Happy New Year!

I never thought of it that way...

This yuletide fanfic depicts Rachel of the Animorphs as transgendered. While reading it in the universe of the short fan piece it made a sense of sorts, but I don't think that it really makes cohesive sense to the storyline with the other glimpses we get into Rachel's life. Then it poses the question that because Rachel is the epitomie of a fierce, warrior female (with her despised nickname being Xena) does it therefore make her masculine? Is she destined to be a male in her next lifetime because of her personality or does that mean she is just a strong girl?

Note: Fanfic piece has spoilers about the ending of the series. Do not read if you wish to read the Animorphs series.

Uh-oh.

Apparently I'm trying to be a witch-doctor. 

The only possible explanation for the clearcutting of RPattz's head...

Twilight Madlibs

I just got back from my friend Danielle's awesome Godfather Pastafest which was filled to the brim with LULz of all kinds, but mostly Twilight (i.e., the best kind).  There was an exchange of gifts that was pretty much amazing and could have happened at a ten year old's birthday party (see also: Lisa's HSM flashlight that appears to be a microphone, the HSM handsanitizer and bath set Danielle got, my Nerf gun...).  I gave Meghan an Apprentice Mad Libs book which was clearly ridiculous.  We took the hilarity up a level by supplementing only Twilight related words for the blanks (no worries, the transcripts will be provided in the next week).  This led to the obvious discussion that Twilight needs a madlib with 23940247 adjective slots.  Surprisingly I did not actually add additional spaces for adjectives.  What you see was actually deemed worthy to comprise one page's worth of adjectives according to Meyer's publisher.

Without further ado, I give you the Twilight madlib:

Directions:  Take out a sheet of paper and write your answers to each number.  Go to the comments section and read the quoted text from the Twilight Saga, supplementing your words for the numbered spaces.  Enjoy.  If you're feeling up to it, please supply your word choices in the comments section! (I made it slightly lengthy for full ridiculousness, my apologies)

1. adjective 
2. color 
3. generic noun matching previous color
4. person in room (possessive)
5. adjective 
6. adjective 
7. adjective 
8. verb ending in -ing. 
9. a vaguely familiar but different verb ending in -ing.
10. adjective 
11. adjective 
12. adjective
13. noun, 
14. adjective
15. noun
16. adjective 
17. obscure simile using "like"
18. noun
19. adjective
20. same noun as last time 
21. switch it up with a new noun that is similar to the repeated noun 
22. adjective 
23. oh snap, kick it back to that tired noun 
24. antithesis of said tired ass noun 
25. new noun
26. apparently there are a lot of nouns in this sentence,
27. onemonepia, 
28. repeat onemonepia, 
29. repeat  onemonepia yet again
30. adjective 
31. noun that will be repeated
32.  number 
33. remember that noun?  use it again...
34. significantly larger number
35. and again but plural this time
36. adjective 
37. significantly larger number (reprise) 
38. last adjective used goes here as well
39. new noun
40. verb 
41. adjective
42. adjective 
43. adjective 
44. obscure name that sounds like word vomit

BONUS JONAS:  Since the internet is as ubiquitous as it is ridiculous, someone already created Twilight Madlibs.  Check them out to satisfy your every Twilight LUL or in the case you found my large amount of required words to be obnoxious.  

A Grimm assignment

My final project for the personal hell that is Learning Theory, Media and the Curriculum is surprisingly not painful (or as painless as a giant homework assignment can really be). Since I pretend actual school librarians read this blog, I'm going to briefly describe it in case anyone's interested in using it. Before that, I'm going to post some EXCITING news. The next Sisters Grimm book, The Everafter War is set to come out in May of 2009!!!! Look to the left to get a sneak peak at the cover.

In short, my unit consists of fifth graders reading one of my favoritest books ever, The Sisters Grimm: Fairytale Detectives by Micheal Buckley. After having book discussions with their primary teacher (or reading teacher if the school is into that), students come to the school library to research some of the fairytale characters featured in Buckley's work to compare and contrast their representations in his work and their more traditional roles. They will also be encouraged to check out some nontraditional depictions too (such as Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs). The characters selected for the character study are: the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, Prince Charming, Jack (of beanstalk fame), and the Giant (also of beanstalk fame). The findings will go on a graphic organizer created for the unit and make a poster out of them after all the data is collected. I'm stuck on the work computer, so I can't publish the organizer as of yet. Look for the edit if you're interested.

The last portion of the unit also takes place in the library. Students are reminded of basic story elements like plot, theme, setting, blah blah blah. Then they are asked to write up short stories of their own (1-2 pages typed) that include two fictional characters from different works. They may include more, but one character must be a protagonist and the other has to be an antagonist from another work than the first character. So no Harry Potter and Voldemort mashups. The premise of the stories revolves around the students suddenly finding out these fictional characters are more than literary figures, they exist in real life. Lastly, the students booktalk their short stories to one another in the library.

Interested in using the Sisters Grimm in a lesson plan but think my idea stinks? No matter, you can always check out the resources provided by the publishing company on the official site!

Mo!

Mo Willems is the love of my picture book reading life. I'm very sad that I will have to shuffle his books out of my storytime lineup, since there are only so many times children can have an entire half hour dedicated to Mo's stories. To make up for such depressing realities, I share my top two favorite blog posts he made in the past two months.

1. All of the fanmail is always so adorable, but I have to say the Don't let the pigeon be president section is highly amusing, especially considering the politico cameo. Plus, hearts to the post title!!
2. Ever wonder what to do with an aligator? Now I know.

A last little nugget is ReadKiddoRead.com, which Willems links to on his blog. I have yet to look through it, but I plan on spending the rest of my non-working at work time reading through it and thought you might want to do it with me! It gets awfully lonely out there...

Why I became a librarian

No, this isn't a blog post about my final term project for multimedia (though it sounds like it, no?). I am that bored that Googling "library meme" seems like a great idea. To answer the question, I decided to become a librarian on the NJTransit train going to New York on January 31, 2006. That's right, I know the exact date. Be jealous. The Targum (i.e., the atrocity that passes itself off as a school newspaper) had followed me over and over again. Each time, I spurned the advances of the silly little paper, only to have my seat littered with pages. I grabbed it reluctantly and read to pass the time. This is where I first heard the myth that people in library science are actually retiring, making it so that there will be no librarians in the future. Let me just point out this is a bold faced lie. Despite the lies, library science seemed like it made more and more sense and I stopped changing my major every five seconds. The end.

