BooksnStories

Starters - a review

2012-03-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

Lissa Price's Starters dropped on my doorstep yesterday. I disappeared. Maybe you saw me yesterday afternoon, but really? I was in a future version of southern California. I followed Callie Woodhill as she tried to "sell" her body to an elderly renter in the hopes of raising enough money to get medicine for her dangerously ill 7-year-old brother.

In this future world, many people between the ages of 25 and 75-ish were killed during the Spore Wars. Children and the elderly had been vaccinated and they survived. But lifespans have increased to upwards of 200 years so employing the young is against the law to insure that the Enders - as older people are called - can continue working. Children and teens, (Starters), who do not have older relatives to claim them become slaves to the state until they reach 19.

The chasm between the rich and employed and the unclaimed and poor is vast and ugly. Enter Prime Destinations, a company that exists under the radar of the law. Rich Enders, the really old ones, can rent the bodies of teens while the teens' brains are put to sleep. The Enders' bodies stay behind in a coma state. Callie takes a chance that Prime Destinations will keep their promises, and agrees to three rentals, each one longer than the last.

If I could give some advice to Callie here? RUN! Away! FAST! But then the story would be about surviving and possibly her brother's death and squalor, etc., etc. Callie doesn't run. When she wakes up in her renter's clothes, she starts getting telepathic messages from her renter - who has dire plans for Callie's youthful body. Dire, dreadful, dangerous, desperate plans. The plans depend on Callie's extraordinary talents as a markswoman. Not good.

Another piece of advice for Callie - stay away from rich handsome Starters. I don't think she takes that advice either. Sigh.

Expensive cars and fashions, clubs, VIPS, lifestyles of the Rich and Ender-ly, cat and mouse chases, and nasty villains combine with the mystery of just who is behind Prime Destinations to create a page turner.

This is the first in a proposed series. I have some awful suspicions about who The Old Man - Prime Destinations' founder - is. Awful, cringe-causing suspicions. So I am anxious for the next installment. Go, Callie, go. And stay away from that rich Starter! (Oh, I so hope I'm wrong.)

Re-Seussification

2012-03-02T12:46:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss. Happy Read Across America Day to everyone! Happy birthday, childhood's favorite Muse! A man of myth, and words, and wonder, and fun!

From @gallerynuclus by way of justpicturethis.tumblr.com

OK! From Fuse#8 Productions we have a the results of Elizabeth Bird's Re-Seussfication Project. She challenged illustrators to re-illustrate a Seuss classic in the style of another illustrator, honoring both - I hope. I particularly like the last illustration.

Jarrett Krosoczka re-seussified The Cat in the Hat in Bernard Waber style. This is NOT the last illustration referred to above.

StoryFUSION

2012-03-01T11:53:00.001-05:00

Storytelling Thursday, here!

StoryFUSION!! STORY - fusion. A fusion of all the ways story can be told. Well, maybe not all the ways. But a whole SLEW of ways. The whole thing happens at Northampton Community College, one of my alma maters. And it happens from March 29th through April 1st, 2012. That's THIS month. Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild is a MAJOR contributor to this event - as in we make it happen.

So I promised you I'd give you the low-down on this event. But there is really too much to tell. Here's a link to the schedule.

Elizabeth Ellis is the featured teller. She is intelligent and mesmerizing as a performer. She sweeps people up into her stories. She is a fantastic educator. I <3 Elizabeth Ellis - could you tell?

So many other people are involved. The workshops alone are amazing - and that's NOT just because I am co-leading one of them. Here is a nice description of all the workshops.

The student performances promise to be wonderful. I saw a minute or two of the multi-media project. I am in love!

So here is YOUR cost analysis (smirk) of this event:

Free events:
Thursday afternoon and evening - all FREE!
Friday's "Dear Mr. Lincoln" Reader's Theater event at 10 am and 1 pm - FREE (10 am is pretty full, though.)
Saturday afternoon - Film shorts, Story Jam - Free but donations are gratefully accepted.
Sunday - Sacred Stories - Free

Admission events:
Friday night - Keynote Address - $10
Saturday workshops - $35 each
Meals -$12 for lunch and $18 for dinner. Nice menus, I promise!
Saturday afternoon Children's show - $5! A bargain!
Saturday evening performance - $10
Sunday afternoon: Elizabeth Ellis workshop for performers - $50

Pick THIS to save money:
ALL FESTIVAL PASS - $60
This includes all performances on Friday and Saturday, 1 workshop and both meals. This does NOT include Sunday afternoon' workshop.

Register HERE.

Comment if you want to sign up for a Thursday workshop. Since there is no cost, there is no online way to register in advance.

See you there.

Whatever Wednesday

2012-02-29T15:28:00.000-05:00

1. Parent Magazine's Camp Mom has a whole bunch of book lists by age on their site. When you visit, expect ads. It's a magazine. That's how they roll.

2. I just returned from a StoryFUSION committee meeting at Northampton Community College. This festival is HUGE with events Thursday, Friday, Saturday AND Sunday, March 29th through April 1st. I will tell you much, much more tomorrow on Storytelling Thursday.

3. So, book reviews. I am finally reading Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Here's a warning. This is not a good, relaxing bedtime read. Once you get used to the narrator's annoyingly self-absorbed self-deprecating remarks, this book is hilarious. It's sad, too, but mostly, it's laugh out loud funny.
I haven't reached the end, though, so maybe it gets depressing. But I laughed so hard - several times - last night that I jazzed myself awake. My poor long-suffering husband retreated to the sofa. Yeah, it's that funny.

And when I finally decided that I had to close the book, I lay there trying to figure out how I would tell people about this book. Here's the set up. Greg Gaines has managed to reach senior year of high school without committing to any group, doing any extra-curricular activities, or making any friends - except for Earl, his film-making buddy. He is a "normal" teenager who has decided that invisibility is the key to survival. His attempts to remain under the radar have succeeded so far but they create a great deal of anxiety for him.

Then, his mother emotionally strong-arms him into visiting Rachel, a girl he "dated" in sixth grade. (Do sixth-graders even go on dates? What? They're 11!). Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia and is pretty darn sick. The book is about Greg's attempts to "cheer up" poor Rachel. Then he gets Earl involved and the films he and Earl hoped would never see the light of the screen are shared in an attempt to keep Rachel's spirits up.

To Greg and to the reader, Rachel is a shadow character, there to reflect (Do shadows reflect? See, now Greg has me doing this questioning-the-writing-as-it-goes thing.) Greg's lack of self-esteem and to convince him that he is a loser supreme. OK, SHE doesn't convince him; his own self-loathing convinces him that he is a loser. She actually likes him and his films.

I am two thirds through the book. I hope that Greg manages to keep his act together and graduate. Right now, he is concentrating on Rachel so much he's blowing off his school work. I hope one of his films is shown to be a work of genius - comic perhaps. Or, that he manages to accept that he can't be a total loss if he worries so much about keeping someone else happy. I hope that IF Rachel dies - and I'm not sure she will though that's because I am an eternal optimist - that her death is not sobbing-pathetic.

There's a lot of Teen Guy specific bad language and obsessions in this books - just a head's up.

Oh, I just went to the publisher's page for this book and I have to go finish it - RIGHT NOW!!

ADDENDUM: I finished the book. The publisher's blurb promises something and the book delivered it - in a totally consistent way. I was a little worried there that this book would be - um - socially redemptive in a smarmy way. No worries. No smarminess involved.

KBWT- Toon Books

2012-02-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the post person brought me a copy of Zig and Wikki in the Cow by Nadja Spiegelman and Trade Loeffler. It's a comic book - about being inside a cow! You see, in a previous adventure, Zig picked up a pet fly. And the fly was not doing so well on Zig and Wikki's space ship. (Zig is an alien and Wikki is his robot companion.) They return to earth and their ride is eaten by a cow. Solution? Get eaten by a cow! Lots of cow facts and facts about biological interdependence are incorporated in this silly, colorful romp.

Published by TOON Books, the Zig and Wikki books are just a few of the enticing titles for early readers in the TOON library. The website gives you all the titles, activity sheets and parent and teacher resources and a free activity/coloring book that you can print. Check out TOON Books today.

Beautiful Brackets

2012-02-27T14:07:00.000-05:00

The completed Battle of the Kids' Books brackets - including judges - have been published. The first round is completely filled in. And for the first time in three years I suddenly understand how the Battle team pairs the books up - in alphabetical order. It is so simple, that it's brilliant. Sometime, the books in a bracket have similarities but even that is an accident. Sometimes, the books seem to have originated on two different spheres. It just makes the judges' jobs that more complicated and their rationalizations that more enticing.

