Men in Trees - what a quirky show! I can't help but watch it. Having lived for over 15 years in Alaska I am picking at the show in relation to what is unrealistic. However, this show does have it right about life revolving around the local bar. Where else but in an Indian village on the banks of the Yukon do you have the HeadStart raffle in the local bar, with donations of smoked salmon, moose meat, etc.? That isn't on the show - that was part of my life in Alaska! As the HeadStart director I had to be at every raffle and hand out the prizes. A couple of local guys were trying to get me to raffle off a kiss (I was barely over 20 at time) but looking around at all the rotten and/or missing teeth I wasn't about to take that chance!
I have decided that living alone makes for very weird dinners! I started out with mixed nuts, picking out the good ones, and then moved on to Tofutti with dark chocolate chips mixed in. But, I did eat a healthy desert - a delicious ripe plum - so it wasn't a total disaster. All I can say is that right now I am really missing Steve's delicious stuffed baked potatoes!
Lots of hype about Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Both are well known YA authors in their own right. Cohn wrote the popular Gingerbread and Shrimp. My favorite of Cohn's is her MS level Steps. She nails the feelings of a young teen who isn't ready to give up her daddy to a new family and accept weird Australian step-siblings. Levithan, best known for Boy Meets Boy, joins Cohn in this co-written Nick and Norah's night together, which begins with Nick asking Norah to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes so he won't look so needy when his ex-girlfriend Tris walks in with a new guy. I will honestly admit that the reason I would have picked this book up, without having heard about it to begin with, is the names - I love The Thin Man movies so Nick and Norah bring up visions of a humorous loving couple who tip way too many martinis. :-) Perhaps because these names had prior "lives" for me is part of why I did not connect with this book. Granted - I did immediately realize that this is one of those titles that has high appeal to older teens as Nick and Norah are at the point in their lives when they are leaving high school and entering the "real world". But, I got bored with the constant vulgar language and the club scene. I loved the way their relationship grew during the short period of time and how both of them moved toward becoming more confident as they got to know themselves through each other, but there was so much "junk" that distracted from the interpersonal dynamics that I kept saying to myself, get on with it! Will I recommend this book to teens? Oh yes! This is another one of those books that I don't love, but will booktalk and "advertise".
I am watching 20/20 about the difference between men and women. Interesting! And then I had better call it a night as I am attending the Literary Homecoming tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Just read Ann Symons' email about how to apply for International School librarian positions and I had a touch of the wanderlust again. But, I squelched that quickly by reminding myself how much I missed living on the Mainland while on St. Thomas. Ann is in Moscow, after many years in Juneau, Alaska. The stereotype of the bun-wearing gum shoed librarian is no where to be seen in the ranks of the librarians who have held leadership positions in ALA. I know a librarian who wears three earrings in one ear and two in the other and favors cowboy boats over orthopedic shoes - that would be me! :-)
I haven't read the first title in the Ghosthunters series by Cornelia Funke, but I did read the second one, Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightening Ghost! The GILIG, as Hetty Hyssop and Tom call it, has taken over a seaside resort hotel and is turning the residents into mini lightening ghosts and blackening the walls of the hotel. Although Hetty is a delightfully feisty older woman and Tom her young sidekick is one brave kid, my favorite character is Hugo the Averagely Spooky Ghost (ASG). Hugo has a tendency to pull pranks and leaves his oozy slime everywhere, unless he wears shoes. His slime will come in very handy in defeating the GILIG. We think of Funke as a gifted author, but one has to see her funky :-) illustrations to realize she has a great visual comic sense of humor. Hugo is the coolest ASG around. I had such fun with this book, including the "Indispensable Alphabetical Appendix of Assorted Ghosts". My favorite is the IRG - Incredibly Revolting Ghost. Wonder how Funke illustrates that one. Elementary age boys will love these books and have a great time making up their own ghost appendix.
That is it for this beautiful Tuesday morning in Greenville. It is 88 degrees in STT and 61 degrees here. Quite a difference. Autumn has arrived in NC, but not to the VI.
I haven't read the first title in the Ghosthunters series by Cornelia Funke, but I did read the second one, Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightening Ghost! The GILIG, as Hetty Hyssop and Tom call it, has taken over a seaside resort hotel and is turning the residents into mini lightening ghosts and blackening the walls of the hotel. Although Hetty is a delightfully feisty older woman and Tom her young sidekick is one brave kid, my favorite character is Hugo the Averagely Spooky Ghost (ASG). Hugo has a tendency to pull pranks and leaves his oozy slime everywhere, unless he wears shoes. His slime will come in very handy in defeating the GILIG. We think of Funke as a gifted author, but one has to see her funky :-) illustrations to realize she has a great visual comic sense of humor. Hugo is the coolest ASG around. I had such fun with this book, including the "Indispensable Alphabetical Appendix of Assorted Ghosts". My favorite is the IRG - Incredibly Revolting Ghost. Wonder how Funke illustrates that one. Elementary age boys will love these books and have a great time making up their own ghost appendix.
That is it for this beautiful Tuesday morning in Greenville. It is 88 degrees in STT and 61 degrees here. Quite a difference. Autumn has arrived in NC, but not to the VI.
Friday, September 22, 2006
An absolutely gorgeous autumn day in NC. These 70s temps are my kind of weather. Not too hot and not too cold. I am enjoying wearing a sweater. I have one of my son's soft and snuggly old flannel shirts on as I type this. Living in shorts, tank tops, and flip flips for 2 1/2 years on St. Thomas got old. It is fun to put on a nice pant suit for work. My days of short skirts and high heels are over, but I still like to dress up now and then. Wish I were out in old Washington walking along the waterfront checking out the boats. I like Greenville, but I miss the ocean.
With autumn in the air I thought reading a Halloween title would be appropriate to get me in the jack-o-lantern mood. I am still pondering my reaction to JT Petty's The Squampkin Patch: A Nasselrogt Adventure. I read the reviews for it and they love it, including his quirky sense of humor. Okay, I have to agree with the reviewers that Petty's sense of humor is more than a bit quirky. I think it is just plain weird and many of his one-liners will go over kids' heads. Such as - "Main Street was like Alan Ladd, short but handsome." How many 9-12 year olds, the intended audience, will know who Alan Ladd is? Heck, I love old movies and I had to look Ladd up online to see what the short and handsome reference is all about. Aside from the one-liners, it is a funny and sometimes creepy story of two kids, assuming their parents are dead, escape from a nasty orphanage/child labor zipper factory, and settle into the home of a pumpkin cookie fanatic candy make who hated kids. The disarray in the home attests to his unexpected and not so welcomed departure. Unknowingly they nourish the squampkin (pumpkin shaped nasty little creatures that live underground and are connected by their stems) patch in the yard. Chloe has watered the patch with her tears and the squampkins are intent on taking her to their underground home and "protecting" her, whether she likes it or not. One has to just go with the story and enjoy it for what it is - a weird romp in the pumpkin, oh - excuse me - squampkin patch as two quite unique children try to solve the mystery of the candy maker's disappearance. Offer this one to the readers who like Lemony Snicket. The humor may go over many younger reader's heads, but they will have fun with the story anyway. The 5th - 7th graders will get his one-liners, or at least most of them. Some may even try the pumpkin chocolate-chip cookie recipe that concludes the novel. I'm shaking my head, with a bemused smile on my face, as I write about this one. One weird book!
That's it for today. The weekend is almost upon us!
With autumn in the air I thought reading a Halloween title would be appropriate to get me in the jack-o-lantern mood. I am still pondering my reaction to JT Petty's The Squampkin Patch: A Nasselrogt Adventure. I read the reviews for it and they love it, including his quirky sense of humor. Okay, I have to agree with the reviewers that Petty's sense of humor is more than a bit quirky. I think it is just plain weird and many of his one-liners will go over kids' heads. Such as - "Main Street was like Alan Ladd, short but handsome." How many 9-12 year olds, the intended audience, will know who Alan Ladd is? Heck, I love old movies and I had to look Ladd up online to see what the short and handsome reference is all about. Aside from the one-liners, it is a funny and sometimes creepy story of two kids, assuming their parents are dead, escape from a nasty orphanage/child labor zipper factory, and settle into the home of a pumpkin cookie fanatic candy make who hated kids. The disarray in the home attests to his unexpected and not so welcomed departure. Unknowingly they nourish the squampkin (pumpkin shaped nasty little creatures that live underground and are connected by their stems) patch in the yard. Chloe has watered the patch with her tears and the squampkins are intent on taking her to their underground home and "protecting" her, whether she likes it or not. One has to just go with the story and enjoy it for what it is - a weird romp in the pumpkin, oh - excuse me - squampkin patch as two quite unique children try to solve the mystery of the candy maker's disappearance. Offer this one to the readers who like Lemony Snicket. The humor may go over many younger reader's heads, but they will have fun with the story anyway. The 5th - 7th graders will get his one-liners, or at least most of them. Some may even try the pumpkin chocolate-chip cookie recipe that concludes the novel. I'm shaking my head, with a bemused smile on my face, as I write about this one. One weird book!
That's it for today. The weekend is almost upon us!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
I have yet to figure out how my body knows the days I don't have to get up and chooses those as the days it wants to get up early. Of course it can't have this up-and-at-'em early morning approach on the days I have to be up and out of here at an early hour. Oh well, I have already gotten quite a bit done this a.m. Could be worse.
Just read a fascinating review of Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/index.html.
