MotherReader

In the past, I've posted some videos on Poetry Friday with the belief that some of our best, new poems are coming in the form of lyrics. This is a song that I've wanted to highlight for a while, but I found the original video distracting instead of illuminating the words. While I'm only a casual watcher of Glee now - and just because I love some of the musical choices - this is one of my favorite performances on the show. In the Glee universe, it addresses my ongoing problem with the show that a show choir would focus on group, not solo, performances. But in Poetry Friday context, because the video keeps the focus on the words and the feelings behind them:

Well, some nights, I wish that this all would end
Cause I could use some friends for a change
And some nights, I'm scared you'll forget me again
Some nights, I always win, I always win...

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know

Do check out the original song by the group Fun, which is fuller than this version and has an intense vocal mix that you won't soon forget. Poetry Friday is hosted today at The Poem Farm.

I ask your indulgence because today I need to brag on my teen. It isn’t enough that she is smart and witty, as you might notice in her TeenReader reviews. She also is talented in the filmic arts, and has put that to use in making videos for her school’s morning announcements. That’s so cool for a freshman to be doing for the organizations that she’s involved in.

But I’m particularly proud of her for this video as it because it shows that she will stand up for her beliefs even as a self-conscious teen. And yes, the description of “self-conscious teen” fits over ninety percent¹ of the high-school crowd, but I employ it here to note that my daughter is one of those teens. She doesn’t invite controversy or drama. Tall and lovely, she still prefers to blend in rather than stand out. She’d also — shhhhhh! — kinda like a boyfriend. So for her to take such a prominent place in the Gay Straight Alliance is a statement of her level of belief that Love is Love. And that we can work to make a difference, just by making our voices heard. Or by a day of silence.

In my first minutes at Girl Scout camp, a child got off the bus and threw up at my feet.

Sometimes things start off pretty much the way they are going to continue. I’d call this camp experience one of those things. I was glad to be able to help. I had a nice group of girls, and I did like the teen leaders. But it was continually annoying how disorganized the camp was. I didn’t have much to do as a chaperone, so the days were long and boring. And for reasons of economy they fed us like we were all preschoolers — in food type and amount. Seriously, can you call one piece of cheese on white bread a sandwich?

Certainly spending my days in the heat and humidity left me little energy to attend to this blog. I only managed personal hygiene out of necessity. I wasn’t going to have a post today until I ran into a gem on Facebook — the Old Spice guy gives a few words regarding libraries. Enjoy.

Last year TeenReader did a book trailer for Ash, by Malinda Lo, as part of a contest. Sadly, she didn’t win the contest, but I’ve always been impressed by what she came up with completely on her own. Well, my voice and my husband’s hand are in there, and occasionally we pointed the camera where she told us to. But she did everything else, and I love that she did an ambitious, storylike version.


Recently, she got a comment asking why she didn’t include the character of Kaisa in the video. The reason was really logistical — she didn’t involve anyone else in her project — but it made me think about whether that was an essential thing to include. After all, Ash’s love for the huntress is what really set this book apart from other Cinderella stories. Made it the book with a twist, as it were.

But in thinking about it, what I liked about Ash — and the twist — was how matter-of-factly her love for another woman was handled in the story. It was a conflict for the character, certainly, but it wasn’t an Issue. Her choice wasn’t mired in wrestling with her sexual identity, but more of a struggle between holding on to the past or moving on, more about either escaping from the real world or diving into it with joy. The love story was true and beautiful and essential to the story. But maybe not in the book trailer, because that would have made it seem more of the point than it really was. In any case, it’s a lovely, haunting book and a good book trailer — in my humble opinion.

I was going to post yesterday, but was floored by the number of options available given the day. I mean, you had April Fool’s Day, the first day of Poetry Month, Passover, Easter weekend, my Booklights day, and my Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie viewing. Too much!

So let’s knock this out here. Fuse#8 got me with her April Fool’s Day joke, but I’ll just focus on the laughing and direct you the hysterical book I’ve been reading lately. It’s not for kids, and may be a little blue for many adults, but boy is it funny. If you like comedy — and who doesn’t — check out I Killed: True Stories from the Road from America’s Top Comics.

Poetry Month is off and running among the blogs, and the schedule is available as its own page at KidLitosphere Central. Nice School Library Journal write-up, too.

I was dying to embed the Steven Colbert video where he shows off the new Passover Plague puppets. Watch it at the thirteen minute mark (the second segment) below. We’ve been laughing about it all week. “I don’t know... be alive.”


