Audio Drops: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

In this audio version of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, we meet Renee Michel, a concierge in a Parisian apartment complex, and Paloma Josse, a 12-year old girl, whose upper class family lives in the apartment building. Both Madame Michel and Paloma have secrets and are not who they appear to be. The tale shows how their lives inevitable weave closer together when a widowed businessman, Kakuro Ozu, moves in to the building. It is funny and hopeful and makes one think of our own assumptions of those around us. Both actors who played Renee and Paloma were wonderful to listen too and I would definitely recommend listening to this story.

Thoughts on "The Wave" by Susan Casey (Audiobook)

Audiobook: The Wave by Susan Casey. Read by Kirsten Potter.

I really wanted to enjoy this audiobook. I heard an interview with Susan Casey on NPR and thought it sounded interesting. Big waves, wave science, amazing surfers - are all topics I love reading about. I finished the audiobook because the subject is fascinating but it was a slog. I couldn't get past how Kirsten Potter narrated. I guess, I thought she would get read it with out any "acting" but she read more like it was a fiction novel. She would put on accents and change her tone when representing the men and women that Casey talked too. Also, it was more about how much Casey loves Laird Hamilton then about the waves and the science of the waves. Even the summary on the back plays up the science of rogue and giant waves but there really wasn't that much. The summary talk about the scientists but most of the tracks focused on Hamilton and his contemporaries. I think Laird Hamilton is incredible but this book shouldn't be titled "The Wave," it was more along the lines of swooning about Hamilton.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed.

Graphic Novel Friday : "The Runaways-dead end kids"

This is so late but today was very busy at work. We have grades due, comments to right, helping students finish projects and prep for finals, plus, I had to substitute and did not have that much time to sit in front of my computer.

I ordered a number of graphic novels for the library that have been on a number of YALSA, Booklist, and Publisher Weekly lists and this was one of them. Plus, I heard from my friend, RAPatton, that this was a good series. So, this Friday's graphic novel pick is The Runaways: Dead End Kids by Joss Whedon, Michael Ryan and Christina Strain. Published by Marvel. ISBN: 978-0-7851-2853-3.

In this comic, the kids have made a deal with one of the most evil villains in New York City, a deal that they will regret. In order to escape, the end up jumping back in time, to a time where unions were beginning to form, where kids still worked in factories and married, and where there were other "Wonders." The runaways have also traveled to a time where different factions of those wonders are close to war. Though these other groups are trying to manipulate them for each groups purpose, the runaways stay true to the family. The story moves quickly and is filled with really amazing images that you would expect from Marvel. The different styles that separate each chapter compliment each other well though they are strikingly different. The pages devoted to each chapter are softer and less stylized than the main sections of each chapter which adds to the transitions in the story.

I was not disappointed by this series. All the recommendations were worth it. I would say that this is not for children but appropriate for middle and high school. I am happy that it is now part of our collection. Even if we don't own every part of this series, at least students who like graphic novels will be able to read it and have an introduction to this series.

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.

See more about The Knife of Never Letting Go: Chaos Walking: Book One

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.

See more about Burn My Heart

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.

See more about Poppy and Ereth (The Poppy Stories)

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!

See more about The Rock and the River

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.

See more about Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative

Tools at the Library: Atomic Learning

Dave, who's now blogging library stuff over at Big Building, Lots of Books, was cool enough to check out Atomic Learning. Atomic Learning provided training movies (screencasts) that teach you how to use different applications, from the practical Microsoft Office programs to things like PowerTeacher Gradebook. The tutorials are short, step-by-step videos that teach you how to use the program you are interested in. I have been using it to get a better grasp of how to use Excel and also to learn DreamWeaver. It also provides a whole list of other resources, like their Lesson Accelerators, which are basically project-based lesson plans, that you can use with your students.

As a school, you can get a subscription for teachers and students, which is another added bonus. We have students who love just opening up Photoshop or Publisher and just go in and try to figure things out by clicking away. Since we do not really offer classes in using these tools, this is another way to let students learn on their own.

So far I am pretty excited about it and have shared it with students who are interested in programming. I think, it might be a great way to get more girls interested in technology. This way they can learn on their own time, at home and not feel so self-conscious about being a girl who likes programming.

Is anyone else out there using this in their schools? And if so, how are you using?

