It was a sunny day and she was a sunny little girl. Not any older than six, possibly seven, but she had a slender frame and looked like a four-year-old. In her yellow dress, yellow socks, and white Mary Janes, she looked like the walking sun which spit out flames at intervals. One could hear her two blocks away as she hawked her wares, “Lemonaaaade! Lemonaaaade, fifty cents!”
I watched her before approaching. I wanted to see how Miss Sunshine handled herself amongst customers. The first was a neighborly lady using a lace umbrella to hide from the bright day. She took her time drinking the sweet concoction then placed her 50 cents in the Styrofoam cup sitting precariously on the stand. With a point towards the aunt working in the convenience store, she slipped a twenty into the cup before the girl could turn back around.
As another man tried to glide by on the sidewalk unnoticed, the little girl craned her head around the older woman and yelled, “Lemonaaaade! Lemonaaaade, fifty cents!” He stopped in his tracks and said, “Not now, Annie. I’m in a little bit of a hurry. I’ll come back in an hour.” He took four paces past the stand then turned around and jogged back slowing down to drop some coins in the cup, and then he was off.
I figured it was my turn to meet little Annie as the older woman hobbled down the road. She saw me crossing the street, and before I could reach her the unmistakable Southern twang, “Lemonaaaade! Lemonaaaade, fifty cents!” filled the air. Good thing I faced her head-on. A sideways approach might have set my ear throbbing.
She was a pleasant little thing by the name of Annie. As she plied me with drink, she asked question after question. How old are you? How tall are you? What size shoes do you wear? I could tell she had many repeat customers by her easy manner. It was as she stood up to show me her height that I noticed the fresh scar on her chest. Then she says, “If I get a new heart, my doctor says I might grow some more.” I too gave her the initial 50 cents, but left 20 dollars and 50 cents lighter.
I turned around to wave at her when I reached the other side of the street. She didn’t notice. As I walked away a rogue wind graced her stand and sent the Styrofoam cup soaring. Paper money swirled loose in the street. The backfire from a bread truck coming around the corner was too close for comfort when I realized what was happening.
You will love Christian author, Charles Martin’s, very first book, When Crickets Cry.
Note: These are my words written as the character Mr. Reese.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
When Crickets Cry (copy)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Andrew Wyeth (1917 - 2009)
Christina's WorldSomething waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Looking for Alaska (copy)
I have a new favorite author, John Green. I haven’t even finished the book and am in love with him. The book is Looking for Alaska and in 2006 it won the edgy Printz Award.
Oh, you have not heard of this award? Do not worry. It is new. As part of the American Library Association’s plethora of awards the website states, “The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association.”
Most Printz award books are written in a style called realistic fiction. This genre of fiction exposes readers to adult situations such as drinking, drugs, and sex allowing them to live vicariously through the main young-adult characters. Not as a cautionary tale per se, for these characters can make really bad decisions and get away with them, but as a rich telling of today’s society mirrored in books.
In Looking for Alaska, Miles Halter, quickly nicknamed Pudge by his new roommate because he is so skinny, is attending the Culver Creek Preparatory School in Fair Hope, Alabama. This is his first year and roommate, Chip “Colonel” Martin, is filling him in on the goings and comings of his new school. Pudge learns quickly the kids are broken into two groups: the Weekday Warriors who have money and spend their weekends at home and “the wrong crowd.” As a middle class student who will be spending all his semesters on campus, he correctly deducts he will be a member of the wrong crowd.
Entering “The Creek” is all Pudge’s idea. His father and his father’s father and his grandfather’s father all attended, but that isn’t his reason. He is going to this school—miles away from his Florida home—in order to seek the “Great Perhaps.”
See, Pudge has a quirky talent. He memorizes the dying words of famous people. His favorite, Francois Rabelais, gasped, “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” He figures he will seek while alive.
Looking for Alaska is broken into two parts: before and after. In the before section the chapters are titled in countdown fashion like “one hundred one days before.” I hate to be vague, but there is a huge possibility I will give away the ending if not. I will tell you that Alaska is a knock-out female character who causes the before and after.
Another point of view from Tricia at Library Queue.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Library Loot: Due Date 1/13/09
As you can imagine, I use the libraries in my life often. When I found Eva over at A Striped Chair was hosting Library Loot days, I smacked my head! Why didn't I think of that!
Two of the books belong to NWCC and two belong to First Regional Library. All are collections of Eudora Welty's photographs. Miss Welty worked as a copy writer for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the depression. When out scouting for stories she took a little free time to take pictures of her home state of Mississippi. These photos which she referred to as snapshots were taken on a Kodak model "one step more advance than the Brownie." A company in Jackson developed the pics and Miss Welty enlarged the prints at her home. All paid out of her pocket, the WPA did not hire her as a photographer as some books and internet sources falsely report.
Left to Right: Photographs, One Time, One Place, Welty (catalog), Country Churchyards.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Eudora Welty (copy)
As readers blow out Richard Wright’s centennial candles, another cake awaits decorating. Eudora Welty lovers are planning celebrations statewide since she was born April 13, 1909 in Jackson, Mississippi. Of course, Welty’s home for 76 years will be the centerpiece for activities with staff offering free tours on her birthday.
If one cannot attend the festivities in Jackson, the “Mississippi Reads” program encourages citizens to read her Collected Stories. As the title infers, the book is a collection of Welty’s short stories and essays which provide an easy avenue for studying her works by digesting a little at a time.
