What's better than a new blog

Ok so it is mine, but there ya go.

I am off to my first conference ever, let alone my first conference as a professional librarian. I like to keep this one for books only, so I like to spread my "free" time around.

This is to help people connect with the new blog.

See ya soon.

Tiggers don't like ...

the 48 hour round up

Life got in the way more than I had cared for. With the new part-time job and I was feeling a little off all week, I slept more than I wanted too. But I still did fairly well. The Hitler book took it out of me, but I am glad I read it.

I think I was harder on myself then I would have been on any other book filled weekend. I wanted to read more, but I was having problems getting in to certain books. I usually have some picture books to go in between the "longer" books. The books I did finish were great, and books that I needed a challenge to actually get them read. All in all it was a good time. I think it should be at least an annual event. However it did have a downside, now I have a new list of books I need to read. But that is ok, I am up to the challenge.

I read five books and a total of 2,024 pages in the 48 hour period. I reviewed them all at once for about two hours. I reviewed and posted from 10pm until midnight Sunday night.

I have to agree with MotherReader that the "fun" wore off pretty quickly. I found myself thinking about other things to do, but still I had to sit and read. About halfway through I thought that this was more like a marathon. Training should have been done before hand. I kept getting ansy and had to get up and move, more than I would on regular weekend.

I also think that speed reading is something that you have to keep in shape or you loose quickly. A year ago I would have soared through twice as many books, but this past weekend I found myself moving much slower. I had some fun books, but I also had a pretty heavy one. My favorite still has to be the Sisters Grimm. I can't wait to read the rest of them and I have even thought about rereading the book from yesterday. I rarely ever do that, and never so quickly after finishing a book.

The First Part Last by Angela Johsnon 144pp 10:30-11:30pm Friday

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Al Capone Does My Shirts only the first 20 pages 11:45pm-midnight

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney 224pp Friday midnight-1:30 am Saturday

Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: Hard to Swallow Stories from the Fifth Grade by Esme Raji Codell, 144pp 9am-10:30am Saturday

Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Bartoletti 176pp 7pm-11:30pm Saturday

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester the first 20 pages noon-12:30pm Sunday.

The Fairy Tale Detectives : Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley 284pp 1pm-6pm Sunday.

The fairy-tale detectives : The sisters Grimm By Buckley, Michael

Title: The fairy-tale detectives : The sisters grimm

Author: Buckley, Michael.

Illustration: Peter Ferguson.

Publisher: Amulet Books

Comments

CIP Info Orphans Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are sent to live with an eccentric grandmother that they have always believed to be dead. This book was so much fun. It took me twice as long as a normal book would to read. I got sucked into it. I was fascinated at how the author included so many characters from different types of literature. Not only the characters from the Grimm Brothers (we find out that the girls are their descendents) but Puck from Shakespeare’s Mid-Summer Night is there, complete with pixies. The Big Bad Wolf apparently isn’t so bad because he and Granny now work together. It is too hard to explain these books, just go read one for yourself. They are great fun, and quite complex. They are funny yet scary at the same time. They author researched these stories in great detail, and should work in a classroom as well as an afternoon read.

Hitler Youth : growing up in Hitler's shadow ByBartoletti, Susan Campbell.

Title: Hitler Youth : growing up in Hitler's shadow

Author: Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.

Publisher: Scholastic Nonfiction

Comments

CIP Info The story of a generation of German young people who devoted all their energy to the Hitler Youth and the propaganda that brought Hitler his power, and the youths that resisted the Nazi movement. "I begin with the young. We older ones are used up. But my magnificent youngsters! Look at these men and boys! What material! With them, I can create a new world."-Adolf Hitler, Nuremberg,1933. By the time Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, 3.5 million children belonged to the Hitler Youth. It would become the largest youth group in history. Susan Campbell Bartoletti explores how Hitler gained the loyalty, trust, and passion of so many of Germany's young people. Her research includes telling interviews with surviving Hitler Youth members.

