The Perfect Circle by Pascale Quiviger, translated by Sheila Fischman
lyrical and abstract, like poetry, full of emotion, and longing, and a delight to the senses. I was too sad to finish it though. I will another day. Some of my favorite books didn't get read through on the first go.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Imaginative, darkly fascinating, and I just needed to know what it was like. Does seem to try a little hard to be dramatic and artsy...with the free verse disjointed form, setting characters, inserting things. "Here is a small fact. You are going to die." on the first page stands alone in different font. OOOKAAAY. SCARY STUFF MAN, SO POIGNANT. At 552 pages, I knew that I'd probably not make it through at this time of the year. I never seem to find appropriate reading materials for the season! I think this book will be great for many.

"A SPECTACULARLY TRAGIC MOMENT. A train was moving quickly. It was packed with humans. A six-year-old boy died in the third carriage."

It seems a bit like the movie, Amelie. Which I love by the way.

Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna
This picture book is okay. Really. Well, it's totally moralistic in a frighteningly way, in a weird world where everyone is concientious and polite. A boy sees his coach (Mr. Peabody) take an apple without paying while walking down the street. The coach is well liked. The boy tells others. Rumours fly, and no one comes to play baseball. The boy explains to the coach. They walk to the shop where the grocer explains that Mr. Peabody pays once a week for his apples. The boy is told to cut open a feather pillow and shake it in the wind, then pick up every feather. Each feather represents a person - see how hard it is to take back gossip? But actually, I think it's a useful story in a classroom setting and well suited along with bright illustrations for the early grades. And heck, maybe the kids can gyrate to a Material Girl song afterwards...

PS- her other book, English Roses was so unappealing, I couldn't read it. I can't even get through a picture book...what's happening to me?! I can't even finish a picture book!

Several Suggestions

"The library is wonderful except there is too muchfiction/unrealistic/make-believe material. It takes up valuable shelf space. 89% of all fiction is junk food. True?"

At the top of a comment card: Please take a moment and let us know what we are doing right or wrong. Patron rossed out "let us know" and replaced with "pray" = Please take amoment and let us pray about what we are doing right or wrong. Still filled out a suggestion.

"All fiction books should be marked/described as not real. Fictionwriters are too often sicko's, culture terrorists, or hateful people. Sorry for my writing" (messy)

Darn it, another comment said that we are making crappy fiction "too available" - ha, ha, ha. Yeah right. Try getting on the holds list for a Giller Nominee. I'm just getting them now, and of course, three in one day.

Snot-nosed book reviews

Home sick. Again. Drat! It's sucks a lot because the Supple Scientist will arrive to a congested, dripping, coughing, thoroughly sick girlfriend. What a romantic reunion after 5.5 months apart. Furthermore, I missed my last babytime for the season, and that is disappointing, and probably was a big hassle for all those folks at work. This is also day two of missing work. I dilly-dallied on whether I could go in until the last minute, realizing that my obvious and apparent sickness would inhibit my singing (already weak at the best of times) and also disgust mothers who will only want to shield their babies from all my germs. I still feel guilty for the hassle it causes though! We don't have a clear work culture about how sick is too sick.

So I am writing this from my bed (thank heavens for lap tops!) and I'll catch up on a few posts. Heck, I have a whole pile of overdue materials (speedreads!) right here.

Miss Smithers by Susan Juby.

Funny and delightful but not as great as the first - Alice, I Think (see previous review). I have to admit that the "zine" articles she writes are pretty great. This one was in response to her best friend who grows distant after losing her virginity (of which Alice is a little jealous):

"Some people, particularly teenage people, take pride in being the first of their friends to have s**. Those people are misguided. S** is a serious matter. A person shouldn't have s** until they are old enough and mature enough to deal with the consequences. Which can be severe.
In the final reckoning, the person who has s** with someone they love is probably the winner over someone who makes it with someone they hardly know. If you are having s** and think that makes you more advanced than your friends who aren't doing it yet, think again. Maybe that friend of yours has better things to do. Maybe he or she is active in the community for instance. In closing, just remember that just because someone hasn't had s** yet, doesn't mean she hasn't tried.
Think about it.
-P.J. Hervey"

I love how Alice is then accosted by a chastity group, which she repeatedly tries to join in with (but fails) while her mother, who believes they are a cult, rails against it. There is such a great naive sincerity about this character that really appeals! I have adjusted the word sex to s** because I have this weird feeling that I'll end up with more strange trolls dropping comments on this blog than I already have. And I don't think I've ever typed that word so many times in one paragraph in my life. I can't really remember typing that word at all, but anyhow.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie.

A quick story told in the tradition of a story, a single plot, a group of characters, an outcome expected and awaited. Two city boys are sent to a rural mountain village during China's cultural revolution to perform manual labour. Their quest for books, which are banned, and their daliances with the tailor's beautiful daughter are thoughtful and contemplative; the tale abounds with beautiful imagery and excellent internal dialogue.

The Birth House by Ami McKay.

I loved this book. It was unique to anything else I've read lately. Do you ever get the feeling that you are reading the same book, the same tale over and over again with perhaps different characters and different settings...? And its' CANADIAN! Hurrah!

The protagonist Dora Rare, begins the story as a young Nova Scotian girl assisting the mid-wife, an Acadian who delivers all the babies in the community and lives off the generosity of gifts left upon her doorstep, while shunned elsewhere for her "sorcery." Soon a doctor arrives promising quick painless childbirth in a sterile environment with the aids of drugs, chloroform, forceps, eschewing generations of wisdom and ringing his hands when things go wrong. Dora finds herself in an unsatisfying marriage, determined to continue aiding women in her community.

Historical fiction at it's most delicious, spanning World War I, the Halifax Explosion, medical history, and traditional medicines and beliefs, it's fascinating and well developed. Always convincing, and realistic, highlighting the loyalties that bind, and the concept of community.

Just listen to the frogs...

Books that have been read lately or have spent some time at least on my bedside table:

The Jane Austen Bookclub by Karen Joy Fowler

Excerpt 1:
"Just listen to the frogs," Jocelyn said. We listened. Apparently, somewhere beneath the clamour of her kennel of barking dogs there was a chorus of frogs."

Excerpt 2:
"No passion at all." Prudie repeated the word, but pronouncing it as if it were French. Pah-see-ohn. Because she taught French, this wasn't as thoroughly obnoxious as it might have been. Not that we liked it. The month before, Prudie's beautician had removed most of her eyebrows; it gave her a look of steady suprise. We couldn't wait for this to go away. "Sans passion, amour n'est rien," Prudie said.

Excerpt 3:
"Bernadette was our oldest member, just rounding the bed of sixty-seven. She's recently announced that she was, officially, letting herself go "I just don't look in the mirror anymore," she's told us. "I wish I'd thought of it years ago...."Like a vampire," she added, and when she put it that way we wondered how it was that vampires always managed to look so dapper. It seemed that more of them should look like Bernadette. Prudie had once seen Bernadette in the supermarket in her bedroom slippers,hair sticking up from her forehead as if she hadn't even combed it. She was buying frozen edamame beans and capers and other items that couldn't have been immediately needed."

I really enjoyed this, and gulped it up in two days. The narration was clever and dryly sarcastic but constantly kind and understanding of individual foilbles. I was only disapointed that it ended sooner than expected because the last bit of the novel was actually just a book club guide! The end fizzled a bit I think though. And as much as I enjoyed it, the forays into unique lives of individuals making up this bookclub, and the things that brought them together...I know it will make a terrible movie, in the tradition of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Something geared towards menopausal women. On the other hand, it might be more of a winner if cast closer to the mold of How to Make an American Quilt. Casting will be key I think....

The Last Crossing by Guy Vanderhaeghe
This is a book with substance. There's something to it, that you can really lose yourself in. Rich narrative, plot, and characters abound and it's a period piece set in the second half of the nineteenth century in the American and Canadian west as well as Victorian London. The characters are deeply flawed and one or two are rather sinester. I got quite caught up in it and then mislocated it quite to my consternation. I just finally found it and after a few weeks away from it, I'm planning on picking up where I left off somewhere in the middle. I heard that something shockingly violent caused my friend's mother to put it down. It's been gritty for sure. One scene involved slicing open a horse abdomen and crawling in for warmth during a storm. All I could think of was that similar scene from Star Wars etched indelibly into my mind at a tender age.

