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November ReCap

Turkey Lamp from Just Because you don’t need it blog

November is gone and December has rolled in on an icy wind. We have some white stuff floating in the air just to prove winter is here. Time to hunker down by the fire or at least wrap yourself in a large blanket and read the day away. I prefer to stay in bed with the electric blanket turned to high.
I have several books lined up to read in December but first let’s finish off November.

I read eight books for personal reading.

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
2. Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy
3. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
4. My Abandoment by Peter Rock
5. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
6. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
7. Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle by David Elliot
8. A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

I haven’t reviewed them all but they were all very good. I think my favorites were #2, # 4, #5 and #6. I enjoyed reading the classically wonderful Fahrenheit 451 but I didn’t love it and the story started to drag for me. The message is an all-important one though. One of my challenges (451) finished in November and sadly I failed-I read four out of five titles. I didn’t finish my quota but thankfully they are not coming to cut out my tongue or chase me down by helicopter for not finishing. The last book I was to read for this challenge got left behind by accident at my brother’s home. Ooopsie! I did get to read several classics though-and for me that was a win so all is not lost.

I’m going to read at least this many in December to finish off other challenges and just because I want to. I like reading-what can I say…
Thank you November…I have much to be thankful for, my blessings surround me.

Happy December!!

Forge (2010) by Laurie Halse Anderson

Did you read Chains (2008) by Halse Anderson?
Oh, it was a good read! I liked it because it was a serious look at the Revolutionary War through the eyes of Isabel, a slave. What a perfect paradox: Americans fighting for their freedom from King George while enslaving Africans into intense labor.

Good Reads Summary:

In this compelling sequel to Chains, a National Book Award Finalist and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson shifts perspective from Isabel to Curzon and brings to the page the tale of what it takes for runaway slaves to forge their own paths in a world of obstacles—and in the midst of the American Revolution.
The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. In addition to the hardships of soldiering, he lives with the fear of discovery, for he is an escaped slave passing for free. And then there is Isabel, who is also at Valley Forge—against her will. She and Curzon have to sort out the tangled threads of their friendship while figuring out what stands between the two of them and true freedom.

My thoughts: I have to admit at first I was a bit disappointed with the heavy focus on Curzon and all the fighting. I missed Isabel’s character and the mystery and intrigue of the first book, but as I kept reading I enjoyed learning about the Valley Forge experience. I did not know, for example, that the soldiers had to build their own cabins in the snow. Curzon’s story follows the battles closely and they end up at Valley Forge. He is constantly tormented by some of his fellow soldiers and yet, remarkably, he manages to maintain his dignity throughout. Thankfully Isabel eventually comes back into Curzon’s life, demonstrating how tenous life is for both of them, rounding the story out nicely for me.
This is a perfect book to help young people understand the horrors of war, slavery and the importance of friendship throughout adversity. I’m now anxiously awaiting the third installment, Ashes , in Halse Anderson’s Seeds of American series.

Some books I have to really search for the perfect quote to share, not so with Halse Anderson’s work because every page has something worth sharing.

Random Quote:

The last lad was John Burns. His rude manner declared him my enemy the first time he clapped eyes on me. Burns had white skin that turned red when he was angry (a frequent condition), dirt-colored hair that never stayed tied back in a queue, and small eyes like a badger’s that were forever seeking a way to avoid work. He spat at my feet whenever I walked by. He accused me of stealing my new hat. He said the crudest kinds of things about my parents and grandparents, and he convinced the Barry brothers to join him in his foulness. (54)

Read Abby (the) Librarian”s review.
Find the author’s website and blog here-Laurie Halse Anderson
Enjoy this great article (Publishers Weekly/Shelf Talker) about a school visit

I’m an IndieBound affiliate.
Buy Forge from an IndieBound

German Pancakes

My sister-in-law made thee most delicious German pancakes for us while we were visiting over Thanksgiving. My kids loved them and she said they were easy to make so I googled and found a great recipe on a blog called Adventures in the Kitchen by Cheri. I read around a bit on her blog and found other recipes I liked so now you can find her on the right-hand side bar Food and Wine section. Thank you Cheri-I used your recipe tonight and my children ate them all up.

