My Recent Reads

Like many incorrigible readers, I often have multiple books going simultaneously. Different genres, lengths, tones for different moods and locations and times. Here are a few of my recent reads:

 

This YA book by Jennifer Niven left me underwhelmed. I know others have enjoyed it, and it's set to be a movie starring Elle Fanning as Violet, I just didn't fall in love with it like I do with so many other YA books. I don't want to give any spoilers, but it is narrated alternately by Violet and Finch. I liked Violet because her narration was reliable and pretty relatable. I liked Finch because of his humor, but he was an unreliable narrator and even with his first person POV, he didn't seem like a real person. He seemed, well, like a character. The best characters are ones that seem so real to us that we have to remind ourselves they're fictitious, and with Finch I found myself just kind of glossing over his chapters after a while because he wasn't really speaking to me.

I loved this historical fiction work by Christopher Paul Curtis. I was already familiar with his work in Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham and he has a gift for bringing history alive. He doesn't rely on cliches in order to communicate the struggle, pain and sorrow of the Depression; even young readers are aware that during this time in history people were unemployed, standing in lines for food and losing their homes. Those aspects are included, but they're more like part of the background rather than the main focus. His character development of Deza is spot on- she is mature yet precocious, perfectly situating her in the time between child and teenager and in this point in history, when even children were expected to work as hard as they could to support their families. I think the most insightful way Curtis establishes the desperation of this time is the ongoing description of Deza's teeth, which are so neglected and decayed that her own father admits (when he doesn't think Deza is listening) that he turns his head away when she hugs him. The pain he knows she's in from the cavities, and the pain he feels that he's not able to provide proper care for the daughter he loves and truly believes is destined for greatness, is one that speaks out to the reader more than the usual descriptions of the Depression.

This is a book I'm indulging in to satisfy my incredible Full House nerd-dom. It's funny to read about when Dave Coulier's new girlfriend, Alanis Morrisette, visited the show's set, and a little uncomfortable to read the part when she admits she attended the premiere of the Olsen twins' film New York Minute high on meth, but it's more than that. Reading biographies and memoirs is so appealing to us because they provide us a window into another person's experience. And I don't just mean the juicy gossip stuff, like what drugs someone tried or how many people someone slept with. All humans are incredibly complex, with our own fears and insecurities and idiosyncrasies, and we're constantly engaging in a  dialogue with ourselves, whether it's something as simple as what should we eat for dinner, or coping with a major loss, but we don't often get to see that. I don't consider what the woman in front of me in the line at the grocery store is thinking about any more than I consider what the driver in the car next to me at a stoplight might be struggling with at that very moment. Getting a glimpse into another human's experience simply reminds us that we are all human.

It's won numerous awards for its discussion of child abuse, but I wasn't impressed with it. It felt like I was reading an after-school special. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters,  and the main portion of the story's action seemed over-dramatic and unrealistic.

I read this book in two days. It's more than your typical, melancholy book about teenage death, specifically suicide. There's a mystery in the story that really drove me to read and read and read because I wanted to know the answer. But like life, even when we're presented with an answer, it doesn't always make sense or give us the satisfaction or closure we're craving. That's what made this book relatable. I know that some of our students have been requesting it lately because Forman's other books If I Stay and Where She Went have become quite popular here, but it is a little bit grittier than those books. It involves some discussion of suicide, including suicide 'support' groups which can be found online, and an impressionable reader might be more affected by those kinds of suggestions. 

I love Helen Frost's books. Something about letting a story unfold through poetry elevates it, and yet also makes it more accessible since it's shorter and the text is arranged in visually appealing ways. The other Frost books I've read are Keesha's House, Diamond Willow and Hidden, which are all contemporary stories. Salt is a historical fiction book, set in the time immediately preceding the War of 1812. The story is told through the eyes of James, whose family are traders, and Anikwa, a Native American boy belonging to the Miami tribe. Poetry is perfect for telling the story, because since there is something of a language barrier between the boys, they depend on other ways to communicate rather than plain words.

I read this short graphic novel in about an hour. It's a very good illustration of how eating disorders take hold of people, and the disconnect that becomes apparent as they continue to starve themselves in order to feed 'the voice' that is constantly berating them, telling them to try harder, push themselves more, BE BETTER, etc. 

