This week Meryl gets the nod as artist of the week.
She has always been a writer and this past year she bit the bullet and finished her first novel, Darkness Rising the first book of The Catmage Chronicles. This alone would garner AotW status, but she did far more than write a book, Meryl has also decided to self-publish and the amount of work involved is unreal.
Meryl commissioned a stunning cover from the award winning cover artist Julie Dillion. Contracted a cover designer and spent a fair amount of time hashing out the look of her book. The formatting, editing, proof reading, and... I could go on and on with all the steps needed to put out a quality book were managed by Meryl.
In short it is a monumental undertaking to publish your own book and have it look as good, if not better than, as the books put out by the major publishing houses. So give it a look, there are two places you can go to get a sneak a peek. On Facebook there is The Catemage Chronicles page and Meryl's brand spanking new writing blog This writing Life. Meryl is in the homestretch and will taking the final step soon to publish.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Last Lax
This last weekend was Nate's final lacrosse tournament with his summer travel team. It took place in Hershey Pennsylvania and is dubbed "The Chocolatetown Shootout."
Originally we had planned to make this a family vacation, we would watch the games and then go to Hershey's amusement park.However it was not meant to be. Between the various commitments the kids had amassed and Larry having his own lacrosse tourney over in North Carolina it was turning into a quick trip for just Nate and me.
As you can see Hershey, PA is very proud of being the home to Hershey chocolate. The street lights are all shaped to look like wrapped and unwrapped kisses and even the main thoroughfare's road bed has a decidedly chocolatey coloration.
Now the tournament was spread over three fields in the neighboring towns. One very frustrating aspect of the fields was the complete lack of signage. Just a small curbside sign would have made the situation much clearer.
Boy, meanwhile, had a great time. He got to play petty much every position. Nate would swap lacrosse sticks which caused me to be very confused over which boy is mine. Luckily he had on his bright read socks and I could pick him out.
Originally we had planned to make this a family vacation, we would watch the games and then go to Hershey's amusement park.However it was not meant to be. Between the various commitments the kids had amassed and Larry having his own lacrosse tourney over in North Carolina it was turning into a quick trip for just Nate and me.
As you can see Hershey, PA is very proud of being the home to Hershey chocolate. The street lights are all shaped to look like wrapped and unwrapped kisses and even the main thoroughfare's road bed has a decidedly chocolatey coloration.
Now the tournament was spread over three fields in the neighboring towns. One very frustrating aspect of the fields was the complete lack of signage. Just a small curbside sign would have made the situation much clearer.
Boy, meanwhile, had a great time. He got to play petty much every position. Nate would swap lacrosse sticks which caused me to be very confused over which boy is mine. Luckily he had on his bright read socks and I could pick him out.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Artist of the Week: Novelist
This week's artist is my very good friend Meryl.
Last Saturday, as she publicly announced on her blog, she officially became a novelist. And judging by Max's reaction to her manuscript, a pretty good one at that.
She came by our house on Sunday bearing her 297 page and 85,000 word manuscript. It's a hefty stack of paper and Max ploughed through it all and declared it good. Which is high praise indeed since he is one of the pickiest readers I know. He'll ditch a book with nary a second thought if he finds it boring or just doesn't like some aspect of the subject. Easily half the books I pick out for him from the library get cast aside.
As for the sparklers in the picture, well Meryl felt like celebrating and had a bag full of sparklers in her car. It was a perfect night and we had a ton of fun lighting them up in the driveway.
Last Saturday, as she publicly announced on her blog, she officially became a novelist. And judging by Max's reaction to her manuscript, a pretty good one at that.
She came by our house on Sunday bearing her 297 page and 85,000 word manuscript. It's a hefty stack of paper and Max ploughed through it all and declared it good. Which is high praise indeed since he is one of the pickiest readers I know. He'll ditch a book with nary a second thought if he finds it boring or just doesn't like some aspect of the subject. Easily half the books I pick out for him from the library get cast aside.
