I’m currently reading Zamba by Ralph Helfer and I must write these paragraphs before I get too far in and lose them…
“For some reason, Zamba’s behavior was appalling that evening. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. As soon as we got there, he spotted the lady’s artificial rabbit skin coat – and attacked it, giving it quite a thrashing. When I finally got it away from him, it was ripped and torn to pieces. Personally, I didn’t mind, but once he had finished “killing the rabbit,” he proceeded to pee on the furniture! As dinner was served, he gave an explosive sneeze and a shake, thoroughly spraying the meal with lion snot. And during the dinner, he wandered off into the kitchen and helped himself to a drink from the punch bowl.
Although our hosts were gracious, I couldn’t wait to get him out of there, and I said our good-byes with a palpable sense of relief. Unfortunately, Zamba wasn’t through. On the way out, he pinned their Great Dane to the floor and wouldn’t let him up. They thought he was going to kill their pet! Needless to say, we weren’t asked back.”
Oh, I forgot to mention Zamba, the dinner guest, is actually a full grown, 500-pound lion. Did he get the head of the table honors? ;-)
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Zamba (notes)
Friday, April 28, 2006
3K's Save the Day! (copy)
As you may guess, I read plenty of books, combining work and pleasure. With the abundance also comes confusion, they tend to meld together and I need tricks to tell them apart. One trick I would like to share helps me remember the basics of juvenile historical fiction. When I refer to the word juvenile, I mean a reading level appropriate for fourth through eighth graders.
Everyone knows ABCs, 123s, and the three Rs (reading, writing, & arithmetic) refer to the basics for learning. The three Ks (Karen Hesse, Karen Cushman & Katherine Paterson) remind me of the basics of juvenile historical fiction. The three Ks are excellent authors who will hook any child, with a taste for the past, into reading. However, the Ks are not an inclusive list, just an entry point for the novice reader.
Karen Hesse and Katherine Paterson are extremely important to the three Ks for they include books to entice young male readers. Karen Hesse has written a sea-faring tale based on the logbooks of Captain Cook titled Stowaway.
Eleven-year-old Nicholas stows away on Captain Cook’s vessel Endeavor, living with the livestock until his discovery. To far from shore to send him swimming, Nicholas becomes the lowest member of the crew. The story, complete with sea charts and based in fact, will have your reader saying, “Aye-Aye.”
Katherine Paterson’s Jip begins in the pre-civil war north sympathetic to runaway slaves. Young Jip’s earliest memory is falling from a moving horse cart, resulting in amnesia. Unsure who his parents are or where he is from, Jip becomes a farm hand. Then one day a stranger rides into town and claims Jip as his very own and the real trouble begins.
It is fair to say Karen Cushman has found her niche in historical fiction, from the independent minded female perspective. The main characters in Catherine, Called Birdy, Midwife’s Apprentice, and Rodzina are so well developed you not only live the historical eras but also sigh when the books end. No mindless girls for Cushman, she fills her characters with vim and vigor. These are perfect for that sassy daughter seeking adventure.
Other historical books by the three Ks include Preacher’s Boy, Lyddie, and Out of the Dust. Caution, these authors also write realistic fiction: so consult a librarian or salesperson if you have questions. By remembering the three Ks, you won’t go wrong recommending them to young history buffs.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Ah, the joys of book discussions...
Book discussion this past Monday centered on Harold Kushner’s Living a Life that Matters. The event, led by Dr. Chuck Strong, poised tough questions of the audience. He led with, “What type of person are you?” then pulled back to let us reflect on the question.
Well, what a question and I’m not sure I could answer it. I imagine I could pull myself out of a set of categories, but the categories would be too rigid, meaning I’m apt to change depending on the circumstances. What?
Let’s examine honesty. I was too honest as a child and my mother reined me in constantly. I didn’t realize that my spouting opinions could hurt feelings. So, I learned the art of “little white lies” as a socially more acceptable persona. I don’t feel any less honest from the technique because I truly enjoy making people happy.