Review of Whippoorwill

I've been in a realistic fiction rut lately, and I thought I should remedy that because we've been getting students in who are specifically looking for realistic fiction recommendations. I have read some YA which is realistic, but the students who've been asking are 5th and 6th graders, so YA books aren't always appropriate for them.

Whippoorwill caught my eye because of the beautiful black lab on the cover, and the way he looks directly at the reader. I'm a sucker for dog stories.

The story takes place in New Hampshire, so that was an added interest. The story centers on Clair, who lives in the kind of neighborhood we all know: the houses are faded and kind of dilapidated and the yards are filled with defunct cars and assorted junk. The locals call those kinds of people Whippoorwills. One day a dog appears in the yard next door, and when it becomes clear that the dog is just another piece of junk to her neighbor, Clair takes it upon herself to save him. The process of saving him, Wally as he's called, allows her to bond with her Harley-riding biker Dad, as well as the boy next door, who's endured a life much harsher than seventeen years should allow.

Throughout the book, Clair quotes dogmatically (get it?) from a book she reads about dog training, written by a priest who founded a dog sanctuary in Maine. Father Jasper's direct advice regarding the nature and care of dogs, and how humans can help them by ensuring their proper training brought the modern day saint, Father Flanagan, to my mind.

Father Edward Flanagan is the founder of Boys Town, the institute that was famously known for taking in boys from troubled homes, or boys who had no homes, and providing their care, education and upbringing. His philosophy that "there's no such thing as a bad boy" characterized his school which emphasized that any boy, no matter his family or background, could become an honest, hard-working, responsible citizen if he was nurtured properly.

Father Jasper, the fictitious author in Whippoorwill, also seems to base his guidelines for dog care on this kind of sentiment. He writes that by training a dog, a person is helping the dog to be free. The dog is free to play and wander and enjoy life because he will know when to sit/stay/heel/etc. and will then be kept safe by a caring owner. 

This is kind of the perfect book to read in the days leading up to Easter. I don't have cable anymore, but I remember that Boys Town was a popular movie to air on Easter morning. I am not a religious person at all, but this holiday symbolizes redemption and rebirth, and the spirit of the day perfectly illustrates the philosophy that is at work in endeavors like Father Flanagan's Boys Town, or Father Jasper's Maine Academy for Dogs.

It affirms a belief that I hold very close: our past does not determine our future. Most people would say something along the lines of "people can change" but I don't believe that. However, I DO believe that people can GROW if we choose to. Change implies a simple choice, like changing your shirt and replacing it with a different one. People don't work that way. For us to better ourselves, it takes introspection and insight we glean from our experiences, and actively making the choices that we think are best. It's not nearly as easy as changing one's shirt, and it takes a lot longer to accomplish, often it takes a lifetime.

I guess that why this book will now be one I recommend for realistic fiction; because of its realism. It's not like a fairy godmother comes along and waves her to wand to make the world a better place, and nobody has a big, dramatic moment in which they pledge to change and be a better person.  .  .the people do what they can to make the best of their situations, and to better the life of this dog. 

Wally is supposed to be black lab, but it definitely seems more like he's a chocolate one, because his story is bittersweet at times.

Mini Swap Goodies

Today I received my box of goodies from the mini swap I participated in. The items in the package are all wonderful, and were clearly crafted with much time and thought.

A dog bed, complete with rawhide bone and food dish

a basket containing a buoy, rope and a glass float. 

This is perfect for Captain January's lighthouse!

A tiny bird nest with 3 robin eggs inside

A little garden display

a windchime

tray of bottles- good for the Hogsmeade Shoppe

a shabby chic fabric bulletin board

I would definitely do another swap- what a great way to share ideas and inspiration with other hobbyists!

The Price of Perfection

I first heard about The Nest back in December, at a workshop I attended in Bangor. I knew it involved winged insects, and it did sound a little creepy, especially after I started imagining swarms of wasps all over the place. I put it on our purchasing list, and it recently came in to be processed and shelved.

It was quiet in the library that day due to a 7th grade reading lock-in, and the unusually quiet environment just allowed my imagination to conjure up vivid images from the narrative I read. And, even if my imagination hadn't been working so well, the illustration by Jon Klassen are haunting and would definitely help in that area.

