I forgot to post the below as I had to save it to my computer as I lost the Internet connection - guess they got wise to those of us who were opening our Internet in the Internet room or our hotel room and walking into the presentation rooms with it still logged in. But, I did get lots posted before I got knocked out. As you can see the presenters had a lot to say and so did I! I leave the literature based workshops fired up to read. But, bear with my rambling!

There may be more as I leave for the SLJ Summit in Hollywood, FL tomorrow. It was fastistic last time so I am looking forward to it and hope I have time o blg.

Can’t get online this morning (Sunday, November 9) so I am doing this posting as a Word doc and will post it when I get home later today. Rosemary Chance and Teri Lesesne are presenting on challenged books, with Julie Ann Peters, Coe Booth and Barry Lyga.

Teri addressed the problems with reading levels:
Reading level for Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=boy+toy+lyga is 4.5! This is why I detest AR – someone may purchase this book for an elementary school and it is about a MS age boy who is sexually abused by a teacher! Every high school library should have this book and another copy in the counselor’s office, but an elementary school – no way!! Reading level has nothing to do with theme/topic etc.

Lyga’s newest is Hero Type http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?ATH=Barry+Lyga and it has a bluish cover. Lyga signed copies yesterday with a pen to match! Raises the question of what it means to be a hero and patriotic.

Rosemary says these books have “yikes!” moments.
Luna has a RL of 3.5 RL. Julie Anne Peters does not write for children! She writes for teens and a book on transgender is not an issue I want to discuss with a third grader! Another Peters’ book grl2grl: Short fictions– http://search.barnesandnoble.com/grl2grl/Julie-Anne-Peters/e/9780316013437/?itm=1 a set of short stories about lesbian and transgendered teens.

Tyrell by Coe Booth has a 4.4 RL – a 15 year old boy whose family lives in a roach infested motel and he is responsible for his 7 year old brother and his mother.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Hunger-Games/Suzanne-Collins/e/9780439023481/?itm=1 has an RL of 5.3. A horrific futuristic world – not a book I’d hand to a 4th grader reading above grade level!

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=tender+morsels
has RL of 6.1. but it is a “brutal” read. I have not read this one and now I want to!

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Myers http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Breaking-Dawn/Stephenie-Meyer/e/9780316067928/?itm=1 has a RL of 4.8. There is no way I am giving this to even a middle schooler with the rough sex and obscene pregnancy. I agree with Rosemary that this book is for HS, not younger.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Living-Dead-Girl/Elizabeth-Scott/e/9781416960591/?itm=1–
Character sexually abused by a man who threatens to kill her family. I have not read this one yet, but sounds like I need to, though it is going to be disconcerting.

Barry Lyga – initially no “problems” with Boy Toy and he was prepared for the challenges. Instead it received wonderful awards. After all, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Absolutely-True-Diary-of-a-Part-Time-Indian/Sherman-Alexie/e/9780316013680/?itm=1 has a masturbation scene. So Boy Toy is going to really get hit – abuse of a boy by a female teacher is “worse” than that, isn’t it? What Lyga discovered is a “gate-keeper” problem. Librarians and book store buyers are not carrying Boy Toy. “Love the book but somebody might complain” – this is the kind of pre-censorship comments we hear about books like this. “Such a great book, but I can’t recommend it to anyone” is another comment Lyga heard. This technique causes readers to never know about this book - how sad. Also happened to him with The Amazing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl – http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Absolutely-True-Diary-of-a-Part-Time-Indian/Sherman-Alexie/e/9780316013680/?itm=1 actually condemns school shootings, but the idea is enough for librarians to de-select it.

Julie Ann Peters – wants her books to be banned! That means they got into the library! She gets many reader letters that show why teen readers read – they need to see themselves portrayed in books. “People listen to books the way they listen to nothing else” – a female teen reader comment of Luna. I love how she says “listen”. Another teenage girl who writes beautifully herself - “I don’t pick out books – my fingers do it for me. My fingers dance across the spines. “ – written as beautifully as a poem. She read every one of Peters’ books. “I live in suburban Texas – most homophobic environment is within her own family. Never ashamed of it except for when I told my sister.” She is asking for advice. Another girl wrote of how she was repeatedly beat up and even raped by the boys a restraining order was files against.

Some funny letters too. What do you say when you call someone and don’t know what to talk about? “My question is this – What the heck’s the world’s problem?... I don’t know why I wrote this letter. ” “One thing I like about your books is you’re a writer. Seems like you are a teen like us, not one of those old boring authors.”

She asked teens what they would like her to tell librarians:
“My school librarian refuses to order what she calls controversial books.”
“I have very low expectations…”
“My school librarian is like awesome Dude! Other books like JAP (Julie Ann Peters). “

From adults
Wish they’d had these books when they were teens.
And letters from mothers …. “my 13-year-old daughter now thinks she is a lesbian when she read this crap.”

“What if I feel like I am not any orientation?” – from a teen.

Coe Booth –
Doesn’t know of Tyrell being challenged – she thinks it is being kept away from the teens. In the adult section of PL and not in school libraries, on a restricted shelf, etc. She wrote it for reluctant reader boys. 15 and 16 year old tell her it is the first book they have read all the way through. Some wanted a “happy ending” – even the tough kids, they want everything to work out for the character.

Goal is to write “real stories” – she was a social worker in the Bronx. They are living the experiences tougher than Tyrell. To say they can’t read about it in a book doesn’t make any sense at all to her.

Many teens use the term niggah and may not know the history of this word in their own culture.

Parents in Switzerland had her uninvited to speak at a school after they read the book even though the students were reading Tyrell in class!

Adults must be incompetent so the teens can solve their own problems. Teens don’t think adults know what adults are talking about anyway.

Lyga, as a child, told her grandmother he wanted to be a writer and she said, “Oh, so you want to starve!”

Peters always wanted to be a teacher and she “was the world’s worst teacher”. She has a masters in computer science and didn’t like what she was doing. She told her partner she had quit her job and wants to be a writer! She taught herself how to be a writer.

We had to have a bit o fun. outside of the confence scene and had so much fun - can't go Nashville and go do something fun,

Amber and I had a great time at the Ryman Theater, the previous home of the Opry, last night. It is very much like a church with stained glass windows and pews for seating. The “local flavor” restaurants had long waits so we ate in Joe’s Crab Shack! I did not order seafood, just didn’t seem to be the right thing to eat in Nashville. The line to get in to Ryman was a couple of blocks long but we were seated just in time to hear Randy Travis. He is as good live as on CD – wish he had sung a few more. After Travis’ wonderful voice, Kevin Costner’s “singing” was less than wonderful! He might be okay in a club environment, but not on the same stage as Randy Travis and Vince Gill. Lots of Costner’s fans in the audience though. I had to wait until the very end of the night to hear Josh Turner. His deep voice is…. well, let’s just say it can make me go weak in the knees. Yes, I know – I’m probably old enough to be his mother, but I can “drool” over that voice!

The reception last night was wonderful – the networking is one of my favorite parts of any conference, especially the folks I was on Best Books in Young Adults back in the mid 90s. We also walked out of the room with books again. Hauled all of those out to the car this morning. Can’t wait to dive into reading.

The Genre Luncheon was wonderful! I had a chance to catch up with one of my favorite people - Catherine Balkin. If you haven't checked out her web site Balkin Buddies: http://www.balkinbuddies.com/ you are missing a great resource. Catherine used to work with Bill Morris at HarperCollins and most certainly knows publishing and authors. Not only will Catherine help you set up an author visit at your school or library, she has compiled a great set of resources on authors. You can find out how much the author charges for visits, etc. She also has a link to children's and YA authors by state, grade level as well as one to authors who are visiting your area. Wish I had this resource when I was a school librarian.

A myriad of authors sat at tables and we had a chance to get autographed copies of ARC as well as bound books. Stephen Chbosky was signing copies of Perks of Being a Wallflower http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Perks-of-Being-a-Wallflower/Stephen-Chbosky/e/9780671027346/?itm=1 - one of my all time favorite upper level YA novels. He took time to chat a bit and write in the copy he autographed for me. Very cool! It was so neat to watch the smiles on the attendees faces as they interacted with the authors. I have a pile of autographed books that I can't wait to read, or to revisit, such as Luna by Julie Anne Peters http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Luna/Julie-Anne-Peters/e/9780316011273/?itm=1 I was telling her about the two copies I lent out and never got back. Now I have an autographed copy and said I hoped if I lent it out again it would be returned because of the autograph. Her comment was I might see it on sale on EBay! What fun to chat and interact with the authors. Also was delighted to talk with Susan Kuklin and now have a signed copy of No Choirboy: Murder, Violence and Teenagers on Death Row http://search.barnesandnoble.com/No-Choirboy/Susan-Kuklin/e/9780805079500/?itm=1 I am not a big NF reader, but this book is incredible! If these interviews with teen inmates doesn't get even the most resistant teenage reader, nothing will. She is also a very cool lady!

