fun books in verse.

Three Rivers Rising
A novel of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889. (Ages 12 and up)

Your Own Sylvia
A biographical glimpse into the life of Sylvia Plath. (Ages 12 and up)

Odette's Secrets
A young Jewish girl is forced to leave her home in Paris when the Nazis invade. Based on a true story. (Ages 10 and up)

May B
A young girl is separated from her family by a snowstorm on the Kansas prairie in the 1870s and must use all her wits to survive. (Ages 9 and up)

Kaleidoscope Eyes
During the Vietnam War era, a girl enlists the help of her friends in searching search for pirate treasure after finding clues in her grandfather's attic. (Ages 10 and up)

All the Broken Pieces
After leaving his home in Vietnam during the war, a young boy, now living in America, struggles to find his place in the world. (Ages 9 and up)

Inside Out and Back Again
Forced to flee her home in Saigon, a young girl and her family fight to make a new life for themselves in America.  (Ages 9 and up, Newbery Honor)

Love That Dog  and its sequel Hate That Cat
Forced to compile a poetry notebook for a class assignment, Jack concedes that even boys can write poetry as he discovers other truths about himself and mourns his faithful companion.  (Ages 9 and up)

And as a bonus, here are a couple of books that feature poetry throughout the plot

Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook
When the class fish disappears and a poem is left in his place, Edgar Allan is on the case to find out who fishnapped Slurpy.  (Ages 9 and up)

Destiny, Rewritten
A young girl, named after Emily Dickinson, fights against a future that was fated to her at birth and learns a few things about herself along the way. (Ages 9 and up)

Most, as you can see, hit the middle grade reading range with only a few reaching into the young adult level but I'll vouch for them all as being delightful enough to keep older readers (and even adults) entertained. I'd love to hear about others you may have read, specifically those written just for adults. Any suggestions or recommendations?

a bit of poetry.

As most of you most likely already know (but I'm going to tell you anyway) April is National Poetry Month.  This year I'd made a New Year's resolution to read a poem a day.  I haven't quite made it daily but I figure many days I've read more than one so it's probably come out about even so far.

I'll be sharing a few of my favorite poems throughout the rest of the month but I wanted to start off by sharing some new favorite collections to give you all some ideas for your own reading as the days tick on.  Maybe you'll discover a favorite or two for yourselves!

Most of these are cataloged as children's but even adults will find something to appreciate within the lines and stanzas.

When Thunder Comes  by J. Patrick Lewis
The poems in this collection are each dedicated to a different civil rights leader. The usual suspects (MLK, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi) make appearances but lesser-known names are introduced as well.  Internment Camp member Mitsuye Endo, Native American Dennis James Banks, Astronaut Ellison Onizuka and more lives all make for interesting reading.  Each poem is also illustrated by a different artist.  Lots of great info in this book.

I Haiku You by Betsy E. Snyder
A short picture book with sweet watercolor illustrations contains a bunch of haiku poems all declaring their love for someone/thing. A perfect little giftable tie-on for the love of your life!

Stardines Swim High Across the Sky by Jack Prelutsky
THE name in children's poetry (particularly humorous poetry) and the king of creature mash-ups (umbrellaphants, wiguanas, halibutterflies) has teamed with a spectacular illustrator for his latest edition of crazy creature verses. You almost believe that they're real, pinned into the pages like an old-fashioned album or naturalist's collection.

Follow Follow by Marilyn Singer
A companion to her earlier Mirror Mirror, Singer's reverso poems focus on fairy tales and their characters presented in an enchanting and clever way. Here's an example so you can see how it works.  (In the author's note in Mirror Mirror she shares this, the first reverso she'd ever written.)

A cat                                   Incomplete:
without                               A chair
a chair:                                without
Incomplete.                        a cat.

The others in her book are more lengthy which makes them all the more fascinating and would make a perfect jumping off point for a lesson on punctuation (it's amazing how she uses so many different kinds to help make her meaning change subtly.) 

Next week I'll be back with some more ideas and a few poems to enlighten your minds.  Because every day should have a bit of poetry in it. You'll thank me later, I promise!

 Any healthy man can go without food for two days--but not without poetry.
~Charles Baudelaire

an award show!

Over here at the library we're gearing up for the ALA announcements Monday of 2012s Newbery and Caldecott Awards.** This year is the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott so we've set up a patron populated art gallery recreating their favorite book covers, along with a mock Newbery vote.

