Nothing much happens --
but in that nothing lies the
whole, wide, messy world.
but in that nothing lies the
whole, wide, messy world.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Harper, 1943, 493 pages.
#31 on The LIST.
1.29.2008
Vienna: Second Impressions
More dogs!
More babies!
Smokers! Everywhere!
Toy stores! Dear God, the heavenly toy stores!
Book stores!
Exclamation points on all the signs!
Jewelry stores!
Krapfen!
That strange old woman at Cafe Griensteidl who yelled at me because apparently I was wiggling my foot in an offensive manner! ("Ach! Dein fuss!")
More babies!
Smokers! Everywhere!
Toy stores! Dear God, the heavenly toy stores!
Book stores!
Exclamation points on all the signs!
Jewelry stores!
Krapfen!
That strange old woman at Cafe Griensteidl who yelled at me because apparently I was wiggling my foot in an offensive manner! ("Ach! Dein fuss!")
Forever . . . : Review Haiku
A boon to teenage
girls everywhere . . . but a bane
to poor guys named Ralph.
girls everywhere . . . but a bane
to poor guys named Ralph.
Forever . . . by Judy Blume. Atheneum, 1975, 199 pages.
#30 on The LIST.
Breakfast at Tiffany's: Review Haiku
She affronts ev'ry
bone in my hick, prudish bod.
Good God, what a life.
bone in my hick, prudish bod.
Good God, what a life.
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. Vintage, 1958, 192 pages.
#29 on The LIST.
1.28.2008
Slaughterhouse Five: Review Haiku
War! What is it good
for? Absolutely nothing.
So it goes, Billy.
for? Absolutely nothing.
So it goes, Billy.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Dell, 1969, 224 pages.
#28 on The LIST.
EDITED TO ADD: Hey, this is my 300th post!
Miracle Wimp: Review Haiku
How I knew high school:
Mostly innocent, but with
awkward horrors, too.
Mostly innocent, but with
awkward horrors, too.
Miracle Wimp by Erik P. Kraft. Little Brown, 2007, 245 pages.
Vienna: First Impressions
Dogs!
Flowershops!
Babies in strollers!
Jewelers!
Whipped cream!
Did I mention dogs?
Two days down, two more to go; then on to Salzburg. Tomorrow I plan to sit in Trotsky's favorite kaffeehaus and read all day.
Flowershops!
Babies in strollers!
Jewelers!
Whipped cream!
Did I mention dogs?
Two days down, two more to go; then on to Salzburg. Tomorrow I plan to sit in Trotsky's favorite kaffeehaus and read all day.
1.24.2008
1.19.2008
Of course you realize this means war
The Munchkin: "I'm a PRINCESS! Princesses are BEAUTIFUL, NOT SMART!"
Me: [staggers, weeps]
Me: [staggers, weeps]
1.17.2008
Plum Lucky: Review Haiku
Just what I needed:
shoot-outs, leprechauns, and a
horse in the kitchen.
shoot-outs, leprechauns, and a
horse in the kitchen.
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich. St. Martin's, 2007, 166 pages.
Reading reading reading
I'm not doing a lot of posting lately, because I am in the thick of Cybils judging, and we're not supposed to blog about the books until the winner is announced. But I did install a schmancy new widget to the right (thanks, Anne and SmartLinks!).
We are still on a high around here about our Geisel Honor Book, Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde and Pat Wynne. And I am sharing the Mo-love, celebrating the Middle Ages, and psyched at the Caldecott committee's chutzpah for upending expectations. I am also a total dork on the Printz.
Fuse's recap is (er, recaps are) finally up, btw. (Not that I am holding Fuse to the fire for delayed posting. I am one to talk, first off, and second, I'm pretty sure fuses are explosive.)
We are still on a high around here about our Geisel Honor Book, Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde and Pat Wynne. And I am sharing the Mo-love, celebrating the Middle Ages, and psyched at the Caldecott committee's chutzpah for upending expectations. I am also a total dork on the Printz.
Fuse's recap is (er, recaps are) finally up, btw. (Not that I am holding Fuse to the fire for delayed posting. I am one to talk, first off, and second, I'm pretty sure fuses are explosive.)
1.14.2008
Official!
The official press release:
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/2008MediaAwardWinners.htm
Will process thoughts later. For now, WOO-HOO!
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/2008MediaAwardWinners.htm
Will process thoughts later. For now, WOO-HOO!
