Speaking Volumes

Trash to Tunes

On Wednesday morning we had Dr. Dennis Waring here for his program ‘Trash to Tunes.’ He brought with him a wide array of instruments; a mouth bow, a bull roarer, a conch shell, flutes, banjo’s, drums, and more, most of them homemade. With each instrument he told us the history and uses of it and, if it was homemade, how to make one ourselves. Plus he played a variety of songs with the different instruments, in styles ranging from folk to rap. He ended the program by having kids join him in a jug-band. He was very interesting and funny, he kept the audience of kids ages 3-13 tuned in the whole time!

 Dennis playing his 'Flying V' guitar rock-n-roll style! The guitar was made from a piece of wood, some strings, and some cardboard.

Here he is playing the steel drums, made of different sized tin cans held together with tape. I'm sure some of the kids in the audience went straight home to look for their own tin cans - much to their parents delight! 

Here Dennis is helping one of our young patrons play the wash-bucket bass, made from a wash bucket, broom handle, and string. This little guy was pretty good at playing too - even though the bass was taller than he was!

I am a correspondent from the field this week. We flew out of Hartford and into Huntsville, Alabama. Since then we have traveled South to Birmingham, down to Montgomery, across to Selma and then West on to Jackson Mississippi, and still further West to Vicksburg Ms, into Louisiana, where we turned north and have traveled in to Arkansas. I am writing this from Pine Bluff, AR.

As we’ve traveled this tour of the South, I’ve thought of some of the great books I’ve read that take place here. I can see Scout on these red dirt roads. John Singer in a boarding house. I’ve seen Eudora Welty’s house in Jackson, MS, where she wrote her Pulitzer Prize wining novel. Also the house in Montgomery, AL where F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his famous tale of cover up, love and insanity staring Rosemary, Nicole and Dick. I’ve bought water at the Winn Dixie, but thankfully no dog followed me home. Books are everywhere!

Can you identify these books?

They’re all @ your library!

Alright already...I give up. How can my computer know? It's almost eerie and if I didn't know better I'd wonder who was watching. You see, it's that time of year again. The time when I try to fit my size 10 body into my size 8 bathing suit. Well, you know how it is, the results are, to say the least, disheartening. So how is it that the very day of my last bathing suit try on, I open my email and the fun site of the day from Smart Computing is one that reminds me what 200 calories of food looks like. Somehow the 8 Hershey kisses don't look as filling as what has to constitute approx. 2 1/2 apples, but I ask you, do apples taste as good as those sweet chocolate pieces? Alas, the site is a good visual reminder that I could be making better food choices.; 1/2 of a honeydew melon vs. a handful of those yummy gummy bears or a bazillion baby carrots vs. a rice krispies marshmallow treat.

Several years ago when I decided to lose some weight, my initial encouragement and help came from Eat more, weigh less : Dr. Dean Ornish's life choice program for losing weight safely while eating abundantly. This book clearly pointed out to me the quantity of food I could eat to help the full feeling if I changed my food choices. Later, another book reinforced this concept. Dr. Shapiro's picture perfect weight loss 30 day plan / Howard M. Shapiro. This one seems to have gone missing from our library but could be interlibrary loaned Dr. Shapiro asks "One measly muffin or a tableful of breads and fresh fruit?" Recently a series of books in the Eat this not that! supermarket survival guide : the no-diet weight loss solution / by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding provide a similar approach to choosing our food. Take the book as a guide to "scour the aisles to help you pick the most nutrient-packed produce, the leanest, tastiest cuts of meat, exotic cheeses that double as healthy snacks, and the best contaminant-free fish the ocean has to offer".

All great books but none quite address the issues of satiety or why I eat. Looking to those library shelves again I found these recent books which might help with the psychology of eating:

Mindless eating : why we eat more than we think / Brian Wansink.
Eating the moment : 141 mindful practices to overcome overeating one meal at a time / Pavel G. Somov.
The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite David Kessler

If back to the books doesn't help it may be back to the swimsuit racks for me. Wish me luck!

