Year 4 is about to begin!!!

So, I'm still teaching! Going onto year 4! I worked Fast Start this year and the new Frosh are pretty nice. Also, I felt pretty comfortable and was not as anxiety-ridden as the past 3 years. YAY! One of my wishes though is that I could be as funny and quick witted as Ambookgeek. He's just hilarious and the kids enjoy it. Sometimes I think I'm funny but you know, I'm probably just being my dorky self.

I started going to the library a few weeks before schedule to set things up. In the past, I would just start on the official date and feel completely overwhelmed and rushed so this year, I took my time. It was definitely worth it because (1) i learned they updated the IP addresses so all of our databases needed to be informed (2) got to decorate a bit (3) brought in the plants (4) choose a book for Book Bistro book club (5) printed out all the things we needed printed out and finished a bunch of other things that I would have had zero time to do once the kids were on campus.

Goals for the school year:

• find my style/voice
• finish a proposal and present a paper at a symposium (it's due on Sept 15!!!)
• remain flexible and open to new ideas
• experiment (better now because they are cutting our class next year to a semester long course)
• work on personal though professional projects

The Judy Blume project is going well. I read 3 books yesterday - a biography on her from 1982 (there wasn't anything recent at BPL), Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, and Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One. I read so many kids books I really should take a creative writing course on writing for children and young adults. It is crazy how I can still relate and still struggle with religion like Margaret did and I'm in my thirties! More on that later I think. Also, The Pain and the Great One - hilarious!

On a side note, since everyone is mentioning it - update your link to Librarian in Black. Here is the link, it's moved and it's gorgeous and for some reason, it's blocked by my work computer.

Revisiting Judy Blume

from martin kalfatovic's flickr stream. Click here for the original.

A couple nights ago, I woke up all sorts of ideas streaming out of my head...one of those ideas was reading as many Judy Blume books as I could (I have a 12 book stack piled next to me on the reference desk right now) and then just reminisce about when I first discovered her books and what I thought of them then (hopefully I can remember) and what I think of them now.

Honestly, I started with books by Beverly Cleary (who I will revisit next) and then moved on to Judy Blume. But since my waking mind started with Judy Blume, I will start my project there. Who were your favorite authors as a wee-kid? Do you ever re-read those books just to remember and recall your younger years? or do you re-read them to introduce them to the next generation in your family?

Butterfly in the Sky...I can fly twice as high...

Heard this story this morning on NPR. I remember watching this show and wanting to be one of the kids at the end who do the reviews. Go figure that I would become a librarian

clipped from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112312561 'Reading Rainbow' Reaches Its Final Chapter Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high, Take a look, it's in a book — Reading Rainbow ...

Book Drops: "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness (rated 4 stars)

The Knife of Never Letting Go: Chaos Walking: Book One

by Patrick Ness

Book 1 of the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness is an incredible space adventure. A couple of things I associated with it while reading – the Firefly series (hello, Nathan Fillion) because of the space cowboys feel and the Disney movie, “Up”, because the dog “talks” and in one seen, a giant bird, like Kevin, briefly makes an appearance.
Todd Hewitt, is turning 13. He’s finally going to be a man. In Prentisstown, 13 is the year boys transition to manhood. The thing is, Todd, is the last boy in Prentisstown. There are no women. The other thing about Prentisstown is that you can hear everyone’s thoughts, or noise, including the animals. For the past couple of months, Todd, has pretty much been alone, well, he does have a dog, Manchee, who he never wanted. Men do not talk to boys in Prentisstown. Why that is Todd does not know. He just accepts it because that is how it has always been.
One day Todd is wandering around the swamps, the only place a person can get away from the noise, when he stumbles upon a weird patch of silence. Silence does not exist…or does it? This “silence” will lead to the destruction of all that Todd knows about Prentisstown and the New World.
This book moves very quickly. It also brings up questions of what would happen if you could not block out all the information that is constantly floating out at you, or how do you keep a hold of your own identity, and also how far would you go to protect your self? There is a lot of violence (against women, boys, animals and aliens) so I would say this is for middle school and high school. Also, the only drawback is that this is NOT a stand alone book. You will have to read Book 2 to find out what happens next – The Ask and the Answer will be out in Sept. 2009.