Who makes up this team of diabolic Battle moderators? Are they demons, like the Game Masters in Homeward Bounders, or mere mortals with brains, bent and gnarled by years of reading? We might know their names but do we know them - their true selves? I fear not.

And yet, we follow where they lead, into the arena. (Cue martial music with lots of swords crashing on shields.)

Excuses

2012-02-24T22:08:00.003-05:00

On someone else's blog, she once posted an excuse signed by her husband explaining that she couldn't blog that day. I need an excuse note. And I have to write it myself.

Please excuse K from blogging for a day or three. She is very busy planning story times, visiting with brothers and sisters, playing with her grand baby, and watching old episodes of her husband's (and her) favorite shows. She promises to be back by Monday.

Thanks. Expect book reviews and more on the great Battle of 2012!

International Book Giving Day

2012-02-21T12:19:00.000-05:00

This morning I was looking at my bookshelves and decided that I needed to get rid of some of my books - kids' books specifically. Then I popped over to Delightful Childrens Books and what did I see? This lovely illustration and poem.

It's International Book Giving Day!!! Oh my heavens. What kind of synergy moved me to 1) decide to give away some of my books and 2) visit a website that reminded me what day it is??? The world's energy moves in mysterious ways.

It's also Kids Book Website Tuesday. Since I linked to Pop-Op yesterday (and since that site is in French) I think International Book Giving Day is a GREAT Kids Book Website.

To whom should I give my books, I wonder? I think I'll drive over to Cops'n'Kids later today and drop off some books. That organization hands out books all over the place.

The French Connection

2012-02-20T09:55:00.000-05:00

Just an astonishing coincidence, I'm sure, but today two of the blogs I follow - Betsy Bird and Lerner - have targeted French books. Betsy's blog is all about children's books. Lerner's entry talks about the high concentration of books and book reviews in the hands of the Parisian populace. Since Herve Tullet's smash hit, Press Here, I am very interested in French books - especially for children.

It helps that my daughter-in-law promises (or threatens), on a regular basis, to return to Lyons, taking my son and granddaughter with her.

I have to thank Betsy for adding the link to Pop-Op, a French blog that concentrates on children's books and picture book art. Tres adorable! (Someday, I'll learn to add diacritical marks, I hope.)

Happy Presidents' Day!

2012-02-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

Celebrate President's Day by making a log cabin out of a paper bag and some strips of paper! Like this:

1. Cut 3 to 4 inches off the top of a lunch bag.
2. Fold the bottom in half so that the long sides of the bottom match and staple the long sides together to create a roof.
3. There is a crease that runs along the bag where the bottom of the bag was folded flat against the bag. This is the edge of the roof.
4. Cut strips of brown paper 1/2 inch wide and as long as the front of the bag.
5. Glue the strips to the front and back of the bag from the cut end to the edge of the roof.
6. Open the bag up and place open end down.
7. Take a piece of black or dark brown construction paper, about six inches long and as wide as the front of the bag. Fold this paper in half from top to bottom and rest on the bottom of the bag.
8. The chimney is a scrap of red construction paper glued to the roof.

Options:
You can glue strips to the sides of the bag; cut open windows and doors; or just glue on shapes to show doors and windows.

So, what president is famous for living in a log cabin? Abe Lincoln, of course. One of my favorite books- for young readers - about Abraham Lincoln is Kay Winters' Abe Lincoln, the Boy Who Loved Books.

Enjoy your day off from school (or your child's day off from school). Read about a president. Or visit National Geographic Kids for Fun Facts about the Presidents.

Time Goes By...

2012-02-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

Thursday came and went. I blame it on my job which only happens on Thursdays and alternate Saturdays. Then, Friday was a blur. And I did not fulfill my Story Thursday commitment. I do these things sometime.

So I will remind you all that Kristin Pedemonti will be the teller at the Children's Series tomorrow, Sunday, February 19th, at 2 pm at Godfrey Daniels.

I totally enjoy Kristin's performances. Check out the Storytelling Page for some cool news about other local tellers and for a new link of the week (or two weeks. sigh.)

It's What I DO

2012-02-15T12:29:00.002-05:00

I found this quote on Shelf Awareness - love that newsletter - and they found it on the blog Brain Pickings, as you will see. (And Brain Pickings got it from a book of Ursula Nordstrom's letters that I now MUST read.) This is a great answer to all those people who wonder - out loud - why I "still" read children's books. As my hero might have said, it's what I do.

"I was taken out to luncheon and offered, with great ceremony, the opportunity to be an editor in the adult department. The implication, of course, was that since I had learned to publish books for children with considerable success perhaps I was now ready to move along (or up) to the adult field. I almost pushed the luncheon table into the lap of the pompous gentleman opposite me and then explained kindly that publishing children's books was what I did, that I couldn't possibly be interested in books for dead dull finished adults, and thank you very much but I had to get back to my desk to publish some more good books for bad children."

--Ursula Nordstrom, who was head of Harper's department of books for boys and girls from 1940 to 1973 (from the book Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom, which was showcased by the Brain Pickings blog).

Cancer!

2012-02-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

On my nightstand is an ARC of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. I am having a very hard time getting into it because ...it's about a dying girl. DUH! I mean, I already read John Green's The Fault in My Stars. That's sort of about a dying girl. And last night, I had the ambiguous pleasure? - honor? - um experience? of reading A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. The person dying in that book is a grown-up girl.

Writing about dying people is not new in books written for younger people - or in any books for that matter. But it just feels weird that so many books on the subject of cancer have crossed in front of my eyes this Fall/Winter. Because of the Dad with cancer thing. That's why it feels weird. Except, God willing, Dad is not dying of cancer - just of living a long life - and not yet.

I am nostalgic for the days when no one from my immediate family had cancer. It seems like a very long time ago.

Back to the books. The Monster Calls set me off on a crying jag! Conor's anger, guilt and pain as he deals - or avoids dealing with - his mother's cancer and imminent death are absolutely wrenching. The book served as biblio-therapy for me. But there is nothing clinical about this book. Ness creates a monster that forces Conor to face what is going on in his life with some very dramatic results. The narrative is spellbinding. This book is a worthy opponent in the Battle of the Books. Read it, but as with The Fault in Our Stars, keep a box of tissues handy.

The book is based on an outline developed by author Siobhan Dowd who died of breast cancer herself. I think she would like what Ness did with her story.

As for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl? I haven't finished it yet but the premise of the book is one I bet a lot of teens can identify with. Rachel - Greg dated her in sixth grade - has been diagnosed with leukemia and Greg's mom has decided that Greg should spend more time with poor, poor Rachel. Awkward! Greg is a good kid. And he's got a manic motormouth that is very funny. So his renewed friendship with Rachel seems to actually help her. There's something about film making here, too. I'll give you my final verdict when I get through the whole book.

KBWT: My Heart Is Like A Zoo

2012-02-14T11:17:00.001-05:00

When Michael Hall came out with this book, story time planners everywhere rejoiced. A heart-themed book that didn't include making cards, or unrequited love, or candy!! Whoo Hoo!

My Heart Is Like a Zoo uses heart shapes to create all kinds of animals. Watch the trailer to see how the shapes are combined. What an inspiration for a story time craft! Read the book. Hand the kids some heart shapes and some gluesticks. Done!

Have a lovely, loving Valentine's Day!

Scrabble!!!

2012-02-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

As in "I LOVE to play Scrabble!"

One of the joys of retirement (semi-retirement now) has been the freedom to play Scrabble with my Mom and any other Scrabble player she can con into playing with her. (My Mom does not need to con anyone into doing anything with her. That is just a joke, Mom. Honest.) Especially, my Aunt, Sister A. She may be a nun but she's wicked with those tiles. And when my sister, H, comes to visit from the Gulf, I just give up any hope of winning and enjoy the play.

So when I read about Meg Wolitzer's novel for young teens, The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman, I found out it was about Scrabble! Well, it went to the top of my list of Books I want to Read! And I read it. And it does Scrabble proud.

Duncan has just moved with his single mother, his only parent since his Dad died before he was born, back to the town she grew up in. So, he's the new kid, not an enviable position in middle school. But right before school starts, he discovers he has a special power. His mother begs him to keep this "talent" quiet. She seems very very concerned to keep a low profile. Only his Great-Aunt offers Duncan any encouragement.

I admired Duncan's restraint. I personally would have shown that Talent to the first two dozen people I met. Duncan doesn't show it to the other new kid, Andrew, for several weeks. But when he does display his "powers", the captain of the Scrabble team, Carl, decides that Duncan and his weird power will be the perfect partner to help Carl win the Youth Scrabble Tournament in Florida.