As for the sparklers in the picture, well Meryl felt like celebrating and had a bag full of sparklers in her car. It was a perfect night and we had a ton of fun lighting them up in the driveway.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Circle Dogs with Bad Kitty
Remember that picture I took titled "Circle Dogs"? You know the one with the dogs in virtually the same pose, but with a different book?
Well Larry noticed they were up to the same, but this time with "Bad Kitty." He thought it was an excellent photo op, and dang it he's right! I think it's just so very funny to have that book with the dogs clearly turned away.
Bad kitty indeed.
Well Larry noticed they were up to the same, but this time with "Bad Kitty." He thought it was an excellent photo op, and dang it he's right! I think it's just so very funny to have that book with the dogs clearly turned away.
Bad kitty indeed.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
MCP Project 52: Book Title
Whew, this has been a crazy busy time. Nate had his Bar Mitzvah this weekend (more on this later), thus no post on Friday.
So, he we go with what would have been my traditional Friday post.
This week's MCP Project 52's theme was "Book Title." I originally planned on doing something with a stack of books and their juxtaposed titles, but that idea got tossed when Rebecca causally remarked one day that the red boys were "Circle Dogs" on the couch.
Circle Dogs is a charming picture book that we have has for quite some time. It features a family and their two dachshunds over the course of a day pointing out shapes that can be found in the boldly colored, retro illustrations. The book is wonderful and a dead on description of what a dachshund's day is like.
I had to use that idea that Rebecca had implanted in my mind.
It was no big deal for me to wait for the dogs to assume the "circle dog" position, every night they curl up on the couch. All I had to do was find my copy of the book and place it on the couch with them. They boys were very obliging and I ended up taking a dozen pictures as they shifted their positions over the course of the evening. I picked this shot to submit because the dogs reflect the two dogs on the cover. Which turned out to be a very good choice, for the THIRD time my picture has been selected to be in the MCP Project 52 top ten.
Dang, I'm pretty well chuffed!
So, he we go with what would have been my traditional Friday post.
This week's MCP Project 52's theme was "Book Title." I originally planned on doing something with a stack of books and their juxtaposed titles, but that idea got tossed when Rebecca causally remarked one day that the red boys were "Circle Dogs" on the couch.
Circle Dogs is a charming picture book that we have has for quite some time. It features a family and their two dachshunds over the course of a day pointing out shapes that can be found in the boldly colored, retro illustrations. The book is wonderful and a dead on description of what a dachshund's day is like.
I had to use that idea that Rebecca had implanted in my mind.
It was no big deal for me to wait for the dogs to assume the "circle dog" position, every night they curl up on the couch. All I had to do was find my copy of the book and place it on the couch with them. They boys were very obliging and I ended up taking a dozen pictures as they shifted their positions over the course of the evening. I picked this shot to submit because the dogs reflect the two dogs on the cover. Which turned out to be a very good choice, for the THIRD time my picture has been selected to be in the MCP Project 52 top ten.
Dang, I'm pretty well chuffed!
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Artist of the Week: Reader
Max is this week's artist for his love of the printed word.Which did not come easily. After years of not wanting to read, Max has become a reader.
He literally can not go to bed without a book to read. This had led to the occasional mad scramble to find the boy something to read. So far he has plowed through the Harry Potter series, read because, I quote, "I want to know what I was missing from only seeing the movies." Now he has almost reached the end of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. I'm not sure what to give him next. He loves series so I think I'll have to consult the local librarian. Maybe the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events. They might be a bit dark for him.
When he does get overwhelmed by a book (and this has had happened a few times), he will solemnly announce that he is putting aside the book for a bit. This usually lasts at most two days, then he is consumed by the need to finish the book.
Max's love of reading is such a joy to behold. When you can read, you have the keys to a much wider universe.
He literally can not go to bed without a book to read. This had led to the occasional mad scramble to find the boy something to read. So far he has plowed through the Harry Potter series, read because, I quote, "I want to know what I was missing from only seeing the movies." Now he has almost reached the end of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. I'm not sure what to give him next. He loves series so I think I'll have to consult the local librarian. Maybe the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events. They might be a bit dark for him.