Now for the second half of the meme: Surveytime

• Best library school faculty member when I was getting my degree: Stew Mohr and his adorable little bowties and vests
  
• Favorite class: Storytelling (ahem... Traditions of Oral Narration... sorry)
  
• Best bosses: I've really only had two library bosses. Considering Kayo would disappear half the time she was supposed to be my backup and not tell me until I found out during a reference interview.... that would most likely tip the vote to Dr. Belvin's favor in and of itself.
  
• Favorite library: Belle's imaginearey library in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast
  
• Most unexpected career move: Spending more money to go to more school
  
• Best career move to date: Going to library school? Helps with the whole being a librarian thing.
  
• Favorite piece of advice to others: Plan out your conference attendence by figuring out in advance which sessions and backup sessions you want to go to. Saves you from lots of boredom.
  
• Best piece of advice received: You can't cut carrots with a gun. Not library related, but still the best piece of advice out there.
  

Please don't fall asleep at the desk

That's just a little something I've been chanting in my head over here at the mostly abandoned children's reference desk to keep my head from making contact with the wood in front of it. Someone had this up as a neat little game on their facebook status a month or so ago, so I'm going to steal it here and have a good ole blog meme day. This will probably be the first of many attempts to keep me lucid.

Grab the closest book and open it to page 52. Type in the fifth sentence on that page exactly as it appears in the book.

"In the movie theaters of the larger cities, movies from Mexico and Hollywood are shown."

::Honduras...in Pictures::Visual Geography Series::

So you go out and do the same. Post it on your blog or in the comments section!

EDIT:: Apparently it is page 56. In that case:

"Two or three of the sprouts are allowed to bear."

This just in!

Danielle sent this glorious video in an email this afternoon.  Ah-mazing. 

Note: embed video features have been hating me massively lately, so here's the link to Twilight High School Musical.  It is very disturbing and if you hate musicals (like myself) but love Twilight, you might still enjoy it like I did.  But only once and never, ever again.

Dispute resolution

observe, v. 9. trans.

    a. To take notice of, be conscious of; to notice, perceive, see. Freq. with that-clause as object. Also intr.

1560 J. DAUS tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cclxxxv, The Sunne loked pale and dimme,..And this was not obserued in Germany only, but also in Fraunce & England. 1605 BACON Of Aduancem. Learning II. sig. Ll1, If men will intend to obserue, they shall finde much worthy to obserue. 1634 T. HERBERT Relation Trav. 223 King Henry..obseruing simplicitie in the Messingers deliuery. 1736 BP. J. BUTLER Analogy of Relig. I. ii. 32 This every one observes to be the general Course of things. 1783 H. BLAIR Lect. Rhetoric I. x. 200 We remark, in the way of attention, in order to remember; we observe, in the way of examination, in order to judge. 1793 W. COWPER Let. 6 Sept. (1984) IV. 390 Hearing the Hall clock, I observed a great difference between that and ours. 1805 M. LEWIS Jrnl.20 Aug. in Jrnls. Lewis & Clark Exped. (1988) V. 126, I have also observed some robes among them of beaver, moonax, and small wolves. a1855 J. EAGLESSketcher (1856) viii. 200, I am not, observe, here saying one is preferable to another. 1881 T. HARDY Laodicean I. II. i. 254 At last he observed the white waistcoat of the man he sought. 1940 H. G. WELLS Babes in Darkling Wood I. ii. 51 He seemed to be seeing something that had always been under his eyes but which he had never clearly observed before. 1987 T. WOLFE Bonfire of Vanities (1988) v. 125 You will also observe that I do not have eyes in the back of my head.

Jim and I are having a bit of a disagreement over what the above definition of "observe" literally means.  I think that the choice of the word "conscious" implies having cognizance of the event and therefore would also suggest that one has memory of it taking place.  Jim countered that the use of the word "perceive" intimates looking in the direction of the event taking place, but not necessarily remembering it.  What do you think?

How does one calculate an optional e?

By figuring out the difference in your Dewey numbers, that's how!  Thanks to Renee of the inner librarian for bringing this johnson to my attention.  

Here is with an E:

Kristie's Dewey Decimal Section:
103 Dictionaries & encyclopedias
Kristie = 1899095 = 189+909+5 = 1103

Class:
100 Philosophy & Psychology

Contains:
Books on metaphysics, logic, ethics and philosophy.

What it says about you:
You're a careful thinker, but your life can be complicated and hard for others to understand at times. You try to explain things and strive to express yourself.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

And here it is without: 

Kristi's Dewey Decimal Section:
098 Prohibited works, forgeries & hoaxes
Kristi = 189909 = 189+909 = 1098

Class:
000 Computer Science, Information & General Works

Contains:
Encyclopedias, magazines, journals and books with quotations.

What it says about you:
You are very informative and up to date. You're working on living in the here and now, not the past. You go through a lot of changes. When you make a decision you can be very sure of yourself, maybe even stubborn, but your friends appreciate your honesty and resolve.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Please note: I find both of these to be extremely accurate.  This further suggests that my E is actually optional.  Score!  

Also note:  The incorrect spelling of my name (Kristi) is the Dewey number for forgeries & hoaxes.  Figure that.

Book Meme

I saw this over on Fuse 8 many days ago, but schoolwork does not often let me have posts that require more thought than, Hey guys, look at this Rpattz video...  Now that I've put being a functioning human being on a temporary hiatus, I figured I'd get to it.

Put yourself in the role of literary matchmaker: What two characters, from two different books, would you pair with one another? 

Shelf Talker named this meme post "Harry Hearts Whom?" and I'm going to have to agree with her.  Which character is it that Harry loves?  Obviously there is Ginny, but this question allows the whole literary schiorgasboard for drama of Rita Skeeter proportions!  