The group also focused on leaders and the compromises they make: in specific, recognition for accomplishments that had to involve a little bad with the good. Why? They threw a nice soirée for me when I left Como and I felt it was because of my good deeds. I was embarrassed but also elated that people even noticed my work.
It was a wonderful discussion and Dr. Strong was an excellent facilitator. Ah, the joys of chatting-up a thought provoking book.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Mississippi in Africa (Copy)
“He is eighty-six years old, his eyes appear bewilderingly large behind Coke-bottle lenses, and most of his teeth are gone…He says he remembers the soldiers touching the columned mansions of Mississippi during the civil war, remembers eating crawfish in Louisiana, and collard greens and okra. He remembers crossing the languorous river that flows between Mississippi and Louisiana in a canoe.”
Can you picture a setting, a certain time period, say early nineteen hundreds? The man is definitely in the South, right? Reread the quoted passage and see if your mind’s eye becomes clearer.
This quote is from the book, Mississippi in Africa by Alan Huffman.
Author Huffman is interviewing a man in Liberia, Africa in the year 2001. He is just one of many descendants of slaves given their freedom by plantation owner, Isaac Ross, Jr. in 1838.
This 86 year-old man may be optically challenged, but his mind is said to be sharp. He is remembering an easier life before the civil war of 1990: time when Liberia was controlled by his ancestors from America. He remembers the giant plantation homes where coffee and sugar were cash crops. He speaks of a river that separates the Mississippi and Louisiana settlements in the African county of Sinoe.
This book relates the incredible story you may have heard growing up in Mississippi. An 1845 fire engulfs a mansion called Prospect Hill in Jefferson County, MS and takes the life of “little Martha Richardson”. A fire said to have been set by angry slaves. Slaves that were granted freedom in Isaac Ross’ 1838 will, but contested by grandson Isaac Ross Wade.
Huffman is on a quest to find the real story behind this legend; a journey that begins in Mississippi history, and travels through to current day Liberia, and then back to the answer in Mississippi. If you like Southern history or current politics this book is for you. A fine addition to any Mississippian’s bookshelf.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Art of Possibility (Copy)
Around the age of ten, Mother allowed me to spend the night with my new friend Suzanne. A huge event because Suzanne’s family lived in a brand new, paint-still-drying house, and I being ten didn’t get out much.
As we were getting ready for bed, Suzanne’s mom pops her head in and says, “When you settle down I’ll tell you a story.” Suzanne began to ham it up, “This is the best story!”, “You will want to tell everyone!”, “Mom will have you in stitches!” and so on like a Barnum and Bailey circus barker. Therefore, I calmed down as fast as anyone full of popcorn and coke, could.
With our feet tucked in and the covers to our chins, Suzanne’s mom commences with the story…There is a family with twin sons. One son is an eternal optimist and the other a perpetual pessimist…Brief intermission to allow for definitions…
Well, a local doctor claims he can cure the boys. He fills one room full of toys and another full of manure. The doctor leads the brothers down a long hallway and places them in the separate rooms: optimist with manure and pessimist amongst the toys. Before five minutes are up, the pessimist is screaming and wailing in his room.
Both parents rush down the hall to his aid. After opening the door, the pessimist starts complaining about the broken toys, and the lack of a playmate. Some toys are too small for him and some require assembling, etc.
The parents then realize their other son is awful quiet in his room. Fearing the worst, they inch open the door and are almost hit in the face with manure. Here they see their optimistic son digging furiously like a dog. Upon seeing them at the door the son shouts, “Throw me a shovel! With all this manure, there’s bound to be a pony!”
Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander, will have you shouting, “Where’s the pony!” after reading their new book The Art of Possibility. This husband and wife super duo has learned to solve problems with the left sides of their brains. Problem solving that is “outside the box” and lends well to any professional or personal life.