This is the book that I have to thank MotherReader for. I have been trying to read this book for about a month. I opened it a month ago and the first photo I saw was one of the most frightening photos out of World WarII. It isn’t gory. It isn’t violent. Actually if you could take the uniform off the child and remove the background, it is just a regular photo of a child. But it is the Nazi flags and older Hitler Youth members in the background that add to the unsettling feeling. But it is the child in the Storm Trooper uniform with his hand raised in a Nazi salute that sends a shiver down your spine. This book isn’t about Hitler or the war or any of the battles. This is about the Youth who were more dedicated to serving Hitler that they would turn in their own parents. The book is well written and should be included in any collection. This is a little known subject that should be looked at more closely. The author points out that even at the time of interviewing some of the former Hitler Youth members they still didn’t see what they did wrong. More than 60 years later and they can not accept that the man they worshiped was a mass murderer. Others have spent their entire lives trying to make up and right their wrongs. The extent that these children were brainwashed is just impressive. Hitler and his government managed to brainwash an entire generation. There is so much detail and supportive material that it creates a balanced book fitting for a classroom. The book is also written that if you wish, you can read it like any nonfiction book. I do recommend that you read it in the afternoon with the sun shining, because it can be scary in parts.

Sing a song of tuna fish : hard-to-swallow stories from fifth grade By Sing a song of tuna fish : hard-to-swallow stories from fifth grade

Title: Sing a song of tuna fish : hard-to-swallow stories from fifth grade

Author: Codell, Esmé Raji

Illustration: LeUyen Pham

Publisher:Hyperion Books For Children

Comments

CIP Info Hilarious, quirky, and poignant, this unusual memoir recounts episodes from the transformative fifth-grade year of an acclaimed author. There are certain points when I wonder how I pick the books I read. This is another good example where I question my “authority” as a librarian. I picked this book up for two reasons. 1) I like the author; I have read most of her books. But the second reason is why I picked it up 2) the title made me giggle right away.

I loved this book. How can you not love a book that starts off with the main character egging a car with her mother? Really? I wish this book was around when I was in the fifth grade. Esmé is the only person I know who hated piano lessons as much as I did. She went to a different kind of school where the students decided what to do and when to do it. She was excited to go to a school where they had spelling lessons. This wasn’t a totally happy nor a totally depressing book. It showed what this time of live is really like. I think every library should have a copy.

Seven wonders of Sassafras Springs By Birney, Betty G.

Title: Seven wonders of Sassafras Springs

Author: Birney, Betty G.

Illustration: Matt Phelan.

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Comments

CIP Info Eben McAllister searches his small town to see if he can find anything comparable to the real Seven Wonders of the World. Early Saturday morning of the reading challenge. I picked up this book originally because the name cracked me up. As I read it I really could identify with it. I grew up in a very small town in South Dakota. I spent my whole life wanting to get out of South Dakota and to see the world. Eben wants to see the world or at least get out of Sassafras Springs. His father makes a bet with him that if Eben fines the Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs, then he will send Eben to visit relatives in Colorado. I love how Eben was able to find how each person had a wonder. Each person had a past, a history, and a bit more than they appeared to everyone else. Eben got the whole town talking about his Wonders and talked about whom he saw and who he didn’t. The “wonders” don’t appear too much on the surface a doll, a bookshelf, a table, a ship in a bottle, a woven piece of fabric, a model of a city, and a saw. But the stories that went with each item were special. A great book with a message for young and old, sometimes the world is in your backyard if you look hard enough.

The first part last By Johnson, Angela

Title: The first part last

Author: Johnson, Angela

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Comments

CIP Info Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter. This was the first book I read for the challenge. I read this book in a little over an hour. It had an interesting format. The reader would get to alternate between the past and the present with “Then” and “Now” chapters. When told this way the story unfolds so the reader actually puts the story together. For ages I have read about other librarians recommending this book, I now see why. This is such a positive book for teen fathers, a rarity. These are real situations happening all over the nation and the world. It is great to know that there is a book for a specific audience. But you don’t have to be a teen father to enjoy this. I was touched by how much this young man loved his daughter. He did everything for her. He moved from his mother’s house to live with his father, and then later moves out of state. All of this so he can give his daughter the best. He could have easily give her up and let her be adopted and gone on with his life. He could have taken the easy road; he chose the harder road.

48 hours later...

and I must say that this was a little harder than I thought it would be. I started Friday night with the hope ofAl Capone does my shirts. After 20 pages I was getting now where, I gave it up and moved on to The first part last. I tried Day of tears . It soon feel to the same fate as Al Capone.