We did have a very relaxing holiday with my mom and two of my brothers (oldest and youngest) and their families. My youngest brother and I love to cook-a skill we attibute to both our mother and grandmother. Throughout my childhood we had Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at my grandmother’s house (over the snow and through the woods to Amity Drive we go) and she cooked up a storm. She used an old gas oven in the basement to keep up with the demandsof cooking a turkey, sweet potatoes, bread and pies for many of us. It has always been tough to get down her timing of getting everything to the table at the same time. We did it this year though between my mother, sister-in-law, brother and myself. Yeahhh, Grandma Bruch-we did it. And then we sat down and ate it (almost) all up.

The holidays of my childhood will live on through this yearly celebration but I still miss her and her cooking terribly. My grandmother was somewhat of a health nut but she was definetely a meat and potatoes women. She balanced it out with oatmeal every morning. My brother and I tend to cook more vegetarian now but we did have a 13 # locally-raised (right here in Iowa) turkey so the little ones, my husband, teenager and my oldest brother’s family would not miss the big bird. It was yummy-all of it. Yes, I tasted a little of everything. Even the dressing was worthy (thanks Mom).

Okay, I digressed from German Pancakes to our holiday time but we did have such a good celebration and it was all food-related. I didn’t blog once while gone as I just enjoyed my extended family. I hope you had a lovely holiday time as well.

Patricia Polacco's In Our Mother's House-A Celebration of Love

Published in 2009, this book is a perfect showcase of how any set of parents, be they male or female, gay, lesbian or straight can bring love to children. As a teacher I see children who need and crave that exact unconditional love good parents can provide-so many children are missing out on what joy a real family can bring. Patricia Polocco is one of my favorite authors and I’ve written before how easily she can make me tear up. This book not only makes me teary (I had to stop reading at one point and my Groovy Girl took over reading, patted my hand and said ‘it’s okay, mama’:) but it brings a very timely message to the table.

This is what the end note has to say: ” Polacco has met many children with parents just like Marmee and Meema. She saw a true need for books that celebrate these children’s wonderful, yet untraditional, families, and created this heart-warming story in their honor.”

The book begins: “When my mothers told me about how they brought me home to live with them shortly after I was born, their eyes would shine and glisten and they’d grin from ear to ear. They told me how they had walked across dry hot deserts, sailed through turbulent seas, flew over tall mountains and trekked through fierce storms just to bring me home.”

I count several sets of same-sex parents as friends (is that like saying I have lots of friends who are black?) and all provide such happy, unconditional love to their children. I wish Iowa had not ousted our judges who chose to uphold the law thus providing same-sex couples with the right to marry as U.S. citizens. I consider this the civil rights fight of our time. When will we see that love is just love and worthy of celebration. This book shares the life of one couple, two mama’s and the three children they raise together= a happy family and I’m glad Patricia Polacco made the choice to write about this controversial topic.

Find the synopsis here at Patricia’s website.
Mary Ann reviews it at Great Kid Books.
and the Children’s Book Guide talks about it too.

Linger by maggie stiefvater

What a beautiful cover, holding together a breath-taking story. I read it quickly over the course of one weekend, snuggled in my bed. Now I have to wait a long time for Forever to arrive-it will seem, well, like forever!

Good Reads Synopsis:

In Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

My thoughts:

I had no idea what Stiefvater had planned for Grace and Sam in this second installment but I hoped it wasn’t just lovey stuff. It wasn’t and in fact the direction it took was so perfect because it involved Grace’s parents, who were never around much in Shiver. Her parents, in classic parental form, decide to ban Sam from her life, which doesn’t work. Never does. All of this could be quite cheesy love stuff but in Stiefvater’s hands it is brilliantly written. Extremely poetic and one chapter leads to another and another until you’ve devoured it all.
The story, like Shiver, is told in alternating point-of-view between Grace, Sam, Cole and Isabelle, changing sometimes right in the middle of a chapter and this worked really well. I despised Cole’s character and fell more in love with Isabelle, making their attraction an interesting combination. Grace and Sam weathered their storms, but not easily and I’m now quite anxious to read Forever, #3 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls. As a former Minnesotan I can relate to the setting and think she’s portrayed the cold, the seasons and the landscape so well. If you haven’t picked up this series yet-I highly recommend it, even if your not from Minnesota.