The review was addressed on Child_Lit and how we feel about using the book with children, considering the many errors, in relation to culture, language, geograpy, etc.. The review is available at: http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/IKS/HAIL/JulieWolves.html
I remember the 5th grade class at the elementary school in Big Lake, Alaska using this book as required reading. At the time (1980s) I was the librarian there and supported the book and the kids loved the parts about Julie eating the wolves' cuds - reguritated food. Years later I spoke with George about this book and how we used it with our 5th graders. She spoke with great love, compassion, and respect for the Inupiaq culture. I honestly had no idea that there were errors in the book. Having only been as far north as Nome, I had never visited the area she wrote about. Even though I lived for 2 years in the Athabascan (sometimes spelled Athapascan) village of Galena, on the banks of the Yukon, I know little about the culture. Lots to think about in relation to the ongoing discussion of whether or not it is "appropriate" for someone to write about a culture they are not part of. I would have little problem choosing between two books, as well written, if one is by a person of the culture and one is not. But, sometimes we do not have the choice of selecting a book by someone who is part of the culture/religion/ethnicity. The same is true about international titles. I go for the transcultural ones- the books that are written by a person who grew up in that country and written for the children/teens of that country. Sometimes the translations are not as smooth as they could be, but I know I am getting a more accurate depiction of the country and the people. My all time favorite transcultural title is Boys from St. Petri by Bjarne B. Reuter and translated from the Dutch. A fantastic WWII novel about a group of teens who get involved in the Dutch Resistance. It was written back in the mid 90s and B&N notes it as out of print so I hope it is already on your shelves. A more recent WWII novel transcultural novel that I also like is Daniel Half-Human by David Chotjewitz, about a young German who wants to be part of the Hitler Youth, but discovers his mother is Jewish.
As much as I want to continue my thinking aloud on the keyboard as to the role of accuracy in multicultural and international literature I need to get some grading done! All for now.
Just read a fascinating review of Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George on the Alaska Native Knowledge Network http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/index.html.
The review was addressed on Child_Lit and how we feel about using the book with children, considering the many errors, in relation to culture, language, geograpy, etc.. The review is available at: http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/IKS/HAIL/JulieWolves.html
I remember the 5th grade class at the elementary school in Big Lake, Alaska using this book as required reading. At the time (1980s) I was the librarian there and supported the book and the kids loved the parts about Julie eating the wolves' cuds - reguritated food. Years later I spoke with George about this book and how we used it with our 5th graders. She spoke with great love, compassion, and respect for the Inupiaq culture. I honestly had no idea that there were errors in the book. Having only been as far north as Nome, I had never visited the area she wrote about. Even though I lived for 2 years in the Athabascan (sometimes spelled Athapascan) village of Galena, on the banks of the Yukon, I know little about the culture. Lots to think about in relation to the ongoing discussion of whether or not it is "appropriate" for someone to write about a culture they are not part of. I would have little problem choosing between two books, as well written, if one is by a person of the culture and one is not. But, sometimes we do not have the choice of selecting a book by someone who is part of the culture/religion/ethnicity. The same is true about international titles. I go for the transcultural ones- the books that are written by a person who grew up in that country and written for the children/teens of that country. Sometimes the translations are not as smooth as they could be, but I know I am getting a more accurate depiction of the country and the people. My all time favorite transcultural title is Boys from St. Petri by Bjarne B. Reuter and translated from the Dutch. A fantastic WWII novel about a group of teens who get involved in the Dutch Resistance. It was written back in the mid 90s and B&N notes it as out of print so I hope it is already on your shelves. A more recent WWII novel transcultural novel that I also like is Daniel Half-Human by David Chotjewitz, about a young German who wants to be part of the Hitler Youth, but discovers his mother is Jewish.
As much as I want to continue my thinking aloud on the keyboard as to the role of accuracy in multicultural and international literature I need to get some grading done! All for now.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Another weekend has come to an end. After reading the Sunday newspaper I "tried" to put together the no-tools-needed small computer desk from Office Depot. Well, after much use of a hammer and several bruises on my legs later from trying to use my knees as tools too, I have part of it put together. I gave up when my hands quit working as "tools" - all you are supposed to need. Yeah - right! I'm the one who has a bottle of Club Soda in the fridge I can't get the cap off, so my hands are not great tools! Let's just say that when I am through with it, if I do finish it, not much besides my laptop will be safe on it! I'm not even going to try the bookcase. I'll wait until Steve gets here next month. Then I can drink that Club Soda too.
It has been a good weekend. Friday evening Kevin, one of the really cool people from the LSIT Dept. at ECU, had a picnic gathering of friends out at his even cooler house in old Washington. The house dates back from the 1800s and it filled with antiques and Kevin has a story to tell for each one. Love the Christmas chair that his grandmother sat in only to open her Christmas gifts. :-) After much great food and conversation small groups of us walked down to Music on the Street - a monthly event during the summer. Local musicians and groups line the streets and people stop and listen as well as browse through the neat shops. There were also classic cars parked along the streets to look at - from Model Ts to 50s Vettes. I was drooling! I fell in love with all the old houses in Washington - such chararacter.
Reading this weekend was Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen. The author taught in a Brooklyn area high school for three years so she has the street language and attitude down. Or, at least I think she does, as I have not lived in that environment. But, it feels all too real at times. Ty Johnson is street wise - he's gotta be since he took over for his father who is in prison. Teenage Ty is one of the biggest dealers in the area and he gets respect because everyone knows his father. Ty is enjoying every minute of it - the money and the perks. But then he is sent to an alternative high school and he falls for Alyse, an ambitious teenage mom who has brains and plans for college. Ty knows it isn't a good idea to get involved and at first they are just friends and partners in school assignments. Ty even gets good grades to impress Alyse. But, things get dangerous on the streets when a new dealer comes to town and wants to take over Ty's region. Rather than taking the competition out like his father insists, Ty tries to handle it on his own and gets shot. A painful wake up call as to the life expectancy of a drug dealer. Street Pharm is a solid addition to any high school collection. Should be in all alternative school libraries, but sadly many of these schools do not even have libraries.
All for tonight.
It has been a good weekend. Friday evening Kevin, one of the really cool people from the LSIT Dept. at ECU, had a picnic gathering of friends out at his even cooler house in old Washington. The house dates back from the 1800s and it filled with antiques and Kevin has a story to tell for each one. Love the Christmas chair that his grandmother sat in only to open her Christmas gifts. :-) After much great food and conversation small groups of us walked down to Music on the Street - a monthly event during the summer. Local musicians and groups line the streets and people stop and listen as well as browse through the neat shops. There were also classic cars parked along the streets to look at - from Model Ts to 50s Vettes. I was drooling! I fell in love with all the old houses in Washington - such chararacter.
Reading this weekend was Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen. The author taught in a Brooklyn area high school for three years so she has the street language and attitude down. Or, at least I think she does, as I have not lived in that environment. But, it feels all too real at times. Ty Johnson is street wise - he's gotta be since he took over for his father who is in prison. Teenage Ty is one of the biggest dealers in the area and he gets respect because everyone knows his father. Ty is enjoying every minute of it - the money and the perks. But then he is sent to an alternative high school and he falls for Alyse, an ambitious teenage mom who has brains and plans for college. Ty knows it isn't a good idea to get involved and at first they are just friends and partners in school assignments. Ty even gets good grades to impress Alyse. But, things get dangerous on the streets when a new dealer comes to town and wants to take over Ty's region. Rather than taking the competition out like his father insists, Ty tries to handle it on his own and gets shot. A painful wake up call as to the life expectancy of a drug dealer. Street Pharm is a solid addition to any high school collection. Should be in all alternative school libraries, but sadly many of these schools do not even have libraries.
All for tonight.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
A dreary rainy day today. These are the days I want to stay in bed with the laptop and the heating pad, where I am right now! But, I have another meeting on campus this afternoon so I will need to get my act together before too long.
I did take time out early this a.m. for some fun reading. I spent quite a bit of time perusing and chuckling over G is for One Gzonk!: An Alpha-Number-Bet Book by Tiny DiTerlooney a.k.a. Tony DiTerlizza. Most people recognize DiTerlizza from The Spiderwick Chronicles, but my favorite of his books is The Spider and the Fly, due to the 1920s like illustrations that make this book one all ages can enjoy. I'd use it in a HS English class. Anyway, back to the book in hand - Tiny, who is on each page, with paint brush in hand, keeps reminding the reader that this is not meant to be an alphabet book. No boring bouncing balls here. DiTerlizza "honors" Seuss with his use of the recognizable bluish shades that frequent the creatures in Seuss classics. Only Tiny and the bodiless Woos (Onesie, Twosie, etc. ) -who frequent the pages andbring up numerical observations, much to Tiny's dismay - are in the full range of colors. A couple of the creachlings in this twenty-six letter menagerie are a bit scary, such as the Evil Eeog with his stinky breath and the Xirzle, with his anvil head and mean looking eyes. Not sure I would introduce all these critters to a toddler, but slightly older kids will delight in these weirdly familiar creachlings. I receive it from the publisher with a sticker that states, "Do not Open until..." Release date for this was September 12th. Since I received it yesterday I didn't have to wait and I am glad. What a fun book.
I also received a box of new titles from Scholastic and couldn't resist diving into the beautiful Tales of Deltora by Emily Rodda. It is the illustrations for each story by Marc McBride that got my attention. They are bold, detailed and down right scary! Absolutely perfect for that tween readership. :-) Even if they haven't read the other Rodda books about Deltora they will love these short stories. Display the Deltora books near the computers and bookmark the online site for the series, which has games based on the books, at www.scholastic.com/deltoraquest. That will get those reluctant readers involved. The site is fun to explore and kid friendly.
