Check It Out

Books and life in a school library


Soon In Paperback: Blackbringer!

Just yesterday, I checked in the hardcover copy of Blackbringer. It has seen great circulation.  Was it just yesterday that I met Laini? Planned a book party for her?  No,two years ago! Time flies.  Now on May 14, Blackbringer arrives as a paperback in stores.  Yippee!! Here is a re-post of my review:

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringerby Laini Taylor

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One word: WOW!! Laini Taylor has delivered a knock out punch with her first novel.

I am a historical fiction type girl. I always want to know about the spark, the event that led the author down the path to write the story.

This is funny because I was all about the faeries, fairy tales, and make believe worlds as a child. I read and re-read Tolkien. Then I switched to a more eclectic approach in my book choices and fantasy got left behind for the most part.

Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringerbrings me back to the world of fantasy. I thought that I would read it lickity-split (and I wonder if Laini has been thinking, why is she taking so long to read it). It is a book to savor. And that is exactly what I did. Savor. I didn’t allow myself to rush my reading.

Magpie Windwitch, the faerie, chases after devils that “mannies”or humans have released from bottles. She travels with crows who are both funny and protective of their Magpie. The troop heads to the forest of Dreamdarkwhen the fiercest of the devils, the Blackbringer, must be caught. He really is creepy. I have to tell you, I was at the edge of my seat as I finished the book this afternoon.

Laini’s writing is tight, flowing, and the language rich. From the prologue, when baby Magpie, is blessed by the animals to the end as she and her family of crows and other friends head to the next adventure (can’t wait for the sequel), you, the reader, are mesmerized.  Jim Di Bartolo’s art work and cover conveys a faerie you just don’t want to mess with.

If I hear students saying “flummox me”, “jacksmoke” or “skived”, I won’t be alarmed. I will know they have pick up some great vocabulary from this book.  

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Winter Blog Tour 2009: Deb Lund, Monster Author

I was a real pleasure to meet Deb Lund, author of Monsters on Machinesat the Second Annual Kidlitosphere Blogging Conference last fall.  I think it was her sense of humor and joyfulness that created a connection for me.  Oh, and she used to be a school librarian and teacher!  And she still considers herself a teacher.  So when the opportunity to interview Deb for Provato’s Marketing Blog Tour, I said, “Yes!” 

So recently, I ask Deb some questions about her writing process and life in general:

What have you recently published and what are you currently working on?

Monsters on Machines came out in August. I’m finishing up final revisions on Dinosoaring- that makes a dinothrillogy! – which comes out Spring 2010. I’m working on more picture books, a historical fantasy novel, and a book about teaching writing to kids.

What books are on your nightstand?

The Poetry Home Repair Manualby Ted Kooser
Blinkby Malcolm Gladwell
Unconditional Parentingby Alfie Kohn
The Time-Traveler’s Wifeby Audrey Neffinger

What does a day of work look like for you?

I get the kiddos off to school, fuss about with this and that in my tree-level windowed writing space, answer emails (mostly about school visits), and see what manuscript (or deadline) calls me. Ollie, my miniature schnauzer, will knock my hands off the keyboard when he thinks I’ve been ignoring him too long. I sneak in a workout at the gym when I can, and get lured in by Facebook too often. Sometimes I stare at the walls a bit longer than I’d like, but other times I accomplish reams more than I imagined. There’s guilty pleasure in all this, until I realize the fun I have IS my job.

When did you know you wanted to write?

As a young kid, if you asked me what I wanted to be, the answer was always “an artist.” Then I wrote a poem that my 5th grade teacher sent in to a publication called “Wonder Writers” and I was hooked. I went to college expecting to major in speech and theater, ended up with a music degree, taught school, but kept that dream of writing until it weaseled its way through all my excuses.

If you were not a writer, what job would you like to have?

I loved working with families in the small school I founded and co-directed, but I also loved my school library job and teaching music. I teach continuing education courses and writing classes. Sharing stories and songs with kids, supporting educators, and making learning come alive, are still passions of mine, so I guess I’m already doing the job I’d like to have if I wasn’t writing.

What are some jobs you have had along the way that have helped you in your writing?
Teaching, of course, and immersing myself in children’s books as a librarian. I remember how surprised I was when I first attended the national SCBWI conference and discovered how much I already knew (and how little I knew, too, of course).

What advice to do you have for would-be writers/illustrators?

Give up saying “I don’t have time!” I got serious about my writing when I was forty and pregnant. That’s when I realized I’d never have time.

What book do you wish you had written/illustrated?

Can I pick a novel and a picture book? Keep in mind my answer to this question changes by the minute…
A Great and Terrible Beautyby Libba Bray
Charlie Parker Played Be Bopby Chris Raschka

Whom would you most like to meet?
I decided to rule out dead people this time. I’d like to thank Paul Farmer in person – two of my kids are from Haiti.

What was your favorite book as a child? As a teen? As an adult? Any particular genre stand out?