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Is having information so wrong?

My friend, Jan, posted a nice blog about the health care reform bills. She compared the two on a subject important to her. Read it. It's worth it.

clipped from jan.vox.com 1321 is a LOT less than 3200. A search of HR 3200 for "end of life" or "advance care planning" brought me to Section 1233 of the bill which is about 11 pages long. You know what's there? You know what's so radical and immoral and dangerous that has people up in arms? A provision that ensures people can get information. That's ALL. It requires that everyone have an opportunity once every five years to a consultation with an appropriate health care provider (doctor, nurse practitioner, physician's assistant, etc.) about things like living wills, durable/medical powers of attorney, "do not resuscitate" orders, decisions about not forcing hydration/nutrition during the dying process, and hospice services. If someone contracts a potentially fatal illness, they can get another consultation even if it hasn't been five years yet. And nothing requires anyone to go to such consultations -- they're an option.

Models Inc. = Comic for Girls

I am actually really excited about this. Why? Because I love Project Runway but I especially love Tim Gunn. I should go to Secret Headquarters and see if they will order it for me. I'll read about Tim Gunn fighting crimes against fashion any day

clipped from marvel.com What was the cause for his visit? Did it have anything to do with the comic that he'll be featured in early next month, Models Inc.? Did it have anything to do with "Project Runway," the enormously popular fashion design reality show he co-hosts with Heidi Klum? Did he share any style tips? Did he tell the folks at Marvel to "Make it work?"

SXSW 2010 - Panel Picking Time!!!

It's that time of year again where we get to vote on the different panels at SXSW. I went to SXSW, geez, a couple of years ago now and it was the best experience ever. I went to the Interactive, Film and part of the Music Conferences. I hope, this coming year I can make it to Interactive. Though certain people do not understand why SXSW is relevant to librarians, I am hoping they will approve it this year.

Lots of librarians seem to be attending now that David Lee King promoted it on his blog in 2007. When I went, NO librarians were there, ok maybe a handful, but not to the level I'm reading about now.

This year, Cecily (@skekali on twitter) proposed "Can I Reserve This Book With My iPhone" and you can read about here and vote to include it! about how libraries can use or build web services to stay relevant in this age. It sound so good! Vote! Vote! Vote! David Lee King proposed a panel as well "Designing Your Customer's Digital Experience" which you can vote for here.

You have to register but it's worth it!!

Hopefully I will see you there too!

Book Drops: "Alligator Bayou" by Donna Jo Napoli (YA) (rated 5 stars)

Alligator Bayou

by Donna Jo Napoli

Calogero is running. Running to get help. Running to get away. His uncle, Giuseppe, just shot Dr. Hodge, who was beating his Uncle Carlo with a pistol. This is bad. This is the worse thing that can happen. Uncle Francesco told them all to not cause trouble because of what happened in New Orleans. But how long can someone sit and take the hate, take the ignorance, take the lies? Calogero runs and runs.

The story of the Italian immigrant experience in the south is not something I have been exposed to. The things we usually read about are the Italian immigrants who settled in New York. We watch movies like the Godfather and television shows like the Sopranos but do we ever learn about the ones who settled in the South? Do we learn about the Sicilians who were farmers and not part of the mafia? Not really. Here is a fictional story about the Sicilian experience in the South, specifically Tallulah, Louisiana. Based on real life events, Donna Jo Napoli creates a believable novel about the bigotry, alienation, friendships, and lives of 6 of those immigrants.

The whites tolerate their presence until they start losing money, the blacks are wary but eventually open up their homes to them, and they are away from most of the other Sicilians in the area. Calogero and his family do not understand why they cannot serve the blacks and do not understand the animosity of the whites. They are just trying to live their lives but it seems that in 1899, confrontations could not be avoided when a group hates your people so much and believes you are lower than a dog.