For Easter, I was going to write about back-up bunny books that you could pick up if you missed your holiday grab at the library. Then I realized that there were over three hundred picture books featuring rabbits at my local library, so I’m going to point to Beatrix Potter and leave it at that. I reserved my Booklights post for a shout-out to poetry month.

Also, I saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid with my thirteen- and ten-year-old daughters, and we all loved it. I laughed a lot and throughly enjoyed myself. The casting is excellent, and the film captures the feel of the book while expanding on it and making it feel stunningly realistic. The kids look like real kids. What kind of way is that to make a movie? (Pssst! Hollywood? An excellent way.)

I’m offline for a few days to enjoy the pleasant holiday weekend. Hope you have the sunshine that we have here. It’s beginning to feel like... spring.

Note: Edited to embed the Colbert clip.

I’ve been seeing this video all over, but hadn’t slowed down to actually watch it. But this morning I did, and it actually made me a little bit teary. Not because it’s sad or even that explicitly moving, but because these kids will remember making this video for a long, long time, and I’m inspired that there are teachers and principals who would take the time to create an experience that just might make a difference.

Oh yeah, I’m ready. Are you?

Apparently, this is a real answering machine message for a school in Australia. Even if it’s not authentic, the concept itself makes it funny enough to share. Enjoy.



Hilarious School Answering Machine
Watch more funny videos at Break

Edited to add: Definitely not true, according to Snopes, but I’ll bet a lot of teachers wish it were true. Still funny, though.

How’s 2009 working out for you? Not great, huh? You’re not alone.

I’ve had some nice things happen in this year, but for the most part it’s been a bumpy road. Things that have should have been easy had obstacles, things that looked like luck faded away. Everything seems to be a struggle.

What’s odd to me is that everyone I talk to seems to be in the same kind of muck. Family members with health issues, new jobs that are hard adjustments, school schedules that stink, projects that are overwhelming. I can’t think of anyone I’ve chatted with in the last few months who hasn’t given at least these last few months of 2009 an unqualified “Meh.”

Certainly the economy is a factor in a bad feeling. In my case, I haven’t talked to people who’ve lost a job — though many of them worry about their employment. Swine flu has taken down some friends and family, but not enough to make the impact I’m seeing around me. The anger and anxiety in political matters may be taking a toll, though no one has mentioned it specifically as they talk — nicely, gently — about being ready for this year to just be over.

It’s in that feeling of malaise that I’m bringing today’s stretch of a Poetry Friday entry. See, in July my fifth grader did a performance for a summer theatre program and knocked it out of the park. She’s going to sing the same song at tonight’s Girl Scout talent show and was chosen to close the show — a big honor when you consider that there are high school students performing as well.

In thinking about how this song hits everyone who hears it — including even the high school girls who choose the order of the show — I suddenly saw how well it captures this... thing I’ve noticed around. This feeling of being trapped by circumstance, of being unlucky, or being far from comfort. And in the song, the sense of hope in impossible situations. Watch it all, if you will, for the full impact or notice the lyrics and performance at the 2:30 mark:

HOME
Is this home?
Am I here for a day or forever?
Shut away
From the world until who knows when.
Oh, but then
As my life has been altered
Once, it can change again
Build higher walls around me.
Change every lock and key.
Nothing lasts,
nothing holds
All of me.
My heart’s far
Far away,
Home and
Free.

If you are having the kind of months or year I talked about, than let me remind you that nothing lasts, and nothing holds all of you.

Poetry Friday is hosted today at Gotta Book.

Thanks to Kathleen Duey for pointing out this amazing and unique artist from the Ukraine. At eight minutes, the video is a bit long by today’s short-attention-span standards, but commit to watching the whole thing. You won’t regret it.


Okay, it’s not a poem, but I can’t say that it’s not poetry. You’ll find the real stuff at today’s Poetry Friday, hosted by A Wrung Sponge.

Man, I’ve been so lazy this summer. I can’t seem to get anything done. The garden is a mess, the house is a disaster, and the blog needs work. Yet I’ll read in bed or watch TV with the family or head to the pool — anything but do the chores. Omigod, I’m a child.

To be fair, it’s my first summer without working for ten years. And even ten years ago, I had a newborn, so that shouldn’t even count as a summer off. So really it’s my first work-free summer since... I was a child. Huh.

