Book Bucket List | The World Until Yesterday

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, books by Jared Diamond were a staple on my bookshelf because they were assigned so frequently in my coursework.  (I still consider The Third Chimpanzee one of my favorite books.)  In the last few years though, I have not read nearly as much non-fiction as when I was in college, but still have a soft spot for anything anthropological.  So when I saw Diamond's The World Until Yesterday, I was eager to read it without having to write a paper.

The World Until Yesterday explores aspects of current traditional societies that would benefit the Western

world.  Diamond gives an example of this as people living in hunter gatherer societies have only extraordinarily rare rates of diabetes, compared to the high rates among the West.  Diamond is using this example as a reason why unhealthy diets are unnecessary and should be avoided.  Diamond also explores child rearing, the treatment of the elderly, and conflict resolution.  What interests me about these subjects are the reasons and processes behind the differences between modern and traditional societies.

 However, many academics have problems with this book.  Some state that Diamond only uses evidence that supports his arguments and ignores different examples as it suits him.  Other activists and members of traditional societies themselves claim that Diamond characterizes all traditional societies as violent, which is a misconception many societies are trying to fight.  Like most popular science, there are, and will always be, opposing viewpoints, but half the fun in reading it is seeing whether or not you agree.

4 Kids | Interview With a Reader

So I'm trying something a little different today. I'm interviewing a reader. And full disclosure: it's a reader I've known since the day she was born. It's my 12 year old niece, Madeline. I thought I would get Madeline's take on some great books. So here goes!

Me: What are you reading right now?

Madeline: Starlight by Erin Hunter. (That's Book 4 in Warriors: The New Prophecy series. It's the story of when the warrior cat Clans arrive at their new home and set about exploring and fighting over the unfamiliar territory.)

Me: Are you loving it, liking it, or not sure yet?

Madeline: Liking it.

Me: Do you read for fun everyday?

Madeline: Um, no.

(At this point I fainted (almost) and had to get a grip before continuing. The niece of a librarian not reading every day? What would people say? So I took a few deep breaths, and continued with the interview.)

Me: (hopefully) Every other day?

Madeline: Well, every once in a while.

(She must have heard the pain and despair in my voice. She quickly added.)

Madeline: I've been really busy raising my dog.

(Ok, truth be told, Madeline is a huge animal lover, and takes really great care of her animals. I'm going to let her slide on the not reading every day thing.)

Me: What is your favorite book ever?

Madeline: The Lost Heir by Tui Sutherland. (That's Book 2 in The Wings of Fire series. Here's the blurb from our library catalog: Overjoyed to be reunited with her fellow ocean-dwelling dragons, Tsunami the SeaWing continues efforts to end the war for Pyrrhia in spite of a dangerous assassin who is threatening all their lives.)

Me: Why is that your favorite book?

Madeline: "Number one, it has dragons. Number two, it has battles. And number three, it's about family."

Me: What's your favorite subject in school?

Madeline: History.

Me: Not English or Language Arts?

Madeline: History.

Me: Are you sure?

Madeline: History.

(I figured I needed to move on before angering my interview subject.)

Me: Off the top of your head, recommend a book to me that you think I will love. (I think I already know what the answer will be.)

Madeline: "Warriors, 1st series, book 6. I can't remember the title." (That's The Darkest Hour, by the way. And here is the blurb about this book, also from our library catalog: ThunderClan's darkest hour is upon them and Fireheart, the warrior cat, must protect his clan from a threat unlike any the forest has ever seen, as the time comes for prophecies to unfold and heroes to rise. )

(By the way, most of these books are in the teen section of the library. However, my niece isn't the first "pre-teen" who has read and loved these books. And funny thing, "Erin Hunter" is actually a pseudonym for several authors, one of whom is Tui Sutherland!)

Me: Why is reading important to you?

(I was rather thrilled that she didn't hesitate at all when answering this question.)