As a young kid my favorite book was A Fly Went By. In first grade our librarian read us Winnie the Pooh, and I remember feeling honored that she would read such a complex book to us. In later elementary years, my favorites were My Side of the Mountain, and A Wrinkle in Time. I also pored through all the popular mystery series.

Chocolate: white, dark, or milk?

Nothing but dark – ever

Coffee or tea?

Organic herbal tea – no mint or licorice

Dance Funky chicken or the tango?

Both, depending on my mood – sometimes simultaneously

Writing the first draft or revising? Which is your favorite?

There’s great energy around first drafts for me – nonstop spewing onto paper – but I love rearranging the pieces, as if there’s only one best way to put together a story’s puzzle.

Favorite time of the day to work?

Mornings, after everyone leaves.

Is there a question you wish I had asked?

Who’s that guy you hang out with? That’s my husband Karl Olsen, singer, songwriter, member of The Brothers Four. When Jane Yolen watched him perform, she leaned over and whispered, “Your husband is a dish.” Around here, he’s mostly Daddy and Dish Washer.

Deb recently emailed  as she has two blogs up and running!

The first one:  Writing With Kids   Deb says, “I’m lucky to be doing what I love. That’s how I felt teaching, too, which is why I created this blog to support teachers and home school families.”
Her second one:
Deb Lund ad lib    Deb says,”Bits and pieces of my meanderings and musings find their way into
this blog for all, with a nudge for writers at the end of each one.”

They are two great blogs.  I love reading about the process of writing.  I hope you will add these both to your blogrolls.
Thanks again to Deb Lund for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check www.provatoevents.com.

What are you reading? Happy Reading.

MsMac

What I am Reading and the Comment Challenge

Comment Challenge

A week ago Pam and Lee started the “Comment Challenge”.  The idea is to “read, enjoy, and comment” on at least five blogs a day.  Fabulous.  And actually it takes about 15 minutes a day to participate.  Of course, in my usual fashion I forgot to comment over the weekend so I spent Monday and Tuesday playing catch up. But my goal is to visit blogs I have not visited before as well as those I have come to know and love.

What I Am Reading  (or Have Read)

I found a pin I used to wear ALL the time: “So many books, so little time”. This is sooo true!!

There are lots of nonfiction picture books arriving at my doorstep each day for the CYBILS.  Thankfully they are thin.  Look what you have to read if you are on the Fantasy panel.   The nonfiction picture books are really fun.

I finished North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley.  What a poignant coming of age book.  Terra (don’t you love the name) has a “flawed face”, a port-wine stain which covers most of one side of her face.  Throughout the book, she struggles as I am sure many would with body image issues (althought the rest of her body is model perfect).Her secret ambition is to begin a new life by going away (far away) to college and studying art. 

Living in a small town, struggling with an overbearing father and a mother who has lost her self, and a loser boyfriend, Terra’s world tilts as a result of a car accident.  She meets Jacob, who embodies a Goth Chinese boy look (and was born with a cleft palate), and his mother (passengers in the car she has hit) who alter her map.  They happen to be heading to a resort in the small town where Terrra lives.  Friendships develop, a trip to China, as well as a geocache adventure are mapped out well in this book.  Terra’s compass is reset to true north as she discovers where true beauty is found and where her journey leads.

Headley does a beautiful job of incorporating port-wine stains and cleft palette as part of the geography of the story.  Readers will want to know more about these issues that are not part of common conversations.  The topic of body image is portrayed in such a manner that all readers can relate. ( I certainly did).

YA readers will want to head north of beautiful when this book comes out in February 2009.  This genre was not available when I was in high school (millions of years ago). That’s a pity.

Book: North of Beautiful
Author/Illustrator: Justina Chen Headley
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Date to be Published: 2009
Pages: 372 pages
Grade: 12 years and older
ISBN: 0-316-03317-0
Source of Book: The author

I just finished reading The Shack by William Young, a powerful tale and interesting take on the Trinity.I am also reading March by Geraldine Brooks for my book club.  It was a bit of a challenge to get into (one of those think about books).  I am very glad to be listening to Little Women as I read March,

I also am reading I’ll Ask You Three Times, Are you Okay? Tales of Driving and Being Driven by Naomi Shihab Nye and have My Name is Sally Little Song on my bed stand.

What are you reading?

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Tidbit Tuesday

It is August and that means that I am unofficially back to work. Officially not until the end of August.  But I get that itch and start thinking about what the year will bring for me.

I am beginning my 35th year of teaching and my 30th in Evergreen. Wow!

I loved, loved, loved, listening to Esme Raji Codell’s The Diary of Fairy Godmother earlier this summer. It is sooo much fun.  I will be promoting it heavily this year and hope to have a book study in the library with it.

