Today, I submitted my monthly book review to School Library Journal. I had mixed feelings about my review. The book itself had a narrative that was hard to follow. The text contained a plethora of heavily-wrought descriptions. I recommended the book strictly as an additional purchase. However, I thought the author herself demonstrated a solid understanding of the elements needed for successful fantasy writing, and I said as much.
When I moved to New York, I considered leaving my new library field and attempting to join a publishing house instead. After an entry-level editor friend of mine told me that she earned 5k less than I did, I decided to stay with the library system. I'm glad I did. The few manuscripts for which I did provide feedback were not ready for any sort of professional representation. I would have easily become burnt-out and overwhelmed by the volume of badly written manuscripts.
The book I just reviewed for SLJ was not badly-written. However, I don't believe it was ready for publication. I would probably have thought the same thing about Eragon, had I received a copy of the book for review. Several times I have tried to read Eragon because of patrons' enthusiastic recommendations. I have never been able to get past the first paragraph:
Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world. A tall Shade lifted his head and sniffed the air. He looked human except for his crimson hair and maroon eyes.
Once I read "crimson hair and maroon eyes," I stepped off the boat. When I was an avid child and young adult reader, I finished every book I started. I couldn't help it. I was addicted to the discovery of what-happens-next. As an adult (and parent of a toddler) my attention span has become short and skittery. I have no patience for "vivid imagery" that evokes headaches.
Hey. I spent my grade school years glutting sentences with adjectives from the weekly spelling lists. Now, I'm spending the rest of my life learning to winnow.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
In Seattle, Snow Always Makes the News
Snow and Ice Snarl Highways
Nightmare Commute for Drivers: Snow, Commute, and a Seahawks Game
Last year, it snowed enough that I thought I should shovel my walkway. All I had was a garden shovel. After 10 minutes, I realized that I really shouldn't bother: the snow would melt by the end of the day.
The joke around here is that there are only two snow plows in the entire city of Seattle. Really, the city allegedly has twenty snow plows, but I don't remember ever seeing one in the seven years I've lived here.
Some stories with snow:
Little Daughter of the Snow, a Russian folktale
Rabbit and Fox, a folktale from the Iroquois Nation
Deirdre of the Sorrows, listed because of its twist on the Snow White description:
One day, Deirdre watched as her fosterer killed a calf to eat. The calf's blood ran bright red in the snow, and a raven swooped down.
"If there were a man with hair as black as that raven, skin as white as that snow, and cheeks as red as that blood, I would wish to marry him," Deirdre said, in what was perhaps the first manifestation of her second sight.
On a cheerier note, you may make your own virtual snowflake here.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Strong Bad, Madonna, Children's Books, the Press, and Me, Alkelda the Gleeful*
I dreamed last night that the press planned a visit to my house to interview me about children's books. Madonna was going to join them because she wanted to learn more about children's literature. I was excited, because Madonna would totally recant her previous statement about children's literature when she saw my books. I just knew she'd want to devote some of her funds to bringing back my beloved out-of-print picture books. I was cleaning and tidying the shelves (and finding various pieces of Lucia's Playmobil accessories among the dust-bunnies) when the alarm clock rang.
It seems only appropriate that I link the classic flash-animation piece where Strong Bad rewrites a children's book called Everyone is Different. For those of you without sound, you may read the transcript here, plus the commentary and Easter Eggs.
*The title of this post was inspired by this book.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Folklore about Folklore
1) In The Frog Prince, the princess does not kiss the frog to break the enchantment. In utter rage, the princess throws the frog against the wall. What does it mean that violence, and not love, transforms the enchanted frog? And where did we get the idea that “You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince?” However, I cannot quarrel with this beer ad that uses the “kissing the frog" motif:
There’s an early XXXX ad called “Castlemaine Princess” floating around as well. It features a naive young woman skipping through the countryside talking to the animals and birds. She finds a frog, kisses it hoping for a prince. What she gets is an Australian sheep shearer. It’s his turn for a wish. She turns into a bottle of Fourex Gold!
2) In Hansel and Gretel, Hansel leaves a trail of stones the first two times his father takes him out into the woods. The third time, Hansel’s father is watching him carefully, so Hansel surreptitiously leaves a trail of crumbs from the bread he had in his pocket. The birds eat the crumbs, and the children can’t track their way home. People will mention leaving a “trail of bread crumbs” to find their way back from a new, unfamiliar place. I rarely object aloud (because that would be annoying and idiosyncratic), but I think, “Please, go with the trail of stones instead. They’re more dependable.”
3) For years, I believed that the English versions of “Cinderella” featured glass slippers because Charles Perrault mistook the French word for “fur” (vair) as the French word for “glass” (verre) . Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s anecdote about this alleged mistranslation in his preface to Anne Sexton’s poems about Grimms’ fairy tales, Transfomations, only solidified my belief. It’s pretty cool when there is folklore about folklore, but I get grouchy when people whom I think know what they're talking about... don't. I include myself in this group of "people"-- I get sick to my stomach whenever I find out that I've passed along erroneous information and am haunted by it until I can fix it. It's not a quality, but a quirk. I irritate people when I refuse to "guess" at a statistic and qualify statements with, "I can't remember my source, so don't quote me until I verify it."
If today's topic sounds familiar to you, that may be because I've written about it before:
*Alien Abductions and Glass Slippers
*This is All a Fairy Tale
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Superhero Tea-Party
Sometimes, when I pick up my guitar, Lucia howls, "Don't play the guitar! Hold you! Hold you like a baby!" She tries to mute the strings with her hands. When it gets bad, I go to the bedroom, brace the door shut by sitting with my back against it, and practice guitar while Lucia howls and pounds to get in. I'm sure that'll crop up in therapy sessions someday.