I didn' get this posted in the a.m. as the Internet connection bogged down so bad I gave up on it and figured I would do it when I got home. Had to browse through some new magazines and watch some TV after a day of meetings before coming back to the computer today. Why is sitting on your butt and trying to concentrate so much more tiring than physical work?
I did take time out early this a.m. for some fun reading. I spent quite a bit of time perusing and chuckling over G is for One Gzonk!: An Alpha-Number-Bet Book by Tiny DiTerlooney a.k.a. Tony DiTerlizza. Most people recognize DiTerlizza from The Spiderwick Chronicles, but my favorite of his books is The Spider and the Fly, due to the 1920s like illustrations that make this book one all ages can enjoy. I'd use it in a HS English class. Anyway, back to the book in hand - Tiny, who is on each page, with paint brush in hand, keeps reminding the reader that this is not meant to be an alphabet book. No boring bouncing balls here. DiTerlizza "honors" Seuss with his use of the recognizable bluish shades that frequent the creatures in Seuss classics. Only Tiny and the bodiless Woos (Onesie, Twosie, etc. ) -who frequent the pages andbring up numerical observations, much to Tiny's dismay - are in the full range of colors. A couple of the creachlings in this twenty-six letter menagerie are a bit scary, such as the Evil Eeog with his stinky breath and the Xirzle, with his anvil head and mean looking eyes. Not sure I would introduce all these critters to a toddler, but slightly older kids will delight in these weirdly familiar creachlings. I receive it from the publisher with a sticker that states, "Do not Open until..." Release date for this was September 12th. Since I received it yesterday I didn't have to wait and I am glad. What a fun book.
I also received a box of new titles from Scholastic and couldn't resist diving into the beautiful Tales of Deltora by Emily Rodda. It is the illustrations for each story by Marc McBride that got my attention. They are bold, detailed and down right scary! Absolutely perfect for that tween readership. :-) Even if they haven't read the other Rodda books about Deltora they will love these short stories. Display the Deltora books near the computers and bookmark the online site for the series, which has games based on the books, at www.scholastic.com/deltoraquest. That will get those reluctant readers involved. The site is fun to explore and kid friendly.
I didn' get this posted in the a.m. as the Internet connection bogged down so bad I gave up on it and figured I would do it when I got home. Had to browse through some new magazines and watch some TV after a day of meetings before coming back to the computer today. Why is sitting on your butt and trying to concentrate so much more tiring than physical work?
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
It is actually a bit chilly here this a.m. I love it! High of 88 degrees with scatter rain in the islands today. My weather watch is set to see what kind of weather I am missing, or not missing on St. Thomas. Bermuda sure got blasted with winds and rain by the last storm to come through. But, since they have such stringent building codes (8 " walls required) not too many were worried. Lots of the tourists just hung out and enjoyed the storm from indoors.
I have spent the a.m. reading NC school library media/technology guidelines. Not my usual fun novel reading. I need to learn the jargon used in NC - different from TX. With all of the hype about information literacy I find myself getting onto my "pulpit" regularly to remind everyone that we have to encourage leisure reading by our students, which in turn enhancing their reading comprehension skills. And I don't mean by using AR tests! Don't even get me going on how much I dislike Accelerated Reader! Students can access information in multiple formats, but it is useless if they cannot understand what they have accessed. The more they read, the better they get at it, and if that means graphic novels, series, "brain candy" - so what? ALL reading enhances reading skills, not just reading of award winning and classic titles. Okay - off the pulpit I jump!
No particular book to discuss today as my mind is on movies at the moment, based on "The 50 Best High School Movies Ever" in the Sept. 15, 2006 Entertainment Weekly. I decided to subscribe so I can stay up to day on the latest movies, TV shows, books etc. No surprise, the 1985 The Breakfast Club is the # 1 HS movie. I have to admit that I have not seen all of the 50 listed, but I have seen a good portion of them. Typical me - I am wondering how many of them are based on books and could a display be set up in the HS library, highlighting this list and the books! :-) Even if you don't have the books that accompany the movies, a display of books about high school life would still work, like Joyce Carol Oates' Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, The Chocolate War by Cormier (classic, with a movie), Nancy Garden's Endgame, Gail Giles' Shattering Glass and Playing in Traffic, Alex Flinn's Breaking Point and Fade to Black, Mel Glenn's Who Killed Mr Chippendale, etc. In other words - lots of good ideas for a book display and a booktalking session to go along with this article on HS movies, many of which the teens have seen and love. We need to use what is out there to get teen involved.
Now to get my act together for the day and head to campus to attend yet another training session.
I have spent the a.m. reading NC school library media/technology guidelines. Not my usual fun novel reading. I need to learn the jargon used in NC - different from TX. With all of the hype about information literacy I find myself getting onto my "pulpit" regularly to remind everyone that we have to encourage leisure reading by our students, which in turn enhancing their reading comprehension skills. And I don't mean by using AR tests! Don't even get me going on how much I dislike Accelerated Reader! Students can access information in multiple formats, but it is useless if they cannot understand what they have accessed. The more they read, the better they get at it, and if that means graphic novels, series, "brain candy" - so what? ALL reading enhances reading skills, not just reading of award winning and classic titles. Okay - off the pulpit I jump!
No particular book to discuss today as my mind is on movies at the moment, based on "The 50 Best High School Movies Ever" in the Sept. 15, 2006 Entertainment Weekly. I decided to subscribe so I can stay up to day on the latest movies, TV shows, books etc. No surprise, the 1985 The Breakfast Club is the # 1 HS movie. I have to admit that I have not seen all of the 50 listed, but I have seen a good portion of them. Typical me - I am wondering how many of them are based on books and could a display be set up in the HS library, highlighting this list and the books! :-) Even if you don't have the books that accompany the movies, a display of books about high school life would still work, like Joyce Carol Oates' Big Mouth and Ugly Girl, The Chocolate War by Cormier (classic, with a movie), Nancy Garden's Endgame, Gail Giles' Shattering Glass and Playing in Traffic, Alex Flinn's Breaking Point and Fade to Black, Mel Glenn's Who Killed Mr Chippendale, etc. In other words - lots of good ideas for a book display and a booktalking session to go along with this article on HS movies, many of which the teens have seen and love. We need to use what is out there to get teen involved.
Now to get my act together for the day and head to campus to attend yet another training session.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Bummer - my new deck chairs are actually beach chairs! I didn't realize how short the legs are until I put them out on the deck. Not sure I am going to be able to get out of it once I get settled. Better make sure I have my Diet Coke in the cup holder and my pretzels on the low table next to me before I get comfy out there with a book.
Spent the day freezing my bippy in my ECU office. Just couldn't bring myself to stay home to work as I would have had too much time to think about 5 years ago when I woke up to Mary's phone call to turn on the TV and her asking me where Steve was. He was supposed to be in the World Trade Center and I turned on the TV in time to see the second plane hit. Until I found my cell phone and heard his shaky voiced message that he was okay I was running around the house screaming I couldn't find the phone, with Mary trying to calm me down and telling me I was on the phone. We hadn't been dating for long when that happened, but just that glimpse at the possibility we might never had seen each other again caused us to get closer very quickly. He proposed that Thanksgiving on Mustique and we married the following May barefoot on the beach on Anguilla. Sure wish we were together today.
My latest reading is on the dark side - Julius Lester's Time's Memory. Lester's writing is so intense and so heart wrenching that I had to set it aside a couple of times so I could finish it. The thought of a slave's soul, the nyama, wandering about the South, without the expected wooden statue to settle into as a protector of his/her loved ones is very disconcerting. As I read of the unhappy confused souls haunting the slave quarters of the Chelsea plantation and Nathaniel/Ekundayo being able to see them the hair on my arms raised and I got the creeps. The novel begins in an African village when the slave traders murder the hogon, the religious chief, and his nyama seeks refuge in the body of his daughter where it resides until she arrives in the South and Ekundayo is brought to life by Amma, the creator god. Lester's personal interest in, and research of, the religion of the Dogon people of Mali adds such emotional depth to this novel set during the pre-Civil War years. There is so much more to this novel than a timeless love story between the white daughter of the plantation owner and the black cook's grandson. This is one I am going to have to set aside and read again as it is so beautifully written and so thought provoking that one reading is just not enough.
Okay - now I can open that clearly-a-book box that was waiting for me when I got home. Hope it is my Cary Grant book. I was born in the wrong generation!
Spent the day freezing my bippy in my ECU office. Just couldn't bring myself to stay home to work as I would have had too much time to think about 5 years ago when I woke up to Mary's phone call to turn on the TV and her asking me where Steve was. He was supposed to be in the World Trade Center and I turned on the TV in time to see the second plane hit. Until I found my cell phone and heard his shaky voiced message that he was okay I was running around the house screaming I couldn't find the phone, with Mary trying to calm me down and telling me I was on the phone. We hadn't been dating for long when that happened, but just that glimpse at the possibility we might never had seen each other again caused us to get closer very quickly. He proposed that Thanksgiving on Mustique and we married the following May barefoot on the beach on Anguilla. Sure wish we were together today.