When he does get overwhelmed by a book (and this has had happened a few times), he will solemnly announce that he is putting aside the book for a bit. This usually lasts at most two days, then he is consumed by the need to finish the book.
Max's love of reading is such a joy to behold. When you can read, you have the keys to a much wider universe.
Friday, June 10, 2011
MCP Project 52: Enchantment
This week's theme is Enchantment and I could have gone all girlie and princess like with Rebecca, but I have already been there.
Instead I decided to photograph Max being enchanted with a book. And it doesn't hurt that the book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," has a fair amount of enchantment inside.
He has been chugging through the whole Harry Potter series, every night he reads before dropping off to sleep. Occasionally he'll put the books aside for a day or two when the storyline gets to be too scary. But soon he''l pick them back up again. As he has told me "I want to read the books so I know what parts got left out of the movies."
I'm enchanted with the fact that my boy that wasn't at all interested in books has become a reader.
Instead I decided to photograph Max being enchanted with a book. And it doesn't hurt that the book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," has a fair amount of enchantment inside.
He has been chugging through the whole Harry Potter series, every night he reads before dropping off to sleep. Occasionally he'll put the books aside for a day or two when the storyline gets to be too scary. But soon he''l pick them back up again. As he has told me "I want to read the books so I know what parts got left out of the movies."
I'm enchanted with the fact that my boy that wasn't at all interested in books has become a reader.
Friday, April 08, 2011
MCP Project 52: Fusion
This week's theme was fusion and it had me stumped for quite a while. I considered driving into Richmond and photographing a couple of places with fusion in the name, but it didn't thrill me and it wasn't worth the time or gas.
In the end I opted for something far quicker and local, a trip to the library. After a five minute search for books with fusion in the title I was able to pull four books off the shelves: "Fire From Ice- Searching for the Truth Behind the Cold Fusion Furor," "Fusion Fitness," "Cold Fusion- The Making of a Scientific Controversy," and "Feng Shui Fusion." They made quite a motley assortment. I then quietly went to the back wall of the children's section, cleared a shelf, set up my books, and took a picture.
This was definitely my least inspired picture and, so far, my least favorite assignment. I was able to figure out something in the end, but I certainly wouldn't call it my favorite picture of the week. That honor would go to all the crab apple pictures (With and without bees!) I took earlier in the week.
In the end I opted for something far quicker and local, a trip to the library. After a five minute search for books with fusion in the title I was able to pull four books off the shelves: "Fire From Ice- Searching for the Truth Behind the Cold Fusion Furor," "Fusion Fitness," "Cold Fusion- The Making of a Scientific Controversy," and "Feng Shui Fusion." They made quite a motley assortment. I then quietly went to the back wall of the children's section, cleared a shelf, set up my books, and took a picture.
This was definitely my least inspired picture and, so far, my least favorite assignment. I was able to figure out something in the end, but I certainly wouldn't call it my favorite picture of the week. That honor would go to all the crab apple pictures (With and without bees!) I took earlier in the week.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
The Book Thief
I like to read.
I like to read a lot and I have fairly broad taste in reading material. I haunt the new shelf and the staff picks at my local library. When I hit on an author I like I'll delve into the stacks for earlier works. I've been known to start books I've found on vacation and pick them up to finish at my library once I'm back home.
Currently I'm plowing through the entire Dune Universe. I've reread the original six books by Frank Herbert and I've gotten through eight of the books written by Brain Herbert (Frank's son) with Kevin J. Anderson. Interspersed amongst the Dune saga have been a books with a bit more literary merit (all Dune all the time would be a bit like an all candy diet, only your brain rots instead of your teeth).
One of my most recent literary reads was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. My mother in law had it her house and highly recommended it to me. I read about sixty odd pages while we visited and found the book to be gripping. My in-laws offered to send the book home with me, but it was from their local library and I didn't want to bother. I knew I could get easily enough at home.
The best description of the book comes from within the story itself.
I like to read a lot and I have fairly broad taste in reading material. I haunt the new shelf and the staff picks at my local library. When I hit on an author I like I'll delve into the stacks for earlier works. I've been known to start books I've found on vacation and pick them up to finish at my library once I'm back home.
