Cockadoodle-doooooo

Last Friday we had a special guest, Aurora Porter from Vital Farms, speak in the library.  Her presentation was a hit!  We learned so much.  A few things we learned:

1. pasture-raised eggs are healthier than factory farm - higher in Omega-3's, for example
2. expiration dates on eggs really don't mean that much -  as long as an egg doesn't smell rotten, it's OK to eat
3. chickens are much like our domesticated pets in that they play with toys and like people
4. the chickens on the Vital Farms farms (Vital Farms is actually a consortium of farms that practice ethical and environmentally sound farming) live good lives, are not debeaked and lay the best eggs around!

I just checked their website for info on the upcoming farm tour and noticed that MN rated it's own blog post!

As for the farm tour, it looks like that information isn't posted to their website yet.  Check back later in the week for more info.  I'll email Aurora and ask her about it.

She also told us how she got into the farming biz.  Turns out, she was turned onto organic farming through an organization called WWOOF.  This organization places workers on organic farms all over the world.  Aurora worked in Japan, Scotland, and other exotic countries that I can't recall.  Turns out that Mr. Studer's brother was also in WWOOF and now has his own farm in Hawaii.

To top off our day, our very own Joseph Plappert gave Aurora, Mrs. Bligh and I a tour of MN's farm - goats included.  I can't wait until next year when the farm is in full use so I can see all our animals.  MN has chickens, steer, swine & goats!  (I have a not-so-secret desire to raise goats for my own goat milk and cheese.)

But wait, there's more!  This week Vital Farms is having an open farm tour

It's book trailer time

For the past (three?) years now Mrs. Balfour's classes have created book trailers (that are SO fun to watch) (I hope there's another awards show this year!).  At any rate, I visited with her classes and shared some great books with them.  If you want to know what those were, or need a reminder, here's a run down.

Oh that Libba Bray.
Going Bovine



One of Chris Crutcher's newer books, Deadline






An oldie but goodie! If you haven't read Speak, may I humbly suggest you must.



I love little Tyrell (well, to me he's little...)



A great use of music in this one. How can you resist reading it?

-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">After talking to the classes, it seems as if people have heard Stockholm Syndrome, but don't actually know what it is.  Patty Hearst, anyone?  It is pretty incomprehensible.  Held, by Ravel explores the subject as seventeen-year-old Chloe is kidnapped while visiting Greece and slowly falls in love (ahem) with her captor.


Alex falls hard for Cole, only to realize that she should have heeded her instincts. She finds his jealousy flattering, up to a point. Love is a two-way street, right? She compromises, too much. Cole asks Alex to give up a lot for him, but she refuses to give up her dignity.

More first love, unrequited love (or is it?). Margo Roth Spiegleman taps on Quentin's window late one night for a madcap adventure. He anxiously goes to school the next day to see his love - but she's gone. Never to be seen again. Where did she go? Can he find her?



We have all these books and more! Visit the library and we'll find a great book for you. Promise.

Walter Dean Myers has made the big time...and happy new year

Walter Dean Myers was recently named the national ambassador for young people's literature.  This means he will tour the country for two years visiting schools and library talking about the importance of reading!  I wonder if there's a way we can get him at MN.

Can you imagine?

If you don't know who Mr. Myers is, stop reading this blog (!) and pick up Monster, the story of a young boy justly? unjustly? accused of acting as a murder accomplice during a robbery.  Steve documents his  time awaiting trial through a journal written in movie script style. It's such a sad, genuine, hard story.  And it leaves you wondering...there is no nice & tidy ending.  Just like in real life.  Love it.


Of significance is WDM's message to people with a similar background.  He dropped out of high school and yet has managed to lead a successful life as an author.  He will tell you, reading saved his life. The following is taken from a New York Times article:

“I think that what we need to do is say reading is going to really affect your life,” he said in an interview at his book-cluttered house here in Jersey City, adding that he hoped to speak directly to low-income minority parents. “You take a black man who doesn’t have a job, but you say to him, ‘Look, you can make a difference in your child’s life, just by reading to him for 30 minutes a day.’ That’s what I would like to do.”


OK Mavs, go read a WDM book and let's brainstorm on how we can wrangle a visit from the country's newest young adult literature laureate!

And a big Happy New Year, btw.  The next entry will be all about how to make 2012 your year!