If I were to think of Harry's best interests and the type of girl he could playfully grow and develop his power of being super awesome with, I would probably have to suggest Meggie from Inkheart.  I wonder if her ability to read things into being could be transferred onto spell-casting. They might have to be narrated spells since the words themselves are what calls things into being and not magical energy, like Harry.  Or, would her inner magic lend itself to Harry's type of magic once it is known?

But if I were to create a Rita Skeeter-esque match for him I would suggest Sabrina Grimm from The Sisters Grimm.  Sabrina would throw a fit and make sure everyone would know she wasn't actually dating Potter.  Obviously for both her and Meggie to work, this has to be Harry circa Philosopher's Stone to Prisoner of Azkaban.  Deathly Hallows Harry is just too old.  Then again, that would provide more speculative fodder for Skeeter's rumormongering.  ::Gasp!:: An 11 year old dating a 17 year old!! Oh my!

Classic RPattz

I've seen this video a while ago in which Robert Pattinson says,

"I thought they were just giving it to me... like a tribute. A sacrifice,"

in regards to being handed a baby for a photo opt.

However, I've never actually seen the picture he speaks of...until now!! A recent Twilight Google image search has ripened to yield this beauteous photograph of RPattz pretending to eat a baby.

::slow clap::

EDIT: Obviously Viacom took the above video off YouTube, so please view it here on the MTV video archive.

Jealous!

Yes, even with his greasy-I-don't-believe-in-lathering-once-let-alone-repeating hair (which, who actually repeats the lathering process? Have I been showering incompetently my whole life since I only dab that crap in there once?). I would pay all kinds of money for that type of impalement. All. Kinds.

Yo

As promised, I am back now that I finished reading the Animorphs series.  Well, technically I still have the Ellimist Chronicles... but that isn't part of the series proper and therefore doesn't count.  

All I have to say is what. the. hell!  As you are aware of the weekly publication in days past of Pottertastic Tidbits I am a diehard Potter fan.  That should alert you to how monumental it is that I think I cried more at the ending of the Animorphs series than I did for Potter.  True story.  Both children's books series use a war as the focal point and feature substantial losses on both sides.  However, Harry Potter ends with the final statement, "All was well," and even though there were more casualties than in Animorphs, it still ties together nicely in a little bow named King's Cross train station.  Animorphs, on the other hand, ends on a bitter note portraying the aftermath of the war and it's impact on all of the characters.  All but one are left miserable, and the one that isn't miserable is pretty much the reason the others are depressed.  I was initially upset by this ending, but this bitch slap from K.A. Applegate has led me to finally cope and accept the ending of this series (Please note: if you actually care about Animorphs spoilers, don't go to the Applegate letter).  

Yet again, I would like to state that I refuse to believe that fictional characters are not real.  I don't know when (or if) I can recover from my favorite Animorph dying, but I will find a way.  I somehow managed to survive Sirius Black going deadside, so I guess I can handle this.  Right?

Animorph drama

I probably won't post for a while, as I am in the final stretch of the Animorphs series. That's right kids, I am about to start book 45 which begins the final story arc!! One thing that I really hope to happen is that Rachel figures out she also secretly likes Marco, in addition to Tobias. Then, there will be middle school drama abound as they fight off the Yeerks in full force! Middle school drama is the most entertaining by far, so fingers crossed that after their expedition into Marco's body and listening to his heart, Rachel gets tinglies and Tobias gets surly. Surlier.

This is not a review

And to prove that, I am going to compose a list of three very important things you should know about this book, which clearly, is not a review by any means:

1. This book is great for parents that have difficulties explaining why they need a babysitter to their children. Especially children of the, "Well, why can't I just go with you?" variety.
   
2. The protagonist has a stuffed vampire. The vamp only makes a brief appearance, but still, stuffed vampire all the same.
3. Lastly, lists of three are used throughout the book and I like me some lists. This helps with my theory that the earlier children are exposed to list-making, the more likely they will use lists. It's not a long-standing theory, just a thought-of-it-as-I-type-this theory, which is still a theory when all is said and done.

As my list shows, I did not actually review Don't Forget to Come Back by Robbie H. Harris, so you should probably check it out for yourself! ::wink wink nudge nudge::

More reasons why seventh graders are the funniest people ever

Different seventh grader, same library:

"I used poison ivy as an excuse to scratch my butt. Even after it went away, I kept scratching. I would say it was because of the poison ivy, but people would tell me they knew it was long gone.

Why is this ever good information to share with the public? Especially your local librarian? Oh, that's right. Because entertaining gems like this make my life. Thank you middle schoolers for being a constant source of entertainment.

Great finds!

Now that I'm back from the NJASL conference I can ignore my homework with proper tasks such as blogging, instead of silly, frivolous things like networking and learning about libraries. While being productive seems like a bad idea right now, I can report some of the finds I made at the conference and it will seem like I am accomplishing something. Right?

No, I am not here to detail all the ins and outs of librarianship heretofore unknown to me. I will most likely provide a recap on the Rutgers Association of School Librarians blog where all that professional business belongs. Instead, I will tell you about these two awesome authors I chatted with in the author's alley. The first is Scott Mebus, author of Gods of Manhattan. Sad to say, I have yet to read his book and it is currently not in our collection, but after chatting with him and finding out what an awesome guy he is you betcha his book is going to find its way onto our stacks. Oh, and for the record, I am aware I do not review books that are less than ten years old, but I will post a review when I finish his book. It is on the top of my to-read-after-finishing-Animorphs list (46 books down, only 15.5 left to go!!).

The other author, Christine C. Kaputa, was sitting at the same table as Mebus. She is also pretty remarkable. I didn't get a chance to talk with her for as long as I was able to chat with Mebus, but she also seemed to have a palpable awesome aura about her. Her book, Bad Kitty!, makes two for two not in our collection, but again, I am going to push it to the person responsible for collection development in the children's room (a.k.a. one of my best friends). Christine also offers workshops for young writers and her pamphlet is on top of the pile for summer reading discussion as I type this.

P.s. I have to be honest here, I have a bit of a professional crush on Mebus. I wish I was supremely cool and had a series book deal for middle grade readers. Our little talk inspired me to try and write again during winter break. Fingers crossed I get at least a paragraph!

P.p.s. Christine gets bonus points because her MBA is from Fordham, which is where the boyfriend currently spends all his money in pursuit of his law degree.