I am sitting in Rollie Welch's session on street lit. Should prove to be interesting. He works with inner city teens in Cleveland. I was able to get a copy of Kendra signed by Coe Booth and it would most certainly fit into YA urban lit. Rollie frequently works with incarcerated teens. Rollie also has a street lit column in School Library Journal. He is also on the Best Books for Young Adults committee. He is referring to the lack of new titles he is gettting for review that have African American protagonists. Sad, but very true.

Gotta look for the Denim Diaries series. Very interesting! He is not pulling any punches about the types of books and his patrons. Very try sense of humor as he shares titles and a bit of history of street lit.

I'm in the Mitali Perkins' session. She asked about parents. grandparents born outside of the US. Lots of us!! All four of my grandparents were born in Finland.

All of what she talks about will be available to you at her site with a /YALSA. She has a great web site: http://www.mitaliperkins.com/ She blogs too. :-) I was doing a quick look in B&N and found a new title that comes out in January: Secret Keeper http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Secret-Keeper/Mitali-Perkins/e/9780385733403/?itm=10 about a Indian teen whose father leaves for work in America and her writes about her feelings in a diary. Some will recognize her book Monsoon Summer http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Secret-Keeper/Mitali-Perkins/e/9780385733403/?itm=10 about a California born Indian teen who spends the summer in India. I now have a signed copy. :-)

She is hilarious! If you ever get a chance to hear her speak - do so! Great family pictures of herself and her family. Very close to her family - her Dad Googles where she is and she calls them every night. But, the topics she addresses are hardly funny. She showed us
A Girl Like Me - movie by a 17 year old girl addressing how dark skinned girls feel about their appearance. The comments about skin bleaching cream make you cringe. A real eyeopener in the frankness of the children's and teen's responses.

Cover art - some of it is so awful! Question came from the audience about not buying the ones with the awful cover. I think Patrick Jones' books have awful covers. With better covers they would even have a higher readership. Haddix just said to complain to B&N as their rep has input on cover art. Weird!!

Take a look at Haddix's web site: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/margaret-peterson-haddix/ Very cool, but I dislike web sites with black backgrounds. She has links to other author web sites as well. Great way to get the teens who are reading all of Haddix's series to move on to other authors.

I am sitting in a totally packed room of YA literature folks balancing breakfast goodies, juice bottles, and/or cups of coffee in their lap, hip to hip with the person next to us. YALSA's first annual Young Adult Literature Symposium is clearly a hit!

Yesterday we had the opportunity to listen to Gene Luen Yang, author of Printz winner American Born Chinese http://search.barnesandnoble.com/American-Born-Chinese/Gene-Luen-Yang/e/9781596431522/?itm=1 Everything he had to say was interesting but the most interesting piece was about readers who thought cousin Chin-Kee was cute and wanted a T-shirt with him on it. Gene meant Chin-Kee to be disturbingly stereotypically. He said he'd be even more stereotypical the next time around! I did not realize Gene was a Catholic and has written a middle grades graphic novel about this faith - Rosary Comic Book http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Rosary-Comic-Book/Gene-Luen-Yang/e/9780819864796/?itm=3 He has also done some math related comics. Check out his web site: http://www.humblecomics.com/ Lots of cool stuff.

Patrick Jones just said he thinks R.L. Stine should win the Margaret A. Edwards award. I almost swallowed my tongue with that one! My first thought was - "Not a chance!" but that is just me. I know Stine's books are very popular but I see him as an author of horror "fluff" for children.

Margaret Peters Haddix is now speaking - one of her favorites reads by another YA author is Susan Collins' Hunger Games. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Hunger-Games/Suzanne-Collins/e/9780439023481/?itm=1 I love this book and can't wait for the sequel. My favorite of Haddix is not her Hidden series, starting with Among the Hidden - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Among-the-Hidden/Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/e/9780689824753/?itm=2 It is one of her older ones - Don't You Dare Read this Mrs. Dunfrey - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dont-You-Dare-Read-This-Mrs-Dunphrey/Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/e/9780689871023/?itm=1 This book cam out in the mid 90s and addresses an older sibling taking care of her little brother after their mother disappears. She writes her fears in her English journal and marks all the entries - Don't You Daire Read this Mrs. Dunfrey. This one transcends the decades as more teens today are the primary care taker of their younger siblings than the 90s.

Patrick is talking about teens asking him how he read their journal - in other words, it is so real. The theme of this session is books that are thrilling. The beginning has to catch teen. He quotes Will Weaver, another YA author, who said the beginning sentence of a book is as important to a reader as a kiss is to a new relationship. I might have that worded wrong - but you get the idea.

My favorite book of Patrick Jones is Chasing Tail Lights http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Chasing-Tail-Lights/Patrick-Jones/e/9780802796288/?itm=6 about a teenage girl who is being abused by a stepbrother and remembers her truck driver father telling her that following the tail lights may well get you where you need to be. His newest one is Stolen Car http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=Patrick+Jones. Need to find a copy! He just admitted he had never read an HP book and only the first 60 pages of Twilight. Now I know why I love this guy!! He has a vampire book coming out in the Fall - "the teen character just happens to be a girl who is vampire like". Character is most important to him.

Pace of books is important in YA books. Two words - James Patterson - out of PJ's mouth. He is making fun of the speed of Patterson's output of books! He's says Stine knows pace - move quicker as they don't bother with description as kids know what everything looks like. So they focus on dialog. For example, Ellen Hopkinss' Crank http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Crank/Ellen-Hopkins/e/9780689865190/?itm=1is 500 pages but reads quickly because of the format - free verse poetry. All of her books are a quick read and on subjects that get you involved - drug abuse, rape. etc.

Haddix says you can't equate quick paced and short go hand in hand. That is certainly true - look at the free verse novels as well as graphic novels.

Trends - fantasy trend came from adult first so teens went to adult collections first. For example, Hamilton books on vampires - very much adult in content. Hit before the YA books on vampires did. Adults are now reading the teen vampire titles, like Twilight.

All teens are shape shifters - what a great comment by Deborah Noyes Wayshak, author of The Ghost of Kefol. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ghosts-of-Kerfol/Deborah-Noyes/e/9780763630003/?itm=1 Haven't read this one yet - a set of 5 short stories.

Patrick loves Coe Booth - Tyrell http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=tyrell+booth If girls want to know how guys react to them sexually, this is a bit disconcerting, but very real. Her new book is Kendra http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Kendra/Coe-Booth/e/9780439925365/?itm=3 Haven't read it yet but it looks good. Kendra's mother is back in her life and both mother and daughter are adjusting to the change.

Everything big thing you experience in life will happen in these 4 years - PJ's words. First time you fall in love, experience sexual awakening, etc. Part of why he writes for teens. He has the whole audience laughing. He only reads teen fiction and about wrestling - no wonder his inner teen is alive and well. :) Like him - for me booktalking is a way to introduce books that aren't in the "news" - like HP and Twilight. I could have stood up and cheered! Booktalk what they don't find on their own.

PJ mentioned the value of author visits. He noted a teenage girl in a detention center who was telling everyone how cool it was to have met Jaqueline Woodson in school. I love Woodson's writing! My favorite of hers is If You Come Softly http://search.barnesandnoble.com/If-You-Come-Softly/Jacqueline-Woodson/e/9780142406014/?itm=7- so beautifully poignant - a Jewish girl and a black guy so much in love, but their relationship ends violently. My favorite MS/JH book about a poor white girl who is being abused and confides this to her wealthy black friend - I Hadn't Meant to Tell You That http://search.barnesandnoble.com/I-Hadnt-Meant-to-Tell-You-This/Jacqueline-Woodson/e/9780142405550/?itm=7 She has also written a beautiful picture book - The Other Side http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Other-Side/Jacqueline-Woodson/e/9780399231162/?itm=1about two little girls, white & black, who aren't allowed over the fence, but develop a wonderful friendship while sitting on the fence. Jackie writes beautifully about inter-racial friendships and relationships.

PJ is talking about how he has actual teen comments/writing in his books because of Face Book and MySpace pages. He asks them permission to use their work.

Awards - as important as YA input?
Deb - from publishing standpoint (at Candlewick) awards are important. A way to market lesser know literary writers. She looks for manuscripts where popularity and literary merit overlap.