There's always a lot of buzz about potential winners and underdogs, surprises and sure-things just as there is with any award show. Eligible books that come out at the beginning of a judging era are at a bit of a disadvantage compared to those that are new and fresh and on everybody's minds. Then again, there are the rare books that are released early in the year and do nothing but build or slowly creep out of the woodwork along the way and might have been missed if they'd been released right near the end of it all. But basically all one can do is speculate.

Our votes at the library for Newbery included (in no particular order):
Liar & Spy  by Rebecca Stead
What Came From the Stars by Gary D. Schmidt
Wonder by R.J.Palacio
Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sarah Pennypacker
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

The only one of these I haven't read yet is Lions of Little Rock but my vote would have to go to Three Times Lucky, it was one of the most delightful books I've read in a long time. I might also have to throw Steve Sheinkin's Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon in the mix since we're a little light on the non-fiction (okay, so the non-fiction is non-existent!) And a dark horse vote goes to 12 Kinds of Ice, a little gem of a memoir by Ellen Bryan Obed.

My personal Caldecott picks sort of follow the trends as well, though I'd have to give my number one shout out to Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. So great in so many ways!  And my second choice would be A Home for Bird by Philip C. Stead. Other votes would go to:

Green  by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff

Extra Yarn  by Mac Barnett

Unspoken  by Henry Cole

If you're interested in a few more (and more educated) opinions, Hornbook has a reader ballot for Caldecott choices on their blog Calling Caldecott. School Library Journal does a great mock vote for the Newbery at their blog, Heavy Medal and SLJ blogger Betsy Bird does her own forecasting for both the Newbery and Caldecott.

Or if you're super excited and have nothing else to do this weekend you could host your own 'Mock Caldecott Party'.  Abby the Librarian has all the ins and outs of throwing a bash here on her blog.

I'll check back in on Monday and reveal the actual winners...stay tuned! (And stay warm!!)


**There are also awards given for teen reads, beginning readers and others but these are the ones I've chosen to focus on. You can go here for a full list of youth awards offered by ALA.

a great book discussion.

Guess what? I started a book club. I convinced a group of friends that I needed help branching out and discussing more grown-up books (I'd started out using the term 'adult books' and got a few somewhat worried emails back from the invitees wanting to know just what kinds of books I had in mind!) When the terms were made a little less hazy most people jumped at the chance and we held our first meeting earlier this week.

I've been attending a church organized book club for the last few years but several changes in congregational boundaries made it so there were very few people that I really knew. We also had to be a bit more selective on what we read (not that it's a bad thing but several times we chose a book that none of us had ever read before only to get a few chapters or pages into it and decide that we'd probably better pick something else.) Being in charge gives me the opportunity to pick who is invited and have a little more flexibility in what we choose.

I'd also hoped to develop my culinary skills a bit so I decided to serve a light dinner at the inaugural bash. I spent the day before chopping and prepping to make three different soups (this potato soup, a variation on this apple pumpkin, and my fave this tomato basil) a loaf of roasted garlic bread and some pear pomegranate crumble for dessert. (All recipes found via Pinterest.)

Because of so many rampant cold and flu bugs running wild at the moment we only ended up with 8 in attendance but 15 or so that are on the list and hoping to participate as we go on. Everyone was told to bring a few books to suggest (some favorite reads and some they'd hoped to read) and we had some great discussion at the outset. I think it bodes well for future gatherings.

Here are some of the books we discussed:

• The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
• Possession by AS Byatt
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
• The Little Prince by Antione de Saint-Exupery
• Act in Doctrine by Elder Bednar
• The Chosen by Chaim Potok
• My Grandfather's Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen
• Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
• Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
• Daughter of the Forest by Juliette Marillier
• Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
• The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
• The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
• Tender is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald
• Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
• Savvy Auntie by Melanie Notkin
• Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That by Henry Alford
• 1000 Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are by Byron Katie
• Zhuangze: Basic Writings
• A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
• Quiet: The Power of Intorverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
• Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls
• State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Wild Swans: Three Daughers of China
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosentrach
• The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean

(If I was awesome I'd have linked all of these for you...sorry, I'm not!) Have you read any of these? Which would you recommend? We're each voting for our top 5 and then the host for next month will have the honor of choosing their favorite from the final three.  I'll let you know the winner when it's decided.

