tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59439448015494125462024-02-21T21:20:03.618-08:00The Girl Who Cried BookTales from an Emotional Children's LibrarianCourtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-78579201336157445442013-09-03T14:58:00.000-07:002013-09-03T15:04:57.224-07:00Good Grief!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I guess everyone feels grief in their own way - and there are a lot of different types of loss. I noticed that the past few books here have dealt with the death of someone. Sorry to be so 'Debbie Downer'.... but it isn't going to get much lighter. At least this post isn't about someone dying - something to get excited about!</div>
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I had heard so many great things about the book, <i>Eleanor and Park</i>, that I actually stopped reading the books I am supposed to be reading for the state book award committee I am on and started listening to it. At first, I felt disappointed. I wasn't being drawn in as I have been with other 'great books' recommended to me by my many librarian friends. </div>
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Perhaps because this book is meant for an older crowd, it has plenty of pages to build up steam, but when it did - it blew my socks off. As I just spent the last 20 minutes of my lunch hour in my car sobbing along with the 'at the same time heartwarming and heartbreaking' end to the book, I can tell you that it is worth the long introduction and build-up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNAE2-UmQ6W38POWHHfkS0SN5qDgTeoYfGD12yfHWUdjSriSqjTTa6sQAJXw3OnlnYRpCZA1XB5HpH_Mz91lVouYLJ_Kcatbob4NgJFYOHPm8yRgtcvMTAyk_xhylzUxNmVe-w8kjlGaN/s1600/Eleanor&Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNAE2-UmQ6W38POWHHfkS0SN5qDgTeoYfGD12yfHWUdjSriSqjTTa6sQAJXw3OnlnYRpCZA1XB5HpH_Mz91lVouYLJ_Kcatbob4NgJFYOHPm8yRgtcvMTAyk_xhylzUxNmVe-w8kjlGaN/s1600/Eleanor&Park.jpg" /></a>Eleanor is the new girl - and much like with 'When Life Gives You O.J.', she doesn't look like anyone else. Long curly red hair and a not-so-size 2 waist quickly give her the nickname of 'Big Red'. As a person who also wasn't the skinny kid in high school, I felt every bit of the shame in her nickname. Listen up, some kids aren't meant to be super thin.... read: I am of good German farmer stock and inherited a few too many masculine traits from my dad. It happens.</div>
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There is something about Eleanor. Either you knew her in high school, or you felt like you were her. Either way, she becomes a sort of kindred friend of yours that you want to protect from her horrible life. I know I live in my own little bubble - if I don't want to see something, it doesn't exist, but this book gently breaks into the subject of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse in a way that feels organic and real. I was left wondering who in my high school I may have overlooked. Was that going on in the houses of any of my friends? Should I have noticed something I didn't?</div>
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And then she meets Park and her life is never the same. They find in each other a friend and champion they didn't know they needed, but will never live without. It is those first experiences with love and connection that shape us into the fully grown adults we are today. Even when the heartbreak comes, it is always worth it - and isn't that a good lesson to learn? </div>
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Books that make you go, "hmmmmm." And then sweep you off your feet. :)</div>
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Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-28143027875551333162013-06-19T12:42:00.000-07:002013-09-11T10:50:31.093-07:00And Then Life Gave You O.J.<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGkraNRynUc5sf08qWyc4pL3_4xiorkNW6ErbVBHJJBMpY40Uh6AD6WEWqOu93ortTGajgs9UzvRyma2M2D4Ekap8LsK6VPJzDkNGWYaLKgaCP39U-ni2VWwF4eh8yL39kZzh2qL_FgeQ/s1600/Life+-+OJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGkraNRynUc5sf08qWyc4pL3_4xiorkNW6ErbVBHJJBMpY40Uh6AD6WEWqOu93ortTGajgs9UzvRyma2M2D4Ekap8LsK6VPJzDkNGWYaLKgaCP39U-ni2VWwF4eh8yL39kZzh2qL_FgeQ/s1600/Life+-+OJ.jpg" /></a>I have to admit, it has been a long time since a book made me cry. Maybe I was all cried out? Maybe I was just reading really crappy books. Either way - I guess I wasn't quite sure what to expect when picking up the book, <i>When Life Gives You O.J.</i> by Erica Pearl. I guess perhaps I was thinking it was going to be an odd sort of 'make the best of what you have' story. Instead, I found a heartwarming story of the new girl in town. Zelly isn't just the new kid, she also looks different than all of the other people in her new town. Everyone in her small town in Vermont has blonde hair and blue eyes... she has a crazy brown 'fro; talk about feeling like you don't belong.</div>
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After moving into town in the spring when her grandmother, Bubbles, passed away, </div>
she makes one good friend, Allie, before the school year ends and her new friend goes off to camp. Left all alone, Zelly feels like the only thing that will make her feel less lonely is if she either gets a letter from her friend at camp or gets the dog she has been asking for forever. When they lived in Brooklyn, Zelly understood why they couldn't have a dog. Now that they live in Vermont, if she can't look like everyone else, perhaps she can have a dog just like everyone else in town.<br />
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Her grandpa, Ace, comes up with a great plan for how to show her parents how responsible she is by taking an old orange juice jug and treating it as if it were the dog she has always wanted. At first it just seems silly, but when she meets a new boy in town (who looks just like her), he convinces her to take it seriously. I will let you guess what she names her 'practice dog'.<br />
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All goes well until Allie returns with new camp friends and Zelly begins to feel like a dog isn't worth all of the ridicule she is facing.</div>