Duncan and bossy, rich brat Carl, are only two of the great young Scrabble players in this book. There are the girls from Oregon, immersed in Scrabble for years but also trying to find a mysterious boy. There's skateboarding Nate from NYC, whose father came in second at the YST when he was a kid. Some of the kids are Scrabble insiders like the Oregonzas and Carl himself. Others like Duncan and Nate have been dragged into Scrabble to please other people.

It just might be letters on a board, people, but this Scrabble tournament is full of drama, mystery and sudden revelations, as well as a hijacking in a second rate theme park. And for dilettantes like myself there is a LOT of Scrabble stuff I never even heard about. Oh yeah, watch out H and Sister A., Duncan Dorfman and I will bring you down! (And M on the West Coast, expect a Scrabble throwdown next time we meet.)

What Happened to Thursday?

2012-02-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

It was here - right here. I saw it. Now it's gone. What happened to Thursday??

The Storyteller of Story Thursday is Eva Grayzel. Eva told at the Children's Series on Sunday and she is delightful. I know that I have mentioned her this week. So I decided to dedicate this Storytelling Thursday - just to Eva. And then, Thursday disappeared!!! So, here is Story Thursday - one day late.

Eva uses repetition and rhyme to get her audiences involved. She often has a character say the same thing or repeat an action when faced with a problem. "He scratched his head. He tapped the floor. He thought and thought and thought some more." Eva's rhymes are more clever than that. After the second repetition, she starts the phrase or action and pauses. her audience jumps to finish the phrase, or add the rhyming word.

Eva uses costumes and brings members of the audience up to act out stories, too. And she adds those very young children who just wander onto the stage uninvited right into the action. Her story programs are a lot of fun.

Lively and gentle are not two words that go together often. But Eva's performances are both lively and gentle. She picks stories that encourage thoughtful problem-solving and self confidence.

I HEART Eva Grayzel!

PS. Eva is the moving force behind Six Step Screening, an oral cancer prevention and education non-profit. Check out the website in my Favorite Links list.

Wednesday Again? Whatever!

2012-02-08T14:33:00.000-05:00

This post is going to be done in bits and pieces.

Bit #1: I re-arranged my blogs and Favorite Links today. Check out Lehigh Valley Family Fun. This site has the most inclusive calendar of fun kids events in the Lehigh Valley.

Eva Grayzel is the power behind Six Step Screening. A Stage 4 Oral Cancer survivor, Eva spends a great deal of her free time promoting preventive screening and presenting the story of her miraculous recovery.

I have moved some blogs and websites into "rotation" for now.

Piece #2. The Story Swap at Godfrey Daniels starts at 7 pm tonight and should be stupendous. It's free. Go. Listen. Tell.

I know that Kristin Pedemonti will be there to perform. And Kathy Long!!!! I am not auditioning for the opening slot at StoryFUSION but I think I have a story/rant to tell later. Hope to see you there.

Bit #3. Rectangles have been turned into mug shrugs and potholders. I know, how mundane! But if I get them out of my house, it's all good.

Piece #4. I forget what piece #4 was going to be. Sigh. Maybe later.

I thought I remembered but it slipped away again so here is a cartoon someone sent me this morning.

Victorians!

2012-02-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

Happy 200th Birthday, Mr. Dickens! Thanks for creating some of the most pathetically appealing child characters in English literature. Oliver Twist? David Copperfield? Pip? Little Dorrit? Yep, these are some hard luck kiddies! So appealing, so (insert your favorite adjective here) plucky, sweet, goodhearted, naive, clueless, fragile, ethereal, hardworking, optimistic, forgiving, consumptive, clever, adorable, prescient - the list of endearing qualities goes on and on.

Charles Dickens' first novel came out during the first year of Queen Victoria's reign. This makes Mr. Dickens THE Victorian novelist, capturing the crimes of the age on every page. After reading Dickens, Kingsley and Nesbit, I wonder why people are enamored of the Victorian age. The inequities between classes seemed so huge. The city streets were so filthy. People died of things we shrug about today. For many, hygiene was non-existent or impossible to maintain. Even food was drab and hard to come by.

In some ways it was much like today: poor people are poor and suffer; rich people are rich and insufferable; money rules and ruins equally. This is what makes Dickens so timeless.

Dickens' books are like graphic novels but with words, not pictures. (Lots and lots and LOTS of words. He was paid by the word, you know.) The sweet, the grasping, the groveling, the snobs, every stereotype of every class comes to life in Dickens' work. His characters have enriched our language. It is so easy to say someone is a "Uriah Heep" or a "Fagin" and most people, even people who haven't read Dickens, will understand what you are talking about.

And what does this have to do with Kids Book Website Tuesday? Well, I just can't let Dickens' birthday go by without pontificating on his contributions, (unlike 2 million other book bloggers out there).

Since I seem to have a theme going here this week, I offer you The Children's Nursery and Its Traditions, a site dedicated to 19th century children's literature. Be warned: This site is absolutely rife with advertisements! But it offers a legion of full text books from the 19th century. (When writing about Victorians, it does one proud to write like a Victorian!) So if you can't find your copy of Andrew Lang's The Brown Fairy Book, there's a copy, complete with illustrations, on this site. Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, Heidi, they are all available on this site.

You can even find the 1835 edition of Hoyle's here, when an argument on how to play conkers arises. (I'm not sure that Hoyle's includes conkers in its compendium of games, though. I use that game solely as an illustration.) The rules of such games as Speculations, Draughts, Matrimony, even Horse-Racing are included in this book. Hoyles is still published today and has lent the name to a store in Oxford, England, and an online site for purchasing games of all sort.

And don't forget Carmen Agra Deedy's and Randall Wright's lovely book, The Cheshire Cheese Cat; a Dickens of a Tale, in which our author, Charles Dickens, figures prominently. The site gives historical background on the book, the times, the buildings, even the language of Dickens.

Read and enjoy, Gentle Readers. And give a grateful thought to Mr. Dickens, today, and to all his lovely, lovely children.

A Battle of Sorts

2012-02-05T23:31:00.000-05:00

Since the brackets for Battle of the Kids Books were announced this week, I have been reading - quite a bit. I picked up Anya's Ghost, Bootleg, and Drawing from Memory at the library. In the meantime, a listserv I belong to reminded me of the works of Victorian writer, Edith Nesbit. So I downloaded The Story of the Treasure Seekers. The book was so much fun- to say nothing of cheap! ($.99) - that I managed to download The New Treasure Seekers for free. (The Gutenberg Project has made lots of public domain titles available for e-readers.)

So I read Anya's Ghost AND The Story of the Treasure Seekers almost at the same time. This is a pairing that would baffle the most thoughtful and discerning judge. Six motherless children fight to reclaim the former fortunes of the "House of Bastables" by engaging in thoughtless and harmless - at least in the mindset of the times - highjinks in one book. Narrated in a peculiarly realistic child's voice, The Story of the Treasure Seekers reads almost like a melodrama. For one thing, no single family could possibly concoct the series of harebrained schemes that this family does. The child narrator allows Nesbit to lampoon a variety of conventions of Victorian England. Nesbit is almost always a fun read.

On the other hand, there is the graphic novel about Anya, whose immigrant background makes her painfully self-conscious. She falls down a well and discovers a skeleton - and a ghost. When she is rescued, she accidentally brings one of the ghost's bones with her - and the ghost follows. At first, the ghost seems to be exactly what she claims, a poor teen whose family was murdered and who fell into the well escaping from the murderer. And she helps Anya in a variety of ways - with tests and even romantically. But, boy is she bossy! And creepy! When Anya learns the truth about her new friend, it just might be too late.

So, judges tell me, which book should win this odd pairing? I thought I'd choose Nesbit at first - for old time's sake, maybe. Perhaps, it was the innocence that accompanied all of the Bastables silly antics that made me want it to be the winner. There was the clever way that Nesbit allows her naive narrator to spring "truths" upon the reader while the narrator seems oblivious to it all.

And graphic novels are not eloquent enough for me, sometimes. The scene where Anya catches the most popular girl playing look-out while that girl's "boyfriend" is making out with another girl in the bathroom - it seemed stark. I am a word person. I wanted more to be said.

But that scene - and Anya's reaction to it - spoke more to me than I expected. Anya's Ghost tells an engrossing story - a frightening story - about a girl whose decisions have not always been "good" ones. The starkness of that scene, the visual confusion of the party the scene was part of, Anya's reaction, they all worked. I can learn to like this graphic novel thing, I think.