Chelsea's Ride (Not Just Proms & Parties) by Patricia G. Penny

Teen lit- featuring a truly selfish and conceited central character which actually makes for an enjoyable read as you wait for her to get just desserts. In using a geeky guy for a chauffer, and dating a hottie purely for his looks and sex, she finds out he has used her as well, to get back at his ex-girlfriend. She bounces back though, and with a few more encounters the book ends with an unrepentent but highly interesting flounce. A great book for reluctant teen readers.

A Bike Ride: 12,000 Miles Around the World by Anne Mustoe

Haven't finished it though I found it really interesting, non-fiction never grabs me the same way. A middle-aged out of shape British woman quits her job as a private school headmistress and heads out on a bicycle to circle the globe in 15 months. I really enjoyed reading about Europe, because I'd love to do the same thing. I am looking foward to the bit about cycling across India, though my own ambitions do not reach that far!

J-Fiction to come another day...

Just another day....

Older, mildly disabled woman with her shirt up around her neck. She is a character and a half and generally get's half the staff running around fetching things for an hour a day (she doesn't bring her glasses in) and can be very rude in a very loud voice (ie. Intimate personal details, racist remarks, etc). She has apparently forgotten to pull her top down over her bountiful bosom, and now her full coverage, heavy duty suspension bra is on display for all to see. In fact, it's so full coverage, it may not even be a bra. Shall I say anything? Ahem, perhaps not. Don't get me wrong, normally I would, but it's not my reference interview, and I feel strangely detached today. Back to work.

Moments later, we're all in a fluster- she managed to get a small cut on her finger (from the edge of a VHS?) and nearly went down. We seated her in the ref. deskchair as she cried out for a bandage. I realized there are no latex gloves at the Children's Desk and this should be remedied asap. Our hardy male co-op student jumped into the melie with enthusiasm, smoothing a small bandage onto her finger. Ooooh, I can feel the medicine soaking in...she breathed in relief.

Telephone Survey Hell

Girl claiming to be a SFU student calls, conducting a telephone survey...I actually answer her questions. Why?

Well J* and H* may recall that fateful Psychology Research Methods class that had me on the telephone for hours and hours....We were determining the male - female ratio for telephone hang-ups when speaking with a stranger who pretends to know know you. Only problem is that seniors can talk forever, even when you're clearly a stranger. Don't I know this? Now I experience it every day.

Today, the conversation went a bit like this:

How many people live in your household? Um 2.

Who is the primary meal maker?

We both cook for ourselves.

Oh, that's ummm strange! Ha ha ha.

I am silent.

What is the age of the household members... under 19, 19-24, 25-55, etc.

Um, 25-55. Internally: that's crazy! We're not that old!

She then proceeded to ask a series of "True or False" questions, half of which required a yes or no answer. Some even required a maybe, which she automatically defaulted to a yes. And one of her most annoying responses to my answer- "why does everyone say that?!"

At the end of the survey, she said "Can I ask your name?"

No. (internally: what the hell?)

Okay, um, well thanks.

There are so many ways in which this project deserves an F. With 3 research methods classes under my belt, I think I can say that with authority! Egad!

I only hope she really is a student!

What does this have to do with libraries? Not much. But, I do know that only crazy people take the time to answer telephone surveys, so next time your library pays and exorbitant fee to a marketing company to conduct a user survey - think twice!!

Books and Whine

Overheard today...
"No! You don't get to take any books out! You didn't listen during storytime!"
As a mother drags a two-year-old out of the library. Wow, that's lame. Some two-year olds are ready for storytime, some are not. Different children have different needs, and at that young age they probably shouldn't be punished for simply getting a bit squirmy during storytime (especially when it's not my storytime!) Besides which, punishing a child by not allowing them to take home books - that's awful!

Also, I was shushed the other day.
A woman was ignoring our no cell phone policy, blabbing away kids in tow, the library was quite peaceful with most people either studying or working at computers until she came alone. I approached her and said, "Excuse me, cell phones aren't..." as she waved her hand my face and violently expelled a loud "shhhhhh!!!!!" while turning away from me. I was more than a little offended. I take my personal bubble seriously! I love this sort of challenge. I wouldn't say I'm confrontational. But when I am clearly following the rules and someone else is not, and they're being rude to boot, well, I can be perisistant. "Excuse me, you actually need to turn your phone off in the library." She walked away from me, still talking and finished, then said, "It was important!" in a super loud voice. Shortly after I encountered the most sour mother daughter team in the universe. I was on a bad role. In the past two months I haven't had any bad experiences on reference (though now that I'm a full-time employee, I spend only 50% of my time on desk). Anyways see below for the other lovely experience.

Okay, enough complaining! Books I've read as of late...

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth- teen fiction, really enjoyable and fast read but total girl fiction set in Mumbai, India - sibling rivalry, forbidden love...aaahhhh.

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales - Pura Belpre Award winner - teen fiction - a bit too perfect and sweet - but a really interesting look at Mexican Catholicism. The author is Harvard grad, lawyer, human rights advocate, blah blah blah - somehow I wonder if her tough fight as a woman and as a Mexican to get to the top in a rather cut-throat world was as simple as her writing - upbeat but rings a little false and gets a little monotonous after a while.

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant - adult fiction- a book club title at our library. I quite enjoyed it, because I love historical fiction and this was a rich and lavish cascade of colour and sensuality from start to finish. A nun is discovered to have a shocking and explicit tattoo upon her death. Chapter one, we meet Alessandra Cecchi a difficult fifteen-year old who loves to paint and seeks only freedom. Religious fervor is making life in Florence very dangerous as she seeks freedom through marriage...I can't really say much without giving it away - my only complaint is the ending...

Wing Nut by MJ Auch - juvenile fiction - a boy on the road with his mom, transient, new jobs, communes, boyfriends, car troubles, you name it - so far fulfilling all the tough luck single mom stories you can fathom. But doing it well. Lovely little details are making this enjoyable - though I'm only half-way through!

Sour Kids - Yum, yum

Okay, I rate my energy level quite low. Must be productive. I find crazy people to be very demoralizing, I had two in a row. And now I feel like sipping my mug of hot cocoa and surf'n the net, rather than planning next weeks storytime programs...just now, a strange mother daughter pair who were rude, sullen, and rude. They had matching scowls. Usually people are happy when you find books for them, and even happier when you suggest one or two similar authors they may not of heard off. Maybe I'm living in bizarro land this afternoon. There are also dogs barking in the library. Yeah, some crazy authors brought their pets in for their booktalks. Cool, but annoying. Yes, I'm turning into a gasp...gasp...librarian!!!

My foot slipped. Again.

Okay, my life is ridiculous. I was writing a blog entry in part about all the technical problems have been having. When my foot slipped and hit the power button on the computer tower. I lost the entry.

Where was I? Oh yes, in my mad dash to make it out of the house on time yesterday, I accidentally left my laptop on. A subsequent power outage wreaked havoc. As a result, my already temperamental, blue screen of death loving, slower every day computer stopped allowing me access to any of my email accounts. Home or work! The nerve!

Well, needless to say, I’m not at home writing this entry. Last night I watched Darwin’s Nightmare. It's not a science focused movie, despite the title. I don't tend to watch a lot of those, though I am really looking forward to getting my hands on the Weathermakers movie. I attempted to watch the DVD of Guns, Germs, and Steel, but I waned early on. I wonder if the Supple Scientist will influence my movie watching habits in future. I suspect yes!