Other times, Lucia pleasantly demands, "Mommy play the guitar." The chances of the latter scenario increase when I make up silly songs. One impromptu song that I came up with during Lucia's Superhero-fixation phase turned into a regularly requested piece:
Superhero Tea-Party
C
We’re going to a tea-party
We’re going to a tea-party
We’re going to a tea-party
G C
With Superman and Batman.
[Repeat]
[Slow, with drama]
Am E
Aquaman pours the tea
Am E
Spidergirl passes the jam
C D E
Wolverine spreads butter on the scones.
Am Em
Wonder Woman, Invisible Girl,
Am Em
Green Lantern nibble on crumpets
C
And everyone says,
D
“How delightfully scrumptious…
[Faster]
B7 E
And no one makes scones like Batman!
Like Batman! Like Batman!" Oh…
C
We’re going to a tea-party
We’re going to a tea-party
We’re going to a tea-party
G C
With Superman and Batman--
G C
Superman and Batman.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Miscellanea Now
Items that are important to me but don’t necessarily blog well unless I cheat and put them all in one list of miscellaneous bits:
1) This evening, I practiced chord changes from G to D minor, specifically for “All the Pretty Little Horses” with arpeggios. D minor is a challenge for me. Nonetheless, the time flies by.
2) I'm working out strum patterns for “I Will” by the Beatles. I was thrilled to find out that the B flat minor chord I was trying to play based on someone else’s tablature was actually a D major chord. Also, I added a bass run from D to G and am often so thrilled with how good it sounds that I falter before slipping into the final verse. I used to sing this song as a lullaby to Lucia when she was a baby.
3) Lucia’s enthusiastic, loud, solo rendition of “Eight Days a Week” by the Beatles is her best vocal work yet. I wish I had a better sound system than a hand-held micro tape recorder.
4) I figured out how to make Lucia’s homemade tutu less bulky-looking. I’m still in no hurry to attempt tutu #2. I now appreciate tutu-making enough that if Lucia needs another one badly enough, I’ll purchase one made for her by someone who knows what s/he’s doing.
5) Yesterday, I hand-sewed black lace onto the cuffs of my purple butterfly-print trousers and completed the construction of my black and pink harlequin diamond trousers. Philip the Pun asked me if I planned to get a pointy hat to complete the costume. He also remarked that I would probably end up sewing Lucia’s first Goth clothes. We imagined that by the time Lucia was a teenager, Goth would have transmuted into something with lots of grey-tones. We decided to call it “Moth.”
6) My father is flying out to Seattle for Thanksgiving. As we did last year, we are cooking the non-traditional Thanksgiving Lamb. This practice makes me wonder if we should have turkey for Easter. My father and I are both big fans of Maurice Sendak’s artwork, and that is why I am glad he will finally get to see the Pacific Northwest Ballet version of “Nutcracker.” If you think “Nutcracker” is all spun-sugar and fluff (as many productions are), check out the original text by E.T.A. Hoffman, illustrated by Sendak. It’s a right proper journey to the place where the Wild Things are.
7) Edward Gorey published 1100 copies of The Lavender Leotard, and hand-painted each leotard on the covers of the books. Copies are rare and pricey. The Performing Arts Library of The New York Public Library owns a copy, and I wish I had thought to look for it before my summer trip to NYC.
8) Whenever I talk about my “Midlife Crisis Guitar,” I get comments along the lines of “Hey, you’re upgrading fast, aren’t you?” and “How many guitars do you need?” Answers: (a) I’m not going through my midlife crisis yet.* What are you implying, friend? (b) One for the beach, one for hiking, one for plane-travel, one for recording, one for performance, and one just for show.**
9) I’m dreading the inevitable onslaught of secular Christmas carols. They don’t offend me on a religious level, but I think that many of the melodies are ugly and obnoxious. Right now, “Silver Bells” is the only exception that comes to mind. I may publish my list of the songs I used for an Advent and Christmas mix-cd I made two years ago. Click here for a link to Kathy Mattea’s “Christ Child’s Lullaby” and here for Madeleine MacNeils’ “Lullaby From Poland." I want to learn to play both songs.
10) I have no plans to get a tattoo, but I enjoy thinking about possible artwork were I to go that route. Here is my latest hypothetical tattoo:
The illustration is of Jenny Linsky and her brothers from Jenny's Bedside Book, by Esther Averill. The umbrellas are presents from their feline seafaring friend, Jack Tar.I have no idea where I'd put the tattoo....Probably where I put all my previous hypothetical tattoos.
________
*I'm 34 1/2.
**Just kidding. Ultimately, I do want a full-sized guitar that’s not so deep, has lower action, sounds celestial when I play “On Top of Spaghetti” and looks good on me. This one would be quite satisfactory. It’s much, much cheaper than a red sportscar, but not as inexpensive as being satisfied with what I have.
1) This evening, I practiced chord changes from G to D minor, specifically for “All the Pretty Little Horses” with arpeggios. D minor is a challenge for me. Nonetheless, the time flies by.
2) I'm working out strum patterns for “I Will” by the Beatles. I was thrilled to find out that the B flat minor chord I was trying to play based on someone else’s tablature was actually a D major chord. Also, I added a bass run from D to G and am often so thrilled with how good it sounds that I falter before slipping into the final verse. I used to sing this song as a lullaby to Lucia when she was a baby.
3) Lucia’s enthusiastic, loud, solo rendition of “Eight Days a Week” by the Beatles is her best vocal work yet. I wish I had a better sound system than a hand-held micro tape recorder.