To which I said, "Pooey!"

"Scary books are for before Halloween, not after," said a ficticious person that inhabits my head. To which, I said, "Pooey! You are a silly voice in my head that doesn't exist and you don't make up rules because you are not the boss of me." Then I was given medication.

Actually, none of this happened. BUT IF IT DID, I would still say, "Pooey!" You know why? Because scary books are great all year long, especially right after Halloween. Have you ever tried quitting scary stories cold turkey? It's not good for the complexion. And you know what? Daniel Handler (of Lemony Snicket fame) concurs, a word which here means that he too thinks people should continue reading scary stories after Halloween. How do I know this? Because this review he published for the New York Times' special children's literature section came out seven whole days after Halloween. With a name like Fright Club it's hard not to be chockful of horrific tales to whet your appetite.

Sims meets Buffy

This is weirder than when people make lego videos for audio clips.  At least with the legos, presumably they are lying around.  This johnson here has computer animation designed specifically to replace the visuals for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Buffy v. Dracula.  ::Cough too much time on your hands cough::  Amusing, however.  Very, very amusing.

Adorables

I love Rachel and Tobias's love so much it hurts sometimes. It's so... idk. But it's so adorable and very, very weird. I mean, any relationship involving a 12-year-old girl and her crush-turned-bird-turned-morphing-bird lover has to be odd.

"I know. I'm gonna go get some wings and come on up there. Keep an eye out for me."

[I always will] he said.

Confusion

I'm not entirely sure how this post is organized (What with it titling itself 20 best picture books for children and only providing 3 images, then linking to a list without saying that the link is the real 20 best picture books link and THEN including a picture not on the list at all, which is sad, because that is what prompted me to write this post. Phew. That was a run-on and a half), but I found an image I want you to look at and not think about. I'm serious. If I catch you even contemplating the subject matter of the third picture in this post, you're toast.

Squee!

I witnessed a fabulous event the other day! A woman was on the cramped subway, reading through Deathly Hallows for the first time in her life. It was adorable. It's been so long since the book has been out that I forget that not everyone has read it. She was being advised by another Potter fan on the subway that she should sequester herself for the last third of the book. The moment these two Potter fans shared touched something deep inside of me. I could hardly contain my excitement.

Slacking...

That's what I've been up to.  Sorry dudes.  Anyway, this quote is from a program last week.  I love seventh graders, they are just so... weird.  

"John McCain and I are buddies from prison camp."  

Excuse me random seventh grade boy, what did you say?  Oh that's right.  You said nonsense.  Funny nonsense--extremely silly nonsense--but nonsense all the same.  Nonsense=my passion.

Animorphs=love

And I always thought I was more of a Rachel.  Guess not.  Oh well.  In ideals, I'd like to live up to Cassie's personality, so +!  I'm still going to be Rachel for Halloween, no matter what any silly quiz says...

Gasp!

I almost forgot to provide you with the remaining Growing up Cullens!!!  Here is an exemplary quote from this issue. 

saint_renegade: THIS TABLE WILL SPEND ETERNITY IN A LANDFILL IF WE WERE TO THROW IT AWAY. IT WILL BE MUCH LIKE MYSELF, DESTINED TO SPEND FOREVER ALONE AND EMPTY, FILLED WITH WASTED POTENTIAL. DO YOU REALLY WISH IT THAT FATE?

Outlook not good.

In trying to find an interesting and concisely written metadata blog, I came across this blog post from Organizing Stuff.  It's from the beginning of the summer, but seemed interesting enough, so why not?  The article focuses on the library field's inability to move beyond their systems and self-generated issues.  So... there is no escaping that after graduation, is there?  Read the third paragraph, beginning with, "But what I don't..." and tell me you didn't imagine HIB.  Go on, I dare you.  Granted, now I've goaded you into thinking only about this article in the context of HIB.  So really, I've tainted you.  Oh well.  Read that ish anyway.  

Oh snap and a half

I may not have time to read and review books because of the growing mountain that is my homework and back homework, but damn, I have time to watch this. So, that means you have time to watch this video.

"News?" asked the taller of the two.

"The best," replied Severus Snape.

This article I found on Jill Ratzan's Facebook profile is some of the best news I've heard all week! The fact that there are others picking through the Potter texts for the subtle, more literary layers makes me squee and flail like a school girl! I just wish that I could have taken a class called Battling Against Voldemort 101 my freshman year. Oh well...

Cedric v. Edward

My ardent love of Robert Pattinson seems to have come out of nowhere, considering the fact that he was right in my face in Goblet of Fire.  Had I simply overlooked him?  Cast aside by my Harry Potter devotion?  No.  I find him to be cute in that role, always have, but he is nowhere near as sexy as he is in Twilight or in real life.  How do I know for certain?  I conducted a scientific study last night, which detailed watching Goblet of Fire.  Watching is actually a loose term here, because it was more fast forwarding until Robert Pattinson was on screen.... 

What are your thoughts?  Cedric v. Edward? I've provided two pictures of each role, to aid selection.

Team Cedric:

Team Edward

Do me a favor, please?

Set aside 9 minutes and 1 second (plus buffering time) at a computer featuring sound (sorry work computers) to watch this: 

At this point, visitors of this blog should be well aware that I am rereading the Animorphs series from start to finish.  I get many comments on it, usually in the form of raised eyebrows, but I can handle that.  I've decided to be Rachel for Halloween, complete with a red-tailed hawk stuffed animal to be Tobias.  I'm prepared for the commentary.  Despite the fact that these books are intended for ten year olds and have covers featuring humans (or aliens, or birds that used to be humans, but are now red-tailed hawks) turning into various creatures, I never really thought my reading mission was dorky.  Well, this video with the 90's computer animation about did it for me.  I'm officially a dork, but dear lord, the Andalite renditions are ridiculous. 

Pottertastic Pictures

It's been a while since I mentioned my other boyfriend, Harry. Poor Harry, cast asunder by my obsessive and inexplicable love for Edward Cullen. Then again, Harry deserted me on my birthday to premiere in July and Edward filled that spot. Edward is just there for me in ways that Harry chooses not to be.