Anyways, back on topic. Darwin’s Nightmare looks at the false economy of the fishing of Nile Perch at Lake Victoria, Tanzania. One man, one bucket, one day = end of ecological discussion as the predatory fish is introduced to the lake, decimating the local species and devastating the local ecology. This part of the story is touched on very briefly. The true story surrounds the people who live around the lake surviving off the economy of fish. People give up farming – move to villages surrounding lake – barely make enough to survive – it’s a difficult life, swimmers who brave the waters to scare fish into nets may become crocodile food – women move to the area to prostitute themselves when their husbands die of AIDS- disease is rampant –orphans are everywhere – young boys sniffing glue which is incidentally made of melted packaging from the fish factory – young girls sticking with the younger boys to avoid becoming rape victim- locals can’t afford the fish and subsist of fish scraps from the factory. What makes the film so gripping, is the few characters that is zeroes in on. A prostitute, a factory owner, a pilot, a security guard…A few Russian pilots who fly in cargo and fly out with fish. They are the cheapest available. They just want to support their families. However, the airtraffic control is minimal (burnt out planes litter the runway) and all of them when questioned about cargo, say, I’m only a navigator, I only want to feed my family. The incoming cargo it becomes more and more apparent is ammunition. Someone has to supply weapons for war. Many of the locals want war, it is a chance to enlist and make better money. The power of this film lays in the subtle way each layer is built upon as it become more apparent that each person is a pawn in a greater and more evil plan, or a participant pleading ignorance. Makes you wonder what your part is in the greater scheme.

Of my bedside table this week (no I'm not a teenager, I'm just reading like one- right now)

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel- genius, wonderful, any adult would love it! One of my new favorites.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz – kind of ridiculous but I can see the appeal, great for a reluctant reader.

The Shadow in the North by Phillip Pullman – I do like cozy Victorian era mysteries – quite a lot in fact, but this teen novel didn’t grab me and I didn’t actually finish it.

Gossip Girls – read a bit and decided that the shallowness and conceit was corroding my soul. Had to see what the fuss was about.

Doing it – even more upsetting, another incomplete read. If that’s all that teenage boys think about, and in that horrible clinical disgusting way, than I’m so glad I didn’t know that a decade ago. Lacked redeeming qualities.

My Heartbeat by Garret Weyr – touching and lovely account of a girl who suspects her brother is gay and is in love with his friend. Her questions lead to a riff between the two and she begins dating his friend. Sometimes her line of reasoning seems quite stunted and naïve for a teenage girl, she is admittedly not like the other girls, a bit of an oddity, and in that way a little sad. It’s also a little sad that at fourteen or fifteen? she is sleeping with someone who is heading to college (but at least safe sex is advocated here!) I think it’s probably the combination of sexuality and naivety that upset me, rather than any one thing on its own. She seems so little aware of herself and the consequences of her actions as well as the world itself…Overall, I would recommend it. It was insightful and intriguing, with excellent characterization.

A number of things have happened since beginning this post that have made my blood pressure soar, and have cause me to scream internally (I'm in public)...

a) my foot slipped again b) the internet is too slow to add pictures right now c) attempting to hit the spell check cause me to lose the entire blog posting forever. Thank goodness I wrote most of it in word earlier.

Get me away from this thing! Happy Thanksgiving!

A Few Happenings

Post Booktalk Fun:
Grade Two class running amok, boys fighting (physically) over a stool, whole rows of books dumping off shelves and being shoved back randomly,teachers talking not even supervising...argh. A really great pop-up book is ripped among other casualties that I certainly haven't discovered. My solution for the class visit from hell part 2? I am cutting out slips of coloured paper which I will tell them to put in the place where they pull the book out from. I don't remember where I saw this before, but it seemed to work. The teacher wondered if they could look around but just not pull the books all the way out. Yeah, that sounds like fun. Go to the library and peek at book covers. Wowee.

Observing Strangeness:
Disturbing father daughter affection. Daughter too old and too skinny to be cuddling with father on bench in children's department - she may have been twelve or thirteen. Odd looking father who is harry, stooped and wearing worn, dirty clothing. Holding hands with both girls. Youngest girl is half dressed -wearing bikini top and shorts. Very grubby. Father says, "Why don't we go home and share a granola bar." Share. Why can't she have her own. She's friggin anorexic and about 5'8. They don't take any books out, only a DVD. All I could wonder, is if the girls are in public school, and what their teacher thinks. I think children who are affectionate by nature, and who aren't embarrassed to show it are wonderful - I've seen it with all ages and genders - but this felt strange. What can you do? I wonder if I'll see them again.

Keep Curious George on a Leash:
Woman comes in looking for book on tape for a three-year -old child. I don't usually promote the mainstream - but there aren't as many choices in this section - Curious George. Response: Well, no I don't want to get her into the idea that she can get into trouble.
Well, the kid is on a leash. No kidding. She's already harnessed in like a rabid dog. She has been politely looking at books all over the library for ten minutes. I have seen little sign of misbehavior. Grandma is taking this seriously! Darn Curious George, destroying the standards of behavior everywhere!!! Seriously, this is silly, all children laugh at Curious George and love him because they can see what he's doing wrong, and it's delightful for them to be able to watch it and point it out!! After all, he's a monkey!

No Time

Now that I'm working full time and as an auxiliary, I have no time to read. How can this be? Well, I still read before bed, during my lunch hour, during most meals and snacks, in the bathtub...but approximately 10.5 hours a day is now taken up by work and commute, and what little time remains is devoted to exercise, cleaning my apartment, a happy vegetative Veronica Mars watching state, conversation with friends, and most importantly my daily 9:30 webcam date with my supple scientist. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the new job- I just don't handle change well - at first, stay tuned for more positive laments. In the meantime, here's a quick run down of the reading I mostly completed last week!

Karin Fossum - Calling Out for You! - Adult Mystery
This is the first mystery I have ever read with no resolution. Ooops, did I spoil it for you? Well you should be forwarned. I do believe I know who the killer was, and it was fairly obviously stated, but they good guys will never get him (I think)...There is a lot of psychology to this Norwegian thriller!

Alice I Think - Susan Juby - YA
The hands down funniest teen novel I have ever read (even beats Adrian Mole)...

The Royal Diaries- Cleopatra VII- Daughter of the Nile- Kristiana Gregory
Too bad Cleopatra actually ends up marrying her brother, rolling herself in a carpet to be delivered to her lovers chambers, and eventually kills herself (luckily that stage of her life wasn't reached in this diary - that might not be the intended shining example of female leadership for young girls). As one libararian said, "Yes, oh your reading one of those books we all recommend but no one has actually read!" - I still recommend it.

Paul Moves Out - Graphic Novel
Sweet, poignant, lovely ending. Can't beat anything from Drawn and Quarterly Press.

PS- due to technical difficulties, this old post is finally making it up! I'm sorry for the poor upkeep of this blog lately - I promise better blogging habits in future!

Party Dress

It's time to put on my party dress! My days of wandering are done (for a little while) as I begin a full-time children's position this week. I have agreed to stay available for weekend shifts with another system and I am also wrapping up with a few weekend shifts at the academic library where I'm a part-timer. So the lithe librarian is working both full time and as an auxiliary - may the exhausting adventure continue. Well, at least I don't have to change my blog title! After 8 months of working as an auxiliary, I have honed my versatility and reference skills, and have both experience the thrills and disillusionment of such an existence. I stand by my original observations posted on February 25th:

Starting off as an on-call librarian is a bewildering experience for many. I drive approximately 1000 km each week. Over the past 6 weeks I have worked in communities that I have never before visited.

The most difficult part of working on-call has been navigating my way to new branches. Generally I use mapquest to formulate directions, but this process may need to be re-evaluated. Some directions have made absolutely no sense in the stark light of reality. There are streets I have never found. And never will find.It just doesn't matter. All that is important is getting there. Alive.

Gas stations have been my salvation. There is something comforting about the helpfulness of a stranger with absolutely no obligation to be so. Particularly for a librarian, who spends all day on a reference desk helping others. It's nice to get some service in return.

One day when I was driving through on of those endlessly looping exits, going over, under and around the freeway, I thought about how unmoored I felt. Geographically lost yet again, feeling emotionally bereft missing the community and ideals of library school, suffering from the physical symptoms of job-related anxiety (always be nice to new people, remind them of breaks, show them where things are, and never snap at them when they ask a question)...

I never really finished this thought. I don't know if I ever will...the destiny of an auxiliary is to be cast adrift. To have split allegiances. To not truly belong to any one place or group. You become a stronger individual. You simply do things your own way whenever possible. You utilize the unique skills set you have to offer and draw on your range of experience. After all, the job is about people and books wherever you go. (I know, I refuse to say information, I'm a traditionalist, for me it's still about books!)

I'll be whistling while I work! Tarrah!