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Throughout the book, Zelly is a great example of what life is like when you are the new kid - especially when you don't quite fit in with your surroundings. The interactions of Zelly and her grandfather show both love and the understanding that comes as a child grows older and realizes that adults have feelings too; that point in each persons' life when they realize that the world doesn't revolve around how they feel and what they are doing. The loss of Bubbles has affected Zelly deeply, but it isn't until she realizes how much her grandfather misses his wife that she begins to understand what life might be like for her 'crazy' grandfather. </div>
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Will all of her hard work pay off? You will just have to read to find out, but enjoy the fun and frustration until you get there.</div>
Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-22281692181175839332013-04-05T11:22:00.000-07:002013-04-05T11:22:11.230-07:00Dealing with Grief<div style="text-align: justify;">
As a reader, I tend to shy away from reading books about dead family members. It hits a little too close to home and brings up sad memories. This time of year, however, the sadness is here whether I read the books or not, so I thought I would pick up a book that had been recommended to me several times by different librarian friends of mine.... and that book is <i>Love, Aubrey</i>.</div>
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<i>Love, Aubrey</i> is about a young girl whose father and sister are killed in a car accident and whose mother is so consumed with grief she leaves home not remembering that Aubrey is still there. For weeks, Aubrey is left alone in here house until her Grandmother comes to rescue her. The book chronicles that first summer and school year after the accident as Aubrey makes new friends, learns to deal with her grief, and to forgive her mother for the things that are out of her control. </div>
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I found the book to be incredibly realistic and heartfelt, much as it was described to me, however, I also found the book comforting. Unlike in some books about children dealing with grief or about families dealing with a stressful situation, all adults did not abandon Aubrey. Although I loved reading it, the book <i>Captain Nobody</i>'s main character Newt is basically ignored by every adult in his life. A fact that I found almost disturbing. In this book, I found the fact that Aubrey's grandmother, aunts, uncles, and counselor were all supporting her recovery much more attuned to what might actually happen. I also thought that the portrayal of Aubrey's mother as she dealt with an all-consuming grief and could not help Aubrey recover very realistic. </div>
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As Aubrey learns, it isn't just accidents that take your family members away, grief can do it as well. It is hard to deal with situations that don't turn out the way you expect them, and it is even harder when they are completely out of your control. This book offers a little bit of hope that although we all deal with grief in our own way, even the worst grief can be overcome and we all can be happy again. The end of the book doesn't come all 'tied up in a big red bow', but it is as happy as a sad situation can possibly get.</div>
Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-78057830363560940562012-09-08T08:16:00.004-07:002012-09-08T08:25:57.144-07:00a WONDERful book<div style="text-align: justify;">
I love recommendations from fellow librarians. As people who spend our entire lives surrounded by books, it is sometimes hard to tell the good from the bad and the good from the great. Every one has a different taste in books, but for the most part, a great book is a great book to everyone.</div>
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Enter, <i>Wonder,</i> the first novel by JR Palacio.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpMuQd0ifUx2dYfXi5Yo9TvajezcymgsizKSgQgsQdgPYY9qdcc2Vqr40lazp9cK3p6fWZWCJH5agiKjj2ouuXb3koT4F-OcU5ym97Zp-hB5ZvVOLOExUMz3E_5X9uHOwRkDR5AGk1ZlG/s1600/Wonder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpMuQd0ifUx2dYfXi5Yo9TvajezcymgsizKSgQgsQdgPYY9qdcc2Vqr40lazp9cK3p6fWZWCJH5agiKjj2ouuXb3koT4F-OcU5ym97Zp-hB5ZvVOLOExUMz3E_5X9uHOwRkDR5AGk1ZlG/s1600/Wonder.jpg" /></a>Filled with references to other wonderful contemporary novels, kindness, and triumph over bullying, this novel is quite the 'great book'. Auggie (August) Pullman is the recipient of a combination of genetic mutations and disorders that leave his face 'deformed'. He has lived with it all his life and lived with the stares and shocked faces that greet him everywhere he goes. After being homeschooled most of his life, Auggie's parents decide that he should start the 5th grade in a real school. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgOfSI2BJ3IJEKZrLICJc42i8yUvYtWMa7JBowRbWMK7QVjzis0RIWDhnn-78LZYS-pa0NA0s9rlUV9iOXktE3NffPqNgXwUqIP1VA0x9sb34jRjBGfEbo2Vmdpsfzv7Ar9IZts8yRdqK/s1600/Schooled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgOfSI2BJ3IJEKZrLICJc42i8yUvYtWMa7JBowRbWMK7QVjzis0RIWDhnn-78LZYS-pa0NA0s9rlUV9iOXktE3NffPqNgXwUqIP1VA0x9sb34jRjBGfEbo2Vmdpsfzv7Ar9IZts8yRdqK/s1600/Schooled.jpg" /></a>Much like the book <i>Schooled</i> by Gordon Korman, another of my very favorite books, I found myself appalled at the treatment of Auggie when he gets to school. Perhaps I just have blocked most of my middle school experience from my memory bank, or perhaps I simply still suffer from only seeing what I want to see, but I just don't remember my experience that way.</div>
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Don't get me wrong - I totally remember high school like that. I just don't remember middle school kids being that mean (especially in fifth grade). Either way, both books help us understand that although some kids grow up differently than we do or look/act different, they are still kids, they still have feelings, and they still just want to find their place in the world.</div>
