Rock the Casbah and boy, do I feel smart

Ms. Phillips & Mrs. DK came to Mrs. Bligh and I and said, "Hey, could you put together a unit on the US' foreign policy towards the Middle East, Truman through Obama?  We only have one class period."

"Sure thing!" I was so naively enthusiastic.

After a couple of weeks of going back and forth and trying to come up with some really awesome project that would relay all the complexities of the many different situations in the Middle East, we came up with Plan B.  Make a timeline.  Turns out - it was really good!

All classes worked their rear ends off, researching their president and then summarizing main points within each presidency, and in turn presenting to the class.

Too bad I can't make this sound as exciting as it was.  And it was exciting.  Trust me.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm a librarian and lead a boring life.

Mrs. Bligh brought in the Arabic remake of the Clash's Rock the Casbah, Rock el Casbah. For the story behind this song, read this article on Wikipedia.  Yes, Wikipedia.  The song tells of a Sharif outlawing rock music, only to have the people defy him and rock the casbah.



Here's the original,  filmed in Austin...

Ever had to drink horse urine?

And we think we have it rough.  There were members of China's Liberation Army forced to drink horse urine on the Long March because they *literally* (Parks and Rec, anyone?) had nothing else.

Mrs. Bligh and I took that little nugget (which stuck with me for the gross factor, obviously) and many more we learned from reading Jean Fritz's China's Long March along with :

Jung Chang's Mao: The Unknown Story (both GREAT books, though you have to be in it for the long haul to finish Chang's biography - but look through the pictures to learn that Mao never bathed <had his people rub him down with hot towels> nor brushed his teeth.  She uses a picture of Mao laughing heartedly...with his black teeth showing in all their glory.) 

At any rate, the purpose for this post is to tell the story of how, once upon a time, in a land with library assistants to cover the fort while the librarians go to classes (a time never to return?), two librarians dressed as Chairman Mao and Otto Brawn (original, German leader of the Long March for those of you not in the know) - banged on Mrs. Giblin's door and commandeered her class and marched throughout our school simulating the Long March, as best we could.

Once in the library, after drinking "horse urine" (apple juice, really), men falling off cliffs, leaving babies behind with peasants, and the big break between Mao and Brawn, students arrived in the library to complete an info hunt.  From here, Mao lectured from his bed, as he was known to do at the end of his life.

"A revolution is not a dinner party."
Mao Zedong

(but is it a slumber party?)

We so enjoyed working with Mrs. Giblin and Mr. Chenowith on this project - looking forward to next year!  "Down with the Nationalists, Communists unite!"

Interested in learning more about this fascinating country?  I'd like to recommend:

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin
On Gold Mountain by Lisa See
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan also by Lisa See
Chinese Lessons by John Pomfret
and of course anything by Amy Tan

DISCLAIMER: above links are to Amazon but I'm not suggesting you buy them - CHECK THEM OUT FROM YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY (big smile).

You'll never see a cat in war

This picture makes me practically weep.  When I think of how doggedly loyal (hence the saying), intelligent and fierce dogs are, I can hardly stand it.  I know that my little CharChar would would follow me to the ends of the earth.  What would I do without her???

In honor of our four-legged companions who serve our country, I'm going to suggest a couple of books.  If you like dogs -these are must reads!

Letters from Wolfie by Sherlock- an oldie but goodie.  I'm a sucker for a good dog book, but I still say you can't help but like this one.  Wolfie's pre-teen master can't serve in Vietnam, but his dog can!  Once Wolfie is away at war, his soldier companion writes letters that Wolfie "dictates" and sends them back home.  Learning of the treatment of these brave dogs during the Vietnam conflict was heart-breaking (have your Kleenex at hand).  However, I was pleased to hear that conditions finally improved under Clinton.

From Baghdad, with love: A marine, the war and a dog named Lava by Kopelman.  This non-fiction book tells the story of Kopelman and his fellow soldiers breaking the no-pets-allowed rule and adopting a sweet angel named Lava.  True dog-man love in the ruins of war.  Beautiful.

Finally, check out this article in the Huffington Post that tells of the heroic canine strapped to a solder's chest as he lowered himself down from a helicopter during the Osama Bin Laden raid.  Big sigh. 

I'm going to give Char extra love tonight when I go home. (She shares her mother's taste in bedtime reading.)

It's been crazy in Library Land!

Here are a couple of overdue (ha) pics taken during Carrie Ryan's visit.  She was fabulous!  A smash!  Carrie is a great public speaker (could it be that she's a former lawyer?) (although from what I hear, they're not always that articulate, so mayhaps not). 

Just look at that smile!

Carrie answered questions from our students and teachers.  Apparently, MN students ask more zombie-apocalypse questions than at other schools.  Go figure.

Congratulations to the winners of our:

Short story contest: Jasmine Pham
Poetry: Brittney Forster

They each won an autographed copy of the third book in Ryan's trilogy, The Dark and Hollow Places  as well as two free movie tickets.
Immediately after Carrie Ryan's visit, Mrs. Bligh and I headed out to TLA, the Texas Library Assc's annual conference. 

Yes, that's right.  Every year the librarians across TX get together to geek out over the newest in technology and books and to dream about a future in which there is complete intellectual freedom.  But more on that later.

Mao's Long March

My new fascination is Chairman Mao.  I'm so glad Mr. Chenowith and Mrs. Giblin asked Mrs. Bligh and I to work with them on a Long March project. 

I can't tell you what we have cooked up - but it's going to be great!

To prepare for this unit, I read Jean Fritz's China's Long March.  It sums up the Long March in an easy-to-understand format.  Why were they "marching"?  Why were the Communist forced out of their land?  Who led the way?  What did they eat?  (boiled grass)  Drink? (when no water, were reduced to drinking horse urine - it is sanitary, after all).

Fascinating, fascinating stuff.

Read it Forward is coming your way

Carrie Ryan, the author of The forest of hands and teeth will be at McNeil in April.  We're so excited to have her visit that we've purchased 150, yep, that's right, one-hundred-and-fifty- copies of the book and will randomly distribute them throughout the school for everyone to read.

Read it.
Pass it on.
Let your friends read it.
They pass it on...

We don't want to see those books again - we want everyone to read it and then meet the esteemed author.




Taken from Carrie Ryan's website:

"In Mary's world, there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Guardians will protect and serve.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death? "


More details later, Mrs. Bligh and I are cooking up ideas and fun activities to go along with the book - this is going to be fun!

Milline-hummm trilogy

Am I the only person in America not to be completely in love with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?  I am officially past page 100 and am still wondering what all the hullabaloo is about.  I'll most likely finish, it's not a poorly written book, I just don't think it's my cup o' tea.