Sound Bytes

Things People Said to me At Work This Week:

Both you girls have very good auras. (older man addressing myself and another librarian)

Thank you and God Bless. (reposing to providing contact information from the red book)

Do you know what this is? (while on my friggin lunch break - I must look like a librarian)

I need a book about hiccups, bedbugs, and thyroids. (Further investigation: Thyroid problem killed his CAT.)

Oh what's this? Not that I have hepatitis, I'm just interested... (while looking in health section)

Positive Feedback

I look up from some catalogues I am looking through.

A grizzled old man stands in front of me.

Ya know, the public library was the greatest service ever invented!

I smile and nod.

Keeps boys like me out of mischief.

He pauses for a moment of contemplation...I won't be in the pub so long.

Is it Real?

Is it a real cell phone?

The girl is about three, she is wildly gesturing...

She's making quite a lot of noise.

We have a no cell phone policy.

But I can't tell if she's pretending.

The actual phone is buried under a mop of hair, what if it's Fisher Price?

How embarrassing.

She is so young can hardly form words, it's mostly babble...

People are turning to stare....She's right in front of my desk, I have to do something...

I give her father a desperate look, and he asks her to hush. She finishes up her conversation and says "I love you, goodbye."

It was a real phone.

Get thee to a Library young lady!

Very small girl approaches desk shadowed by tall willowy teenage brother.

Hi, I need some books about following rules.

Oh okay.

Begin looking...Anything specific? - what about listening, honesty...

She looks at her brother.

He looks at her.

Ah, I guess all of those things.

Brother says, "Right answer."

I get her started at the shelf with some books to find, secretly hoping her brother will help.
Instead he heads over to use the internet. We find a few dreary books.

Did your parents send you to the library?

Yes. I'm in trouble.

Then I ask, "How about getting some good books too?"

Okay.

Do you like ... Rosemary Wells?

YES!

Okay... A few were just returned, I'll go get them.

We look around, I replenish the displays with good books while she trails along looking at them.
Later on I notice her having difficulty at the checkout. Over due fines.

Well, she checked out only one book : Learning How to Say Please. How depressing.

Scared to take anything else out.

Too Many Books, Too Little Time

I finally have a day off! This auxiliary has been going full tilt! I must admit that I did have Sunday off, however I was preoccupied with planning a baby time for 0-12 month olds, and with my minimal experience with this demographic, feeling fairly anxious. So today is a REAL day off. I have so far managed to wake up, and eat chocolate in bed (dark) while reading Anderson Cooper's Dispatches from the Edge. I'm only on page 27, and it's a smooth easy read. I'm finding it a little sentimental and over the top so far...but he does make a living sensationalizing the news. Almost every paragraph ends something like this:

Post-new years reporting he heads out to cover the tsunami: "At dawn I board the plane, the first of several I'll take to get to Sri Lanka. When I sit down, the flight attendant tells me I still have confetti in my hair."

Or, "On the plane the flight attendant asks a Sri Lankan passenger if she's comfortable.

"I just lost three people in my family," the passenger says.

"Oh, that's terrible," the flight attendant says, pausing for a moment. "No duty-free then?"

On every page you find human disaster juxtaposed against something contrite or trivial. Or, simply reflections on devastation, and short diversions into Cooper's personal history, particularly so far, the loss of his father as a child.

I don't want to be too critical, because I really am enjoying it and I can see the widespread appeal this type of book will have. I perhaps find foreign war correspondent Asne Seierstad's books to be a grittier, less sentimental and more political version of this genre. However, Seierstad is Norwegian and approaches international conflicts with a much more neutral tone, part of her appeal, whereas Cooper is everything CNN stands for. America. The Great.

Anyways, overall I'm really enjoying it. A nice recreational read.

Other books I've read of late and don't have time to comment extensively on:

Girlfriend in a Coma
Finally I've read a Douglas Coupland book. I quite enjoyed the first half of the book, but then playing with reality, ghosts and time travel doesn't really appeal to me, so the second half kind of bothered me. The characterization was superb, but it seems like the message of a lost generation of youth, obsessed with consuming rather than really living was expounded on in excess. It was set in West Vancouver and featured some sort of apocalyptic events which was kind of interesting. Plus, imagine going into a coma at age seventeen pregnant, and waking up when your daughter is a teenage girl and you are grey haired. And guess what? Your boyfriend waited for you all those years. Yeah.

Tomorrow When the War Began (YA)
This is the book by John Marsden (author of Winter) that I mentioned a few years ago. It's been reissued (originally from 1993) with an enticing gorgeous cover and I couldn't resist the title. Again, it was a little slow to start, but I loved the Australian regionalism and the concept. A group of teenagers head out camping in the backwoods and when they return there is no one left. Their country has come under siege and their families are being held at the fair grounds. Mass destruction, fires, dead livestock, evidence of guerilla warfare, no power or hydro, etc. are just part of the intrigue. To add to the plot a number of boy-girl relationships intertwine as well as the discovery of an old hermit's shack with the fragments of a forgotten mans' life. I quite like that the female protagonist is a very strong and independent character.

Nelcott is My Darling (YA)
Again, this book by Golda Fried is supposed to be YA but it was classified as an adult novel at this library. It got a lot of flack because it was basically about a girl who goes to McGill for first year and is obsessed with losing her virginity (or not). I found the main character inherently insipid, wimpy, and unlikeable. Read no further if you don't want the ending spoiled! She dates a loser and it isn't until the end of the book that she hooks up with a nice guy (not even Nelcott!) and within minutes IT happens - 176 pages leading up to a few sentences - "Then she lost her virginity. It was simple. It was changing positions around on her bed. It was really quiet with no rock music to save her." Well that's just swell. Not only does this book not satisfy any potential teenage curiosity or provide any delicious details - on the opposite end of the spectrum it doesn't even mention things that maybe a teen might think about such as uh, protection? I didn't mind this book at first but in retrospect, I think I kind of hate it. Even better, my tax dollars funded it - yup, completed with the assistance of a Canada Council Grant as well as an Ontario Arts Council Grant.

I'll Sing You A One-O (YA)
This novel by Canadian Nan Gregory was quite delightful. The author has written three picture books, and this is her first novel. Unfortunately I believe this is actually J-Fic. At first I though the protagonist was autistic, then I though she was perhaps simple for her age, but soon enough I realized that however old she is, her thoughts are along the lines of a child in perhaps grade six. I think this novel is perfectly suited for that age as it explores the twisted logic that leads a girl to believe she can obtain an angel to help her by doing as other saints have done in the past. She ends up stealing to give to the poor, finding herself in hot water with her new family (recently rescued from a group home she dearly misses) as well as landing herself and her brother danger on the downtown eastside. I even shed a few tears.

Other recommended reads from the past few weeks:

Getting Near To Baby by Audrey Couloumbis (J-Fic)
An Obvious Enchantment by Tucker Malankey (Adult Fic)
Snip Snap What's That by Mara Bergman (J Pic)
Miss Bridie- Chose a Shovel by Leslie Connor (J Pic)
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende (Adult Fic) - author of House of the Spirits
When You Are Happy by Eileen Spinelli (J Pic)

Eddie Longpants

Notable Picture Book of the Week:

Eddie Longpants by Mireille Levert

Eddie get teased about his height. His teacher Miss Snowpea overhears. Her reaction: "She feels anger rising inside her. It makes her insides growl and her toes curl up." I think this is a great description of emotions that a child could definitely appreciate. When Mrs. Longpants comes to school to meet the teacher, Miss Snowpea goes onto the roof of the school. This way "they look at each other straight in the eye. They say nice things. They smile big smiles. They shake hands."

Anyways, the dialogue is quaint and simple, the book is designed to be held sideways so every two pages are actually one page (I love this for storytime) and there is a lovely ending full of divine retribution for the bullies but also a peaceful pact. Plus it's Canadian! Three cheers!

Let's All Join the Choir!

There is a group using the meeting room.

The singing is driving me insane. At first it was novel.

I can't make out the words, but it sounds...like "I can't go on, I can't go on, I can't go on" in a hymnal type chorus.

What in the world is going on?

I'm serious,the refrain repeats over and over and over, they have not paused in like fifteen minutes. Who can sing that long without running out of saliva?