4) I figured out how to make Lucia’s homemade tutu less bulky-looking. I’m still in no hurry to attempt tutu #2. I now appreciate tutu-making enough that if Lucia needs another one badly enough, I’ll purchase one made for her by someone who knows what s/he’s doing.
5) Yesterday, I hand-sewed black lace onto the cuffs of my purple butterfly-print trousers and completed the construction of my black and pink harlequin diamond trousers. Philip the Pun asked me if I planned to get a pointy hat to complete the costume. He also remarked that I would probably end up sewing Lucia’s first Goth clothes. We imagined that by the time Lucia was a teenager, Goth would have transmuted into something with lots of grey-tones. We decided to call it “Moth.”
6) My father is flying out to Seattle for Thanksgiving. As we did last year, we are cooking the non-traditional Thanksgiving Lamb. This practice makes me wonder if we should have turkey for Easter. My father and I are both big fans of Maurice Sendak’s artwork, and that is why I am glad he will finally get to see the Pacific Northwest Ballet version of “Nutcracker.” If you think “Nutcracker” is all spun-sugar and fluff (as many productions are), check out the original text by E.T.A. Hoffman, illustrated by Sendak. It’s a right proper journey to the place where the Wild Things are.
7) Edward Gorey published 1100 copies of The Lavender Leotard, and hand-painted each leotard on the covers of the books. Copies are rare and pricey. The Performing Arts Library of The New York Public Library owns a copy, and I wish I had thought to look for it before my summer trip to NYC.
8) Whenever I talk about my “Midlife Crisis Guitar,” I get comments along the lines of “Hey, you’re upgrading fast, aren’t you?” and “How many guitars do you need?” Answers: (a) I’m not going through my midlife crisis yet.* What are you implying, friend? (b) One for the beach, one for hiking, one for plane-travel, one for recording, one for performance, and one just for show.**
9) I’m dreading the inevitable onslaught of secular Christmas carols. They don’t offend me on a religious level, but I think that many of the melodies are ugly and obnoxious. Right now, “Silver Bells” is the only exception that comes to mind. I may publish my list of the songs I used for an Advent and Christmas mix-cd I made two years ago. Click here for a link to Kathy Mattea’s “Christ Child’s Lullaby” and here for Madeleine MacNeils’ “Lullaby From Poland." I want to learn to play both songs.
10) I have no plans to get a tattoo, but I enjoy thinking about possible artwork were I to go that route. Here is my latest hypothetical tattoo:
The illustration is of Jenny Linsky and her brothers from Jenny's Bedside Book, by Esther Averill. The umbrellas are presents from their feline seafaring friend, Jack Tar.I have no idea where I'd put the tattoo....Probably where I put all my previous hypothetical tattoos.
________
*I'm 34 1/2.
**Just kidding. Ultimately, I do want a full-sized guitar that’s not so deep, has lower action, sounds celestial when I play “On Top of Spaghetti” and looks good on me. This one would be quite satisfactory. It’s much, much cheaper than a red sportscar, but not as inexpensive as being satisfied with what I have.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Jenny's Bedside Book
I uploaded to my Amazon.com picture gallery 6 images of Jenny's Bedside Book by Esther Averill. I do not know why this is the only Jenny Linsky book not yet back in print. My copy, acquired recently, is in decent shape, but the price was low enough to justify the completion of my Jenny Linsky collection. A copy in "very good" condition was listed for $146.25. Ack!
Dear Diary, Preserve Me From the Trials of Tulle
For more scary pink tulle, click here.
Wednesday, whenever I had a free moment (and plenty of instances when I didn't), I worked on sewing a tutu for Lucia. If I had been satisfied with my results, I would have planned to make another tutu for Lucia's class auction project. Collectively, we're compiling a dress-up chest. I know that one can easily buy a tutu ready-made, but the nice ones are pricey. It's not because the material is expensive ($2 a yard) but because cutting tulle is akin to snipping air. Once the layers come together for gathering (another feat), the waistline gets bulky. I had to stitch most of the project by hand, and pricked my fingers constantly. There is blood on the waistband, but it's covered by a layer of silvery sequins. Lucia is pleased enough with the results, but I begged Bede not to let Lucia wear the tutu out of the house. "I will be mortified," I said. I was only 1/2 exaggerating.
Other sewing projects include:
-storytelling trousers in a black/pink harlequin diamond pattern
-flannel dress for the auction
-pajama bottoms for Bede
-purple rayon shirt for me (because I've given up finding a long-sleeved violet-purple shirt to my specifications)
-other possible dress-up clothes for the auction chest
Yesterday, Lucia did not have school, so I spent the whole day with her. We went for a walk in the newly-sunny weather, and afterward read "Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty" from The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories. One reviewer complained about "too much gossamer" in the text, but Lucia, ever the clothes-horse, wanted more gossamer. In one week, Lucia and her family will attend the Pacific Northwest Ballet production of "Nutcracker." She is excited to attend her first ballet, but we shall see how long she lasts through the actual production. "Nutcracker" isn't my favorite ballet, but Maurice Sendak's sets and costumes make repeat visits worthwhile.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
96
For children's literature fans...
The following books are from the Teachers' Top 100 Books listed on the National Education Association's page, compiled in 1999. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Mark the book selections you have read in bold. If you liked it, add a star (*) in front of the title, if you didn't, give it a minus (-). Then, put the total number of books you've read in the subject line.
*Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
*The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
*The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
-Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
-The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
*Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
-The Mitten by Jan Brett
*Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
*Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
*Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
*Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
*Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
*Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
*Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
-The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
-Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
*The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
*Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
-Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
*Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
*The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Giver by Lois Lowry
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
*James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
*The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
*Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
*Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
*Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
-The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
*Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Corduroy by Don Freeman
*Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
*Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
*Matilda by Roald Dahl
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
*Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
*The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
*Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
*One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
*The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
*The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
-The Napping House by Audrey Wood
-Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
*The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
-Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
* The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
*Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
*The Cay by Theodore Taylor
*Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
*Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown (Some)
*The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
*Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
-The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
*Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
*A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
*My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
-Stuart Little by E. B. White
*Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
*Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
-Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
*The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
-Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
*The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
Thanks to FuseNumber8 for the link. It's interesting to find out what books my friends and colleagues enjoy as well as what they detest. People's tempers can run blue-hot, too. I try to be careful when I discover books my friends love (truly love) that I detest. It's not my job to say, "The book that is dear to you is totally worthless and in fact has been a detriment to the human psyche since its publication" unless the person actively wants my opinion. If I leapt out of the library stacks, waving and shrieking, "Don't take The Giving Tree off of the shelf! Or if you do, make sure you bury it somewhere, and I will gladly pay your fines," I'd probably be chased by a horde of indignant colleagues right into the 364.152 section of the library.
I'm giving myself snaps for having read 96 out of the 100 on the list. It means I'm not totally out of the game.
The following books are from the Teachers' Top 100 Books listed on the National Education Association's page, compiled in 1999. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Mark the book selections you have read in bold. If you liked it, add a star (*) in front of the title, if you didn't, give it a minus (-). Then, put the total number of books you've read in the subject line.
*Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
*The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
*The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
-Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
-The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
*Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
-The Mitten by Jan Brett
*Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
*Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
*Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
*Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
*Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
*Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
*Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
-The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
-Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
*The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
*Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
-Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
*Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
*The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Giver by Lois Lowry
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
*James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
*The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
*Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
*Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
*Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
-The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
*Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Corduroy by Don Freeman
*Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
*Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
*Matilda by Roald Dahl
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
*Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
*The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
*Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
*One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
*The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
*The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
-The Napping House by Audrey Wood
-Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
*The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
-Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
* The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
*Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
*The Cay by Theodore Taylor
*Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
*Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown (Some)
*The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
*Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
-The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
*Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
*A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
*My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
-Stuart Little by E. B. White
*Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
*Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
-Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
*The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
-Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
*The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
Thanks to FuseNumber8 for the link. It's interesting to find out what books my friends and colleagues enjoy as well as what they detest. People's tempers can run blue-hot, too. I try to be careful when I discover books my friends love (truly love) that I detest. It's not my job to say, "The book that is dear to you is totally worthless and in fact has been a detriment to the human psyche since its publication" unless the person actively wants my opinion. If I leapt out of the library stacks, waving and shrieking, "Don't take The Giving Tree off of the shelf! Or if you do, make sure you bury it somewhere, and I will gladly pay your fines," I'd probably be chased by a horde of indignant colleagues right into the 364.152 section of the library.
I'm giving myself snaps for having read 96 out of the 100 on the list. It means I'm not totally out of the game.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Naptime
I just had to rip out a section of stitches for the children's size 8 dress I'm working on. I'm cross-eyed with sleepiness. I should have learned by now that I should not sew when it is too hot or I am too tired. When I was four years old, my parents told me that one day I would actively want to take naps. I didn't believe them.
I think everyone should have the opportunity to take siestas. Then again, I'm one of the most vocal advocates for humans to hibernate in winter. Those who live in year-round warm climates have my blessing to opt out of hibernation if they so desire. Just let me sleep, please.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Sidewalks of New York
Down in front of Casey's old gray wooden stoop
Boys and girls together, oh we formed a merry group
On those summer evenings we would sing and waltz
While Jackie played the organ on the sidewalks of New York.
East Side, West Side, all around the town
The tots play Ring-a-Round-Rosie, London Bridge is Falling Down.
Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke
Tripped the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York.
--James Blake & Charles Lawler.
Boys and girls together, oh we formed a merry group
On those summer evenings we would sing and waltz
While Jackie played the organ on the sidewalks of New York.
East Side, West Side, all around the town
The tots play Ring-a-Round-Rosie, London Bridge is Falling Down.
Boys and girls together, me and Mamie O'Rourke
Tripped the light fantastic on the sidewalks of New York.
--James Blake & Charles Lawler.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Gilded Bat
"Maudie was only five when she was discovered gazing at a dead bird by Madame Trepidovska.
Madame, once assoluta at the Maryinsky, informed the Splaytoes that the child was to be her pupil.
Long years of study began at her ballet school above a row of shops.
Maudie first came before the public as a sparrow in Bain d'Oiseaux, devised by Madame to display her students' abilities.
Her life was rather monotonous.
She became aware of what real ballet was when Madame took her to one of Solepsiskaya's innumerable farewell performances."
--from The Gilded Bat, by Edward Gorey
Yesterday, I received my used, out-of-print copy of Edward Gorey's The Gilded Bat, the story of the ballerina Mirella Splatova (née Maudie Splaytoes). I scanned four photos (including the cover), which you may view here. Splatova's life is "somewhat dreary" and "fairly tedious." However, her costumes are spectacular, and she ends up becoming "the reigning ballerina of the age." Gorey himself makes an appearance as Baron de Zabrus. You can also spot him here in the opening credits to the television series Mystery!* Gorey is the man with the big beard and fur coat. Oh, and here's another set of opening credits.
In other news, I've adopted a virtual bat:
Note to Bede: this is still a good idea for a present.
Thanks to The Dark Blonde for the bat pet link.