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Sometimes the narrator of an audiobook can make or break the way we feel about a novel. It was definitely the narrator of Shakespeare's Secret who facilitated my love of that book. In the exact opposite way, I actually had to turn off the audiobook of Wonder after only ten minutes; knowing that if I left it on, I would end up hating the book. I ended up reading the book and loving it. It didn't take long, as it is a fast read, and I found myself wanting to know what would happen to Auggie and his friends.<br />
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I would recommend this book to all children entering middle school as a way to teach compassion and understanding of those different than we are. In an environment where everyone is trying to find their place, it might go a long way to understand that everyone is trying to do the same thing. </div>
Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-27886351174924328632012-08-13T14:53:00.003-07:002012-08-13T14:55:01.443-07:00Hmmmm... It's a Mystery!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oooh - Everyone loves a good mystery. And this one is GREAT! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8k3i9qvbBOp7-0Y57zTYMg2uqohl7m2TFmpAfoNziTZHNDRTi0hA6hBUiug61soZjCwFS-ujt_mLtxAjWbdF5yd4w6_it03Q73s_EWCbeIESOTMg8I6x1sFnzb6oFRIht7ycFlTLBstL/s1600/redblazergirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8k3i9qvbBOp7-0Y57zTYMg2uqohl7m2TFmpAfoNziTZHNDRTi0hA6hBUiug61soZjCwFS-ujt_mLtxAjWbdF5yd4w6_it03Q73s_EWCbeIESOTMg8I6x1sFnzb6oFRIht7ycFlTLBstL/s1600/redblazergirls.jpg" /></a><br />
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As a child, I spent a lot of time reading realistic fiction (mostly <i>Sweet Valley Twins</i>, which is funny considering how much twins freak me out). It wasn't until library school when I read my first real mystery. Yeah, I'd been forced to read mysteries in middle school, I am sure... I DID read <i>The Westing Game</i>, after all... but I had never picked one up out of my own volition. I didn't even read <i>The Boxcar Children</i>, a childhood staple in most lives. Perhaps it has something to do with how big of a baby I am and how I avoid suspense like it is the plague (I can't even play hide-and-go-seek for fear I pee my pants in anxious terror), but mysteries just never had much appeal.</div>
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Enter the aforementioned <i>Shakespeare's Secret</i>. Perhaps it is that in children's mysteries, the suspense is minimal, or that it only lasts for a few pages, but I loved it. It was awhile until I picked up another mystery, but I definitely wasn't disappointed in picking up the first in The Red Blazer Girls series, <i>The Ring of Rocamadour</i>. </div>
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As the audiobook selector, I had a conversation about this particular series a few months back. We owned several of the audiobooks, but not the actual books. In our collection development policy, if we don't own the physical book, we shouldn't own the audio... so I had to convince our YA selector to purchase the copies or get rid of the audiobooks. After a 15-20 minute discussion, we decided to keep them and purchase the whole set. I am SO glad we did (and so is she).</div>
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I don't know if it is because they had to use their brains to solve the mystery or because they were the most sarcastic middle school girls I have ever read about, but I felt as if I would have been friends with them when I was younger. I found myself immediately living with them in their city dwellings, fretting over school-girl crushes, and enjoying the 'Catholic humor' and adventure that ensued. </div>
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As soon as I put the audiobook on in my car, I recognized the narrator as the same one from a different book I had listened to, which always excites me. I enjoyed the book so much, I also checked out the physical book so that I could be reading it at home, on lunch, before bed, and then listen to it in the car. I would definitely recommend it to any parent looking for a fun 'girl book' for their daughter that isn't too mature and has just the right amount of 'sass'.</div>
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As my coworker says, now we just have to get recommending it to the right kids!</div>
Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-73160347671713305912012-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:002012-08-27T15:30:01.154-07:00I'll Be Seeing You....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbU0W2fMwff4FX_nfUzG9tUkHiOEkzx7jZwGlSGxYUoXe1UmVX7ul3Iue9xPwT7T1ec0OI2X_TKTLDdUCIEDcCmzxo5V6H5cFTdlsc_KNX0h_diJJ9HszSZyY6JtRGQ0SNtwcj1onMx7c/s1600/seeyouatharrys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbU0W2fMwff4FX_nfUzG9tUkHiOEkzx7jZwGlSGxYUoXe1UmVX7ul3Iue9xPwT7T1ec0OI2X_TKTLDdUCIEDcCmzxo5V6H5cFTdlsc_KNX0h_diJJ9HszSZyY6JtRGQ0SNtwcj1onMx7c/s1600/seeyouatharrys.jpg" /></a><br />
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As I have been recently avoiding books that make me cry, I was surprised when the book, <i>See You at Harry's</i> was recommended to me and I jumped at the chance to read it. I was even warned.... this will be sad. </div>
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I felt confident. It has been a long time since I really had a breakdown. I have been dealing with my life pretty well, and I even read a book about a widowed woman and laughed through the 300-some pages of her experience. They say that humor is a more intelligent way to deal with grief. If that is true, I am the smartest person alive. As Chandler on <i>Friends</i> would say, "I'm not so good with the advice, can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"</div>
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When this particular book was recommended as a 'most wonderful story', I took it home and spent the following nights engrossed in its pages. It truly is a great story, and one that I didn't want to put down, but I spent the entire book much like I did while reading <i>The Help</i>.... with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. As I was warned that it was a sad story, I knew that something bad would happen... I just didn't know what. That might have made it worse. It sounds bad to say, but I was expecting an awful outcome... and what happened was just short of that.</div>