Since Thanksgiving, I have read numerous titles in the collection. My favorite is A Worn Path. First published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1941, it received second place honors during the O. Henry Awards that year. I deem it first place.
A Worn Path describes an elderly woman’s journey to town in order to obtain medicine for her grandson. It is early morning and the frost covers the earth as she begins her walk somewhere on the Natchez Trail into Natchez.
Her name is Phoenix Jackson, and she is ill prepared for the journey. Although the sun shines bright, it is bitterly cold, and for warmth she wears a long dress, a red rag on her head, a thin sack apron, and unlaced shoes. Her cane, made from a tatter umbrella, rights her slender body as best it can, but still she stumbles on the uneven path.
Along the way she encounters hurdles. A ghost in the field becomes a scarecrow as her eyes and mind slowly focus. A black dog comes at her, and she backs it off with her cane only to tumble into a ravine from which she cannot get out. A hunter extracts her from the gully and tries to talk her into returning home.
Phoenix is a metaphor for life as she encounters obstacles on her journey but must press on. This rich story took shape after Welty, looking outside her train window, saw a black woman crossing an open field. Why was she crossing the field? Where was she going? It is amazing when one realizes a character as diverse as Phoenix was developed solely from a passing glance.
Consider this the year you take up the Eudora Welty banner. Read her stories, read her books, and grab another Mississippian for discussion.
Errata: This article takes on a whole new spin now that I have an interview with Miss Welty indicating she was out with artist friends when she saw the woman cross on the horizon. I am so sorry. I thought I read somewhere that it was while she was on a train!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Walking in Dewey's Steps
As most of you know Dewey passed away at the end of November. In honor of her memory, I joined the Dewey's Books Reading Challenge. There are two separate blogs: one for news and one for reviews. The deal is to read and review books that Dewey did in her bloggie lifetime. I'll be reading as many YA books from my local library, and donating ones they do not own. Dewey will live on in these books for others.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
I See Myself on the Porch!
Here's an idea for promoting Mississippi Writers in Residence!
Picture Faulkner's spread in Oxford:
a writer in the attic, horse barn, cook house, parlor, back pasture, etc.
I see myself assigned the porch
where I can do double duty as booktalker and greeter!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Christmas Movie Extravaganza
Yes, I love me some It's a Wonderful Life, but my favorite Christmas movie of all times is A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sims as Scrooge. Shelf Life had this lovely You Tube and I just had to borrow it for the Extravaganza from My Friend Amy.
Why does this 1951 movie appeal to me more than say the one with modern actors such as George C. Scott or Albert Finney? One thing, the dialog remains true to Charles Dickens' written work. Slang starts to creep into the later films to feed new audiences Dickens' meanings. I like the fact that the movie is in black and white - an old story needs an old look. There are more shadows in the bNw that places a viewer on instant alert. Too much lighting for the cameras takes away from the ghosts. They become comical in nature. Although, Bill Murray's Scrooged spooked me a little. I also like the fact that Mr. Sim's acting ability is above par. One can tell he was an accomplished stage actor before accepting this role. This is a long clip, but look at him jumping into bed and throwing the curtains to hide from the experience he just had. Priceless!
Trivia note: Shelf Life reported that yesterday was the anniversary of Dickens' writing of A Christmas Carol in 1843.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Random Acts Meme
1. Started my own blog (Dec 2005)
2. Slept under the stars (More than 20X)
3. Played in a band (I have sung backup)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (My favorite is the Leonid)
6. Given more than I can afford to charity (Hubby says – Oh Yeah!)
7. Been to Disneyland/world (Summer 2008)
8. Climbed a mountain (Again…)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo (A hymn in Como Methodist)
11. Bungee jumped (Florida 1992)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea (Cruise/Also saw water spouts)
14. Taught myself an art from scratch (cross stitching)
15. Adopted a child (Oops! Crystal calls me her white Momma!)
16. Had food poisoning (Bad chicken from Wendy’s Winter 2006)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Mulled around the bottom)
18. Grown my own vegetables (Tomatoes are so easy!)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight (Again…)
22. Hitchhiked (I’ve taken rides w/ people I know)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (Nashville Petting Zoo)
26. Gone skinny dipping (Florida – Bahamas- Saint Thomas – Mediterranean)
27. Run a Marathon (I’ve done two half-marathons and one 15-miler)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (We did the cheaper vaporetto over to the fish market)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (Gulf of Mexico 1996)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors (Been to Ireland but not Scotland)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language (Pig Latin)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (Summer 2004)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (Summer 2004)
41. Sung karaoke (Like a Virgin…)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (I also tip Taco Bell employees)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (Saw my first shooting star in St. Thomas)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted (I was asked to pose nude, but felt too uncomfortable. I did have a friend who rendered me in pencil for an art class which when turned upside-down looked like his wife.)
48. Gone deep sea fishing (Alaskan Flounder)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (I love snorkeling!)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (Saw American Graffiti!)
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (Bought Girl Scout cookies)
62. Gone whale watching (Beautiful on our Tug Cruise in British Columbia)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (Not yet…)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (When I was in college and I was so embarrassed!)
68. Flown in a helicopter (I prefer planes)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (stuffed Teddy)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (Winter 2008)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper (Weekly!)
85. Read the entire Bible (Begot the begotten…)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (I thought I had to do this to become an adult!)