*I was never a Mystery! fan, but I used to stay in the room just for the opening credits.
Madame, once assoluta at the Maryinsky, informed the Splaytoes that the child was to be her pupil.
Long years of study began at her ballet school above a row of shops.
Maudie first came before the public as a sparrow in Bain d'Oiseaux, devised by Madame to display her students' abilities.
Her life was rather monotonous.
She became aware of what real ballet was when Madame took her to one of Solepsiskaya's innumerable farewell performances."
--from The Gilded Bat, by Edward Gorey
Yesterday, I received my used, out-of-print copy of Edward Gorey's The Gilded Bat, the story of the ballerina Mirella Splatova (née Maudie Splaytoes). I scanned four photos (including the cover), which you may view here. Splatova's life is "somewhat dreary" and "fairly tedious." However, her costumes are spectacular, and she ends up becoming "the reigning ballerina of the age." Gorey himself makes an appearance as Baron de Zabrus. You can also spot him here in the opening credits to the television series Mystery!* Gorey is the man with the big beard and fur coat. Oh, and here's another set of opening credits.
In other news, I've adopted a virtual bat:
| adopt your own virtual pet! |
Note to Bede: this is still a good idea for a present.
Thanks to The Dark Blonde for the bat pet link.
*I was never a Mystery! fan, but I used to stay in the room just for the opening credits.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Poetry Friday: "Hey, Little Red Bird"
"Hey Little Red Bird" is an original song by Dan Zanes. Zanes has the song chords published in the key of F, with regular A flats and B flats. No thank you! I like to listen to those chords, but I don't like to play them. I've transposed the song into the key of D. There's still a pesky F chord in the song, but playing it is much more managable now.
Hey, little red bird
Hey, little red bird gone again
Up into the clouds you're gone again
You sang a beautiful song but you're gone, gone, gone,
I'll catch up somehow...
I asked a fortune teller dragonfly
Who just happened to be passing by
She said it wouldn't be long for that song, that song
And I believed her somehow
--Dan Zanes
For complete lyrics and a song sample, click here.
I'm off to my guitar lesson, now.
Hey, little red bird
Hey, little red bird gone again
Up into the clouds you're gone again
You sang a beautiful song but you're gone, gone, gone,
I'll catch up somehow...
I asked a fortune teller dragonfly
Who just happened to be passing by
She said it wouldn't be long for that song, that song
And I believed her somehow
--Dan Zanes
For complete lyrics and a song sample, click here.
I'm off to my guitar lesson, now.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Secrets I keep from my daughter
In the second drawer of my bureau, I am hiding a paper Victorian dollhouse that opens into a carousel shape. Lucia has played with a similar paper-dollhouse before, but she is not the most careful of toddlers when it comes to keeping the little pieces all together. I have a "bits box" where I put all of the little crowns and scepters I find on the floors, behind beds, and under couches, but they vanish anyway. Someday, I'll let Lucia play with my paperdoll house. Right now, it's mine, mine, all mine.
I'm also keeping my fairy tale books illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman on the top shelf of my bookcase. Lucia wants me to read them to her, but I'm not ready. That's what I say to her: "I'm not yet ready to read these books to you. Someday, I will read you these books, but not today." We've started reading some folk and fairy tales together, but they're more along the lines of "The Three Billy Goat's Gruff" and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Also, "Stone Soup" and "The Old Lady Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle" are new favorites, too. Lucia won't eat soup, but she does like to hear stories about soup.
As you know, I have some issues with the Disney versions of the fairy tales. As a child, I enjoyed "Sleeping Beauty" and "Cinderella," but I have to be honest with you: what I liked best about the films were the costumes and stage-sets. I couldn't care less about winning the love of the handsome prince (my tastes ran more toward Superman and Han Solo), but oh, those fabulous clothes. I even coveted Cinderella's plain house-dress, and wished I could make a dress like it. Of course, I admired the glittery evening dress with long white gloves. Snow White's clothing didn't thrill me. I thought her dresses lacked proper swish.
I suspect that Lucia will have similar reactions to the Disney films when she finally sees them someday. Her favorite Playmobil dollies are the ones with poofy dresses and their "feet peeping out." Then again, her first word was "gace" (her attempt to say "lace"). Right now, I'm in no hurry for Lucia to see the films. If she gets it into her head that princesses don't wear sleeves on their dresses, it is going to be one long winter around here.
Memo to princesses of the world, royal and otherwise: will you please wear more dresses with long sleeves? I'd appreciate it if you'd wear mittens, coats and hats, too. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, for the most part, you are off the hook, even though you look a bit chilly here. Put on a sweater. Please. You're making my teeth chatter just by looking at you.
P.S. Today, I started telling Lucia, "Princesses don't eat boogers." Princesses of the world, I'm counting on you to back me up on this one.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Twenty-Five Things That Make Me Happy
A Wrung Sponge asked readers to write down twenty-five things that made them happy. Sure thing! I’ll list my items in groups of 5.