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At one point, I returned to the person who recommended the book in the first place to check with her as to what was about to happen. As someone who often turns to the end of novels to read the last chapter to keep anxiety at bay, I was very nervous. She wouldn't tell me what happened (very nice of her), but she did assure me that everything would turn out 'ok-ish'.</div>
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When bad things happen, it is sometimes children who get left behind and neglected. This isn't the first book I have read where something bad happens and a child is basically ignored while their parents get a grip on things. While I would like to say that these types of books aren't accurate and don't portray what actually happens when tragedy strikes, I unfortunately know that they are.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GmOHcHEnIS4tRX-C253Q3bME63zroT1hAhAYKgBsVDKiuyfoz8rG27c-lvofV0v0b-idiiTrQu42ADHswC8KU-xFLd6LGgxAVzL1LMoAKOGXE9APMGqkJV6o3yp-BArp4l9F83TlRxEe/s1600/captainnobody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GmOHcHEnIS4tRX-C253Q3bME63zroT1hAhAYKgBsVDKiuyfoz8rG27c-lvofV0v0b-idiiTrQu42ADHswC8KU-xFLd6LGgxAVzL1LMoAKOGXE9APMGqkJV6o3yp-BArp4l9F83TlRxEe/s1600/captainnobody.jpg" /></a>As with <i>Captain Nobody</i> by Dean Pitchford, another of this type of realistic fiction books that deal with family tragedy and children's coping skills, <i>See You at Harry's</i> gives an accurate portrayal of a family in grief. When tragedy struck my own family, I watched as my aunt and uncle went through the heartbreak of losing their child and were so caught up in their own grief they left my cousins to fend for themselves. I guess the other children are a casualty of the tragedy as well. </div>
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Hopefully, this type of books provide comfort to grieving families and to the children left in them. Perhaps if they read these novels, they feel as if what their family is going through is normal, which is half the battle in grief.... knowing that they aren't alone. How unfortunate.</div>
Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-16486159730855481782012-07-15T09:04:00.000-07:002012-08-09T22:00:19.921-07:00Feeling Less Than Stellar<div>
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For the most part, the past few months have been filled with some light and fluffy books. But, when life hands you lemons, it might be best to make a Lemonade War. The book, by Jacqueline Davies just happens to be one of my favorites of the summer. We even used it as a Summer Reading Club prize this year to go along with our 'Food' theme. </div>
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In the novel, two siblings (a boy and a girl) who spend a lot of time together making lemonade stands start to feel the pressure of competition when it is recommended that the younger of the two should skip a grade and they should start the fall in the same class. As someone who felt the need to 'compete' with her siblings always, I felt a sort of kinship with the brother in this story. The frustration of feeling like no matter what you do, it might not ever be good enough is so real that it brought back a flood of memories from my own childhood.</div>
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As the middle child, I feel as if I am predisposed to feeling like I am not as good as my siblings and that my parents never really noticed me as a result. I am quite sure that my parents paid just as much attention to me as my siblings, but the actuality of the situation means nothing to a child. It is all perception and feeling. I spent my formative years being told that I was incredibly pretty - only to grow up thinking I wasn't smart. My brother and sister were always told they were smart.... and because no one ever told me that I was smart too, I thought that I was pretty and dumb. </div>
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No matter what actually happens, the competition that siblings feel for each other trumps reality. I was talking with a friend a few weeks back and he remarked how his sister is so smart that she has always made him feel dumb. This particular person is so incredibly gifted in art and music, I thought to myself - I would imagine that growing up in his enormous shadow, she felt she HAD to be smart in order to compete with his greatness, and that she feels inadequate when compared to him as well. </div>
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As children, what makes us focus on our weaknesses to the point of ignoring our greatness? It is something I have spent quite a few years of my adult life thinking about. It took until I was 25 for my sister to tell me that she was always jealous of me. That she and my brother never had to work for a grade, it just came naturally... but that I worked so hard to get what I wanted, it made her jealous. I just couldn't believe it. My brother said the same thing. He had to take a semester off from college because he didn't know how to study, but I already knew when I got to college because I had been doing it for so long. I can't help but think how weird it is to be jealous of the study habits of someone else.</div>
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That is what makes this book so wonderful. It discusses these sibling relationships and the secrets we keep about them without being preachy. It allows a child to understand that just as much as they envy their sibling, they are being envied as well. Perhaps if I had read this book as a child, I would have spent less time feeling little and ignored and more time trying to figure out what my awesome qualities were. I might have found them sooner.</div>