PJ - his award is getting emails from kids who loved his book. He doesn't think his books will ever win an award. He said he used to care but doesn't anymore. Perhaps he doth protest too much, after all, he is human. :-) He said the awards stickers turns teens off - "EWWW - Johnny Tremain had one of those!" I think he is dead on the money from the teen perspective. They could care less about what books win an award. That is an adult thing - besides, we are the ones who are on the committees who choose the award. One of the reasons I strongly disagree with putting any kind of labels on spines, even genres. We also de-select reading options due to the categories someone else put them on. As a teen I would have ignored any books that had SF stickers on them.

ConntectingYA.com - Patrick Jones link to his other sites. Vere cool playlist to go along with Nailed on the main page. Can link to his other resources from there.

I need to post this in fear I am going to lose it. Please excuse my typos. It is so darn hot in this room I am about to melt! I am going find a Diet Coke during the break. It is cold outside - maybe I need to go stand out there for a bit.

Election day is finally here - thank goodness! The local ads in KY have been pretty nasty and are on TV constantly - I will not miss them. However, I have a sneaking suspicion they will be replaced by Holiday style ads. One of the GPS brands already has theirs out. Even I, the Christmas music aficionado, can get too much of a good thing! Our voting location is less than 5 minutes away so I will head out mid morning and hope I miss the large early morning crowds.

The NC School Library Media Association Conference in Winston-Salem was wonderful. I had more energy than I have had in months so doing my booktalking presentation was so much fun. I booktalked Titles that Make you Tremble from the themes of Historical Scares, Futuristic Frights, and the Monsters Among Us. I am always fired up to do lots of reading and booktalking every time I do a presentation, but time hasn't allowed me to do much reading.

However, I have to share a tear-jerker. I was getting a pedicure and was quietly hiccup sobbing as I finished a Sept. 2008 Farrar, Straus & Giroux YA novel - Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin.http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Forever-Changes/Brendan-Halpin/e/9780374324360/?itm=1 If I had known how much it was going to affect me I would have waited until I got home to read the last couple of chapters. What a sometimes blunt, but beautiful, insider's view of how a feisty teen deals with cystic fibrosis. Brianna wants to live her life to the fullest, but she doesn't shy away from sharing that she is scared silly by the thought of dying - of dying before she does the things she wants to. Brilliant in math, Brianna views the world, and herself, from a mathematical perspective. She develops a relationship with her math teacher, who also understands the fear of death, and tells her - "So, though I, or you for that matter, or any of us, may be, as collection of atoms, practically indistinguishable from zero, this does not necessarily mean we are insignificant. Indeed, it may be that, like the infinitesimals in our discipline here, we are crucially important." Further adding the mathematical reality we may well be - "Though I am but one, I contain the infinite. While you couldn't, of course, do this in practice, in theory it is possible to divide me into the infinite number of points I occupy, rather than by the finite, but ever-increasing number of atoms that make up my body. Thus my hope is, in death, I shall not cease to be, I shall just become more fully what I already am; one, and infinite." Even typing this I get a lump in my throat, but smile as I think of how my son Mic would have loved to converse with the very self deprecating Mr. Eccles about math and the never ending possibilities of us. He also would have loved to sit for hours and talk with Brianna - they would have been great friends. However, Brianna does acquire a really cool, but nerdy, guy friend who becomes a part of her, prior to Adam only-girls, inner circle of friends. I wish every teenage girl could see the incredible men many of those nerdy guys in school will become. I am looking at a copy of Halpin's How Do Ya Like Me Now http://search.barnesandnoble.com/How-Ya-Like-Me-Now/Brendan-Halpin/e/9780374334956/?itm=2 which tackles the realities of being one of two white teens in a multiracial urban school in Boston. It is on my book shelf, but is going to be moved to my "gotta read" pile. Halprin has just moved to my YA authors to watch list.

Since the YA novel I address has a mathematical theme, I thought I'd talk about a Holiday House NF book that came out in the summer - David A. Adler's Fun with Roman Numerals. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fun-with-Roman-Numerals/David-A-Adler/e/9780823420605/?itm=1. Most of you know Adler is a prolific writer of elementary level NF about a variety of subjects, including his myriad primary level biographies. What delighted me the most about this math book are the bold illustrations by Edward Miller III. Of course - he has a Roman numeral in his name, but Edward Miller, the 3rd looks kinda funny! No wonder we use the Roman numerals for the generational carrying down of a paternal name. I love the examples of how a Roman numeral is created - I need this when trying to figure out the copyright date of older books! He even teaches kids how to add with Roman numerals. Not something they will be doing often in real life, but what fun! My favorite pages - the last double page spread shows real life use of Roman numerals - clocks, chapter heads, and of course the Super Bowl! Go Texans! (Definitely a pipedream about my favorite team going to the Super Bowl any time soon!) This is a gotta have book for any elementary level collection, and for personal collections like mine where I just might need it to look up a date. :-)

What a beautiful sunny day after the rain. Slept in this a.m. after our late night out at the Sugarland concert. We decided to have dinner downtown so parking would be easy. Guess we weren't the only ones as there was an hour wait at D'Shea's and a long line at Sawyer's, where we did eat. I am not crazy about the place as it is cafeteria style, but that isn't the reason we won't be returning soon. The first time we ate there the food was not too bad - last night - YUCK! They have won awards for their burgers but mine was more like dry overcooked beef scraped off the grill in chunks. I ordered the homemade chips and they were literally soft and extremely greasy. Perhaps it was because of the concert that the food was so bad - they couldn't keep up with the crowd. But, what a waste of calories.

We got to our seats early and I was really disappointed with my poor choice - I didn't realize we were so far to the side even though I do remember looking at the seating chart. It was a sold out show so the arena was crowded by the time Sugarland hit the stage - after a opening act where the sound system made the young solo singer sound like she was screeching. Kelly Pickler was next and not too bad - very energetic and cute. There was a very long intermission as they got ready to film the rest of the concert. Even though we only got an hour and 1/2 of Sugarland they were at their best due to the videotaping. Everyone, except Steve who was there only because of me, were on their feet for the entire concert, singing along. The couple next to us were so cute - arms around each other and singing along. Steve saw just what he could between the folks in front of us as I only got him to stand up once to check out the backdrop scenery. I guess he had to get the "bad taste" of country music out of his ears as he turned on a Dave Matthews concert as soon as we got home. I was happy but exhausted from being on my feet, dancing and singing along with most every song and left him to his music to read for a bit. I wasn't letting "sit-down- Steve" dampen my fun! :-)

As many of you know who read my blog - I am a big fantasy reader. I have to make sure I read a fair amount of other genres - otherwise I'd read all the fantasy on my shelves first. I treated myself to a Judith Tarr feast of a read - Bring Down the Sun http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Bring-Down-the-Sun/Judith-Tarr/e/9780765303974/?itm=1. It certainly was not the cover art that drew me into the book as I find the gaunt looking woman with a snake wrapped around her body quite unappealing. However, the main character in this fictional biography of Alexander the Great's mother is lush and sensual. It begins with young Polyxena chafing at the bonds that hold her as an accolade to the temple of the Mother. Her dreams are of a magical and sensual nature and she wishes her bed warmed by the man/animal gods that frequent them. She finds her match, both in bed, and in a battle of wills and intellect, in King Philip of Macedon. She accepts his new name for her, Mrytale, after they mate, he in the form of the Bull of Minos, as they celebrate the Mystery. Lusting for each other, Myrtale soon is wed to Philip and keeps him in her bed (he has other wives) with her assertive manner. Although this book does not pull any punches as to the lusty nature of Polyxena/Myrtale, it is not graphic and the language used is not offensive. As fascinating as their relationship is to read about, there is also the drama of the young witch who wishes to lure Myrtale and her extensive magical powers to the dark side. Myrtale, renamed yet again by Philip as Olympias when she gives birth to Alexander, is able to vanquish the witch and her coven, with the help of her aunt, a priestess of the Mother. Tarr's writing is crisp, yet as lush in style as the ancient setting, and graciously carried me through this ancient world of love and intrigue as I rooted for Alexander's strong-willed mother, knowing full well she is as wicked in her own way as the venomous snake who was born and raised against the warmth of her body. A deliciously spicy and flavorful read. Tarr does not write for teens, but older teens who read fantasy, historical fiction, or mythology will savor this author's writing. They may also find it very cool that she breeds Lipizzan horses. Great horse pics on her web site: http://www.sff.net/people/judith-tarr/ How she finds the time to be such a prolific author of thoroughly researched historical/fantasy fiction as well as raise horses is beyond me, but sure impresses me!