If the Zander name sounds familiar, good, Benjamin is the current conductor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and wife Rosamund is a noted psychotherapist. She is also a budding artist and when the couple has trouble at work, she literally draws possible solutions. Let this book draw you in and show you new roads less fret with manure.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Fib Poetry
I ordered two books about Fibonacci number sequencing. We are supposed to inspire our college students in the math and science areas. Personally, I’d rather inspire them to read…
Read!
Read!
Pick Up
Book and Read!
Mississippi Read!
Let’s stop brunt of joke harassment!
Painting by Margot Hutcheson http://www.wattersgallery.com/
Being Dead is No Excuse (copy)
Years ago, I attended the funeral for my childhood babysitter. A next-door neighbor to my grandparents since 1945, Mrs. Baber was always eager to keep us. She possessed many talents like doodling on paper and gossiping on the phone simultaneously 
while my brother and I banged away on her sturdy upright piano. Only one rule was strictly enforced. We had to be quiet when As the World Turns came on.
It was a rather lovely service, loads of flowers and tasteful music, plus an enthusiastic new Church of Christ minister. As the minister spoke eloquently of Mrs. Baber I must have looked slightly confused. “Sweetheart,” my grandmother leaned over to me and asked, “Who is he talking about?” Our tears were a respectful yet guilty pleasure.
This is how I feel about the book, Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. It is a guilty pleasure we all need to read. Had Mrs. Baber received traditional burial in the Mississippi Delta by a St. James rector, we may have missed the “nudge-producing eulogy” on page 30.
Although the title hints at advice for planning a funeral “to die for” it is really a “learn from our mistakes” and laugh book. Don’t be “caught dead” with lackluster flowers and dull dirges. Let the authors suggest a song from the “Delta Funeral Hit Parade” or staples for the well-stocked “Eternal Pantry”.
Recipes to enhance any after-funeral buffet table follow each chapter. Included are comfort foods like Healing Cheese Grits, Liketa Died Potatoes, and Tomato Aspic with homemade mayonnaise. If you are reading the book just for fun, don’t skip over the recipes. The authors have included fun jabs at the Methodist cooks whom enhance their specialties with canned soup.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
5 Rules of Library Science
- Books are for use.
- Every reader his book.
- Every book his reader.
- Save the time of the reader.
- The library is a growing organism.
The Five Laws of Library Science by S.R. Ranganathan
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Copy)
Quite baffled, I finished the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. I was looking for a fun read-aloud, full of adventure, for third through fifth graders. What I found was a story brimming with Christian symbols of Easter. Not at all what I would say a “pleasure to read aloud” unless you like the tissue inducing sniffle sound.
Our hero, Edward Tulane, is a rabbit commissioned by a grandmother for wealthy young Abilene. His china body is delicately white and hollow with beautiful fur ears and tail. His intelligent eyes shine sea-blue but his calm exterior mask a flawed personality. Edward is unable to love, instead preferring to fuss and preen with his own finery.
What makes Edward uncaring? Mistress Abilene extends quality time to him every morning. Paying extra attention to straightening his hat before leaving the house to attend school, she places Edward in the head-of-the-house chair, where he awaits her happy return. He is never alone, as she sets a pocket watch on his lap to help pass the hours. Abilene loves Edward.
Sound like a sweet unassuming story, right? I mean a child could read the book and cry a little when Sarah Ruth dies and move on. The pre-teen may never see the Christian parallels because they remain understated. Therefore, I do see the need to read it aloud between adult and child, but not to a classroom.
Author Kate DiCamillo never admits to the real nature of the book in interviews. She does state that children can handle death and it should not be a forbidden subject. She even tells reporters she wrote Edward’s story before her Newbery Medal winner, The Tale of Despereaux, but waited to publish it. She was afraid fans would not take to Edward’s plight otherwise.
With success comes confidence and DiCamillo instructed her publishers to release the book for spring, a season coinciding with Easter celebrations. If you do chose to read it with children, please scan it first alone. This will help you explain Edward’s sad body on the cross. The illustration by Bagram Ibatoulline is quite haunting.