Currently I'm plowing through the entire Dune Universe. I've reread the original six books by Frank Herbert and I've gotten through eight of the books written by Brain Herbert (Frank's son) with Kevin J. Anderson. Interspersed amongst the Dune saga have been a books with a bit more literary merit (all Dune all the time would be a bit like an all candy diet, only your brain rots instead of your teeth).
One of my most recent literary reads was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. My mother in law had it her house and highly recommended it to me. I read about sixty odd pages while we visited and found the book to be gripping. My in-laws offered to send the book home with me, but it was from their local library and I didn't want to bother. I knew I could get easily enough at home.
The best description of the book comes from within the story itself.
It’s just a small story really, about among other things:I don't want say any more for fear of spoiling the book. It's classified as juvenile fiction, but it's geared towards a young adult and adults, in fact in the author's home of Australia it's classified just under adult so don't let the juvenile label fool you (I certainly would not suggest it to the 9 year olds in our house). I found it to be a very good read that left me sobbing at the end.
- A girl
- Some words
- An accordionist
- Some fanatical Germans
- A Jewish fist-fighter
- And quite a lot of thievery
Friday, December 10, 2010
100 Books
The book meme has been floating around on the internets for some time. Basically it's list of 100 books and you get to check those you have read. If I counted right I have read 32 of the 100 books, well above the challenge statement: " We believe most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here."
Which ones have you read?
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone JK Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
The Bible Various
Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
1984 George Orwell
His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Little Women Louisa M Alcott
Tess of the D’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare William Shakespeare
Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit JRR Tolkien
Birdsong Sebastian Faulk
Catcher in the Rye JD Salinger
The Time Traveler’s Wife Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch George Elio
Gone With The Wind Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
David Copperfield Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia CS Lewis
Emma Jane Austen
Persuasion Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe CS Lewis
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh AA Milne
Animal Farm George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney John Irving
The Woman in White Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies William Golding
Atonement Ian McEwan
Life of Pi Yann Martel
Dune Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Tale Of Two Cities Charles Dickens
Brave New World Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas
On The Road Jack Kerouac
Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones’s Diary Helen Fielding
Midnight’s Children Salman Rushdie
Moby Dick Herman Melville
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
Dracula Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
Notes From A Small Island Bill Bryson
Ulysses James Joyce
The Inferno Dante
Swallows and Amazons Arthur Ransom
Germinal Emile Zol
Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackera
Possession AS Byatt
A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas David Mitchel
The Color Purple Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven Mitch Albom
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory Iain Banks
Watership Down Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet William Shakespeare
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
Les Miserables Victor Hugo
Bleak House Charles Dickens
Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Dune
A few months ago while poking about the library I was seized by the notion to reread the Dune saga. I had read some of them in high school and I thought it would be nice to read the ones I had missed the first time around and reacquaint myself with those I had read. It had been long enough ago that the books would be relatively fresh.
And so I did.
I plowed through all six of the original novels by Frank Herbert. I found the later ones not quite to the same level as the first, however they still were very engaging. It was a disappointment to reach the end of Chapterhouse Dune and the end of Frank Herbert's writing. The series felt unfinished and I wanted more.
Thus bringing me to the books written by Brian Herbert (his son) and Kevin J. Anderson.
So far I have read about a third of their output. The books are partially based on old notes and a treasure trove of ideas that turned up in a lock box 11 years after Frank Herbert's death. There are differences from the original series, but the overall feel of the books is the same. What I am enjoying, so far, is that the books I have read are exploring the backgrounds of the main characters. I am learning more of how the characters came to be. The explanations and stories fit neatly into the pre-existing Dune universe. My opinion may change once I start reading the books that continue the original storyline, but for now I like what I have read.
And so I did.
I plowed through all six of the original novels by Frank Herbert. I found the later ones not quite to the same level as the first, however they still were very engaging. It was a disappointment to reach the end of Chapterhouse Dune and the end of Frank Herbert's writing. The series felt unfinished and I wanted more.