My final choice would have to be Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol.

That said, I have no idea how Anya's Ghost will do when it is comes up against Amelia Lost as it will in the first match in the Battle of the (Kids') Books. That's a weird pairing, too, although both books have flying in them.

So, while I wait for the REAL battle to commence, I can wage battles of my own. Let's see, maybe I should re-read A House at Pooh Corner while I re-read Between Shades of Gray. Nah! no contest, there. I know which book would win THAT match. But, wait, now that I think about it...

Children's Series

2012-02-05T12:10:00.001-05:00

It starts in one hour and 52 (51, 50, 49) minutes at Godfrey Daniels with Eva Grayzel telling. Bring the kids!

Storytelling Thursday

2012-02-02T23:18:00.000-05:00

Telling stories is important for so many reasons. When you tell stories to a small child, you teach them cause and effect, values, vocabulary. And you engage in a personal way. When you read a book, the words are the same every time you open the book. That is the way it should be. But when you tell a story, you invite the listener to mold the story along with you. It is a communion and an art.

Telling stories in books is wonderful, too. My love of books springs from my love of stories. Devouring books is necessary for me because no one can tell me stories fast enough. Stories can be real - tales of your own life, or pretend - made up stories with fantastic beasts and flying people. The best stories are all true. If they are not true, no one wants to repeat them.

Heather Forest is a storyteller who encourages people young and old to engage in telling stories, real or pretend stories, alone or in groups. Her Story Arts website has resources for teachers and tellers, games, lesson plans, books, CDs, and, of course, stories.

Heather was a featured teller at the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Festival (now StoryFUSION) a few years ago. She was engaging and informative and inspiring. Check out her site to learn more.

Whatever Wednesday - Prepare for Battle

2012-02-01T20:02:00.000-05:00

The roster of books for the SLJ Battle of the Kids Books (BOTKB) has been announced. This is one of my favorite times of year because usually the list includes many titles I haven't read. Since I had to do an end of the year book review session in 2011, though, I have read most of the books on the slate. But, Not all of them! I am so excited.

I can tell you what is NOT on this list. Icefall by Matthew Kirby didn't make the cut. (Shock and surprise and a head-shake of disbelief!) Nor did Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach, nor The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone. What about How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr (or all the other pregnant teen novels. There were a slew of those last year!)? Or Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater? What!!?? A book about flesh-eating horses from the Irish Sea didn't make the list?? Oh, well. There is no accounting for taste.

Expect frequent updates here for the Battle of the Kids Books because I think this is one of the most fun events SLJ and its staff does all year. Books for Kids Rock!

Peter Rabbit; KBWT

2012-01-31T18:40:00.001-05:00

Peter Rabbi is 110 years old this year!!! And he doesn't look a day over 6 months. No, honestly. However does he do it?

There is an official Peter Rabbit website. It includes information about Beatrix Potter and her other creations, her life and the history of Peter and his friends. There is a Peter Rabbit store for those of us who cannot get enough of this detailed, lifelike-except-for-the-clothes-and-posture rabbit.

Take the quiz to see which Potter character you are most like. I am most like Jeremy Fisher. Sigh. Well, at least, he has fun. Check out all the wonderful coloring pages, too.

I just spent the last 20 minutes playing the games on this site. They include snippets of the book read by delightful voices. And they are fun even for an oldster like myself.

Parents and teachers can view resources on visiting the Lake District. There are pages on Beatrix Potter's life and artwork. Party plans, lesson plans, this website looks deceptively simple from the home page but it really does meander on and on - a little like a rabbit family's warren. Have fun!

Afterword: I just searched for Uncle Wiggily Longears, in hopes that the old bunny rabbit gentleman would have a website of his own. Alas, I found references to his author, his books and his game. Uncle Wiggily Longears is under-appreciated. I may start an Up with Uncle Wiggily movement on my own. American rabbits unite!

Monday, Monday

2012-01-30T23:03:00.000-05:00

Some announcements:
I updated the storytelling page. I added a game and check out Mary Wright's blog entry about Kathy Pierce's Memorial Service.
My Dad's pathology report came back clean.
I read a whole lot of books that I never mentioned here, like Also Known as Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher. So here's a review.

Bobby Steele and his best friends, Big Poobs and Marcus, are at IHOP one day, bored and desperate for something to do, when they find an application for Whitestone Prep - the private school in town. They decide to create a fictional character and apply. Guess what? Their creation - Rowan Pohi - gets accepted.

What a hoot! After celebrating, they consign Rowan and his acceptance letter to a shallow grave. But Bobby sneaks back and retrieves it. He is the only one of the three who has the grades good enough for Whitestone Prep and the only one who wants to go to college. So, why not play along for awhile? What could it hurt? After all, the administration at Whitestone would see through the prank right away, right? And then he'd just go back to public school and rot.

The subplot of his family life adds a desperation to Bobby's attempt to better his future. His father recently got out of jail for abusing Bobby's mother. Bobby's mother left. Bobby's younger brother depends on Bobby for afterschool care and meals. How could someone with a background like that hope to fit in with the richy-rich and squeaky clean students at Whitestone Prep?

For the most part, Fletcher makes this work. Adults are willing to suspend belief at a private school. After all, only the right people want to apply. Rowan/Bobby works hard to be a good student and a good athlete and he has just enough swagger to be believable. One part of this book that bothered me - and I read the ARC so this might be polished in the final product - was Bobby's essay to win a scholarship. I thought it read like an essay written by an adult who was trying to write like a teen, which of course it is. This is a tiny little complaint in a book that is full of tension of the non-violent kind.

Another part that bothered me was an attempt to make Bobby's father more sympathetic. What he did to Bobby's mother was freaking awful! But, you know how something wiggles in the back of your mind and just won't quit? I can't say I think Bobby's father's actions could ever be condoned but the more this thought wiggles in my brain, the more I see where Fletcher is going with this. Life is never simple.

So, yeah, if you want a book where the underdog takes on the snobs and might even prevail, read Also Known as Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher. I wonder where they got Rowan's last name.

Cheer up! The Fault in Our Stars

2012-01-29T21:56:00.000-05:00

So, here's a great idea for something to do while dealing with the recuperation of your aging father who is battling lung cancer. Read a book about two teens who are struggling with cancer and fall in love and one of them is certainly going to die but hopefully not in the book. (Hah! You think I'm going to tell you if one of them dies? Read the book yourself.)

Read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Really, read it. (That link takes you to an NPR article and about the book.)

I adored books about dying teens when I was a teenager. They - the teens, not the books - were always so noble. And brave. And selfless. Green's characters are also very attractive and intelligent and literary. And brave. And witty. And selfless - sort of. And sarcastic. And irreverent. And in love. Sigh.

There's this whole other character, an author, who turns out to be just...oh wait. I can't tell you what that character turns out to be like because then as you read the book you'll be saying things like, "He's going to save their lives"..or, "She's going to wear clown shoes" or whatever I intimate the author might do. You can't make me say more than I have already said.

Read the book. It will not cheer you up. It might make you grateful. If it doesn't make you grateful, do NOT let me know.

Take Your Child to the Library Day

2012-01-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

February 4th is Take Your Child to the Library Day!! Who knew?? Well, now YOU know and you have no excuse. Take your child to the library - on February 4th and lots of times between now and then AND a couple of times a week ever after.

Talking about libraries, I started my new barely-even-there job last night at APL and it was energizing. I love working with people who love working with children and books. Since I retired, the thing I miss most is talking to people about books - having co-workers point out books I haven't read - and sharing stuff with them. My friends from my "old" job still email me and do lunch and fall into those conversations but knowing that once a week, and sometimes more, I can pore over new titles and page through review sources and find books for kids - well, that is just lovely. Thanks, APL, for plucking me out of retirement. Plus, I might be able to get them to pay my way to BEA!!! - (Or part of my way. Times are tough. I understand.)

On February 4th at APL, there is an origami program. And a book discussion. Check YOUR public library for events on Take Your Child to the Library Day.

Storytelling Thursday

2012-01-26T22:42:00.000-05:00

Fire and Ice! Do you have a story that could fit that theme? Do you have a story to tell about fire OR ice? A true story - that happened to you or someone close to you - that's what the listeners at Story Cabaret tomorrow night - Friday, Jan. 27th, 2012 - are looking for. True real life stories.

Robin spins a tale

Tom considers what tale to tell.

