Learning | Ook.

Sir Terry Pratchett passed away on March 12, 2015.  Readers around the world mourn the loss of the creator of the comic fantasy Discworld series. Discworld is a flat world that rests on the backs of four elephants; those elephants, in turn, are standing on the back of a giant turtle.  If you are able to accept that premise, and even laugh at it, you would probably enjoy reading books in the Discworld series.

0504 9757 Sir Terry Pratchett,
from Steve James' photostream on Flickr.com
Some rights reserved.

 My friend, Elsbeth, pointed out that there is no need to read Discworld books in the order that they were published. It's true. Different books satirize different aspects of the real world. (There are even parodies of the fantasy genre.) Various titles spoof tourism, war, bureaucracy, prejudice, jingoism, Ancient Egypt, opera, journalism...the list goes on and on. Characters recur in subsequent books, but there are always new characters. 






For instance, there is a certain librarian in the first two books, who works for Unseen University.  He is accidentally transformed into an orangutan in the second book.  He won't allow anybody to change him back (after all, he can climb up to the highest shelves with ease.) He recurs in many of the later books. 

You'll sometimes see a piece of luggage wander into the action at the most interesting moments. It wanders around because it's made of sapient pearwood (which is magical.) It can sprout hundreds of little legs, enabling it to run away very quickly. It has multiple functions--carrying its owner's luggage, and acting as a bodyguard. In the novel Sourcery, it is described as "half luggage, half homicidal maniac." (Note: SSJCPL no longer has any copies of Sourcery in its catalog. You'll need to get it from Link+.)

Pyramids, Discworld #7, from
 sdoble's photostream on Flickr.com.
Some rights reserved.

It seems as though there's a guild for everything in Ankh-Morpork, the large, bustling city that provides a setting in many of the Discworld books. 

There's even a guild for assassins. Here's a nice, juicy quote about the members of that guild, from Pyramids: 

"All assassins had a full-length mirror in their rooms, because it would be a terrible insult to anyone to kill them when you were badly dressed."

Pyramids is a good book to start with, if you haven't read anything else about Discworld.

"Pratchett is my hero..."
 from Robert N's photostream on Flickr.com.
Some rights reserved.

Most of Pratchett's books were written for an adult audience, but there is also a series for children ages 8 and up, called the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy.

Pratchett wrote a number of books for a teen audience. I am especially partial to the Tiffany Aching series.  You'll want to read those in order, to follow Tiffany's progress as she grows up; start with The Wee Free Men.



You may be wondering about the title of this blog post. When the Librarian at Unseen University became an orangutan, he lost all speech, except for "ook," and the occasional "eek." He communicates remarkably well, using different inflections for "ook." It might be "ook?" or "ook!" or "oooooook!"

Learning | You say Biro, I say Bic

I had to look up the word biro last week. I saw it in an eBook, as part of the description of the items on a desk. (I wish I could remember which book, but I read several eBooks around that time.)  

Anyway, I learned that biro is a word for a ball point pen in the United Kingdom.  Biro was a brand name, that came to be used for all ball point pens.  You know; like how we have a tendency to refer to all facial tissues by the brand name of Kleenex.  

Insist on genuine Biro (cropped) from John Lord's photostream on Flickr.com. Some rights reserved.

As I already said, I can't remember which of the eBooks I read last week had the word biro in it. But I can wholeheartedly recommend one of those books, if you are looking for a scary story for a student in grades 5-8. 

That book is Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. I read it when it was first published, in 2008, but it was so good, that I read it all over again in eBook form. I just might read it again some day. It's about a little boy named Nobody Owens, who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. My co-worker, Amy, pointed out the similarity to Mowgli, who was raised by wild animals in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Neil Gaiman recommends that his readers also read The Jungle Book.

If you decide to read, or reread, The Graveyard Book, keep your eyes peeled for the possible use of the word biro. Let me know if you see it.

4 Kids | Creepy Reading

It's October, and you know what that means: time for some creepy reading. Get into the Halloween spirit and read some scary books...if you dare!

 

Every October I like to check out tons of books. Ok, well maybe 25, since that's the limit at the library....seriously! Can you believe it? You can check out 25 books for free with a library card!!! Wow!

 

Anyway. Back to the creepy books. Here's what I'm reading now. Join me...if you're brave enough.

 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Yes, I blogged about this book a while ago when I checked it out. I started it, and got just a tad bit freaked out (truth be told). But darn it's good. And I'm going to find the strength and bravery to finish it. Don't judge me for being scared. C'mon. Bod (short for Nobody) is being raised in a graveyard by ghosts! So you're thinking: get out of the graveyard! Right? Wrong! If Bod leaves the protection of the graveyard, he will most likely come under attack by Jack, the man who killed his entire family. Ok. I'm going to finish this one -- during the day, with lots of lights on. Join me, will you?