To go along with all of this I’ve recommitted myself to making more regular book posts, at least once a week. I'd also like to branch out beyond just book reviews so I'm going to try to include a few features found on actual book blogs such as story time spotlights, author profiles, and literacy news as well as keeping you abreast of our book club choices/discussions. And in an effort to drum up a bit more traffic here I’m going to be trying to comment on others' blogs at least once a week. There’s a great community out there and sometimes I still feel as if I’m peeking in the window watching instead of truly participating.

a good book!

Man, it's been a long time since I've done one of these! I have no good excuses for my lack of blogging of late.  Holidays, sickness, church commitments, home hoopla, you name it it's gone on but it's all a pretty sad reason for not being more diligent.  I've missed you all! So, here are a few of my favorite picture books from the past month or so in no particular order. There've been some real gems come out this year and there have been a bunch I've missed but you can't go wrong with these.

Sleep Like a Tiger
Author: Mary Logue
Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski
Pages: 32
Age Range: 1-5
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture book
Cover Score: *****
Overall Score:*****
Rating: G

A young girl who is not at all sleepy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed after her parents tell her she can stay awake all night as long as she's in bed. But once tucked in she tries another delay tactic and begins asking questions about other animals, do they all sleep too? Yes, her mom assures her, the whale and bats and dogs and bears and tigers and other creatures all sleep, some in the daytime, some in water, some in nests. Soon the girl has imitated each of the animals in some way and drifts off to sleep.

This is a beautiful story that has hints of Goodnight Moon about it but rather than framing the child’s world it acts as a magical dreamscape blurring reality a bit. The narration is gently repetitive and lyric, lulling the reader into a doze but it’s the illustrations that truly shine. The lush, deep-toned, mixed media layouts carry bits of Americana, Klimt and a myriad of charming details in the collage that can be pored over incessantly. It’s simply lovely and would make a great gift for new parents or toddlers.

 

Monsieur Marceau: Actor without Words
Author: Leda Schubert
Illustrator: Gerard Dubois
Pages: 32
Age Range: 5-9
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG (mentions of violence, older themes)

A great intro to the life of the world's premier mime, Marcel Marceau. Born in France in 1923, young Marcel was entranced by Charlie Chaplin and would practice miming and acting for his friends to make them laugh. His happy existence was interrupted by the onset of WWII. Of Jewish descent, he changed his last name and joined the resistance eventually saving the lives of hundreds of children and hiding Allied soldiers. After the war he studied mime, performing in countless countries on stage and in film; his signature costume and movements being instantly recognizable the world over.

I’m a huge fan of picture book biographies. I love that so many amazing people are made accessible to children through this medium and this one is really well done. Simple text brings his world to life for even the youngest of readers while an afterword and end matter provide some extra meat for older readers. The crux of the story revolves around his career, what a mime is and how he does what he does something many readers today probably aren’t familiar with. Several complete spreads are devoted to showing him working his craft. Beautiful oil illustrations capture his charm and the fluidity of his motions, the bleakness of war and the dramatics of show business. Perfect for Francophiles, artists, actors, or anyone with a curiosity about the lives of others.

 

Waterloo and Trafalgar
Written and Illustrated by: Olivier Tallec
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-9
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG (violence)


This is one of those rare books that can appeal to the masses but will most likely slip under the radar and be missed by most. A wordless battle goes on over the course of years and pages between two men, one orange and one blue (showing clearly their lines of demarcation) until a small bird comes along to show them the folly of their ways. It’s a brilliant and obvious cry for the ridiculousness of war with just enough silliness to keep young readers enthralled and enough truth to get older ones thinking. And the irony of the two men's names will add to the meaning for even older readers. A gem.

 

Creepy Carrots
Author: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-8
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score:*****
Rating: PG (Some scary elements)

Jasper bunny loves carrots and the best carrots come from Crackenhopper Field. He stops by and picks and munches every chance he gets. But one day he hears the distinct sound of carrots creeping up behind him and pretty soon he's seeing creepy carrots everywhere! His parents don't believe him of course so he takes matters into his own hands and builds a moat/fence/gate all around the field so the carrots can't get out. A perfectly Hitchcockian twist at the end will leave you laughing, I promise.

I'd meant to showcase this one at Halloween but life got the better of me, as usual, so here you have it with my belated apologies. The story is one that will be enjoyed by most readers but will be truly appreciated by an older audience (parents, rejoice!) It's perfectly paced, slightly spooky, and filled with tongue-in-cheek descriptions of 'the soft...sinister...tunktunktunk of carrots creeping' and 'terrible carroty breathing' that may give tiny listeners pause. Black and white panel illustrations evoke frozen film noir frames with only the carrots and their dopelgangers (a bright malevolent orange) breaking up the monochromatic scenery. And the carrot-filled end pages are delightful!
 