May seem like an usual book to partner with the above, but as determined as Polyxena/Myrtale/Olmpias was to live life to its fullest, Emily Dickinson was determined to be a recluse and certainly would not have savored political intrigue as does Tarr's fictional creation of this women of power. In her own way, Dickinson is as powerful as lines from her poems are a part of our lives, often without us even knowing it. I picked up the Kids Can Press copy of Emily Dickinson: My letter to the World and other Poems with illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Letter-to-the-World-and-Other-Poems/Emily-Dickinson/e/9781554531035/?itm=3 because of the haunting, lonely quality of the cover illustration of Dickinson. Arsenault captures the melancholy of this gifted poet. As I was reading the 7 poems, starkly, but accurately, illustrated I thought of how to get even the boys reading this poetry with this line - "I felt a funeral, in my Brain," Very mysterious and spooky and Halloween is a perfect time to introduce Dickinson's "death" poems. There are other titles in the Visions in Poetry series besides this one - from Casey at the Bat to Jabberwocky. Perfect for upper elementary and up poetry collections, but add this one to your Halloween books display!

All for today.

The reds and yellows don't look as intense in the picture as they did in "real life". This picture was taken overlooking the golf course at the Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort in Illinois (outside of Chicago).

The AASL Fall Forum was wonderful. Not only did I learn a great deal, including some cool stuff about TRAILS (information literacy assessment tool for HS) I had a chance to catch up with colleagues and friends. The best of all was time spent with Carol Truett, who had been my advisor and mentor when I completed my MLIS at the U of Hawaii-Manoa back in the mid 1980s. She is now teaching at Appalachian State and I am at East Carolina U. We both ended up in North Carolina. It is a small world.

As much as I enjoyed the Forum I am glad to be home. Didn't really recuperate well from the trip to Savannah and the late nights and long hours of sitting added to the pain levels. I am off to see an acupuncturist here in Lexington this afternoon who works with fibromyalgia sufferers. I have every digit crossed those little needles will help as I am sitting with a heating pad on my back and just dealing with the pain as I didn't want to take anything before my first appointment with him. All I can say is OUCH!!

Was reading People magazine (10/27/08 issue) and had to chuckle over the Books section. I'd like to say that is the reason I subscribe to this pop culture/media/entertainment magazine, but it isn't. I also love the music section and the pics of the celebrity dresses. I tend to live in jeans and T-shirts, but I do love to look at fashion. Anyway, in the Books section there is a 4 star review of Alice Shroeder's biography of the filthy rich investor - The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Snowball/Alice-Schroeder/e/9780553805093/?itm=1 , which I really want to read, and beneath it is a section called Halloween Treat - three children's books. I find it fascinating that both Entertainment Weekly and People both frequently review and address children's and YA titles. That was not the case, at least with any regularity, before the Harry Potter and Twilight series made children's and YA titles "suitable" reading for adults. I love it! And, I need to find a copy of Ghost Files: The Haunting Truth by Eugene Yelchin and Mary Kuryla-Yelchin, which was on of the higlighted books. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ghost-Files/Eugene-Yelchin/e/9780061283956/?itm=1. This is a HarperCollins summer 2008 publication so it is readily available. It is all about the Ghost Society and how you can communicate with the other side.

I guess I am in the Halloween spirit (play on words!) since I just finished Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Graveyard-Book/Neil-Gaiman/e/9780060530921/?itm=1 yesterday. I liked it very much and I think younger teens/tweens who like ghost stories will enjoy this. It just didn't have the eerie quality I loved about Coraline http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Coraline/Neil-Gaiman/e/9780380807345/?itm=1 that I so loved. Older teens who enjoy Gaiman's YA and adult novels may well enjoy Gaiman's latest as Bod's encounters with ghouls and a razor sharp knife welding man named Jack will keep their attention.

Staying in the ghost/Halloween mood, I am almost finished with Lois Ruby's The Secret of Laurel Oaks. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Secret-of-Laurel-Oaks/Lois-Ruby/e/9780765313669/?itm=3 The chapters written from the 1840's ghost Daphne's point of view are quite spooky and I am glad I am reading it during my early a.m. reading time. Daphne had been accused of the poisoning death of the two daughters of the plantation owner and she is trying to clear her name. Lily is the living human teen whose family is staying at the haunted Louisiana mansion, now a bed and breakfast, and who Daphne turns to for assistance in "saving the bebes". However, there is another ghost in the mansion who is determined to stop both Daphne and Lily. I have a feeling I am going to want to read the chapter about how Daphne died after the sun comes out in the morning! You may recognize Lois Ruby's name from another of he historical works Steal Away Home http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Steal-Away-Home/Lois-Ruby/e/9780689824357/?itm=1 set in the 1850's about another house that hides the secrets of a long dead slave girl. Wonderful mysteries for younger teens.

That's it for today.

Hello from Oak Brook, IL. I am at the Marriott for the AASL Fall Forum and have a gorgeous view of the golf course. The trees are in their Autumn glory - what a sight to see. I almost (note, almost) wish I knew how to golf as I watched the golfers out on the course. Had to call Steve to rub it in that he isn't up golfing on this beautiful course and he rubbed right back by telling me that there were more race watchers out at Keeneland than he had ever seen. He was betting on the last race and I got to bet over the phone. I hope Sweet Relish and Grizzly Lady win us money. I pick horses by their names and rarely ever win anything but my $2 bet back, but it is fun.



Don't know what the deal was at O'Hare but what a fiasco getting into the terminal. We deplaned onto the tarmac and had to share the narrow walkway and stairwell with passengers headed to another plane. Almost got knocked down the stairs once and was not happy to be hauling my rolling carry on and heavy bag with my computer and "stuff" up those stairs. My back is not happy so I am sitting on the bed with the heating pad. Obviously, they weren't doing too well with their scheduling of smaller planes this afternoon. The ride out from the airport wasn't too bad other than being a bit nervous because the driver couldn't find the address on her GPS. But, the view from this room made up for all that. :-)



I finally finished Breaking Dawn, the last of the Twilight series early this morning. It sure dragged for what seemed like over 100 pages as they prepared for the Voltari to show up for a potential battle to the "death". For those of you who have not read it yet, read on with caution. I know this is the last in the series, but Meyer left things wide open for a future series based on Jacob and Renesmee. I think I may be more interested in reading about the future of their "kind" than I was angsty Bella who sure got on my nerves. Jacob and the rest of the shape-shifters kept my interest enough to finish the series. And, for those of you who just can't let Bella and Edward's story go, Meyer has one more tidbit for you - The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Twilight-Saga/Stephenie-Meyer/e/9780316043120/?itm=4 It will hit stores in December, just in time to give it as a present to all of the Twlight fans on your gift list. And, if you go to this Barnes and Noble link, you can also watch a video of Meyer talking about her books.



Now on to a really cool book! I started Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Graveyard-Book/Neil-Gaiman/e/9780060530921/?itm=1 Gaiman has taken a character from one of his short stories, Nobody Owen, and expanded the story of a boy growing up in graveyard into a middle school novel with some really cool line drawings to enhance the reading experience. I have just begun the book but I was actually irritated that my doctor was on time yesterday morning as I was quite content sitting in the waiting room reading it. Of course, it was the one time I didn't have to sit in the examing room for "hours" waiting once the nurse says the doctor will be right in. Normally that is a "yeah right!" and a good junk of reading time, but this time she walked in before I could find my place in the book again. Bod (Nobody's nickname) had just been rescued from a very scary encounter with the ghouls (one of whom was a past president!) who planned to kill him and let his body decay enough for good eating. I really wanted to keep reading.

I also loved Coraline http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Coraline/Neil-Gaiman/e/9780380807345/?itm=1 - Gaiman's first deliciously creepy MS/JH level horror novel. I can still close my eyes and see my version of the "other parents" with their button eyes. Gives me the shivers just thinking about them. I can already tell I will not be disappointed by his second MS/JS level novel. Now I am kicking myself that I forgot it on my nightstand when I packed for this trip. See what happens when you have a cat trying to get into your suitcase as you pack - you get distracted from the important stuff - books!


That's all for today. About time to go down to the opening reception and catch up with other school library media colleagues/friends who I only see at conferences.

I fell in love with Savannah - even in the rain! This pic is of one of a Spanish Moss covered tree in one of the many squares that make up historical Savannah. Not many of my pictures came out as it was such miserable weather, but this one does show the green of the square and the lovely grayish green of the moss. I had to chuckle at the sight of an older man holding a handful of moss as his wife was instructing him to put it in the trunk. I didn't check the license plate to see where they were from but if her sprig of moss is as prolific as the moss in Savannah she may wish she hadn't brought it home. I did not bring any to Kentucky!