Five children’s books:
1) Constance—Patricia Clapp
2) The School for Cats—Esther Averill
3) Daughter of the Moon—Gregory Maguire
4) Dinner at Alberta’s—Russell Hoban (illustrated by James Marshall)
5) Henrietta’s House (UK)/Blue Hills (USA)—Elizabeth Goudge
Five folktales:
1) Why the Tides Ebb and Flow— retold by Joan Chase Bowden
2) The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle— retold by Margaret Read MacDonald
3) Two Of Everything— retold by Lily Toy Hong
4) Lazy Jack— retold by Joseph Jacobs
5) “Talk” (i.e. "the talking yam story")—from The Cow-Tail Switch, retold by Harold Courlander
Five finger puppets:
Five children’s books:
1) Constance—Patricia Clapp
2) The School for Cats—Esther Averill
3) Daughter of the Moon—Gregory Maguire
4) Dinner at Alberta’s—Russell Hoban (illustrated by James Marshall)
5) Henrietta’s House (UK)/Blue Hills (USA)—Elizabeth Goudge
Five folktales:
1) Why the Tides Ebb and Flow— retold by Joan Chase Bowden
2) The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle— retold by Margaret Read MacDonald
3) Two Of Everything— retold by Lily Toy Hong
4) Lazy Jack— retold by Joseph Jacobs
5) “Talk” (i.e. "the talking yam story")—from The Cow-Tail Switch, retold by Harold Courlander
Five finger puppets:
Five camp skits:
1) JC Penny (In my outdoor education class, I saw this skit as "Thom McCann.")
2) Good news and bad news
3) The Man and the Coffin
4) The Most Horrible Thing in the World
5) Moon Trip
Five songs to play on the guitar in the key of G:
1) City of New Orleans
2) Orphan Girl
3) Lavender’s Blue
4) Can’t Let Go
5) On the Sunny Side of the Street
Monday, November 06, 2006
Pirate Tre(a)sure
When I was seven years old, I planned to market a board game called "Pirate Treasure." I decided it would revolutionize the industry. When the initial beta-testing didn't go over as well as I would have liked, I abandoned the game for other projects... plays, novels, dance performances, and once, a carnival. I planned to make money from the things I loved to do. However, when one of our neighbors gave me 10 cents for my dance performance, I had to give the money back. Crivens!
Here is the game:
Here is the game:
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Face to Face with Death:Redux
My mom sent me another package with my primary school short-stories, sketchbooks filled with drawings, letters, and the calenders she kept for the first two years of my life. Included in the package is my first murder mystery story, Face to Face with Death (first referenced here.)
I neither read nor liked mysteries, and I did not watch horror movies. In sixth grade, I went to a birthday party sleepover where the rented movie was "Jaws II." I protested, and we ended up watching a television movie called Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story. How, then, do I explain wanting to write stories that would make my parents and peers faint with shock and dismay?
[Insert "Mwa ha ha"s plus flashes of lighting and crashes of thunder here.]
FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH: A STORY OF TERROR
By Alkelda the Gurlie, 10 years old Copyright 1982
The house didn’t look very scary. It was painted bright pink and the windows had colored glass. True, the paint was crumbly, and the windows weren’t dusted, and the steps had cobwebs and—well I could go on forever, but it didn’t seem true that the house was haunted. Let me tell you a story about that haunted house.
* * *
Mary Markman was walking past that haunted house (don’t ask me why) and all of a sudden she saw a shadow in the house, and being curious, Mary decided to check the house out.
Mary opened the door and found that it creaked. She left it open so she could identify it if she needed to go out quickly. Mary walked into a hall and found a corpse hanging by its neck. She ran for the door but with a creak, the door closed itself. Mary hurried to the door and tried to open it, but the door was stuck! She looked at the ceiling in anguish and drops of blood came dripping down.
All of a sudden a person jumped out with a wicked smile on its face. Mary gave a scream, and the person stabbed her with his knife. Then he cut off her head, and buckets of blood came pouring out! Mary was dead.
The next evening everyone was looking for her, and I mean everyone. Her lover Martin Gold was pearing [sic] into every nook and corner.
Martin was walking by The House when he gave a cry of surprise. There on the steps was Mary’s handkerchief!
Martin ran to tell everyone else, but they said, “Why don’t you search inside the house?”
“I will,” thought Martin. And so he did.
Martin threw open the door, and saw his lover dead with blood all over!
Martin was determined to find the murderer, so he ventured further. He saw the hanging corpse, but he did not cower.
Martin passed skeletons and bats, when he reached the end of the hallway. Suddenly a wall opened, and Martin was face to face with Mary’s murderer with a shining knife in his hands!
Martin whipped out his knife, and they had a battle, each thirsting for each other’s blood!
Suddenly the murderer threw his knife at Martin’s heart. Martin crumpled into a heap with blood and guts everywhere, for he was dead also!
The next day the missing lovers were in the paper, the police offering a reward to anyone finding them.
William Lovell was one of the people who read the paper. He too loved a girl who was Jane Telephone. Jane would have nothing to do with William unless William proved himself. So this was a good chance to prove himself to Jane.
William started to read the paper, and he found out that Martin Gold had gone into the old house. William decided to search in the house. Since he had been a Cub Scout when he was a boy, he took a knife, a flashlight, a camera and a poison dart gun. Then, he told a group of reporters to come to the house, and they agreed.
When they got to the house, William took a couple of reporters into the house. There they saw Mary and Martin dead. “Hmm,” William thought. “I’m going to have to make an investigation of this.”
“Really?” said a voice. William reached out for his flashlight, and turned it on so that it shone in the person’s face, and saw the murderer.
The murderer looked strange. It kind of shimmered like a ghost. It was a ghost! Then William thought, “I don’t know if I can drive away a ghost, but I’ll try.”
The ghost said, “I know what you’re thinking, coward.”
William said, “Coward yourself,” and with that he lunged for the ghost, but missed.
“Ha ha,” said the ghost. “There’s only one thing that can kill me! Ha ha!”
William thought desperately. Then he knew. His mother was very superstitious, and made William carry millet seeds “to drive away the ghost” she said. Fortunately, he still had them. [After reading the rough draft-- which coincidentally was also the final draft-- my father pointed out that you couldn’t kill something that was already dead. This revelation complicated the plot of my story, but I made the appropriate adjustments. After all, verisimilitude was important.]