Oliver
Written and Illustrated by: Birgitta Sif
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-8
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

Oliver feels a bit different. He doesn't like the things that everyone else seems to and spends most of his time by himself. But he's not completely alone, he has an entourage of stuffed animals and toys that keep him company and combined with his rich imagination he's never bored or lonely. Together they search for treasure, cross bridges, fight sharks and even visit the other side of the world. But he comes to realize that his 'friends' can't always give him everything he needs. One day while playing tennis by himself the ball rolls away and he loads everyone up in the wagon for another adventure. But what they find isn't at all what they expected; the beginning of the best adventure he's ever had. I won't give away the little twist at the end but it's a good one and leaves Oliver being true to himself and the reader satisfied with the world at large.

Ahh the illustrations! Pencil sketches that have all the charm of Marla Frazee's stuff but in an entirely different style. Big eyes, spaghetti limbs, backgrounds that nearly overwhelm small Oliver and yet perfectly highlight his contentment at being practically swallowed by the world around him, filled with details and characters with charms and personalities all their own. And the lovely green tinted gallery on the end pages; be still my beating heart, they are almost worth the cover price on their own! Beautiful!


With the holidays swiftly approaching I'm going to take this opportunity to advocate the giving of books as gifts. There are few gifts that can have as lasting an effect as the perfect book. The ones above are fabulous choices, of course, but there are so, so many out there to choose from that with a little help you are almost guaranteed to find something for everyone on your list.  A book can also be a vehicle for another gift as well if you don't want to be known solely as 'the person who gives books'. (I've already garnered that honor in my family, thank you very much!) Here are a few ideas:

• give a non-fiction book about a favorite animal along with passes to the zoo, aquarium, circus etc. to see the animal up-close and in-person
• movie tickets or a DVD along with the original literary version
• how-to book paired with equipment for the task (ie cook book and spatula, knitting and yarn, drawing and pencils etc.)
• biopic of a favorite musician with a CD or itunes gift card
• travel guide, historical fiction or non-fiction of a place along with plane tickets to that location-for those big spenders out there :)
• your favorite poetry book paired with magnetic poetry
• an epistolary novel (written in a series of letters or journal entries) along with a set of stationery or a journal
• for kids any book can be tied into a corresponding toy (a book about spring? kites!  a book about vehicles? toy cars! a book about a bear? a teddy bear!)
• for more brilliant ideas check out this website

And if you're giving a book can I put a plea in for the personal inscription?  I LOVE when there's a note from the giver in the front cover! I'm not always good at this but I've already got the inscriptions planned for a few of the books I'm giving this year.

This one for dad
A couple of these for the nephews
This for mom

Who's on your list?  What books have you given/are you giving/been given? Can't wait to hear about them all, but until then...Season's Readings!!

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #8
Books

a good book!

or more specifically...a banned book!

As a librarian and former teacher and a reader in general I have some rather strong opinions about censorship and book banning. While I don't think that every person should read every book (quite the opposite!) I do believe in the freedom to choose and to express ideas.

There is such a thing as an appropriate audience and particularly when it comes to something that is assigned there should be care taken to respect the beliefs and values of the community. But that doesn't mean that the books shouldn't be written or available. In fact, there is great value in expanding the views and understandings of our individual worlds and one of the best ways to do this is by reading. What might be seen as offensive and harmful to some might just be someone else's daily reality.

Over the course of history pretty much every book has been at least challenged if not banned out-right but it's always interesting to me to see which ones have and why.

There are a few somewhat obvious incidents like In the Night Kitchen, the various coming of age Judy Blume novels, and 'risque' adult works like The Color Purple or Satanic Verses. But then there are the obscure and head-scratching cases like Goodnight Moon,  Little Women, and my beloved Elephant and Piggie books. (A quick google search will give you some interesting lists of books that have been banned or challenged or you can go to the American Library Association website for some more info.)

But I wanted to spotlight just a few of my favorite reads of all time, all of which have been challenged and/or banned on various occasions:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
-for sexuality, mentions of suicidal thoughts and gritty teen situations

 

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
-for promoting witchcraft, Satanism, violence and being too dark

 

 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
-for using racial slurs, advocating white supremacy, violence

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L'Engle
-for supporting occultist religions and acts

*this year marks the 50th anniversary of publication!