Edward’s miraculous journey starts when he falls overboard an ocean liner in the Atlantic. It is here, where the china rabbit becomes a metaphor for man lost at sea. I do not feel Edward represents Jesus rather us sinful humans. Then again, you may read the book and decide; hey, he’s just a bunny.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Staff Pick #2
Ran across this review still on First Regional's webpage. I'm sure this will be lost when they finish revamping.
Shadows of Ghadames won the Batchelder Award for 2005 and it 
deserved it! I was also lucky enough to read this years winner, An Innocent Soldier by Josef Holub. Both galleys were in my eager hands prior to winning the awards thanks to Dr. Atkinson from UofA.
The following reviews and suggested books have been compiled by members of the First Regional Library staff. If a title is highlighted, click on it to find more information about the book. **Last Updated 3/11/05.**
The Shadows of Ghadames by Joelle Stolz & Catherine Temerson (Translator) Reviewed by Maggie Moran, Como Public Library 
The old city of nineteenth century Ghadames comes alive in this historical fiction set in North Africa’s Libya. Malika at the awkward age of twelve straddles the world of grown-ups and children. Her brother Jasim shares the same awkwardness and will soon be banished to the ground level of Ghadames. In this Muslim country which edges the Sahara desert men use the ground floor passageways while the women travel on the rooftops. For fun the children decide they will race on the rooftop like when they were little. Aware this race may be his last Jasim is quick to claim the side closest the ground. Younger sister, Malika, is forced to take the steeper, three story side. As she mounts the four inch wide edge she experiences slight vertigo. So, she takes off her sash and ties it over her eyes to block the view. With a quiet whisper, “Oh help me, great goddess Tanit,” Malika is off. This is a well written tale that brings both culture and country into focus. One experiences the confined spirit of these women which looks like Malika’s unfortunate destiny. This book will be a collection must have for the everyday life of average Muslims.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Just Thoughts
I’m currently reading Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and am disappointed. I was looking for a read-aloud to encourage teachers, but this is far from it. I especially had high hopes since her “dear reader” story was engaging and Booklist’s Ilene Cooper said, “This will be a pleasure to read aloud.”
Why? Too slow to start? Too sad? The flow is just awkward to me. I do think this is a great book for parent-child reading and an excellent starting point for discussion on loss of pets.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Heaven is a Library
I have always imagined
that Paradise will be
a kind of Library.
Jorge Luis Borges
See artist at...
http://www.diegomanuel.com.ar/
Friday, April 07, 2006
Something 2 Call Home About!
What a week!
- Monday, the Sun-Sentinel of Tallahatchie County, MS called the PR department and asked for my bio and weekly booktalks.
- Tuesday, President Gary L. Spears introduced himself and requested I work on a special project for the school.
- Wednesday, the Beta Kappa Chapter of Beta Phi Mu asked me to join. It is an honor society for librarians.
- Thursday, I got the lovely surprise from DeSoto County Tribune. See 4/6/06 entry below…
- In the mail today, I received a package from Ole Miss. It contained the spring issue of Mississippi Libraries with my review, news announcement, and photo inside. See website below…
http://www.misslib.org/
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Tribune Surprise! TY!
This booktalk written in the summer of 2005 for the Southern Reporter appeared in the DeSoto County Tribune today. My picture was on the cover, inside "Life" cover, and with the article. I think someone is trying to encourage me…Thank You Tribune!
http://www.dctribune.com/
You may not know this, particularly since I scramble the English language regularly, but my mother is a retired English teacher. So, you will be assuming right if you think she’s a stickler for the King’s English. I remember distinctly the first time she used her powers of correction on me.
I was 5 years old when I excitedly announced my grandfather’s appearance in the tobacco field. “Here comes Papa! With a load of ‘mators thru tha ‘bacca field!”
A swift, “Margaret Carol! Say that right!” was issued from my mother.
Now in my stubborn head I thought, ‘what is her problem?’ “Um…Here comes Papa thru the ‘bacca field with a load of ‘mators?”