I thought a doctor was giving a lecture series. Is this singing meditation? Are they in a trance or is a record on repeat? Maybe it's a cult.

Perhaps I'm a litte persnickity about noise right now. Last night I used a mop handle to bang the ceiling at 1:30 am. The music turned off. At five am my upstairs neighbour got up again though and started crashing about. When do they sleep? It's a sad state of affairs when your workplace is generally quieter than your apartment is in the middle of the night.

Things I've said at work this week:

"I know this must be frustrating, but it's not pleasant for me either." (said to angry intense man)

"Um...my birth order? Well, I'm a first born child." (said to kind woman discussing a book)

"Yes, I guess they are pretty proud of me." (Answer to question from elderly man : Are my parents proud of me?)

"Unfortunately you do have to open your email account to send an email." (baffled man who want to write anonymous letters to the newspaper)

Happenings this Week:

• I was invited to an amateur comedy night for mentally ill people by one of the participants.
• A sixty-year-old man gave me his phone number and email address.
• I heard all about the problems of pregnancy in the first trimester and the need for proper nutrition.
• A homeless woman explained the difficulties of making money as we searched for grant proposal information and business books.
• I was asked how long it takes the average person to walk 1 mile. My results were confounded by the fact that the patron asking used a walker.
• A woman very recently widowed after 66 years of marriage came into the library as per her usual routine to visit and chat with staff who offered condolences.

I'm sure many more weird and wonderful things occurred but after working at 5 libraries in 6 days, the lines of separation are lost.

Small Victories

Small girl approaches desk.

Do you have books on mice and chinchillas?

Yes. Do you have a pet mouse?

No we have some mice running around in our house.

Oh no!

mischievous smirk followed by giggling.

My parent's try to kill them, but I feed them cornflakes!!

Winter: Stupid Bits and Clever Bits

It's about time I read some John Marsden, a widely acclaimed YA author. The only book still on the shelf today: Winter. I got off work 3 hours ago, and I just finished it. Short and satisfying. A bit simplistic and vague in bits (kind of like listening to a story being told with a few of the slower bits missing) but I quite enjoyed it. I am now eager to read some of his other titles that have one other awards such as Tomorrow When the War Began, which was chosen as an ALA Best Book of the last half-century.

This book is about an orphan who has been haunted by her past for the last twelve years. Set in rural Australia, she is mysteriously compelled to return to her childhood home at age sixteen. She is strong willed and hot tempered, however she still manages to make more friends than enemies and discovers a startling truth.

Excerpts:

Stupid bit: "Like with most Internet searches, I spent some time chasing shadows. I was scrolling through newspaper archives, concentrating on one date, July 9, 1989...I realized my best hope lay in the death notices, the little classified ads that people put in when someone dies." - Okay, sure all the archives of newspapers are freely available on the internet, including local papers dating back 12 years...uh huh. But CLASSIFIEDS as well? This librarian is incredulous!

Clever bit: A friend's father says to Winter, the protagonist: "Fantastic. When I was sixteen I modeled myself on my guinea pig. Hid in my pen and shut up. My God, you'll be running the country in another twelve months. Do you want a coffee? You probably live on rum and milk." I think this portrayal of her as a protagonist would appeal to any teen. Well, it appeals to me!

Anyways, I'm not sure if I can believe this character. Sixteen and ranching on her own in the middle of no where, taking singing lessons and auditioning for college fine arts classes. Gosh she's got it together for her age. I wish I had it that together. Last night I dropped my pants in the toilet. It wasn't my toilet either.

The Value of a Good Book

I recently attended the Festival of the Written Arts on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. My sole intention was to see Miriam Toews, the author of my favorite book: A Complicated Kindness. She read well, with as much dry sarcasm and wry wit as I expected from her writing. At several points I erupted into uncontrollable giggles - slightly out of discord with the mainly "grey-topped" crowd. During the question period there was a great deal of interest in the topic of the Mennonite culture. Surely that is a central theme, but I was more interested in her writing methods, ideas, etc. Now, I am a novice with author readings - but is the question period always hijacked by book-club-know-it-alls?

I'm such a novice that I didn't bring my recently re-purchased copy of her book for signing. Re-purchased because I lent the original to a random guy I dated over the holidays. After an abrupt end to things, he emailed a week later to ask if I wanted to a) talk or get together b) get my book back. Answer: resounding NO. Pride intact. Minus one book. As a good friend said, (something like) - "What an ass! Of course you want your FAVORITE book back!" Luckily the Lithe Librarian has now fallen in love with the Lithe Biologist who understands the value of a good book.

By the way- today I discussed this book lending story during a lovely gab with a co-worker and discovered that she is distantly related to Miriam Toews (no wonder this co-worker is so fun! - nah, actually it was a long string of relatives involved). You know you're a famous Canadian author when...!

Bottled Up

Bottle Collecting by Edward Fletcher, 1972.

Chapter 1 - "finding bottle sites - libraries - newspapers and magazines - town hall records - talking to old people - rivers, streams, canals and ponds." (Yes it really says all this in the table of contents!)

Chapter 7 - a group project - "the key to the success of a group project is organization; and the first step towards organization is to decide exactly what the project's aims will be. A family may decide to excavate the entire contents of a dump associated with an abandoned and isolated house..."

"Visit it often (the library) and tell the librarians what you are looking for; they will be delighted to help you in your research. Ask the librarians for Victorian diaries by local writers and any old maps or photographs that are available and any local records that are stored there."

Let me just go grab those delightful diaries that we can pour through looking for reference to a bottle dumping area! That's what I would write about in my diary! This book has managed to evade weeding for 34 years! In the Victorian era, this particular neighborhood was a forest - nope, no dumps or bottle factories. I think this book isn't terribly relevant in our country, but I may be wrong (it was published in the U.K.). I observed that during the seventies, books seem to have been written about every possible mundane hobby from silhouette cutting to aluminum foil art. Someone pointed out to me that these were simpler times, pre-internet so how else would you find out about these topics? True, and now these little gems brighten my day!

...Am now considering starting a collection of odd books.

Outdated interior design books.

Should we be encouraging people to update their homes to what was in vogue in 1993?

Of course, just because we have the book doesn't mean we promote the content, we are simply allowing people to exercise free will and furnish their homes in outmoded and distasteful styles...
Every single book, the good, the bad, and the ugly have high circulation in this section - I can't weed anything!

I couldn't even weed:

"My Name Isn't Martha, But I Can Decorate My Home (Book One of A Series)"

Tragically, we only have the first book in the series.

Other Happenings...

Don't Like Dewey?

Where is the adult non-fiction section?

It starts at zero, right behind me.

Oh. That's a lotta books (dramatic pause).

(So you think you're a Funny guy eh?)

Well do you know what one your looking for?

We find it. Author: Chris Rock. Yeah, that guy actually wrote a book.

Telephone Etiquette:

Answer Phone: Hello --- Library, Information Desk...

Ann Perry!!!

Okay, can you explain? (I'm just being stubborn, I don't like having author names shouted in my ear)

Ann Perry!!!

I'm sorry, are you looking for a specific title by the author Ann Perry (demonstrating full sentence use, much in the way one demonstrates writing full sentences for grade one students)

Hurrrumph! Yes, of course I know what title.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Are you allowed to smoke in the library?

Lost in the Library

Ever been lost at your place of employment?

It can be a little embarrassing.

This happened a full two weeks ago, but I needed time to recover before writing about it.

The library hadn't opened yet. And I was lost in the labyrinth of staff hallways - the back end of the library.

I wasn't truly lost - there aren't any libraries that big on the westcoast - but my difficulty was in navigating an unfamiliar workplace where hallways lead to or actually pass through workrooms and offices that have imposing titles or else no signage what-so-ever. I had the sense that I was trespassing, particularly clad in my bike shorts and tank top, trudging along with my panier and helmet, staff badge in hand. Hmmm...Public Relations Department - I think if I walk through here, I may find the entrance to level 3 - hmm....there is a man glaring at me...maybe I'll just turn around and take another route. I have since been assured that walking through work rooms is not an issue. Just do it.