Of course most people are familiar with Klassen's picture books like I Want My Hat Back and Extra Yarn; his illustrations in this novel still have the same whimsical quality, but a much darker tone.

The story, for being a gothic kind of sci-fi, is surprisingly straight forward. Steve has a new baby brother. The baby was born with many abnormalities, which naturally causes much stress on the parents, and tension in the family. Steve begins having dreams about ethereal beings, which he assumes to be angels, but he later learns are wasps. The wasps speak to him this way, making reassuring promises in soothing tones, affecting him as pheromones would. They ask him if he would like them to fix his brother, and he agrees, thinking that his prayers have been answered.

But it's not that simple. Nothing is ever that simple. Steve comes to learn that by 'fix', they mean replace. They are growing a replacement baby in their nest. The Queen's narrative voice is especially cutting, probably because she doesn't mince words about how selfish humans can be:

"People lie and say they don't want perfect. But really they do. Perfect bodies and minds and comfy chairs and cars and vacations and boyfriends and girlfriends and pets and children. Above all, children. Why do we lie and say we don't? Because we're afraid people will think we're mean or vain or cruel. But we all want it."

And isn't she right? I mean, how easy would our lives be if everything was perfect. If our cars never needed to be repaired. If our pets never got sick. If we never fought with our boyfriends. If we never gained weight around our middles, or our hair never grayed? If our children never got ear infections, or threw temper tantrums in the middle of a store, or never failed a class in school or lied to us, or made us question every single parenting decision we've ever made?

But what does perfect mean, and what does it cost us? Steve begins to find out, and the action that develops is reminiscent of Jonas's realization regarding the fate of babies who are 'released' because of their failure to thrive. 

"Who wouldn't want a perfectly healthy child? And a very, very clever one! The IQ of this one here is going to be off the charts! A baby who won't get sick. And won't be anxious. And won't feel lonely or depressed Someone who's fearless! And courageous! It's what every parent wants. It's what everyone wants."

Imagine if you never had to sit up all night with a sick baby. Never had to wake up, get down on the floor, and lift up the dust ruffle to show your three year old, for the thousandth time, that there are no monsters under the bed. Never had to go to a parent-teacher conference about the math class your middle-schooler is failing. Never had to listen to your teen tell you about the fight she's in with her best friend, or snoop through her room for clues about why she started wearing all black recently.

What are we willing to do in our quest for perfection?

Kenneth Oppel's book brings up relevant questions about diversity and disability, two concepts which make us very, very uncomfortable when we put them into context with historical events such as the Holocaust or Geraldo's expose of the Willowbrook School, and realities which have become so common that we accept them without question, like the barrage of blood tests and sonograms that pregnant women undergo, screening for physical deformities or chromosomal abnormalities that assure us our baby is 'normal."

It's not quite science fiction, but there's definitely a dystopian undertone

Reinventing the F Word

HALLELUJAH!

I have finally found a book that explains feminism and presents it an updated manner appropriate for middle schoolers.

I was hooked on this book as soon as I opened it. Instead of beginning with an introduction to Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton or an explanation of what the word means, this book begins by setting the stage just prior to second wave feminism.

It describes a woman giving birth in a hospital- Mrs. Doe. Her name was changed when she married. Of course. And the baby will also receive the name Doe, because children always have their father's name. Of course. And the nurses in the hospital do not address her by her first name- Jane- they call her Mrs. Doe. Of course. Because being a Mrs. and a mother is her entire identity, and no one thinks to question it.

The book doesn't waste any time, and swiftly moves to an introduction to Betty Friedan. No offense to Susan and Elizabeth, but by middle school, alot of students are tired of reading about those two serious looking ladies in the long dresses. They need a fresh perspective on what women's rights mean, and how they apply to the 20th and 21st centuries. They already know that women had to fight for the right to vote and own property. But many of them still don't seem to grasp that when a woman gets married, she can be a Mrs. or a Ms. She can change her name, or hyphenate two last names, or simply keep her own. I have first hand experience trying to explain (not just to kids either) that even though I am married, I am still a Ms.

The book doesn't mince words either. It discusses sexual identity, rape culture, pornography and even forced sterilization.