90. Sat on a jury (drugs)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone (No, I don’t own one!)
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
In Praise of Pecans (copy)
“He said we had Valdeemers.” My husband came inside the house to tell me. “The tree stump guy called them Val-Deem-Ers.”
What the man meant to say—or possibly said but was somehow lost in a tobacco juiced translation—was Van Deman, a variety of pecan. Whatever the case, he is right. On the northern border of our property, we have five of these cultivars amongst over 20 pecan trees. A favorite in our household because of the large size and taste, we concentrate our picking efforts biannually on these trees when blessed with a crop.
Pecans have become a staple in our diet since our move to Mississippi. When a recipe calls for nuts we use pecans; although, biscotti can only be made with almonds. Instead of a bag of chips for a snack, we now open a zip-locked bag of pecans. For a sweet low-carbohydrate break, we sauté some pecans in a little butter and drizzle over a tortilla adding splenda and cinnamon for taste. We eat salads with pecans, place pecans in our pancake batter, and top fish or chicken with the crunchy delight. The Moran family runs on pecans.
It is with mouth savoring delight I write about June Jackson’s new book In Praise of Pecans: Recipes & Recollections. Mrs. Jackson was feeling a little homesick for her state of Georgia in 2006. In her Maryland home she hosted a fall luncheon for the ladies, and in each dish she included pecans. One attendee, Colleen Nunn, told her husband Sam and the next day June got a call. The then-Senator Sam Nunn asked her, “Do you think you could write a book that would promote pecan use around the world?”
In Praise of Pecans definitely has an international flavor. The recipes include Thai Chicken, Pecan & Mango Salad, Butternut Squash Risotto, Jalapeno Cranberry Compote, and Pan Sautéed Sole a la Beurre Pecane. Closer to home, she includes Marilyn Monroe Brownies, Lula Mae’s Brown Sugar Pecan Pie, and Grits Good Enough for Mardi Gras.
The best recipe in the book is her mother’s Perfect Pecan Pralines. Her mother was a mere 12-year-old in 1928 when she cut out the recipe from a newspaper. A recipe that had Mrs. Stuckey, second generation to the gas and candy chain, call out, “June, this is the best candy I’ve ever eaten in my entire life! How can I get more?”
Now that I have your mouth watering, it is a good time to resolve to eat more low-in-sodium, high-in-fiber pecans in the coming year.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Threshing Pecans
I finished reading In Praise of Pecans by June Jackson tonight, and I wanted to share a piece of art mentioned in the Afterword. Jackson writes, "Known for representing daily life as she saw it firsthand, [Clementine] Hunter painted scenes of picking cotton, washing clothes, getting married and getting buried. Fortunately for us, she painted a charming picture entitled Threshing Pecans (above on tin cover), portraying an earlier, preindustrial method of coaxing the nuts from the trees to the ground--adults would use long poles to shake the pecans while children climbed up into the trees to help in the process."
I love the little girl hanging upside down in the first tree, and I have to question Ms. Hunter's leaf and pecan full trees. Pecan trees are harvested in the fall/winter after the leaves leave. Sorry about the quality of the photo. I was unable to locate the artwork as a lone piece. One may purchase this pecan filled tin from the Cane River Pecan Company of Louisiana.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Robert Sabuda (copy)
My Christmas dreams have been crushed. My beloved better-half ordered the electronic book Kindle too late to be placed under the tree. I will be opening my present 11 to 13 weeks later just in time for my February birthday.
Who knew it was going to sell out? Well, I had a feeling way back in August. Remember that little book talk where I asked Santa to bring me a shiny new Kindle. Everyone I know who owns one loves it. Amazon should have known it would be a big seller. Too bad the man of my dreams paid little attention to my subtle hints such as asking him to proof the article and reading it aloud when we got the newspaper. Sigh.
Are you thinking I am easy to please? One little electronic book and my Christmas dream is met? Giving a book is the equivalent to watching someone tear into a box of socks or underwear. There isn’t much excitement after the initial rip, but within the pages is the real gift.
Would you like to give a book to a young child but are afraid of the underwear factor? There is nothing like the look on a child’s face when they open a pop-up book for the first time. I remember mine well; although, I am at a loss for the author and title. It was a collection of nursery rhymes where the reader turned a wheel to watch the “mice run up the clock” and the “four and twenty blackbirds” flew from a pie. 
There is a new star in the pop-up business. Robert Sabuda is a rare artist who has taken an ancient art and improved on the technique. A Pratt Institute graduate, Sabuda entered the book business as a children’s illustrator for other authors. In 1994, he talked his publisher into a small series of pop-ups involving a little white mouse exploring The Mummy’s Tomb and The Knight’s Castle.
Today he is credited with illustrating over 50 children’s books of which 40 are pop-ups. For the holiday season he offers Winter’s Tale, The Night before Christmas, The 12 Days of Christmas, The Christmas Alphabet, A Kwanzaa Celebration, Winter, and Christmas.
Other standout books include The Ark which depicts Moses' outstretched palms awaiting the returning dove with olive branch, The Movable Mother Goose with mini pop-up books within the cover, and Sharks and Other Sea Monsters where Jaws lurks as the cautious young reader turns the page.
Purchase one of these and watch your little ones pop-up with joy.