We had a wonderful time and my favorite part was the carriage ride ghost tour on Friday night. We didn't see any ghosts but got to hear the stories and that was fun as was the ride in the carriage. I even got to ride up front with the guide. What fun - all but the part where I almost fell flat on my butt getting out. No step-down from that seat so I stepped onto the wheel and jumped down. My knees couldn't take the abrupt landing from that height and I almost lost it - Steve kept me from landing in the mushy wet horse poo that decorated the area! Now I want to go back and stay in a haunted B&B, but maybe not the one that is haunted by a lady ghost who doesn't appreciate women staying there and decorated the parlor Christmas tree with their undies. I bought a autographed copy of James Caskey's Haunted Savannah: The Official Guidebook to Savannah Haunted History Tour 2008 This is the link for the 2007 edition, but it is similar: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Haunted-Savannah/James-Caskey/e/9780972422420/?itm=1 We also ate lunch at the Moon River Brewing Company, which is one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah. We saw no ghosts even though Steve kept teasing me that he saw or heard one! The upstairs is not used because of the high level of ghost activity and the basement has its problems - one of the ghosts likes to open the beer vat taps even though they are locked closed.

Since I was in Greenville last week and then went to Savannah for Fall break I didn't do much reading, but I can say I am "slogging" my way through the 4th book in the Twilight series - Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Breaking-Dawn/Stephenie-Meyer/e/9780316067928/?itm=1 Let's just say I have had my fill of Bella and her antics. Not too keen on the Rosemary's Baby type pregnancy either. I know these books are beloved by many a tween, teen, and adult alike, but I am not a huge fan. I am looking forward to seeing the movie though. My hair dresser asked me if I am an Edward or Jacob fan and I have to go with Jacob. While doing a booktalking session in Louisville the topic came up and I said as a mother I'd rather have my daughter involved with a werewolf than a vampire. What weird conversations YA novels elicit in a group of librarians!

That's it for today.

Was able to get a last minute airfare deal and flew up to Green Bay Saturday a.m. and came home yesterday afternoon. Blame the photographer (me) for the blurriness of this pic. Actually none of the kids sat or stood still long enough for me to take a decent picture of them! They were whirling dervishes all weekend. This is 6-month McKinley getting a smack from her mom, my "baby girl" Mary. No matter how old she gets she will always be my "baby"!

It was only minutes after my arrival that McKinley reached out her little arms to me and she had my heart at hello! She has the most wonderful disposition and is always looking around with interest or is laughing at the antics of her older brothers. She and I were making faces at each other and she started giggling - it was the most wonderful laugh I have heard since my own were babies. Let's just say she was in my arm a lot of the time. :-)

I didn't even get a pic of 18 month old Kegan - he never slowed down! He also decided Gramma was a good elbow and knee cushion and climbed on and off of me at will! He has the most infectious smile and would eat from the moment he got up until bedtime if he could. One never gets a whole piece of anything with him around. I had a great time pushing him in his swing and playing pat-a-cake. Gramma is a new word in his vocabulary that he used regularly. He has got the cutest toddler swagger - he is going to be a heart breaker with that smile.

Five year old Michael wore me out playing hide-n-seek around the huge maple and oak trees on our evening walk on Saturday. I had forgotten how beautiful the old neighborhood trees are in the Midwest. They are just starting to turn colors and the houses were decorated for Halloween - what a delightful reminder of autumns as a child. He is still into Thomas the Train so a trip to Toys R Us was in order - of course! He now has a new bridge and was not too happy when he couldn't take it to school Monday morning.

It was hard to walk away from day care Monday a.m. when we dropped them off before Mary took me to the airport but a part of me was also happy to be going home to my own quiet house. I had forgotten how loud a house full of kids is and I admit I was glad when bedtime came Sunday night and we had a few moment of silence before the adults crashed too.

I did a little reading on the plane and chuckled my way through How to Raise Your Parents: A Teen Survival Guide by Sarah O'Leary Burningham. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/How-to-Raise-Your-Parents/Sarah-OLeary-Burningham/e/9780811856966/?itm=1 Although intended for teen readers, this is the perfect book to give to friends and relatives whose children have turned into the dreaded teenager - angst and all! O'Leary shares a few of her own adolescent stunts and subsequent consequences as well as incidents that teens shared with her online. Mostly certainly a chick book, but teenage guys could learn a thing or two about raising their parents from reading this as well. The line drawings by Bella Pilar supplement the low-key text well and even cause a smile or two. This over sized paperback will be popular with the younger teenage girls as they learn how to maneuver the minefield of being a teen in a household with parents who just "don't get it"!

We actually stood on the Grand Ole Opry stage on Saturday. :-) The backstage tour was very interesting, especially about the circle on the stage that was cut out from the old Wyman Theater and added to the new stage in Opry House. The house seats about 4400 and we were in the nose-bleed section but with the big screens there isn't a bad seat in the house. Was interesting to watch the stage hands doing their thing between acts as this is live radio show. Lots or Pro Bass Shop commercials! Although I am a very big Alan Jackson fan and he was wonderful, my favorite act was Darius Rucker. You may know him from his Hootie and the Blowfish days. This guy can sing and his "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" is such a cool, but sad song. I am going to buy his CD Learn to Live: http://music.barnesandnoble.com/Learn-to-Live/Darius-Rucker/e/094638550624/?itm=1 We also got to listen to Charlie Daniels and he can still play that fiddle to beat the devil as his song states, even though his beard and hair are as white as snow.

Saturday was our "Opry Day" and we wandered through the Gaylord Opryland Hotel - talk about huge and easy to get lost in. The other pic above is of a what I would call a Green Woman, based on the Green Man myth. I have always been fascinated with this mythical creature who stands for nature in its most wild and natural form. The woman's face was painted green and she had stilts attached to her legs and arms making her a long supple green bough. I stood as mesmerized watching her as the little kids. Thank goodness Steve had the camera to take a pic of her. There is a really great YA collection of short stories and poetry about the Green Man called The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest edited by Ellen Datlow: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?EAN=9780142400296&x=19152209 I need to order a new copy. Mine went missing when I let students borrow from me so who knows where my previous copy is. Hopefully in some teen's hand who is as enamoured with this myth as I am.

Sunday was our Texans' day and then got creamed by the Titans. We were up in the nose-bleed section and the sun was merciless. I have a farmer's tan neckline and very red face today. But, it was worth it, even though they lost. First time I have seen them play in person since we moved from the Houston area. Nashvillians from around us in the stadium were asking about Houston and were a great group, putting up with both my screams of delight and moans of despair. All it all it was a wonderful weekend away from home for both of us. Steve didn't even take his laptop. I admit I did take mine and checked email both mornings and answered a few students' emails before I felt comfortable to just enjoy the time off. To my students who are reading this - thanks for keeping my inbox relatively bare this weekend and for the "have fun in Nashville" emails. :-)

Since I already wrote about a YA title, my children's book for today is a hilarious picture book about how lazy babies are - from the viewpoint of the primary school aged older sister. Susan Orlean's Lazy Little Loafers is an absolute hoot. G. Brian Karas caught the frustration of the older sister and the sassiness of the diaper set beautifully. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Lazy-Little-Loafers/Susan-Orlean/e/9780810970274/?itm=1 I can't wait to read this one to my grandsons in relation to their infant age little sister. I thought of all the pics of the movie stars' babies when the older sister spouts - "And as far as model superbabies go, I'm not sure they're real - after all, you can just about do anything with digital photography." After watching several babies studiously not working, older sister decides as she arrives at school, "...I figured out the answer to my question. You want to know why babies don't work?" You turn to the last page where the baby, in stroller, turns his head and sticks out his tongue at her. "She deadpans in defeat, "They're too smart." This is the perfect shower or baby gift for anyone you know who is having a second, third, fourth..... baby. Also, a must have in any preschool or primary age library collection. The tongue in cheek humor makes this a superb read aloud.

That's it for today.

Now I really feel guilty when I see how long it has been since I posted an entry! And, I am very glad I included a weekly posting in my 2008-09 academic year goals. I am one of those people who is easily controlled by email - I could spend my whole day responding to email as I get so many of them work and listserv wise. It is almost noon and I have been responding to emails all morning. Granted, some of the responses require me to create documents beyond the actual body of the email answer, which takes more time, but still - email eats up tons of time. Sometimes I long for the time we communicated via phone or snail mail. No one expected an immediate response back then.

Funny how this is on my mind since I just sent in the manuscript of the cell phone article. I love to write, but I am not sure how well I'd do at 140 characters at a time and have to integrate the immediate feedback from readers who respond to the text as it is posted to the web site. Could I write a cell phone novel? I am seriously thinking about, but not until I get some other things off my plate. I admit, time management is my big downfall. I get bogged down in the daily duties, like email, and don't get to the part of my profession I like best - writing about youth literature.