Thus bringing me to the books written by Brian Herbert (his son) and Kevin J. Anderson.
So far I have read about a third of their output. The books are partially based on old notes and a treasure trove of ideas that turned up in a lock box 11 years after Frank Herbert's death. There are differences from the original series, but the overall feel of the books is the same. What I am enjoying, so far, is that the books I have read are exploring the backgrounds of the main characters. I am learning more of how the characters came to be. The explanations and stories fit neatly into the pre-existing Dune universe. My opinion may change once I start reading the books that continue the original storyline, but for now I like what I have read.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Circle Dogs
As I have mentioned before, I have a children's book featuring dachshunds called "Circle Dogs. "
It is utterly charming, with deceptively simple illustrations that perfectly capture the spirit of the text. Together, pictures and text, you are drawn along a day in the life of a dachshund owning family, the dachshunds being the circle dogs.
And why are they called circle dogs?
Because when dachshund sleep their bodies form circles.
Nate saw John and Dell sleeping in perfect circle form and declared them circle dogs and took this picture. He said the red boys were just like the book and I couldn't agree with him more.
It is utterly charming, with deceptively simple illustrations that perfectly capture the spirit of the text. Together, pictures and text, you are drawn along a day in the life of a dachshund owning family, the dachshunds being the circle dogs.
And why are they called circle dogs?
Because when dachshund sleep their bodies form circles.
Nate saw John and Dell sleeping in perfect circle form and declared them circle dogs and took this picture. He said the red boys were just like the book and I couldn't agree with him more.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Great Escape
This weekend I got to read a story that pretty much brought one of my favorite childhood books to life.
An alligator was found crouching beneath a car near a sewer grate in New York City. It was just a small one and it wasn't definitively from the sewer, but none the less it's a great story and hearkens to the classic urban legend that gators live in the sewers beneath New York's streets..
Which brings me to another great story. I book I loved as a child and passed on to my children is The Great Escape: Or, The Sewer Story, by Peter Lippman. The story details the life of Silas the alligator, stolen from the swamps of Florida. He was sold to a Family that brought him back to their home in NYC and then as the gator grew, flushed him down into the sewers. Silas then plots with all the other gators on how to get back to Florida.
The illustrations are marvelous with very clever dialogue and observations sprinkled about the page in addition to the story line. If you haven't clicked on the link in "flushed him down," you really should. It is a nice example of what the book is like. My kids all loved the book and it was just as good as I remembered from my childhood.
An alligator was found crouching beneath a car near a sewer grate in New York City. It was just a small one and it wasn't definitively from the sewer, but none the less it's a great story and hearkens to the classic urban legend that gators live in the sewers beneath New York's streets..
Which brings me to another great story. I book I loved as a child and passed on to my children is The Great Escape: Or, The Sewer Story, by Peter Lippman. The story details the life of Silas the alligator, stolen from the swamps of Florida. He was sold to a Family that brought him back to their home in NYC and then as the gator grew, flushed him down into the sewers. Silas then plots with all the other gators on how to get back to Florida.
The illustrations are marvelous with very clever dialogue and observations sprinkled about the page in addition to the story line. If you haven't clicked on the link in "flushed him down," you really should. It is a nice example of what the book is like. My kids all loved the book and it was just as good as I remembered from my childhood.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I Introduce My Children to Amphigorey
I was sitting in my husbands home office, idling examining the titles on his bookshelves when one grabbed my eye- Amphigorey Also.
I love Edward Gorey, his drawings are beautiful and the accompanying texts are wonderfully twisted and lyrical. I've read one description of his writings as Dr. Seuss for grownups. He dark and demented humor is not to every one's taste, but I adore his books. There is a wonderful meter that somehow presents the most macabre stories in a cheerful tone.
One of my all time favorite stories is the "Ghastlycrumb Tinies" in Amphigorey, a strange tale of children meeting their respective doom alphabetically. I read it to Nate and he was delighted. Jake stopped by and wanted to know what was going on so I handed him Amphigorey Too. When I last checked they were happily paging through the two books.