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 The cover has just been released for the next Wimpy Kid book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Dog Days (the book won’t be out until Oct 12^th). This one is about the Heffley family on their summer vacation. Take a looksie:

I just love this series. We read the first one in our book club this year. It’s really funny, a very quick read, and such an easy sell to reluctant readers. I’ve sent it home with quite a few kids already this summer. For those who have not read it, the books are “novels in cartoons,” following the ‘diary’ of middle schooler Greg Heffley. In a statement about the new book Jeff Kinney said, “I’m very excited about Dog Days, because it takes Greg out of the school setting for the first time. It’s been a lot of fun to write about the Heffley summer vacation.”

Plus…there is going to be a 'Wimpy Kid Ice Cream Truck Tour' this summer. It is coming to CT, just not close by us (New Haven and Stamford). Copy and paste the link below for details:

Some other new graphic novels to be on the look out for over the next couple months:

I heard some interesting news earlier this week… apparently Big Brother is watching! Amazon’s Kindle made news this week when they ‘recalled’ purchased e-book copies of Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984. 

 A few years ago an article in the Minnesota Women's Press, caught my eye. Glenda Martin's column, mentions The Horizontal World: Growing Up Wild in the Middle of Nowhere (available through used book stores) by Debra Marquart. Glenda states “Marquart tells about finding dimes in the most unlikely places after her father's death”. Here's my story...

Recently, while walking I spotted my dime a few steps ahead of me. An older couple a few feet to my right spotted it too and before I could pick it up the woman bent and scooped it up. As I drew nearer I said, “oh, you picked up my dime.” The man looked at me skeptically but I continued, “my dad leaves them for me.” A look passed between them and the man gruffly stated “well, if you need it so badly” even as the woman started to hand the dime to me. I laughed and said, “oh, no, you keep it please but would you let me tell you why I think it's mine.” I'm certain by now the man thought I was a lunatic and he better humor me but the woman said,”go ahead dear”. So I told her the story of seeing a letter in a magazine from a woman who felt angels were leaving her dimes in unexpected places as a reminder of her dear father who had passed away. I could understand this woman's need for connection with her father as mine had passed away quite recently and I was struggling with the loss. So I chuckled and said “ok, dad, would you leave me a dime so I know you are fine”.Within the day those shiny reminders started showing up in the strangest places. A wooded path, my seat at a restaurant, in my grocery bag, the condiment counter at McDonald's. Sometimes days will go by and then I'll think, where are you dad? and there the dime will be, right in my range of vision. Not pennies, or nickels but dimes! My husband and I have begun calling the dimes I find, A Dad! Just yesterday, walking across the grocery store parking lot, there it was; my dime, my comfort. Though some may think these dimes are only found money, I prefer to think of them as a gift from my dad.

You'll find lots of books about Spiritualism and Parapsychology beginning in the 130's of non-fiction.

Besides a slew of fiction here's a couple of of non-fiction titles specifically about angels that you'll find in our library:

Angel Letters by Sophie Burnham
A Book of Angels by Sophie Burnham
The valkyries : an encounter with angels by Paulo Coelho
Angels in America DVD

Much to my shame, it took me until a few weeks ago to take home Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. You know, the series that has turned into a pop culture phenomenon with teen girls across the country swooning. I just never really wanted to read it…and it was long…and it’s a series, with three other big thick books in it. BUT, I had to be one of the only librarians in the country who hadn’t read it, and at every book group I had this year the conversation would inevitably turn from the book we were discussing to Edward vs. Jacob. I was starting to feel out of the loop.

So, as I said, a few weeks ago I took out Twilight on audio – technically I listened to it, I didn’t ‘read’ it. And I’m actually a little nervous to put my opinion out there on this blog, but…. I didn’t like it. Sorry. Let me defend myself a little. Remember I listened, so reading it may have been a different experience, but here were my thoughts:

1. Bella seemed whiny and depressing, not special.
2. Not the books fault, but I could only picture Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson from the movie, meaning I couldn’t make up my own images in my head, one of the best reasons to read a good book.
3. Out of 11 discs it took until about disc 8 to get anywhere…I knew the Cullen’s were vampires, so 8 discs of listening to long passages about Edwards eyes really bored me.
4. All the looking at each other and smiling and grimacing and eye talk made me think that the writing was like a bad episode of MTV’s The Hills.
5.  I think Stephen King got it right when he said, “Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn.” She used an adverb at the end of almost EVERY sentence…in ways that I didn’t even know you could use them. This is what is started to sound like to me:

“She looked at him icily. He looked at her measuringly. She said blah blah blah astonishedly. He glared back beauteously…”        

Now, maybe I wouldn’t have noticed on paper, but by the 5^th disc I was cringing every time I heard one.