All that aside, I still love Harry and always will. Tru luv 4eva. I suppose it's pretty self-evident that when I found pictures posted on Rotten Tomatoes of the new movie, clearly I squealed in delight like a foolish schoolgirl. The picture to the left is a still taken from Slughorn's Christmas party. The vampire Sanguini looks exactly how I imagined, and that rarely happens in the Potter movies. Squee!


So imagine my surprise when I find that actor playing young Tom Riddle (see right-hand image) is the spitting image to the mini-Voldy I envisaged when reading Half Blood Prince. What are the chances that not one, but two actors in the movies are exact? This is coming from a series that has never had one character match my mind. Original Dumbledore eventually took over whatever I previously saw, along with other main characters like Snape and Hermione, but there is no cognitive dissonance with these two new actors. I'm sorry I'm Babble McBabblesome here, but I am extremely overjoyed!!

P.s. Alastor Moody in the movies has never and will never match what I see in my head. For the record.

Genius!

Here's a why didn't I think of that? moment brought to you by my colleague Camille, the Teatime Librarian. The above web comic, found on School Library Journal, offers a simple but genius way to get reluctant readers to get over their phobia of lengthy books. I can't wait to try this one out on some poor, unsuspecting child... bwahahahaha! ::taps fingertips together menacingly like Mr. Burns::

Sometimes I just don't understand you, Cassie

If you weren't already aware of this fact, I'm a giant dork. The type of dork that likes to reread Animorphs because they are amazing and can turn into animals at will. Hot damn, I wish I could become a giraffe any time I wanted. Chill out, eat some leaves from the top of the tree (because, theoretically, I can eat leaves from the bottom now if I really wanted), the usche.

In reading Animorphs #14, The Unknown, I stumbled upon this quote:

"You ready?" Rachel asked.

"Just have to check on this opossum's bandage. Good. The stitches are holding. Good boy," I said to the opossum with the mangled paw. Okay. Now I'm ready."

"Why do they have that extra o in opossum?" Marco wondered. "What's the point of it if it's silent?"

Why indeed, Marco, why indeed? What I think you meant to ask, was why on earth are you trying to save an opossum in the first place? If it had opposable thumbs, it would knife you. My friend Cara is an expert on the subject and has confirmed that given the chance, an opossum would slit your throat. I mean, just look at them:

He is not thanking you for fixing his bandages, Cassie. For all you know, that opossum is the one that passes on the genetic ability to grow opposable thumbs. Your silly war with the Yeerks will look foolish if in the end we were all enslaved by knife-wielding opossoms, wouldn't it? Take your overalls and poop-covered boots and get over your animal-friendly self.

This post is dedicated to Cara, for her perseverance against opossums. Stay strong, sister, stay strong.

Has it been a week yet?

It has? Oh good.  Fabulous.

Because I feel horrid not posting in a long while, especially since I have a new computer.  It taunts me, as my parents' internet connection hates me, nay, loathes me, and leaves my new laptop ignored.  Sad face.  

Actually, if I couldn't talk about Twilight because of my self-imposed rule, I wouldn't be posting.  That's my real concern.  Wooo! I can talk about Twilight.  Which is fortunate, because Danielle brought me fanfic where Edward is madly in love with Sarah Palin before Bella, which led to finding this amazing explanation of Twilight (complete with pictures!), composed by the same author.  The analysis of the books is especially enjoyable if you detest Twilight.  While I pretty much agree with everything said, I can't help myself from loving Edward Cullen.  It's a curse.  I give up.  

Please note...

My computer (you know, the thing that was rumored to be fixed by now) is dead as a doorknob still. Just wanted to keep you in the loop. I'm looking into getting a Mac, because I am so over the cruddiness that is PC. Anyway, that should be this weekend. Yay! After I finish all the homework that is due this weekend (oh, who am I kidding? Probably instead of doing my homework...), I'll post some of the Throwback Reviews I've got brewing. I have 4 (count 'em FOUR) old school reads checked out and I'm halfway through the stack. To commemorate my new computer, I will post a Throwback Review everyday for a week. Every. Day. It's like your birthday, but better.

¿¿¿It's National Punctuation Day???

AND NO ONE TOLD ME!?!?! Goodness. Fortunately, I was curious to find out the name of my favorite punctuation mark this afternoon. It's as if my inner grammarian knew what today was. For the record, the inverted question mark is known as the inverted question mark. No special name like tilda or ampersand. In searching for the name, Sara found this link of amazing webcomics that must be devoured in honor of this glorious day. Who knew the life of an inverted question mark was so lonely and desolate? Le sigh.

Thank you BB-Blog for keeping me well informed on things like National Punctuation Day!

New, Blues and Subterfuge

Actually, it's just news, but including the word subterfuge in a title is always exciting. Always. On with the show...

• MY COMPUTER IS GETTING FIXED!!! For reals this time. I just got word yesterday that my friend is going to have it completed on SUNDAY!!! To make up for lost time, I will probably post like wild fire. Happiness.
• I broke down, Danielle. I read fanfiction. Sigh. It wasn't amazing, but I did it. This story wasn't so bad, but then again, it's Twilight so I'm allowing for lots of painful storytelling because I'm addicted. Do they all ask for reviews before they post new chapters? Because that's annoying.
• On that note, I promise you all no Twilight references for two whole weeks. Unless there is breaking news (obvi). Even if I stumble onto something amazing, I will save it as a draft and publish it all at once as a super-conglomerate of Twilight amazingness.
  
• Lastly, I checked out an old school book to read this weekend, so by Tuesday, you better believe your eyes will feast upon a Throwback Review.
  

Craptastic Idea

A rolling research library seems like a good idea in theory. That is, until you realize that the librarians of the collection are the student council and volunteer teachers. Students and teachers that are expected to:

• Select materials
• Catalog
  
• Maintain the collection

Excuse me? First of all, isn't cataloging annoying, tedious and tends to be complicated in the rules department? I'm pretty sure I remember having at least one nervous breakdown during my cataloging course (but then again, that could be a result of the teaching style). Either way, cataloging is an area of librarianship that many seek excessive distance, so how would students be experienced enough in their short 13 years to do it?