To make matters worse, when I encountered an unfriendly security guard in the dimly lit back hallways, he tersely replied that I would have to just go into the public part of the library to find my way. He strode off without indicating which direction would actually lead to the public area. Once in the public area, I asked another staff member who was marching purposefully through the library, for directions on how to access the staff area that I needed (my badge didn't work). She glared at me and said, "Do you work here?" Okay. That was rude. I have a badge. Plus the library hasn't opened yet. What do you think? Basically she was saying in code: "Are you an idiot?"

What a wonderful way to start the day! All I wanted to do was change into working clothes before the front door opened to the library and the public started streaming in to find an empty reference desk. Yes, on-call librarians are definitely at the bottom of the food chain.

My only satisfaction was when half an hour later, the evil unfriendly woman walked past my reference desk and did a double take. Yes, I look I'm sixteen when I have a bike helmet on - but oh, the transformation with a blouse and skirt - yes, lady I work here!

Lavender's Blue

This is the most beautiful collection of nursery rhymes that I have ever seen. I covet it. Originally published in 1954 by Oxford University Press, the gorgeous and often full colour illustrations by Harold Jones make this a wonderful book to keep in any collection.

"A wise old owl lived in an oak;

The more he saw the less he spoke.

The less he spoke the more he heard:

Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?"

This one reminded me of the entries in my grandmother's autograph book. Apparently such books were all the rage on the prairies in the 1930's. The children would write clever little sayings to each other - which they memorized in class and used to practice their handwriting. One of the pithy little sayings that I still love ...

Love many.
Trust few.
And learn to paddle
Your own canoe!

It's a suite life...

Oh, the ecstasy of solitude with books!

Mixed with the agony of a carpet cleaning company vigorously cleaning on the other side of a thin bedroom wall.

I wonder if the suite next door has a proper wall dividing the bedroom from the living room (rather than an ill fitting fabric canvas divider)? I always have suite envy, I take every opportunity to peer through other people's doorways as I see them emerge while I walk down the hallway.

Well, the roomie is gone for a few days and it's time to buckle down to work. For a self professed children's librarian like myself, that means: time to learn some new songs! My greatest weakness. The old-school tape player is out as I am currently learning some lullabies by singing along with words to "Wee Sing Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies" by Pamela Conn Beall and Hagen Nipp. I had a large repertoire of songs as a child, which is mostly what I've been falling back on for story times. I find it to be an excruciatingly slow process to learn new songs as an adult. It must be the same underdeveloped part of my brain that has in the past tried to learn new languages.

I am also attempting to write an article today on blogs of use for children's librarians - mainly focusing on blogs that are entertaining or provide book reviews that you wouldn't find in a review publications - you know, honest opinions, rather than "critical analysis." Does anyone out there have a favorite? At this point, I am short on blogs written BY children's librarians. And for obvious reasons, I can't include my own blog in this article! Please post a comment!!

A Boy of Good Breeding

Clever poignant little moments:

#1) "I knew it," said Hosea. "And I do love you." He looked at his hands, at his tapered fingers. They were pudgy, he thought. Why? The rest of him wasn't fat. Could he lose weight in his fingers? They looked childish to him.

#2) He passed a couple of kids walking down the street. Their jackets were open and they were wearing rubber boots. "Hello there," he said, "beautiful spring day, isn't it?" The kids smiled and said, "Hi." They knew who he was but the didn't respond to his comment about the beautiful day. As a rule, thought Hosea, and he must remember this in the future, kids do not respond to comments about the weather.

#3) They lay there quietly for a long time and watched the purple fade from the sky. They saw some lights go on in town and saw Johnny Dranger's yard light go on and they heard his dog bark a couple of times and the slam of a car door and Johnny yelling at the dog. If they hadn't lived in Algren all of their lives they would have smelled the liquid fertilizer on the fields. They were used to the smell of shit.

I thought reviewing books for an online journal would be easy. Until I received a Christmas picture book in July. And actually, I originally requested teen literature. I thought the book was terrible, and had a hard time being even-handed in my response. After all, who wants to read a negative book review - usually they don't get published -in print. As a result, I fallen behind on my blog, not feeling the impetus to review any more books. And furthermore, I just worked 6 days in a row, and believe it or not, nothing particularly strange or funny happened! That may in part be due to the fact that my efforts were concentrated in the children's departments and at this point in the summer, things are "readers-advisory-intensive" as parents drag their reluctant pre-teen readers in for some "good quality literature"...

All I can say about the above excerpts ... A Boy of Good Breeding, by Miriam Toews - it doesn't quite hit the mark like her more recent Governor General Award /Giller Prize winning novel, A Complicated Kindness...but it is still a meandering thoughtful read, rich with quirky characters and the dry sarcasm we have come to know and love from this author. Her novels are fully of clever moments and character that think thoughts that anyone could think but never share...their weaknesses are so real that even when the plot falls through the cracks of credulity, the strength of the story lies in the incredible characters that people it. What's with the title? Well, Hosea Funk, mayor of Canada's smallest town, was the illegitimate child of a mother who gave birth to him during a trip to the outhouse and then claimed a man on a horse gave her the baby, and so he grew up, a mystery child "kindly" cared for by a selfless young woman.

Started But Not Finished...

Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hide (YA)
--- opens with a back alley rape scene, and portrays two street youth: a traumatized girl running from the abuses of countless group homes, and a gay teenage boy with a mysterious welt on his head...felt too heavy for such a sunny day.

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme
--- "the seamy and quirky stories behind favorite nursery rhymes" by Chris Roberts (A British librarian!) - really interesting, but again, just too much to read right now!!

In Progress...

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
--- seems everyone has read this book but me, and those who haven't cast a derisive eye on it, seemingly unable to get past the word "Lolita" which actually has tragic parallels to the lives of many Iranian woman - for example, those forced to marry at age 12??

Tapas on the Ramblas: A Russell Quant Mystery by Anthony Bidulka
---Comforting like a Nancy Drew novel. Aaaah. Well, maybe Hardy Boys. Well, actually gay Hardy Boys. This was an addition to a Canadian mystery writer booklist I created - I am now trying to read all the books I annotated!

A Boy and His Bunny

This was a success in storytime. Slow start but once the kids begin to get it the absurdity of living life with a small animal on your head becomes kind of interesting...all the possibilities. The chuckles didn't really start until we got to...

"And not only that, the boy said to Fred," "You could ride a bobsled with a bunny on your head..."

"You could build a tool shed with a bunny on your head."

"You could drive a moped with a bunny on your head." And can you picture the bunny's ears blowing in the wind perched atop a helmet? Yes, quite simple and quite cute. Keep and eye out for his sister, who has a 'gator on her head!

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

On the cover: "author of Persepolis"

One the back: "Praise for Persepolis and Perspolis 2" followed by vague literary quotes that allow the less than alert reader to become confused and think the praise is for this exact book...rather than previous accolades. Very Annoying.

Plot: an afternoon of Iranian woman discussing "love, sex and the vagaries of men."

Significance of Title: How to fake virginity for one's wedding night.

My response: Read it in one afternoon, feeling repelled and fascinated. It was a light change from something I was struggling to finish. I feel that it can't even be compared with Persepolis however...felt somewhat disappointed in the short format and lack of plot and really felt as though the author was just trying to make a quick buck and again, perhaps **some people will be mad about this** pimping out her culture. The stories that women share when coming together in any culture can be rich and powerful, or silly and humorous. It reminds me of the movie, How To Make an American Quilt with Winona Rider, an old favorite of mine. However, I think many of these stories were simply titillating rather than conveying any messages like the plot summary actually eludes! ("teach us all a thing or two"??)This is just my take, I know a lot of people will disagree! Anyways, I wonder if any teen readers will go hunting for it....

While We Were Out

While we were out, we placed a tiny piece of navy blue thread across the door...just to see if our neurotic disturbed possibly disbarred lawyer landlord entered the suite in our absence. The results were inconclusive so we choose not to frighten ourselves by suspecting the worst! All the same it felt a little more Nancy Drew than Veronica Mars who is probably closer to my current detective ideal...

It has often frequently been the case that we have forgotten the bunny out of her cage. So far the wires have been safe as she mostly sleeps away her afternoons under either a sofa chair in the living room, or under my bed (maybe she likes the company of the other bunnies...ah the dust bunnies).