I spent last week in Greenville so I had 18 hours of novel listening with the round trip. I listened to James Patterson and Howard Roughan's Honeymoon. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Honeymoon/James-Patterson/e/9781586217273. I could certainly fantasize about having so much money that I had to choose between driving my Porsche or Bentley, but I wouldn't want to be Nora Sinclair, the main character in this murder mystery. You know from the start that she is killing off her rich husbands after she cleans out their Swiss bank accounts, but she is still a fascinating character. Nora is a beautiful woman and she uses her looks and her amoral intellect to get what she wants, even in the bedroom. This doesn't get too steamy but there were a few times I was glad I was in a car zipping down the highway with the windows closed! The Feds are on to her, but the agent they send to trip her up gets caught in her mouse trap instead. Lots of plot twists and turns and good "road read" for the trip.

Finished listening to The Accidental by Ali Smith. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Accidental/Ali-Smith/e/9781598870138. I really didn't like this book, but I kept listening as it is grossly fascinating in its own way. You feel like you are caught in the closet watching all the things a family wants to keep hidden. There are multiple narrators, from the acerbic tongued 12-year-old Astrid, her suicidal teenage brother, her aging sleazy professorial stepfather, and her mother who is a writer. Into their summer home walks barefoot, 30-something Amber who enthralls the whole family in her own way. She seduces the son, befriends the daughter, frustrates the mother, and ignores the seduction techniques of the father. No one really addresses who invited her - actually no one did - but in the time she is there she changes each of them, whether in a good or bad way - that's the reader's decision. It is beautifully written, no doubt about that, but I may have been better off reading this one as the seduction scenes with the teenage boy, in the little village church, creeped me out as I listened to them.

Haven't had much time to read, but I did have fun picture reading a Kids Can Press title - Robots from Everyday to Out of This World by the editors of YES Mag. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Robots/Yes-Magazine-Editors/e/9781554532032/?itm=1It will be out at the end of the month and is a gotta have in every elementary level library. It "had me at hello" as on the first page there is a robot, Albert Hubo, that has the face of Albert Einstein on a white robotic body. He was never that "buff" in real life! A very basic time line of robot history is included - from da Vinc's mechanical lion to Stanford's robot called Shakey. I am going to sound sexist here when I state that the boys are going to love this, but they are. And, there are some girls who will get into it as well. The color pictures are superb, match well with a quick and easy to read text. The short text and side bars give just enough information for a good subject over view that might entice readers to seek out in depth information on specific robotic subjects, such as Kevin Warwick who considers himself a cyborg! The creepiest tidbit of robotic trivia - in Japan, researchers have replaced cockroach's antennae with electrodes, adding little backpacks and cameras. Theory is - the roaches can be used to search through the rubble of collapsed buildings. Oh yeah - and as sneaky creepy spies. Think about that the next time you turn and see a cockroach - your scream might be heard and seen by someone else!

Sorry - no YA title today. I haven't had time to actually read a book with my eyes these days.

Okay - on to the next task on my to-do today list. This was a fun one.

It is already 1:30 and I just finished getting through my email inbox for the last few days. I spent most of the weekend working on an article about the cell phone novel phenomena in Japan. Can you imagine writing a novel via a cell phone keypad, 140 characters at a time? One of the authors said her thumbs were bleeding from how much writing she was doing. I am considering trying it myself but I'd have to get a new phone for sure! On the other hand I don't get to blog as often as I'd like, adding one more venue of writing would probably do me in right now.

I had a wonderful time in Greenville as always. It is going to be a really good Fall semester. I hit the road again for meetings the second week in September so I'll get a lot of "reading" done on the road. Have to see what I have in my bag of audio "goodies" I pick up at Half Price Books and stash in my car.

This past trip, I finished listening to Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=Sara+Gruen The use of two male narrators made for very enjoyable listening. The chapters alternate between Jacob as a young man and as an elderly resident anxious to attend the circus that is set up down the street from the nursing home. The elderly Jacob is feisty, ornery and concerned he is losing his mental acuity as he spends more time in his past than the present. Who can blame him when considering his present situation vs. the wild times he had while working as a circus veterinarian for the Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus during the Depression. The chapters told from Jacob's first hand point of view, as a young man in his early 20s, after his parents are killed in a car accident his last semester of college, are touching in their sincerity and innocence. Jacob loses his innocence due to the harshness of life in a circus and his virginity to the show's stripper. His heart, he loses to Marlena, the equestrian rider and the wife of the brutal animal trainer, whose vicious temper is often directed toward Rosie, the recently purchased elephant that doesn't do much besides eat. Rosie is thought of as useless until Jacob discovers she will only respond to commands in Polish. She also has a taste for lemonade and gin. At times quite humorous, this is as much a love story as it is a circus tale, drawing the reader into the big top and into the lives of Jacob and Marlena as they try to hide their love. Most certainly a novel written for the adult readership, but older teens will relish this coming of age story in a time when a man's virginity isn't lost in his teens. The Depression Era starkly comes to life as do the violent and harsh conditions both men and women endure to eat regularly, even if their salary is held back by the unscrupulous Uncle Al, who own the show. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Gruen's knowledge of horses is very evident and I was not surprised to see on B&N that she had previously written two books specifically about horses, the first, Riding Lessons http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Riding-Lessons/Sara-Gruen/e/9780060580278/?itm=5, about a woman who had been an equestrian and an Olympic contender until an accident ended her riding career. Fast forward and she is now returning home to the family horse farm with her troubled teenage daughter. This is also a love story with a veterinarian. :-) The sequel Flying Chances http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Flying-Changes/Sara-Gruen/e/9780060790950/?itm=2 has her daughter in the same spot she was at eighteen, an equestrian contender for the Olympics. I haven't read/listened to them yet, but I think these would appeal to the teenage girls. I'll let y'all know.

My children's book for the day is a September 2008 Abrams title that has a political slant to it - Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and beautifully illustrated by Courtney A. Martin. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ballots-for-Belva/Sudipta-Bardhan-Quallen/e/9780810971103/?itm=1 A very appropriate book to dovetail current events with historical ones. The time line in the back of the book is a quick synopsis of the women's suffrage movement in the U.S. We have come a long way, baby! Many folks had high hopes of a female president in the current election. It isn't going to happen this time, but I am sure we will see more women running in the future. Females running for president is not a new - in 1884, fifty-four year old Belva Lockwood became the first woman to officially run for president. Even though women could not vote at this point in time, there were no laws restricting them from running for office. Some men were not very happy with her and held "Belva Lockwood Parades" where they dressed up as women and pretended to be her. We all know she didn't win the election, Grover Cleveland did, but she won 4,711 popular votes. No one knows how many other votes for Belva were not counted, as many were thrown out as no one could believe anyone would actually vote for a woman. Sounds a bit like the Florida fiasco. Although a picture book, Ballots for Belva is one I'd offer to the high school U.S. History teacher. Picture books are a wonderful way to open up a classroom discussion. The illustrations add depth to the era, including what the tricycle Belva rode around Washington D.C. looked like. Belva was one feisty woman! Superb book for any school or public library.

That's it for today. Time to find the top of my desk again. My goal is to do that every other day - we shall see how well that works!

Where has this week gone to? It is already Thursday and I seem to have lost Monday - Wednesday. Actually Monday and Tuesday were spent bringing live the Fall Children's and YA Lit courses. I have students already selecting books for assignments. Our grad students in the LS Program at ECU are incredible go-getters and fantastic to work with. I couldn't have found a better group of students and faculty to call my professional family. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday. I am bringing brownies (rich and chocolaty and you absorb calories just by smelling them!) - but they are worth the splurge for our lunch get together. We'll all be zinging for the afternoon meeting.

I think Fall weather is approaching already. It has been cool at night and only in the mid 80s during the day. I am not complaining. I am not one for the heat anymore. When I first moved to Texas in the early 90s I couldn't get enough of it. Now, give me a book and a shade tree if I have to be outside. I can't wait for the trees to change color. This is one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen for color, especially along the Kentucky River. We found a home for sale that backs up to the river - there is no back yard to speak of, just a steep bank down to the river. I could go for that! The sound of the river, maybe some deer around, etc. Can't wait to see the house as it has a screened in back porch. They say you can't go home, but I think I am trying to recreate the quietness of home. I remember as a child sitting in the swing for hours reading and not hearing anything but the birds and an occasional car going by. I didn't realize how blessed I was to grow up in the rural environment I did. At the time I hated it as there was no one to play with so I found my friends in books. What I wouldn't give for one of those leisurely walks with Mom on the back road over to the neighboring farm. And with Dad, to find the first lilacs in the spring. Guess I have had enough time being a "city girl" that I am ready to go back to my country girl roots, but with access to the mall, of course. :-) But, if I want that house in the country I have to get my act together and get things packed up around here so we can put this house on the market.