I’m sorry if I’m being harsh. I can see the teen girl appeal, and I actually WANT to see the movie now. I’m guessing (and hoping!) that this post will get a lot of comments. If you think I’m way off – tell me! If you think I need to read the book and the rest of the series – convince me! If you agree – let me know!

Until then, it’s just me and Stephen King against the world.

Called ‘last Grand Master of the American action adventure novel,’ author and celebrity, Clive Cussler was born today, July 15, 1931. Of course, he has name recognition for me, although I have not (yet) read his work. However, since the name was so familiar and I could picture book covers, I did a brief search online – just out of curiosity. 

   It's hard to believe but I can remember seeing fireworks when I was as young as three. They made that much of an impression on me. At first, a bit terrified by the booms, I soon was awed by their beauty. Those were the days when you could purchase real fireworks, unlike the the sparklers and fountains available today. The kind that when you lit the fuse, shot into the air, burst into a brilliant display of color and exploded with a loud boom. Mishandled fireworks caused many injuries and even deaths eventually leading to laws in many states, including Connecticut, prohibiting their sale only to licensed, professional protectionists. While once there were fireworks stands the whole route  from New Britain to Middletown, these became a thing of the past during my childhood.

I absolutely love fireworks. As the summer months approach, I await the 4th of July with trembling anticipation; the official start of the firework season. For me it starts with a trip to Riverfest in Hartford, then the following weekend finds me at Sailfest in New London (my hands down favorite display) and weekly trips to Mohegan Sun each Wednesday for their rooftop show. If there are fireworks nearby I'll be there.

A highlight of our trip to China a few years back was seeing fireworks in the country credited with their beginnings. According to George Plimpton in Fireworks: A History and Celebration, this may not be true but the Chinese did know how to use gunpowder to fire a projectile out of a barrel. Another awesome firework display takes place at Longwood Gardens, PA where music, fountains and fireworks are choreographed in a jaw-dropping performance.

Firework displays have come a long way in my lifetime. George Plimpton notes that old timers made the fireworks in the winter, shot them in the summer, leaving the largest for last. With that last huge band you knew that was the end of the show. Then came electronically programmed displays, changing the craft. Today, with computer synchronization, fireworks are a real art. In the US most are performed by Italian families, The Zambellis, The Rozzis and The Gruccis each perfecting their craft, keeping their secrets. Competition among these families is keen. The Grucci's alone have been in the business for 130 years. After a horrific explosion destroyed their 14 acre facility in Bellport , NY and killed two family members in 1983, The Grucci's wondered if they would continue producing and performing. They received so much mail from fans around the world encouraging them, that they are still in business today.

We are fortunate that through the sponsorship of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, The Grucci's have performed Sailfest fireworks for years. I went last night. The twenty-five minute display was spectacular, the booms, heart-pounding. I'm certain the estimated 300,000 in attendance agreed.

KABOOM!

Though there's not a great deal of material on fireworks try these from our library
Kaboom! The Sizzling story of Explosions
The Firemaker's Daughter by Philip Pullman
Music for the Royal Fireworks CD CLASSICAL HANDEL

or borrow this one Interlibrary Loan:
Fireworks: A History and Celebration by George Plimpton

Well, we've had another busy week here at the Saxton B!

Tuesday we had Rocky from the New Britain Rock Cats Baseball Team visit us for Story Time. We read some baseball stories:

Then Rocky stayed for some crafts:

Tuesday afternoon we had a blackout: 

On Wednesday we did Andy Warhol style self portraits: 

They came out AWESOME! We have some great Warhol books for kids too: 

Yesterday we had an indoor campfire. There was a tent to read in, tie dye bandannas, sleeping bag puppets, camp pictures, and of course smores!

