I Heart the Library

Logan and I spend a lot of our day reading right now.  He's so into books.  If we aren't reading them he's studying the illustrations intensely.  So, in an effort to cure my boredom with our at-home library I decided it was time to utilize our county library.  Every month we pick up a new pile of books to read.  I do the picking and grab what looks attractive and not too long.  I definitely don't read them before I check them out so sometimes I'm a bit disappointed with our pile.

Well, today was library day and I just finished reading the entire pile to Logan before his nap.  I have to say, I picked some really good books this time around.  I thought I'd share my thoughts on a few.



Red is Best by Kathy Stinson.  I know you shouldn't judge a book by the cover but I so did with this one.  The cover and illustrations are just charming.  It tickled me so I picked it up.  The dialogue is simple yet insightful.  I love the play of mother-daughter logic over what items of clothing are acceptable and which are just plain loved.  My favorite exchange is over barrettes.

"I like my red barrettes the best. 

 My mom says, 'You wear pink barrettes with a pink dress.' 

 But my red barrettes make my hair laugh.

I like my red barrettes best."

So, so cute!  I don't know if Logan liked it as much as I did but time will tell.  He tends to carry his favorites around with him.



Next pick that just leaves me giggling is 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey.  I really like the poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  I enjoy the sing-song rhythym of the poem.  I picked up this book based on my bias towards the original poem.  This book is hilarious.  It's clever and witty. It's easy to read because of the familiar rhythym and the plot is just fun.

It's about a class field trip to a turkey farm the day before Thanksgiving.  They meet and mingle with the turkeys and the farmer.  One child finds an ax and asks the farmer what it is.  The farmer explains that he will use the ax to kill the turkeys for Thanksgiving.  The children burst into tears and create a plan of escape.  I won't give it all away.  I'll just say from beginning to end this author is funny.  I would love to read more from him.


When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach.  Another witty book.  Logan LOVED this one and I really did not mind reading it to him.  It was so entertaining.  A lot of fun and clever dialogue to give voice to.  I love to do voices when I read.  The ending was slightly disappointing but everything else more than filled my expectations.

When the little boy is forced into yet another boring day of errands with his mom he is pleasantly surprised to get a free dinosaur with each purchase.  After gathering a few life-sized dinosaurs his mom desides to cut errand day short and attempts to adjust to life with pet dinosaurs (which she quickly puts to work).  I tripped up a bit on the formal names of the dinosaurs but Logan didn't seem to mind.  The characters are very expressive and interesting to look at. 


And, finally, I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll.  This one was on the library's favorite book list so I put it on hold.  It was slightly too long for Logan but I really enjoyed it.  And the illustrations didn't seem to keep Logan interested.  They are more dramatic, detailed, and movie-like.  The story is so smart and the characters are interesting.  Again, a fun dialouge to put voices to.

The story is a about a boy who gets a note from his monster-under-the-bed, Gabe, saying that he has gone fishing.  The boy is worried that he won't sleep without Gabe and all his familiar monster noises.  He then interviews several substitute monsters that just don't make the cut.  My favorite interview is with Herbert:

When I heard some creaking under my bed, I knew that the substitute monster had arrived.

"Good evening," said a low, breathy voice.  "My name is Herbert and I will be your monster for the evening." 

          "Herbert?  What kind of name is that for a monster?!  you don't sounds scary at all.  Have you

          ever scared a kid before?"

          "Well, no, but I have read all the best books on the topic."

          "Do you have long teeth and scratchy claws?" I asked.

          "No, but I have an overbite.  And I'm a mouth breather.  Listen.  Hih-huh, hih-huh, hih-huh..."

          Herbert's panting was kind of scary, but it wasn't enough for me.

As the interviews go on the monsters are starting to accuse the boy of being too picky.  Then his monster comes back and is properly scared and soon fast asleep.


Well, that's my pile of really great books from the library.

A Bad Fit

My sister-in-law, who is wonderful in every way, recommended a book after an emotional discussion about the joys/hardships of choosing to stay home and be a mother full time.  I took the book home excited to continue the spirit of our discussion. 

Oh, it was not to be...

The book is called It Takes a Mother to Raise a Village by Colleen Down.  I made it about half way through before deciding it wasn't worth finishing since I kept poking my eye in frustration. 