My latest reading is on the dark side - Julius Lester's Time's Memory. Lester's writing is so intense and so heart wrenching that I had to set it aside a couple of times so I could finish it. The thought of a slave's soul, the nyama, wandering about the South, without the expected wooden statue to settle into as a protector of his/her loved ones is very disconcerting. As I read of the unhappy confused souls haunting the slave quarters of the Chelsea plantation and Nathaniel/Ekundayo being able to see them the hair on my arms raised and I got the creeps. The novel begins in an African village when the slave traders murder the hogon, the religious chief, and his nyama seeks refuge in the body of his daughter where it resides until she arrives in the South and Ekundayo is brought to life by Amma, the creator god. Lester's personal interest in, and research of, the religion of the Dogon people of Mali adds such emotional depth to this novel set during the pre-Civil War years. There is so much more to this novel than a timeless love story between the white daughter of the plantation owner and the black cook's grandson. This is one I am going to have to set aside and read again as it is so beautifully written and so thought provoking that one reading is just not enough.
Okay - now I can open that clearly-a-book box that was waiting for me when I got home. Hope it is my Cary Grant book. I was born in the wrong generation!
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Another weekend is at an end. It has been a busy one, since I didn't have to deal with rain. The wet vac arrived (HSN is very quick) so I got the storm debris cleaned off of the deck on Saturday. Not sure I am keen on this indoor/outdoor carpeting that is on the deck. It is regular wood decking underneath. If I had the strength to roll up the carpet and pitch it over the side of the edge I just might. It was a real pain to clean. Then I went shopping to find a couple of chairs I could both afford and carry up the stairs and out to the deck. Found some today, at of all places CVS Drugstore, at 90% off. They aren't quite the chairs I would have picked, but for $7 a piece for good quality folding chairs I can't complain. Even found a round plastic table I could haul up the stairs.
Steve said St. Thomas has had a lot of rain from Florence. Sounds like it is going to hit Bermuda. I finally gave up on trying to talk to him as I was getting a headache from the background noise. The landlord, who lives above our apartment, was jack hammering something - must have been replacing tile. He called at 7 a.m., on a Saturday, to tell Steve about the noise. How considerate of him! My teeth hurt just listening to it - no wonder Steve said poor Sophie was going bonkers from the noise. I hope he went to RJ's wake at Bottom's Up today. Is going to be so strange to go back in October and not see RJ's smile when we walk in where he is playing.
Read Janet McDonald's Twists and Turns - a quick evening read and an interesting addition to the occupation/career fiction titles. Two sisters from the projects decide that they will open their own business after high school doing what they are good at - braiding hair. A friend who has made money doing commercials gives them $10,000 to get their business going. After the grand opening things slow down but they have more to worry about than customers. At a party in their apartment while their mother was away at a church gathering, Keeba and Teesha inadvertently offended a girl from another neighborhood. She has not forgotten the slight. While the sisters join a march on city hall with other project residents concerned about rumors that their homes are to be turned into condos for the yuppies, revenge is in full swing. While they are holding signs and swinging their braids in front of the TV camera, TeeKee's Tresses is being trashed. Shaniqua and her pal Red use a brick to shatter the shop windows and destroy what they can, but they can't destroy Keeba and Teesha's desire to succeed. Offer this one to the those girls who are too busy listening to rap music to read. :-)
Watched an old Cary Grant and Doris Day movie this evening. It was supposed to be partially set in Bermuda but the view was hardly "real". Made me wish I hadn't been sick most of the time we were there or was freezing because it wasn't very warm. I couldn't imagine the crazy tourists in the water when I was burrowed in sweaters. The worst part was not being able to rent a car and having to pay for taxis to go anywhere. And, all those old guy knobby knees in their Bermuda shorts and knee sox! Gross!!
Steve said St. Thomas has had a lot of rain from Florence. Sounds like it is going to hit Bermuda. I finally gave up on trying to talk to him as I was getting a headache from the background noise. The landlord, who lives above our apartment, was jack hammering something - must have been replacing tile. He called at 7 a.m., on a Saturday, to tell Steve about the noise. How considerate of him! My teeth hurt just listening to it - no wonder Steve said poor Sophie was going bonkers from the noise. I hope he went to RJ's wake at Bottom's Up today. Is going to be so strange to go back in October and not see RJ's smile when we walk in where he is playing.
Read Janet McDonald's Twists and Turns - a quick evening read and an interesting addition to the occupation/career fiction titles. Two sisters from the projects decide that they will open their own business after high school doing what they are good at - braiding hair. A friend who has made money doing commercials gives them $10,000 to get their business going. After the grand opening things slow down but they have more to worry about than customers. At a party in their apartment while their mother was away at a church gathering, Keeba and Teesha inadvertently offended a girl from another neighborhood. She has not forgotten the slight. While the sisters join a march on city hall with other project residents concerned about rumors that their homes are to be turned into condos for the yuppies, revenge is in full swing. While they are holding signs and swinging their braids in front of the TV camera, TeeKee's Tresses is being trashed. Shaniqua and her pal Red use a brick to shatter the shop windows and destroy what they can, but they can't destroy Keeba and Teesha's desire to succeed. Offer this one to the those girls who are too busy listening to rap music to read. :-)
Watched an old Cary Grant and Doris Day movie this evening. It was supposed to be partially set in Bermuda but the view was hardly "real". Made me wish I hadn't been sick most of the time we were there or was freezing because it wasn't very warm. I couldn't imagine the crazy tourists in the water when I was burrowed in sweaters. The worst part was not being able to rent a car and having to pay for taxis to go anywhere. And, all those old guy knobby knees in their Bermuda shorts and knee sox! Gross!!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
I apologize for my lack of blogging the last several days. Was in a bit of a funk due to the weather and overwhelmed with paperwork. Ernesto caused flooding and just plain old rotten weather in Eastern NC. This kind of weather makes every bone in this old body ache! So I spent lots of time curled up on the heating pad reading and working.
My good news is that I now having living room furniture. Took advantage of the Labor Day sales and bought a couch and recliner. I woke up to a horrible thunderstorm on Tuesday, the day the furniture was delivered. I worried every time the sky opened up and rain poured down that I would hear the delivery truck drive up. Thank goodness when they did arrive later that afternoon the rain had stopped for a bit. So now I can work on the the laptop and on needlework from a comfy chair. Now all I need is a desk in the second bedroom, which will be my office.
One of the books I read during my funk was The Braid, a historical verse novel by Helen Frost. She weaves together this tale of two Scottish girls as flawlessly as the girls' interwoven braid of hair they each carry a piece of as their lives take separate paths. It is the late 1800s, during the Highland Clearances, when entire families were forced from their homes and onto ships. When it is time for the family to leave Sarah hides so she can stay behind with her grandmother. They go to her grandmother's village on a tiny remote island, while Jeanne joins the rest of her family on a ship bound for Canada. Only Jeanne, her mother, and the baby arrive in Cape Breton. Jeanne must find inner strength to keep her little family alive, while Sarah is falling in love and dealing with island taboos. Frost describes the inventive poetic style she employs in creating the alternating narratives and connecting short poems. So very different from Keesha's House, with its seven different teen voices brought to life in narrative poems, but no less as well written.
I am actually in my new office as I write this blog. BRRR!! Need to get an afghan or something to use in here as it is quite chilly. We aren't allowed to bring in electric heaters as they are a fire hazard. Drinking ice cold diet Pepsi isn't helping any either. This is a Pepsi university. Need to get a little fridge so I can have my own Diet Cokes. But, I am waiting to see if I will get more book cases and where they will go in here as I have boxes of books sitting on the floor with no where to put them. And, many more on the way! I miss my floor to ceiling shelves at SHSU!
I did open a couple of packages from the publishers when I got here and and had to immediately sit down and read the Little Simon board book version of Mary Serfozo's Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin. This is a tongue twister of a fun read about young Peter the tiger who is in search of the perfect pumpkin - "Not a lumpy, bumpy pumpkin. Not a stumpy, grumpy pumpkin, but a sunny, sumptuous pumpkin." Once he finds it, what is he going to do with it? No pumpkin pudding! No pumpkin pie! A perfect jack-o-lantern, of course! Books like this make me miss those days of being a primary librarian with a class full of little one sitting on the floor mesmerized by a story.
On the sunny sumptuous side I do have grandchildren to read to - one of them begging to be born. Poor Monica has been in the emergency room 5 times already. As she says, the doctor wants little Kaydence to "bake" for a couple more weeks. :-) Can't wait to go up to KC and visit them, especially Allyson, who loves books as much as Gramma Ruth! And I can't wait for Mary to be far enough along that the amnio will show whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I am praying for a girl, but will be more than happy with another grandson to adore. Also can't wait to see their new house. Mary must have inherited her decorating gene from her father's side of the family because she sure didn't get it from me! Can't wait to see what she had done with a house since her apartments were always gorgeous.
My good news is that I now having living room furniture. Took advantage of the Labor Day sales and bought a couch and recliner. I woke up to a horrible thunderstorm on Tuesday, the day the furniture was delivered. I worried every time the sky opened up and rain poured down that I would hear the delivery truck drive up. Thank goodness when they did arrive later that afternoon the rain had stopped for a bit. So now I can work on the the laptop and on needlework from a comfy chair. Now all I need is a desk in the second bedroom, which will be my office.
One of the books I read during my funk was The Braid, a historical verse novel by Helen Frost. She weaves together this tale of two Scottish girls as flawlessly as the girls' interwoven braid of hair they each carry a piece of as their lives take separate paths. It is the late 1800s, during the Highland Clearances, when entire families were forced from their homes and onto ships. When it is time for the family to leave Sarah hides so she can stay behind with her grandmother. They go to her grandmother's village on a tiny remote island, while Jeanne joins the rest of her family on a ship bound for Canada. Only Jeanne, her mother, and the baby arrive in Cape Breton. Jeanne must find inner strength to keep her little family alive, while Sarah is falling in love and dealing with island taboos. Frost describes the inventive poetic style she employs in creating the alternating narratives and connecting short poems. So very different from Keesha's House, with its seven different teen voices brought to life in narrative poems, but no less as well written.
