Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

This is a photo of my then four-year-old daughter practicing her "Expeliarmus!" spell as we were getting ready to leave for Borders to pick up our copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in July of 2007. We've yet to read these books to her, but just being around us she knows who Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbleodre and Snape are. She knew by osmosis that people dressed up for Harry Potter events and wanted to be in costume for this day.

betray

My YA cover for the 100 Scope Notes challenge. "betray" by Frankie S. Haddad, quote: "Your love is a deserter" --The Kills.

Check out all the rest of the entries in his gallery. Great stuff!

Shatner/Palin

More Reading...

Three more books read for my summer children's literature survey class. Esperanza rising was a sad, but optimistic story. This was a somewhat more realistic version of The Secret Garden with a little Grapes of Wrath thrown in. It had a realistic and satisfying ending and for once the author's note is well worth reading, helping to reflect on the history discussed in personal terms.





God's Thumbs, this was a hoot! A literary romp! I doubt the historical accuracy of the narrator's voice, but could care less because it's so delightful. Earthy, fun and observant. A real treasure. Another person in the class said they dreaded reading it and it ended up being their favorite. I enjoyed the fart jokes, of course.







This is the one I was dreading but ended up loving. Myers really gets into his narrator's head and has just the right mix of emotion and realism. It's a moving work, and I enjoyed the stewardess's discomfort in one of the final scenes as two soldiers are flying home with their purple heart wounds, holding hands. I'm glad she was uncomfortable and I'm glad this makes the book banners uncomfortable (ALA's site said it was the 6th most banned book 2000-2005). We send our young adults off to war but don't want them reading a realistic and emothinal potrayal of what it can be like? Too bad. Now I'll have to look for Myers' Sunrise Over Falluja one of these days for comparison's sake.

14 Cows for America, Part Deux

Diane Chen liked this book as much as I did. It's awesome. You should check it out--I think it's out any day now.

The Pirate Alphabet

Just because I'm a ninja, I harbor no ill-will toward pirates. Well, usually. This morning my daughter and a friend of hers were watching that most fabulous of kid shows, The Backyardigans. It was an old favorite about pirates. I joked that pirate Kindergarten would be easy because the only letter you'd have to learn was "R" as in "Aaaaarrrrr!"



My daughter turned to me and said, "Daddy, you're forgetting about the X."

Arrrrr!


(image from flickr)

New Word: "Kookles"

Has anyone seen this usage before, or did PZ just make it up? I love it. Kookles. I gotta use that one.

Desktop Picture

The Blue Skunk seems to think your desktop photo says something about you. Here's mine. It's my daughter looking out the window of a Japanese restaurant on our summer vacation. I took it as we were waiting for a table. It makes me a happy ninja.

Anyone else sharing?

Reading Preferences?

From Booking Through Thursday:

Which do you prefer?

• Reading something frivolous? Or something serious?
• Paperbacks? Or hardcovers?
• Fiction? Or Nonfiction?
• Poetry? Or Prose?
• Biographies? Or Autobiographies?
• History? Or Historical Fiction?
• Series? Or Stand-alones?
• Classics? Or best-sellers?
• Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose?
• Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness?
• Long books? Or Short?
• Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated?
• Borrowed? Or Owned?
• New? Or Used?

My answer?




(image from spell with flickr)

Girl Power

A commenter asks, in reference to my Wait Till Helen Comes post: "This is the last book my 11-year-old niece read and RAVED about. She's not a big reader. She will visit for 2 weeks next month and I want to turn her on to reading in a big way. Based on your knowledge of this book, can you recommend any titles at a similar level that might be good to read aloud and feature a strong girl heroine? They need to be fun and engaging enough to keep her wanting more."


Well there's always more Mary Downing Hahn! What else...

Let's see...off the top of my head I'd show her...

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John
Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac
the Princess Academy books by Shannon Hale
Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (which I just read, will post soon)
Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Any other recommendations, Internet?

Moon

What a day it was. It brought up some wonderful personal memories for Dr. Phil Plait and this cool post from Cheryl Harness.

I remember my own father taking us to a shuttle launch in the 80s and the Marshall Center in Huntsville. My brother and I ate that stuff right up and I've been a NASA enthusiast ever since.

They're showing some cool footage over at NASA's site. All the goods. Go and geek out for awhile and inspire your kids to continue the dream.

(Of course there's still those nutty moon hoax loonies. Check out the video Skeptidad has at the bottom of this post of the great Buzz Aldrin handling one of these goofballs in a way I can't endorse but certainly understand! I admit I cheered.)



(photo via flickr)

The Half-Blood Prince

I saw the most recent Potter film over the weekend and thought it was fine. There's a lot of younguns out there crying that, OMG they changed things from the book!

Get used to it, kids. It's a completely different medium and things gotta change. I can't remember who it was they were interviewing, but many years ago someone asked an author his thoughts on how the movies had ruined his books. He pointed to them up there on his shelf and said, "No they haven't. They're right there."

When I worked in the bookstores, I used to periodically enjoy making a display called "The Book Is Always Better" showing off many recently filmed books. (The non-movie book covers are usually better, too).

But I liked this movie. I'm like Harry in response to Dumbledore's "You're probably wondering why I've brought you here, Harry": After all these years, I just go with it. I was less than thrilled the first two movies because I thought they tried too hard to stick to the books and while they looked good--they drained the life right out of the stories. It wasn't until Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Askaban and his unique take on things that I got more interested. Since then the movies have had their own flavor--this one being of a British horror film.

So kids, just because you like a book doesn't mean you'll like a movie (usually you won't). And if you do go see a movie based on a favorite book, remember that you're seeing someone else's version and let them have their way. It'll never be yours, but that's ok.

The books will still be there on the shelf when you get home.


(photo via flickr)

This Is the Way to Do It, States!

Ohio just saved 4.4 meeeelion dollars by cutting standardized tests!

"Ohio has plenty of tests, the state's largest teachers union said, and losing these won't leave a hole."

We Choose the Moon

Follow the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in real time. No, really. It's freaky cool.

What the Hell...

At my advancing age, it's good to know the difference...

Happy Birthday!

On this day in 1968 Barry Sanders, Larry Sanger and I were all born. And a year later Apollo Freaking 11 blasted off for the moon! (Oh, and I got a puppy on my first birthday).

On the 20th we'll be remembering when Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon, but my parents swear that it's also the day I took my first steps as a one-year-old as well. Kinda cool, no?

The Big Picture has a amazing set of pictures from the Apollo 11 era that still get to me (and I don't even really remember it all).

And you can see President Kennedy's full length 1962 speech right here.

"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win..." -JFK

Posts of the Past

Who is this "Jim Randolph" character recently tagged by Doug Johnson with this new meme created by Joyce Valenza? Is it the guy mentioned in this blog post and in this photo? Or is he this good looking guy? Or maybe this real estate agent? Or he could be, you know, all of them!?! Well, whoever the hell he is he asked me to answer this meme, so here goes...

" Meme rules:

1. Scan your posts for your own personal favorites.
2. Choose one post in any/each of the four categories:

• Rants
• Resources
• Reflections
• Revelations

I leave it to you folks to define these terms, but my instinct is that we could treat these loosely. You are welcome to suggest new categories if these don't fit.

3. In a blog post, list those posts and very briefly describe

• why it was important,
• why it had lasting value or impact,
• how you would update it for today.

4. Select five (or so) other bloggers to tap with this meme.

5. Tag all of your post with #postsofthepast"

Rant: Interestingly, I've been mulling whether or not to remain an anonymous blogger. One of the reasons I went anonymous was the crazy-assed parents we sometimes have to deal with, like Laura Mallory. She was the loon who wanted to ban the Harry Potter books here in Georgia. I ranted about that here and here. I was kind getting over the whole "anonymous" thing but thought I might as well keep a low profile until after I had my future media specialist job. Not that there's much here that would keep me from getting hired, but I just like being able to say whatever I like without worry of it'll ending up in a Google search. So I'll open up a bit after I land that future job...

Resource: We all need a laugh and the amazing journalistic resource I linked to in this post helps keep me sane when the news gets nutty (which is always).

Reflection: For all teachers the first day of school is always ripe for reflection, and I'm no different. This post was well-received and I referred back to it here when my daughter went for her first day.

Revelation: I think the biggest revelation I've had is that every time I think about hanging up the blog, I find reasons to keep going. Like doing the research for this post. I found most of what I've done here less than stellar, but a handful of nuggets made me smile and while I know that the quality won't be what I want until I graduate from this time-consuming program, I can't seem to give it up and hope others find it interesting as well.

Thanks.

Oh, and I dutifully pass this meme onto Tricia, C.B. James, ms-teacher, MotherReader, and Kami Garcia.

"Paperless" Does Not Equal Green

Watch this multimedia documentary from photojournalist Chien-Min Chung about e-waste in Guiyu, China if you don't buy it.

In Guiyu, China the lead levels in the water are "190 times higher than the level considered safe for drinking by the World Health Organization."

Nice.

Reading, Reading, Reading

Last month I posted my response to Wait Till Helen Comes--the same response I posted to my professor. I won't keep torturing you with my extended thoughts on older children's literature. I'll just tell you what I've been reading (other than the piles of research studies for my own research) for the past couple of weeks and give you some thumbnail responses.

First up is Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising. This is a coming-of-age fantasy. Actually, it's more about the loss of innocence. This really got to me:

"This time, his fear was adult, made of experience and imagination and care for others, and it was the worst of all. In the moment that he knew this, he knew too that he, Will, was the only means by which his own fear could be overcome..." (p. 145).