Today, instead of writing, I’ll be enjoying the wonderful Summer Carnival of Children’s Literature. Melissa Wiley pulled together a great collection of posts that are not to be missed.

Also, here’s a little video I saw on Library Stew. Being musical (and with a musical daughter), I particularly enjoyed it, and would love to find out more about this session on Notes & Neurons.

MotherReader’s off at the beach with the girls for a few days, leaving me — FatherReader — to hold down the fort. Normally, we wouldn’t make a special effort to post in her absence, but this week saw a poetry event that we couldn’t let pass by unheralded (though I fully suspect that others will highlight the same “poem”).

Were you left thinking that Sarah Palin’s farewell speech was a bizarre, rambling, incoherent mess? Far from it! Those with abilities sufficient to grasp Palin’s true depth as a communicator would instantly point out that it was poetry! And to make sure that’s eminently clear, we bring you, straight from The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, master thespian William Shatner reading Sarah Palin’s farewell speech. Enjoy!


Of course, that’s not the end of it. As Sarah Palin has been posting regularly on her Twitter account, there’s a whole new wealth of material — material that O’Brien and Shatner are only too happy to highlight:


This week’s Poetry Friday roundup is over at Poetry for Children. Be sure to check it out — and check back here soon for MotherReader’s triumphant return.

I rarely even show my kids’ pictures on this blog, but I couldn’t resist sharing this video of my ten year old singing a solo in her school summer theatre program. I know I’m her mom, but her voice is truly amazing. I’ve watched this several times, and I keep getting choked up over her performance. Please watch so I can share this with you, my friends.

Up at 8:30 a.m., but lounged in bed with seventh grader talking about Catching Fire. We also talked about how realistic My Life in Pink and Green was in terms of boy/girl relationships that I’ve seen. Seventh grader told me about some couples in her grade that she’s seen kissing in the halls. I tried not to have a heart attack.

I don’t have a schedule to post, having only been awake a few hours, but I do have a plan. So far, I spent about an hour visiting blogs, now I’m blogging for a bit, and then it’s back to the books. Since I’m doing well on time, I’m going to attend the DC Kid Lit Book Club this afternoon, and then come back for the final couple hours of reading.

If you’re still with us and need a break, here’s one of the funniest videos I’ve ever seen. And because it’s embedded on my blog, you can count the viewing time in your total time. I know — you’re welcome. (And thanks to Bookshelves of Doom for the link.)

President Obama read to children at the White House Easter event like a real storytime professional. In reading Where the Wild Things Are, he howled the terrible howl and showed the terrible claws. And he responded like a champ to the kid — and there’s one in every storytime — saying, “I can’t see!”


(Thanks to Lessons from the Tortoise and Well-Read Child for the links. You made my day.)

On Tuesday, I literally jumped up and cheered upon hearing this part of President Obama’s Adresss to Congress:

These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children, but it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a parent, for a mother or father who will attend those parent-teacher conferences, or help with homework, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to their child.

Yes! It fits in wonderfully with the concept of Share a Story, Shape a Future. The initiative looks wonderful, and I hope to play a part in some way when it hits the KidLitosphere come March. I kind of missed the boat when I lost the messages in my overstuffed email box.

Through a perhaps ridiculously diligent process, I was able to bring my emails down to 1300 from 3447 on a first-look, barely skimming, toss-the-trash weeding. I also moved groups of emails to folders because they will be easier to deal with at one time rather than as I come across them. My husband did something techie to my computer that appears to be helping, and I also found that I was having more luck using my daughter’s computer account. I’m going to keep plugging at it because those extra emails are simply computer clutter.

Speaking of clutter, an article in School Library Journal talks about cluttered houses in terms of their impact on early literacy. This is gonna hurt...

Household order — characterized by regular bedtime routines, mealtimes, and chores, as well as cleanliness and being able to stay on top of things — has a positive effect on a range of early reading abilities, the report says.

Well, so much for that. Thanks to Charlotte’s Library for pointing it out, and making me laugh with her own experience.

Another shared experience caught my attention this morning as Maw Books asks for the most horrific way you’ve ever ruined a book. She already has thirty responses, and yes, one of them is mine. And no, I’m not proud.

I had to assume that she was talking about accidental book disfigurement, because otherwise I’m in real trouble with my new hobby of book altering. The one week I had few school activities and few scheduled work days, I wasted with a box of old schoolbooks and an Exacto knife. I had a lot of fun though, and I think it released some of the mental pressure I was feeling with booking the KidLitosphere Conference...