This library is an enormous blow to school librarians in the state of New Jersey. If the department of education for NJ did not make such stringent guidelines for which classes I am required to take in order to be a media specialist, I would imagine them unaware of what it takes to be an effective school librarian, but they did. They are aware of the education process that churns out librarians, and yet they anticipate teachers and children to be able to do our job? Excuse me, what?

Oh no he didn't...

Things overheard at the Children's Ref. desk:

A colleague to a girl that tripped down the stairs: "You're clumsy. That's why you shouldn't walk like that. You're going to fall, 'cause you're clumsy and I'm gonna have to laugh at you. Unless you're really hurt... then I'm going to the office to laugh at you."

Because I have no life...

...I bring you even more Growing Up Cullen. Here is a quote from this thread:

oxymoronassoc: I DO NOT THINK THAT WOULD REMOVE THE STICK FROM HER POSTERIOR
saint_renegade: LOOK AT HER BEHIND, IT IS CLEARLY STICK FREE

More Growing up Cullen for the kids

Here is a quote from the Growing up Cullen thread that is physically preventing me from doing my Learning Theory homework. And when I say physically preventing, I mean I'm a dirty, dirty procrastinator.

oxymoronassoc: I BET HE [Edward] GOES SHOPPING WITH ALICE
oxymoronassoc: AND IS A PICKY LITTLE BITCH
oxymoronassoc: AND EMMETT IS LIKE BRO JUST BUY A SHIRT
oxymoronassoc: THE GAME IS ON A FOUR
oxymoronassoc: I GOTTA GET HOME FOR THE GAME
oxymoronassoc: and alice is like THEY LOSE
oxymoronassoc: AND EMMETT IS LIKE "fUCK YOU ALICE FUCK YOU"

I haven't quite crossed over into reading full blown fan fiction, but this is absolutely ridiculous. It also encourages me to never leave my Twilight bubble and prevents me from reading new books. As I'm going to pretend to be a real blogger next week and convince people it's a good idea to read this, I DO plan on reading something for a Throwback Review. But, I might just end up reading more Growing up Cullen. Who knows?

Midnight Sun

Oops! I almost forgot to supply you with a link chock full of literary crack (i.e., Midnight Sun). I've never done crack--nor do I aim to ever attempt such a feat--but from what I hear, reading the Twilight Saga is pretty close. :) The women at Borders agree with me, so you know it's true (though, I'm doubtful they've smoked crack, so who really knows?).

Love!

I wanted to post in this as much as possible, now that my schedule and the Rutgers library schedule have some coexisting timeslots, but I am way too obsessed with reading the Midnight Sun partial draft. I stopped after chapter four to give a shout out to this amazing Twilight amazingness that Danielle sent my way. Effectively, until I get over this Twilight stage of my life, Danielle might as well write this darn thing.

Without further ado, Growing Up Cullen. Ah-mazing. This is the only one I've read thus far, but I've got others bookmarked. As I go through it, if it's just as ridiculous as this one (which it probably will be), you better believe you'll get the link!

Fabuloso Flemington!

The NJASL listserve sprinkled my inbox with this piece of news. Long story short, my high school IMC (Central-speak for library) is one of 15 public and school libraries to be awarded with YALSA's YA Galley. Their book club, the Bookworms, is rewarded with advance copies from the publisher to review. Good job, Central!

Ungrateful little fuckwit

I am jacking materials directly from an email my friend Danielle sent because OMG this is amazing. You NEED to check this video out, whether or not you read Twilight, because this chick is ridic (though she does give some spoilers. Don't worry, she lets you know when they are coming).

Embed isn't liking me right now, so click here.

Also, this quote from Robert Pattinson:

“When you read the book, it’s like, ‘Edward Cullen was so beautiful I creamed myself.’ I mean, every line is like that. He’s the most ridiculous person who’s so amazing at everything. I think a lot of actors tried to play that aspect. I just couldn’t do that. And the more I read the script, the more I hated this guy, so that’s how I played him, as a manic-depressive who hates himself. Plus, he’s a 108 year-old virgin so he’s obviously got some issues there.”

As to why he decided to make this movie... idk--all I know is he is making the afformentioned creaming statement much easier than if some other actor played the same role. Thank you, Robert Pattinson, thank you.

Speaking of Zenon...

...check this video out.

Need a moment?

Forever a student, New Year's might as well start on Labor Day, as the beginning of the school year seems a better time than any to reflect on the previous year and all the changes that took place in my life. Said reflection led me to the following statement: last year was a suckfest major and I'm quite glad for it.

Crazy girl say what? Let me paint you a picture, and perhaps you'll see what I mean. Fresh from Rutgers undergraduate, I thought I'd experience something rather similar to any other year at Rutgers because I was living on the same campus and commuting to College Ave again. Wrong. I was not prepared for the adjustment period required for my brain to get used to all the work that stretched on forever, which ultimately led to the inability to concentrate for more than a paragraph of at a time. Not to mention the ridiculous amounts of reading assigned, that made my senior seminar on 18th century travel narratives seem like a cakewalk. It took far too long to get all my homework done, and even then, I opted to shove everything off for the last minute and read all the books for Materials for Children instead because it didn't rupture my brain.

Above all, I wasn't in a place to conceive how alone I would feel. I moved into a house filled with cliquey and pretentious people that preferred to reminisce on the good times of 2007 than experience the here and now (or what was the here and now). That is not to say that I didn't become friends with some of those housemates, but it sure as hell didn't happen for at least two months. In fact, I think that outside of Johanna, it didn't happen until Jim and I broke up for a hot second (an event which brought about even more loneliness, of a different variety). At school it seemed like everyone around me was branching off into tightly knit little groups; groups that if I attempted to penetrate I was met with cold stares and awkward pauses. And don't even get me started on the public library's social politics.

I know what you're thinking. I said I was glad last year sucked. Well, I am. If not for the months of coming home and crying at the evilness of library school and the weeks before I made friends, I wouldn't appreciate the wonderful people that seem to think I'm as awesome as I find them. I wouldn't be able to breeze through subjects like cataloging with an A, if not for that first semester of crap. Not to get all TV movie on you, but my brain and compassion have expanded immensely as a result of all that crud. Every single person that lives on the first and second floors of my house now are brand new students to Rutgers. After remembering how desolate my first months in the OG house were, how could I sequester myself off from these new people? I have instantly bonded with many of them and am very optomistic for the upcoming year. Thank you last year for draining my soul. Apparently I wouldn't have room for all this good stuff if not for that.