“Really! I have a present for you,” and William threw the millet seeds on the ghost.
The ghost screamed and disappeared. “Thank goodness for that,” sighed William. “Now Jane will accept me.”
But he was wrong. Even though William was very brave, Jane said, “I’ll believe you if you make the lovers alive.”
“Good grief, Jane, why can’t you accept me as I am?”
“Do as I say, or I will never be yours.” And with that, Jane parted.
“What am I going to do?” thought William.
“I know,” said a strange voice, or was it strange?
“Who are you?” cried William.
“I am the ghost you fought and I have repented. I will go and return the lovers to life, and I will make everybody but you forget what happened.”
“Thanks,” said William, but the ghost was gone.
William was just going home, when he heard two voices arguing. They seemed to be arguing about relationships. William turned around to see—Martin and Mary! “But,” he thought, “the ghost must have gotten things mixed up.”
Suddenly, Mary came over to say to William, “I like you much better than that worm Martin.”
And William asked, “Really? I’m delighted!”
Suddenly, Jane came over and said to William, “I’ll never change my mind because Martin just asked me to marry him, so ha!” And she flounced away from him.
Surprisingly, William really liked Mary, and he really detested Jane.
“But,” thought William, “the ghost sure did change things, including me!”
THE END
About the Author
[These notes often appeared at the ends of my stories, along with book review blurbs.]
When Alkelda the Gurlie was 10, she wrote this book. She has written many books. One of her first books was called Elenor [sic]. She wrote that when she was 7.
Another book of hers was called Brown Berry, but nobody has read it yet. Still another from the pile was called Poems.
One day for Creative Writing, Mrs.T_____ (her 5th grade Reading/Language teacher) said that since it was near Halloween, that a group of people write a very, very, very scary story, and Alkelda, being a book and writer worm, wrote many pages [6 ½] to a book called Face to Face With Death. This is one of her best stories besides Invasion of the Chocolate Lovers, The Mystery of the Book Snatchers, and Invasion of the Queenflies. She is now working on a book with her [writing] partner, S______. If you have any questions, ask Alkelda the Gurlie, and she will be glad to answer them. Good reading!
I neither read nor liked mysteries, and I did not watch horror movies. In sixth grade, I went to a birthday party sleepover where the rented movie was "Jaws II." I protested, and we ended up watching a television movie called Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story. How, then, do I explain wanting to write stories that would make my parents and peers faint with shock and dismay?
[Insert "Mwa ha ha"s plus flashes of lighting and crashes of thunder here.]
FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH: A STORY OF TERROR
By Alkelda the Gurlie, 10 years old Copyright 1982
The house didn’t look very scary. It was painted bright pink and the windows had colored glass. True, the paint was crumbly, and the windows weren’t dusted, and the steps had cobwebs and—well I could go on forever, but it didn’t seem true that the house was haunted. Let me tell you a story about that haunted house.
* * *
Mary Markman was walking past that haunted house (don’t ask me why) and all of a sudden she saw a shadow in the house, and being curious, Mary decided to check the house out.
Mary opened the door and found that it creaked. She left it open so she could identify it if she needed to go out quickly. Mary walked into a hall and found a corpse hanging by its neck. She ran for the door but with a creak, the door closed itself. Mary hurried to the door and tried to open it, but the door was stuck! She looked at the ceiling in anguish and drops of blood came dripping down.
All of a sudden a person jumped out with a wicked smile on its face. Mary gave a scream, and the person stabbed her with his knife. Then he cut off her head, and buckets of blood came pouring out! Mary was dead.
The next evening everyone was looking for her, and I mean everyone. Her lover Martin Gold was pearing [sic] into every nook and corner.
Martin was walking by The House when he gave a cry of surprise. There on the steps was Mary’s handkerchief!
Martin ran to tell everyone else, but they said, “Why don’t you search inside the house?”
“I will,” thought Martin. And so he did.
Martin threw open the door, and saw his lover dead with blood all over!
Martin was determined to find the murderer, so he ventured further. He saw the hanging corpse, but he did not cower.
Martin passed skeletons and bats, when he reached the end of the hallway. Suddenly a wall opened, and Martin was face to face with Mary’s murderer with a shining knife in his hands!
Martin whipped out his knife, and they had a battle, each thirsting for each other’s blood!
Suddenly the murderer threw his knife at Martin’s heart. Martin crumpled into a heap with blood and guts everywhere, for he was dead also!
The next day the missing lovers were in the paper, the police offering a reward to anyone finding them.
William Lovell was one of the people who read the paper. He too loved a girl who was Jane Telephone. Jane would have nothing to do with William unless William proved himself. So this was a good chance to prove himself to Jane.
William started to read the paper, and he found out that Martin Gold had gone into the old house. William decided to search in the house. Since he had been a Cub Scout when he was a boy, he took a knife, a flashlight, a camera and a poison dart gun. Then, he told a group of reporters to come to the house, and they agreed.
When they got to the house, William took a couple of reporters into the house. There they saw Mary and Martin dead. “Hmm,” William thought. “I’m going to have to make an investigation of this.”
“Really?” said a voice. William reached out for his flashlight, and turned it on so that it shone in the person’s face, and saw the murderer.
The murderer looked strange. It kind of shimmered like a ghost. It was a ghost! Then William thought, “I don’t know if I can drive away a ghost, but I’ll try.”
The ghost said, “I know what you’re thinking, coward.”
William said, “Coward yourself,” and with that he lunged for the ghost, but missed.
