Check It Out

It was such a lovely autumn weekend in the northwest, crisp,  and clear.  Yet there continues to be a considerable amount of snow on the Internet.  These snowflakes are in memory of Robert Mercer and will be available for auction starting on November 19, 2007.

A massive effort is underway to feature as many snowflakes as possible before the auction.  Here is this week’s list:

Monday, October 29

• Dan Santatat Writing and Ruminating
• Joanne Friarat The Longstockings
• Alissa Imre Geisat Wild Rose Reader
• Diane Greenseidat Just One More Book!!
• Sean Quallsat Brooklyn Arden

Tuesday, October 30

• Ann Koffskyat Book Buds
• Bill Carmanat A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Gretel Parkerat Finding Wonderland
• Matt Phelanat A Year of Reading
• Stephanie Rothat Writing with a broken tusk

Wednesday, October 31

• Shawna Tenneyat Kate’s Book Blog
• Adam Rexat Booktopia and Welcome to my Tweendom
• Mo Willemsat MotherReader
• Rolandas Kiauleviciusat a wrung sponge

Thursday, November 1

• Karen Leeat sruble’s world
• Diana Magnusonat A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Melissa Iwaiat Brooklyn Arden
• Victoria Jamiesonat AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
• Molly Idleat The Shady Glade
• Meghan McCarthyat A Fuse #8 Production

Friday, November 2

• Tracy McGuinness-Kellyat Sam Riddleburger’s blog
• Sarah Kahnat Kate’s Book Blog
• Sylvia Longat Whimsy Books
• Jeremy Tankardat the excelsior file
• Holli Congerat Please Come Flying

Saturday, November 3

• Susan Millerat Your Neighborhood Librarian
• Ellen Beierat What Adrienne Thinks About That
• Hideko Takahashiat The Silver Lining
• Judith Moffat at Jo’s Journal
• Wendell Minorat Wild Rose Reader

Sunday, November 4

• Joy Allenat Check It Out
• Robin Brickmanat Greetings from Nowhere
• Lauren Stringerat laurasalas
• Nancy Wallaceat In the Pages . . .

 I hope that you will read about these snowflakes and be inspired to bid on one.  What a wonderful gift it would make and you would be helping to raise money for cancer research. 

See also the following note from Elaine Magliaro of Wild Rose Reader:

“Note to Blog Readers about Blogging for a Cure: When Jules of 7-Imp put out her call in September for bloggers to interview/feature artists who had created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007 at their blogs, a number of artists had not yet sent in their snowflakes to Dana-Farber. As time was of the essence to get Blogging for a Cure underway, we worked with the list of artists whose snowflakes were already in possession of Dana-Farber. Therefore, not all the participating artists will be featured. This in no way diminishes our appreciation for their contributions to this worthy cause. We hope everyone will understand that once the list of artists was emailed to bloggers and it was determined which bloggers would feature which artists at their blogs, a schedule was organized and sent out so we could get to work on Blogging for a Cure ASAP. Our aim is to raise people’s awareness about Robert’s Snow and to promote the three auctions. We hope our efforts will help to make Robert’s Snow 2007 a resounding success.”

I am excited to share Joy Allen’s snowflake with you on Sunday.  Meanwhile, get out there and read about these fabulous creations.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Greetings from Reno, Nevada!  I am at the AASL Conference, my first national library conference.  It is a bit overwhelming(even though I have attended the national reading conferences in the past). 

Lots of notes to self but that will be another post.  I discovered a Nikki Giovanni poem, and thought of Robert’s Snow. 

Winter Poem

once a snowflake fell
on my brow and i loved
it so much and i kissed
it and it was happy and called its cousins
and brothers and a web
of snow engulfed me then
i reached to love them all
and i squeezed them and they became
a spring rain and i stood perfectly
still and was a flower
–Nikki Giovanni

Our blogging efforts to promote Robert’s Snow, are like gathering together, creating a web of support. Flowers will bloom.

More of Poetry Friday can be found at Literary Safari.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones.  Judy Schachner, author, visited our school in 2006, and talked about the idea for the latest series of Skippyjon  Jones adventures. 

So it hit the shelves on Thursday and I raced after school to get my copy.  It is uproariously funny.  This time, Skippyjon, a Siamese who thinks he is a Chihuahua, steals the bones from Darwin the neighbor dog. 