P.s. Yes, there is a Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century reference in this post. You didn't dream it due to missing quality Disney Channel original movies of yesteryear. Oh Zenon, how I miss you so...

Graphic Novel Knowledge

I joined a whole slew of listserves a while back and soon they devoured my inbox. I have since quit all but one and still have thousands of backlogged emails from that short stint. I stayed on GNLIB, because I know nothing about graphic novels and I'm realizing more and more I need to. Usually, I have to weed through endless arguments that don't seem to matter to me personally or make much sense, but today I stumbled across a gem. Someone posted the article, Drawing Power, by Bob Thompson which features everything I could have wanted to know about graphic novels and more, detailing what they are, what they represent and what they can become. It is lengthy, but definitely worth checking out. Here is a brief list summing up what you can find on each of the five pages:

1. Introductions/expectations
2. Scott McCloud's quotation on what makes a graphic novel
3. Mouly Spiegelman and the early days of graphic novels
4. Discussion of up-and-coming ToonBooks
5. A whole bunch of other gloriousness I won't summarize because I'm evil and making you check it out if you're interested!
   

One of my favorite quotes comes from Scott McCloud, on page two of the article:

"What they are is a publishing shorthand that says: big fat comic with a spine -- and people get that." --Scott McCloud on the term graphic novel

Five pages of an online article may be a bit much for your time budget, so you can check out the highlights in comic form. Some of the text is a verbatim quote from the article. You can access three out of the four strips without registration, but it requires registration to view the first for some unknown and probably idiotic reason. However, if you can, I highly recommend reading both, the prose and comic versions of this article as they are equally enjoyable!

• Strip One: The Medium is Booming
  
• Strip Two: Raw Beginnings
  
• Strip Three: Gaining Steam
  
• Strip Four: Picture the Possibilites

Home Run Strikes Out

Home Run claims to be a story about Babe Ruth, but it is more Babe Ruth than story. This is on the summer reading list for 3rd graders, and I am struggling to find a reason why. The illustrations are great and imaginative and all that, but that is all this book has going for it. Yesterday, two kids tried to fill out their story map graphic organizers for this tale and were unable to figure out a problem, and in turn, the solution section. I took the book and read through it, then had the children's librarian read through it and neither of us could find a problem either. The book literally might as well say:

Babe Ruth was awesome (turn the page)
Babe Ruth was awesome (turn the page)
Babe Ruth was awesome...

I'm sorry, but I need a little something more with my summer reading, I don't know about you.

Man in the Ceiling

Alright kids, it's that time again. This time, I went way back in the day to 1993 for a gem called The Man in the Ceiling by Jules Feiffer. This middle grade novel integrated graphics into the narrative before Hugo even dreamed of inventing anything. Young Jimmy wants nothing more from the world than to be a great cartoonist one day and have his father admire his brilliant comic strips. However, his father has no time for artistic types and Jimmy is challenged in the hand-drawing department. Schoolyard faux-friendships, sibling squabbles and a wayward uncle, amongst other various aspects of Jimmy's life, are introduced separately as the chapters progress. During the first handful of chapters, it seemed like each was a window into different vignettes of childhood for Jimmy, but they weave together into a cohesive storyline, one topic relating and referring back to the other.

The narration is delightful and often reminds you that the author is telling the story about Jimmy without being obvious or too demanding of the reader. My favorite example is on page 31, where the author comments on his own writing by saying,

"Now, I could take up the next five pages telling you what Lisi said, and it would be printed in capital letters to show how loud she said it, but you'd get bored reading the same lines over and over, so what's the point? However, I'll give you some examples: 'I ASKED YOU FOR ONE SIMPLE FAVOR...'"

Other great examples are on pages 35, 140, and 120, just to name a few. I only had qualms with one sentence out of the whole book, which, if you ask me, is pretty good considering most of the rubbish out there. That sentence is on page 63 and despite Art Spiegelman's reassurance on the back that this is "a book for kids without an ounce of condescension in it," this particular sentence insults the memory of the reader with a reminder of something they learned in the previous chapter. Perhaps it isn't that big of a deal, but all the same, I felt it was extra.

For reals?

Now, I am all about turning popular movies and children's shows into picture books/early readers and the like, but come on. According to the Slate.com slide-show I snagged from Mo Willem's blog, movies such as The Incredible Hulk, Ironman and The Dark Knight are being turned into early readers. Early readers!!!?!?! In case you haven't heard of these movies because of that huge rock on top of your body that you call home, please feel free to visit the IMDB pages I supplied on each of those movies up there. As you can see, these movies are PG-13. In fact, The Dark Knight traumatized me so much, I refuse to accept that it is rated anything below NC-17. How are you going to turn around and make a children's book about these movies?! An EARLY READER at that. I beg you! Kids are not so oblivious that they don't see the television commercials for these movies. Even if they do not have TV, the posters, action figures and various other advertisements are going to entice them to go further than reading these "kid friendly" books.

In a slightly less incredulous note, the slide-show is both educational (boo, hiss) and enjoyable and totally worth checking out.

Summertime Computer Blues

I've decided I'm really ready for summer to be over. Here's why:

1. The children go back to school and there is some level of composed calm at the library.
2. I miss seeing my friends on a frequent basis.
   
3. My empty house is creeping me out beyond belief. Can people move in yet?
4. I'll be able to get breaks at work again instead of this conduct-a-program-then-immediately-start-reporting nonsense.
5. It will be time to stop delaying the inevitable and bring my computer down to the Geek Squad (or something like it) to fix it if they can. If not, I can sweep up one of those fancy back to school deals on a new computer.
   

Which brings me to this post's title. I am thoroughly missing having access to the Internet outside of work. Yeah, I can check my emails and whatnot, but that's not all I like to do. I like being able to boot up the computer and ponder a quick little blog post for your delight and rapture (see also: the fact that I've only composed about 3 posts this summer). I like being able to check Facebook and not worry if a supervisor is right around the corner. What's weird is, I miss Facebook applications. Who is obsessed with Facebook enough that they're sad they can't look through electronic buttons on Flair? For reals here people, my computer needs to get taken care of seven yesterdays ago.