Robin Reichert (formerly Berry) and Tom Egan will share their stories of Fire and Ice for the first hour of Story Cabaret at Touchstone Theatre in south Bethlehem, 321 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem PA. From 8 to 9, Tom and Robin will each take center stage and regale us with personal stories. Then, the audience gets a chance to share. Sometimes, the audience's stories trump the tellers' tales. Sometimes, ALL the stories are just plain wonderful. So, join me tomorrow night at 8 pm at Touchstone Theatre and swap some lightly embroidered true-to-life sagas, icy, fiery or both. Admission is $10 and that includes complimentary wine!

KBWT : readergirlz & readertotz

2012-01-24T19:20:00.001-05:00

I decided to feature readergirlz for Kids' Books Website Tuesday because I so enjoy reading the reviews on this informative teen-centric blog. Every week, the blog interviews an author about the cover art on one of that author's books. Teens, the primary audience for the books reviewed on readergirlz, are just as likely as the rest of us to "judge a book by its cover". In my days of sharing ARCs with teens, we all gravitated towards certain images and styles of illustration. These interviews tell the reader a lot about the author, the book and the way visual images can enhance the written word.

In between the Cover Stories features, there are reviews and news about the world of writing for young adults. I visit readergirlz almost every day now and always find something I like. For instance, I just discover rgz tv in the right hand column and found a host of cool author/book/teen/reader-y related videos to watch. Why not? There's nothing good on cable anyway! (I strongly suggest that they get John Green back since his new book, The Fault in Our Stars came out.)

But, then I noticed a link to readertotz!! And I fell in love. Oh yeah, a whole blog devoted to reviewing picture and board books! The contributors are picture book authors themselves. Lorie Ann Grover writes for other age groups as well and co-founded readergirlz. Joan Holub writes primarily for the beginning reader group.

Here's the trailer for one of Holub's books, Zero the Hero. Looks good. And check out the readertotz playlist when you stop by!

I have added readertotz to the blogs I follow regularly. I suggest you do the same.

Awards

2012-01-23T14:38:00.001-05:00

Press Here by Herve Tullet did not win the Caldecott; did not even get mentioned. But is Tullet an American illustrator? That is a prerequisite, I think. A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka is the 2012 Caldecott winner. Tres cute!

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos won the Newbery Award. That is a fine book indeed. I would have argued for Matthew Kirby's Icefall, myself, because of the storytelling angle.

Gantos' book has a couple of things going for it in an American market; The book takes place in Pennsylvania, a very American Commonwealth, home to the US's first capital. There is a great sense of time and place in Dead End in Norvelt. There is not one single touch of fantasy in the book and that is a breath of fresh air. (I argue that there was little to no fantasy in Icefall, but I'm not sure people agree with me.) And Jack's voice as narrator is pitch perfect.

To read what other books won the American Library Association's annual carnival of book awards, click here.

CHICKENS!!!

2012-01-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

Chickens are the new In domestic animal - with plans for chicken coops showing up in mainstream women's magazines. Everyone wants chickens. I love the idea, but I am not so sure I have the temperament for livestock. You can't choose to feed the chickens "later" like you can with housework. ANYWAY, Timber Press has a new book, Free-Range Chicken Gardens : How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard by Jessi Bloom about gardening with chickens. Watch the book trailer.

Dad update: He's home. He took a shower. Mom and My Brother the Doctor (who lives several hours away, alas) came up with an ingenious way to put pressure on Dad's wounds. Mom sounded happy and pleased with the way things are going so far. I am giving them a break from me today. I love still having parents.

Things I Love

2012-01-21T13:11:00.001-05:00

I love:

Snowy days
Fresh sheets and a crisply made bed
Found containers like the zippered cases bed linens come in
Chocolate dipped orange peels (I ate them ALL!)
Laughing babies

A new book, like The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Christopher Moriarty
A new craft project
Finding stuff I wrote long ago like this list of New Year's Resolutions from 1999:

I resolve to get more sleep. I read somewhere that Americans are in a chronic state of sleep deprivation.  I intend to do my part to reverse that trend.

I resolve to read more mysteries.  Mysteries are under-appreciated as a literary art form.  I will work tirelessly - when I am not sleeping - to give mysteries my full attention.

I resolve to do more lollygagging.  Few people lollygag anymore.  Expect to see me lollygagging in public before the year is through.

I promise to linger over coffee, whenever I get the chance, alone or with friends, at home or at one of those pretty little coffee bars...It's the lingering that is important.

I will develop my cobweb collection through benign neglect.  Do you realize how much effort goes into each cobweb?  I resolve to let my cobwebs age before I collect them.

I will stroll this year.  Power walking is for other folks.  I will meander, amble, lope, perhaps occasionally slouch as I make my way through the months ahead.

I will stay out of the loop.  What I don't know can save me a lot of headache.  (Not so good for an election year, sigh.)

I love this blog, too!  Thanks for reading. 

Library Supercut

2012-01-20T13:33:00.001-05:00

So many books! Enjoy!

Dad, the Storyteller

2012-01-19T18:50:00.000-05:00

The storyteller I want to feature today is my Dad - Franklin J. Chiles - builder, desgner, husband and father, father, father, father, father, father, father, father and father. After he retired from his business, he worked as a Deacon in the Catholic Church. Right now, he is a patient in the Heart and Vascular Critical Care Unit of a local hospital.

One of the first things I remember about my father is the stories he told - true stories of his growing up years. My Dad was no choirboy - and not just because he can't carry a tune in the bucket. Made up stories just to make us laugh. My Dad came home and preached to us with stories of the people he met during the day - the ones who struggled against unbelievable odds and managed to smile - hint hint!!

Here is a story he told often to my younger brothers and sisters as Mom and Chris and Eric and I put supper on the table.

He was walking up to a house on the hill as the sun dropped blood red and bleeding in the western sky behind it - casting a black and eerie silhouette.

Broken toys and debris were scattered across the weedy overgrown yard.

The most dreadful screams and hollers echoed from the house.

Banging and pounding and scraping sounds - as if a huge battle waged - came from this creepy house. But my father was tired and he had worked a long hard day.

There was no other house in sight.

He needed a place to stay.

He trudged up and up the hill to the front door.

A false step almost sent him into a pit of vipers, coiled and hissing beside the front door.

The woman who answered the door looked crazy. Her hair sprung from her head in all directions. She carried a screaming imp in her arms and two others - with wild red eyes and black mouths, clung to her legs.

She looked at my father and screeched. "You're late for supper, Frank, and these kids are driving me crazy. Where have you been?" My Dad was home.

Here's hoping and praying that Dad has many more stories to tell.

Support Libraries and Literacy

2012-01-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

Wednesday - Whatever!

As a public librarian, I sometimes feel that school libraries get more attention and kudos than we who work with people of all ages, and from all walks of life. However, I have to admit that more American children will enter a school in their lives than will enter a public library. This is truly disgraceful but I believe that ANY library is better than NO library. So, thanks to the blog at readergirlz, I can ask all my readers to sign a petition demanding that every public school offer a qualified school library program to its students.

If you agree that access to a good library is part of a good education - and it IS! It is! - then please sign the petition here. Please sign this petition. A literate public will surely support all kinds of libraries and that public begins in our schools and our homes. Support school libraries by signing that petition. Here is the link again; http://wh.gov/Wgd .

While we're on the subject of literacy - (and no, I don't know why I can't remove the italics - let's pretend I am doing it on purpose) - in the 1990s, a study discovered that 35% of kindergartners entered school without the skills to be literate learners. That's more than one in every three 5 year-olds!!

One of the main reasons for this was that these children did not have books in their homes. First Book has distributed 85 million books to children of all ages. A $10 donation will purchase four books for children who may not own books any other way.

Support school libraries with a click. Support public libraries any way you can. Support literacy in children's homes through First Book. Thanks!

KBWT

2012-01-17T20:13:00.002-05:00

What a day! Dad had his lung tumor removed today so a bunch of us - those who live in town - took over the waiting room with our travel scrabble and our biscotti and sleep-deprived silliness while the good doctors worked hard to banish cancer from our dear old dad. Surgery was successful! (YAY!) But poor Dad has a month of recovery ahead of him. Pain goes away - eventually. Bless you, Dad.

Needless to say, Kids Book Website Tuesday was the farthest thing from my mind. Still, it is Tuesday.

So I asked myself, where do children and their parents go for a little sit-down respite every day? Where are shows brought to us by the Number 3 and the letters Q and I? Where can princesses save kings from dragons through the power of reading? PBS!!! Today's Kids' Book Website - though not entirely dedicated to Kids' Books - is dedicated to turning its watchers into competent readers. So here it is! PBS KIDS!