</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-51166410840330036932012-05-11T11:49:00.000-07:002012-08-01T09:25:48.255-07:00'Anne with an E'<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuRzfOc_gKvvXQ9NwI9K_rkAU_NBtzr0tZGY-UMi8-UY2uEh_1OmF27Pe_MfhUsQX7mv0O2sj97PYpwjMINfxbaxIZVHTy87mWWo0bYfbydbB7Zh58dD3-PpRw5KRQwi3jRjbFOd2l4gh/s1600/Anne+of+Green+Gables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuRzfOc_gKvvXQ9NwI9K_rkAU_NBtzr0tZGY-UMi8-UY2uEh_1OmF27Pe_MfhUsQX7mv0O2sj97PYpwjMINfxbaxIZVHTy87mWWo0bYfbydbB7Zh58dD3-PpRw5KRQwi3jRjbFOd2l4gh/s1600/Anne+of+Green+Gables.jpg" /></a>As a child, the only gift (besides a check) that I can remember getting from my 'Grandpa O'Keefe' is the 2-VHS tape set of <i>Anne of Green Gables</i>. I don't know if he bought the same movie for all of his granddaughters, but I like to think he bought it especially for me, being that I am named after his daughter, my godmother, Anne (with an E).</div>
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I didn't know growing up, but I guess that proper 'etiquette' for names in the 50s and 60s stated that Anne as a first name should have the 'e' and Ann as a middle name should not (just like Jeanne vs. Jean for first or middle names). Being that my 'Anne' is a middle name, I think that makes me special (and Anne with an E is so much more distinguished!).</div>
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Nowadays, people name their kids all kinds of crazy things and spell them any way they want. I guess there was a time when that wasn't the case.... something that as I just read <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> was mentioned when Marilla remarks about the Barry girl named 'Diana' instead of Jane or Mary or something more common. In the story, Anne has no problem with wonderfully crazy names and asks to be called Cordelia. </div>
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I have watched those tapes (and now DVDs) probably 20 times since I received them, each time thinking about my grandfather and how much he must have wanted me to have them... seeing as he never again sent an actual gift. The movies hold a special place in my heart and I still remember what I was wearing and where I was the first time I watched them.</div>
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It wasn't until it was a suggested book for a book club that I am in that I happened to read the first in the Anne series, <i>Anne of Green Gables</i>. This is a book that most people read sometime in their childhood, but for some reason almost half of the book club had not. I wasn't expecting much, as having been on several book award committees I have found that reading beloved childhood books as an adult doesn't always result in adoration, but I was smitten almost from the first page.</div>
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Anne is a lovable, laughable, and kindred character, and through her trials and her excitement I found myself remembering my own childhood and comparing notes. Did I fall off a ridgepole after being dared to walk it? No..... But I did get challenged to a race through the 'World's Largest Human Maze' in Breckenridge, CO only to finish 40 dizzying minutes later than the other kids and throw up all over upon my exit. Was it embarrassing? Yes. Was I being competitive? Oh heck yes.</div>
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I actually own all of the Anne books, and never had picked one up to read it - I find it hard to read a book after having seen the movie. I spent my childhood watching the movie instead of reading the book, but I found myself believing I was one of Anne's 'kindred spirits' just the same. I am so glad to have been 'forced' to read the book for book club, even if it was some 20 years late.</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-27681959726541595692012-05-02T12:13:00.000-07:002012-05-02T12:14:02.641-07:00These Are a Few of My Favorite Things<div style="text-align: justify;">
It has been awhile since I posted anything - a direct result of the turmoil of my personal life and the loss of my husband. Through his stay in various hospitals and nursing homes, the 'favorite things' song kept playing through my head like a mantra for when I was feeling sad, mad, bad or any other emotion that ends in 'ad'.</div>
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One of my favorite books (which I love to recommend to EVERY child that comes into the library... and adults too) is <i>Shakespeare's Secret</i>. I know.... those of you who know me well have probably been waiting to see when this book might make its appearance on here. Although it isn't a book that makes me cry, I do get quite emotional while talking about how much this book inspired me to read all things 'Anne Boleyn'. </div>
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In library school, I had to pick one of the books I read for my Children's Literature class and write a review of it. This is that review:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdSFgvmYmtjPAp_BJXGLyDUn3c6ZtAEuw71Gze6mc0ZemguzUcqCgxVNMSmQof43-gsbtr-Q8aFm7vnyO-HJxyImxHvi98PWqpctLqSTs8VcvD7W4oOgHKzeX1ZQ82t12yPl1z_xlSMa0/s1600/Shakespeares+Secret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdSFgvmYmtjPAp_BJXGLyDUn3c6ZtAEuw71Gze6mc0ZemguzUcqCgxVNMSmQof43-gsbtr-Q8aFm7vnyO-HJxyImxHvi98PWqpctLqSTs8VcvD7W4oOgHKzeX1ZQ82t12yPl1z_xlSMa0/s1600/Shakespeares+Secret.jpg" /></a>Elise
Broach’s debut novel about a lonely middle-school girl named Hero is one not to
be missed. Hero and her older sister
Beatrice have just moved into a small town outside of Washington, D.C. The girls may share the source of their
names, Shakespeare’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Much Ado about
Nothing</i>, but they could not be more different. The story follows Hero as she learns about
her new town, the secret of the house into which she has moved, and how to
accept herself and grow through her experiences. The novel allows the reader to enter the
overbearing world of English royalty and observe some of the social injustice
that occurred at the time of Queen Elizabeth’s rein. Shakespeare’s Secret is an accurate portrayal
of a new student dealing with typical middle-school problems and any reader can
relate to Hero’s dilemmas and predicaments.