The top of the front cover of the ARC for Ruby's Imagine by Kim Antieau http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Rubys-Imagine/Kim-Antieau/e/9780618997671/?itm=1 was peeking out of the top of my purse when I went in for my fibro massage and the therapist saw the deep purple butterfly and said, "Rebirth". I smiled and responded that yes, this book indeed is about rebirth, but the "labor pains" were horrendous - Hurricane Katrina. The eco/world centered language and speaking style of the main character, Ruby, is melodic and sweet as the nectar the hummingbirds Ruby speaks to. Ruby does not find it strange that she can speak to the trees, the birds, and other wild creatures. She remembers the white ally gator in the swamp but her grandmother, Mamaloose, abruptly tells her that is just her imagines, just like the two sisters she imagines. Ruby's innocence makes it difficult to see her as a young woman finishing up high school and accepted into Tulane to study swamp biology, but she is much smarter than most folks around her realize. She keeps it to herself. JayEl, her best friend since they were in elementary school, has feelings deeper than the baby-fingering hooking affection they show each other but he knows to wait. But, the hurricane isn't waiting for anyone and Ruby knows that - the Root People have told her so. At first no one believes her and many of them - Ruby and Mamaloose included, ride the storm out in their flooded houses, seeking refuge in attics which offer little shelter as the roofs are blown off. This is a beautiful book that touch at the heart strings and also causes us to ponder the travesty of how poorly our country responded to the devastation of a beloved city and its people. A book that, once read, will not be forgotten. Ruby never did like to call the area she lived in a ward, she referred to it this way - "I lives in the place where the wisteria dips over the fence to hold hands with the magnolia that dips down to say hello to the Place Where My Vegetables Grow". Ruby will plant again and New Orleans will rise out the dirt just like Ruby's garden. The rebirth will happen, is happening - folks like Ruby who know the city, different perhaps but still there, are the ones who will bring about the rebirth.

Antieau also wrote two other YA novels - Mercy Unbound http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Mercy-Unbound/Kim-Antieau/e/9781416908937/?itm=1 and Broken Moon http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Broken-Moon/Kim-Antieau/e/9781416917670/?itm=2. She is not an author to shy away from controversial issues. She is also a blogger - check it out at: http://www.kimantieau.com/

In one of the scenes in Ruby's Imagines she is soothing a scared little girl by telling her about the Milky Way and notes that in Finland it is called the Pathway of Birds. Well, that intrigued me, of course, and I thought would fun it would be to write a folk tale about this pathway. But, time for writing folk tales I do not have, but I did have time to read a hilarious one. Such A Prince by Dan Bar-el and illustrated by John Manders http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Such-a-Prince/Dan-Bar-el/e/9780618714681/?itm=1 is a delightful take on the story of the three brothers who set out to "cure" the princess so they can marry her. In this version, the cure is 3 perfect peaches. And, of course there has to be a fairy godmother - whose name is Libby Gaborchik. The Gabor sisters would be chuckling over this name, as am I. She is there to help the youngest, scrawniest 3rd brother win the hand of the princess, of course. His peaches do indeed have the princess dancing and she is more than willing to marry this peasant but her father isn't keen on the idea. Remember - things often happen in 3s in folk tales, and this one is no exception. It takes the magic silver whistle Gaborchik gave Marvin to herd 100 rabbits (kind of like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, but not rats) into the castle. But the king determines they re not plump enough for the stew so they must go outside the castle gates to graze. The king and the queen both try to trick Marvin by showing up in disguise and asking for a rabbit, but in the end, as a good folk tale always does, the "littlest brother wins." Marvin weds the princess. A perfect read aloud for older elementary students, JH & HS as the humor is quirky and even a bit risque. Let's just say the King being tricked by Marvin into kissing his donkey 3 times comes back to bite him in the ... But, oh what fun. Manders' illustrations are delightfully comical. This one stays in my personal collection.

Now to pack up some more books for storage!

It may be hot outside, but it is chilly in my office with the air on so I am drinking hot coffee, thanks to the new flavored beans I found next to my pot when I got up this morning. I was barely keeping my eyes open until Steve got home last night. I crashed night right after so I didn't even see the groceries he unpacked or the first pre-season football game. I can't believe Brett Farve, the "old guy" from Green Bay, is with the Jets. Guess he just couldn't do without the "glory". Should be an interesting year of football. I am still a Texans fan at heart.

I had to stay awake because Sophie was still very shaky on her back legs, which kept slipping out from under her on the tile and hardwood floors after I picked her up from the vet. If she didn't look so befuddled over why her hind end wouldn't work it might have been funny. Sore gums or not from having her teeth cleaned she chowed down as soon as she got home, even if it was from a lying down position. She is doing great today and not even embarrassed by her bald spots where mats were shaved out on her back. She's outside surveying the world from the deck. Just wait until we have a new home with a larger yard - if we end up in Boones Trace there will be deer in the yard. Will feel like back home in Upper Michigan with critters around again. Not many here in Hamburg, but a few bunnies and one possum when we first moved in.

I have been cleaning off my desk and came across the NY Times article I saved - "Electronic Papyrus: The Digital Book Unfurled" - about the pocket-sized Readius made by Polymer Vision. You can actually roll it up - the screen is so flexible you can wrap it around your finger. Now, this is an ebook reader I might be willing to buy. It uses the same ELink technology that the Kindle does. We won't see this baby in the U.S. until the beginning of 2009. No price set yet but they anticipate it to be more expensive than the Kindle at $359. Hmmm. Guess I will have to wait for it to go down in price. Want to know more? Go to: http://www.readius.com/ I may register in case they are going to give a few away in the U.S. market. :-)

I guess I am on a NF kick for the moment, but my YA book for today is a Watson-Guptill publication that came out last month - Kyle Baker's How to Draw Stupid and Other Essentials of Cartooning. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/How-to-Draw-Stupid-and-Other-Essentials-of-Cartooning/Kyle-Baker/e/9780823001439/?itm=1 Anyone who knows me knows I cannot draw at all. When I taught First grade my kiddos would come up and draw things for me as they couldn't tell what mine were when I drew them. Pretty bad when a 6-year-old can draw better than you can, but that's life. So, because I can't draw, I am totally impressed by folks who can. And Baker can draw, and draw stupid as he states it - so stupid that his cartoons make you snort laugh. We have a lot of teens out there who are budding artists/cartoonists and this is the book for them. Heck, Baker dedicates it "to the future cartoonists of the universe." My favorite chapter is Chapter 8: Use Reference Material. He writes about needing to know how an x-ray machine is set up in a dentist's office for a cartoon - he went to the Internet for photographs to work from. Great advice: "Don't try to fake stuff, or try to guess what something looks like, or work from memory. That's not only lazy, but lots of people looking at your drawing won't know what it's supposed to be." The chapters are short and filled with cartoons, some of them full page. This book is a browser's delight and then you can settle down and enjoy his enlightening and very humorous text on how to become a great cartoonist. Baker should know - he's won 8 Eisner Awards http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_08win.shtml and 5 Harvey Awards http://www.harveyawards.org/. Although I would still prefer to curl up with a narrative style novel, I am getting more and more into graphic novels and cartoon books. But, when I think about it - that's no surprise as Mic was collecting Garfield books long before they were referred to as graphic novels. :-) He was watching Japanese anime back in the 1980s too - I had no idea it would become so popular, but liked the big eyed characters too. Wish I could remember the one he rented over and over again - even I could recite the dialogue!

My children's book for the day is a Barefoot Books title that was originally published in Britain, Motherbridge of Love illustrated by Josee Masse, but will have as wide of an audience in the U.S. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Motherbridge-of-Love/Anonymous/e/9781846860478/?itm=1 Although a 2007 title, I have an ARC of it - loose pages - and I started to read it because of the beautiful cover - a little girl doing a handstand in the heart shaped opening made by two hands touching at thumb and fingers. Immediately a page fell out and as I picked it up I realized it was in Chinese. Though I cannot read it, I recognized it from things I have around my own home purchased in China when I visited as a leader of a People to People Ambassador Program visit of librarians. The text of this book - a poem written by an adoptive mother and sent in to the charity Mother Bridge of Love - will fill every mother, adoptive or not, with warmth. To hear this poem beautifully read visit: http://www.motherbridge.org/. Do not skip the intro - this is the poem. Don't stop there - this organization is of interest to more than parents who adopted children from China. It does any mother's heart good to visit. I write this with a lump in my throat.

As much as I would like to spend more time talking about books and web sites I love, it is time to do some more packing and working on Fall semester courses.

Well, it may be the Hilton on Tobago instead of the gorgeous Marriott on St. Thomas, but I could go for sitting in one of those chairs right now with a cold drink. A bit ironic as I never even put my foot in the pool the entire time we were on vacation on Tobago, but as they say hindsight is 20/20 and that chair in the pool looks really good about right now.