PBS KIDS is not just for preschoolers anymore and has shows on science, nature, reading, friendship, geography and more. And NO COMMERCIALS! (Except sponsor identification - still better than those annoying cereal and toy commercials.) Check out PBSKids website for games, videos and even geocaching! For that, look on Dinosaur Train's Parents' and Teachers' page.

Rectangles

2012-01-14T17:35:00.000-05:00

Those pesky crocheted rectangles from a past post now have a new life. This view shows the Mug Shrug (c) and how it is constructed. I added a contrasting border and two crocheted button loops and then added two buttons.

This project is really a one size fits all project as you will see in the next photo.


Just fold back the top to drink!

I started with just one button which worked perfectly - buttoned under the handle - for standard straight-up-and-down mugs. But on a slightly larger tapered mug like this one, the second button - above the handle - was necessary. The shrug insulates the mug which is great for me. I am forever pouring myself some tea and then walking off and forgetting about it. Now, when I finally remember, the tea is still warm - if not hot. Warm is so much better than cold when it comes to most teas.

On shorter mugs, simply fold up the bottom and fold down the top to make the Mug Shrug fit.

Can you guess what I will feature at the October Crafts Fair??? Hmm.

I am working on my first giveaway of 2012. Watch this blog!

A Heart Full of Kindness

2012-01-13T18:36:00.001-05:00

I just received a copy of Mara Rockliff's new book, My Heart Will Not Sit Down. I cried.

Although the story is fiction, Rockliff was inpsired by a true event. In 1931, New York City received $3.77 from the people of Cameroon. The money was to feed the hungry children, victims of the Great Depression.

How did the illiterate and poverty-stricken people of Cameroon even know about the Great Depression? Rockliff imagines a mission teacher telling his classroom about the hungry children in his home village, New York City. One of his students, a girl called Kedi, wants to help. "Her heart will not sit down" after she hears of children who have no food. She knows what it is like to go to bed hungry. She cannot imagine how sad it must be to have no food at all. So she asks everyone in her village for a coin or two. Coins are rare in her village. The next morning, her mother gives her a tiny coin and the thought that this is all she has to share makes her sad. But her village knows the right thing to do when someone is in need and her small coin is joined by many others.

Rockliff's words carry this story along like a song. Anne Tanksley's bright, chunky, almost childlike illustrations give the book an accurate sense of time and place. The story stands alone as a lesson in caring and kindness. I highly recommend that everyone read Rockliff's Author's Note which explains where the story came from, the life of the people of Cameron in the first half of the twentieth century, even where she found the descriptive phrases such as "my heart will not sit down".

In a time when we are all busy protecting what we have, this book points out that even a small kindness is meaningful, to the giver and to the recipient. This book reminds us that one small coin can become many and that small gifts can lift a heart.

My heart will not sit down now that I have read this book. I want to pass this kindness on.

Thank heavens for Folktales

2012-01-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

Last night's Story Swap at Godfrey Daniels was so much fun. The usual suspects trotted out great stories. I told Singing Together from one of Margaret Read MacDonald's collections. My little camcorder died with storytelling videos trapped inside. Technology is a blessing and a CURSE!!!!

I so wanted to share Bob Heffelfinger's version of Jack and the Beanstalk - funny and fun!, Tom Egan's convincing first attempt at an Irish accent with "The Hag's Brown Leather Bag" and Ingrid Bohn's engrossing telling of "The Acorn Tree'. I didn't catch Gerry's story, "Brian Anderson", about passing a good deed along, or Joe's dramatic retelling of a Jack London story because I forgot I had the camcorder in my bag. (So sad to have an older brain.) That is the reason I missed Chaz Kiernan's version of the Scandinavian story, "The Great White Cat". Every time Chaz tells this story it gets better and better.

Next month, LV Storyteller members will audition for the opening slot at StoryFUSION during the Story Swap. We are talking powerful and talented tellers trotting out their best stuff for FREE. You have to be there. The date should be February 8th. I'll remind you.

Has anyone else noticed how many novels for young people include folktales and stories? In Joanne Rocklin's The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook, the main character helps her younger brother deal with their elderly cat's illness by telling stories of the cat's five former lives. The stories reflect what is going in their lives and help the reader understand the family and neighborhood dynamics. The storytelling tradition was one the kids learned from their deceased Dad and it even included a trade mark gesture that signaled that a story was about to begin. I LOVED this! The book comes out in the Spring, so put it on your to-read list.

Books like Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, Cinder by Marissa Meyer and last year's A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz all owe their existence to fairy tales and folklore. I love the little heading on Marissa Meyer's blog. "It always starts with 'Once upon a time....'. Yes, it does.

Whatever Wednesday

2012-01-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

Today is Whatever Wednesday and I can blog about whatever! So here goes randomity:

Happy birthday to my little sister, Christine! Oh, yeah, you rock, little sister. BTW, I need a haircut. Call me.

Granddaughters rock even when they are fussy. (Grandmothers, too, even when they're fussy.)

Totally, soooooooo jealous of Hannah who will get an autographed copy of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green possibly from the great Mr. Green himself - on Friday. Watch the book trailer here. I like the song, too. (She might even meet Hank Green, John's amazing brother, songwriter and squirrel impersonator).

If you like John Green, you will love Nerdfighters.

I am going to the FREE Open Mike Story Swap at Godfrey Daniels tonight (7:30 pm). I have no particular story in mind. Sometimes that is the best way. I am taking my little camcorder and maybe I will have storytelling video to post tomorrow. Lehigh Valleyites, if you have nothing to do tonight, join me at Godfrey Daniels.

I have come up with something to do with those crocheted rectangles I complained about, not so long ago. I am working out some of the design inconsistencies and will post the amazingly simple and, I think, clever results here, soon.

And tomorrow is Storytelling Thursday. Stay tuned.

KBWT & Crafts

2012-01-10T09:23:00.000-05:00

Since Thanksgiving I have been obsessed with making things, crocheting and baking and gluing and sewing. Tea cozies, fingerless mitts, troll dolls, snowmen, paper beads, candied orange peels, muffins and music. I love making things and winter is the time to do it.

Hang this fellow on your tree.

Kids love to make things, too. So today's Kids Book Website combines two of my loves - books and crafts - into one. Welcome to The Best Kids Book Site! If you click on the Books tab at the top, you can search for books by title, character name, subject or author. If you choose Book Wizard, you can describe a book that you can't find and the people who work for this site will try to find it for you.

A LOT of work has been done to put The Best Kids Book Site website together. With so many activity options and book choices, some projects and book suggestions are better than others. Still, if you are trolling the Internet at 9:05 pm - after your local library has closed - for one last idea for the next day's scout troop or play date, this site is a great place to wander through. And, if you live in the back of beyond where access to a library is limited or unavailable, the book search options on this site are wonderful.

Bookstore at NIght

2012-01-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

Someone shared this on Facebook so I will share it with you here. A bookstore owning couple made this video of their bookstore at night.

Where is your favorite book store? My life long favorite book buying emporium is the Moravian Book Shop on Main Street in Bethlehem, PA.

My favorite used book store is The Old Library Shop on Center Street, also in Bethlehem, PA.

And I have to send a shout out to Otto Bookstore on Fourth Street in Williamsport, PA. Over the years, it has changed but still remains a cool, cool independently owned book store. I think of it as Otto's, though.

So do you have a favorite bookstore? Let me know.

Money, money, money, money

2012-01-07T19:47:00.000-05:00

Money is on my mind. It appears to be on the minds of a lot of authors, too. Take the book I'm reading right now, The Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader (9780547550787, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, publication date Feb. 9, 2012). Tucker wants to earn a college scholarship for his Mom so she won't have to work full time and go to school full time. In the meantime, he and his very cute special needs brother, Beecher, try to save money anyway they can.

Gary Paulsen's Flat Broke is all about money, how to earn it, how NOT to earn it. (Hint: running poker games? Not a good idea.) What to do with it when you get it, being responsible with it and living without it. The book is funny and functional all at the same time!

In a lot of the books I read this Fall, the undercurrent of economic strain added to the tension between characters. When parents have to work all the time to pay the bills, they have to leave their children unsupervised. This opens the door to all kinds of misbehavior and misunderstandings. And since overworked parents are more and more common in the lives of American children, the plots are so believable.

Even in a fantasy like Small Persons With Wings, the difficulty of making ends meet works for the plot. When the very odd lawyer shows up and tells the heroine's father that his own father left him the family Inn, they move. Why? Because they won't have to pay rent if they live in the Inn and the heroine's father is having trouble with his business. (I wish I had the book in hand. I think the father is a stone mason.) BTW, the small persons have their own kinds of "economic" crises. Money is not the only currency out there.