It's timely in its discussion of gender identity, specifically Caitlyn Jenner's recent transformation, but it's not just about the pop culture tabloid issues; there is also a section on breastfeeding controversies, pointing out that in the notoriously repressed Victorian era, breastfeeding was often done in public simply because that's how most babies were fed, whereas now there is sometimes a public backlash towards nursing mothers.

 

The book also provides visual examples of how society has perpetuated our view of how women/females should look and act. For example, one little blurb contrasts the Columbia Pictures icon as she appeared in the 1940's and as she appears now:

Her mid-section is slimmer and her expression looks softer.

They also provide commentary on how even children's toys have undergone changes in order to reflect our current perception of females. My Little Ponies on the 1980's were undoubtedly girly, with doe eyes and curly locks and 'cutie' symbols on their haunches, coming in a rainbow of colors. But with the relaunch of the toys, they went from girly to sexy. Now they have pronounced waists, longer legs, and even little curved chests.

Yikes. These changes to well-known images and children's toys are so subtle and pervasive that they become part of our background, and when we grow accustomed to them, we forget to think critically about them and challenge them. That's what makes them so dangerous.

I love that this book presents the goals and values of feminism in a way that does not speak down to the teen/pre-teen audience, yet makes it easy for them to understand by providing examples like the ones above.

The last thing I want to say about this book is that I applaud it for not presenting feminism like it's an independent  phenomenon. With its example of the Columbia Pictures icon, there is a discussion of fat shaming. With the example of Mary Alice and Minnie Relf, two mentally impaired black girls who were forcibly sterilized using federal funds, there is a discussion of race relations within the feminist movement as well as a woman's reproductive rights. There is also a page which provides examples of some of the types of feminism such as cultural feminism, queer feminism and radical feminism.

This book is a 2016 publication; it's brand new.

And yet it's LONG OVERDUE.

Making vs. Consuming

Our Library Supervisor sent us an article today discussing the President's support of makerspaces in schools, and the National Maker Week that will happen again in June. I've participated in two maker faires myself, and I fully support the initiative behind them which is to provide community access to new technologies and new ideas while inspiring people to try making their own versions of what they see.

The article included a quote that we need to be encouraging our students to make instead of consume.

YES! This idea is so simple, and yet it doesn't always occur to students, or to teachers and parents either. One reason is because consuming isn't always expensive, and it's easier to justify spending a little bit of money if it saves you alot of time and work. Stores like the Christmas Tree Shop offer all kinds of interior decorations that appeal to different tastes. That cute wall plaque that appears to be a weathered piece of wood, with Beach printed on it might only set you back $12.99 seemingly a great deal, but what the low price actually indicates is that it was easy to produce.

This sign from Overstock.com is actually priced at $28.99 (plus shipping!)

There was nothing special involved in making it. The machine did not lovingly pick up the project day after day, working towards perfection. Even if it was a person who produced it, the person only spent the minimal time necessary to complete that particular sign until he/she picked up the next one in the assembly line.

Makerfaires are great because they remind us of what we are capable of when we feed our creativity, but they also often involve some consumption.

For example, a big trend now at makerfaires is to exhibit 3D printers. 3D printers are really cool, and watching them produce a three dimensional object out of plastic filament, not randomly but because they have been programmed to do so, is a wonderful example of how science/technology and art intersect. However, unless you're  Macgyver, you can't make a 3D printer out of the random buttons and paper clips you find in your couch cushions. You need to purchase the printer. You need to purchase the plastic filament.  You need to be willing to invest in this purchase because at some point it's going to require maintenance, so you might need to pay someone to fix it, and you might need to pay for replacement parts. That's an awful lot of consumption for something that's often attributed to making.

Right now in the Maine town I work in, the local grocery stores have stopped using plastic bags, and customers are encouraged to purchase reusable shopping bags. A win for environmentalism, right?! Sure. BUT, instead of spending money to buy bags that were produced by machines in a factory, isn't it even greener to make your own shopping bag out of an old t-shirt? You simply cut off the sleeves to make the handles, cut off the collar to make the opening wider, and hem the bottom to close it up. You can use a sewing machine or you can stitch by hand. Minimal consumption. And if using a needle and thread is still too much for you, there's a no sew option which just involves cutting the bottom portion into strips and knotting them together. The end result is a very Bohemian look.