Max and Rebecca are far too young for these books, but the older two are ready. Now they will learn where mommy gets her sometimes dark sense of humor.
I love Edward Gorey, his drawings are beautiful and the accompanying texts are wonderfully twisted and lyrical. I've read one description of his writings as Dr. Seuss for grownups. He dark and demented humor is not to every one's taste, but I adore his books. There is a wonderful meter that somehow presents the most macabre stories in a cheerful tone.
One of my all time favorite stories is the "Ghastlycrumb Tinies" in Amphigorey, a strange tale of children meeting their respective doom alphabetically. I read it to Nate and he was delighted. Jake stopped by and wanted to know what was going on so I handed him Amphigorey Too. When I last checked they were happily paging through the two books.
Max and Rebecca are far too young for these books, but the older two are ready. Now they will learn where mommy gets her sometimes dark sense of humor.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Max's Words For Max
We have been spending a fair amount of time at the library this summer (currently we have over 30 books checked out). Max needs a bit of a boost in his reading skills so he is meeting a reading specialist from the school for a couple half hour sessions a week. She signs out one of the study rooms and Max gets some good one on one tutoring.
The best part is that she was recommended by Max's teacher and the two of them were able to map out a good strategy on what Max needs to get up the speed. Max's teacher even passed along a reading list with the books grouped by reading levels. Finally I had something to work with. I am now able to pick books for Max at his level or just a bit above. I'm getting a feel for what is appropriate for him and I can branch out and get other books off the shelf.
A few weeks ago I spotted a book at the library that first caught my eye because of the title, Max's Words. I cracked it opened and discovered a marvelous book within. The Max in the story has two older brothers that collect things, namely stamps and coins. Max decides he'll collect words. His brothers scoff and refuse to share their collections until Max's collection grows and he discovers he can make stories.
My Max at first wanted nothing to do with the book, but in the end I got him to sit down with me. As Max started to read he was drawn into the story. He discovered the importance of word order and just how much fun words can be. The illustrations are delightful with the words Max has collected in someway reflecting their meaning in their form. By the end of the book my Max thought is was a terrific read.
I think Max's Words is a wonderful addition to a young child's library. Get it, borrow it, read it.
The best part is that she was recommended by Max's teacher and the two of them were able to map out a good strategy on what Max needs to get up the speed. Max's teacher even passed along a reading list with the books grouped by reading levels. Finally I had something to work with. I am now able to pick books for Max at his level or just a bit above. I'm getting a feel for what is appropriate for him and I can branch out and get other books off the shelf.
A few weeks ago I spotted a book at the library that first caught my eye because of the title, Max's Words. I cracked it opened and discovered a marvelous book within. The Max in the story has two older brothers that collect things, namely stamps and coins. Max decides he'll collect words. His brothers scoff and refuse to share their collections until Max's collection grows and he discovers he can make stories.
My Max at first wanted nothing to do with the book, but in the end I got him to sit down with me. As Max started to read he was drawn into the story. He discovered the importance of word order and just how much fun words can be. The illustrations are delightful with the words Max has collected in someway reflecting their meaning in their form. By the end of the book my Max thought is was a terrific read.
I think Max's Words is a wonderful addition to a young child's library. Get it, borrow it, read it.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Being Dead Is No Excuse
Is the singularly delightful main title to a book I just checked out and ripped through today.
The full title is "Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral" and when I spied it on the new and/or recommended shelf I just had to check it out. It had laugh out loud passages that were entirely believable. It's a wonderful look at funereal practices in the deep south ranging from what to bring to the family and the pros and cons of Episcopalian versus Methodist. An added bonus, I that I did not realize until I brought it home, it's chock full of classically southern dishes like Bourbon Boiled Custard and Can't Die without It Carmel Cake.
It is not the most profound book on death, but is definitely the most fun.
The full title is "Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral" and when I spied it on the new and/or recommended shelf I just had to check it out. It had laugh out loud passages that were entirely believable. It's a wonderful look at funereal practices in the deep south ranging from what to bring to the family and the pros and cons of Episcopalian versus Methodist. An added bonus, I that I did not realize until I brought it home, it's chock full of classically southern dishes like Bourbon Boiled Custard and Can't Die without It Carmel Cake.