“Alligator Bayou” is a very powerful novel. It introduced a story that we rarely hear about and lets us not forget that ignorance, prejudice and bigotry can lead to violent ends.

If you are interested in more about the Italians in the Southern states, Napoli has a good afterword that has some links to articles she read and other information about resources she used.

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Book Drops: "Burn My Heart" by Beverley Naidoo (YA) (rated 5 stars)

Burn My Heart

by Beverley Naidoo

Originally published in 2007, “Burn My Heart” by Beverley Naidoo (http://www.beverleynaidoo.com/index2.html) is a story about cultures clashing and friendships tested because of prejudice and hate. Set in Kenya in the 1950s, the story follows two boys, Mugo and Mathew. Mugo is a Kikuyu teen, who works in the kitchen of a British settler. His family has worked for the Grayson family since they “settled” the land, a land under Kirinyaga mountain. Mathew Grayson is the British family’s son, who grew up with Mugo, who does not understand the tensions brewing around him and struggles to grasp what it means for his friendship with Mugo.

Both stories are interlaced together showing how one’s actions can be the consequences of another. Naidoo talks about the rise of the Mau Mau, a movement that rose out of the need for the Kikuyu to take back their land and fight for their civil rights, and how the British government dealt with the uprising only exacerbated the racial tensions between the settlers and the people they stole the land from.

I never knew about “the Emergency” or the Mau Mau movement and it is important to see how and remember how movements in other countries parallel those in the United States. The lives and struggles of the two boys, though fictional, are very believable and Naidoo expresses their conflict between how they view each other and how society wants them to view each other. This does not have a happy sugar-coated ending and is at times intense for an elementary school reader. It is definitely geared towards middle schoolers.

Excellent and I am glad that it is finally published for the United States market.

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Bake Sale for Louisville Free Public Library!!!

Mark your calendars if you live or are in Louisville, Kentucky on August 26, 2009. There was a flash flood that destroyed Louisville Free Public Library and they are closed until they renovate and restock the place. But they need some help! So check out their website. Here are some of the things going on to help LFPL get back to helping and serving their community.

1. August 15 - there is a rally at Newburg Library - 4800 Exeter Avenue
2. Steve Lawson's fundraiser on PayPal
3. August 26 - Library Bake Sale - Michelle J over at Consuming Louisville is setting it up.

If you want to know more click on the link :) I'm sure she would appreciate it!

Book Drops: "Poppy and Ereth" by Avi (children's) (rated 4 stars)

Poppy and Ereth (The Poppy Stories)

by Avi

This is the first book by Avi I have ever read. I know! Unbelievable and how can I work in the Children’s Library at BPL?!? Well, I do and better late than never.

This is also the last book of the Poppy series and I have to say it is a wonderful read. I do not want to give anything away…Poppy is coming out of a deep depression and discovers that there is more still in life even though she is an old deer mouse. It is funny but also deals with real issues, like death. There is also a little bit of commentary about global warming but I am not sure little kids will get that. Fun and we also are introduced to a new mouse, Spruce, who like his grandmother Poppy, is an adventure seeker. who knows, that maybe the new series?

A great ending to a wonderful tale that I never read. Definitely good as part of the series and also stand alone. I love that! Also Ereth, the crotchety old curmudgeon of a porcupine is probably one of my new favorite characters. He’s very entertaining with his forest cursing.

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Book Drops: "Inkspell" by Cornelia Funke (childrens/YA) (rated 4 stars)

Inkspell

by Cornelia Funke

Book 2 of the “Inkheart” series does not disappoint. Cornelia Funke returns to bring us a tale centered in the “Inkworld.” Dustfinger has been searching for another reader and he finds him in a strange man called Orpheus, or “Cheeseface” as Farid call him. Dustfinger and Farid are double-crossed by Orpheus and Farid has only one option, to get to the Inkworld to be with Dustfinger. In order to do that, he must find Meggie.