Note: The first photo is Robert Sabuda holding his Wizard of Oz book. Second photo is from the book America the Beautiful. The third photo is from the book Christmas.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Twisted 12 Days of Christmas
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! (copy)
When I was in sixth grade, we studied medieval times with vigor unlike any other subject. I remember we filled notebooks with drawings of castles, coat of arms, lords, ladies, and knights in armor. We pretended we were ladies in distress while the boys jousted on the playground. We sat mesmerized as our teacher explained the devices of war and torture.
It was a particularly fun time. Margaret Hamilton, my teacher not the Wicked Witch of the West although, it was sometimes questionable, took an extra day to teach us medieval manners disguised as chivalry after the “devices of war” day, but I believe she enjoyed the fun, too.
A librarian first then author, playwright, and professional storyteller, Laura Amy Schlitz, faced a group of excited middle school kids at the Park School in Baltimore. She explains, “They were studying the Middle Ages and were going at it hammer and tongs. I wanted them to have something to perform, but no one wanted a small part. So I decided to write monologues instead of one long play, so that for three minutes at least, every child could be a star.”
The opportunity Schlitz seized is now the 2008, Newbery Medal winner, Good Master! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. The children’s book illustrated by Robert Byrd contains 19 monologues and two plays for two actors. That is a total of 23 parts. If a teacher has a class of 25, and the bashful students help with costumes and scenery, everyone can take part.
The story revolves around a fictional medieval manor in 1255 England. The characters are the ages of the students performing and have names such as Hugo the lord’s nephew, Taggot the blacksmith’s daughter, Mogg the villein’s daughter, Thomas the doctor’s son, Nelly the sniggler, and Giles the beggar.
The story progresses as one monologue leads into the next. Some are light-hearted with sing-song quality such as Otho the miller’s son recites,
Father is the millerAs his father was of old,And I shall be the miller,When my father’s flesh is cold.
Lack-a-witNumskullMooncalfFool.That’s what they call me.That’s what they yell in the village when I walk through.
This is the perfect book for those teachers who want to extend the gallantry of medieval times.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Ah, Twas the Day before Christmas Break!
Today, I read The Night before Christmas by Clement C. Moore and illustrated by Will Moses to the NWCC daycare kids!
Will is the grandson of Grandma Moses!
The kids were talkative and expressive.
What a joy and I feel like I am on cloud nine!
Thank you Miss Penny for this opportunity!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
My Eyes are Dewey
It is with heavy heart I write you.
Fellow blogger Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf has died. Leaving us with no hint to her physical troubles, her husband said she was in a lot of pain in the last hours. I am glad she is now in a place where there is no pain.
This is the third blogger on my bloglist who has died.
How do we know the condition of the person on the other end of our internet connection? Blogging is a God send for those who are ill or immobile. We make friends without judging which is how life should be, but we all have prejudices. Did Dewey have cancer? Was she suffering from MS? Was she in a car accident? Her energy blogging put most of us weekly writers to shame. Did blogging add days to her life or shorten them. I like to think it added days as she added thoughts to my reading with her Weekly Geeks program.
I leave you with her namesake: Birth, life, and death -- each took place on the hidden side of a leaf. ~ Toni Morrison
Thanks Cassandra!
Thank yew Style Expert!
How does this work?
Every new Superior Scribbler will name 5 other Super Scribblers. If you are so honored, link to the author and the name of the blog that gave you the award. Then you display the graphic above and link to this post, which explains the award. Finally you must visit this post and tell your name to Mr. Linky list. Then they will have a record of all the people who are super scribblers!
I hate to do this, you know, point out people that write way better than I, but here it goes! (1) Sage at Musings (2) SFP at Pages Turned (3) Jenclair at A Garden Carried in the Pocket (4) Bookfool at Bookfoolery and Babble (5) Eva at A Striped Airchair.
The Wall (copy)
This week I read an excellent juvenile picture-book. Most teachers and parents of middle grade students can tell you this is not possible. A picture book is for toddlers through eight-year-olds because the format is oversized with illustrations and usually minimum words. They are meant to be read-aloud to an audience or one-on-one such as father and son, and the vocabulary is easy.
Children who grow up with this format remember these books with fond memories. When asked to move to the next level in reading your child may balk. Chapter books can look boring in comparison to a picture book. This is why the “Frog and Toad” series is so popular. Author Arnold Lobel fills his chapter books with illustrations that help the new reader gather clues from the pictures.
What if your child returns over-and-over to picture books even though he can read chapter books? This might be an indication that he is bored with his chapter books, or a little uncomfortable in his reading. It is time to head to the library or bookstore for some more chapter books and juvenile level picture-books.
There is such a thing as a harder picture book. Peter Sis, author and illustrator, has a collection of biographies that demand the reader expand her vocabulary. The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin and Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei are two I wrote about in 2005.
Sis now challenges young readers with his autobiography The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. This picture book contains words like Soviets, Czechoslovakia, militia, indoctrination, defecting, nuclear, Vietnam, realism, revolution, etc. all appearing in the margins.
If a teacher or parent wants to read it as a picture book alone, each page contains one sentence about the author. For instance, the story begins, “As long as he could remember, he had loved to draw.” Next page continues, “At first he drew shapes.” Within the margins of the first page are definitions that frame a self—cartoon—portrait of Sis. The words are Iron Curtain, Cold War, and Communism. Not baby definitions either, “Cold War – The geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle that emerged between capitalism and communism from 1945-1991.”