Random Quote: ” Later, I thought of the things I could have added to the list of resolutions, things I’d wanted back before I realized what being a wolf meant for my future. Things like Write a novel and Find a band and Get a degree in obscure poetry in translation and Travel the world. It felt indulgent and fanciful to be considering those things now after reminding myself for so long that they were impossible.” (27-Sam)

Other reviews:

See Michelle Read reviews it and has some good points.

Read Presenting Lenore’s review.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

I saw it! I loved it!

We went last night at 7 with teenage boy. He sat between us so he could hold the popcorn bucket. There were scary parts and swooning parts. I didn’t realize they were breaking it up into two parts but that was okay. I liked the introspective flair to it-it wasn’t just rushing from scene to scene although there were a few times I was like, oh, hurry up and speak. There is one storytelling scene that blew our minds-we all agreed it was our favorite-it looked like paper cut-outs and puppetry combined. I thought it was inspiring and really showed the acting growth of all three major players. Luna and her father were luminescent in their secondary roles.

I haven’t had a chance to read much about it in the blogging world yet as I alternated this weekend between relaxing to get well and working. I was a little sad we didn’t see it on Thursday night but for number 6 we did go to the midnight showing with both teenagers and well, (said sheepishly) I began to nod off at some point. [My husband says my elbow slipped off the armrest]…, really?? Even though I love Harry, Ron and Hermione it was way, way past my bedtime so this time we opted for an easier viewing time for all of us.

HP Clip

post note: I realized upon further contemplation that this is the perfect HP comparison to teenagers-the feeling is moody, troubled and tangled.

Seriously Selling Books

(My organic, buy-local hero, Alice Waters)

One of my dear friends is the brains behind our (now 2nd) annual Christmas Bazaar. Last year she made me make chocolate covered pretzel sticks and cookies. This year she asked if I would be in charge of a used book sale as part of the bazaar. Well, that is right up my alley so it took about two seconds to say yes.

So here I’ve been for the last three hours, selling books at rock-bottom prices. We are a church filled with readers so the book selection is stellar-really! I have a stack right next to me of excellent titles I just couldn’t pass up. Two are cookbooks: Chez Panisse Desserts by Lindsey Remolif Shere with a preface by Alice Waters and illustrated by Wayne Thiebaud. I’m buying it because I trust Ms Waters so much but also because it has recipes like Nutmeg Geranium Ice Cream, Langues De Chat and an entire chapter on just chocolate.
The other cookbook is a spiral-bound book called Screen Cuisine with a really silly illustration on the front. I couldn’t find an image of it and I don’t have a fancy phone to snap a picture to share. I happened to browse through it and discovered it was published by the National Film Society. The list of recipes arefrom a cornucopia of famous people such as Rosemary Clooney’s Viennese Goulash, Newman’s Own Marinated Steak, Carol Burnett’s Fresh Peach Souffle and Dean Martin’s “Dean’s Chix Dish.” Wow-this is a classic. After each recipe is their “signature.” I have to buy it just for the amusement. Only at a church bazaar could you find two such amazing recipe books. My husband, of course, rolled his eyes at the amount of books I brought home! You can’t beat 50 cents a book.

This post is part of Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking. She reviewed The Wine Trials; 2011-a fantastic book about blind taste testing a variety of wines and their rankings. I know it is a useful book because I have the first edition-2008. My thoughtful husband gave it to me as a birthday and I still use it. A gift that keeps on giving! Even though I haven’t tried all the wines in my version I’d love to take a look at this newer version. Thanks Beth Fish for a great reveiw!

The Missing Chick by Valeri Gorbachev

A few years ago while shopping at Target I lost my Groovy Girl for about 8 minutes. I was terrified! I think it happens frequently to mothers out shopping. I was busy reading the label on something and she was jabbering away at me in her 5-year-old voice and I was uh-huh’ing her but my mind was elsewhere. My son was close by looking at something else when suddenly it occurred to both of us that she was no longer there and jabbering! Oh, how I suddenly missed her sweet voice. We called her name and walked around in the general area but could not spot her. When a Target employee walked by me I said “I can’t find my daughter.” I could feel my chest tighten and my thoughts were going crazy.