Full of sword and fire fights, Funke brings the Inkworld to life. Vivid passages describing the world and it’s folks as well as giving the reader an “inside” look at the characters of “Inkheart.” Excellent read. Now, I will have to pick up “Inkdeath” the final installment of the series!

I wonder if they will make this as a movie as well. I finally watched “Inkheart” last month at my brother’s house and it was pretty fun.

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Book Drops: "The Rock and The River" by Kekla Magoon (YA) (rated 5 stars)

The Rock and the River

by Kekla Magoon

This book deserves awards and I hope it wins for YALSA’s “Best Books for Young Adults” this year or next year. Actually, I hope it wins most of the awards out there for teen/ya books. Yes, it is THAT good!

“You can’t be the rock and the river” Stick says to Sam. Sam Childs is a son of Civil Rights leader, Roland Child, and younger brother, to Stick, who at 17 decides to join the emerging Black Panther party in Chicago, Illinois. Roland Childs represents the “old way” of thinking (pacifism) and protesting for civil rights, while Stick is the new way. Sam is caught in-between wanting to be both “the rock and the river.”

The novel starts off with Sam at another rally. You can feel his apathy. He is young, he has always gone to these things but does he really understand why? At one point, Sam thinks, “I was tired of marking, of protesting. Of leaning my back against a wall and expecting the wall to move. I wanted to rest.” He knows it is important but as you go along further in the story, you can see that he does not fully grasp the importance of what his father is doing and later, what his older brother is doing.

Kekla Magoon vivid writing brings out the tension between a son struggling to find his own way in a time of intense transition at home and the world at large. She does not sugar-coat anything and there is some graphic violence. It is very powerful and ties how both movements goals were the same but the approaches were different and how a kid can figure out the right thing to do and come to his own no matter how angry, frustrated, sad and torn he feels.

This is for middle schoolers and high schoolers. You could use it in a history class. Also use it with Christopher Paul Curtis’ “The Watsons Go to Burmingham.” I cannot rave enough about this book. Excellent. Fantastic. Worthy of any school and public library collection. I seriously better see some of those award stickers on this book!

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Book Drops: "Out of Our Minds" by Ken Robinson (rated 5 stars)

Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative

by Ken Robinson

After watching Ken Robinson’s TED lecture, I had to read his books. This is the first one I have read and it is fascinating, informative and again talks about balancing art and science, emotion and intellect. Robinson’s focus is a movement towards creativity. There is an imbalance and it must be corrected before we all fall behind. If you like Daniel Pink, you will enjoy this read.

More thoughts on this later.

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Book Drops: "after the moment" by Garrett Freymann-Weyr (YA) (rated 3 stars)

After the Moment

by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Leigh Hunter was in love. Love that was so intense all he wanted to do was take care of the girl, Maia Morland. It has been 4 years since he last saw her and now there she is at a cocktail party standing before him.

The novel goes through recollections of those months he fell in love with Maia and how it ends to 4 years later at the cocktail party. Maia is strange. She is not conventionally pretty but something about her pulls Leigh to her. He wants to protect her. He wants to fix her.

However, in fixing her, he ends up destroying her and what they had. Sad, intense and at times graphic, this shows how doing things for love can sometimes break things.

I think, if you like Laurie Halse Anderson, you might like this. It is definitely milder than Speak or Wintergirls.

More on Garret Freymann-Weyr here

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Book Drops: "Christian the Lion" by Anthony Bourke (Childrens) (rated 4 stars)

Christian the Lion

by Anthony Bourke

There was a video on youTube that was going around about a lion named Christian, who a year after being set free in Africa was reunited with his former owners. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc
Anthony “Ace” Bourke and John Rendall found Christian in Harrod’s. If you watched the video, you get the gist of the story. It is a very uplifting and wonderful example of people and the animals they love. If you or your kids would like to know a bit more about the story, this is a great fast year. The original book was published in 1971 and is called “A Lion called Christian.”

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