This inside look into the Cold War is a Caldecott (2008) Honor book and a Robert F. Sibert (2008) Information Medal winner. It is perfect for that reluctant—to move up to the next level—reader. Many will delight as they learn The Beatles became a huge crack in Sis’s The Wall.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Bookworm Award and Meme
My mother –
Two fabulous women have graciously awarded me the Bookworm Award and Meme. Much thanks to Wisteria at Bookworm's Dinner and Lynne at Lynne's Little Corner of the World.
I am so honored!
Like I wrote, this is an award and meme. For the meme one must pick up the closest book near them and turn to page 56. Once there, skip to sentence five and write it down; plus, a few more sentences as they occur in order to tempt other readers. Pretty easy-peasy!
I am currently reading a nonfiction book for juvenile readers. The title is Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! written by Laura Amy Schlitz and illustrated by Robert Byrd. Page 56, sentence five reads as follows:
The book is a unique study of Medieval Times using children to portray members of society such as Otho, the miller's son, and Lowdy, the varlet's child. On page 56 we encounter a play involving Jacob Ben Salomon, the moneylender's son, and Petronella, the merchant's daughter. This book won the prestigious Newbery Award in 2008.
what would she say
if she knew
I wasted time in the
woods with a Jew?
Now I need to tag others for this award and meme. You needn't participate if you would rather not do this type of thing, but I thought you might have fun; plus, I like keeping up with your readings.. I am thinking…
Rick at Rick the Librarian, Sage at Musings, Nan at Letters from a Hill Farm, Mo at Inside Mo's Mind, and Vixen at Vixen's Daily Reads
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Good Good Pig (copy)
It was a crisp winter day when they brought Christopher Hogwood home. Weighting seven pounds, he was the runt of the litter and he was sick. “His breathing was wet and noisy. His eyes were runny, and so was his other end.” The couple was unsure he would live through the night.
Runts are dangerous to have in a litter. They make a noise unlike the other piglets—Nynh! Nynh! Nynh!—and if in the wild will attract predators. The mother may bite a runt and tear him in half to stop the cacophony, but sometimes they accidently choose the wrong sibling. Another method used to silence the noise is to stomp the runt, but again other healthy piglets might get in the way.
In this farrow Chris was the odd piglet out. His mother possessed ten teats but only eight were in working order. Chris was unlucky number nine. To protect this litter Chris would have to die, but the farmer thought him too cute to kill. He was rather good-looking as pigs go with “enormous ears and black and white spots, and a black patch over one eye like Spuds McKenzie, the bull terrier in the beer commercial.”
Instead they sequestered Chris and watched as he went from one disease to another, but still clung to life. “The wormer didn’t do a thing for him,” the farmer told the family who agreed to take the sick piggy. “He probably had a touch of every disease in the barn—he had worms, he had erysipelas, he had rhinopneumonitis—and yet he wouldn’t die.”
It was with great hope, Howard and Sy, laid Chris in his makeshift sty in the barn that night. He was safe. With Sy being a vegetarian and Howard Jewish, the pig was sure to live a long life unlike his farrow. A pig’s average life span is six months. Exactly, the length of time it takes for a pig to gain 250 lbs and become perfect eating material.
“That first night, we couldn’t picture him growing much bigger than the shoe box in which we carried his shivering, emaciated form,” said Sy.
To everyone’s delight, Chris stood on wobbly hooves the next morning, and again the next day until he reached the staggering weight of 750 pounds. This is the story of The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary life of Christopher Hogwood by Sy Montgomery which proves to be a massive good read.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
This is the Feast (copy)
For centuries humans have celebrated the harvesting of crops. America, being a rather newcomer to history, uniquely celebrates harvest on the fourth Thursday of November thanks to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Historians are unsure the exact date the first feast took place, but it is believed to be between September 21, and November 11, 1621. Before President Roosevelt’s proclamation, Thanksgiving was celebrated whenever presidents deemed an appropriate time.
The first feasts were not known by the term Thanksgiving, either. To the pilgrims, Thanksgiving was a religious celebration spent in church to thank God for victory on the battle field or rain after a drought. The original feast in 1621 celebrated the pilgrims’ first harvest in the new world, but the next year they did not celebrate. In 1623 they met again to pray for rain after a month long drought, and when the event occurred during the prayers it was truly a Thanksgiving.
Another misconception about Thanksgiving is the actual food eaten. Pilgrims did not dine on ham, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, cranberry sauce, or pumpkin pie. They feasted on an assortment of wild fowl, game, and seafood. The corn was a dry snack and the fruit (plums and grapes) were eaten raw without the trappings of sugar and flour. This entire trivia is gleaned from the History Channel’s website, history.com.
While reading this week’s book, This is the Feast by Diane Z. Shore and illustrated by Megan Lloyd, I was struck by its historical accuracy. The pilgrims are wearing clothes with color not the black-white drab depicted in my youth. They are sick in the Mayflower as they sail towards America, and they set to work building houses as soon as they come ashore.
This is the Feast is a brightly colored picture-book for children, ages three to eight. Although, it is too wordy for toddlers to sit still through, it is the perfect companion for parents to read or paraphrase annually for the holiday season. The words have a delightful singsong quality such as “This is Thanksgiving, a time to remember the friendships and freedoms we all share together.”