You see, Skippyjon wants to be a famous paleontologist. He believes Darwin’s bones to be dinosaur fossils. Skippyjon ignores Mama Junebug Jones by heading into his closet to the digging grounds and his gang of Chimichangos.  What they discover is earth-shattering fun. 

Combining playful language and humor is something that Schachner does so well. How fast can you say, “Pachycephalosaurus”? Dinosaurs dance the rumba to a song that begins “Itchee Gitchee Gumba”, how hilarious.   I love Skippyjon as the “decider”.  The illustrations aadd to the merriment and fun of the story. As a bonus, an audio cd is included with Judy Schachner reading the story.  I am always envious at the speed the words roll off her tongue. You won’t find the Skippyjon Jones books on the library shelves, They are always in the hands of kids, no matter how many I have.  This is going to be a favorite with Silver Star. 

MsMac

Woo-Hoo!

Thanks to Tricia at Miss Rumphius Effect, the links for the schedule now work on my blog! I am so happy. 

 Monday, October 22

• Mark Teague at The Miss Rumphius Effect
• Sharon Vargo at Finding Wonderland
• Christopher Demarest at Writing and Ruminating
• Rose Mary Berlin at Charlotte’s Library
• David Macaulay at Here in the Bonny Glen

Tuesday, October 23

• Carin Berger at Chasing Ray
• Marion Eldridge at Chicken Spaghetti
• Sophie Blackall at not your mother’s bookclub
• Erik Brooks at Bildungsroman
• Brian Lies at Greetings from Nowhere

Wednesday, October 24

• Elisa Kleven at Rozzie Land
• Consie Powell at Becky’s Book Reviews
• Jimmy Pickering at Shaken & Stirred
• Frank Dormer at What Adrienne Thinks About That
• Sheila Bailey at Lizjonesbooks

Thursday, October 25

• Julia Denos at Interactive Reader
• Rebecca Doughty at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Brian Floca at A Fuse #8 Production
• Margaret Chodos-Irvine at readergirlz

Friday, October 26

• David Ezra Stein at HipWriterMama
• Juli Kangas at Sam Riddleburger’s blog
• Ginger Nielson at Miss O’s School Library
• Margot Apple at Jo’s Journal

Saturday, October 27

• Julie Fromme Fortenberry at Your Neighborhood Librarian
• Sarah Dillard at The Silver Lining
• John Hassett at cynthialord’s Journal
• Abigail Marble at Please Come Flying

Sunday, October 28

• Ashley Wolff at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Barbara Garrison at Brooklyn Arden
• Kelly Murphy at ChatRabbit

It is 6:30 AM west coast time. Gotta run and get ready for school.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Wow! The posts this past week have been terrific.  Snowflakes are so unique and the stories behind their creation, inspiring to read. 

In this paragraph should be a schedule of this week’s artists.  I have not been able to successfully load the links.  So please visit Jen Robinson’s Book Page to see who is up this week.  And tell Jen “Go, Sox”, while you are there.  She is a huge Red Sox’s fan and is deliriously happy today.  They are heading to the World Serious.

Have you found a favorite snowflake?  They are all so unique, how do you choose? I am heading out to read about today’s snowflakes.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

This is  ”Wishing” created by Susan Mitchell. 

Susan is a freelance children’s book illustrator from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  She loves to play with fabric, bits and pieces of it to make things.  A little fromagerie piece was selected for a showing in Los Angeles, California.

I contacted Susan, recently, to find out how she learned about Robert’s Snow Auction.  She told me, “I found out about Robert’s Snow a couple years ago through reading other artists blogs.

Susan was touched by Grace and Robert’s story so she found out how she could participate.  In 2005, she painted a snowflake called, “Mice Skating”.

At the time, it meant a lot to Susan to participate as “her mum died ten years ago from cancer”.

The inspiration from for this year’s snowflake came from knowing that Robert was very ill. She was thinking of Grace and Robert, hoping it would make he would make it through.  Her snowflake is called “Wishing”- “wishing that Robert would get well and that all this love and hope will make a difference.”

Susan called  all the snowflakes from the various artists, “little jewels”.  I agree with her when she says, “this is a wonderful was to raise funds for cancer research and I feel very honored to be a part of it.”

I love the hope expression on her little girl.  My wish for the auction that love and hope will make a difference and raise enormous amounts of money for cancer research.  To view more snowflakes, visit Robert’s Snow.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

 An original haiku today in honor of our group blogging effort to get the word out about Robert’s Snow Auction.