It is not the most profound book on death, but is definitely the most fun.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Far From Recommended
I'm throwing in the towel on this one.
I picked up Redemption Falls from the library last week and I have been completely unable to get into it. The narrative voice switches around in the most maddening way. Reviewers claim it all hangs together in the end, I just have to stick with it. After 67 pages I'm just losing patience with the author. It might have helped if I had read an earlier book (Star of the Sea), but I doubt it. The book is just not my cup of tea.
So back to the library goes.
I picked up Redemption Falls from the library last week and I have been completely unable to get into it. The narrative voice switches around in the most maddening way. Reviewers claim it all hangs together in the end, I just have to stick with it. After 67 pages I'm just losing patience with the author. It might have helped if I had read an earlier book (Star of the Sea), but I doubt it. The book is just not my cup of tea.
So back to the library goes.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A House of Readers
Max and Rebecca aren't quite there yet, but the boys have become big readers.
Right now they are tearing through the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Kathryn Lasky. In fact their enthusiasm is so great that I've started reading them as well. I'm not sure who brought the first one home, but both boys read it. Then they clamored for more. It was spring break so we stopped by our local library to get the next book. When school resumed Nate got the third and fourth book. Nate raced through both, Jake finished the third and started the fourth and I started the third before the books were due back at Nate's school's library. Then we hit a snag, the fifth was not available at our local library nor at Nate's. Luckily we had interlibrary loan to come to the rescue. So now we have books four through six (I picked up the third at our local library and finished it last week, I needed to catch up).
This should get us through the rest of the week.
Right now they are tearing through the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Kathryn Lasky. In fact their enthusiasm is so great that I've started reading them as well. I'm not sure who brought the first one home, but both boys read it. Then they clamored for more. It was spring break so we stopped by our local library to get the next book. When school resumed Nate got the third and fourth book. Nate raced through both, Jake finished the third and started the fourth and I started the third before the books were due back at Nate's school's library. Then we hit a snag, the fifth was not available at our local library nor at Nate's. Luckily we had interlibrary loan to come to the rescue. So now we have books four through six (I picked up the third at our local library and finished it last week, I needed to catch up).
This should get us through the rest of the week.
Monday, March 03, 2008
My New Mission and More
I have a new mission in life, to get as many valid library cards as possible.
I started out with just our local system. The library closest to us is great. The librarians are helpful, the story times are well run and the catalog is online with the added bonus of online renewals. I average about three books every other week.
Then last summer I was stuck in Richmond with three bored kids (Jake was in Art class) and the temps were in the upper nineties. We found a branch of the city library system just a few blocks down the road. We perused the shelves in air conditioned comfort and I ended up getting a card so we could bring our treasures home.
Today I headed up to Richmond in search of semi-obscure books at the Library of Virginia. Nate has his monthly "share" (ie show and tell) this week and the theme is family heirlooms. He settled on a megillah that my Grandmother was given when she was in Germany just before the start of WWII. She was traveling through Europe meeting various makers of decorative end papers. Many of the guild members were Jewish and knew something terrible was going to happen. They pressed upon my non-Jewish grandmother all sorts of artifacts to bring back to the US, one of which is a megillah. The books I needed from the library tell a little bit about decorative end papers and one has a picture of my Grandmother. (I don't have any pictures of my Grandmother. She died when my mother was 21, a good fifteen years before I was born.)
So anyway, I now have three library cards. Maybe I should try to get a few more.
I started out with just our local system. The library closest to us is great. The librarians are helpful, the story times are well run and the catalog is online with the added bonus of online renewals. I average about three books every other week.
Then last summer I was stuck in Richmond with three bored kids (Jake was in Art class) and the temps were in the upper nineties. We found a branch of the city library system just a few blocks down the road. We perused the shelves in air conditioned comfort and I ended up getting a card so we could bring our treasures home.