Illustrator Megan Lloyd uses her paintbrush to create mood. The pilgrims’ sickness and toil is depicted with somber colors, and daily life is illustrated with bright oranges and yellows typical of a fall celebration. The feast scenes are the best with tables full of oysters, clams, lobster, fish, and cheese. Can someone pass me a plate?
I hope all have a Happy Thanksgiving with plenty happy reading.
Please stop by any of these fine blogger participating in the Kidz Book Blog Tour! the 160acrewoods, A Mom Speaks, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Homeschool Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Looking Glass Reviews, Maggie Reads, Maw Books Blog, Never Jam Today, Olive Tree, Our Big Earth, Quiverfull Family, Reading is My Superpower, SmallWorld Reads
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Twilight (copy)
The countdown begins! Twilight, one of the hottest teen books by Stephenie Meyer, will be debuting on the big screen November 21, all over the United States. The first movie trailer appeared just last night on television, and Edward is even more gorgeous than my reader’s eye imagined.
Twilight was published in 2005 with little fanfare. The book’s first-time author, Meyer, took only 6 months to conceive, write, and publish the story. She said the story first appeared as a meeting in her dreams. She dreamt a regular, plain-jane girl and a drop-dead gorgeous, vampire boy, were in deep conversation in the middle of a meadow. They were discussing how wrong they were for each other. She being human, and he particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, were creating friction in their budding relationship.
For most readers, I am a little late talking about Twilight. This book and the following books in the Twilight series, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, have a hard time staying on any library or bookstore shelf. Her latest book Midnight Sun appeared on the internet weeks ago as an unscrupulous friend took advantage of a pre-published copy. It was immediately pulled, but Meyer claims that it is just one of many copies she has written. She has yet to decide Edwards’s fate.
I quickly picked Twilight up to read before the movie’s release. I want to have a clear reader’s vision, and not cloud my head with directorial meddling. I am particularly engrossed by the book’s setting. Meyer chose the real town of Forks, Washington, because it is the wettest area in America. This natural creepiness adds drama to the story. When the main character, Bella, walks into the woods I can hear the creepy music queuing up in the background.
Oh, but I have not told you the opening story yet! Isabella Swan is living with her father, the Chief of Police in Forks, now that her mother has a traveling boyfriend. It is Bella’s decision to live with her dad, and finish her school years in one area instead of on the road. On her first day she is assigned Edward Cullen as her biology lab partner, and she can see by his mean nature he is not happy with the arrangement. Oh, but he is easy on the eyes.
As you can guess, this is a romance in bloom. There is quite a bit of play and banter between the main characters, but it is the onrush of certain doom that propels readers to the end. This book will certainly warm your blood.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
No Gaps in My Teeth Either!
There Are 0 Gaps in Your Knowledge |
No Gaps! |
Friday, November 07, 2008
USA Today Meme
USA Today's Top Selling Books of the last 15 years Meme!Here are the rules: Bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star* books on your TBR list!
1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
2 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
14 What to Expect When You're Expecting - Murkoff, etal.
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
23 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - and It's All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
38 Night - Elie Wiesel
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, etal.
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls
112 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - Leighton Steward, etal.
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Mr. & Mra. Michael R. Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 *Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner's Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve
145 The Lost World - Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan
147 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman
150 Cross - James Patterson
Look at all the Grishams! I also see a lot of weight loss - which I’ve read - and business books. I can tell by this list that I'm not reading as many new Oprah books, either. Which ones have you read? Any on your TBR pile?
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Dewey (copy)
The year was 1988 and the town of Spencer, Iowa was experiencing a bitterly cold winter. While Vicki Myron entered the library that Monday morning, she reflected on the weekend’s average temperature of minus 15 degrees with a visible shiver. She flipped the lights on and headed back to the break room to start coffee. Other employees filtered in as another work week began.
Vicky walked the aisles of books as the coffee perked then made her rounds into the backroom. There she found library assistant, Jean, standing in front of the book drop box. Instead of opening the lid of the hinged box and gathering books, Jean stood motionless. She had heard a noise and was afraid an animal might be trapped inside.
When it happened again it did not sound like an animal, but “an old man struggling to clear his throat.” This was impossible. Whatever manner of animal, it had to be small. The book slot was only a few inches wide to discourage people from throwing anything other than books and videos inside; although, occasional firecrackers made it through.
They tentatively raised the lid together and a gush of arctic air blew past. Normally, the metal box was cold during the winter, but this was wrong. It felt colder than the outside air since someone had jammed a paperback sideways forcing the return slot open. Vicki later said, “You could have kept frozen meat in there.”
Tucked in the corner, amongst the books, was a small gray animal. As the ladies peered closer the animal raised its head and took a look before lowering it again. It was a kitten, and it was extremely cold and weak.
As Vicki lifted it from the metal container, the kitten began to shake violently. They tried wrapping him in towels, but he still shook. Believing a warm bath might help, they filled the kitchen sink and slowly lowered his body into the water. The cat showed no resistance and Jean began to massage soap into his fur.
The water shown gray as Vicki lifted the kitten from the sink and began to dry him with a hair dryer they use for hot glue projects. “Within thirty seconds, I was holding a beautiful, long-haired orange tabby.”
This is the true story of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with help from Bret Witter.
Another excellent review can be found at Nonanon's new blog Citizen Reader.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
New Web 2.0 for Travelers!