What happens when we go out and the bunny is on the loose? After reading While We Were Out, by Ho Baek Lee I began to ponder the possibilities presented... For all I know she could be powdering her nose and testing my lipstick (kind of ironic considering my feelings about animal testing)...One of the best lines in this book is accompanied by an image of the rabbit sitting at a desk in the study using a reading lamp...

"The next room is full of books. The rabbit opens one, but she doesn't understand it."

A few pages along...

"There are interesting things in the closet, too. Even skates! The rabbit has wanted to try them for a long time."

I love how all these thoughts and feelings are prescribed to the creature, and the creature is still quite simple and lovable. Very Beatrix Potter in it's way. And the dialogue is straightforward in the way it addresses the reader...making observations and even asking questions...The illustrations are simply delightful in their simplicity, and my only disappointment here is that only a few are in full and beautiful colour!

Strange Weeds

Weeding today, I came across another great find:

The Art of Aluminum Foil by Jane Hinton and Hugh Olleer (1974).

The introduction:

"Of the many new materials that offer a challenge to the artistic imagination, one of the most appealing is aluminum foil.

It is inexpensive and readily available.

It is not essential to know what foil is in order to make things with it, any more than it is necessary to understand the nature of pigments in order to paint pictures.

Among the fascinating projects described...making a model bird, a fairy princess costume, a popcorn chain (this was the best- imagine scrunched up tin foil balls on a piece of string - thank goodness we have the step by step instructions!!!)

Three small tumbling boys come trotting into the library. They survey their surroundings, zigzagging in a rag tag manner back and forth jostling one another. One spots something on the staff picks book display, and literally drags his pals over, saying "Put on your goggles" (they are fresh in from the pool) One boy does, yellow goggles in place, he stands in front of the book display, as his companion chants, "Look look!" All three boys burst into simultaneous expressions of disgust, exclaiming, "Eeeewwwww!" The boys boys swing away as if stung, with mischievous grins....

Bewildered I wander over to see what part of my newly replenished display of staff picks has offended them! This is the book cover! Oh. I hadn't even given it a thought when I put it on display...!

Gilgamesh

Rural Australia, 1937 as the world awaits a war, struggle and hardship take their toll on the surviving wife and daughters of man who was never meant to farm. As he lay dying, he thinks, "There has to be some point to it...perhaps it worked itself out in the following generations." His daughter Edith is seventeen when the visitors arrive. Her English cousin Leopold and his Armenian friend, Aram. Full of tales beyond her narrow horizon, they relate their travels beyond to an archaeological dig in Iraq. Two years later, Edith travels in search of Aram, traveling to Soviet Armenia when the war begins trapping her son Jim and herself, for the duration.

My single criticism of this fascinating novel is that the protagonist, Edith writes several letters to her dear cousin, they are long flowery and even quite literary letters. Up to this point in the tale she is actually portrayed as a mindless disappointment to her intellectual father, a girl who doesn't go beyond the eighth grade. It's hard to dispel this image as her inner life is revealed only in the third person narrative...The richness of the writing sets an seductive mood as a girl on the cusp of womanhood embarks on an epic adventure. Suspense builds as through the creation of taunt relationships intertwined with world events, geography, a melding of space and time. The environment, rugged and harsh echoes the inner struggles of each character, the relentless pace of time. Moments of clarity spin the plot hither onto interesting avenues, yet unexplored.

"It was then as Jim lay on his bed and heard their voices in the kitchen, that he realized that these sisters, the Clark girls, beneath all their travails, their air of martyrdom, their touchy pride, had never denied themselves anything that they really wanted. They did what they wanted to do , and always had, and they had a good time in their own way.

He thought of the generations of nameless dogs in the family, trained to stay at home and guard the women.

He had to get away."

~Gilgamesh by Joan London

Is this book for you?

"Is this book for you?

Think about it:

For yourself:

A. Get out of a rut
B. Break a habit
C. Earn a bit of income
D. Become more popular
E. Travel and meet interesting people
F. Or just have a challenge..."

What you may ask, is this incredible book?!?!

Silhoette Cutting for Fun and Money by Ann and Deidre Woodward.

Yes, really, silhoette cutting may change your life! The younger one has a BA in Graphic Design, so it looks like mom (a former research asst. with the US Congress!!) roped her into this! Lucky girl! It gets even better...

"This book is dedicated to the thousands who have asked, "How do you learn to cut a silhoette?"

Apparently thousands have not asked this question in our library, in fact, only eleven people in the last 19 years have pondered the possibilities of silhouette cutting...Furthermore, this is purportedly "a craft that holds the fascination of a Mona Lisa..." I love how she says, "a Mona Lisa" as if there are many...do you feel the fascination, are you being swept away by it?

By the way, this image is NOT from the actual book. The images in the afformentioned publication would only alarm or bore

The Kindness of Strangers

I had a transportation crisis this morning.

Today of all days! I've been awaiting my big chance to do my first family storytime at the downtown library. Of course at 2:00 am last night I was polishing off my preparations, having procrastinated most of the week on this, but no matter.

About two blocks from my house, the chain disengaged and became jammed on my bike when shifting gears (my bike is such an old school road bike that I try to change gears as little as possible, I think the burn is good for my figure!). After a near accident I managed to dump my heavily weighed down bike (books! books! puppets!) on the side of the road. Grease smeared up my arms and across my leg, which is tremendously bruised at this point. In near tearful frustration, knowing I would surely be late after returning home, and getting all my stuff to the car and searching for parking downtown...I in total desperation asked a nice looking couple if they knew anything about bike gears. Obviously I shouldn't be riding a bike!

Dressed quite nicely and out for a stroll, I had a feeling this muscular fellow wouldn't want to look bad in front of his lady. Soon he had my bike flipped over and was as grease smeared as myself, exclaiming, "What did you do to this thing!?"...the best is yet to come. A curious older man wandered out of a nearby apartment building and inquired if we needed anything. The couple smiled and the grease smeared fellow said, "Hey daddy, do you have a screwdriver or something that we can knock this with?" The fellow took a look, nodded and headed off, after a bit of discussion. The fellow helping me out shouted, "Thanks, daddy!"

Okay, well that 's interesting I thought. Friendly folk. The girl wandered closer and said, "Uh, do you know that guy?" He replied, "Heck no, I'm just trying to see how many times I can call him daddy!" I looked from one to the other in utter astonishment and burst out into laughter.

They had me up and running in no time at all. I have to admit that I probably pressured the guy into helping me and he was a little reluctant to actually get dirty at first (I don't blame him). I have to say things really started to happen when I said, "Oh dear, I'm going to be late for storytime down at the library!" He looked at me in surprise and said, "Are you a librarian?" On an affirmative answer, he really kicked it into high gear! And his partner asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

...One librarian back on the road in a mere fifteen minutes, with the help of three random strangers. Only five minutes late, grease smeared and sweaty. I think I made a terrific impression. Well, I was asked to do two more sessions there, but alas I'm already working. And this storytime was my best yet. Maybe I was still high on adrenaline!

I've never asked so much of strangers before. I feel so much gratitude towards these people who I don't even know...I would do the same but somehow you don't expect it of others.

It was the Title...

...that piqued my interest. Dancing at the Dead Sea: Tracking the World's Environmental Hotspots, by Alanna Mitchell. I recently started reading the Weathermakers but got lost somewhere in the first few chapters. Too much was happening in my life and it seemed to be a book written by a man for men. I'll come back to it later. A quick perusal of the book jacket and inside pages revealed more endorsement than I have ever encountered. Powerful Men. With names like Blair, Suzuki, Kennedy. There were others but those are the ones that I recall, which also says something.

If environmental degradation interests you, climate change etc., and you are perhaps more interested in the peoples, societies, cultures of the world and their interactions with the environment thus far, this book may be more up your alley. Allana Mitchell of the Globe and Mail was named best environmental reporter of the world in 2000, by the World Conservation Society and the Reuters Foundation which resulted in a term of study at Oxford and this publication. She travels, visiting: the evolutionary incubator of Madagascar, fossils and oil fields of Alberta, the parched land of Jordan, sunken graves in the Arctic, the rainforests of Suriname, the innovative energy options in Iceland, and the scorched lava landscape of the Galapagos. Lyrical and romantic at points, veering into the personal but staying focused on the essential humanity of the problem, the very nature of humanity which has triggered such catastrophe. A few excerpts...