The narrator of the audio book only adds to the brilliance of this
novel, as she provides excellent character separation. The mood and setting created by her voice are
easy to get enveloped in. This novel,
both in print and in audio book formats, is an excellent title to be added to
any school or public library and can easily be worked into a school
curriculum. </div>
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My love for the book goes far beyond 'the best book I read in library school'. I was just getting into the world of children's literature in my second semester. For someone who was stuck reading Sweet Valley Kids and Baby Sitter's Little Sister books well into High School, I missed out on a lot of great books for kids. It is only lucky for me that I have to read books I should have read as a child for my job.</div>
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After reading Shakespeare's Secret, I was so excited to learn about Anne and Shakespeare as well as try to figure out if Hero's discovery of their connection might actually be true. I devoured books on Elizabethan England and Shakespeare like I was a two year old eating an Oreo. It was definitely just as messy. I tell this story to parents as often as I tell it to children - mostly as encouragement to find 'that book' for their child... one that will inspire them to absorb as much information as they possibly can on a subject before finding the next book that inspires them. It is incredible to watch and even more awesome to experience. </div>
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I encourage everyone to check out <i>Shakespeare's Secret</i>, but on that same note, I encourage them to find their own 'Favorite Thing' and have fun with it!</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-49400205516675877342012-01-25T14:05:00.000-08:002012-01-25T15:18:49.884-08:00A Welcome Distraction<div style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes, instead of books causing me to cry, my real life becomes so overwhelmingly sad that I turn to them for comfort and an escape. Over the past few weeks as my 'real life' became slightly overwhelming, my 'book life' became light and fluffy. Instead of gravitating toward the sad stories that make my heart break, I opted to read <span style="font-style: italic;">The Sixty-Eight Rooms</span> by Marianne Malone (in between adult chick-lit titles).<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I have an affinity for books that take place in and around Chicago landmarks (such as <span style="font-style: italic;">The Time Travelers Wife</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Chasing Vermeer</span>), especially ones written by Illinois authors. This is even more true when it comes to places I have actually been such as the Thorne Miniature Rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago, which is where this book takes place. Like most other books that 'play on history' such as my most favorite of favorite books, <span style="font-style: italic;">Shakespeare's Secret</span>, I delve into the story and can't be distracted.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaj9GQptgMw8tRSsKDM9K6z4-FqtvB0sP7Xf4yzlcbH8EhO96IuMo-FmzpW4wPFWAExdATGuaeBeG9CDeDZIJ8O12hv7sL4u3EEeWTBKGlQkaTk2TdnFa1DKUEgvoN7xa2u45L1leyiBRm/s1600/68+rooms.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaj9GQptgMw8tRSsKDM9K6z4-FqtvB0sP7Xf4yzlcbH8EhO96IuMo-FmzpW4wPFWAExdATGuaeBeG9CDeDZIJ8O12hv7sL4u3EEeWTBKGlQkaTk2TdnFa1DKUEgvoN7xa2u45L1leyiBRm/s320/68+rooms.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701703635720520130" border="0" /></a><br />This sort of devotion to a story can cause the people around you to be annoyed, but it can also help you through a rough time, creating an alternate reality in which you can live for a few moments at a time. This fascinating story of two friends, Ruthie and Jack, who find a magic key that shrinks them and allows them to live in the 68 Thorne rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, is one that can do just that.<br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed living within the rooms that I have seen so many times, and not only remembering what they look like, but learning about the life outside of the rooms; what it was like in 18th Century France, or in America before I was born. Now, I love a good HGTV interior design show, and this book is basically a child's version of a cross between Antiques Roadshow and House Hunters International with a bit of family mystery, art history, and friendly fun. What is not to like?<br /><br />While I wouldn't recommend this book to someone looking for a good cry, I did tear up at the end when things come together and Ruthie and Jack help an old artist find his passion for life again. It is a wonderful story to be read aloud or read alone - either way, you can easily find yourself lost in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Sixty Eight Rooms</span>.<br /><br /><br /></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-80101960723759893252011-12-16T10:19:00.000-08:002011-12-16T11:10:30.482-08:00On Being Special<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1egRhA9GrOjWfhuiMVXYUEluZKoyGHdTgL0cWqIJ07RZCvVRsPZZ3RKtJqLGcohnRj00UV-CTsIgcw54P-1DX-uWWgQVEVvK1oi1WPw8CND6zjmnI478z_6JUK_XKri75eLvrY0h5sK7S/s1600/Out+of+My+Mind.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1egRhA9GrOjWfhuiMVXYUEluZKoyGHdTgL0cWqIJ07RZCvVRsPZZ3RKtJqLGcohnRj00UV-CTsIgcw54P-1DX-uWWgQVEVvK1oi1WPw8CND6zjmnI478z_6JUK_XKri75eLvrY0h5sK7S/s320/Out+of+My+Mind.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686793373786405906" border="0" /></a>As I have mentioned before, I come from a family that includes children with special needs. I have a severely autistic cousin who, although he can communicate through the very few words he uses, barely speaks at all. At family parties, I sometimes look over at him and wonder what he is thinking. I realize that this particular communication issue is probably more emotional for me because of my familiar connection, but I think anyone who has ever interacted with a special needs child would find the book <span style="font-style: italic;">Out of My Mind</span> interesting.