Window Shopping: Rudolph's Crazy Dream + Cute Animatronic Animals

I went Christmas shopping downtown last week and was tickled by the window displays of my favorite store. My hometown has a population of about 154,000, and--don't judge--I think it's safe to say that this store always has the most impressive window displays in town. (Mostly because they have them; most stores are either in the mall and don't have outdoor window space or just display wares.)

The white rectangle at the bottom right reads "Rudolph's Crazy Dream," and in case the glare and reflections in the glass make it difficult to tell, yes, that is an inflatable Rudolph in a sleigh pulled by inflatable smiling Santas.

The bear's tongue goes in and out because he is licking stamps to stick on letters to Santa. His tongue moves quickly, and I wasn't able to capture a photo of it sticking out.

These bunnies shake their heads at a naughty list to the left of the stamp-licking bear. I'm not sure why the raccoon is using a cell phone.

Happy Holidays,

The Music-Picking Post

I've been asked how I find the bands I feature on Musical Mondays. My answer begins with a brief history of the importance of music in my life.

I started playing piano young.

 Well, not this young. I was in first grade when I started taking lessons. I'm not sure how old I am in this picture--maybe one or two? The woman helping me "play" is my Aunt Charleen.

I took up this weird little harp thing next. (At age three.)

Not really. But I did start singing in a city-wide girls' choir and playing violin in my elementary school's orchestra in fourth grade. I started playing the trumpet in fifth grade, and in high school I played in marching band, symphonic band, and jazz band.

Yes, I said marching band. Someone snapped this horrible picture of me while we were warming up for a competition on a very windy day in October 2007. I was a senior in high school. (We weren't in our uniforms yet, and I'm not showing those to you today.)

I'm not in as many ensembles as I used to be--I currently only play in my university's jazz ensemble--but music still plays a big role in my life. And while I like playing it, I like the feeling of creative togetherness with other musicians more. I love being in perfect sync with other players--thinking in the same tempo, articulating notes the same way, increasing and decreasing in volume together--and I like to find that in the music I listen to.

So first, I look for good music, meaning an interesting use of voices and/or instruments. Delightful surprises like changes in tempo and dynamics don't hurt either. My piano teacher is Chinese, and when I mastered piano-basics she said, "Girl, you gotta the notes, now you need to play the music." She told me that over and over again (and she still calls me "Girl" when we run into each other at places like the grocery store), and it's true. Notes and lyrics aren't the same as music.

Second, I look for creative and clean lyrics. I'm a Christian, and I take Philippians 4:8--"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (NIV)--to heart. I'm not completely against swear words that make creative sense, but I would prefer not to have certain words and rated-R situations set to music in my head all day. Similarly, many of the songs featured on Musical Monday come from Christian bands, but many do not. Good music comes from many different kinds of people, and I appreciate artists with a realistic yet--even if ever so slightly--optimistic mindset.

And now for the practical part about locating good music:

I recently discovered Pandora--free Internet radio--and it is a great site for discovering artists that sound similar to artists one already likes. Also, many musical artists, like Joy Williams, are on Myspace. She's an artist I like, and her Myspace page will illustrate these next few tips. I go to artists' Myspace pages to get acquainted with music before buying it; the listening is free. And if you do find a band you like, chances are the band lists their influences on their Myspace page. Joy Williams does, and her list contains artists I looked up and ended up liking. Some artists also Myspace-friend other artists, and it's worth clicking on the artists an artist you like has friended. (For example, Joy Williams is friends with Brooke Waggoner, Katie Herzig, and Butterfly Boucher--all artists I ended up liking and featuring on Musical Monday. Also, these artists had lists of artists they liked, which led me to even more good music.)

In addition to that, some artists are involved in more than one project, like Joy Williams, who is in a duo called The Civil Wars when she's not singing alone.

And since this is a book blog, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that authors sometimes post playlists to their books. If you like an author's book, you might like the music they use for inspiration, too. Finally, if you have friends who like the same movies/books/ice cream flavors as you do, chances are you'll like some of each other's music, too. Try having an iPod party, by which I mean listen to music that each of you like and swap band names, not musical files. I've found new music this way.

Questions? Comments? How do you find new music?

A Very Zombie Holiday

Tips--some of them mildly disturbing--for surviving a zombie apocalypse during the holiday season.


Via bookshelves of doom.

Musical Monday (59): "My Legionnaire"

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

This week's song is "My Legionnaire" by Brooke Waggoner. Picking a song for this week was difficult; I flip-flopped between a lot of songs but chose this one for its lyrical and musical drama. It's an epic song--a sort of late Christmas present, if you will. It starts slow, but do not let that fool you.

Enjoy!


My Legionnaire from Brooke Waggoner on Vimeo.

On Bookduck this week: the music-picking post is finally coming, along with another book review, some bloggy stuff like awards, and--either this week or next week--my first ever giveaway! There's an exclamation point there because that last item on the list is very exciting.

Wishing you a Merry Monday,

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: December 2, 2010

Publisher: Dutton

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 384

Source: Bought.

Summary:
Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt. (From stephanieperkins.com)
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Anna Oliphant is sent to Paris for her senior year of high school by her father, a Nicholas Sparks-ish author who writes "novels set in Small Town Georgia about folks with Good American Values who Fall in Love and then contract Life-Threatening Diseases and Die." Luckily, she makes friends quickly, and even luckier for both Anna and the reader, one of them--Étienne St. Clair--is a Very Hot Boy.*

I can't say enough about this book. A tangle of relationships--friendship, love-gone-wrong, misleading flirtation, friends crushing on friends--compose the plot, and author Stephanie Perkins adroitly juggles her characters' many different dreams, agendas, and feelings. And despite the boarding-school-in-Paris setting (which I loved), the interactions between the characters stem from realistic situations. A person doesn't have to be in Paris to break and repair friendships or fall in love with someone who's already taken.

Anna tells her roller coaster of a tale in funny, clever first-person narration. I would've read this book in one sitting if I'd had the time. The ending is unique, mature, and gorgeous. Anna and the French Kiss left me light and wide-eyed, stuck in warm knits in Paris with the scent of baguettes and a sense of boundless possibility. Anna is a dream of a book--so, so satisfying, yet realistic. And as much as I like him, Étienne St. Clair isn't perfect. He makes mistakes, and there's no idealism here. There are also some faintly stereotypical high school moments and some over-the-top emotions, but over all Anna and the French Kiss left me in post-good book depression because I couldn't find anything to immediately replace the experience of Anna. I wanted to keep wandering Paris with Anna, Étienne, and their friends. I recommend Anna and the French Kiss to anyone who likes contemporary fiction and/or romance, armchair travel, humor, and good writing. I've already started reading Anna a second time.
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*This diminutive text is accidental; Blogger is doing some odd things with font size and will not let me fix it.

Musical Monday (58): "Love Came Down at Christmas" + "Sleigh Ride"

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

This week's songs are "Love Came Down at Christmas" by Jars of Clay and "Sleigh Ride" by Relient K. I was too busy to pick a song last week, and since this is the last Monday before Christmas, I am posting two songs to make up for lost Christmas music listening time.

I posted both of these songs last year, and I am posting them again because I like them. "Love Came Down at Christmas" is based on a poem by Christina Rossetti, a Victorian poet. Rossetti is perhaps most well-known for her poem "Goblin Market," but she also wrote many devotional poems. I did some research on her this semester, and I believe her brother William Michael Rossetti calls her a "Puritan" among Victorian Anglo-Catholics (meaning a branch of the nineteenth century Anglican church that emphasized tradition and rituals) in his "Memoir" attached to The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti. But I don't have the book in front of me. Rossetti's biography aside, the lyrics of this song articulate the meaning of Christmas beautifully, and Jars of Clay sets them to a catchy tune.

As for the second song, "Sleigh Ride" is one of my  favorite Christmas songs. Also, I believe I've mentioned that Relient K is one of my favorite bands. Thus, I really like this song.

Merry (early) Christmas! What are your favorite Christmas songs?

Wishing you a Merry Monday,

More exciting news of pie + picture book controversy + last-minute Christmas present DIY

First, two things about PIE, both via Cakespy:

1. Candy cane cream pie recipe at The Inky Kitchen. It looks beautiful and sounds delicious, but if I made it I'd probably take a shortcut and buy a premade oreo crust. I'd also probably use more cream cheese, and less heavy cream. But I guess it wouldn't be a cream pie anymore if I did that...

2. Lo and behold, a small pie shop chain called High 5 Pie exists, and is opening another location in Seattle. This is rather far away from my neck of the woods, but I remain optimistic about the spread of pie shops.

Second, have you heard about this book yet?

Image from The Gloucester Times

I heard about it at work this week. The basic plot includes a monkey and a donkey. The monkey has a book, and the donkey asks what it is. He wants to know if you can scroll up and down, access Wi-Fi or tweet with it. The monkey says, "No" each time, and at the end of the book the monkey says, "it's a book, jackass."  Take a look at the book trailer:

I think it's a cute and clever concept, but I can understand why some adults in Massachusetts are against allowing a literacy group to donate copies of It's a Book to first graders. Charity is a thornier issue than library access to the book--in the case of a library, it is a parent's right to bar their child from checking out It's a Book and/or make sure their child does not hear it during storytime. But not allowing a group of well-meaning people to donate it in schools? Hmm. That's a tougher one.

What do you think?

(Further info on It's a Book can be found here and here at NPR, where it is recommended and discussed in relation to the e-reader explosion, respectively.)

Third, I was having difficulties completing my mother's Christmas present until I saw this rice pillow project at Wise Craft. I wanted to surprise her with something small, because I asked her point-blank what she wanted for Christmas, and . . . well, she won't be too surprised, since that's what I got for her. (And I wasn't very secretive about it.)

Image from Wise Craft

My mom used to have a cherry-pit pillow that she heated in the microwave, and this is a similar thing. It also looks super easy and nicely cheap--since I have a bin of suitable fabric scraps, I only need to run to the grocery store to buy rice to make this.

I started wrapping Christmas presents tonight. I love making them look all pretty and seeing how cleverly I can disguise gifts with boxes, tissue paper, and wrapping paper. Enthusiasm doesn't make me good with wrapping paper, though. I still wrap presents as clumsily as I did when I was in elementary school. I like to think it makes my gifts look more endearing. (Endearing sounds better than sloppy.)

Here's a video from Jackson Pearce on how to wrap a gift correctly. I might pay closer attention to it next year.


Merry (Early) Christmas,

Breaking news about baked goods

I read a newspaper this morning just because I had the time to. And I learned something very, very important. You may be thinking that I'm referring to an article about the kerfuffle in Congress over tax cut legislation, but I am not.

The newspaper I read featured an article by Sylvia Rector--"Experts predict surprising trends for foodies"-- reprinted from the Detroit Free Press, and it contains important information about two important foods: cupcakes and pie.

According to Rector, pies are poised to overtake cupcakes in popularity in 2011:

Cupcakes will take a backseat as pies -- glorious pies! -- begin showing up in every size, form and format, from savory to sweet and from deep-dish to individual deep-fried ones.

While I love cupcakes with their sweet tastes and cute decorations, I am equally enamored of pie, and just as I can go to a cupcakery and find nothing but cupcakes, I would love to see a pie shop open in my hometown.

Especially if it looks like the Pie Hole from Pushing Daisies.

But I am flexible and will overlook architecture and interior design as long as there are pies.

...but I do miss that TV show.

Thinking about pie instead of studying French,

Musical Monday (57): "Peppermint Winter"

There wasn't going to be any music today because:
1. I need to paint 5 paintings by next Tuesday.
2. I have a literary research paper due in my Brit Lit seminar on social protest in Victorian literature on Friday.
3. I need to edit and get my portfolio together for Advanced Composition (due next Tuesday).
4. I have two presentation to give this week, one on my research for Brit Lit and one (as part of a group, thank goodness) on Japanese art since 1300 for Art History.
5. Picking songs takes precious, precious time. (This, friends, is why I'm rather absent from Bookduck and blog-reading in the fall...)

But I can't help sharing this one because:
1. It's Christmas music time!
2. The song sort of picked itself.
3. This week's song, "Peppermint Winter" by Owl City, is cute and fun, and homework is not. My next-door neighbor is a big Owl City fan, and when I walked by her door last Monday, she asked if I'd heard "Peppermint Winter" yet. I hadn't, so she invited me in. We listened to the song by the glow of her blue Christmas lights and ended up having a mini Christmas music dance party in the hallway.

Enjoy! (And maybe even dance?)

[Click HERE to listen to the song on Owl City's webiste. It should show in the player near the top. The youtube versions were iffy, so there's no video this week.]

Happy Monday,

Musical Monday (56): "Secrets"

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of, because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

This week's song is "Secrets" by Headlights. It's catchy, likeably odd, and has great musical texture. (A variety of instruments used in interesting ways :) ) It's also a good song to write papers to--I listened to it over and over while doing homework last weekend.

Enjoy! (Or not. Tell me what you think of the song.)



Wishing you a Magnificent Monday,

PS: Based on last week's comments, I will do a post about how I find/choose songs for Musical Monday. It will probably go up in mid-December, unless I decide I need an excuse to procrastinate on end-of-semester projects :)

They dance quite well in Belgium.

I'm taking French this year. My French professor is Belgian, and she's fantastic. She talks about chocolate a lot and stomps her high-heeled shoes whenever we mispronounce words. We didn't have any homework for this last Monday because she wanted to tell us about Belgium. She talked about the different languages that are spoken there, festivals, what universities are like there, etc. She also showed us this video of a dancing flash mob in Antwerp:

PS: I noticed a couple comments on the last Musical Monday asking about how I find/pick the music out. I can certainly post about music-finding if anyone's interested :)

Book Review: Visibility by Sarah Neufeld, Illustrated by D. Meister

Release Date: June 2008

Publisher: Bowler Hat Comics

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 320

Source: Review copy from publisher.

Summary:
Natalie is the disappointingly normal daughter of Jayden Irving, a universally reviled woman with the power to turn invisible at will. When Natalie discovers she had inherited more than just her mother’s metallic blue eyes, she decides it’s about time she traveled beyond the boundries of her suffocating life. Desperate to escape Jayden’s indifference and disdain, Natalie soon finds herself pulled into a web of blackmail, false identities, and lies that threaten to turn mother against daughter. (From Bowler Hat Comics.)
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First, even though the cover suggests it, Visibility is NOT a graphic novel. According to the back of the book, it is an "Illustrated Novel." This is an accurate description; illustrations are scattered throughout the novel, but the words do the storytelling. In fact, the illustrations sometimes seem unnecessary, but a few are helpful for visualizing the story. Their greatest contribution lies in lending Visibility an occasional comic book feel that suits the book's superhero plot well.

Natalie Irving's mother, Jayden, has the power of invisibility, but--to the anger of the government and the public--she refuses to use her gift to help others. She's cold, inaccessible, and, as Natalie repeatedly insists in her first-person narration, a terrible mother. Jayden sends Natalie as a representative to meetings she'd rather not attend, and even throws her a rather public birthday party just to show how inept Natalie is with reporters and other humans in general. Jayden seems to find pleasure in making her daughter uncomfortable. She's a difficult woman to read, and while she becomes more interesting toward the end of the novel, she's talked about more than she's seen-- there's a lot of Jayden this, Jayden that. It makes sense when combined with Jayden's power of invisibility and Natalie's own limited knowledge of her mother, but I would've liked an extra scene or two with her.

As for the other characters, Natalie is a likeable narrator, and Peter--her bodyguard/friend--is an appealing character. He's unfailingly kind, intelligent, and always there for Natalie. He also draws a lot, which plays into the novel's illustrations well. I even liked a certain blackmailing police officer, an ambiguous character as far as good and evil go.

In a nutshell, Visibility is a well-paced, well-written, and entertaining novel. Author Sarah Neufeld keeps the plot moving, and introduces plot twists and jolting surprises at perfect moments. It is hard to be bored while reading Visibility. Natalie is an endearing character: living in Jayden's shadow leaves her with little self-confidence, and she feels invisible in a way that many girls without distant parents with the power of invisibility feel. Neufeld explores figurative visibility through literal invisibility--the idea of seeing oneself, seeing others, and being truly seen by others.

Visibility stays away from getting too philosophical, though. It's a superhero story with a realistic twist at heart, complete with humor, secret missions, and enough action to keep readers in suspense. It's a wonderfully quick read, and I'm warning you now that reading it may interfere with small things like housework and sleep. Overall, it's an entertaining and original story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys superhero stories, coming-of-age tales, or fast, exciting reads.

Musical Monday (55): "The Way I Am"

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of, because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

This week's song is "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson. It's cheesy and has a line about sweaters. Freezing drizzle fell yesterday, and today it's cold: it's sweater weather, which calls for a sweater song.

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!


Wishing you a Magnificent Monday,

Anti-Musical Monday (4): Art History Edition

This book is why there is no music today:

I need to read it really, really quickly for my Later British Literature class, which is a seminar focusing on Victorian literature and social protest. I adore the class, but I'm having mixed feelings about Adam Bede. I'm over halfway through, and not much has happened yet. People are just going about their lives, getting crushes on the wrong people, going to church, going to work...and I think that's part of the point. George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans) turned ordinary lives into art, which was a pretty bold action.

(I think. I am not expert on anything I'm typing in this post.)

I know more about the conventions in visual art at the time. (But I'm still not an expert. You'll keep remembering that, right?) There were formal academies in countries like England and France, and in France there was an annual organized exhibition called the Salon. Realist paintings like The Stonebreakers by Gustave Courbet caused a big stir:

It's a large painting with ordinary people in it. The horror! Large paintings usually signified (or, as the working people in Adam Bede would say, "sinnified") important (rich, powerful, etc.) subjects. And the style? I'm not going to get into that because of Adam Bede, but I can certainly talk about scandy paintings and the--gasp!--rebellion against the Salon later.

Happy Monday,

Book Review: Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart by Maud Hart Lovelace

Release Date: October 12, 2010 (reprint)

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Age Group: YA/children's/crossover
Pages: 448

Source: Review copy from publisher.

Summary:

It is the summer of 1911 and Carney Sibley is back home in her beloved town of Deep Valley, Minnesota. She's looking forward to hosting a month-long house party, with guests including her Vassar college roommate Isobel Porteous and old chum Betsy Ray. With lots of the old Crowd and a new friend -wealthy, unkempt but lovable Sam Hutchinson-around, the days are filled with fun. And romance seems to be in the air. But Carney can never be romantic about anyone but Larry Humphreys, her high school sweetheart, who moved to California four years ago. Then Larry returns to Deep Valley and sets the town abuzz. Will Larry propose? And will Carney say yes?
Included with Carney's House Party is the bonus children's novel by Maud Hart Lovelace, Winona's Pony Cart. Winona Root is almost eight years old. More than anything in the world, she wants a pony for her birthday. She wishes so hard for a pony that she's sure to get one-at least, that's what she tells her friends Betsy, Tacy and Tib. It's only when the exciting day grows near that Winona begins to wonder: What if her father meant it when he said she couldn't have a pony? (From HarperCollins)
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Carney and Winona* are characters from Maud Hart Lovelace's wildly popular Betsy-Tacy books. If you haven't heard of the series, you're not alone--the series began in 1940. Carney and Winona were first published in 1949 and 1953, respectively. The Betsy-Tacy books have maintained a loyal following ever since.** And from what I can tell, the people who like Maud Hart Lovelace's books really like them.

Carney and Winona join Emily of Deep Valley in a reprint of Two Deep Valley Books featuring characters from the Betsy-Tacy series. I recently read Emily and fell in love with Deep Valley, the setting of Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books.

I expected to like Carney, and I did. The beginning of the book finds Carney at Vassar, finishing her sophomore year of college. There are pompadours, class day dresses, massive daisy chains, and hot cocoa parties. Everything about this novel is cute and cozy, yet smart. Lovelace brings up complex, real-life problems and offers insightful ideas that, as far as I can tell, are standing the test of time. (About sixty years, anyway.) Carney has been in love with Larry, who moved to California while the two were in high school, for years. They've been faithful pen pals, and she's sure he's the one. Like life, though, things don't always go how one expects. I won't spoil the story, but I will say that the romance is squeal-worthy. Carney contains one of my new favorite kissing scenes.

Maud Hart Lovelace based her books on her childhood, but she knew how to combine reality and fiction to make a good story. My favorite thing about the character of Carney is her ability to think and reason through her feelings. She's a strong, self-confident young woman.

Winona is short, sweet, and funny. Basically, Winona wants a pony. She also wants to invite lots of people to her birthday party. Misunderstandings both embarrassing and hilarious give way to a satisfying ending. Both Carney and Winona are written clearly (with younger readers in mind) and with the same sweet humor that stays just shy of too sugary. Carney was my favorite work of the two, but Winona seems like she'd be a favorite with children, especially when read aloud. In any case, don't let the children's lit category put you off these books. Carney's House Party and Emily of Deep Valley are easily some of the best books I've read in the last few years. They've earned the right to be called modern classics, and they possess enough humor and insight to satisfy all ages.***
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*I keep wanting to call her Ramona; it's easier to type.
**The Betsy-Tacy Society in Mankato, MN. How many series with full blown historical societies do you know of?
***This book also contains a foreword from Melissa Wiley, another reader who discovered Lovelace's works as an adult. If you've ever wondered what prefacing a favorite--and classic--book is like, check out my interview with Mitali Perkins on prefacing Emily of Deep Valley.

"We have nothing to nom!"

John Green on the beginning of the French Revolution:

Musical Monday (54): "Library Girl"

Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of, because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!

This week's song is "Library Girl," an original song by Reina del Cid. I just saw it at bookshelves of doom and it's too catchy, clever, and adorable not to post. (My Antonia is a good book, by the way, if you've never tried it. And that link goes to Project Gutenberg, where you can read it for free, if computer-screen reading is your thing. I have a professor who had us read some assignments from the website this semester, and while I prefer print, Project Gutenberg is still a neat resource. I also know that the creator really likes going to rummage sales--he spoke on our campus a few weeks ago.)

My discovery of this song also coincides with advising week, and I'm starting to seriously consider going to grad school for library science--but I have to do some research first. I'm both thrilled and terrified that I'm almost half done with my junior year of college.

If you're doing NaNoWriMo...how's that going? I may not be participating, but I'm still rooting for NaNoers from my pile of books and essays :)



Wishing you a Magnificent Monday,

On Halloween I saw...



...Katniss Everdeen!




That's my friend and fellow art major, Becca. You may remember the fantastic Mockingjay display she made for the campus library.

Becca made that mockinjay pin. Yes, she is that awesome.

  

I went as Little Red Riding Hood for lack of creativity. The navy blue era-non-specific dress is my mom's. She wore it in the 1970s. The girl hiding behind me is my friend Kirstie.

She was going to wear an explorer's hat and attend the campus Boo Bash as Dr. Livingstone, but she wore a witch's hat instead because she didn't think anyone would get it, although I think it would've been pretty awesome.

 
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Becca and Jen (another friend & art major) replaced the mockingjay with this monster for Halloween.



I think the monster comes from the book in the display, The Monstrumologist, which I haven't read yet. If you have, did you like it?



Rawr!



I also saw the Scooby Gang, minus Fred. Great costumes, right? They even had a little radio that played the Scooby Doo theme song. That's dedication.

Hoping you saw something literary this Halloween,

Author Interview: Mitali Perkins

I recently received the chance to review Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace. I LOVED it. Emily was originally released in 1950, and was re-released last month by Harper Perennial with a new foreword by author Mitali Perkins. Mitali was born in India, and in her foreword she recounts her discovery of Emily at a public library when she was relatively new to America.

The library I currently work at serves a lot of immigrant families and a large, diverse group of kids hang out at the library after school. I was especially touched by the Mitali's affection for books. I recently asked Mitali some questions about writing the foreword for Emily of Deep Valley, and I'm happy to have some new book recommendations for bored kids. (And bored me.)
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In the foreword you discuss how Lovelace’s books possess essential storytelling ingredients: people, place, and plot. Which Lovelace characters do you most enjoy spending time with?

I love how Betsy starts the school year with introspection, setting goals for her writing and life. But my favorite, of course, is Emily, because of her courage in a tough situation.

You enjoyed Lovelace’s books as a child—do you think they influence your writing?

Definitely! I strive to convey the uplifting values and hope Lovelace effortlessly intertwined into her excellent stories.

Your foreword tells the beautiful story of your childhood discovery of the Betsy-Tacy books and Emily when you were fairly new to America. Are there other books that spoke to you in similar ways? (Do follow the links for Mitali's thoughts on each of these books.)

Little Women. A Little Princess. Anne of Green Gables. And many, many more.

Did writing the foreword to Emily of Deep Valley come easily? What is prefacing one of your favorite books like?

It was a piece of cake because I love the book so much. And such an honor to be asked! I'm still floating.

How do you think Emily of Deep Valley and Maud Hart Lovelace’s other books measure up to contemporary young adult and children’s literature?

I think they're better than most contemporary novels, including my own. I'm organizing a tweet-read of the book this week where I'm asking people to comment on why this book earns the label of a classic, especially when it comes to issues of race, class, culture and gender. The hashtag is #kidclassic.

I must admit that I’ve never read your books. Do you have a favorite work or one you recommend starting with?

Why not travel to India with Jazz in Monsoon Summer? Or if you're looking for a quicker read, visit Bangladesh with Naima in Rickshaw Girl.

Please describe your newest book, Bamboo People, in three words.

Boys. War. Choices.

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Thank you, Mitali! You can find out more about Mitali Perkins at her blog. A list of her books can be found here.

Stay tuned for more Maud Hart Lovelace fun with Carney's House Party and Winona's Pony Cart--another book to gush about.

