Wonder has rolled out

 Be still my  heart.  We have FINALLY received our 200 copies of Wonder by RJ Palacio.  I don't want to overstate the case, but this book has the potential to change lives.  I fell in love with Auggie from the get-go. A ten-year-old about to enter public school for the first time after years of homeschooling due to his cranio-facial difference (and ensuing operations).  He's nervous, as we all would be.  Some kids are kind, some are not.  There are some real heartbreaking scenes in this book, I won't lie (not to mention the dog, my God the dog), but it is a story with appeal for all ages.


Personally, I identified with Via. I, too, am the older sister of a brother who has a physical difference that causes insensitive people to gawk.  He is smaller than average.  I had my share of verbal fights with idiots (Actually, I had one a few weeks ago, too.  You're never too old to protect your "little" <he's 42> bro.).  So yes, Via spoke to me.

There's a bully, Julian.   As a reader, we have the opportunity to hear Julian's point-of-view.  I can't say I find him particularly sympathetic, but I do find him human.  As we all are, of course.

We meet Auggie's friends, some so-called friends, parents, teachers...basically, everyone who enters his life.  We meet them through a variety of narrative tools, but the end is the same, glimpses into the lives of others and how one life can affect us all.

The book's theme is taken from Dr. Wayne Dyer, "When given a choice between being right and kind, choose kind."

Thus, RRISD has used our HEB grant money to purchase thousands of copies of Wonder in an effort to get our entire district to read it.  And - exciting - we are hosting the author on Mon., Feb 10th at the Round Rock Sports Complex (it's still being built, we'll be among the first to see it!)

MN has lots of activities planned around this novel.  The first being Auggie's birthday party this upcoming Th., Oct. 11th.  Our students need to check their school gmail accounts for details on how to score an invite.

More to come, so stay tuned!

Yes, libraries sometimes "throw away" books - it's called *discarding*

Now that I think about it, I've posted on this topic before.  Most people are outraged when they learn that libraries cull their collections, weed out unnecessary, unused and inaccurate titles to make way for the new, relevant and accurate books.

Sacrilege.

Sometimes this can be taken perhaps a bit too far, as evidenced in the Fairfax County library system that "destroyed" 250,00 books.  



Or was it?

I recommend that the library system hire a PR coach, or perhaps the article did not include the director's entire response.  Sam Clay (director) said something like this:

"... it was a necessary part of bringing the libraries from 'a print environment to a digital environment' and an unfortunate consequence of budget cuts. 'We’ve got decrease after decrease.'” 

To fully represent both sides, the article should mention why fewer books save money.  If the library is moving digital, they may not have people to work behind the circulation desk to actually check out books.  The article also states that several "highly relevant" titles were found in the dumpster, such as Harry Potter and a Charlie Brown book (thanks to a suspicious dumpster diver, the books were found).  My question is, how many of these titles remain on the shelf?  They may have 55 copies of Harry Potter and discarded 5, hardly a crime.

Finally, for an answer as to why these books weren't given to the Friends of the Library for fundraising purposes, one need look no further that this article.  An  uniformed, or misinformed, public and lousy journalism that only paints one side can get people all into a tizzy.  Don't we clean out our closets and give to Good Will?  Throw a garage sale?  Our libraries are not second hand stores.  Our patrons deserve sought after books and current, accurate information or else we aren't doing our job.  Libraries are dynamic, constantly changing centers of information and discarding reflects that. Period.

Update for HYH day...

Jazzy J's visit in the library for Hug your Hound Day was pawsitively delightful.  She reads!

It's hug-your-hound day

Friday, Sept. 6th is Hug Your Hound day.  Give your hound a hug!  We're considering all dogs "hounds" in this scenario.   In honor of HYH day, we're giving away Scooby Snacks to all students who check out books on this day.

Look at that BMC (Black Mouth Cur, if you're not in the know) to the right there.  My husband and I rescued him from Austin Pets Alive! this summer.  He's a handful.  Of joy, that is.

Yeowzah.  I better include Charlotte in this or her feelings will be hurt.  I suspect she gets online during the day when I'm not at home.  I think she orders steak and other treats on the sly.  At any rate, here is my number one love, Charlotte Josephine Glaser Falli:

One story that  illustrates the complete acceptance that dogs have for us  is that of President Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.  According to my memory, Clinton remarked that during those dark (for him) days, Buddy was the only one who would have anything to do with him.  

Of course he was.