As she shook her head in disgust, she could only be thinking, that’s my child.
Enter British stickler, Lynne Truss and her entertaining little book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Her crusade is much needed in our world of slang and short-handed e-mails. I’m particularly guilty of the usage of CU later and […], she calls ellipsis.
Author Truss came about the idea for this book after seeing one too many grocery store signs misrepresenting 
the English language. We have all seen, ‘Egg’s $1.29 doz.’ and wondered what does the egg possess? Her boiling over point was the American movie Two Weeks Notice. Those lackadaisical Americans had no right removing the apostrophe even in their own language.
Truss has given us an engaging look at the history of certain punctuation marks and their common use and abuse. Readers will not only find this book an informative read, but surprisingly funny. It is only after reading the book that I realized she didn’t actually tell the panda joke…
A Panda walks into a deli and orders a sandwich. After eating the sandwich, he pulls a gun and fires two warning shots.
The manager, stunned but otherwise unhurt, asks him, “Why?”
The panda replies with, “I’m a panda!” and throws a badly punctuated wildlife manual at him.
As the grumpy bear leaves, the manager flips to the explaining entry: Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Gone Tomorrow (Copy)
The first official Earth Day occurred April 22, 1970 in our country. Since then, school children have developed posters, teachers have created displays, and citizens have picked trash from local waterways and roadsides to celebrate. How will you observe this year’s eco-friendly date? Might I suggest books on the environment?
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is held as the catalyst for early environmental reform. The 1962 book explains the ill-effects of DDT. First debuting as a series of articles in The New Yorker, editors insisted the advantages of pesticides be included for a balanced argument. DDT was the miracle that eradicated malaria-causing mosquitoes in the Pacific during World War II.
It is hard to imagine spring without birds singing and flowers blooming. Carson’s vision, in the chapter titled, “A Fable for Tomorrow,” is haunting. We read of a small town void of life—streams without fish, skies without birds, and backyards without children, all creating an eerie silence.
Heather Rogers’ new book Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage not only explains how garbage is disposed, but also provides an excellent history of American trash. Rogers reports that even though we grew-up with slogans like, “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, Or Do Without,” we still lead world production in trash.
Rogers does an excellent job explaining and proving planned obsolesces—goods built with failure in mind. As early as 1939, General Electric manufactured light bulbs to burn out fast. A Fairchild representative said, “It is wasteful to make any component more durable than the weakest link, and ideally a product should fall apart all at once.”
After WWII, industries were over producing products, led by an abundance of man-power, cheap materials, and postwar factory machines. One just needed consumers. Author Vance Packard of The Waste Makers said, “The way to end glut was to produce gluttons.”
Personally, I prefer the word consumer to glutton. In our current consumer culture it is cheaper to buy new products than replace parts. Think about the vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, and microwaves we replace instead of repairing. With the parts being made of plastic, it’s a wonder appliances work at all.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Italian Angle on Trash
Working an angle for the Gone Tomorrow book…
Italians are ingenious with their garbage. For one, they don’t do fast food! We ran across Mickey Ds four times during our three weeks. Even at the Milan airport, once you left the main terminal full of fast foods, it was Italian service only.
Italians recycle their wine/water bottles. We know this because our hotel rooms, although swank, were always located above the bottle bins. Thank Goodness, Italians like to sleep in! Mr. Ashman didn’t wake us until after eight.
As far as water, soaping up is not an option. Does that make the water hard or soft? The smell of lavender in the air isn’t from the flowers but the laundry. Pete wore a button down last week, five months after our trip, which still had the lingering smell.
Italian service is all about the wait, which was so annoying to this get-it and go girl. Be prepared for a two hour lunch, unless you want to belly-up to the bar. Standing and eating, no wonder these folks are so thin and sinewy. Garbage wise, not much to discard when you are served on china with metal utensils.
As far as the bathroom situation, be ready to wipe with sandwich wrap, otherwise bidet.