I see alot of ideas on Pinterest for making your own decor using canvases: like the melted crayon designs and designs that use kids' handprints. Great! I am all for making your own decor , and if you really want to be more of a maker than a consumer, then you can use an old canvas (either a failed project of your own, or buy one at a thrift store). If you coat it with gesso first, you can cover the old paint and provide a solid foundation for the new paint you'll apply.

This canvas, that I started working on last year, was purchased at a thrift store. I spraypainted over it, with dark blue and then tried the melted art Pinterest thing- it didn't turn out well. So, I spray painted over it again with silver, and then started this composition.

Obviously, it's not like I handcrafted all of the glass marbles and used a jigsaw to cut the wooden lettering, but it was just one way to minimize the consumption involved as I made something.

I think that the maker mindset, the ability to step back from something we like and ask ourselves "How can I make my version of that?" instead of just asking how much it costs or where we can find it, is the most important component in this maker revolution. The technology parts, and the craft supplies, are important tools and sometimes access to them in necessary to create the desired end product, but before we act like makers (which may involve some consuming), we need to THINK like makers.

When in Doubt, Work on Your Art Journal!

I feel like maybe this blog is more about art journaling now than library service, but I cannot believe how enjoyable this new hobby is for me. I've never been good at traditional art, like drawing portraits or painting landscapes but I do enjoy exercising the skills that I do have in new ways, and in that spirit, it IS library related because any skill or knowledge that a librarian acquires only help her in her service.

I loved this piece of scrapbooking paper as soon as I saw it, and the lines were just begging for some thoughtful, handwritten words.

For this page, I just decoupaged small parts of discarded book pages, and then decided a silhouette would look nice over them. A tree is one of the only silhouettes I felt I could accomplish.

 This page was fun to make: bits of magazine pages, that had similar colors, decoupaged together in a kind of jagged pattern. Then I made some washi tape by putting regular old scotch tape over some text, and then peeling it off again. And then I had to use some rubber stamps on top.

This page is still a work in progress, but I like the way it looks so far. I tore a full page photo of the Arc de Triomphe from a magazine and glued it down. Then I smeared glue all over the top, and layered single plys of kleenex over it, purposely let it bunch up and rip away. I went over all of it with magenta archival ink, and dipped a paper towel tube in black ink for the circles (they remind me of postal stamps). Then I used the rubber stamp of the typewriter on a separate piece of paper with navy blue ink and glued that on the lower left side. I think it needs a few more flourishes to really achieve the Compendium of Curiosities look that I'm going for.

My First Mini Swap

This is my first time participating in a mini swap. It's basically just an opportunity to exercise your skills, and make a certain number of dollhouse miniatures and mail them to a host. The host collects all the items that have been created, and then divies everything up among the participants. So I created 8 things, and at some point I will receive a box of 8 miniatures, all different.

Technically, you are supposed to make a certain number of the same item, but when I tried to do that the results were not encouraging. I tried making tiny Yankee Candles- they looked like tiny poop in tiny jars. I tried making miniature pies out of Sculpy clay- they were not appetizing at all.

I decided that my talent lies not in sculpting miniatures, but in finding them. I scour thrift stores for items that can be used or transformed into miniatures, and if necessary, I supplement them with other mini's, which are sometimes purchased from hobby stores. My 7 items are not identical, but I decided it was more important that they are constructed with thought and are unique.

I found this little ladder at a thrift store. I had the other stuff in my stash, but I did make the potted plant. It has kind of a English country garden feel to it.

This console table is done in a shabby chic motif, with a vintage doily as a tablecloth, a jewelry charm as a picture frame with a magazine clipping inside, a plastic plate which I painted, and a tiny jar of dried flowers.

Here's the second shabby chic console. The tables are from Dollar Tree, and I painted them a pale pink. This one has an arrangement of little cabbage roses in the center and a porcelain pitcher.

Another little table from Dollar Tree, as well as chair, that I painted with white chalk paint. It's a sewing station. 

Metal garden chair with potted flowers that I made, and a watering can.

