Books On Film | The Mouse and The Motorcycle

This month is going to be all about the kids. I'll talk about adaptation of some children's classics, starting with Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and The Motorcycle series.

The Mouse and The Motorcycle was published in 1965 and two sequels, Runaway Ralph (1970) and Ralph S. Mouse (1982) followed. All of the books feature a small talking mouse named Ralph, who befriends human children and gets into all sorts of adventures!

The first book was adapted into feature film in 1986, the second book as an ABC Special in 1988, and the third as a feature film in 1990. They all feature a small puppet Ralph.

The movies don't follow the books to the letter, but they are a lot of fun for young kids. The features are a bit dated and you'll have to pull out your VCR to watch them, however any kid who gets a kick of out the impossible will love Ralph!

Covers courtesy of LibraryThing.

Guest Blogger | What Are You Reading? Part 1

Working the customer service desk at a public library gives me the opportunity to interact with readers of all ages.  I must admit it gives me a thrill to see young readers borrowing the same books that I loved as a child (and believe me, that was a few years ago).  Beverly Cleary's books really bring back memories, and I think anyone who has a younger sister will enjoy the Ramona series, even as an adult.

And then there are the adult readers who come to the desk in a panic stating, "I've finished reading all of the books written by my favorite authors and I need someone new, now!"  I can certainly sympathize.  There is nothing quite as horrifying as a reading drought.  

Since I read a lot of fiction, especially mystery/suspense and sci-fi/horror, I often make suggestions of authors who write in those genres.  I get a feel for who might be interested in lightweight or humorous mysteries, and who might be more into the darker, hardcore private eye type stories. 

There are also many different sub-genres within sci-fi/horror, so if a customer says they have been reading Stephen King, I might suggest Dean Koontz or F Paul Wilson.  But, if someone asks me for a new author of romantic vampire novels, they are out of luck.  Hey, vampires are supposed to be evil and bloodthirsty!

Feedback on these recommendations is mixed.  Sometimes a customer lets me know that an author I suggested didn't quite meet their expectations, but I know I've been successful when a familiar face pops up at the desk and asks, "What are you reading?"

-Ginny