Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

A girl came up and asked for Number the Stars by Lois Lowry today, stating that she couldn't find it on the shelf. After taking her to where it was located in the Newberry winners sections we got to chatting about The Giver (another Lois Lowry book that I liked). She took my suggestion and decided to check it out. Then her Mom came over and we got to talking about the books, Rules, by Cynthia Lord (which I had also just recently read). The Mom wanted the daughter to read the book because, like the main character, this girl also has an autistic younger brother. The girl looked at her Mom (rolling her eyes) and then at me and said, "I only like to read books that have nothing to do with my life. I don't want to read about stuff I already know about." I had to laugh. I know where she is coming from. If you were to offer me a mystery that took place in a library, I would probably throw up my arms and say, "I don't give a shit if Marian the Librarian was beat t...

As mentioned in this post, I am steadily reading; working my way through folklore and fairy tales alike--focusing on the stories that originate from specific regions around the world. This will benefit my Fall group...I hope. Yesterday's three were: The Hunterman and the Crocodile by Baba Waque Diakitre A Coretta Scott King Award Winner for its working together peacefully solution...which I was not expecting. Would have been more exciting had the crocodile eaten the hunterman. The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth I loved the pictures in this book. Also, I liked how this book ended in true folktale fashion with the last page of the story containing a rhyming moral. Cinderella by Charles Perrault, modern retelling and pictues by Loek Koopmans and Anthea Bell I was not really impressed with this retelling or the pictures--Cinderella and the prince looked like they were about 10 years old. I think I prefer the Grimm Brothers Cinderella story better. Still gear...

Further proof that Librarians are AWKWARD! Ha ha ha...I actually laughed outloud when I read this. I mean, I hope this lady gets help, because OBVIOUSLY, she needs it. But it still was slightly entertaining. I guess I should stop using puppets as "mediators," at my staff meetings! PUBLISHED: Monday, June 16, 2008 Fired library director sues Fraser staffers complained of her irrational behavior By Christy Strawser Macomb Daily Staff Writer Former Fraser Library Director Sherry Schmidli filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit in Macomb Circuit Court alleging she was fired for questioning the city's authority over the library. The lawsuit claims Schmidli was also unlawfully fired for taking medical leave for a health condition that put her repeatedly in the emergency room. Schmidli is asking the court for unspecified damages over $25,000 for mental distress and lost wages. "Defendants had a duty not to discriminate against (Schmidli) because of a disability or perceived disa...

So many random moments made up this weekend. Here are a few in spotlight: 1. Took my Mom to see Prince Caspian on Friday night (I had given her the complete Chronicles of Narnia for her birthday). It was a fun movie, though I wish I had reread it before I had seen it. I spent part of the movie wondering how accruate it was to the books. 2. My Mom was telling me how Monster niece told her that she saw Pop (my Dad) and he told her that he is in Heaven and happy. Monster niece is 3.5 yrs. old. I believed what she said. 3. K and I went over Chris' apartment Saturday night for movies. Such a guy apartment. He actually had to clean it so that it was "ready for company." :) We spent the evening expanding my knowledge of movies that "I can't believe you haven't seen," to quote both K and Chris. My favorite part of hanging at Chris' were the jokes that came out of the fact that he never "got around" to taking down his Christmas tree! Saw Gh...

I feel like I have not written in forever. Life has been busy and getting busier so this will be brief: Disappointments regarding CT thing. Moving on. My car Will (which I have had for almost 4 years and put on @ 70,000 miles) has been slowly trying to die. Finally replaced him yesterday. Another old folks car, but temporary until I buy that lovely little Aveo that is calling my name...maybe next year. Any thoughts for a name? Must explain what the choice of name comes from. Summer Reading kick-off is less than a week away. YIKES! Doing the grunt work for that now. Cutting out art project-y things, etc. Some cute things. Will def. post pics eventually! Softball begins tonight. Chris and I have our first game. Yeah. Pool at our house has been open for about three weeks and I have been swimming almost every day. Be envious...very envious. Still trying to learn how to dive. Oww. Dreading Father's Day. Reading tons. That is me in a nutshell these days.

Seems like memes are the latest fads of blog world. Somehow I was scavenging through some old blogs--like a hungry vulture--when I stumbled upon this this post of Effing's, which I did not ever reply to. Meme on the book I am reading: 1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pgs.) 2. Open the book to page 123 3. Find the fifth sentence 4. Post the next three sentences 5. Tag five people A Child Called “IT” “I smiled from ear to ear, as I jumped into her arms and held her tightly. As she ran her hand through my hair, I began to cry. Mother cried, too, and I began to feel that my bad times were finished.” Author Meme 1. Who’s your all-time favorite author, and why? Oh, this is a hard one. It might be a tie between Jane Austen and John Steinbeck. Every book I have read by either I have loved and could reread and reread and feel like each time I would still be able to find something new to be analyzed. 2. Who was your first favorite author, and why? Was like when? When I first lea...

Came across this absolutely wonderful commencement speech that J.K. Rowling recently gave to the '08 grads of Harvard University. There was some good strong advice in this article that I found moving after an especially hard two weeks. The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, proud parents, and, above all, graduates, The first thing I would like to say is 'thank you.' Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honor, but the weeks of fear and nausea I've experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world's best-educated Harry Potter convention. Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility; or so I thought until I cast my mind back ...

Today is dreary and I feel mopey, so I went in search of something lovely and I found it. Props to Amos for turning me on to e. e. cummings what seems like a million years ago in another life I lived. i carry your heart with me -- e.e. cummings i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, and there the grass grows soft and white And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends. ~ Shel Silverstein Saturday I decided to do some cleaning and sorting of Pandora’s Box (my God, if that doesn’t sound filthy!) Pandora’s Box is what I call this huge fire proof box I have which I bought my first year of college. It is the box where I keep all my journals from the past 15 years, photographs, ...

It seemed so difficult to go back to work on Tuesday—it always seems coming back from long weekends is unendurable—and yet the week, like many weeks as of late, flew by...And was followed by a weekend which did the same. Friday night roomie M, best friend L and L’s sister Julie and I all went to the opening night show of Sex and the City. After cosmopolitans (in true S.A.T.C. style) we headed into a packed theater (the only one in the area with a show that WASN’T sold out) and waited in line behind dozens and dozens of women who were all excitedly discussing the movie. It was a total estrogen fest. Despite the reviews I read from NPR and another source which pa inted the film in a slightly tepid light, I really enjoyed it. There were things lacking of course, a slight faux pa on the part of the writers in some areas as far as I was concerned, but overall a fun movie. Some things that I thought were interesting: The movie looked at love this time. Less actual sex in the city; more...