I have had a request to recommend books for teens that do not have hetero love interest and perhaps have plots that aren't survivalist. I have a lot of great books to recommend! Here is a list of things that I have read, myself. Next up will be a list compiled from colleagues' recommendations of things that I haven't read. These are not in any particular order, just randomly listed. If you read any of these, let me know what you think and we can talk about books and share and stuff.
Beautiful Music for Ugly Children – Kristin Cronn
This compelling story had me hooked from the first page. Born and christened as Elizabeth, Gabe is a pretty amazing teenager. He feels he’s always been a boy and is just starting to reveal that to everyone around him, including the cool older man who is his neighbor, grandfather figure and rock-music mentor. This book deals with a heavy issue but has many moments of sheer joy, delight and regular teen confusion. I picked it up after seeing that it won the Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award, and I’m very glad I did! Honestly, there aren’t many books I find these days that I don’t want to put down, and this one had that deliciousness about it because of the compassionate realism and the lack of melodrama often found in coming-of-age books.
A Mad, Wicked Folly – Sharon Biggs Waller
Women's Suffrage in the UK, as seen by a young woman struggling to be her own person, a serious artist, despite the social conventions that would require her to marry well. I really enjoyed the arc of her development. It was believable to see her reluctance to acquiesce to become part of the suffrage movement even though she was clearly rebelling against her upbringing with her art. Her inner conflicts seemed very real to me.
The War That Saved My Life – Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Beautifully written story of children raised in poverty in London by a single mother. The older child, a girl, has a club foot and has been abused by the mother. Both children are transported to the country before the Blitz and find solace and a home with a lovely woman who shows them that life can be so much kinder, so much better. Stark realities of poverty, ignorance and lack of medical care, set in WWII home front in the UK. Beautiful character development.
White Cat by Holly Black
Creepy, confusing, fascinating modern, urban Sci-Fi. I couldn’t put it down, and I had to tear through the rest of the trilogy as well. Really compelling and very likable protagonist.
Iron Trial – Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Another “this feels like Harry Potter” book that isn’t at all like Harry. Good anti-hero stuff going on here. 2 books out in the series so far. Third is due out in Sept, 2016. Looks like there’s going to be 5, in all.
Lady of Devices – Shelley Adina
Steampunk adventure novel, strong female protagonist, lots of fun. First in a series. I think that, technically, this is considered to be an adult series, but I feel it would be appealing to teens.
Soulless – Gail Carriger
Great fun! First in The Parasol Protectorate series of fantasy steampunk that has vampires, werewolves, and Alexa Tarabotti, a woman born w/o a soul who can, with the touch of her hand, temporarily remove the supernatural powers and attributes from the others. Sassy, bold and full of Victorian manners. This series is aimed at adults, although teens like it too. There is a related series with teen protagonists by the same author, set in the same world with some of the same characters that starts with
Etiquette and Espionage.
Grasshopper Jungle -- Andrew Smith
This doesn't have any romance, but it is a teenage boy with hormones raging and it does, fair warning, talk about masturbation and being horny. It also has giant insects eating people and crazy scifi things, so make of it what you will. There were parts that I loved and parts where I thought "yea, I'm not really the target demographic for this book" which probably means that teens will like it more than I did. I know my younger colleagues do.
Dorobo: Dark Days - Chantelle Feasel
This was written by a young author from Elk Grove! It is post-apocalyptic, but I liked it a lot. Interesting plot, interesting characters. I want to read more by her, and really, isn't that as good a rec as anything?
Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein
Girl pilots and spies, truth and fiction, heart-wrenching realism. I started this book on audio and did something I rarely do - switched to print. Why? The audio wasn't appealing to me but the story was VERY compelling. So compelling that I had to read it more quickly than the audio was allowing.
Bloodsucking Fiends - Christopher Moore
Funny, irreverent, wild vampire book. First in a trilogy. So very funny! The audio books are laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Beauty Queens - Libba Bray
Satire at it's best: a plane crashes on a deserted island and the only survivors are a group of girls traveling to some Miss Teen something or other pageant. I was literally laughing out loud - loudly - many times during this book. Bray reads is VERY well, as well as having written it well on the audio. There were a few passages that became too serious for the genre, imo, but overall I found this book hilarious and meaningful. The messages she's pushing are overly obvious, but then, if you can't tell by the cover and the blurb that it's not subtle, there is little hope for you. Besides, I'd love the book for footnote #50, alone.
"What we learn with pleasure we never forget." - Alfred Mercier
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Books!
I have been reading, you know, just not as much as I should be. With all the holiday knitting and crocheting I've been doing (and wanting to do), it's hard to fit books in. Thank goodness for recorded books and my car's CD player!
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen, 2009.
This memoir is delightful! Janzen talks about her more modern life while still being respectful (albeit with humor) of her upbringing. At times irreverent, and other times poetically nostalgic, this book really made me laugh, sigh and appreciate life. Janzen has a way with words. I listened to the book on CD, read by Hilary Huber, and she did a superb job.
Case of the Missing Marquis and the rest of The Enola Holmes Series by Nancy Springer.
Enola is the very young sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes! Raised to be brilliant (how could she be otherwise) and supremely independent, she leaves home when she turns 14. On her 14th birthday, you see, her mother goes missing and Enola must figure out the clues. She leaves home and ends up also being involved in the solving of the mystery of a missing Marquis. Her attention to detail and her understanding of the feminine world are often her main assets allowing her to solve things before even her famous brother can! This series is written for children around 4th grade, I would guess, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 6 that are already out. I can't wait for more!
On What Grounds and other books in the Coffee Shop Mysteries series by Cleo Coyle
These are fun mysteries set in a coffee shop. Somewhat formulaic, they don't take a lot of brain power, and I don't often have a lot of brain power to dedicate to a new book. Filled with tidbits about coffee brewing and other delicious things, I found this book and the one other I have read so far (#6, "French Pressed") to be entertaining enough to cause me to put more of them on my "to read" list.
Currently reading: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
This is currently my in-car book on CD. It is fascinating! He's delving into what makes a person a successful genius as opposed to someone who just misses the mark. What "perfect storm" would it take to make someone one of those uber-successful people?
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen, 2009.
This memoir is delightful! Janzen talks about her more modern life while still being respectful (albeit with humor) of her upbringing. At times irreverent, and other times poetically nostalgic, this book really made me laugh, sigh and appreciate life. Janzen has a way with words. I listened to the book on CD, read by Hilary Huber, and she did a superb job.
Case of the Missing Marquis and the rest of The Enola Holmes Series by Nancy Springer.
Enola is the very young sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes! Raised to be brilliant (how could she be otherwise) and supremely independent, she leaves home when she turns 14. On her 14th birthday, you see, her mother goes missing and Enola must figure out the clues. She leaves home and ends up also being involved in the solving of the mystery of a missing Marquis. Her attention to detail and her understanding of the feminine world are often her main assets allowing her to solve things before even her famous brother can! This series is written for children around 4th grade, I would guess, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 6 that are already out. I can't wait for more!
On What Grounds and other books in the Coffee Shop Mysteries series by Cleo Coyle
These are fun mysteries set in a coffee shop. Somewhat formulaic, they don't take a lot of brain power, and I don't often have a lot of brain power to dedicate to a new book. Filled with tidbits about coffee brewing and other delicious things, I found this book and the one other I have read so far (#6, "French Pressed") to be entertaining enough to cause me to put more of them on my "to read" list.
Currently reading: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
This is currently my in-car book on CD. It is fascinating! He's delving into what makes a person a successful genius as opposed to someone who just misses the mark. What "perfect storm" would it take to make someone one of those uber-successful people?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Read any good children's books?
School Library Journal has created a list of what are considered by their readership to be the Top 100 Children's Novels.