This little vignette is themed to fit in a nursery or little girl's room. The furniture is plastic, painted by me. The teddy bears are having tea. The doll carriage is a baby shower favor from Dollar Tree, painted, with a scrap of pink fabric inside as well as a tiny Raggedy Andy doll (he's actually from a  very small wooden Christmas ornament).

I'm mailing it off tomorrow and I sincerely hope that that the people receiving them will appreciate them.

More progress in the New Art Journal

I'm really digging the cover of my new art journal. I used a page from a discarded book, tinted with magenta archival ink, cardboard letters on clearance from Michael's (49 cents for the bag!) and some multi colored yarn.

I worked on one of the tie-dye pages, using a 

magazine clipping, cardboard letters, and a frame decal from the dollar store

Most of the poems from this discarded book were religious, 

but I did like this one about finding happiness, so I saved it and used it on a

 page made out of an old calendar. 

I decoupaged a vintage napkin, and used black crayon to draw in the London cityscape behind Paddington. I'm not great at drawing, but this one was fun to do.

Gesso with printed tissue paper on the left, and antique sheet music on the right.

I experimented with acrylic paints and rubbing alcohol on the left, and on the right I drew with Sharpie markers and then added stenciling, and washed it all with the rubbing alcohol.

Gesso with printed tieeue paper, stencils using acrylic paint, and bottlecaps dipped in inkpad colors

An image clipped from Smithsonian: an xray of a mother kissing her baby's head reminded me of this photo taken when John was just a couple months old. The splatters are melted down crayons.

Literacy Day

So in celebration of Read Across America Day, which is March 2nd in honor of Dr. Suess' birthday, the library had two events.

One was a reading lock-in for one of the 8th grade teams. Unfortunately, I had to miss that day after my little monkey got hit with a nasty ear infection. Earlier in the week, I was reminding my 5th graders that the library would be closed day due to the lock-in, and at first they were like "Why would you want to stay in the library and read all day? That sounds boring, etc." And I replied with "Well actually, most of them really enjoy it. They come in wearing comfy clothes, some of them even wear pajamas, and they bring in pillows and blankets, and we let them have snacks.  .  .they hang out all day, just lounging around and reading whatever they want.  .  ."

Well after they heard it that way, they quickly changed their minds and started protesting "How come only the 8th graders get to do that? We should be able to do that too" etc.

Haha. Fickle fifth graders.

Well, it's not like they never get to do anything fun. Friday they got to enjoy a full day of literacy-related activities. They started the day with a read aloud of the creepy book series Skeleton Creek, and then moved into a rotation of different rooms with different activities. I would have liked to see what the other rooms offered, but we were slammed all day.

In the library, we had four different Makerspace stations set up. One was a community art project, which was easy all around: gathering supplies, set up, and explanation. Each student simply took the eraser end of an unsharpened pencil, dipped it on the inkpad color of their choice, and stamped it onto a blank canvas. The finished product is a decoration for the library.

The second option, which was also easy in terms of affordability and set-up was the cardboard challenge. Basically, we gathered as many boxes, toilet and paper towel tubes and other assorted items, and told the kids to make something out of them. Some chose to make games, a la Caine's Aracade, and some chose to make armour/robot suits. We had a couple of well-designed marble runs and some other fun things, one being a life size Jack in the Box, featuring a life size 5th grader to jump out after the crank was turned.

a basketball arcade game in the making

The station that required the most set up time, and expertise was the sewing station. The kids who used this station brought in t-shirts from home, and then upcycled them into reusable shopping totes. It's pretty easy to do: just use some good scissors to cut off the sleeves and the collar, turn the shirt inside out, close the bottom of the shirt (by hand sewing or with a machine) and then turn it right side out again and it's ready to use. You can make them fancy by using fabric paint or adding embellishments.

The last station, which is my favorite, was the Art Journal one. I've blogged about my recent foray into this hobby, and it's been alot of fun, and a helpful stress relief as well. I explained that the books we're using are discarded from the library, showed some examples, and we provided tons of materials: stickers, rubber stamps, wallpaper samples, ribbons, yarn, buttons, magazine clippimgs.  .  .the list goes on. I also provided some ideas and journaling prompts on the whiteboard in case anyone got stuck.

We took a ton more photos and videos, and the kids really enjoyed the day.

And watching all the kids work on their art journals was really inspiring to me, as you'll see in my next post.