First reports
for those of us who missed the webcast:
http://www.greenlakelibrary.org/kidslit/
Um, HELLO, BUMBLEBEE BAT? Like, this HELLO, BUMBLEBEE BAT!
[squeals of joy and disbelief!]
http://www.greenlakelibrary.org/kidslit/
Um, HELLO, BUMBLEBEE BAT? Like, this HELLO, BUMBLEBEE BAT!
[squeals of joy and disbelief!]
1.11.2008
Queen of Babble in the Big City: Review Haiku
O dear Lord, thank you
that I am neither single
nor twenty-something.
that I am neither single
nor twenty-something.
Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot. Morrow, 2007, 307 pages.
The Castle Corona: Review Haiku
Just like a princess:
beautiful and well-mannered,
but fairly shallow.
beautiful and well-mannered,
but fairly shallow.
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech, illustrated by David Diaz. Harper, 2007, 320 pages.
1.10.2008
Privileged meme
From E. Lockhart via ACAFATC, the "Are You Privileged?" meme. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to feel good or bad about myself when I finish.
From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.
Bold the true statements.
1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college(and grad school)
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college(and grad school)
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
(I'm not sure if this really counts, since my brother-in-law is a lawyer, but he's only been my brother-in-law for a couple years. My dad taught college courses after I was an adult.)
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children's books by a parent
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
(piano, swimming, gymnastics, voice)
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
(Just after I turned 18, when I went to college.)
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
(I don't know how they did it, but I went to college without taking out any loans.)
16. Went to a private high school
(Very proudly a public school girl. Some of my friends from the next town over used to worry that they'd get shot if they visited me at my school. Wimps.)
17. Went to summer camp
(Only a couple times, and it was in high school, for dorky things like choir and careers in education.)
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels
(Motels on road trips.)
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
(Heh. Second daughter all the way. Also, I wore my dad's clothes most of the time in high school.)
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
(No, although I always thought that the prints of Picasso's Don Quixote and the blue guitar man were unique to us, and was therefore surprised to see them in museums.)
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
25. You had your own room as a child
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course
(taught by my dad, in fact)
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school
(This TV is still alive and currently in my master bedroom.)
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
31. Went on a cruise with your family
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
Grand total: 25
From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.
Bold the true statements.
1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college(and grad school)
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college(and grad school)
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
(I'm not sure if this really counts, since my brother-in-law is a lawyer, but he's only been my brother-in-law for a couple years. My dad taught college courses after I was an adult.)
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children's books by a parent
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
(piano, swimming, gymnastics, voice)
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
(Just after I turned 18, when I went to college.)
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
(I don't know how they did it, but I went to college without taking out any loans.)
16. Went to a private high school
(Very proudly a public school girl. Some of my friends from the next town over used to worry that they'd get shot if they visited me at my school. Wimps.)
17. Went to summer camp
(Only a couple times, and it was in high school, for dorky things like choir and careers in education.)
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels
(Motels on road trips.)
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
(Heh. Second daughter all the way. Also, I wore my dad's clothes most of the time in high school.)
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
(No, although I always thought that the prints of Picasso's Don Quixote and the blue guitar man were unique to us, and was therefore surprised to see them in museums.)
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
25. You had your own room as a child
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course
(taught by my dad, in fact)
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school
(This TV is still alive and currently in my master bedroom.)
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
31. Went on a cruise with your family
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family
Grand total: 25
1.08.2008
Disturbing Realization of the Day
My son and my dog are taking the exact same antibiotic.
(Also, I think I have fixed my layout and settings. Let me know if anything looks weird.)
(Also, I think I have fixed my layout and settings. Let me know if anything looks weird.)
1.07.2008
Cybils finalists!
All the finalists for the 2007 Cybils Awards have been announced! Check out my category, Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction (with the charmingly unpronouncable acronym MGYANF). And wish all the panelists luck as we arm-wrestle toward our winners . . .
1.06.2008
A Wizard of Earthsea: Review Haiku
I tried, Ursula --
but high fantasy just isn't
my thing. Sorry.
but high fantasy just isn't
my thing. Sorry.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. Parnassus, 1968, 183 pages.
#27 on The LIST.
1.02.2008
The God Box: Review Haiku
The God Box by Alex Sanchez. S&S, 2007, 272 pages. (And hey -- there's a blurb on the back from my bishop!)
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