I went through a reading drought.  I could not believe that during my road trip in July, I did not read at all!.  I have since made up for it, having read Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, a Jance mystery, Web of Evil, and A Clearing in the Wild by author, Jane Kirkpatrick.  This Sunday my book club meets to decide the books for the year. Three Cups of Tea is on my nightstand and will also be suggested.

Next Tuesday, this time, I will be teaching a workshop on using poetry in a writer’s workshop.  I get to teach it twice.  I haven’t taught adults in awhile so I am a tad bit nervous about doing so.

It is 53 days until the Second Annual Kidlit Blogging Conference which I am co-chairing with Laini.  I am excited to see the registrations coming in!  Have you mailed yours yet?

Gotta get back to reading.  What are you reading?

Happy reading.

MsMac

 

 

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Portland, Oregon

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Portland, Oregon

10. Voodoo Doughnuts where your can get married and eat your doughnut too.

9. We do not have sales tax.

8. Looking for leprechauns? They been seen at the “World’s Smallest Park”: Mill Ends Park (24 inches in size) on Naito Parkway.

7. Portland also has the largest forested city wilderness in the nation: Forest Park, 5, 000 acres in size.

6. Mt Tabor, an extinct volcano. Portland is one of two cities in the US with and extinct volcano within the city. The other one is in Bend, Oregon.

5. Portland is also known as “Beervana” for being the epicenter of micro brewing.

4. Cupcake Jones Nirvana! I will have some available at the conference.

3. Stumptown Coffee
2. Powell’s City of Books Plan to meet here on Friday night and then head to a local microbrewery for dinner
However, the Number One reason to visit Portland is:

THE SECOND ANNUAL KIDLITOSPHERE BLOGGING CONFERENCE:
“Bridging the Worlds of Books and Blogs”.

Great discussions about books and blogs! Great networking! Great fun!
For more information visit Kidlit 2008 or contact me at “macrush53 at yahoo dot com”.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Summertime Vacation

I am around. I just have not been posting on my blogs much. I think it is fallout from participating in the national boards for teaching. Which, by the way, I now get to wait until around November to hear the results.

 I had plans, oh big plans, to blog from the road trip I just returned from last week. Nevertheless, I did not. I did not read anything of merit on the road trip.  I have started reading about the behavior of dogs for a project I am working on.

 

I just returned from the public library.  This has become a renewed love affair because I can be more “green” through purchasing less. I went to the library as a child and through my teen years.  It was a time when big corporate books stores did not exist and very few independent ones as well.

 

I participated in the summer reading programs and worked to get my chart filled up faster than “Jack Snap”, whoever he might be.  I returned to a library habit this spring because I needed to listen to books on tape or cd in preparation for the national board’s exam.

 

Today, I cruised by the “Twice Sold Tales”, a perpetual used book sale that the library has.  A five-dollar bill provided me with The Friday Night Knitting Club, The Art of French Kissing, and a J.A. Jance: Web of Evil.  Nothing like Jance to interrupt a reading vacation.

 

We leave for the coast tomorrow the week. I am hoping (again) to blog from our location.  It will be because of J.A. Jance if I do not.

 

Happy Reading.

MsMac

 

 

Non-Fiction Monday: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Baby Animals

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In my mailbox was this delightful book, Baby Animals: Little Ones at Play in 20 Works of Art.  Its arrival provided a much needed break from typing on my protfolio entries for the national boards. (Due to be sent next week!)

What a delight! The illustrations are excerpt from larger works of art and depict baby animals from dogs to elephants, crayfish to boars.  Artist include Leonardo da Vinci, John James Audubon, Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt as well as illustrations from quilts and clothing.  Did you know that a baby porcupine is called a porcupette and that baby bats are called pups?

There is an appendix giving the full background of the artwork.  This book can be used on so many levels. What a perfect timing to receive this book just as spring begins this week. 

Have a great week.  Head over to Picture Book of the Day for more fabulous non-fiction.

Happy Reading,

MsMac

Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy CYBILS Day: The Big Reveal

I love Valentine’s Day. As a child whose birthday was so close to Valentine’s Day, my mother often made me a heart shaped cake. Then there were the giving and receiving of Valentines as school and the excitement leading up to it. That has not changed at school, students have been wild with excitement this week. A kindergartener told me “Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving!”she was so filled with anticipation. Her classmates quickly corrected her.

So today here are two other reasons my heart sings:

It is my 16th wedding anniversary. You might have thought my anniversary was two days ago. I arrived home to a wonderful bouquet of roses. I was told that he was worried they would run out of them. I think maybe he caught the some of the kindergartener’s anticipation.

Today the CYBILS Awards were announced. These are the top books in children’s and young adult literature as determined by a dedicated community of kidlitosphere bloggers.  I sat on the poetry committee for the second year. I do not know if this is  true in all categories but in the poetry category, the quality level was incredible this year. But This is Just to Sayby Joyce Sidman was truly an amazing adventure and collection of poems. I hope you will run out and buy it immediately.

So capture that child like spirit and let your heart sing today. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Reading.

MsMac