“Ha ha,” said the ghost. “There’s only one thing that can kill me! Ha ha!”
William thought desperately. Then he knew. His mother was very superstitious, and made William carry millet seeds “to drive away the ghost” she said. Fortunately, he still had them. [After reading the rough draft-- which coincidentally was also the final draft-- my father pointed out that you couldn’t kill something that was already dead. This revelation complicated the plot of my story, but I made the appropriate adjustments. After all, verisimilitude was important.]
“Really! I have a present for you,” and William threw the millet seeds on the ghost.
The ghost screamed and disappeared. “Thank goodness for that,” sighed William. “Now Jane will accept me.”
But he was wrong. Even though William was very brave, Jane said, “I’ll believe you if you make the lovers alive.”
“Good grief, Jane, why can’t you accept me as I am?”
“Do as I say, or I will never be yours.” And with that, Jane parted.
“What am I going to do?” thought William.
“I know,” said a strange voice, or was it strange?
“Who are you?” cried William.
“I am the ghost you fought and I have repented. I will go and return the lovers to life, and I will make everybody but you forget what happened.”
“Thanks,” said William, but the ghost was gone.
William was just going home, when he heard two voices arguing. They seemed to be arguing about relationships. William turned around to see—Martin and Mary! “But,” he thought, “the ghost must have gotten things mixed up.”
Suddenly, Mary came over to say to William, “I like you much better than that worm Martin.”
And William asked, “Really? I’m delighted!”
Suddenly, Jane came over and said to William, “I’ll never change my mind because Martin just asked me to marry him, so ha!” And she flounced away from him.
Surprisingly, William really liked Mary, and he really detested Jane.
“But,” thought William, “the ghost sure did change things, including me!”
THE END
About the Author
[These notes often appeared at the ends of my stories, along with book review blurbs.]
When Alkelda the Gurlie was 10, she wrote this book. She has written many books. One of her first books was called Elenor [sic]. She wrote that when she was 7.
Another book of hers was called Brown Berry, but nobody has read it yet. Still another from the pile was called Poems.
One day for Creative Writing, Mrs.T_____ (her 5th grade Reading/Language teacher) said that since it was near Halloween, that a group of people write a very, very, very scary story, and Alkelda, being a book and writer worm, wrote many pages [6 ½] to a book called Face to Face With Death. This is one of her best stories besides Invasion of the Chocolate Lovers, The Mystery of the Book Snatchers, and Invasion of the Queenflies. She is now working on a book with her [writing] partner, S______. If you have any questions, ask Alkelda the Gurlie, and she will be glad to answer them. Good reading!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Poetry Friday
When I was a newbie librarian, I was ambitious about introducting poetry into my storytimes. For the poem "Someone," I turned down the lights and asked children to keep the beat by knocking on the floor. These days, I'd play the guitar and make up a simple melody for the poem. I've found that I can get away with presenting poetry when I set it to music. Now, you know my secret. It's a handy one to have if you ever need to memorize poetry.
SOMEONE
Someone came knocking
At my wee, small door;
Someone came knocking,
I'm sure - sure - sure;
I listened, I opened,
I looked to left and right,
But naught there was a-stirring
In the still dark night;
Only the busy beetle
Tap-tapping in the wall,
Only from the forest
The screech-owl's call,
Only the cricket whistling
While the dewdrops fall,
So I know not who came knocking,
At all, at all, at all.
--Walter de la Mare
Other poems I'd like to set to my own simple melodies for storytimes:
The Quangle-Wangle's Hat--Edward Lear
Ode to Common Things--Pablo Neruda (full-text poem linked via a blog called Pomegranates and Paper... oh yeah, and the "common thing" of a handbag featured is lovely indeed)
The Swing--Robert Louis Stevenson
SOMEONE
Someone came knocking
At my wee, small door;
Someone came knocking,
I'm sure - sure - sure;
I listened, I opened,
I looked to left and right,
But naught there was a-stirring
In the still dark night;
Only the busy beetle
Tap-tapping in the wall,
Only from the forest
The screech-owl's call,
Only the cricket whistling
While the dewdrops fall,
So I know not who came knocking,
At all, at all, at all.
--Walter de la Mare
Other poems I'd like to set to my own simple melodies for storytimes:
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Skeleton Stories
El Dia de Los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) is one of my favorite holidays, even though I know very little about it other than that as an outsider to Mexican culture. My eyes are that of a tourist’s who sees the pageantry of the celebration but not the whole picture. Still, something makes me kvell to the array of cheerful skeletons.*
Today is All Soul’s Day, and the third day of the El Dia de Los Muertos festival. For the past five years, Bede has successfully restrained me from acquiring Day of the Dead dioramas, but this year, I bought a pop-up card to be my little shrine.
Today, I'm celebrating with skeleton stories:
A funny story:
The Dancing Skeleton
"Oooooweeee! Ain't we havin' fun!"
**A scary/romantic story:
Skeleton Woman
(you can find an in-print version of this story in Women Who Run With the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes)
***A scary/creepy story:
Skeleton Woman (& Magic Woman)
And more. If you're just in the mood for a good alphabet book, check out Calavera Abecedario: A Day Of The Dead Alphabet Book, by Jeanette Winter. "F" is for Frida Kahlo!
*I like cheerful skeletons, just as I like cheerful bats.
**I've told this story quite a bit.
***I've told this story more often than I should've.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
All Saints' Day 2006
Happy All Saints' Day! Celebrate the day with saints action figures. Someday, I'll concoct another batch for your collection.
(Yes, this is a place-holder post.)
(Yes, this is a place-holder post.)
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