I am actually in my new office as I write this blog. BRRR!! Need to get an afghan or something to use in here as it is quite chilly. We aren't allowed to bring in electric heaters as they are a fire hazard. Drinking ice cold diet Pepsi isn't helping any either. This is a Pepsi university. Need to get a little fridge so I can have my own Diet Cokes. But, I am waiting to see if I will get more book cases and where they will go in here as I have boxes of books sitting on the floor with no where to put them. And, many more on the way! I miss my floor to ceiling shelves at SHSU!
I did open a couple of packages from the publishers when I got here and and had to immediately sit down and read the Little Simon board book version of Mary Serfozo's Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin. This is a tongue twister of a fun read about young Peter the tiger who is in search of the perfect pumpkin - "Not a lumpy, bumpy pumpkin. Not a stumpy, grumpy pumpkin, but a sunny, sumptuous pumpkin." Once he finds it, what is he going to do with it? No pumpkin pudding! No pumpkin pie! A perfect jack-o-lantern, of course! Books like this make me miss those days of being a primary librarian with a class full of little one sitting on the floor mesmerized by a story.
On the sunny sumptuous side I do have grandchildren to read to - one of them begging to be born. Poor Monica has been in the emergency room 5 times already. As she says, the doctor wants little Kaydence to "bake" for a couple more weeks. :-) Can't wait to go up to KC and visit them, especially Allyson, who loves books as much as Gramma Ruth! And I can't wait for Mary to be far enough along that the amnio will show whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I am praying for a girl, but will be more than happy with another grandson to adore. Also can't wait to see their new house. Mary must have inherited her decorating gene from her father's side of the family because she sure didn't get it from me! Can't wait to see what she had done with a house since her apartments were always gorgeous.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Only three days left in August. Where has the summer gone? Another week has begun and the first day has already come to an end. I celebrated making it through the first 2 weeks at ECU and a bit more by getting a manicure and pedicure this afternoon. Of course, I messed up my thumb nail before I even got out of the salon! Oh well, for me it is the pampering I love anyway. :-) It was 91 degrees today and I don't even want to think about the humidity. It was cloudy when I dressed this a.m. so I put on black jeans and a black sleeveless sweater, thinking about the arctic temperatures in the library. Oh mama - bad idea when your assigned parking lot requires a hike! Dressing like Johnny Cash in this heat just doesn't work!
Didn't get much of a chance to read this a.m. as Mary and I chatted for the longest time about their new house. The prior owner was a smoker and she found out her "ivory" refrigerator is actually white, underneath all the smoke and gunk. Mary is a surgical technician so she is a germ freak - I felt bad I wasn't there to help her clean that kitchen. MJ's bedroom has a huge wall mural of the space shuttle that he loves so she is going to leave that up. Can't wait to see the house. I will be there for Christmas. Steve too, if I can get him to agree to go to snow country in the winter!
But, I did finish Trudy Krisher's Fallout. I am so glad Holiday House changed the cover to show palm trees in a hurricane rather than the atom-ish SF looking cover that is on the ARC. This is a historical fiction novel, not SF and the old cover gives the wrong impression. I couldn't wait to read it as it is set in North Carolina, during the hurricane season of 1954. I also wanted to read it as I love Krisher's writing style. My favorite of her YA novels is Kinship. When her older brother stands in for her wayward father the tears ran down my face. Fallout hasn't knocked Kinship out of first place, but I devoured this book. There are few YA novels set during the Cold War Era, addressing McCarthy's anticommunist vendetta, and the bomb shelters that many Americans built in their backyard. This must be the year for the Cold War novel as I recently read Karen Cushman's The Loud Silence of Francine Green. Cushman's Franny is an 8th grader in a Catholic school and Krisher's Gen (Genevieve) is a 9th grader in a small town NC high school. Gen revolved around the popular crowd the year before because of her best friend Sally, but now that Sally has moved Gen is on her own, figuratively and literally. That is until Brenda Womper shows up in the classroom and begins to raise a ruckus immediately. She lets everyone know that she is from California and she doesn't agree with the Civil Defense teacher as to how "safe" crawling under a desk and covering your head is if an A bomb is dropped nearby! As much as she tries not to, Gen becomes friends with Brenda because they are forced to spend time together, with Brenda tutoring Gen in Algebra. Of course, Brenda's father is one of those Hollywood men that fell under the hatchet of McCarthy and his war against the Red. And Brenda's mom is a scientist - something that doesn't go over well with the Southern small town housewives, including Gen's mom, who is the local Tupperware hostess. Not only is this an enjoyable read, it is educational, but Krisher does not lecture or hammer home the history lesson. The historical backdrop builds itself as Krisher creates a downright interesting story about a young woman coming of age during the McCarthy Era. A great booktalk title for the Middle School. Give this one to the History teachers to read. :-)
Okay - it may be almost 8 p.m., but I need to get a few minutes work on the booktalking book in!
Didn't get much of a chance to read this a.m. as Mary and I chatted for the longest time about their new house. The prior owner was a smoker and she found out her "ivory" refrigerator is actually white, underneath all the smoke and gunk. Mary is a surgical technician so she is a germ freak - I felt bad I wasn't there to help her clean that kitchen. MJ's bedroom has a huge wall mural of the space shuttle that he loves so she is going to leave that up. Can't wait to see the house. I will be there for Christmas. Steve too, if I can get him to agree to go to snow country in the winter!
But, I did finish Trudy Krisher's Fallout. I am so glad Holiday House changed the cover to show palm trees in a hurricane rather than the atom-ish SF looking cover that is on the ARC. This is a historical fiction novel, not SF and the old cover gives the wrong impression. I couldn't wait to read it as it is set in North Carolina, during the hurricane season of 1954. I also wanted to read it as I love Krisher's writing style. My favorite of her YA novels is Kinship. When her older brother stands in for her wayward father the tears ran down my face. Fallout hasn't knocked Kinship out of first place, but I devoured this book. There are few YA novels set during the Cold War Era, addressing McCarthy's anticommunist vendetta, and the bomb shelters that many Americans built in their backyard. This must be the year for the Cold War novel as I recently read Karen Cushman's The Loud Silence of Francine Green. Cushman's Franny is an 8th grader in a Catholic school and Krisher's Gen (Genevieve) is a 9th grader in a small town NC high school. Gen revolved around the popular crowd the year before because of her best friend Sally, but now that Sally has moved Gen is on her own, figuratively and literally. That is until Brenda Womper shows up in the classroom and begins to raise a ruckus immediately. She lets everyone know that she is from California and she doesn't agree with the Civil Defense teacher as to how "safe" crawling under a desk and covering your head is if an A bomb is dropped nearby! As much as she tries not to, Gen becomes friends with Brenda because they are forced to spend time together, with Brenda tutoring Gen in Algebra. Of course, Brenda's father is one of those Hollywood men that fell under the hatchet of McCarthy and his war against the Red. And Brenda's mom is a scientist - something that doesn't go over well with the Southern small town housewives, including Gen's mom, who is the local Tupperware hostess. Not only is this an enjoyable read, it is educational, but Krisher does not lecture or hammer home the history lesson. The historical backdrop builds itself as Krisher creates a downright interesting story about a young woman coming of age during the McCarthy Era. A great booktalk title for the Middle School. Give this one to the History teachers to read. :-)
Okay - it may be almost 8 p.m., but I need to get a few minutes work on the booktalking book in!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
At least I didn't wake up at 5 a.m. this morning. I slept in a bit and then curled up and read an "adult" book. I don't do that often, but I have a couple of series and authors I really like. One of them is the Hot Flash Club books by Nancy Thayer. I am not quite as old as the ladies in these books, but I do enjoy laughing at the characters enduring some of the same things I go through as I deal with the aging process. I thought it appropriate to read The Hot Flash Club Chills Out as summer comes to an end. It is set on Nantucket, where the ladies have access to a house for the summer. With all the changes going on in these ladies' lives it is a good thing they have a place to escape the summer heat in Boston and to chill out. :-) Even though the climate is so much different, the laid back lifestyle of the island reminded me of the Virgin Islands. The people who live on the island all pitch in to help each other. The same thing is happening in the VI right now. A musical fixture on the island, RJ, has been in the hospital and recently died. The locals are pulling together to help pay for his medical bills as beach bar singers certainly don't have health insurance. We had a wonderful Cinco de Mayo this year listening to him sing at Charlotte Tamales, our favorite Mexican restaurant on the island. He will be missed.
So my bedtime reading will be a YA novel to discuss soon! :-)
So my bedtime reading will be a YA novel to discuss soon! :-)
Saturday, August 26, 2006
It is only 11 a.m. and I have been up for 6 hours already! I woke at 5 a.m., finished the book I was reading last night, did some grading, checked my email, took out trash, put on my new license plate, etc. and still was at the Human Society Rummage Sale and back home by 9:30 a.m. Found a magazine rack for $4 so I was happy. But, not happy when I drove all the way across town to Sam's and they weren't open yet. Steve thought that was pretty funny- something not open early enough for me. He refers to me getting up at the crack of noon. It isn't that bad, but 5 a.m. certainly is not usual for me.