Been up since a little after 5 a.m. thinking about all the things I have to get done in the next 2 weeks before I head out for Greenville on the 17th. A friend our ours who used to live on a sailboat when we all lived in St. Thomas has sold his boat and is back on the Mainland looking for a new one and is spending a few days with us that weekend. Will be fun to catch up on on the news about friends who are still down there. Jeff knows them all as he has lived in the islands for years. I couldn't live on a sailboat like he does, but more power to him if he can live with that little room. Heck, my shoes would fill up his boat just on their own. First thing I look at in the houses we are checking out to buy is the size of the walk in closet in the master bedroom! I need to get the books boxed up in the extra bedroom and things cleaned up in there so Jeff can find the bed!

Am supposed to be going down to a friend's wedding next summer, but haven't made up my mind yet if I will or not. I don't plan on teaching summer school next year so a trip to STT with Janna to attend Roxanne's wedding might just be the break I need. Janna and I will spend hours catching up with each other and I'll get little sleep, but isn't that part of a girls' vacation together? Matter of fact, need to touch base with both of them soon. Seem to have the islands on my mind these days - guess I could use a vacation!

My book for today is not a YA novel, but a NF title that will appeal to older teens. I am working on the syllabus for my YA Lit course and have been focusing on adult titles that will appeal to the teens who are focused on life after HS. I have been laughing out loud over a book of words that came out last month - The DailyCandy Lexicon: Words and Phrases for the New Generation http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-DailyCandy-Lexicon/Editors-of-Dailycandycom/e/9780753513064/?itm=1by the editors of Daily Candy - http://www.dailycandy.com/everywhere/ This is most certainly a chic blog, but it is lots of fun! Here is my favorite definition -
Teenile: adj. Used to describe someone who is way too old for what she is wearing. (“That 45-year-old woman is wearing low-cut jeans. Is she crazy or just teenile?”)
There are just some things I don't want to see and that is some woman my age with her baby belly hanging over those jeans. I wear "gramma jeans" as my daughter calls them, but at least it is all tucked in where it should be!
Older female teens will also love the first book as well: Daily Candy A to Z: An Insider's Guide to the Sweet Life. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Daily-Candy-A-to-Z/Dailycandy-Press/e/9781401302184/?itm=2
Give these to the older teens who have their noses buried in the edgy chic lit and woman's fashion magazines. Oh what fun!

My children's book for the day is a new Holiday House title by Nancy Poydar - Zip, zip... Homework. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Zip-ZipHomework/Nancy-Poydar/e/9780823420902/?itm=1 Poydar was an elementary teacher for many years before she became a full time creator of wonderful picture books and her knowledge of the younger students is very evident in both her style of writing and her humorous illustrations. I thught of this book as I was checking out the Sunday paper sales fliers and saw all the school supplies on sale, including backpacks. Violet is sure that this year she is going to get tons of homework and she is going to need a backpack that can handle the load - a rolling one with lots of pockets, snaps, and zippers. She is so excited about it, she practices filling it with the homework she imagines she will get. The big day comes when the teacher gives a sheet of homework. Violet is sure she put it in her backpack, but "Ziip, no. Riipp, no. Unclick, no. Unsnap, no." (Love the use of repetitive sounds) The homework was no where to be found, but the next day Violet tells her teacher that she couldn't find it in her backpack, but Ms. Patience is holding the offending empty piece of homework in her face. Violet has homework that night and it isn't going to be easy - she has to tell her parents the truth about her homework. A delightful beginning of the year read aloud in any primary level classroom where little ones come in with backpacks almost as big as they are! I miss those days, but not enough to go back to teaching in the primary classroom again! I love my grad students too much to do that.

On to more packing of books and finding the table in my office. I have most the desk exposed at least!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth - Summer Session swallowed me whole and just spit me out! Grades had to be in by 8 a.m. this morning and I submitted mine before I called it a day last night. The one fun thing I did this summer was go to a concert here in Lexington at the Legends' baseball park. Had really good seats on the field for the LeeAnn Womack and Alan Jackson concert. I was able to get a few good pics of Womack as her pre-show was not lights and big screens and flash. It was just her on the stage with that incredible voice. She was superb. Jackson was fantastic as well but there were so many lights directed at the audience and on the stage that I couldn't get a decent picture of him. He sang all his hits and everyone was on their feet singing along with him. I was surprised he played such a small venue but I was very glad he did as that is the closest I'd get to the stage for one his concerts. I haven't read it yet, but his wife Denise wrote a book called It's All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Its-All-About-Him/Denise-Jackson/e/9780785227762/?itm=2about her faith and dealing with her husband's infidelities and still keeping their family together. Many of the videos playing behind him as he sang were of his wife and girls. I'd like to read this, but like so many non YA or children's titles, I don't get to them.

Made it through another August 4th, Mic's birthday. He would have been 31 yesterday. Very hard to believe he has been gone for 11 years as of April. I can close my eyes and hear his voice and the feel of his hug when he walked through the door after his marathon drives from LaCrosse, WI to Arlington, TX and said, "Hi Mom" like he hadn't been away from me for weeks, if not months. We talked on the phone at all hours of the day and night and he never let me forget how blessed I was, and still am, to have a son like him. Mary called to check on me as she was missing him too. Those two were like two peas in the pod when they were little, but battled like crazy as tweens and drew close again as they entered their late teens. I was glad they were together when my mom died, but devastated they could not be with me at the funeral. She too has been gone for 11 years, a few months before Mic. I am sure they are playing rummy in heaven and mom is still cheating. :-)

Taught two sections of children's lit and one of YA lit this summer and all of the grading and responding to student emails took most of my time. That and dealing with doctor's appointments. I am happy to say I am at a tolerable level of pain and know I can deal with having fibromyalgia. I have my bad days now and then, but if I control myself on the days I am feeling good and don't over do it, I have more of those than bad days. If I could just get a bit more sleep I would be very happy. I have become very intolerant of noise, especially anything high pitched so we are looking to buy a new house out of town on an acre or so if we can so that I don't have to deal with little kids squealing next door, less than 6 feet from my office window, or the sound of the recess bell and kids playing on the playground in the new school that will open up across the green space from us. Hamburg is a wonderful area of the city to live in but not for someone like me who needs quiet and a bit of seclusion. So, my next chore is to find the top of my desk and floor in my office so we can put the house on the market. Never a dull moment in the Clark household!

With all that has been going on this summer I haven't had much time to read but finally read Randa Abdel-Fattah's Does My Head Look Big in This? http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Does-My-Head-Look-Big-in-This/Randa-Abdel-Fattah/e/9780439919470/?itm=1 I found myself laughing out loud at some of things the main character, 16-year-old Amal, comes up with. She is an Australian-Palestinian teen who lives in Melbourne, the daughter of a wealthy family, and attends an exclusive, and very snobbish, prep school. So when she decides to wear the hijab full-time, not just on a bad hair day, she knows she is going to be putting herself in the limelight for taunts of "towel-head" and much worse. Amal is a delight, as she is really a typical teenage girl with the typical teenage girl feeling and fears, such as how will the boy she likes respond to her decision? With her wit, her wicked sense of humor, and her Jewish and Japanese best friends rallying around her, Amal stands up for her beliefs and her right to express her faith as she wishes. This book is a real eye-opener for those of us who have not thought very much about how Muslims are being viewed outside the U.S. after 9/11. Amal states it like this - "It feels like I'm drowning in it all." A must have book for every JH-HS level collection.

On the children's front, I loved Nancy Viau's Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Samantha-Hansen-Has-Rocks-in-Her-Head/Nancy-Viau/e/9780810972995/?itm=1 which is a new Amulet/Abrams title coming out in September. What a fantastic book for the middle grades. Ten-year-old Samantha Hansen is not a girly-girly by any means of the word. She has loved rocks since she was a toddler and as a tween she has taken her scientific mind to new heights. Now if she could just remember to bring her rock collection to school as her example of what she collects. No way is she letting Ling, who had remembered to bring her rock collection on the right day, show her up! Sam also has a very big voice and a bad tendency to lose her temper - when she does the voice gets even bigger. Mom is as understanding as she can be, quietly telling Sam to count to 10 under her breath. I guess that kind of patience is to be expected out of a mom who sings birthday card jingles in the kitchen and serves cake for just about every meal. It is not unheard of for the three Hansen gals to have cake for dinner and meat loaf for dessert. Sam's dad died when she was three, but she still thinks about him and all the things she'd like to talk with him about - like bedtime stories and piggyback rides. When out of the blue Mom decides that it is time for the three of them - Mom, Sam, and teenage sister Jen - to do some bonding on a trip to the Grand Canyon, Sam is in for more than just a visit to one of the best rock formations in the world. A great read aloud in the elementary classroom during science fair time.

Now to find the top of my desk and start packing up some of my books!