<br /><br />Melody, a wheel-chair bound child diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, can't speak. It isn't that she doesn't have the brain function to speak, it is that her muscles can't move her lips, mouth, and jaw enough to form sounds and words. That doesn't stop her synesthetic and photographic brain from absorbing everything she encounters.<br /><br />With the help of a computer that she can type into she finally can speak for herself and people begin to realize just how smart she is. The trouble is convincing people to take her seriously and include her, especially for the things that make her 'special'.<br /><br />I am not sure if it is the fact that I wonder what my cousin would say if he could or the fact that the book is written from Melody's point of view, giving us the insight to understand her frustration, but the book is so well written that I couldn't put it down. Even now, months after I read the book, I sit and wonder how much of what Melody was thinking is what my cousin thinks. Each time I consider this, I tear up.<br /><br />This is a wonderful book, one which I encourage all people to read. Much like how The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime allowed people to understand the world through the mind of someone who has Autism, this book allows people to experience the life of someone trapped by the limitations of their body. I think it could go a long way to bringing understanding to those who encounter people of all ages with special needs in their daily lives.<br /></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-28814260153064278612011-11-28T15:21:00.002-08:002012-08-25T20:07:23.233-07:00Depression... the New Readers' Advisory<div><div style="text-align: justify;">It has been a long time since I read a book that created its own depression in me, but it has happened. Sad as it is, while reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Time Travelers Wife</span>, I came so close to the end of the book at 1am, that I stayed up reading it until 3:30am so that I didn't have to wake up the next morning and be sad again. I cried so hard I woke up my roommate. For days I walked around in a sort of haze... it's a good thing I finished it on a Friday night on a weekend I wasn't working. The lasting effects of the 'book depression' didn't go unnoticed by friends and family (by the way... explaining your depression with a book title does not always make people want to read it).<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Anyway, it h<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZtXGJ6Di0qLtcmi7o1z28XWKP_Wz9uQsoj_wxf-fD9XXYvx3YeN2Ksqf2K3oGj9R8zAydLh0pzkirh6YyyqHaomNTq92peje3lZDESRiih6YIcZfiJTahEu0NpyA24fdH3rjovJDqdOO/s1600/Road+to+Paris.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZtXGJ6Di0qLtcmi7o1z28XWKP_Wz9uQsoj_wxf-fD9XXYvx3YeN2Ksqf2K3oGj9R8zAydLh0pzkirh6YyyqHaomNTq92peje3lZDESRiih6YIcZfiJTahEu0NpyA24fdH3rjovJDqdOO/s320/Road+to+Paris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686792027888068946" border="0" /></a>appened again a few weeks ago while reading a series of books that left me in a 'book depression' for weeks. It all began with the book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Road to Paris</span>. When I first picked it up, I didn't know I would like it. The young black girl with braids carrying flowers on the cover made me think this might be a black <span style="font-style: italic;">Little House on the Prairie</span>. It wasn't, and boy am I glad.<br /><br />The story starts out at the end of the book, with Paris sitting at the dinner table, getting up to answer the phone and finding her mother on the other end telling her she wants her to come home. Through the rest of the novel, we follow Paris through multiple houses as she makes her way through the foster system with her brother.<br /><br />I have to admit, I was crying almost from the very beginning. In a scene I can only describe as emotionally traumatic, it is described that Paris and her brother are locked in a closet, and when Paris has to go to the bathroom so badly she can't hold it anymore there is still no compassion... and she has to pee standing there in the closet. The shame that follows her through the homes that follow is excruciating, but as with most children's books... they don't leave you feeling like you have a hole in your gut. It ends as most books meant for kids do, with a semi-happy ending. Then you can cry out of happiness for the character instead of sadness for her situation.<br /></div></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-30525280291179182262011-11-20T15:09:00.000-08:002011-11-20T13:41:18.220-08:00That Thing About Georgie<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dfAsOa4KOnDVjicbTiNt-rqECRZumlLglSbXlOXshpPTeOVvPcHxMnPVCg2mq-Chz9lg5j1f4uRGG69CGkvnBTFqWkqy33Ygwr8XPyjXTo7zWQ0dQIgwRLsGJG4T6rDlpQrOUtGdkLnL/s1600/Thing+About+Georgie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dfAsOa4KOnDVjicbTiNt-rqECRZumlLglSbXlOXshpPTeOVvPcHxMnPVCg2mq-Chz9lg5j1f4uRGG69CGkvnBTFqWkqy33Ygwr8XPyjXTo7zWQ0dQIgwRLsGJG4T6rDlpQrOUtGdkLnL/s320/Thing+About+Georgie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677194039980238018" border="0" /></a>While I do read quite a bit, both for pleasure and work, I rarely come across a book that moves me quite like <span style="font-style: italic;">The Thing About Georgie</span>. Today, while recommending another great Lisa Graff novel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Umbrella Summer</span>, and walking the child to the shelf, I noticed <span style="font-style: italic;">The Thing About Georgie</span> sitting next to it. I quickly added the book to the girl's growing pile of reading material, explained how the book was about a dwarf boy and how he learns to fit in with his class, and then grabbed her shoulders and said - don't skip to the end! With tears in my eyes, I walked back to the reference desk. In the instant it took me to sit down, I was taken back a few weeks to when I finished the book.