Madeline: It's helps me get lost, takes me out of my mind and whatever I'm thinking about. (I LOVE this answer!!)

(Worrying that she probably had animal duties to attend to, I thought I should bring this interview to a close. I already had quite a few books added to my "to read" list. I hope you do too! And I am totally looking forward to talking to her about them when I finish. But one more question.)

Me: Who's your favorite aunt?

Madeline: (giggling) That's hard to say. I can't decide.

I could have changed that last answer. I thought about it. But that's Madeline. She's so kind and so fair. And I'm so very, very proud of her.

So there you have it: recommendations from a (wonderful) 12 year old reader.

Happy Reading!

Life & Style | Word Magician

I have a love affair with words.

I have been that way since I can remember.

I am addicted to beautiful words and phrases. When I encounter one, I am lovestruck and powerless. 

The satisfaction that I get from reading a beautiful sentence is just unexplainable. No No, it is  just sublime.

I am envious of those masters who can create the most beautiful phrases in a blink of an eye. I call them word magicians.

Here is a good example written by Brene Brown.

"Believing that you are enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic."

A word magician can transform the most mundane words in to extraordinary phrases.

I love words, I love beautiful meaningful words.

I have read them in Persian, in English, in French. They are all magnificent and more powerful than the sharpest blade.

They can crush your heart one day and inspire and motivate you the next. Words are majestic and everlasting.

Words can lead us to heaven and hell. Words are what make this life journey worthwhile. 

Here are some of my loves:

"What is a rebel? A man who says no." by Albert Camus 

" In love, one and one are one." by Jean- Paul Sartre  

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." by Gandhi

"Courage is only an accumulation of small steps." by George Konrad

"Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right." by Henry Ford

And some books on this topic:
 
Words that matter : a little book of life lessons

Life : selected quotations

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha
 

 

Short Attention Span Challenge | The Seedling Starter

From Escalon to Thornton, Tracy to Linden, the Central Valley knows how to do many things well, but one thing in particular stands out to me: farming.  It cracks me up when driving down country roads I see tourists stop to take pictures near a grapevine or an almond orchard.  I guess because I grew up here I didn't really think a grape vine or an almond tree was a big deal.  The funny thing, as I have said in previous posts, is that I in no way have a green thumb.  Starting a plant from seed has been fairly impossible for me, but the farmers around here do it every year!  It really is a miracle, and maybe one I take a little bit for granted.  Whether my children decide to stay here in the Valley or move on to - dare I say it - greener pastures (though I doubt they will find any), I want my kids to understand and appreciate that they come from a region that supplies food to the entire world. We really are a small miracle!  According to this 2011 report, two-thirds of the landscape in the Delta Region consists of agriculture.  In our county's Delta region, there are nearly 215,000 acres of farmland, producing a farm gate value of approximately $558 million!  That's a lot of food!

We don't usually keep library books on the grass!

The Challenge

Show my kid how to plant a seedling the right way.  Hopefully it will be successful this time!

The Process

I will be up front with you here.  This challenge was not difficult.  However, it is a skill (and it let me spend some much needed quality time with my little one).  So, I hope you will forgive me that this blog isn't as exciting as usual (Assuming you think my blogs are interesting.  If you think they are hum-drum, and still reading them every week, then you are probably related to me---Hi Mom!).

As I mentioned in this post, part of my trouble had been that I didn't have a cold frame.  Since that issue is solved, I needed to figure out my other challenge, getting the seeds to grow.  According to both books I checked out (this one and this one), in order to germinate seeds, you can start with a plastic tray, milk containers, foam cups, a small pot, or a cardboard container and fill it with compost, peat pellets or seed starting mix.  I went to my local nursery and asked them if they ever gave away extra plastic trays that the plants are sold in.  They said yes!  So my seed starting container was free (this might be the most excited I have ever been over plastic containers).  Even though I am not supposed to get advice, the nurseryman told me to wash out the containers with a little bleach to sanitize them, since I would be using them for seeds.