One of my favorite Children's Lit blogs, written by two teachers, typed up the list and asked what books we've read. What a great idea (and thanks for doing the typing for me, my friends!)
I'm going to put the titles in PURPLE if I've read them! I've read a lot of really great books . . . is it any wonder it's hard to keep stuff in my head?
100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret -- Selznik (2007)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)
One of my favorite Children's Lit blogs, written by two teachers, typed up the list and asked what books we've read. What a great idea (and thanks for doing the typing for me, my friends!)
I'm going to put the titles in PURPLE if I've read them! I've read a lot of really great books . . . is it any wonder it's hard to keep stuff in my head?
100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret -- Selznik (2007)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Best Picture Books?
School Library Journal (SLJ) is gathering votes for the top 100 Picture Books of all time. I was going to ignore the request for submissions of peoples' top 10 books because it was so difficult to even think about narrowing it down, but here, at the 11th hour (deadline is tonight), I've decided to send in my faves. Just thought I'd share it with you all, too.
I chose books that are great one-on-one, but also for groups. I also chose things appeal to a wide age range. I would much rather have been able to submit a list of 100!
1. Goodnight Gorilla Rathman
2. Bark George Feiffer
3. Very Hungry Caterpillar Carle
4. Go Away, Big Green Monster Emberley
5. Charlie Parker Played Be-bop Raschka
6. Where the Wild Things Are Sendak
7. Make Way for Ducklings McCloskey
8. If I Ran the Zoo Seuss
9. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Willems
10.I Ain't Gonna Paint No More Beaumont/Catrow
I chose books that are great one-on-one, but also for groups. I also chose things appeal to a wide age range. I would much rather have been able to submit a list of 100!
1. Goodnight Gorilla Rathman
2. Bark George Feiffer
3. Very Hungry Caterpillar Carle
4. Go Away, Big Green Monster Emberley
5. Charlie Parker Played Be-bop Raschka
6. Where the Wild Things Are Sendak
7. Make Way for Ducklings McCloskey
8. If I Ran the Zoo Seuss
9. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Willems
10.I Ain't Gonna Paint No More Beaumont/Catrow
Friday, March 20, 2009
Getting Out!
I had 2 outings today! My friend Carol M. came and took me to the Knit Wits group at The Merc this morning, and then out to lunch. Fun! It was so nice to see the gals again, laugh, gossip, and buy more yarn!
My friend Cindy got me to go to book group tonight. The book was How Starbucks Saved My Life. I haven't read it, but it does sound good, and I'm going to read it as soon as my reserve comes in at The L.
I watched the movie Big with Si today. I was struck by the great message of customer service I saw in this old movie. What would we be like if we spent most of our creative energy concentrating on reacting to our "product" as our target audience would react. Josh Basking (Tom Hanks) was successful at the toy company because he approached the toys as a 13-y-o boy . . . their target audience. Something to think about!
Ok - also think about how bored I must be to be making great philosophical observations about movies like this! Yikes!
I'm exhausted - it's been a good day, but I'm glad I'm not expected to do anything tomorrow.
My friend Cindy got me to go to book group tonight. The book was How Starbucks Saved My Life. I haven't read it, but it does sound good, and I'm going to read it as soon as my reserve comes in at The L.
I watched the movie Big with Si today. I was struck by the great message of customer service I saw in this old movie. What would we be like if we spent most of our creative energy concentrating on reacting to our "product" as our target audience would react. Josh Basking (Tom Hanks) was successful at the toy company because he approached the toys as a 13-y-o boy . . . their target audience. Something to think about!
Ok - also think about how bored I must be to be making great philosophical observations about movies like this! Yikes!
I'm exhausted - it's been a good day, but I'm glad I'm not expected to do anything tomorrow.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Sing-along books
So, after posting yesterday about sing-along books, I just can't stop thinking about them. I've been a fan of singing through storytime for over 20 years, now, and if you ask my family, well, they'll tell you that I've been singing my way through life (slightly longer than 20 years - haha).
So, I'm going to start a list of other favorite sing-along books, and I'd be pleased as peachy punch if you'd add your faves into the comments!
PS - isn't it nice to think about something other than my recover? yes! it is!
So, I'm going to start a list of other favorite sing-along books, and I'd be pleased as peachy punch if you'd add your faves into the comments!
- Charlie Parker Played Be-Bop - Raschka
- Mama Don't Allow - Hurd
- Seals on the Bus - Hort
- Skip to my Lou - Westcott
- Lady With the Alligator Purse - Westcott
- 5 Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed - Christelow
- The Motown baby love board books: Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, How Sweet it is to be Loved By You, My Girl, The Way You Do the Things You Do, etc
- Barnyard Dance by Boynton (I really just chant this one, but it's great!)
- There's a Hole in the Bucket - Westcott
- Miss Mary Mack - Westcott (she's really the illustrator of all these books, but honestly, her versions are the best!) - this also makes a fun flannel, which I made years ago for the Main Library's collection, so CML folks can borrow it.
PS - isn't it nice to think about something other than my recover? yes! it is!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Reading material
Well, I'm finally interested in reading again. I've read through some back issues of The New Yorker, donated to me by my good friend Elizabeth. I have to admit I didn't read too many of the articles, but I did enjoy the comics and the covers and the editorials.
Then I started reading novels at bedtime. I grabbed the first thing I put my hands on; an old Lawrence Block novel, Burglars Can't be Choosers, about Bernie Rhodenbarr. I love these books! Bernie is a burglar, and also runs a used book shop in Greenwich Village. I first met Bernie listening to the books on tape, read by the author, and I fell in love with him (Bernie, not Lawrence, although LB also struck my imagination 'cuz he sounds so much like my dear Uncle Dick). A few years ago I was able to hear Block speak at a conference, and I got several of his Bernie books autographed. My copy of Burglars Can't be Choosers is one of those signed books. LOVE IT!
So, reading that one, and the others I made Mike find around the house, got me to reserve all the rest from The L. Yay! I've now read 4 of them, and I'm on my 5th! I'm actually reading them mostly in order, so that's new for me. LOL
But the book I really want to talk about today is When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat by Weinstein. One of my twitter buddies recommended it a while back, and I immediately ordered it. Those of you who know me know that I love jazz music, and if you've seen me do storytimes much, you might also know that I have a long-abiding love for the book Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Raschka. I love singing that jazzy book for kids because, even if they're jaded, street-wise Middle School Kids, if you sing it well you can win the kids over. I haven't tested the Louis book with kids, yet, but I feel confident saying that it could be another great sing-aloud book. The thing about the Louis book, though, is that it's going to take considerably more practice, IMHO, than the Charlie Parker book takes. There is a lot of scat in the book, and it's got great potential for being delightful, but if you plan to sing it - practice first!
I would sing this book along with the song Scat Like That from the old album On the Move by Greg and Steve. These 2 great books, the great song, and fill it in with a flannel or two, and you've got a whiz-bang storytime, I tell ya! I'd also play some of the music by both greats. Fabbo!
Thanks, Beth, for sharing the new title on twitter!
Then I started reading novels at bedtime. I grabbed the first thing I put my hands on; an old Lawrence Block novel, Burglars Can't be Choosers, about Bernie Rhodenbarr. I love these books! Bernie is a burglar, and also runs a used book shop in Greenwich Village. I first met Bernie listening to the books on tape, read by the author, and I fell in love with him (Bernie, not Lawrence, although LB also struck my imagination 'cuz he sounds so much like my dear Uncle Dick). A few years ago I was able to hear Block speak at a conference, and I got several of his Bernie books autographed. My copy of Burglars Can't be Choosers is one of those signed books. LOVE IT!
So, reading that one, and the others I made Mike find around the house, got me to reserve all the rest from The L. Yay! I've now read 4 of them, and I'm on my 5th! I'm actually reading them mostly in order, so that's new for me. LOL
But the book I really want to talk about today is When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat by Weinstein. One of my twitter buddies recommended it a while back, and I immediately ordered it. Those of you who know me know that I love jazz music, and if you've seen me do storytimes much, you might also know that I have a long-abiding love for the book Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Raschka. I love singing that jazzy book for kids because, even if they're jaded, street-wise Middle School Kids, if you sing it well you can win the kids over. I haven't tested the Louis book with kids, yet, but I feel confident saying that it could be another great sing-aloud book. The thing about the Louis book, though, is that it's going to take considerably more practice, IMHO, than the Charlie Parker book takes. There is a lot of scat in the book, and it's got great potential for being delightful, but if you plan to sing it - practice first!
I would sing this book along with the song Scat Like That from the old album On the Move by Greg and Steve. These 2 great books, the great song, and fill it in with a flannel or two, and you've got a whiz-bang storytime, I tell ya! I'd also play some of the music by both greats. Fabbo!
Thanks, Beth, for sharing the new title on twitter!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Lurve Poetry Friday!
Cheryl pointed me to the "I Love you more than" website - it's fun!
I love you more than watching what I like on TV.
I love you more than getting my own way.
I love you more than a clean house.
I love you more than sleeping in.
I love you more than dark chocolate . . . with roasted pecans. . . . ok, maybe not with the pecans.
I've also got to tell you that I love the book Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech. It's the sequel to Love that Dog, and it's great. I'm listening to it in the car, and I actually laughed out loud on the ride to work today (even though my toes were froze) It's written mostly in poems, or at least that is how the reader is reading it. Lurve it!OK - today's extemporaneous Lurve Poem:
I love warm
warm, cozy, snug
cuddled like a bug
cocoa in a mug
chili in my tum
mitten on my thumb
toes not numb
warm.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Literature Map
My friend, Jim, posted a cool meme . . . and you know I can't resist memes! For all the L bloggers who read this, please note that this Literature Map link came from a non-library person - go civilians!
My list of 3 life-changing books (I won't include the Bible, although that continues to influence my life):
1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. (map) (Oh, you like Sendak? Have you read Sylvia Plath yet? LOL)
2. Charlie Parker Played Be-Bop by Chris Raschka. (map unavailable because the site hasn't heard of him before)
2a. (to replace Charlie Parker) Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (map)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. (map)
I'm a librarian, so, predictably, I can come up with a VERY long list of books that have changed my life. I limited myself, though. :-)
A simple, two-step approach for generating your own, fully personalized, 21st century, Web 2.0-based reading list:
- Make a list of the top three books that have influenced your life, and make a note of the authors’ names
- Visit Literature-Map, plug each author name into the text box (one at a time, naturally) and generate a cloud of related authors. That ought to keep you busy for a while!
Thanks for playing. Have a nice day.
My list of 3 life-changing books (I won't include the Bible, although that continues to influence my life):
1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. (map) (Oh, you like Sendak? Have you read Sylvia Plath yet? LOL)
2. Charlie Parker Played Be-Bop by Chris Raschka. (map unavailable because the site hasn't heard of him before)
2a. (to replace Charlie Parker) Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (map)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. (map)
I'm a librarian, so, predictably, I can come up with a VERY long list of books that have changed my life. I limited myself, though. :-)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Various Topics
First, I was tagged by Yarmando in the Random Book Quote Meme! Yay! I love being picked, too! 
Instructions: open the book you’re currently reading to page 161 and read the fifth sentence on the page, then think of 5 bloggers to tag.
I am reading 3 books at the moment:
I just started The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien. Don't have any idea how it will be. It is for one of my book groups. Page 161, sentence 5: The window jerked open, suddenly filling the kitchen with outside insect hum and the hell-deep boom of Pietros's voice, "Hello, Madam . . ."
I have renewed resolve to finish the last book group book (because now we're reading it for my other book group), Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Page 161, sentence 5: Richard calls it "The Geet". (Hey, I didn't make the rules! I know these don't make much sense, but isn't it fun anyway?)