Next was Jill Paton Walsh's The Green Book. It was ok. It certainly had some interesting elements and striking imagery, but felt unfinished and thin to me. Like the first chapter of a more interesting story. It's a nice introduction to science fiction, though. There's not much true SF for the younger set--more fantasy than anything else. The kids that read this and like it will grow up to read Frank Herbert, and Connie Willis, and Kim Stanley Robinson, and Dan Simmons and live happily ever after.






Then there was Shiloh. Spoiler: The doggie doesn't die at the end! So I was happy with that. A great sense of place in this one and the voice is pitch perfect. The graceful and compassionate ending is what must have won her the Newbery, though. Good work.

Changes to Library Hours and Services

I love my local library system. They just posted a sad letter on their website. It says, in part:

"The Library has made a number of significant cuts over the last six months, and we anticipate further cuts in 2010. Unfortunately, due to the difficult financial times, the library administration has been forced to make some drastic decisions that impact library hours, services, and programs. We have already implemented a hiring freeze and have now reached the tipping point where we can no longer provide full service with our reduced staff.

Regretfully, our customers will be impacted by these changes. Branches will be open fewer days and hours, and when they are open, they will be operating with reduced staff. There will be less programming, fewer titles from which to choose, and materials will not be shelved or placed on hold as quickly as customers expect."

Closed all day Sunday and Monday. No security. Less programming. Less materials. The Reading Festival has been canceled. Hard times, people. Just when public library use has been going up. Sigh.

Steve Jenkins Books at Kohls

This is cool. For a limited time you can get some Steve Jenkins and/or plush toys for $5 at Kohls and some of the money goes to charity. These are some of my favorite picture books, so they would be perfect gifts for kids, teachers, parents, librarians or bloggers you know!

After a Car Wreck and Some Dental Work, the Day Can Only Get Better, Right?

Lady ran a red light and messed up my new (to me, anyways) red Honda Element. I'm mostly OK except for the burns on my right wrist and hand from the air bag deploying.

This kind of thing usually pisses people off, but it just makes me appreciate everyone so much more. Everyone I dealt with today was great (except the lady who drove right through the red light and into my car, of course). A guy stopped and helped me out of my car and left me his business card. The EMT/Fire/Police were all awesome.

I got hit by a couple of tons of metal going quite fast and I'm fine. Who do I have to thank for that? People. The car designers and engineers, for one. And I'm thankful for the emergency and insurance services we've created. I'm thankful for cell phones and 911. I'm thankful to the helpful guy I mentioned (need to send him something).

People can suck every once in a while and they make a lot of mistakes, but generally I think they are good and helpful.

So thanks, People. I'm a little shaken, but I'm OK.

(image cc flickr)

Linkage

Roger Ebert's Journal: I'm a Proud Braniac

"What I believe is that all clear-minded people should remain two things throughout their lifetimes: Curious and teachable."

AC Grayling: This Much I Know (via Norm)

"I have enough faith in statistics to know there must be conscious life on other planets.

Initials can be useful to hide behind. I once heard Jonathan Ross on the radio asking Kirsty Young who she had coming up on Desert Island Discs. When she mentioned "AC Grayling" Ross replied: "Oh, I know her."

Science is the outcome of being prepared to live without certainty and therefore a mark of maturity. It embraces doubt and loose ends."

Book Aunt: Ten Books at a Time (via Diane)

"One thing I hear a lot from well-to-do suburban parents is that they have plenty of books at home. I remember doing a school visit at a private school a few years back and getting a sense of what was going on. After I made a big pitch for going to the library, some of the students' comments made me realize that their wealthy parents didn't ever take them to the library. Instead, they were proud of their supposedly extensive home libraries.

Sorry, but those libraries are just not good enough. "

...and finally, C.B. James: Dakota Eats Hunger Games - Book Giveaway because I'd like to read the ironically chewed on book. Dakota, as you may or may not know, has excellent taste.

Pay for Performance Backfires

I know: you're thinking "No, Duh." But you can't say it too many times.

"We find that financial incentives may indeed reduce intrinsic motivation and diminish ethical or other reasons for complying with workplace social norms such as fairness. As a consequence, the provision of incentives can result in a negative impact on overall performance," said Dr Bernd Irlenbusch of the London School of Economics.

Full report here.


(via http://twitter.com/alfiekohn)
(photo via flickr)

Paul Muldoon: Cuz I'm A Big Fat Lit. Nerd

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Paul Muldoon
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

Go Colbert! (via Norm)

Oh, and buy it here to make it the number one poem in America.

Awesome SOUR Video

Wow. How did they DO that? Cool cool stuff. (via PodBlack Cat)