Although it isn't the book I finished this a.m. I have to write about Alice Hoffman's Incantation. Can a reader fall in love with the prose of a book? If one can, I did. Hoffman's use of sparse lyrical and oh so-descriptive language feels rich on the tongue even when reading silently. I didn't think I could like a Hoffman title better than Green Angel, but Incantation is so stunningly painful but beautiful to read that it blew me away. I have always loved the different hues of blue, but the way Hoffman uses blue practically as a character makes me crave blueberries, aquamarine blue seas, and the deep lush midnight blue of an evening sky. Estrella lives during the Spanish Inquisition, initially with no knowledge that her family is one of the hidden Jewish families in their community. Her older brother is even training to become a priest. Everything changes when sixteen-year-old Estrella (Esther) and her best friend Catalina both fall in love with the same young man, who is "promised" to Catalina. Andres shares Estrella's feeling and Catalina betrays her friend as revenge. The torture and death scenes in the village square are difficult to read, but Hoffman beautiful portrayal of the love between Estrella and her mother and brother that this is just bearable to the reader. Burning Time by Carol Matas came to mind as I read Incantation. Both tell the tale of a daughter whose mother becomes a victim of the Inquisition, but for different reasons. Of the two, Incantation went deeper to the heart.
All for now.
Although it isn't the book I finished this a.m. I have to write about Alice Hoffman's Incantation. Can a reader fall in love with the prose of a book? If one can, I did. Hoffman's use of sparse lyrical and oh so-descriptive language feels rich on the tongue even when reading silently. I didn't think I could like a Hoffman title better than Green Angel, but Incantation is so stunningly painful but beautiful to read that it blew me away. I have always loved the different hues of blue, but the way Hoffman uses blue practically as a character makes me crave blueberries, aquamarine blue seas, and the deep lush midnight blue of an evening sky. Estrella lives during the Spanish Inquisition, initially with no knowledge that her family is one of the hidden Jewish families in their community. Her older brother is even training to become a priest. Everything changes when sixteen-year-old Estrella (Esther) and her best friend Catalina both fall in love with the same young man, who is "promised" to Catalina. Andres shares Estrella's feeling and Catalina betrays her friend as revenge. The torture and death scenes in the village square are difficult to read, but Hoffman beautiful portrayal of the love between Estrella and her mother and brother that this is just bearable to the reader. Burning Time by Carol Matas came to mind as I read Incantation. Both tell the tale of a daughter whose mother becomes a victim of the Inquisition, but for different reasons. Of the two, Incantation went deeper to the heart.
All for now.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
What a hectic last few days it has been, but great fun getting to know the other new faculty at ECU. We even made the 1/2 day long endurance test of having to fill out all the forms for HR somewhat enjoyable. I love being around the energy that stirs the air on a university campus. Today is the first day of classes for the students, but they have been all over campus and town for the last week or so. Greenville is certainly a less quiet town now than during the summer. I ordered a rolling backpack from Overstock.com last night as I am on the waiting list for the close to the library parking and have to walk a bit from the next tier parking lot. The walking is not a problem - I actually enjoy it - except I typically have a bag of books dragging my left shoulder down.
Along with all the no so exciting orientation materials, I read Ally Kennen's Beast. It is several chapters into the book before you realize what the beast is that Stephen has had in a cage for the last few years. It has grown in size and strength and he is terrified of it, but he keeps spending what little money he makes on food for it - sometimes a pig that is so large he gets himself in trouble with his foster family while cutting it up in the garage. They don't know about the Beast and they buy his story that he is bringing the pig to his deadbeat father as he hasn't any money or food. Stephen's father was in prison but now lives like a hermit out in the woods. At seventeen, Stephen has been in and out of foster homes for years, but he has been with the Reynolds for three years and likes them all, except for teenage Carol. She goes out of her way to get him in trouble, from the first day he arrived. Of course, it is Carol who figures out what he is up to and has seen the beast with her own eyes. They recruit the blacksmith Stephen has begun working for to help them trap the escaped beast. In a way this novel reminds me a bit of "the boy who cried wolf" as Stephen has gotten into so much trouble and lied so much during his time in foster care that no one believes him, including Eric the blacksmith, until Carol assures him she has seen it. This book is as much about the beast inside of Stephen as it is about the physical beast he has kept alive in the woods, both fearing and loving it in his own way. This is one of those guy books that will make the rounds as soon as you introduce it to them. The cover also lends itself well to booktalking.
All for now.
Along with all the no so exciting orientation materials, I read Ally Kennen's Beast. It is several chapters into the book before you realize what the beast is that Stephen has had in a cage for the last few years. It has grown in size and strength and he is terrified of it, but he keeps spending what little money he makes on food for it - sometimes a pig that is so large he gets himself in trouble with his foster family while cutting it up in the garage. They don't know about the Beast and they buy his story that he is bringing the pig to his deadbeat father as he hasn't any money or food. Stephen's father was in prison but now lives like a hermit out in the woods. At seventeen, Stephen has been in and out of foster homes for years, but he has been with the Reynolds for three years and likes them all, except for teenage Carol. She goes out of her way to get him in trouble, from the first day he arrived. Of course, it is Carol who figures out what he is up to and has seen the beast with her own eyes. They recruit the blacksmith Stephen has begun working for to help them trap the escaped beast. In a way this novel reminds me a bit of "the boy who cried wolf" as Stephen has gotten into so much trouble and lied so much during his time in foster care that no one believes him, including Eric the blacksmith, until Carol assures him she has seen it. This book is as much about the beast inside of Stephen as it is about the physical beast he has kept alive in the woods, both fearing and loving it in his own way. This is one of those guy books that will make the rounds as soon as you introduce it to them. The cover also lends itself well to booktalking.
All for now.
Friday, August 18, 2006
So much for the nice relaxing a.m. that I had in mind. Received a call from the condo management company that my downstairs neighbor's ceiling has a leak. Sure enough, it was the commode in the master bath. And no Steve home to fix it. Luckily my new neighbor works for a different management company and sent their plumber over to fix it. A relaxing a.m. it was not. The plumber told me that the water here has lots of chlorine in it and does a number of the rubber gaskets, so I guess this won't be the last time I see him. Oh joy!
Love the cover on Firestorm by David Klass - a beautiful blue undersea scene of a guy surrounded by what look like sharks. Sure got my attention. I had read some of the prepublication information on this book - it is the first YA book that Greenpeace International has supported. If you visit their website at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/audios you can download and listen to an interview with Klass. Because of this link to Greenpeace and my love of California Blue, an earlier Klass novel with an ecological theme set in a logging area, I was looking forward to reading this. Both books have older teenage males who must decide what role they will play in stopping the destruction of endangered species. In Firestorm, Jack is a human transported back from the future to find the Firestorm and save the oceans. The ecological lessons are given by Gisco, a very large furry telepathic dog that communicates with Jack. The ecological lessons/warnings are a bit "heavy" at times, but the point is well taken. Also, Gisco is the only one in the book with a sense of humor! This is the first in the Caretaker Trilogy so it ends very abruptly, clearly unfinished. Jack's feelings of betrayal when he realizes the life he has lived for 17 years has been a lie - his parents are only caretakers from the future to help raise him to the age that he can save the world. Now that he is trained to do so, the next book should be just as interesting. Can't wait to read it.
Off to the Hyundai dealer to have them "detail" the car yet again. Let's see if this time they can finish up without leaving a black footprint in the carpet! I am taking a book for sure. Last time I sat there for over 2 hours.
Love the cover on Firestorm by David Klass - a beautiful blue undersea scene of a guy surrounded by what look like sharks. Sure got my attention. I had read some of the prepublication information on this book - it is the first YA book that Greenpeace International has supported. If you visit their website at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/audios you can download and listen to an interview with Klass. Because of this link to Greenpeace and my love of California Blue, an earlier Klass novel with an ecological theme set in a logging area, I was looking forward to reading this. Both books have older teenage males who must decide what role they will play in stopping the destruction of endangered species. In Firestorm, Jack is a human transported back from the future to find the Firestorm and save the oceans. The ecological lessons are given by Gisco, a very large furry telepathic dog that communicates with Jack. The ecological lessons/warnings are a bit "heavy" at times, but the point is well taken. Also, Gisco is the only one in the book with a sense of humor! This is the first in the Caretaker Trilogy so it ends very abruptly, clearly unfinished. Jack's feelings of betrayal when he realizes the life he has lived for 17 years has been a lie - his parents are only caretakers from the future to help raise him to the age that he can save the world. Now that he is trained to do so, the next book should be just as interesting. Can't wait to read it.
Off to the Hyundai dealer to have them "detail" the car yet again. Let's see if this time they can finish up without leaving a black footprint in the carpet! I am taking a book for sure. Last time I sat there for over 2 hours.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
I am so excited - I have the morning news on my new TV! I wanted to stay up last night and watch a movie but I was just too tired and wanted to lay in bed and read. And I can't be a night owl tonight either as I have to be up and at ECU early tomorrow morning to drive out to Washington for a meeting. Washington is on the water do I can get a bit of an ocean fix. :-)
A dreary day here, but that is fine with me. It has been so darn hot. I am looking forward to autumn, whenever it comes here in Eastern NC. Am headed out of here shortly to attend a workshop on the new version of Blackboard, the online software we use for the courses. Hard to believe Fall courses start next Weds. Where did summer go? To teaching two sections of Children's and YA Literature is where it went for me! I will have to leave a bit early as I got lost on campus Monday when I was trying to find a building. Maps don't help me a whole lot as I have no sense of direction!