Hubby and I spend a couple of weeks exploring new destinations each year. Why not share our best haunts with others. I can gain 20lbs in two weeks with all the restaurants we visit, and would it not be great to tell people about our best meals.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Poor Man's Provence (copy)
After hearing Rheta Grimsley Johnson speak last week on her new book Poor Man’s Provence at the Mississippi Library Association’s annual conference in Natchez, I really cannot wait to visit the region. I find myself fascinated with the Cajun lifestyle and swamps which shelter the culture.
It all began when Rheta accepted an assignment from her Atlanta newspaper editor to cover a wild boar hunt. Within 1,500 acres of wooded, hurricane-fenced Louisiana, Rheta, along with husband Don and a group of hung-over young men, proceeded to hunt the elusive boars. In this “glorified hog pen” they walked in a guided circle until they came upon a sleeping sounder.
They began to realize the cheesy situation as the guide commenced to jabbing at the snoring razorbacks. One-by-one the reluctantly groggy hogs began to stand and scatter through the woods. As the last one shook off sleep, the men allowed one virile hunter to take aim.
Like watching a golfer make a hole-in-one, the group stood stunned as the lone arrow sliced completely through one boar and into another. With one shot the hunt was over. The young men had hoped to bag a trophy boar at $325, but instead got two “meat” hogs at $165 apiece. They had spent the limit.
It was still early morning; therefore, Rheta and Don decided to explore the southeastern part of the state. They both love the water and boats and thought this a fun way to kill time. It was in the small town of Henderson, right beside the little marina, where they spotted a “pale lime vinyl” houseboat. Above the entrance hatch a piece of driftwood proclaimed, “The Green Queen.”
A nice man showed them around the little boat, and with a car dealer’s grin he said, “This is one heckuva deal.” They smiled, but neither showed any interest. The couple then pondered the boat all the way back to Atlanta without ever voicing aloud their secrets dreams. Rheta envisioned a quiet place to read, and Don saw a duck hunter’s paradise.
After unloading the car and sitting down to dinner, it took one quizzical look between them and Don was on the phone to the salesman. In the background he could hear the townies laughing as he reluctantly resigned to the fact that he was the fish on the hook and this salesman was reeling.
I cannot tell you how much fun this book is to read as Rheta and “One Duck Don” become residents of Henderson. They find a little slice of heaven in the swamps, and readers will too.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Blog Tour Second Stop!
Something Wicked by Alan Gratz is the second book in his contemporary, Macbeth murder-mystery series for young adults. For a limited time (Till Nov. 30) one can read Something Rotten for free! Go visit Gratz here, and be sure to visit his active blog co-written by wife, Wendi.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Blog Tour First Stop!
Something Wicked by Alan Gratz is our featured book this week at Kids Book Buzz!
First line of the book states, "History is full of guys who did stupid things for women."
What a wondeful line!
Others participating in the tour can be found at The 160acrewoods, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Book Review Maniac, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Hyperbole, KidzBookBuzz.com, Looking Glass Reviews, Never Jam Today, Reading is My Superpower
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Uncle Tom's Children (copy)
This year marks the centennial of Richard Wright’s birth. In celebration the “Mississippi Reads” program, sponsored by the state, features his book, Uncle Tom’s Children. All across Mississippi curious citizens are opening his works and joining in heartfelt discussions.
Just last week, I bumped into my friend and neighbor at the local grocery store. As we were sharing good news, she told me she was currently reading Wright’s Black Boy. Not only was she reading it for an Ole Miss class, but her youngest was reading it for Senior's English! How exciting to hear two unrelated schools are reading Wright as part of the curriculum.
Uncle Tom’s Children is an accessible read for most adults and upper level students. Readers are treated to a short autobiography in Wright’s essay “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow” which was not included in earlier versions but opens this book. (If one has read “Black Boy” it will seem familiar, although the tone is harsher.) Then readers face five short stories that emphasize the Jim Crow lifestyle. Each story is heart-breaking. Readers can discern early on that the main characters are all doomed.
In “Big Boy Leaves Home,” Big Boy and buddies skip school and trespass on property in order to swim in a pond. A white woman wanders down to the water. Within seconds, she lets out a scream as she perceives these naked boys running towards her as a threat. In reality, they are running to get their clothes which happen to be within six feet of her. Fiancée, with rifle in hand, comes to her rescue.
In “Down by the Riverside,” Mann’s pregnant wife is in labor as high waters threaten to cut them off from civilization. Uncle Bob is sent to trade the mule for a boat when the midwife declares she must have a doctor’s help. Bob returns with a stolen boat, and the family departs for the hospital. They get lost, and stop at one of the only homes with lights to ask for directions. It is the home of the white boat owners.
The violence that ensues makes this inaccessible to younger readers. May I suggest, Haiku: This Other World by Wright. In the tradition of real Japanese Haiku, Wright writes of the seasons and not racism. The 817 poems are perfect for teaching the art, and exposing young readers to a Mississippi treasure. Teachers could ask students to design a birthday card for the author with their own Haiku inside.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Shack (copy)
Mackenzie Allen Phillips “Mack” is troubled. He spent his life serving God, married a better Christian than himself, and raised his children in the church. Why was he the target of such pain?
Before “The Great Sadness” overtook Mack, he thought his life blessed. A beautiful wife who loves him no matter his gruffness. Five children who are truly beautiful inside and out. He likes to joke, “They took his good looks because Nan still has hers.” Oldest sons are out making a living and his two middle kids, Josh and Kate, are getting good grades in college; although, they still live at home. And then there is Missy, the late in life little surprise.