"The Enemy Is Ignorance" - Brigadier General Bashir

In the weeks leading up to the 7 year anniversary (is that the right word to use?) of the 9/11 attacks, I started reading Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin's Three Cups of Tea, watched the film, Traitor, starring Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce and written by Steve Martin and Jeffery Nachmanoff and read the NYT's special report "Right at the Edge" by Dexter Filkins.
I feel like I need to write a disclaimer on this but you know, this is what I learned and this is what I feel and this is my blog. Therefore, I am not writing one.
With the election and all the Palin business, the anniversary of the attacks seemed to be a minor blimp on the major media networks, there were a couple parades featured and talks about the Pentagon Memorial opening but I was not really bombarded like I used to be. That night, as I sat in bed, I began the passages in the book where Greg Mortenson, who was in northern Pakistan, was awoken at 4:30 am to be told of the attacks. His "family" stationed people outside his sleeping quarters to protect him. I remembered where I was 7 years ago, getting ready for work, watching the second plane hit and being in shock. I was so in shock I still drove to work that morning.
A few nights before, I went to watch Traitor with MisterJT. The film is intense and touches on religion's subtle (not so subtle) factor in people's lives and their culture. There were moments were people were laughing and as we walked out I heard some people say things that for me just sounded ignorant. Yes, it's a film but films reflect the period they were created in. This film demonstrated aspects of Muslim religion that none of us get, unless, we make the effort to learn about it, practice it or know people who are Muslim. One of the last scenes, Guy Pearce's character, Roy Clayton, ends a conversation with Samir Horn, who is played by Don Cheadle, by saying " As-Salaam Alaaikum." Samir Horn responds by telling him that he should have started the conversation with that phrase as well. Subtle, but for some people extremely, vitally important.
Then I read "Right at the Edge" by Dexter Filkins, which is about how the Taliban will remain in power, how the aid money coming in to Pakistan and Afghanistan is just being funneled around between the government and the militants, and how the "[United States] is being taken for a ride." There is a lot in this special report and it is definitely worth reading. Like Mortenson, Filkins seems to have been able to get to places where most foreigners would never be allowed to enter.
Now come into this mix another inspiring and insightful book I have read in 2008, Three Cups of Tea. The tag line is "one man's mission to fight terrorism and build nations...one school at a time" and that is what Greg Mortenson (he has a blog) and the Central Asia Institute are doing. Education is always a major contributor when it comes to fighting just about anything, poverty, drug abuse, teen pregnancy and terrorism. Mortenson was a mountaineer who stumbled upon the rural village of Korphe after trying to return from K2. He was nursed to health by the people of the village and he had an epiphany after witnessing children who were practicing their lessons with sticks and writing exercises in the dirt - he wanted to build schools. He was helping a region that no one cared about, knew about or just ignored. The book is beautifully written, with sweeping descriptions of the mountains of Pakistan, in addition to following Mortenson's quest to raise money to begin his mission to explanations of the customs and traditions of the most remote regions in Pakistan and later Afghanistan. His devotion to the people and his mission is awe-inspiring. Mortenson did what people promised to do and in the long run, his efforts, mainly focusing on educating the girls of those areas, will help more in preventing terrorism than any war on terror campaign will. The chapters begin with quotes, some translated from songs, some from political officials and all articles and they highlight the essence of each chapter. The title references a lesson Mortenson learns from the Korphe leader and his mentor, Haji Ali, who stated,
"The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die...Doctor Greg, you must make time to share three cups of tea. We may be uneducated. But we are not stupid. We have lived and survived here for a long time."
Mortenson made mistakes but he tried to know the people, who were now his family. I think, most Americans do not understand this sense of obligation or loyalty. The individuals in Mortenson's circle would give their lives for him and it is fascinating how he befriends them and approaches them, not as this American who knows everything and will save them from themselves, but as someone who wants to learn their way of life and also preserve it while providing education and training centers for them. There is not hidden agenda, no attempt at converting them, just the agenda of having a safe space for their children to learn.
What I have taken to heart from these three pieces combined is that it is not always combat. It is also empathy and understanding. It is taking time to learn the customs and traditions of people. It is having a president who knows what a jirga is and makes an effort to not insult the other country by remaining ignorant of its importance. It is making sure that the civilians are taken care of and not only saying that they will be taken care of. No false promises. It is realizing that for some cultures, maybe most cultures, "shock and awe" means nothing if you do not care for the people you displaced. "Shock and awe" will only be a means of reinforcing the hatred that is now in these places that are not so far-away. It is knowing that you begin a conversation with As-Salaam Alaaikum and make the time to have three cups of tea.

Cycle 1 - I made it

The first cycle of the school year is done. I made it!!! I have to say, this week has been a lot more relaxed than last year. Last year, the first day of school, I called my friends and had them go with me for ice cream because I thought I made the wrong decision. This year, no ice cream on the 1st day of school so that was a sign that the week would be okay!

I finished my first review for the school year. Here's a link. I just finished reading Blake Nelson's "They Came From Below." I have a couple of places where I put reviews but I think I will just place them on Vox because it's easier. If you do not want to read my review, just know, that I highly recommend this book.

This year, I have 15 students. All of them have good personalities. No one who is out of control. That is new for me and I am pretty happy about it. I still need to work on my class management skills and having the kids remain focused when they come to class. We start discussions and they just take it and run. It's great but at the same time, we have so much work to do.

I am feeling a lot more confident this year. I know, things will happen but at least I am more comfortable with the curriculum.