In Marissa Meyer's Cinder, Cinder's family depends on her to provide money for clothes and food and lodging. Even still, she is treated badly and not just because she is "stepchild". The way Cinder uses the money she earns gives her step-mother a reason to throw Cinder out of the family home.

Money problems fuel family break-ups, moves, weird child care arrangements, unusual food choices, vacation disasters, holiday disappointments, wardrobe insufficiencies, even changing schools. Money, or the lack of it, formed loveless marriages, caused wars, created the environment for disease, and pestilence. Some of these are crises that kids face every day. Others are trials we hope our kids will only read about.

Money problems allow kids to vicariously make choices, such as saving rather than spending, making gifts rather than buying them, making their own fun rather than playing/buying expensive games, using their imaginations rather than their parents' wallets, being responsible for their free time or learning to live with a "baby-sitter", whining or dealing. In more dramatic books - dystopian fiction, historical novels - readers get to choose between food OR shelter; safety OR warmth, fighting or fleeing. All because of money.

Money is on my mind. I can't seem to get away from it. Sigh.

Sadness in the Storytelling World

2012-01-05T10:05:00.000-05:00

In honor of Storytelling Thursday I have created a separate page for Storytelling. Right ... up...THERE! See it?

You will be missed, Kathy.

Unfortunately, the very first thing I have to post on that page is the passing of Kathy Pierce, a fine storyteller and a storytelling pioneer. Kathy was a long time member of the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild. She traveled with nationally acclaimed teller (and StoryFUSION 2012 featured artist) Elizabeth Ellis in her younger days. Kathy had been plagued with a series of illnesses and finally succumbed to a stroke on New Year's Eve.

I am having a hard time getting my head around Kathy's departure. She had the best laugh and I know that I will expect to see her sitting at the counter at Godfrey Daniels as I walk in the door. I will hear a voice of similar timber and I will turn expecting to see her red hair and her smart-ass smile. And her stories, oh my. I hope that somewhere along the line someone recorded Kathy as she told.

Here's the thing. Some tellers will decide to add in a whistle or a prop, or a gesture, or expression, and it comes off staged. Everything - everything - Kathy added to her stories felt just right, comfortable. Kathy invited us into her stories and we saw what she saw, heard what she heard. Of course, her expressions, motions and the few props she used - and she never needed props even when she used them - were a joy to experience. But Kathy could be the visible performer and the invisible vessel of story - all at the same time.

There is sadness in the storytelling world this week.

Girls Read - Of Course

2012-01-04T10:28:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's post was a little guy-centric. So today I have to share a great list of books for Courageous Girls put out by The Children's Book Review. The books are timeless and fun and there are books here for smaller courageous girls, and bigger girls, too.

Of course, girls read! And write and sing and do amazingly brave things. So, all these active reading girls will love that there is a SECOND Daring Book just for them! I get a little emotional thinking that I might be able to share these books with my granddaughter in a few years. (Sniff! Won't that be wonderful?)

And for all of us grown-up girls, romance author and apologist (as in supporter -NOT apologizer) Maya Rodale put out an eloquent trailer on why Romance Novels have been considered DANGEROUS for centuries. I doubt that I will rush out and buy a bunch but my respect for romance as a genre has jumped after viewing this.

KBWT

2012-01-03T18:41:00.001-05:00

A year or two ago, Jon Scieszka got a bunch of his author-ly buddies together and started a series of anthologies called Guys Read!. The trailer for the first book, Guys Read : Funny Business is pretty funny itself. The second Guys Read anthology, Guys Read : Thriller is out now as well.

Well, Mr. Scieszka has a website dedicated to Guys Who Read - and to Getting Guys To Read. It's called.... are you ready? Guys Read! Yeah.

Now, teachers and librarians know how hard it is to get guys to read - or to admit they like to read. Walter Dean Myers - you know who HE is, right? He used to hide his books when he was a kid, so his friends wouldn't make fun of him. Now he's a big Newbery Award winning author and...(fanfare please)...he has just been chosen to be the next National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a post first held by Jon Scieszka himself and which was most recently held by Katherine Paterson.

Anyway, the Guys Read website has booklists written by some awesome guy authors and other people like YA librarians and you can download Guys Read bookmarks and find out how to open a Guys Read Field Office and even buy Guys Read paraphernalia. It truly is a Guy friendly website.

The Power of Habit

2012-01-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

I am reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg - not at all my usual type of book. The subtitle is Why We Do What We Do and How to Change It. Isn't that a perfect book for the beginning of the year?

Since this is neither fiction, nor written for younger folk, it is taking me a little bit longer to read this book. So far, it is fascinating. I try not to read too much in one sitting because Duhigg gives his audience a lot of information. Scientific research is sandwiched between case studies. The stories of neurologically damaged people, people who have successfully overcome destructive habits - even a football coach that leads a failing team to victory - underscore the research that is ably and accessibly explained.

The book is due out in March of this year. By then, I will have used the information in here to overcome MY destructive habits and become a whole new ME! (Smile!) Sigh, that might not happen. But already I am more aware of the way habit controls a lot of what I do.

While reading this book I realized something. I resist routine. I guess I am a contrary person. This book explains that routine - of the right sort - could simplify my life. But I fight routine. I wonder why. Hmmmm... I will go off now and do some self-examination. I'll be back tomorrow for KWBT.

In the meantime, put Charles Duhigg's book The Power of Habit on your list of must-reads for 2012.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T18:55:00.000-05:00

Here's wishing all of you a wonderful 2012! I decided that the only resolution I need to make for this new year is this: I will finish projects that have been hanging around for a while - or get rid of them!


Earth tones, pastels and knock-your-eyes-out red - quite a combination!

Project #1:
To begin, I dug out a bin of crocheted rectangles - a complete underbed storage bin of rectangles approximately 10 inches by 7 inches. There was a group project I was working on and then the group lost interest - or maybe I did. I forget. The problem is that the rectangles are mismatched colors. What to do???

My shawl/scarf thing - cozy but I won't be wearing this out in public.

I took 17 of the rectangles and pieced together a shawl/scarf sort of thing. It really is something only a mother could love but it is warm and perfect for watching TV or reading in bed.

Here are a few of the other unfinished projects ahead of me this year:
2. 3 novels - 2 are finished but need rewriting - a LOT of rewriting;
3. Comb through 20 years of Cricket magazine (OK, maybe only 10 years- I am prone to exaggeration) and then find a home for the ones I don't want;
4. 2 quilts - or at least the tops;
5. Figure out what to do with Bill's Mom's china and knicknacks - the pretty ones I have stored away;
6. Find new homes for stuff that is tucked away in the attic and cupboards and that I have forgotten about - like the fire engine red electric wok I never took a shine to;
7. Pare down my personal library to the books I actually use;
8. Figure out how to borrow library books on my Nook;
9. Write reviews for at least half the books I read and post them on this blog;
10. And then there is my Advent project - years in the making. It would be fun to get that off the ground.

If I finish Project #2- or a third of Project #2 - it will be a banner year indeed. It's pretty clear that I will not run out of things to do in 2012.

I hope that your new year is full of wonderful things and people who love you!

Stories for Kids

2011-12-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

The Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild's Children's Series starts in just over two weeks. This is a series of storytelling performances held at Godfrey Daniels, 7 East Fourth Street in Bethlehem PA on the first and third Sundays - usually - of January, February, and March. This year, there is only one January performance because the first Sunday is New Year's Day!

Mary Wright will perform on Jan. 15th at Godfrey Daniels

So, at 2 pm, on January 15th, at Godfrey Daniels, all story loving youngsters, and story loving young-at-heart-sters, are in for a HUGE treat. Mary Wright will tell stories and she is superb. It doesn't hurt that Cops 'n' Kids will be there handing out FREE books as well. Admission is charged for this event. Very young children (under 2) are admitted free.

Mark your calendars NOW! (I'll remind you later.)

The Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, teaching and preserving the art of storytelling in the Lehigh Valley.

Thursday Again!

2011-12-29T22:19:00.001-05:00

East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon, as illustrated by Donn P Crane

It's Thursday - Storytelling Thursday, that is. Let's talk about Fairy Tales - my personal favorite and a great blog dedicated to them, Fairy Tale Lobby.

My favorite fairy tale is "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon." "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" is a wonderful tale for the winter, featuring as it does, a great white bear. I remember poring over this story in "My Book House", a fabulous set of books developed by Olive Beaupre Miller, for families. Back in the days before easy access to public libraries, (not every family had a car or lived within walking distance of a library) and definitely before the Internet, sets of books like "My Book House" and "Junior Classics" lined the bookshelves of a lot of living rooms. My sister spirited away our family's set of My Book House. But I was lucky enough to find another set somewhere - a garage sale or a rummage.