For those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know that I am a lover of the edgy YA novel for older teens. A Room on Lorelei Street is still my favorite. Adam Rapp's 33 Snowfish will not replace it, although it is the most edgy out there YA novel I have read. It is so dark and raw that it is difficult to keep reading, but you do because you need something good to happen to at least one of the characters in this book about runaways/throwaways. Custis is the main character in a trio that includes Curl, a teenage prostitute, and Boobie, a stoic 17 year old who has killed his parents. After the murders, the three run in Boobie's family Skylark, spray painted black to avoid detection. Although the he is the youngest, Custis is the most lucid but that isn't saying much as he has migraine type headaches that cause him to wake up in a new location, with no idea how he got there. The horrific life experiences these young people endure are heart breaking and at times stretch the reader's sense of belief to the very limit. Mine stretched and broke. This book deserves a place in every YA collection, but personally I was not enthralled with it. Many YA specialists are - they love both the book and Adam Rapp. Even though I am not crazy about this book, I think anyone who works with teens and their literature should read it.
Time to go. I love my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe! It drives like a dream and corners tighter than the RAV4. I also love the 18" wheels, which put me sitting up higher. And to think that I am the one who used to love to drive a Trans Am that sat so low my butt almost hit the pavement! :-)
A dreary day here, but that is fine with me. It has been so darn hot. I am looking forward to autumn, whenever it comes here in Eastern NC. Am headed out of here shortly to attend a workshop on the new version of Blackboard, the online software we use for the courses. Hard to believe Fall courses start next Weds. Where did summer go? To teaching two sections of Children's and YA Literature is where it went for me! I will have to leave a bit early as I got lost on campus Monday when I was trying to find a building. Maps don't help me a whole lot as I have no sense of direction!
For those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know that I am a lover of the edgy YA novel for older teens. A Room on Lorelei Street is still my favorite. Adam Rapp's 33 Snowfish will not replace it, although it is the most edgy out there YA novel I have read. It is so dark and raw that it is difficult to keep reading, but you do because you need something good to happen to at least one of the characters in this book about runaways/throwaways. Custis is the main character in a trio that includes Curl, a teenage prostitute, and Boobie, a stoic 17 year old who has killed his parents. After the murders, the three run in Boobie's family Skylark, spray painted black to avoid detection. Although the he is the youngest, Custis is the most lucid but that isn't saying much as he has migraine type headaches that cause him to wake up in a new location, with no idea how he got there. The horrific life experiences these young people endure are heart breaking and at times stretch the reader's sense of belief to the very limit. Mine stretched and broke. This book deserves a place in every YA collection, but personally I was not enthralled with it. Many YA specialists are - they love both the book and Adam Rapp. Even though I am not crazy about this book, I think anyone who works with teens and their literature should read it.
Time to go. I love my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe! It drives like a dream and corners tighter than the RAV4. I also love the 18" wheels, which put me sitting up higher. And to think that I am the one who used to love to drive a Trans Am that sat so low my butt almost hit the pavement! :-)
Monday, August 14, 2006
Just received a short email from Steve saying they had just gotten a pretty substantial earthquake in the islands. There were several smaller ones since we lived there, but nothing really big. He said this one felt like over a 6.0. Looked online, but didn't find anything about it. I told him to check the crack in the kitchen wall as the cistern is right behind it. I immediately envisioned thousands of gallons of cistern water rushing into the apartment.
Went wandering through the stores yesterday to get myself out of the house. I am having shopping overload - too much to choose from. It is easy in the islands - if they have it, buy it! If CostULess or Kmart doesn't have it you won't get it anyway! I wandered the aisles of Target - it was overwhelming! I was so overwhelmed in Barnes and Noble I got a headache and walked out without buying anything. That is the first for me in a bookstore! I need to go downtown to the second hand bookstore that is not so overwhelming - buy a cup of tea and just browse or sit and look at a few titles.
Off to a technology workshop this afternoon on resources available to us for teaching online. Need to dress warm as the buildings are so darn cold. Found a heated floor mat online yesterday. I may order it for my own office. BRRR!!
On a much slower pace, I savored Kimberly Willis Holt's Part of Me, a delicious multigenerational tale set in the bayous of Louisiana - near Houma, for those of you who know Louisiana. Rose's mother has been forced to move back home when her Texan husband walks out the door and doesn't come back. Not wanting to be beholden to her father any longer than she must, Rose's mom goes to work shucking oysters and insists Rose lie about her age and get the job as the bookmobile driver. So, 14-year-old Rose says she is 17 and thus begins her live as a bookmobile driver. She soon learns that putting lower reading level novels on the adult side of the shelves makes sense as the women who check out the cookbooks don't read well. Set up as short stories/chapters, future generations of Rose's family are highlighted, including her son Merle Henry, who wants nothing more than to trap a mink. Let's just say, Rose has a hand in this endeavor. :-) Annabeth, Merle Henry's daughter, spends the summer with Gamma Rose, trying to get the attention of a neighborhood boy, and is taken to the bookmobile just as her father had been as a child. Through the years Rose has been filling notebooks full of her stories, stories she thinks no one else will read. With longing, she suggests to her children and grandchildren that perhaps they will become writers. She may be on in years, but Rose will have a chance to share her stories. The reader feels like he/she is taking a leisurely stroll with Holt and Rose as they amble along the bayous, discussing Rose's family through the years.
All for now. Gotta go check to see if Steve emailed any more details on the earthquake.
Went wandering through the stores yesterday to get myself out of the house. I am having shopping overload - too much to choose from. It is easy in the islands - if they have it, buy it! If CostULess or Kmart doesn't have it you won't get it anyway! I wandered the aisles of Target - it was overwhelming! I was so overwhelmed in Barnes and Noble I got a headache and walked out without buying anything. That is the first for me in a bookstore! I need to go downtown to the second hand bookstore that is not so overwhelming - buy a cup of tea and just browse or sit and look at a few titles.
Off to a technology workshop this afternoon on resources available to us for teaching online. Need to dress warm as the buildings are so darn cold. Found a heated floor mat online yesterday. I may order it for my own office. BRRR!!
On a much slower pace, I savored Kimberly Willis Holt's Part of Me, a delicious multigenerational tale set in the bayous of Louisiana - near Houma, for those of you who know Louisiana. Rose's mother has been forced to move back home when her Texan husband walks out the door and doesn't come back. Not wanting to be beholden to her father any longer than she must, Rose's mom goes to work shucking oysters and insists Rose lie about her age and get the job as the bookmobile driver. So, 14-year-old Rose says she is 17 and thus begins her live as a bookmobile driver. She soon learns that putting lower reading level novels on the adult side of the shelves makes sense as the women who check out the cookbooks don't read well. Set up as short stories/chapters, future generations of Rose's family are highlighted, including her son Merle Henry, who wants nothing more than to trap a mink. Let's just say, Rose has a hand in this endeavor. :-) Annabeth, Merle Henry's daughter, spends the summer with Gamma Rose, trying to get the attention of a neighborhood boy, and is taken to the bookmobile just as her father had been as a child. Through the years Rose has been filling notebooks full of her stories, stories she thinks no one else will read. With longing, she suggests to her children and grandchildren that perhaps they will become writers. She may be on in years, but Rose will have a chance to share her stories. The reader feels like he/she is taking a leisurely stroll with Holt and Rose as they amble along the bayous, discussing Rose's family through the years.
All for now. Gotta go check to see if Steve emailed any more details on the earthquake.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Sorry it has been so long between postings. What a hectic few weeks it has been with this move. But, I now have wireless Internet through our cable provider so I can use my laptop anywhere in the condo. Haven't been able to use the cable though as my TV won't arrive until Tuesday.
A sunny Sunday morning here in Greenville. The master bedroom has a large window with an Eastern exposure so I am waken by the sun. I really don't mind as it allows me to wake up slowly. Had my early a.m. Diet Coke and reading time, but no Sophie on my tummy. I sure miss her. Feels weird to walk around the condo talking to myself instead of to her. And she talks back! At least with the cat under foot I didn't look like quite as much of a loon. Steve is taking her in for her rabies shot so I can bring her back with me when I am on island in October.
Talked to Steve yesterday morning. RJ, one the well known pub/bar singers on the island, is in the hospital on a respirator. No insurance, so the guys were doing a poker run last night to five different places as a fund raiser to help pay RJ's medical bills. I told Steve to lose as much as we could afford. I can close my eyes and see the smile light up RJ's face when he recognized us when we walked in to Megan's or Bottom's Up. And that man has a voice that can soothe the savage beast.
Was in my new office a couple of days ago unpacking review copies. It is like Christmas for me and all I want to do is grab an armload and go hide somewhere and read. My first read from the ARCs was Holly Bennett's The Bonemender's Oath, as I loved the first book about Gabrielle, the healer who discovers she is half Human and half Elvish, The Bonemender. The second book delves deeper into Gabrielle and Feolan's relationship as they help young Derkh, the soldier who Gabrielle heals and welcomes into her home, accept that he is no longer the enemy. Gabrielle's trickster brother Tristan and his beloved Rosie are central to this story as she is the target for a crazed merchant who wants to wed her at any means, even kidnapping and murder. Reading Bennett's books is like savoring a delicious cup of herbal tea in front of a fire - sips of the unique flavors of a Elvish world swirl about and mingle with the warmth, humor, and loving brew of a Human family. "Life was right now, right here, in her hands. She examined the cup she held - the gloss of it, the rich color, the exquisite transparency of the liquid within - and she drank deep".