Some great dog books:

You had me at woof

Julie Klam, former David Letterman Show writer, recounts her adventures in fostering dogs.  Funny, touching and inspiring.

Marley and me

You saw the movie, right?  Annoying puppy Marley grows up to be the BEST DOG. Ever.

With love from Bagdad

American soldier stationed in Iraq takes in a stray puppy and fights the red tape-laden American government to bring him "home" to America.

And there are many more where those came from!

Here is Mrs. Bragham's dog, Tarzan.  He's a sweetie-pie!  His tricks include: eating socks, catching frisbees and - get this - opening his family's gate with his paws.  Yep.  He's talented.

And Mrs. Bligh plans to bring Jasmine, or Jazzy J as we say, up here tomorrow to give out free hugs and licks.

So come on down, check out a book, meet Jazzy J, get a Scooby Snack and then go home and HUG YOUR HOUND.

Oh wait, I think I'll include a vid of Archie playing in puppy class.  He's the little brown bruiser beating up on everyone.  After that day, they moved us to a class with bigger dogs so they could "correct" him.  Except the dogs didn't "correct" him.  And Archie is only getting bigger and bruisyer.  He's a nut.

Update, Jazzy J's visit to the libera

I have a new hero

Just in time for a new school year, which is great because I could use some inspiration.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

Next time I think I'm inconvenienced or put upon, I'll just be grateful that I'm not in a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean fighting sharks, dodging bullets (shot at SIX times by the Japanese) and breaking the necks of fetid birds for sustenance.  For FORTY-SEVEN days.

Actually, I think a more fitting title for Louis Zamperini's biography would be relentless.  It hurts just to listen to it.

If you don't have the patience to watch the above clip, or for some reason are just uninterested, let me tell you this about Louis Zamperini:

1. Olympic runner (shins slashed by meanies while running and still qualified)
2. bomber pilot in WWII
3. crashed into Pacific and survived on raft with two, then eventually one, fellow soldiers for FORTY-SEVEN days
4. all that stuff above about the sharks, bullets and putrid birds PLUS
5. sunburn, starvation and hallucinations
6. finally rescued, but not really because the Japanese found him and he became a prisoner of war
7. EXCEPT that the Japanese used some fancy thinking to claim he was not a prisoner of war but a person with necessary intelligence (or some term I forget) so, you know, rules of war didn't apply and he was tortured

I could go on, but that's as far as I've gotten.  

Oops, forgot one strange twist of fate: one of his captors was a college friend who was actually working as a spy during their college days.

Oh yeah.

Like Seabiscuit (Hillenbrand's earlier book), this bio screams to be made into a movie - and - it is.  All I know Angelina Jolie will direct it.

And just look at this little cutie, still spunky at 95!

Parting is such sweet sorrow...but you gotta do it. Return ALL library books!

People laugh, but I like Mr. Bookman!

Yeowza, the library has 451 books still checked out and only about 5 good days in which to collect.  If the average book costs $20.00, that's $9020.00 in books (or let's say, taxpayer money,) that the school and YOU lose if they are not returned.  Not to mention the overdue notices that have gone out, the bills about to go out (paper, stamps, labor, $$$).

Save the trees; turn in library books TODAY.

*The Ruining*

Well, The Ruining started out promising.  After reading the flap, I was intrigued (sounds like the author is living the life, "Now she lives, writes and au pairs in Paris,"  big sigh.).  Annie Phillips is thrilled to escape impoverished  trailer park life she shares with her drunken mother and equally drunken, slovenly stepfather (who sexually abused her?  It's a little foggy.).  She jumps at the chance to nanny for the picture-perfect Cohens in sunny, glamorous and richie rich Belvedere Island off San Francisco.  With promises of a paid education, time off and the chance at normalcy (if you're super rich), who could say no?

Once you learn that Libby Cohen, the mom, knows that Annie suffered the trauma of losing a little sister to a drowning, while the sister was under her care, you get a little suspicious.  Quickly, the picture perfect life starts to unravel.  Libby plays mind games such as referring to Annie as "Nanny", as if that's her name.  Libby thwarts all of Annie's attempts at finding friends.  Libby has the door to Annie's bedroom removed...getting the drift?

Poor Annie doesn't.

I'm not in the habit of ruining endings, so I won't.  But I think this is summer read worthy;  though not un-put-downable such as the titles Divergent, Matched or Ashes.

If you're into the nanny, au pair thing you may want to check out  The Nanny Diaries or The Au Pairs (forgive the cover, but it's indicative of what's inside -there's a reason for the saying...).