Book 3 is a graphic novel I'm reading because it looked intriguing, was listed on many "greatest" lists, and then the first few pages of the story totally hooked me in (a hazard of my work). The Runaways: #1-18 by Brian Vaughan. Page 161, sentence 5: Heck, this book isn't numbered. I'll just pick a random "that looks like 161 pages" page: Topher, I cut myself because shedding my own blood is the only way to free the ancient magical weapon that my witch of a mom somehow trapped inside my body. (Now, who can resist that, I ask you!)
Tagging: Now, I get to name 5 other people to do this whacky book tag! Cycholibrarian, Cat (my Brit Twin), FightingLibrarian, Gotta Book , and Sock Princess, and just to keep things even, Aunt Gerry. If anyone else wants to post their sentence, that's great, too - those of you w/o blogs of your own (you know who you are!) can post them in my comments!
Second, Very Sad News - our pet snake, Jack, has passed away. Poor Jack. We loved him well. These pictures were taken this past Summer.
We've all cried, but I couldn't let it go without sharing the sad news. I know lots of folks don't like snakes at all, but he was really a good pet, and we loved him.
Now my uplifting news - what's on the needles!
First, a chemo cap for the collection at the Merc. I have to finish this and get it in! I already put one kid's sized one in the basket. We're competing with an LYS in Michigan. We'll win! Go Buckeyes! (omg, did I just say go buckeyes? Well, it's knitting, so it's ok).
And I've swatched (yes, sometimes I do swatches - don't get used to it!) the yarn for a sweater vest for Santa. I can post the particulars because Santa doesn't have time to read blogs this time of year!
Instructions: open the book you’re currently reading to page 161 and read the fifth sentence on the page, then think of 5 bloggers to tag.
I am reading 3 books at the moment:
I just started The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien. Don't have any idea how it will be. It is for one of my book groups. Page 161, sentence 5: The window jerked open, suddenly filling the kitchen with outside insect hum and the hell-deep boom of Pietros's voice, "Hello, Madam . . ."
I have renewed resolve to finish the last book group book (because now we're reading it for my other book group), Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Page 161, sentence 5: Richard calls it "The Geet". (Hey, I didn't make the rules! I know these don't make much sense, but isn't it fun anyway?)
Book 3 is a graphic novel I'm reading because it looked intriguing, was listed on many "greatest" lists, and then the first few pages of the story totally hooked me in (a hazard of my work). The Runaways: #1-18 by Brian Vaughan. Page 161, sentence 5: Heck, this book isn't numbered. I'll just pick a random "that looks like 161 pages" page: Topher, I cut myself because shedding my own blood is the only way to free the ancient magical weapon that my witch of a mom somehow trapped inside my body. (Now, who can resist that, I ask you!)
Tagging: Now, I get to name 5 other people to do this whacky book tag! Cycholibrarian, Cat (my Brit Twin), FightingLibrarian, Gotta Book , and Sock Princess, and just to keep things even, Aunt Gerry. If anyone else wants to post their sentence, that's great, too - those of you w/o blogs of your own (you know who you are!) can post them in my comments!
Second, Very Sad News - our pet snake, Jack, has passed away. Poor Jack. We loved him well. These pictures were taken this past Summer. 
We've all cried, but I couldn't let it go without sharing the sad news. I know lots of folks don't like snakes at all, but he was really a good pet, and we loved him.Now my uplifting news - what's on the needles!
First, a chemo cap for the collection at the Merc. I have to finish this and get it in! I already put one kid's sized one in the basket. We're competing with an LYS in Michigan. We'll win! Go Buckeyes! (omg, did I just say go buckeyes? Well, it's knitting, so it's ok).
And I've swatched (yes, sometimes I do swatches - don't get used to it!) the yarn for a sweater vest for Santa. I can post the particulars because Santa doesn't have time to read blogs this time of year!
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