Robert’s snowflakes dance
loving kindness by many
bloggin’ for a cure

The features have been fabulous. So many wonderful snowflakes falling. How do youchoose a favorite?

Friday, October 19

• Graeme Base at Just One More Book
• Denise Fleming at MotherReader
• Jeff Mack at AmoXcalli
• Jeff Newman at A Year of Reading
• Ruth Sanderson at Book Moot

Saturday, October 20

• Linas Alsenas at A Wrung Sponge
• Theresa Brandon at The Shady Glade
• Karen Katz at Whimsy Books
• Judy Schachner at Kate’s Book Blog
• Sally Vitsky at Shelf Elf: read, write, rave

Sunday, October 21

• Matthew Cordell at Just Like the Nut
• Maxwell Eaton III at Books and Other Thoughts
• Roz Fulcher at Goading the Pen
• Susie Jin at sruble’s world
• Susan Mitchell at Check It Out

Oh look! I am posting about the snowflake created by Susan Mitchell on Sunday. Please come back and visit.

Please take time out to visit all of these blogs, and read about these fabulous illustrators. And, if you’re so inclined, think about bidding for a snowflake in the Robert’s Snow auction. Each snowflake makes a unique gift (for yourself or for someone else), and supports an important cause.

Poetry Friday is found at Writing and Ruminating. Thank you, Kelly. 

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Did you visit the sites I listed on Monday and Tuesday? Were they not fabulous?  It is time to look at more snowflakes.  Please visit here today and Thursday.

Wednesday, October 17

• Rick Chrustowski at laurasalas
• Diane DeGroat at Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup
• Ilene Richard at Something Different Every Day
• Brie Spangler at Lectitans
• Don Tate at The Silver Lining

Thursday, October 18

• Brooke Dyer at Bookshelves of Doom
• D.B. Johnson at Lessons from the Tortoise
• Erin Eitter Kono at Sam Riddleburger
• Sherry Rogers at A Life in Books
• Jennifer Thermes at Through the Studio Door

Please check back on Friday for the schedule.  I will be featuring my first illustrator, Susan Mitchell on Sunday.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

I  finished listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night.  It completes more than four months of listening to the series on my commute to school.  What can I add about the series that has not already been said?  Not much. 

Something about myself came to light, however.  I have a need to hear stories and not just read them.  I previously read all the books in the series.  But at times, while listening, I thought, ”well, that was not in the book I read!”  It makes you wonder about your sanity a bit. I was relieved that book seven was more familiar as I had just read it in July. 

What I really loved though was hearing the subtle nuances made by Rowling that I missed reading.  Just last night, I realized the wide opening created by her to return with another book or series; would Harry’s children find out about the snitch lost in the forest and decide to look for it in the future?  I don’t know. 

My ears heard the last third of the book with a different focus.  Recently, a parent spoke to me about whether the book belonged in the library.  The concern for content: witches, wizards, and dark magic.  It has been debated on both sides of the issue.  To me, I stand firm that it is a story of good versus evil. Love triumphs hate.  I knew that reading the book but listening made it all the clearer.

The realization that I probably read too fast and skim many books hit me square in the face.  Global overview, I am good at, details, not so much.  It is most likely why I am in the library, so I can read aloud and hear what I am reading. 

So I say good-bye to Harry Potter and thank you. Thank you for turning the light on for me as a reader/listener.

I am off to listen to A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Today begins twenty one days to get the word out about “Robert’s Snow for Cancer’s Cure”.  This auction has raised over $200,000.00 since its inception in 2004.   Robert Snow was the husband of author, Grace Lin.  Sadly, he lost his battle with Ewing Sarcoma in August. Be sure to visit these blogs today and Tuesday to see what these illustrators have created for this fabulous event.

Monday, October 15

• Randy Cecil at ChatRabbit
• Michelle Chang at The Longstockings
• Kevin Hawkes at Cynthia Lord’s Journal
• Barbara Lehman at The Excelsior File
• Grace Lin at In the Pages

Tuesday, October 16

• Selina Alko at Brooklyn Arden
• Scott Bakal at Wild Rose Reader
• Alexandra Boiger at Paradise Found
• Paige Keiser at Your Neighborhood Librarian
• Janet Stevens at The Miss Rumphius Effect

Please check back on Wednesday to see the illustrators featured for Wednesday and Thursday. 

Happy Reading.

MsMac