Pottertastic Thursday

Okay, for the first Pottertastic Thursday I've got a Youtube video for ya. I have a tidbit from Prisoner of Azkaban that I wanted to share, but alas, my books are at home and I am at school. Such is my life.

Tricksters

I have been blogging consistently for the past 4 hours and sadly, it was all for class. I figured I would take a break from blogging to... blog. A friend facebooked me the link to Slate.com's description of how children's books became wild. I was thoroughly delighted at the prospect of seeing this transition, but was definitely disappointed once I opened the link. There was only two measly paragraphs! I can't fathom how a change as drastic as children's books moving from purely instructional volumes to pleasurable and down-right silly materials is going to fit into that teeny, tiny package.

Well, that's because I didn't realize the slide show was going to contain the meat of the information. Now, I don't know about you, but when I read the words slide show, I imagine pictures. End of story. Apparently I am wrong in that assumption. No, there were about two paragraphs per picture of the eleven images included. I feel a little let down by the web site since it did'nt tell me this. What if I wasn't in the mood to look at the images, but simply wanted the goods? The two paragraphs don't help you one single drop. Once I accessed the pictures, the website became worth my trip. So, this may be the only time I suggest this, but forget the description and dive right into the pictures!

A blog by any other name would still not activate my sense of smell

If my blog really were a person, I would hope that his visage would look like that guy (thank you Bloglines for taking the time to revamp your site--I might not have found my new favorite silly old man otherwise). Oh Mr. Blog, if only you were a plumber. Then I can crack jokes about lowrise jeans and thongs--these fashions are very plumber 2.0, after all.

I've also decided that you might forgive my dissonance if I titled you properly. I admit I have gone too long titling you with only my birthday digits. Your original pending title, Kidlit Galaxy, caused me intense claustrophobia. It misled my neurons into jumping synapses that were solely dedicated to children's literature and we both know that I plan on doing much more with you than that. And while we wouldn't want to title you too prematurely, people are starting to read you now. It's not just the two of us here twiddling our thumbs, having a gay ole time talking about Harry Potter. Currently I'm debating Purple Polka. We'll sit on that for a week, okay?

Blogging Intervention

So Blog, you must be pretty lonely. All those nights I spend on other websites and doing stupid things like homework, you have been suffering here trying to get my attention. Whimpering in the corner like Severus Snape before Hogwarts. I know and I'm sorry. You're in luck, though, Mr. Blog. Two very nice ladies came and sat down with me (and about twenty other lucky souls) and we fleshed out my problem. I haven't been very nice to you Mr. Blog and I hope that you can look deep inside your html and pixels and forgive me.

Firstly, we must have some sort of bonding rituals. Liz B from A Chair, A Fireplace & a Tea Cozy and her blog get together once a week to share Buffy quotes. Now Blog, I know what you're thinking, you don't want to discuss Buffy quotes just because Liz B and her blog do it. I wouldn't want to steal their tradition, don't worry. It's poor netiquette, if nothing else. No Blog, I want to do something that we both enjoy. I think it's pretty obvious that we both love Harry Potter more than should be naturally possible, so perhaps we can do something about that. Together. You and me. Don't make any rash decisions, Blog. I'll let you mull that one over.

And, Mr. Blog, that's not all I have to offer. Betsy Bird of Fuse #8 gets paid to write for her blog three times a week. To prove how much I care about you, I'm going to write to you three times a week, getting paid only in calloused fingers and the love in my heart. And I don't want you thinking Fuse #8 is some kind of kidlit escort, Blog. She writes everyday, even when she doesn't have to. That takes dedication. Or crazy pills. One or the other.

Overall, the presentations in my class last night were very beneficial for you. It was like going to the blog doctor for my checkup. I was told to just keep writing--which is one of those things that I already knew, but somehow find to be amazing revelations once the doctor told me. Mind you, I missed a bunch in the beginning (apparently there was fire swallowing and plates spinning on sticks). And then I had to get over the fact that Betsy Bird was in my classroom, talking and not just being all awesome in New York, blogging like the devil may care. I somehow transformed into a 12 year old girl at a Backstreet Boys concert (well, they performed when I was 12, anyway) the second I walked into the door and had to be reminded that she's an internet personality, not the Beatles. I was confused for a second.

NJASL

So, it has been a few days since the NJASL conference and therefore, probably a good idea to finally mash out my findings here. Unfortunately, my friend's roommates are far too loud to have allowed me proper sleep to go on Friday, so I can only report my findings from Thursday. First of all, I heart free pamphlets and these people, they know that. I have more pamphlets than I think I will ever be able to read in my life, let alone my career, sitting in two bags in the backseat of my car. Joy. I only got to three programs, and two of them were practically the same! Those tricksters.

The first version was with Kevin Kammeraad and his puppet Jacob (coloring-book-tastic version shown here). First of all, his puppet is fantastic and can do the best one handed handstand I have ever seen. Five points. Kevin's presentation was lively and filled with singing and dancing. I even got to perform one of his poems (And got to be the bad guy!! Which fits because, well, I'm pretty much hardcore). Seven points. He provided excellent materials to expand all of his texts and worked through a bunch of them to showcase the enthusiasm that should explode from one when doing said activities. Two points. Overall, excellent workshop and definitely worth checking out if you get a chance. Unless, of course, you don't give a ---- for the whole state of Michigan; in which case, he insults the Buckeyes and is probably worth -99 points to you.

Kevin ended his presentation with a video reading of Dan and Kim Adlerman's Oh No Domino! The very next presentation that I went to was given by the Adlermans. And they read Oh No Domino! They also sang songs and had a gay ole' time, just like Kevin. And while I was nervous that I had chosen to go into the same program twice, it worked out in my favor. The differences were subtle at first, but very enjoyable. For one, being read the actual book gave a completely different feel than the video. Don't get me wrong, the video was totally cool, but there is just something about the actual text and pages that gets my heart fluttering (reason 8756 why I should have always known I was destined to become a librarian). The Adlermans passed out musical instruments and I had the delight of morracking out with my bad self. In the latter half of the presentation it became even more evident that they had their own awesome agenda. I learned how to make a harmonica out of tongue depressors and a rubber band. You're jealous-- it's okay, I would be too. They also demonstrated how various different small items placed in plastic eggs can make excellent storytime supplements. I am sold.

Lastly, I attended a workshop on religious books in schools. Ordinarily I would have forgone the theology debate for something with a bit more jazz; but we just recently discussed Dewey and his inane religious categorizations in my Materials for Children course. When I returned my books to the library for my portion of the Dewey assignment, I realized that the Milltown Public Library doesn't even have a religious section. It jumps from the 100's over to the 300's! Clearly there was something to this "God books" debate that I didn't realize. I just assumed that as long as it didn't promote that religion as the one and only way to save one's soul from eternal damnation, you're set. Clearly I am more enlightened than some. One woman in attendance removed all of the books on witchcraft before even having a challenge! What the? I may not be entirely up to code on my ALA ethics, but that seems like censorship to me.

Now I can read all the red books!

I may be a bit behind the times, but I am absolutely in love with the International Children's Digital Library! I mean, how can you not love a website that lets you read books for free as if you were on a merry-go-round? Or find books based on what color cover it has? Or or or read a bunch of rare books from the 19th century like it were nothing? (Clearly this website has reverted me back to the eight year old I really am) Definitely worth checking out!

(Here is a search I did for "true books" + "green covers" + "picture books." A-ma-zing!)