That feeling is brought to life so well by Mr. Gorbachev in his picture book, The Missing Chick (2009). Mother Hen is hanging her laundry on the clothes line when Mrs. Duck stops by to chat. Mother Hen says “My seven chicks are very good helpers!” Only six chicks are helping though-OH, NO! One chick is missing and Mother Hen, her neighbors, the police and firemen all help her look. Mrs. Duck eventually finds the missing chick in the laundry basket, asleep! I adore Valeri Gorbachev’s illustrations and this one is no exception. Mrs. Duck looks lovely in her polka-dot hat, dress and petticoat. Mother Hen in her apron and slippers looks so relieved when her little chick is uncovered and brought to her. Gorbachev leaves a little surprise ending that children will love to discover because they will have to find it with their eyes.

Thankfully, my little chick was located just moments away as well-not sleeping but admiring accessories in the girl’s section. She clearly stated she was just looking at the pretty purses! I felt as happy as Mother Hen did when the Target employee walked her to me. BTW: if you say to a Target employee that your child is missing they immedietely walkie talkie the front door area and lock down the store. I was freaked and grateful by how quickly the store responded!

Read Planet Esme’s blurb about The Missing Chick.
and Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast talks about Valeri’s work.

Have you ever lost track of your own little chicks?

What Should I Make?

by Nandini Nayer
illustations by Proiti Roy
(2009)

This book was originally published in India, in English and in Hindi. Neeraj’s mother is making dough, rolling it into chapatis and hands him some dough to play with. Neeraj is a cute boy with hair going everywhich way and he takes that dough, uses his imagination and makes all kinds of creatures.
“Neeraj rolled th edough back and forth, back and forth, into a long rope. At one end of the rope, he poked two tiny eyes. The other end became a pointed tail. ‘A snake! A snake!'”

Even though we never see all of Neeraj’s mother we can tell she is dressed in a flowing green sari and with bangles at her wrists. She has few lines in the book as well but they are playful as she encourages him to play with the dough. I’m happy the author choose to make the main character a boy, crossing the stereotype of girl’s helping mother’s in the kitchen.

I love the heck out of this book, especially the back section, which provides directions for making chapatis. The recipe is simple and I think we will make them some time soon.

She’s Too Fond of Books loved this book as well.

On the other end of the spectrum we read an awful picture book during storytime. The cover is attractive but it ends there. This book scared Groovy Girl right before sleeping. Should I have to preview books before bedtime? No. The illustrations are like clay puppets; think Coraline in the “other world”. The second disturbing thing was the text is scrawled in cursive. She was supposed to be reading it to me but she handed it to me and said “I can’t read that!” I said but you are learning cursive…She said “Not like that.” So I read and well, we finished it but are both unhappy for it.

The Look Book: Two siblings are bored on summer break and their mother sends them outside. Outside they see different things, in contrast.
One page:
“Ann saw a whole pie.”
Next page:
“Ian saw a pie hole.”

farther along:
“Ian saw a car get towed.”
“Ann saw a car get a toad” (picture of blood stained road after the car has passed)
“Ian saw a bird soar overhead”
“Ann saw a bird with a sore head.” ( an axe in a stump next to a chicken head, a chicken’s body running in front of Ann)
After many weird and scary homonyms they return home and tell their mother they saw nothing…there I’ve ruined the end for everyone. This is a perfect book for someone with a wry or slightly twisted sense of humor. Creative-Yes, Perfect storytime book-Nay!

The images and the text are disturbing and I’m not sure who made the decision to market this for children. Boo.
If It’s Hip, It’s Here has another take on the book.

I came home early from work, scratchy throat, monster headache. Dear Daughter made me a snack of honey toast, a chocolate kiss and a glass of rasperry-flavored Emergen-C all on a tray with a note that says she loves me. Now she is going to read to me for storytime instead of the me reading our book, Evangeline Mudd, together. I need to sleep really well tonight so I can go back to work tomorrow. I have Vick’s Vapor Rub all over me, I’ve tea’d myself with Gypsy Cold Care and I made myself some onion, garlic miso soup when I first stumbled home.

I hope it is enough to scare away the cold germies!!

It is rather nice to have my children take care of me and I did finish A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

Good things abound.