Today I headed up to Richmond in search of semi-obscure books at the Library of Virginia. Nate has his monthly "share" (ie show and tell) this week and the theme is family heirlooms. He settled on a megillah that my Grandmother was given when she was in Germany just before the start of WWII. She was traveling through Europe meeting various makers of decorative end papers. Many of the guild members were Jewish and knew something terrible was going to happen. They pressed upon my non-Jewish grandmother all sorts of artifacts to bring back to the US, one of which is a megillah. The books I needed from the library tell a little bit about decorative end papers and one has a picture of my Grandmother. (I don't have any pictures of my Grandmother. She died when my mother was 21, a good fifteen years before I was born.)
So anyway, I now have three library cards. Maybe I should try to get a few more.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Baby It's Cold Outside
It's officially wintertime around here with the mercury falling down to the *gasp* to around 16 last night and barely cracking the freezing mark during the day. Admittedly this doesn't hold a candle to what my mother is enduring up north in Vermont, but it's cold for around here.
This to me is ideal reading weather. I burned through two books on our travels and both were excellent reads. The first one was "Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938" by R.A. Scotti, I found it at my mother's house. She always has a few good books scattered about. I'm a weather junkie (as so is my mother) and my mother clearly remembers this particular blow and has told us tales of it. She was 9 years old and she and her family lived on the shore just north of Boston. It was literally the first hurricane she had ever experienced. Their first indication of how big a blow it was going to be when the barometer 's bottom fell out. My grandfather exclaimed "Jesus Christ" and then they all hurried to batten down the hatches. My uncle, stupidly and on his own, decided to save his father's new boat by riding out the storm. He lost control of the boat and nearly lost his life swimming back to shore. The boat in the end grounded and was stove in on one side.
The story is well researched and written with photographs documenting the absolute destruction of the Long Island Express. We have come a long way in weather forecasting and it was interesting to learn that the hurricane of '38 was the first one to hit the Northeast in over a hundred years. The weather pattern is certainly far different now.
Next up was "Water for Elephants: a Novel" by Sara Gruen. A work of complete fiction that completely draws you in to the life of a traveling circus from the perspective of the pseudo vet (he is and he isn't a vet, you have to read the book to find out the whole story). It's funny, tragic, heartbreaking and racy. Not something for the boys to read. It was at my in-laws and I tore through it in one night. My father in-law recommended it to me and I picked it up as something to read while doing laundry. I ended up staying up far to late to finish it as we were leaving the next day. I was a bit drawn out and my eyes were feeling a little gritty the next day, but it was worth it.
So that's what I did for winter break.
This to me is ideal reading weather. I burned through two books on our travels and both were excellent reads. The first one was "Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938" by R.A. Scotti, I found it at my mother's house. She always has a few good books scattered about. I'm a weather junkie (as so is my mother) and my mother clearly remembers this particular blow and has told us tales of it. She was 9 years old and she and her family lived on the shore just north of Boston. It was literally the first hurricane she had ever experienced. Their first indication of how big a blow it was going to be when the barometer 's bottom fell out. My grandfather exclaimed "Jesus Christ" and then they all hurried to batten down the hatches. My uncle, stupidly and on his own, decided to save his father's new boat by riding out the storm. He lost control of the boat and nearly lost his life swimming back to shore. The boat in the end grounded and was stove in on one side.
The story is well researched and written with photographs documenting the absolute destruction of the Long Island Express. We have come a long way in weather forecasting and it was interesting to learn that the hurricane of '38 was the first one to hit the Northeast in over a hundred years. The weather pattern is certainly far different now.
Next up was "Water for Elephants: a Novel" by Sara Gruen. A work of complete fiction that completely draws you in to the life of a traveling circus from the perspective of the pseudo vet (he is and he isn't a vet, you have to read the book to find out the whole story). It's funny, tragic, heartbreaking and racy. Not something for the boys to read. It was at my in-laws and I tore through it in one night. My father in-law recommended it to me and I picked it up as something to read while doing laundry. I ended up staying up far to late to finish it as we were leaving the next day. I was a bit drawn out and my eyes were feeling a little gritty the next day, but it was worth it.
So that's what I did for winter break.
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