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />It isn't every day that I allow myself to finish a book in bed, but it happens. As someone who suffers greatly from 'stuffy noses' at night, I try not to cry too much before bed... but I guess I just didn't see this one coming.<br /><br />The book was interesting from the beginning, each chapter starting off with a fact about what Georgie can or can't do just like a 'normal' child... such as:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Put your hands in fists... now try to tie your shoes. You can't? Well Georgie can't either.<br />- or -<br />Take a tape measure and mark a wall at 42" tall. Look at the items around your room that are taller than 42". Those are the things that Georgie wouldn't be able to reach.<br /></div><br />In a polite way, the author of these tidbits of information makes understanding the plight of the dwarf a little more realistic. The rest of the story chronicles the every day events in Georgie's life through the school year, including a falling out with his best friend, the pregnancy of his mother, the impending arrival of his new baby brother or sister, and the torment of having to deal with the meanest girl in the 4th grade.<br /><br />It isn't until the end that you figure out the author of the aforementioned handwritten information. As it turns out, one of Georgie's classmates has checked out the only book in the school library on what it is like to live as a dwarf, and is writing these bits of information as he or she learns them. As someone who comes from a family that includes children with special needs, it was 1) absolutely heartbreaking to read the story from Georgie's point of view... knowing that the way he feels about being different may be the way my family members feel, and 2) absolutely heartwarming to observe the humanity in those interacting with Georgie. Have you ever had your heart broken and warmed at the same time? It actually physically hurts.<br /><br />I have to say, sometimes I cry through an entire book, but most times I just tear up a little at the end.... I sobbed through the end of this book, and then woke my husband up so that I could tell him about it. Most times, when telling a real-life story to a friend, I will say 'and then my husband asked me what was wrong', but in the middle of the night, I am not even sure I wait for him to ask - I just simply start to tell him.<br /><br />A lot of what I read would be considered books for children, but though they are meant for children, I find them more satisfying than any adult title I have picked up (with the exception of <span style="font-style: italic;">Pride and Prejudice</span>). There is something so innocent and gentle about the way they approach every day issues, and for the most part they tend to teach the reader how to deal with a problem in a way that is less than preachy. The thing about Georgie is.... he teaches children to accept life's problems, and that even if you have dug yourself into a hole, a friend's hand is all it takes to help you find the way back out.<br /></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943944801549412546.post-37068930672225760122011-11-19T14:33:00.000-08:002012-08-09T21:56:57.968-07:00Falling For Joey<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxQu8oYWiBC9X3VuQcKeKA2ONtSoPGeUaCTe3ZAlE74dzPNaAgDyWKBza1MEJh1lFpj-3GOzLCzzoJYSpOzUrTY48alrSQslFl3_tjakTZ3SrSQ3XGOP0UArAwBp5ypEUji4U5ugmtfg9/s1600/WAr+Horse.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676839025479296594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxQu8oYWiBC9X3VuQcKeKA2ONtSoPGeUaCTe3ZAlE74dzPNaAgDyWKBza1MEJh1lFpj-3GOzLCzzoJYSpOzUrTY48alrSQslFl3_tjakTZ3SrSQ3XGOP0UArAwBp5ypEUji4U5ugmtfg9/s320/WAr+Horse.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 140px;" /></a>How many times in your life have you sat down with a book (sometimes thinking you might not like it), and fell in love with its characters? Did it happen with Charlotte in Charlotte's Web or Laura in Little House in the Big Woods or even Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? It happens to me quite a bit - but then again, I have made a life out of reading.... and I get the chance to read tons of really great books. </div>
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This most recently occurred for me while reading the 1984 novel from Michael Morpurgo, War Horse. I was forced to read the book because it was nominated for an Illinois state book award and was not looking forward to it, but almost immediately fell in love with the story's main character, a horse named Joey.</div>
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Last week, while describing the plot to a coworker in the lunch room, I broke down crying at the absolute beauty of the story. I tell everyone I meet about how wonderful this book is. It was while describing this novel to a patron that I was informed that a similar story was coming out as a movie in December. I immediately ran to my computer to look it up and sure enough - War Horse is being made into a movie, coming to theaters on December 28th. Not only do the pictures from the promotional materials look absolutely stunning (way more interesting than the cover of the book), but I was pleased to see that Steven Spielberg himself is directing the film.</div>
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With the amount of movies being made each year, it is sometimes hard to know when something good is coming out - something with a great moral and a good heart. This one is not to be missed, but you still have plenty of time before the movie comes out to read the book.... it is an incredible story of courage, love, and understanding in a time of war. I highly encourage you to check it out and read it by yourself or together with your family and just like me, fall for Joey.</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08574814676223920454noreply@blogger.com0