 

So if you're in the mood for a creepy read, here are a couple of oldies but goodies.

 

Skellig by David Almond. So Michael is pretty excited about moving into a new house. But then things change. His baby sister gets sick, and his parents are always away tending to her. So he ventures into the garage where he finds something -- a man? a beast? who knows? Michael's life quickly changes. This is a mystery, and it quite scared me. But it's also the story of friendship. I highly recommend it.

 

Now for the very brave among you, gentle readers, might I suggest a collection of scary stories: Favorite Scary Stories of American Children. While the Library has lots of scary story collections, this one is my absolute favorite because it has my absolute favorite scary story: "The Red Velvet Ribbon." Yikes. It scares me just to think about it.






So there you have it. Some creepy reading just in time for Halloween.

Read if you dare....

Teens Only | True Confessions

Yes, you read that title correctly. This is true confessions time. I feel like I've been harboring a deep, dark secret for too long. It's time to let it out and move past it....if I can. And you, gentle readers and dear friends, are the comfortable place I have chosen to unburden myself.

Here is my true confession: I am a book addict.

Yes, some of you might think you are also addicted to books...and reading. But you must understand: I have it bad. Really bad.

First of all, I don't read one book at a time. Oh no. I have at least 4 books going at the any given time. You'll find these books strewn throughout my house. Right now I'm reading Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarre, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Witness by Karen Hesse, and The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers. 

Oh dear. That's 5 books, isn't it. See how bad I am?

Other life problems that arise from this, my book addiction: Laundry. Oh, I can start a load of laundry just fine. Sometimes I even remember to put it in the dryer. But then I see a book just lying there, and I pick it up. And I start reading. And reading. And pretty soon I realize that hours have passed. And the laundry in the dryer? Oh I've forgotten all about that. I told you. I'm addicted to books.

In addition to the 4 (or 5) books I have going at the same time -- in my house -- there is usually a book in my purse too. In fact, I had this really great purse I just loved. Then one day, the strap just broke. I was pretty bummed, and started considering whether that purse was poorly made. But then I looked inside. I had 3 books in there. I'm thinking now that was too many for the little purse strap to bear. Now I just carry one book in my purse. But I've got one in my car trunk and a few under my desk at work. Just in case.

Sometimes I get so caught up in a book I forget to sleep. True story. A few weekends ago I reread Nina Sankovitch's Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, which just happens to be the featured title of this year's One Book, One San Joaquin. I started rereading it around 7 pm. At 3:45 am my stomach started to growl. I wondered for a second whether I had eaten anything in a while. And then I looked at the clock. Darn. I was going to have to get some sleep. But I couldn't stop reading. So I let myself have another 30 minutes and then I went to sleep. Compromise is good. And so was that book!

Lastly. In preparation for this soul-bearing confession, I thought I would count the books I own. So these are all the books in my house, not counting the ones borrowed from the library. Just the ones I own. Total count? 896. Seriously. That's not too many, is it?

But you know what? Despite the lack of sleep and the problem with finishing laundry that this book addiction causes, I wouldn't give up my books for anything!

I love books. And I'm not too proud to admit it.

Happy Reading.

P.S. I just remembered. There's one more book I'm reading: To Stir a Movement: Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball by Jeremy Affeldt (of the San Francisco Giants). I love my Giants!

4 Kids | Turkey, Stuffing, Pie..& BOOKS!

So after the turkey has been carved and eaten, the pies have been sliced and smothered in whipped cream, and of course, after all the dishes have been washed, what in the world is there to do?

Well, let's see....

Hmmm....

I know! READ A BOOK! Pull everyone together (young and old) and share one of these great picture books. I promise it will be a wonderful end to your Thanksgiving Day!

This first book made me laugh out loud: The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman. After the narrator swaps his Dad for two goldfish, he and his little sister embark on quite an adventure to try and straighten things out. Please note, however: do not try this at home. Do not try to swap your Dad for goldfish. It's just not a good idea. 

This next book is a bunch of very funny, twisted fairy tales: The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka. In this book you'll find such titles as "Really Ugly Duckling," "Little Red Running Shorts," and one of my personal favorites, "The Princess and the Bowling Ball." This is another laugh-out-loud book. And if you like it as much as I think you will, look for other funny books by this author, such as The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs.

Last but not least: E-Mergency! by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer. This is the story of what happens when the most important letter in the alphabet gets a big owie. What's the most important letter in the alphabet, you ask? Let me give you a hint with this sentence from the book: "How aro you guys doing without your friond?" Do you know what letter is missing? And don't forget to check out the great illustrations. I think we'll all learn to appreciate this letter a whole lot more!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody....and Happy Reading!