We have a ton of great childrens books about camping....and even more books of scary stories for those who dare:

Have a great weekend - enjoy the nice weather!! 

According to Wikipedia, a most unreliable source, it was July 8, 1680 that the first confirmed tornado in America killed a servant in Cambridge, Ma. This seems highly suspect to me, as how many tornados usually show up in Cambridge? However it is confirmed by the book, The Tornado by T.P. Grazulis.

      How to build a house : a novel by / Dana Reinhardt.

  Sing them home / Stephanie Kallos.

 

   F5 : devastation, survival, and the most violent tornado outbreak of the twentieth century / Mark Levine.

All of these books and more are available @ your library!

      It seems sad to me somehow that the death of The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, June 26th, overshadowed the passing of some other celebrities this past week. Perhaps lesser known, but stars in their own right...Farrah Fawcett, Karl Malden, and one, who started life as Josephine Cottle. Cottle, better known to many as Gale Storm, died June 27th at the age of 87 (obituary at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/arts/television/30storm.html). A Queen of Comedy she shared this title with the likes of Joan Davis and Lucille Ball.

As a kid I laughed and watched her antics in the popular tv comedy My Little Margie. In the series, which aired from 1952 to 1956, Ms. Storm played the part of Margie Albright, the 21 year old daughter of Vernon Albright (Charles Farrell), an investment counselor of the firm Honeywell & Todd. Vernon, a widower and Margie resided on 5th Avenue, New York. Margie's main purpose in life was to help her father out, usually resulting in quite the opposite outcome and always with good, clean fun and humor. The show has been compared to other sitcoms of that era, I Married Joan, Life With Elizabeth, all inspired by the success of I Love Lucy. She went on to play in another series comedy, The Gale Storm Show-Oh Susanna, where she played Susanna Pomeroy, the social director of the ocean liner S.S. Ocean Queen.
 
I loved the musical theme of the show, Bows and Strings In Teasing, composed by Alexander Lazlo. That and the invariable ending when Albright would nod his head and sigh, "Well, That's my little Margie!".
 
You can find many of the old episodes on the net and can read more about Ms. Storm and sitcom series in these books:

Castleman, Harry, and Walter J. Podrazik. Harry and Walter's Favorite Shows: A Fact-Filled Opinionated Guide to the Best and Worst on TV. New York: Prentice Hall, 1989.

Mitz, Rich. The Great TV Sitcom Book. New York: Perigee, 1983.

Storm, Gale. I Ain't Down Yet. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1981.

Busy, busy, busy Saxton Bees…

We have had a lot going on at the library over the past week! Between the rainy weather driving people in and Summer Reading Programs, it seems like we’re always crowded!

Here’s a little glimpse of some things we’ve been up to:

Tails of Joy! Kids read to Therapy dogs at the library this past Saturday. It was by far one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. The dogs behaved PERFECTLY – a far cry my monster at home!

On Monday, a bunch of kids worked together to create a large version of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Turned out pretty good – we’ve got some real talented young artists here in Columbia.

Wednesday kids came by to make instruments. They worked on spin drums, rhythm sticks, and harps…I’m sure their parents were super excited to listen to the music they’d be making for the rest of the day – ha!

Today (Thurs.) we’re showing the movie Bolt –complete with popcorn.

If you missed all the fun this week you should definitely sign up for next weeks events…

Rock Cat Story Time on Tuesday.

Warhol Self Portraits on Wednesday.

INDOOR Kids Campfire on Thursday.

See you soon!

Due to circumstance often beyond my control, (such as a leaky roof the landlord wouldn't fix)  I have moved a lot! About 20 times off the top of my head, so many times that we own our own hand truck and have the ability to pack a truck down to a science.  We used to do it all ourselves, but two moves ago we decided we were too old, too sore, our stuff had multiplied too much and it wasn’t worth it.  Still, some moves have been very memorial: