Month: June 2007

Love You Forever

I’ve seen Love You Forever mentioned on a few blogs, most recently on Fuse #8. Now there’s a crowd of people, seemingly, clamoring over the creepiness of the book. Ok, yes it’s a little creepy, and yes it is really sappy. And I’ll admit I’ve never been a humongous fan of the book, but . . . After hearing Robert Munsch tell the story (at ALA Toronto 2003) I get just how ridiculous and silly it is supposed to be.

And you all probably know, if you’ve been reading, that I’m a particular fan of Stephanie’s Ponytail and The Paperbag Princess

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Deadline by Chris Crutcher
galley from BEA
due out September 2007 from HarperTeen

I’m a little ashamed to admit this is the first book I’ve ever read by Crutcher. He’ll be bumped up on the list of authorss I need to read now.
Deadline is the tale of Ben Wolf, a just turned 18-year-old who’s also just found out he has a very aggressive and terminal blood disease. You’ll be lucky to have a year. His doctor says something to that effect and Ben decides he’s going to make that year count. No treatment, and no coddling. So, without telling anyone he sets out to squeeze a lifetime’s worth of living in to one year.

This could have been an extremely depressing, frustrating and infuriating book, but somehow Crutcher manages to avoid all that. It is sad and thought-provoking, and yes, even funny. I could see the beauty and bravery in Ben’s decision, but also the cowardice. I can respect Ben’s decision, but I know I’d never make the same. Most likely, this is a book for older readers. It’s really great for anyone struggling with issues of mortality.

Ben’s story reminded me how grown up I felt at 18, too. Also, of a schoolmate of mine who made the same decision. I never could understand why, but now I kind of get it.

A note on the cover:
Though interesting (I love the bright colors) the cover never quite grabbed me. Just now searching for a picture, and seeing it online, I felt that sense of unease, of the world being turned upside down. That’s probably exactly what I’m supposed to feel.

Friday Five – ALA Authors

I’m still so giddy about all the authors I saw this past week. So here are five I saw (not including the award winners because it would make limiting the list to five extremely difficult).

1. Judy Blume – Unfortunately I missed hearing her speak, and I missed all three of her signings. However, early one morning, I was browsing the booths, they really weren’t crowded yet, but I was distracted by something and almost ran into someone. It wasn’t until about a minute later I realized that someone was Judy Blume.

2. Lois Lowry – Wow! Just wow! She spoke about the impact of The Giver and read a couple of chapters on the Live @ Your Library Stage. I was moved to tears by the end of the book, again, despite the fact that the sound system crackled and crowds were meandering by. (Technically, she is an award winner. Yay! But I didn’t go to that ceremony.)

3. Kenneth Oppel – He was signing copies of a book that’s part of a series I haven’t read, but I do love his Airborn and Skybreaker.

4. Barry Lyga – Why can I never think of anything more intelligent to say than “I love your book!”? I loved his second too! Review coming.

5. Patrick Jones – I also heard him speak (and read) at the Live @ Your Library stage. Why haven’t I read any of his fiction yet?! He’s going at the top of my list of authors I need to read.

Only, between BookExpo and ALA I figure I have about a year’s worth of books. And that’s if I don’t check anything out of the library. I’m feeling tremendous pressure to do nothing but read, ever.

ALA

I’m back, though still trying to get back into a regular blogging routine. I’m guessing that won’t happen until after I move, but I continue to try.

So, as usual ALA was a blast, and as usual I didn’t do about 50% of what I wanted and felt vastly guilty about it. I know it would have been impossible to do everything I wanted, but still the guilt is there.

I went to a couple of great programs and a few that weren’t so great. This is the first year that I’ve gone to any speakers or awards and the first year for autographs as well. I still freeze up when face to face with people like Lois Lowry and David Wiesner.

The awards ceremonies were by far the best events of the conference for me. Everyone I heard was an excellent speaker. Susan Patron was absolutely phenomenal. Garrison Keillor, though good, made some unpopular statements along the lines that libraries are quiet cathedrals and should remain unplugged. Um, I’m really curious what library he’s been in recently. Though I will admit that I remember that feeling of walking into a sacred space at the college library that was the town’s only library.

I’m really still giddy about seeing so many amazing people that I can’t think about much else.

So giddy, I almost forgot to mention KidLit Drink Night, as arranged by MotherReader. She has a much fuller report than I could manage, since I showed up about an hour late. (I got lost, again.) Still, lots of fun.

Friday Five from ALA

Five things that have happened today:

1. I got lost
2. I changed my mind about what I would wear to The Hollywood Librarian Premiere 5 times
3. I went to an ACRL Spectrum reception and then The Hollywood Librarian Premiere
4. I didn’t get to eat dinner because we misjudged timing
5. I posted to the PLA blog

Now it’s nearly 11:30 I haven’t eaten any real food today, I’m exhausted and I have no firm plans for tomorrow morning.

The New Librarian Experience

The number of articles and testimonies I’ve heard about the disconnect from library school and actual librarianship is too great to count. This issue is something I’ve been thinking about since taking Programming for Teens with Ria Newhouse, co-author of Fixing the First Job. I’m no longer a “lemony fresh” librarian, neither am I still in my first job, but all and all I still feel more like a newcomer than not.

I love being a librarian, and I love my job, but that does not mean that this profession and job are perfect. I find myself struggling, when I have the time, to figure out how I can work to both improve myself and contibute more to the profession.

This is not really where I intended this post to go. I really wanted to comment on the fact that now I get why librarians talk about being so busy. . .

And here it is, 19 days after I started this post. I finally have time to go back and look at the drafts I’ve saved and I no longer remember the idea that sparked this one. It’s taken two years for me to reach that insanity inducing level of activity (and that’s only because it is now summer). I wonder what surprises still await as I continue to grow as a librarian.

Friday Five

It’s the first Friday of summer, at least according to the schedule we’re following here. Summer reading starts on Monday and things are about the get a whole lot crazier.

So here are five (fun/relaxing) things I’m looking forward to this summer.

1. Harry Potter (movie and book)
2. Visiting with family
3. A week off in July – during which I’ll get to read more of my BEA galleys
4. Hopefully daytrips to NY and AC
5. And yes, talking with all the kids about the books they’re reading this summer

Pajama Storytime

Last night I had a pajama storytime. I shared: Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, Baby Danced the Polka, The Napping House (in story apron form), When Sheep Sleep and Shhh! Everybody’s Sleeping.

It was a rousing success, despite 1) the noisy town event outside that 2) kept a lot of attendees away and 3) as a whole the stories were younger than my audience. So what bedtime/pajama stories do you suggest for kids past the preschool set?

Toot, toot!

That’s me, blowing my own horn. I just finished up a story time and received some fantastic feedback. A circ worker came to tell me that a little girl of about 6 wanted to make sure I knew that she really like me. Everyone say it together: awwww! Reason number one I love my job.