Which is now, officially, set for the weekend of October 16th–18th at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel! I’m sending in the contract today, so it’s too early to book your room, but I’ll let you know. I can tell you that the rate is $109 per night, the conference cost should be around $100 with a breakfast and dinner for Saturday included. As we’ve done in the past, Friday will feature a dinnertime outing to some local place for whomever can come. Saturday will be the conference and dinner. Sunday will be some Washington, DC, adventure — to be determined. I’ll be working on session ideas and maybe even speakers...

Like this guy, my dream speaker. Because if you’re going to dream, dream big. I forgot how much I enjoyed his videos because they aren’t on my feed, but fortunately Bookshelves of Doom reminded me with this one:


Edited to add: For more videos, podcasts, and regular old posts, don’t miss the newest Carnival of Children’s Literature. It rocks!

In the current economic death spiral, my public library system, like many others, is facing cutbacks in materials, hours, and — ahem — staff. The irony is that public libraries are never more important then when times are bad. People come for Internet access to look for jobs, submit applications, and rewrite their résumés. Students find a place to study and work where you don’t have to spend five bucks on a cup of coffee. Book lovers borrow a few more books, instead of buying. English language learners join conversation groups to improve their communication.

Parents bring their children for storytimes, book groups, puppet shows, science programs — entertainment on a tight budget. Together they browse the shelves, read on the couches, and get away from the house. They leave with armloads of books and hours of something-to-do. And it’s all free.

Amazing.

I was going through some very old saved emails and found this video tribute to libraries. I haven’t thought of it in a while, though now that the song is back in my head I probably won’t be able to think of anything else. There’s better quality at the original site, but I had to embed it here for your viewing pleasure. The animation is a bit odd, but the message couldn’t be better.

I am taking the first steps toward organizing the Annual KidLitosphere Conference — or if you’d prefer, The Society of Bloggers in Children’s and Young Adult Literature Annual Conference. It will be in the Washington, DC, area, though not exactly in the actual city. I’m looking at Arlington, Virginia — and more specifically Crystal City, where there is easy access to National Airport, the Metro, and mall shopping. It’s a fifteen-minute Metro ride or a six-minute drive to DC, so pretty close. Yom Kippur knocked out my original dates, and Columbus Day weekend is booked at two hotels I’ve found — one of which I love. So, now I’m looking at the weekend of October 16th–18th and wanted to put it out there in case I’m unaware of some major impediment to that weekend. It’s not ALA, BEA, or SCBWI. The Jewish calendar looks clear. Anything I’m missing?

On Valentine’s Day, I almost posted this video, which I found through Ready When You Are, C.B. But while the video is beautiful, moving, and powerful, it is sad in its ultimate concept — and I have enough issues with Valentine’s Day without laying that trip on you. So, President’s Day seems like a good choice for featuring videos that are also calls to action and/or calls for equality.

The Cybils Award winners have been announced, and I᾿m especially excited to share the winner for Fiction Picture Books, where I served as a panelist and the category organizer. Here’s the write-up from the Cybils site:

How to Heal a Broken Wing
written and illustrated by Bob Graham
Candlewick Press

This deceptively simple book achieves so much more than telling the story of a boy who notices a wounded bird in a busy city. By alternating single and double-page spreads with clusters of small panels, Graham creates almost a film strip of time passing. The artistic technique lends both intimacy and urgency to the boy and his family’s precarious mission to save the injured pigeon. The text is commendably lean, supporting the strong visual narrative and keeping a lighter touch to the theme. The cartoon-style, watercolor illustrations provide the perfect tone, and the accessible story offers connections for picture book readers of all ages. For all of these reasons, How to Heal a Broken Wing distinguishes itself as the rare picture book that speaks quietly, yet has volumes to say about courage, kindness, and hope.

Want the rest of the awards? I know you do. Head over to the Cybils page to see the other winners. And hey, while you’re there, buy a book. The purchases help show how the award has a relevance in the language of Amazon ranking, plus the Cybils get a referral fee for Amazon purchases. I can easily recommend purchasing How to Heal a Broken Wing not only for parents of young kids and general picture book lovers, but as a gift for teachers of preschool or early-elementary students. The end of the school year is just around the corner — or at least it feels like it should be.

Edited to add: Oh yeah, VALENTINE’S DAY! Here’s a video I posted last year that again can serve as my Valentine to all of blogger friends.

In case you are wondering if the SNL sketch with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin is as good as people say... um, it totally is.