Book Review: Emily of Deep Valley: A Deep Valley Book by Maud Hart Lovelace

Release Date: October 12, 2010 (reprint edition)
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Age Group: Defies Categorization
Pages: 336

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Summary:
Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can’t leave her grandfather. Emily resigns herself to facing a “lost winter,” but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed...

In addition to her beloved Betsy-Tacy books, Maud Hart Lovelace wrote three more stories set in the fictional town of Deep Valley: Winona’s Pony Cart, Carney’s House Party and Emily of Deep Valley. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be delighted to find the Deep Valley books available again for the first time in many years. (from Harper Perennial)
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This is the first book I've read by Maud Hart Lovelace. I know of the Betsy-Tacy books, but I've never tried them; all I know was that the people who like them really like them.*

And now I think I know why.**

The first fifty pages of Emily of Deep Valley are charming--frilly dresses, a phonograph, ice cream and old-fashioned celebrations. They are also a little dull. Emily Webster loves high school. She likes learning and being on the debating team. Unfortunately, graduation day comes and spoils that. Most of Emily's friends are heading to college and starting new chapters in their lives, but she is stuck in Deep Valley. Her parents are dead, and she lives with her good-natured grandfather, who is too elderly to be left alone, so Emily gives up college to stay with him.

While fun-loving, Emily was never the center of her social circle, and she lives through her friends' pre-college jitters. She also has a crush on Don, a boy she is clearly too good for. In one scene, Don drops by unannounced and says,
"What, no cookies?"
"Why should there be cookies?" [Emily asked.]
"I'm used to having cookies brought out at my approach."

Emily gets him some cookies. Don continues to behave obnoxiously, and Emily makes excuses for his pomposity.

When Emily's friends leave for college, she becomes downcast--but the book becomes excellent. Emily of Deep Valley was originally released in 1950, but I found it still relevant. Girls are still making excuses for impolite boys, people still feel confused after high school, and dark moods still feel like this:

Depression settled down upon [Emily], and although she tried to brush it away it thickened like a fog. . . . "A mood like this has to be fought. It's like an enemy with a gun," she told herself. But she couldn't seem to find a gun with which to fight.

Emily eventually defeats her bad mood, and she decides to pick herself up and make something of her time. Through her new activities, Emily makes new friends and discovers that her education can continue without college.

She meets boys, too. Emily's love story is beautiful, and I'm having a hard time not posting spoilers. Suffice it to say that the romance is cute, semi-unexpected, and enjoyably sensible. Emily is a girl with a spine.

The most important thing Emily does with her time, though, is reach out to the community of Syrian immigrants just outside Deep Valley. The townspeople and children give the immigrant community a hard time because of their odd manners and broken English. Immigrants still come to America, and people still forget that poor English is not a synonym for "stupid." While idealistic, Emily of Deep Valley challenges readers to rethink their gut reactions to people who are different in manner and custom.

What really kept me reading, though, was the fun and romance. I loved being in Emily's world. (It's reminiscent of the Anne of Green Gables movies. No, I haven't read those books either. Shame on me.) Since the book is meant for children, it's written clearly, which means a fast, effortless read for teens and adults. That said, this book isn't reserved for children. I recommend Emily of Deep Valley to anyone looking for a cozy hot cocoa read with a brain, a heart, and enduring appeal complete with turn-of-the-century up-dos and manners. I'm adding the Betsy-Tacy books to my reading list.
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*The Betsy-Tacy Society, anyone?
**I didn't expect to be completely enamored of this book, but I can't stop telling my roommate how much I like it. She's going to throw something at me soon.

Dear NaNoWriMo 2010,

Greetings. I regret to inform you that I will not be attending your thirty-day party of crazy this year.

(I know. I'm sad, too.)

My decision is based on the seven fairly lengthy essays and eight paintings I must complete throughout November. Unlike you, they all need to be polished make sense down to the last line and comma.

I'm pleased to note that NaNoWriMo is offering web badges for people who can't participate in, but would still like to support, you and your courageously wacky participants. I've placed one in my sidebar; I think it looks quite nice.

Good luck and inspiration to all 2010 NaNo-ers! I leave you with "The NaNoWriMo" song from ALL CAPS and a link to last year's NaNo-themed interview with Stephanie Perkins, whose first novel (started as a NaNo draft) is coming out this December! Exciting stuff.



Best,