I am off to Belks this afternoon to buy a set of pots and pans that are on sale. Not that they will get much use until Steve is here, but at least I will have them. I did actually use the little toaster oven and made myself a turkey pepperoni and veggie cheese pizza yesterday for lunch. Also pigged out on mint chocolate chip soy ice cream last night. Need to be careful or I will put on lots of weight now that all the soy and rice products I couldn't find on the islands are available at the local Kroger.
All for today.
A sunny Sunday morning here in Greenville. The master bedroom has a large window with an Eastern exposure so I am waken by the sun. I really don't mind as it allows me to wake up slowly. Had my early a.m. Diet Coke and reading time, but no Sophie on my tummy. I sure miss her. Feels weird to walk around the condo talking to myself instead of to her. And she talks back! At least with the cat under foot I didn't look like quite as much of a loon. Steve is taking her in for her rabies shot so I can bring her back with me when I am on island in October.
Talked to Steve yesterday morning. RJ, one the well known pub/bar singers on the island, is in the hospital on a respirator. No insurance, so the guys were doing a poker run last night to five different places as a fund raiser to help pay RJ's medical bills. I told Steve to lose as much as we could afford. I can close my eyes and see the smile light up RJ's face when he recognized us when we walked in to Megan's or Bottom's Up. And that man has a voice that can soothe the savage beast.
Was in my new office a couple of days ago unpacking review copies. It is like Christmas for me and all I want to do is grab an armload and go hide somewhere and read. My first read from the ARCs was Holly Bennett's The Bonemender's Oath, as I loved the first book about Gabrielle, the healer who discovers she is half Human and half Elvish, The Bonemender. The second book delves deeper into Gabrielle and Feolan's relationship as they help young Derkh, the soldier who Gabrielle heals and welcomes into her home, accept that he is no longer the enemy. Gabrielle's trickster brother Tristan and his beloved Rosie are central to this story as she is the target for a crazed merchant who wants to wed her at any means, even kidnapping and murder. Reading Bennett's books is like savoring a delicious cup of herbal tea in front of a fire - sips of the unique flavors of a Elvish world swirl about and mingle with the warmth, humor, and loving brew of a Human family. "Life was right now, right here, in her hands. She examined the cup she held - the gloss of it, the rich color, the exquisite transparency of the liquid within - and she drank deep".
I am off to Belks this afternoon to buy a set of pots and pans that are on sale. Not that they will get much use until Steve is here, but at least I will have them. I did actually use the little toaster oven and made myself a turkey pepperoni and veggie cheese pizza yesterday for lunch. Also pigged out on mint chocolate chip soy ice cream last night. Need to be careful or I will put on lots of weight now that all the soy and rice products I couldn't find on the islands are available at the local Kroger.
All for today.
Friday, August 04, 2006
In a little less than an hour Steve will be here to pick me to begin a very busy day. We will drive all the way back down to Greenville when he finishes his training session this afternoon. I have been on the phone all morning with the insurance agent, loan officer and dealership. I will pick up my new car tomorrow - a slate blue 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. Very pretty! I got spoiled with sitting up high in the RAV4 and wanted another small SUV.
Don't know how soon my Internet connection will be up at the condo and the ECU library is closed for the weekend so I can't even go use their wireless connection. And, I won't be able to pick up my sheets and comforter for tomorrow night so we will have to buy a set of sheets and a blanket. I will have Internet withdrawal during the weekend!
Haven't had any time to read. We watched Weekend at Bernie's last night. What a stupid, but snort laugh funny movie. Hard to believe we were laughing over two young guys using a guy's dead body to be able to part for the weekend. Steve's choice of movies - not mine! :-)
May be a few days before I get back to the blog and even a few more before I have had time to read. I forgot how much work moving is! Even the shopping isn't that much fun because I am feeling pressured by time constraints. And, sad that I know once I drop Steve off at the airport in Raleigh I won't see him until probably October.
Don't know how soon my Internet connection will be up at the condo and the ECU library is closed for the weekend so I can't even go use their wireless connection. And, I won't be able to pick up my sheets and comforter for tomorrow night so we will have to buy a set of sheets and a blanket. I will have Internet withdrawal during the weekend!
Haven't had any time to read. We watched Weekend at Bernie's last night. What a stupid, but snort laugh funny movie. Hard to believe we were laughing over two young guys using a guy's dead body to be able to part for the weekend. Steve's choice of movies - not mine! :-)
May be a few days before I get back to the blog and even a few more before I have had time to read. I forgot how much work moving is! Even the shopping isn't that much fun because I am feeling pressured by time constraints. And, sad that I know once I drop Steve off at the airport in Raleigh I won't see him until probably October.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Time sure flies when you are having fun, or at least super busy! I am working on checking all the hot links in the documents for my Fall courses at ECU and clicked on MadChatter and saw the last time I posted was July 25th. Wow! What a busy few weeks it has been. I am sitting in the Woodfin Suites in Rockville, MD, right outside of DC. Steve is in an IT training session here so I decided to drive up with him and spend the week rather than being in our new condo with no furniture. Being here is forcing me to settle down a bit and actually get through my tons of email and get work done on my courses.
We flew into DC last Friday night, drove to Greenville on Saturday in time to check out a few car dealerships and drive the Hyundai Santa Fe, which I fell in love with. Haven't bought one yet though - maybe this coming Saturday. Had to at least drive the Mazda little SUV - didn't like it at all. Sunday we ran around to every furniture store open and laid on more mattresses than I want to even think about. I hate bed shopping. The washer and dryer were the easiest to pick out as was the pedestal table which is also a poker table - pleased both Steve and I. :-)
We closed on the Condo Monday morning, stopped by the utilities place to make sure the power didn't get turn off, and left for DC. We drive back down tomorrow and our bed, washer, dryer and table will be delivered on Saturday. The essentials - somewhere to sleep, eat and/or work on the computer, and a way to wash clothes. Will have to stop by the office to pick up the stuff I had sent there so we will have bedding and dishes. Saturday will be a busy one trying to get things done that I need Steve's help with as he flies out of Raleigh on Sunday. I better have a car by then or I will end up keeping the PT Cruiser we rented for the week. The car is cute, but the seats are really uncomfortable for these old bones of mine.
Then Monday I will drive all the way to Greensboro - other side of the state - to a meeting. Oh well, no one can say my life is boring!
I did finish the bio about Hepburn and Tracy - An Affair to Remember. I have been fascinated by the actors of that time period since I was a kid so I enjoyed the references to others I recognized. I think the reason Tracy and Hepburn stayed together for so long is no one else could handle their abrasive attitude toward others. They were not nice people!
Also read Richard Peck's The River Between Us. Can you believe B&N online has this listed for ages 5-12? I have a sneaking suspicion that should be grades 5-12. I do love Peck's writing, but I see adult appeal in his books much more so than I do child or teen appeal. They are written as reminiscences and that makes a big difference - it is the view of an adult looking back on his early years. But, I do love Tilly, the daughter who will never gain her mother's love as much as she tries and Delphine, the "free woman of color" escaping the war in a small Illinois river town. Delphine's poise and determination for a fifteen-year-old seems unbelievable today, but by New Orleans standards of the time she should have been already put up in her own home by a rich white plantation owner, like her mama had been. I enjoyed every moment of the book and would love to talk to a teen who has read it and liked it as well.
Okay - enough "fun" writing - back to updating course documents.
We flew into DC last Friday night, drove to Greenville on Saturday in time to check out a few car dealerships and drive the Hyundai Santa Fe, which I fell in love with. Haven't bought one yet though - maybe this coming Saturday. Had to at least drive the Mazda little SUV - didn't like it at all. Sunday we ran around to every furniture store open and laid on more mattresses than I want to even think about. I hate bed shopping. The washer and dryer were the easiest to pick out as was the pedestal table which is also a poker table - pleased both Steve and I. :-)
We closed on the Condo Monday morning, stopped by the utilities place to make sure the power didn't get turn off, and left for DC. We drive back down tomorrow and our bed, washer, dryer and table will be delivered on Saturday. The essentials - somewhere to sleep, eat and/or work on the computer, and a way to wash clothes. Will have to stop by the office to pick up the stuff I had sent there so we will have bedding and dishes. Saturday will be a busy one trying to get things done that I need Steve's help with as he flies out of Raleigh on Sunday. I better have a car by then or I will end up keeping the PT Cruiser we rented for the week. The car is cute, but the seats are really uncomfortable for these old bones of mine.
Then Monday I will drive all the way to Greensboro - other side of the state - to a meeting. Oh well, no one can say my life is boring!
I did finish the bio about Hepburn and Tracy - An Affair to Remember. I have been fascinated by the actors of that time period since I was a kid so I enjoyed the references to others I recognized. I think the reason Tracy and Hepburn stayed together for so long is no one else could handle their abrasive attitude toward others. They were not nice people!
Also read Richard Peck's The River Between Us. Can you believe B&N online has this listed for ages 5-12? I have a sneaking suspicion that should be grades 5-12. I do love Peck's writing, but I see adult appeal in his books much more so than I do child or teen appeal. They are written as reminiscences and that makes a big difference - it is the view of an adult looking back on his early years. But, I do love Tilly, the daughter who will never gain her mother's love as much as she tries and Delphine, the "free woman of color" escaping the war in a small Illinois river town. Delphine's poise and determination for a fifteen-year-old seems unbelievable today, but by New Orleans standards of the time she should have been already put up in her own home by a rich white plantation owner, like her mama had been. I enjoyed every moment of the book and would love to talk to a teen who has read it and liked it as well.
Okay - enough "fun" writing - back to updating course documents.
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