In "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon", a young girl is carried off by a great white bear (to be his wife?). Every night someone enters the room next to her, but she never sees him. (I suspect the original did away with the extra room.) The Bear tells her to mind her own business when she asks him about the strange lodger. But curiosity overcomes her - Blast you, Curiosity! - and she drips wax on the stranger's nightshirt and he wakes up. Of course, he is the Bear, under a spell and if only she had been able to control her curiosity, the spell would have been broken!!! Now, he must go far, far away where she will never find him. Ha! Never tell a curious woman that she can't have what she wants. So, she follows him and she overcomes one obstacle after another. Sigh, so romantic.

This theme of curiosity forcing one character to lose the affections, or more likely the presence, of another character, is scattered all through European fairy tales. (I can only speak about European folktales and fairy tales because those are the stories I read as a child.) In Jim Henson's series, The Storyteller, there is a similar tale, "Hans my Hedgehog". In that story, the wife wears through "seven pairs of iron shoes" before she rescues her husband from his bespelled exile.

Perhaps, the original tellers wanted their listeners to think carefully about peering into other people's secrets. But the curious character is also brave, determined, loyal and resourceful. If she had not opened the box, lit the candle, followed the path, looked into the mirror, would the spell truly have been broken? And, her circumstances are usually confusing and restrictive making the riddle all that more powerful.

Or perhaps, the original tellers were warning their listeners that knowledge is a gift and a responsibility. The answers to our questions often create problems. But those answers just as often lead to riches. Anyway, I just hope all of those handsome enchanted men were worth the trouble!

If you love fairy tales, you will enjoy Fairy Tale Lobby, a blog written by Megan Hicks and Mary Grace Ketner. These acclaimed storytellers delve into fairy tales and invite readers to comment and pick the tales apart along with them.

Music break

2011-12-28T22:06:00.001-05:00

I dug out my Locksmiths CD. Here is my favorite song on the whole CD. Back to books and stories tomorrow.

Update: This has been a very popular post. If you live in the Lehigh Valley, PA, and you want a copy of the Locksmiths one and only CD- with this song on it - stop by Guitar Villa on Rte. 191 north of Bethlehem - and Rte. 22 - and ask. I understand that Guitar Villa has copies of this CD.

KBWT - continued

2011-12-27T22:51:00.002-05:00

It was a tough choice, really. I could share with you a visually appealing website that lets you download ancient children's books as part of an attempt to digitally archive as much human literary effort as possible. Maybe someday ...

Or I could showcase The Children's Book Council, even though it has a Twitter feed in which a certain famous YA author is reporting on viewing "Topper"! Is this what people do on Twitter? Unfortunately, now I really want to watch Topper, but I digress... (Hopefully, by the time you read this, the Twitter feed will feature authors doing more literary stuff.)

The Children's Book Council won out BECAUSE, right there on the home page, the CBC lists predicted Big Sellers in the children and teen market. Books of the Future have won out over Books of the Past - at least for this week. And they have a cool list of books on the theme of technology including non-fiction and sci-fi, too.

The CBC is a non-profit organization for trade publishers, addressing concerns and advances in the publication of books for children and teens. Children's Book Week is the CBC's biggest event.

Merry Christmas Happy Hanukkah

2011-12-24T23:16:00.001-05:00

Once again I neglected to post on Storyteller Thursday. But I have a link that will make up for that! Through a special interest group on Linked In, I discovered the Story Tour Blog, a blog that presents Jewish stories - a new one every week or so - in an effort to strengthen faith and increase understanding among Jews, Christian, Muslims and EVERYBODY. Jewish stories resonate with truth. Bat wait, all stories do. Back to Story Tour!

The story I linked to is a good one for this season. All around us, people encourage us to to feel joyful, happy, fizzy inside. But realists among us see through the overlay of holiday excitement to the imperfections of our lives and ourselves. Let a Rebbe open your eyes to how to improve things in this story.

And now for you Christmas lovers out there - and I am one of THOSE! -a very special tree brought to us by the librarian at Trexler Middle School in Allentown, PA, Donna Forsyth. Thanks for letting me share this picture, Donna.

Donna assures us that these books were made available to students if they wanted to borrow them but she chose less popular books to build this literary tree. So festive!

Merry Christmas to all of you!

KBWT - Bookwink and SW snowflakes

2011-12-20T19:29:00.000-05:00

Oof! I have been reading a lot lately* and right this very minute I do NOT want to share a kids' book website. Instead, as a nod to the start of Hanukkah and the fast approach of Christmas - and to the fact that I live in the Northern Hemisphere where the possibility of frozen precipitation is ever present - I will share this super website...DIY Star Wars Snowflakes! And notice, please, that there are SIX points to this snowflake.

These people are geniuses - or is that genii? Just print, fold, and cut and you have winter decorations that are also...nerdy! And Sci-fi-rific!

KBWT - Kids' Book Website Tuesday will now resume!
SOOOO, that minute passed. I found a new Kids Book Website that looks very exciting. It's called Bookwink and it features video booktalks and graded booklists for readers in grades 3 through 8. There are also booklists by subject and THOSE booklists are broken down into sub-categories when necessary. For instance, the list on Families includes sub-categories for Father, Mother, Sisters, Brothers, even Twins.

Bookwink offers an archive of past video booktalks and readers can subscribe to Bookwink podcasts. The American Library Association's Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, of which I was once a member) features Bookwink on their list of Great Websites for Children.

*For anyone who cares, I recently read Cinder by Marissa Meyer (so very good!), Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem (to be read with a French accent) and I am working on The Apothecary by Maile Meloy. ("Spiiies! You are all spiiies!" Apologies to Smiley's People). I hope to have time to review them soon.

Merry Christmas from the Weepies

2011-12-18T19:53:00.000-05:00

Click here to visit the Weepies' website and get a special Christmas Greeting from them. Cool Song, too.

Storytelling Thursday - Chime by Billingsley

2011-12-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

Many storytellers become authors - and sometimes authors become storytellers. It sort of follows - spoken words, written down; written words, spoken out loud. Here are the websites of two storyteller/authors:

Aaron Shepard: I don't know which came first for Aaron - out loud storytelling or paper telling - but Aaron has enriched folktale collections for quite a while. I linked to his storytelling page where he offers some of his own stories to other tellers. Please read any copyright requirements before taking these stories to the public. But wait, there's more - more, more, more! - on Aaron's pages, including tips for storytellers, resources for teachers and parents and even Reader's Theater scripts! Thanks so much, Aaron.

This face is made for storytelling

Carmen Agra Deedy! Her latest book, The Cheshire Cheese Cat, written with Randall Wright and illustrated by Barry Moser, was one of my favorite books of the year. Carmen started doing commentaries for All Things Considered. I remember listening to her tell a story about trying to recreate one of her grandmother's dishes - rice pudding - as I drove home from work. She is a featured teller and speaker at storytelling conferences and literacy related events. She is a HUGE supporter of libraries, too.

Book Review:!
Chime by Franny Billingsley. Since I just finished reading this last night, this book did not make my list of favorites..but it certainly IS one of my favorite books of the year. It was also a hard book to read, because the narrator and main character, has trouble separating her feelings from her story. Briony's ramblings make the story so diffused that the reader spends a lot of time shoving aside pieces of emotional lint. But these incomplete memories and moods create an atmosphere of dread. Don't go back into the Swamp, Briony! Listen to your dead Stepmother's words, Briony. DON'T listen to your dead Stepmother's words, Briony. Watch out for Rose - in more than one way. Can you trust Rose? Can you trust Eldric? Can you trust yourself?

In an imagined early 20th century English town, on the edge of the Swamp, 17-year-old Briony lives in the Parsonage with her distant father and her twin sister, Rose. Rose is "different". We'd likely say she had high-functioning autism, today. And Briony knows that Rose's differences are Briony's fault - because her dead Stepmother told her so. Her dead Stepmother told Briony many things, many awful, sad, confusing things - and promised to protect Briony by never sharing those things with Briony's father.

The Swamp is full of magical creatures, some malevolent, some not, all capable of creating chaos. Briony can see them all. She knows why. Her Stepmother told her. And the people of her village hang witches. Then, handsome, kind, funny Eldric comes to stay at the Parsonage to help his father drain the Swamp to build a railroad. All those questions! So much confusion! Such a good, good tale!

Oh, and stories, told and written down, are very important to this book. Briony finally tells a great story - so , of course, does Billingsley.