The Giver series by Lois Lowry
-for supporting sexuality and scenes of violence, belittling motherhood, disrespecting the elderly

*the 4th and final installment, Son, is out this month!






Then there's The Hunger Games, just about anything by Roald Dahl, Bridge to Terabithia, The Diary of Anne Frank, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Harriet the Spy, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble...the list goes on and on. Chances are if you've read more than a handful of books in your life you've read a banned or challenged book.

In my mind it's just a tiny step from banning to burning, from censorship to mind control. (You've all read Fahrenheit 451, right? or 1984?) So, take a stand against The Man and read a banned book this week!

And you don't have to take my word for it!

"Without freedom of speech, there is no freedom." 
--Bette Greene

"The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame."
--Oscar Wilde

"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear."
-- Harry S. Truman, message to Congress, August 8, 1950

"Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings."
-- Heinrich Heine

"Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance."
-- Lyndon Baines Johnson, February 11, 1964

a made-up holiday!

Arrrrgh mateys!

Anyone who has ever surfed the web will probably realize that today is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

I'm not sure what the fascination is with pirates though I admit to falling under their spell as well, but their legends have endured since the days of Blackbeard and before. I, personally, have spent vacations wandering old pirate haunts in N and S Carolina and even recently in Newport, RI. Or singing along with the animatronics on Disney's famed ride. (I think that's still probably my favorite ride of all!)

This morning I even watched Pirates: Band of Misfits which amused me greatly.

Here are a few other ways to get in the pirate mood and celebrate the scurvy rats who sail the seven seas!

Read--

Watch--

everyone's favorite pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow

who doesn't have a soft spot for Captain Hook?

the most terrifying pirates in my list

Peter Ustinov at his best!

for the treasure and their looming presence if not an  actual on-screen appearance by One-Eyed Willie

this version with Christian Bale is my favorite!

Listen to---

Yes, I know.  Not actually about pirates but it's really catchy and always a fun listen!  But here's another one that's pure pirate, a take-off from The Veggie Tales re-done by Legos and Relient K...good stuff!

Eat/make/do--
Throw a party!
Eat cookies
Decorate!

This is obviously just a sampling for the possibilities are virtually endless but it's a start for getting your timbers shivered.

Avast ye hearties, get going before I have ye keelhauled and walkin' the plank! Savvy?


**all book and movie images from Amazon, you can purchase any of them there!

a good book.

No reviews just yet but here are a few I've been reading and enjoying lately.  (Full disclosure: I haven't finished all of these so I reserve the right to change my opinion if they somehow mess everything up with a horrible ending!)

Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene

So far it's rather hysterical and apparently there's a film version floating around out there with Maggie Smith as the main character.
Must find!

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

This one's been getting a lot of Newbery buzz and I can see why. A Victorian Gothic thriller for kids, hopefully the ending doesn't let me down!

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

Okay, this one I've finished and it's pretty great. A meta-twist on the classic story full of irreverent characters.  Older kids (who will appreciate the jokes) will love it.

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay

I haven't started this one yet but I'm uber intrigued by the premise; tracing the history of colors.  And just look at the gorgeous cover!







And that's just the beginning of my current pile.  What are you reading?

Happiness is...a bookish quote.

In the few days I've had of recovery from my dirge of summer book reviews I've been able to slow down a bit and savor my reading more than I have the last few months. It's been glorious.  Our weather has cooled considerably and it's almost pleasant to be outside again and I crave a few stolen moments to just be...with a book, with nature, with nothing to do!
 
My friend has a lovely print in her living room which I covet every time I go there that sums up my feelings exactly.

Oh for a book and a shady nook,
Either indoors or out,
with the green leaves whispering overhead,
or the street cries all about.
Where I may read at all my ease
both of the new and old,
For a jolly good book whereon to look
is better to me than gold 

~John Wilson

 

How have you been spending your week?

Happiness is...a sign.

The other day this was the first song that played on my ipod.

It was followed rather shortly by this song.

Then later at work I finished reading this book which tells the stories behind various children's authors, illustrators and books. It made mention of not one, not two, but three different books that in some way revolve around harmonicas.

First up was Zeke Pippin by William Stieg.

Next was Lentil by Robert McCloskey.

And finally we had The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster.

I was beginning to think the universe was conspiring something. And sure enough, when I got home I had a flier in my mailbox advertising a concert for this fellow (whom I'd never heard of before but I'm pretty sure I need to buy tickets for it!)

It's a sign, there's no other explanation for it. Anyone know where I can buy a harmonica?