It happened at the family’s last-hoorah camping trip before three of Mack’s kids had to return to school. Mack rose early to prepare a pancake breakfast in the wilds of Oregon for the crew. His wife Nan was still at work and would try to join the family later that day.
It wasn’t long before everyone was out of the tents and rubbing their eyes. Apparently, the cakes became stuck to the griddle and Mack burned two fingers trying to save them. His expletives could wake a hibernating bear, no wonder everyone was up.
While cleaning up his mess the group wondered off to the river for some canoeing. Mack joined them just in time to see the canoe capsize with Kate and Josh entering the water. He felt okay, they had on life jackets, but Josh didn’t surface!
Mack didn’t waste any time. He took two big strokes and was on the scene and under the water. Josh was pinned down between the canoe and a log which held his jacket. Mack surfaced for another breath then went back under to force the canoe over.
Josh popped out, but unconscious. It took a few seconds of Mack administering CPR and Josh was throwing up this morning’s eggs to everyone’s relief. Okay, Mack stood back and regrouped. Kate is fine. Josh is fine. Where is Missy?
The Shack, written by William P. Young, is an incredible story. The plot combines a modern day mystery with biblical theology that has America talking. The shack of the title is a metaphor for that which is our “great sadness.”
The controversy evolves from one man’s fictional opinion of the Holy Trinity. Readers may not like his choice of characters to depict the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; although, they will not forget them. I personally love the book and thought Young’s voice refreshing.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Wesley the Owl (copy)
Two nights ago I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when I heard a loud Whoo-Whoo-Whoo. The windows of our house were closed tight yet the noise felt like it was behind my back. I called hubby into the bathroom to confirm my hearing.
Of course, it was an owl in one of our willow oaks communicating with its mate. Somewhere in the darkness, possibly a block away, we heard the return hoot of another owl. We have barn owls in our neighborhood, but these were commuters who only stopped by for 20 minutes. What fascinating creatures!
Born February 10, 1985, Wesley the owl suffered nerve damage in one of his wings. Meaning, this barn owl would never be able to fly for long periods of time before succumbing to exhaustion. Wesley would never be able to hunt for himself and without a mother he would surely die.
Biologists at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) considered Wesley’s lot a great chance for someone to raise him as a pet. Enter Stacey O’Brien. New to the Caltech staff having only worked a year as a biologist, her superior called her to his office four days later to discuss the owlet’s fate. She enthusiastically agreed to take on the possible 15 years of research this little ball of down might provide.
Stacey considered this her opportunity to study a single animal on a 24/7 schedule just like her heroine, Jane Goodall. Little did she know Wesley Valentine, having entered her life that Valentine’s Day, would change it dramatically.
For the first six months he was taken everywhere Stacey went. He needed her warmth to survive. Thus, she wrapped him in blankets like a newborn when going to work or on little errands. One such errand to the grocery shocked an over-eager shopper when they pulled back the covers and asked, “Is that a dinosaur?!?”
Stacey is seen as a mother figure in the first couple of years, but as Wesley turns 3 she becomes his mate. Owls mate for life and Wesley is no exception.
For this Halloween season pick up Stacey O’Brien’s Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl. It is full of photos as Wesley goes from newborn to the ripe old age of nineteen.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Black Boy (copy)
I finished Richard Wright’s Black Boy last week and just shook my head. I kept coming up with one word to describe his life: hunger. He hungered for food, he hungered for love, he hungered for attention, and he hungered for knowledge.
Richard Nathaniel Wright was born September 4, 1908 near Roxie, Mississippi on Rucker’s Plantation. His family, gripped with poverty, was constantly moving from state to state in order to find work. Wright’s mobile lifestyle allowed for three months of school in Memphis, one large gap, then some more school in Arkansas, another gap, and finally graduated ninth grade at the age of 17 in Jackson, MS.
Through this autobiography and his other writings such as Native Son, I am convinced he was a genius. His early education was too sporadic to attribute to his speech and grammar skills. It was his hunger for knowledge that improved his life. One of America’s many self-taught men.
Wright began his self education with a burning desire to know more and the use of a white man’s library card. While working in a Memphis optical shop, he would come in early to read the complimentary Commercial Appeal in the lobby. One day he ran across an editorial denouncing H.L. Mencken with one short sentence, “Mencken is a fool.”
Who was this Mencken and how did he raise the ire of a normally even tempered editor? Wright needed to know, but the Memphis Public Library was for whites only. One of his many errands for the optical company included picking up books for fellow workers at the downtown library. He thought how easy it would be for him to check out books on one of those cards if he could only get the owner’s permission.
Wright talked a nice Irish Catholic—long forgotten his name—into sharing his card, but the plan still had obstacles. He would have to write a convincing note and the smart librarian would have to be duped.
With a humble face, Wright stood at the circulation counter watching the librarian’s reaction. She quizzed him, “What books does Mr. X want to read by Mencken?”
“I don’t know, Ma’am.”
“Are these books for you?”
“No, Ma’am.”
“Well, tell Mr. X to include a list next time.”
Pshew!
Kids have it so easy today in Mississippi with excellent public schools and libraries. Oh, how I wish I could give them Richard Wright’s hunger for knowledge.
Note: Richard is the older child on the left side of the cover. You can read an excellent review of Black Boy at Just a Reading Fool's blog.