The book begins with her explanation of the title.  Right off the bat I could tell by her almost venomous interpretation of the original quote, "It takes a village to raise a child" that we would not be seeing eye to eye.  I felt she missed the true message of the quote which illustrated the need for a community while raising children.  Down bring up the point that it does not take a village, rather a mother back in the home making decisions and following motherly instincts rather than depending on "professionals" on parenting.  She has polarized the issue which I feel is counterproductive.

She then takes on the Little Red Hen story twisting it a bit to fit her point that nobody wants to help us raise our children unless it fits their political agenda.  And the political oh, I don't know, anger,... frustration,... continues on.  Is motherhood sometimes a hard and lonely job?  Absolutely.  Does it feel like you do everything?  Yes.  I felt at times this book was therapy for this mother of seven.

Down's voice throughout the book attempted humor that fell flat for me.  It  is somewhat harsh towards herself and other women.  While I'm sure some would find it funny I found her incredibly insensitive and at times simply annoying.  Again, just a bad fit.

She continues to give lots and lots of advice on why mother knows best, how to raise boys, and why women get depressed.  Hot topics for sure, but unless you love her personality and perception don't bother. 

I did, however, get something out of this book.  And, funny enough, she had learned this from someone else.  Everyday women should do the "five finger rule." 

"...We need to do something spiritual, something creative, something educational, something social and something physical."  

 I like this.  It is simple, important and easy to remember.  I just ignored her insight into each "finger" as it was nothing new. 

Again, for some this book may be the best read ever!  For me, it was not a good fit.

I did start the book, I am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson and already it is like breathing new air! 

A Spaz with a Gift Card

Right now I have in my possession the most wonderful thing...A gift card to Barnes and Noble.  A gift from my dearest of dear friends in a land far away has made it's way into my grasp via post.  And it's a noble sum, not a trite gesture.  Oh, blessed birthday, you do bring me all sorts of indulgences.  It's been years since I have bought a book without having to save first.  What this dear friend has bought me is an invitation to indulge.  Could a stay-and-home mother ask for more?

So, I ask, what book(s) shall I purchase?  What great lit shall adorn my humble shelf?

I have no idea! 

November Book

Emily will be hosting on November 2nd.  We'll be discussing Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  This is the concluding book in the riveting Hunger Games series.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost. 

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Discussing The Graveyard Book and Author Neil Gaiman

I distinctly remember the moment when I decided that Tim Burton was a creative genius and that I would be a devote follower of his work.  And, no, the moment did not involve Edward or his scissored hands.  It was Corpse Bride, actually, and his unique attitude toward the relationship between life and death.  Burton's movie describes a underworld full of characters and color, much more lively than the living residents above.  Burton challenges the traditional beliefs and fears about the dead and decaying that reside below us.

Similarly, but with a flare and voice all his own, Neil Gaiman tackles the theme of life and death in his book, The Graveyard Book.

Now, I'm really not the best at reviewing books.  To be honest, it is a new art form for me.  So, I will not call this or any other post I do a book review.  Rather my reactions to the discussion.  So often, tonight included, I feel I am sitting at the feet at some truly remarkable women in our group.  Their passion for books leaves me in awe and thier understanding of books makes me want to learn more.

Having read the book over a year ago, the details I remember are vague at best, but listening to the group gush over small, delightful details reminded me of why this book brought me so much joy.  The characters were completely believable.  And Emily led us through a rather exciting discovery about Silas that left us all slightly dumbfounded.

I'm starting to realize that I need to learn how to read.  I know that sounds silly, but there is so much more to these stories!  It's completely exciting to me.
 
When I read Coraline a few months ago, I came across this quote by G.K. Chesterton

"Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." 

 As I read this I could not help feel this was a glimpse into Neil Gaiman and other creative minds that thrive on slightly macabre themes.  Is that what draws me to them?  The idea of facing fears instead of shrinking away.  Are these creative minds showing me a new perspective on fear that I tend to overlook?

The Graveyard Book is charming despite the dark overtone.  Bod works through many new experience with the help of his adopted family.  Once again, the dead are portrayed as warm, friendly, and protective of little Bod.  Authors like Gaiman and Directors like Tim Burton challenge our views and get us to accept and, in some cases, love those things we previously feared. 

Thank you Neil and Tim...Carry on!


The discussion was great and the food was good.  All in all, it was a good time. We missed all those who couldn't come!  Hope we see you next time!

October Book

We'll be discussing The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman on Tuesday, October 5th at 8pm.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy - an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Winner of the 2009 Newbery Medal and the 2009 Hugo Award.

Summary by BookBrowse