Ri-dog-diculous

Please add the following to things I never thought I'd say in the library:

"I'm sorry, you can't have that dog in here."
"But he's sleeping."
"Yeah, but you can't have a dog in the library. You have to go outside."
---short while later---
"The dog cannot be in the library. I've already told you this."
"But... he's sleeping in my shirt. He's not doing anything."
"Fine. But if he goes to the bathroom of any sort, you are cleaning it up."
---short while later---
(dog is out of the shirt and in the stacks)
"Seriously, you need to go outside...but first I have to pet the dog."
---short while later---
(another girl walking around with the dog)
"You can't walk around the stacks with a dog" says another librarian, finally succeeding in kicking out the kids with the dog.

I'm a bad librarian, aren't I?

New (to me) Web Comic

I've indicated previously how horrible I am at Bloglines upkeep, but I have definitely been enjoying my subscription to Shelf Check. A post from 17 days ago is too good not to share. It's all tiny and junk, so if you want to check out the original (and I've checked your brainwaves, you definitely do) please don't hesitate!

Throwback Review: Regarding the Fountain

Author: Kate Klise
Publication Date: 1998

One of the reasons I enjoy being a librarian (trainee) is that I get to peddle books I heart onto kids as if they were crack. My library makes it all that much easier to push Regarding the Fountain onto children because we have about a gagillion of copies. No seriously, there are at least ten paperbacks and two or three hardcovers. It is glorious. I found this title by randomly browsing Novelist K-8 and I am so glad that I took that time to slack off from Summer Reading to do so, because this book is amazing.

After slipping in the persistent puddle located at the base of the leaky drinking fountain, principal Walter Russ seeks the creative assistance of fountain designer Florence Waters to upgrade the old model. He strictly indicates that he is only interested in a boring, run-of-the-mill fountain; yet Ms. Waters has other notions in mind, especially after consulting the fifth grade class that resides closest to the dripping fountain. Through the course of various memos, news clippings, and letters, the reader finds that there is more going on to the fountain than just a pesky puddle. Especially once the fifth grade unearths tremendous findings during their town history project revealing the real reason Spring Creek is now referred to as Dry Creek.

Because of the format, there are many delightful surprises as the plot progresses. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the inclusion of everything (and I mean everything) that might enhance the experience of this unique drinking contraption. Such as the page of text supplemented by water ballet instructions, to further illustrate the point of the text:
Genius. While there was an overabundance of illustrations, they were all splendidly executed, further evoking a whimsical atmosphere. My only real complaint with this text is that the word "principal" is used in place of "principle." That's just sloppy copy editing that taints an otherwise enjoyable book.

Throwback Review: The Westing Game

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1978)

Ellen Raskin opens the book with one of my favorite beginning paragraphs ever:

"The sun sets in the west (just about everyone knows that), but Sunset Towers faced east. Strange!"

All the sentences that follow are also very well written and fuse into an enjoyable adventure. The mysterious Mr. Westing, of Westing Paper Company fortune, passes on and names all but two of the Sunset Towers residents as the heirs and heiresses of his estate. That is to say, they are slated to win thousands, should they figure out who among the proposed inheritors murdered Mr. Westing.

In order to sniff out the murderer, Mr. Westing left behind a series of odd words to act as clues. The sixteen residents are paired off and each couple has a different set of words, which take them down many interesting paths, including right down Wall Street. As tensions rise between the heirs and heiresses, things start to go missing, several small-scale bombings litter the complex and a few end up in the nearby hospital. Yet, despite the suspenseful plot, it maintains an air of playfulness and provides several points to laugh boisterously.

Unfortunate news

A recent tragedy in the community has left me unsure if I am absolutely behind certain library procedures. One of our patrons that often rabble roused the children's room met his untimely death yesterday. While many details are still unknown, it is known that he drowned and the paramedics arrived on the scene too late to revive him.

While it is doubtful that this would not have occurred if he had permission to be in the library (due to said rabble rousing, he was banned until a parent conference or September 2008, whichever came first), it still makes one wonder. Of course certain behaviors are not and should not be tolerated in the library, but in an urban setting, it is understandable that not all children will be able to follow the rules as they are laid out. Not to make excuses for them, but for a few, upbringing and living situations do outweigh the restrictive behaviors anticipated in a library setting. Should we really push these kids out of the library, even if they are troublesome? The fact that they keep coming back indicates they feel this is a safe place. Who are we to deny them that safety, even if they are constantly causing problems? Where else do they have to go?

Summer Reading Review (SRR): Summer Reading is Killing Me! (Time Warp Trio)

Oh NB schools, you know your students well. Of course they'll read a book from the summer reading list entitled, Summer Reading is Killing Me! For those of you unfamiliar with The Time Warp Trio book series, lemme sum it up for you. For his tenth birthday, Joe's uncle gives him a very special book (which, any uncle of a ten year old should know better than to give him a book, but that's another story entirely). Unlike all the other books Joe has ever encountered, this book takes him and his two closest friends, Sam and Fred, on dangerous adventures throughout history. In order to make it home, they have to locate the book and get absorbed in an odd, green mist to get back home. Oh, yeah, and the most dastardly beings are usually in possession of The Book, making it that much harder to get home alive.

Jon Scieszka doesn't disappoint in this high-low volume. We find our heroes discussing all the things they want to do over the summer, and while they disagree about whether they should skateboard or read from the summer reading list, all three kids are in agreement that they want a break from The Book's historical vacations. Unfortunately, when the argument between Fred and Sam over boards vs. books heats up, Fred shoves the summer reading list into a random book from Joe's bookcase to put summer reading out of sight once and for all. Only trouble is, he didn't put the list in any old book. Before Joe, Fred and Sam can wonder what happens when The Book gets a hold of the summer reading list, they are sucked into the fictional Hoboken, NJ from The Hoboken Chicken Emergency courtesy of the aforementioned odd, green mist. Duhn, duhn DUHN... How will they ever get home when they are on the run from such classic bad guys like Mrs. Trunchbull and Dracula?