But I did read lots of really great books, as already noted. Thanks to MotherReader for this great idea to test my abilities to read for such an extended period of time. What better than an excuse to ignore all other things I should have done.

I didn't get as much read as I thought I would. I it has been a long time since I read so many juvenile or YA books at once. With the few exceptions already noted, I enjoyed all of the books for very different reasons. I think this should be held at least twice a year. That way I might stay just a little bit ahead of my pile of books to read. The pile is nearly as tall as my list of books to read is long.

*sigh* Ah the perils of being a librarian, isn't it great.

And now the rules

MotherReader wanted us to announce our 48 hour continuous reading period. Mine will be by far the oddest set of time, but I picked up a part time job at the public library so I am gonna lose four hours in this process. But not the point here, My time will start at 10 p.m. tonight and end Sunday night at 10p.m.

As promised here is the list of books in their planned order

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler's shadow by Susan Campbell Baroletti
The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckely
Shakespeare's Secret by Ellis Broach
Day of tears by Julius Lester
Children of the Lamp: The blue djinn of Babylon by P.B. Kerr

In the event that I get through these, I have some back up books, but you never know. I might get through some of my blogs and find a new book that needs to get to the top, but basically these are the books I have been trying to get around to for a few months at least. The Al Capone book has been over a year that I have been trying to get around to that.

Thanks again MotherReader.

Only hours to go

And the reading challenge will be on. MotherReader has quite a few bloggers working on this. I haven't figured out which of the 48 hours I will be reading. Please see her blog for more info.

I have my list made, and I ready to finally get those books read. I will finalize the reading order and post before I start. Then document with my typical annoying detail.

I will keep ya posted.

Remember if you wish to joing in, you can post on Books-a-Plenty just make sure to indicate that you are part of the 48 hour challenge.

Tying up some lose ends

First let me say, I am quite the geek. MotherReader left a response on the blog.

Now with that out of the way, I need to tie up some loose ends. I have loads of books that need to be reviewed, so get ready those bloglines are going to be busy today. I need to catch up on the books that I have read and read a few more. I am trying to clear my book reading list so that I am ready for the 48 hour reading challenge.

I have a huge list of books I have been meaning to read, now I have an reason to spend a whole weekend reading. *sigh* It is times like this that I love being a librarian.

Jumping in with both feet

After merely dabbling with some book review here, mostly to keep an online listing of what I have read, I am jumping in to the book blogging world.

I posted my RSVP for the blogging bash at ALA, see Library Garden, and now I am joing a great many other book bloggers and joining MotherReader"s 48 hour reading challenge> I will try my best to keep up with the others. Now all I have to do is figure out what I am gonna read.

Check out the post and if you are interested feel free to sign up under the Books-a-plenty club blog.

It is gonna be hot, now you have a reason to stay inside and read.

I rarely do this

But I am actually gonna blog about a book before I finish with it. I have not read the text of this book, only the introduction. I don't care what your personal thoughts about the Holocaust are. I don't care what you think of children's literature. Please please please check this book out. Interlibrary loan it, buy it, share it.

This is the most amazing emotional book I have ever looked at. I originally picked up the book because it was new and because the cover had one of the most interesting illustrations I had ever seen. I never thought that the entire book would contain illustrations that had been done in embrodiery. I have seen some outstanding embroidery in my life, but nothing like this. Then to have the illustrations done by a Holocaust survivor, it makes them even more special. The "author's" mother created the illustrations to tell her daughters and the world about what it was like to live in that time period. Most of the illustrations have hand embroidered captions. The stories that go with them were told by Ester Nisenthal Krinitz to her daughter. There is a special not about the art in the book. While some machine stitching was used for some larger pieces most of the stitching was done by hand.

I will report more about this book later on, after I have actually read the text. I can promise you this one has moved to the top of my need to own list.

Title: Memories of survival

Author: Krinitz, Esther Nisenthal and Bernice Steinhardt.

Illustration: Esther Nisenthal Krinitz.

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children

Comments

CIP Info A story of surviving the Holocaust in Poland, illustrated in a collection of embroidered panels, and told in the survivor's own words.