"The scary thing is that the business of species conservation is sometimes just that fragile. Sometimes, it's just a question of being in the right place at the right time. Miss the plane, cancel the trip, get a touch of malaria and, bam, a species goes extinct or gets that much closer to the brink. Mittermeier has been telling me about the Bali mynah. It's a brilliant white bird with a blue eye that lives only in Bali. There are just a handful left in the wild because the birds have been caught so efficiently for the trade of live birds.

But they breed well in captivity, and there's a program at Bali Barat National Park to increase their number. For some reason though, the program wasn't working well. Mittermeier was in Bali and happened to have some time to check it out. It turned out that the wardens who were supposed to stand guard over these mynah birds were so poorly paid that they didn't have enough money to buy gas. That meant that they couldn't keep up with the armed poachers who kept invading the mynah breeding center. A check for $6000 (U.S.) was all that was needed to make the breeding program a success."

Another example...

"Iceland's secret is that it is not a land of inert ice but of kinetic steam. It is one of the few places in the world in the throes of constant geological creation, driven by the force of heat far below the surface. Volcanoes spew lava, and geysers boil water on this metamorphic island. Earthquakes daily crack open new fissures in the land, exposing the inner workings of the planet. In ancient times, the island was thought to contain the maw of hell, a voracious opening to the eternal fires of the netherworld."

And another....

"Just beyond is a broad, flat stone the circumference and height of a table. It has the feel of a sacrificial altar. I stumble and touch it to steady myself. My guards stiffen and the other guards swirl fiercely around. Mittermeier tells me urgently to take my hand away. Then I notice the dominant carving, repeated everywhere. It is a single, wrenching face, eyes wide open, mouth stretched in terror."

Gonna read it?

Firsts and Favorites

So much has happened in the last few weeks!

My first baby time (for at-risk mothers!)

My first round of booktalking (summer reading program!)

First roomate (a good friend and no more living/drinking alone! Kidding!)

First funky old apartment (as opposed to simply old/ugly/neutral).

First time having an ocean view from my BED (small glimpse of water).

True love.

Oh yes, and my first webcam! The last two go hand in hand. Don't get the wrong idea.

Amidst all this happy fuss, I needed to unwind with something, familiar - I tend to revisit authors when there's too much going on. I laughed my way through Sue Townsend's Number 10 Downing Street a few years ago...I do love British humour, but particularly when entwined with news headlines, which she does perfectly! I recall reading about the life of the adult Adrian Mole, a somewhat pathetic anal man whose life is constantly spiraling out of control ... As a woman who in the last few weeks managed to break a toe jumping a fence in the middle of the night, and who also recently fell up a unmoving escalator, and who upon moving managed to forward my mail to the wrong address...I identify, slightly. The last little while I have enjoyed reading The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 and The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole.

Old classics dating back to the early eighties, they never failed to produce an uproar with the older classes as I booktalked and read excerpts. Two teachers muttered in disgust afterwards that they had hoped to learn about brand new materials at the booktalks. WELL. I was in clear listening distance. Let's clarify that the books were a hit. I had kids coming up afterwards to try and take them away. These teachers just wanted a shortcut for selecting read aloud materials. I was a teacher, been there, done that. But lets not forget that good literature transcends time and is new for each generation. Shall we toss Peter Rabbit? Gosh, I was a toddler when Sue Townsend wrote these books. Ah well, I leave you with some pleasing excerpts from the Growing Pains of Adrian Mole.

Sunday October 24th

The dog went bezerk and ripped the Sunday papers up today. It had no explanation for its bizarre behavior.

The hall was covered with pieces of newsprint saying "Ken Livingstone today defended" ... "Falklands upkeep rockets to 700 million" ... "Israeli soldiers watched helpless as" ... "trouser zips enquiry" ... "Fireman will accept 7 1/2 % but mood is explosive"...

I swept up the pieces and put them in the dustbin and put the lid on the outside world.

Wednesday November 10th

My mother has gone mad cleaning the house from top to bottom. She has taken all the curtains and nets down. Now anybody passing in the street can look in and see our most intimate moments.

I was examining my spots in the living-room mirror tonight, when O'Leary shouted from the street: "There's a fine pimple on the back of your neck, don't miss that boy."

It's taken me fifteen years to appreciate the part that curtains have played in civilized English life.

Monday June 7th

My mother
Clair Neilson's cat
Mitzi

What have the above all got in common?
The fact that they are all expecting babies, kittens or puppies. The fecundity of this suburb is just amazing. You can't walk down the street without bumping into pregnant women and it has all happened since the council put flouride in the water.

By the way, there are actually Adrian Mole computer games (old school!) hence today's graphic!

Quirky Encounters

Man in corner laughing with eyes closed, possible hyperventilating.

Quite elderly with cane.

Patron asked me to check on him.

Seemed annoyed with me.

Hello, are you okay?

Annoyed response of affirmation.

Yes? Just checking.

Moments late he proceeded to take a chair from one of the computer terminals and wheel it around with stack on the seat. His personal shopping cart. He has then THREW them on the circulation counter and walked away leaving the chair.

I guess he just has a breathing problem. That sucks.

Also, a nine-year old girl approached the desk.

Does the library have really old movies?

Yes, do you have one in mind?

Really old....

Ok.

Star Wars Episode 6.

I feel soo sooo old.

Wild red hair, leathery face, woman perched on scooter peering at me...

What'ya gotta do to take this newspaper outside while I smoke a cigarette?

Uh, sorry they have to stay inside (never mind the fire hazard!)

How about a magazine, they can be checked out?

Sure, I'm waiting for a friend, just need somth'n to look at.

Strong southern accent.

This is the same woman who moments earlier amazed me by zooming into the library at high speeds on an electric scooter and didn't even stop when yanking the bathroom key smoothly off the hook and sharply rounding the corner to the bathroom. That's skill!

Well-Booked

Latest entry of interest from Word Spy this week...

well-booked adj. Having access to a substantial number or a wide variety of books.

Example Citation:Bill McCoy, the general manager of Adobe's e-publishing business, says: "Some of us have thousands of books at home, can walk to wonderful big-boxbookstores and well-stocked libraries and can get Amazon.com to deliver next day. The most dramatic effect of digital libraries will be not on us, the well-booked, but on the billions of people worldwide who areunderserved by ordinary paper books." It is these underbooked - students in Mali, scientists in Kazakhstan, elderly people in Peru - whose lives will be transformed when even the simplest unadorned version of the universal library is placed in their hands.-Kevin Kelly, "Scan This Book," The New York Times, May 14, 2006

Read the whole article on google's digitization project - available from the Canadian Newstand database via your local public library website...

I think it is mean spirited, I have to go to the federal government and get forms before I can get any more money...I'm stubborn I'm half Irish, half Norwegian, and half English. Tough as nails, I wouldn't be 64 if I wasn't. I'm tough, not violent, I believe in peace. I'm going to get a studio and be an artist but right now I need to get those forms filled out. I'm about peace, not violence, I'm a hippy but all the hippies are bums or lawyers now....Why are they all so mean-spirited now?

A drunken homeless man just came in yelling, not sure what to do ... I finally just stopped what I was working on, stood up and was about to walk over when he said, "Oh I'll stop complaining I'm just waiting for the washroom." Yet it continued a bit more...

Now there is a HUGE man with special needs asking, "Who is talking in the library?" I just shrug and say, "I don't know, some man...."

What a circus tonight! He's out of the washroom and talking solely to me now rather than the entire place, I want to interject with a "please keep your voice down," but I also don't want to rile him up more. He is now complimenting me for being a good listener and apologizing for the fact that he's been drinking beer all day....hmmmm. An old man with beautiful eyes that should be someone's kindly father or grandfather at this point...

PS - several staff members expressed discomfort with how long I allowed him to go on. One was about to get a male staff member from the back when he disapeared into the bathroom. It's always hard making a judgement call as the supervising staff member, but I felt comfortable with the situation. I do find it a bit annoying that no one had any problem with him talking solely to me, it was only when he was loudly talking to the whole library...Oh no, a dozen people are trying to write emails, better keep it down!!