Next, I purchased the seeds at our local hardware store.  There are a few ways to figure out what seeds to start with.  On the back of the seed container, there is usually a planting schedule for each particular zone.  There are two zone maps, the USDA Plant Hardiness Map, or the American Horticulture Society Plant Heat Zone Map.

AHS Heat Zone Map - Zone 8 or 9

The seeds I purchased and planted:

• Tomatoes

• Basil

• Beets (which are out of season, even though the package said otherwise-oops!)

• Carrots

• Cucumbers

• Yellow Squash

• Jalapeno Peppers

One of the books suggested I mix the planting mix with water in a bucket before planting, which I had never done before.  I used a large bucket.  I poured the water and my daughter mixed.  It was quite fun for her, I think!  One thing to note is that the soil should not be soggy, but just moist.  It would have helped if I had noticed that part before I turned on the hose.

Look at those fancy gardening shoes!

MUD!!!!

After that, we put the mix into the plastic containers.  Then, we stuck our fingers or shovel in to make a little hole, and placed in the seeds. We covered the hole with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil/compost.  After that, we put the seed tray in the cold frame we made a few weeks ago.

The Result

I don't know yet!  I will update this post when I see some or a lack of seedlings, start to sprout.  In the meantime, check out one of SSJCPL's gardening books and plant something!  
P.S. Did you notice my blog has moved to Fridays at 2 p.m.?

Book Bucket List | A Prayer for Owen Meany

A couple of weekends ago, my mother in law generously invited us over for pizza.  What we did not know, however, was that there were about thirty boxes of books in her garage she wanted us to go through to see if we wanted any.  I ended up finding some classics that belonged to my husband's Grandmother and a copy of one of my favorite books, A Prayer for Owen Meany.  I lost my copy of it a long time ago and was thrilled to find a new one.

So in my search for this book in our system, I found out that all of our copies are discarded.  HOWEVER! Because we have the Link+ system, you can still have this book shipped to you at your local library!  For Link+ information and rules...go here!

A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, follows the relationship of Owen Meany and his best friend Johnny Wheelwright throughout their entire lives.  Johnny is amazed and amused by his peculiar friend Owen, until an accident changes everything.  Owen becomes convinced that he is in some way divine, a thought which changes the course of both of their lives.

I don't want to spoil too much of this book, so I will leave it up to you if you are interested in reading it.  It is considered an American classic and one of John Irving's best works. 

Learning | Letters Come to Life

Most alphabet books follow a familiar format. They list all the letters, A to Z, and show words beginning with each letter on its own page. There's a certain comfort in the predictable order of A, B, C, D, E, and so on.  Learning the alphabet is an important pre-reading skill (what are English words made from? Letters of the alphabet!)  Learning the order of the alphabet is also an important clerical skill; it provides a means of putting things in order and finding them later.

Some alphabet books are less traditional.  The letters become characters in a story, instead of a list to memorize. Both of the books in this post feature letters who are inclined to break the rules.

A Call for a New Alphabet, by Jef Czakaj, tells a story from the point of view of a disgruntled letter X.  He sees a lot of unfairness in the alphabet. For instance, why does A always get to go first? And why can't X be at the beginning of more words? He's clearly growing tired of appearing with pictures of x-rays and xylophones.

He discusses the situation with other letters, and demands and election to create a new alphabet.  In his encounters with other letters, some spelling rules are revealed.  For instance, e and i are asked to consider how they like changing places, depending on whether c is in the word.

You'll need to read the book, to see how the letters vote on this issue. I think it's a fun learning tool for early readers, but may be a bit confusing for those who are just learning what an alphabet is.  Perhaps after they read a few dozen of our traditional alphabet books, they will be able to fully appreciate the questions X poses.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, tells a story that is almost like a song, with its rhymes and rhythms. The lowercase letters are small children who sneak out of bed to climb the coconut tree--but things don't go as planned.  They fall off of the coconut tree (hence the "boom boom" part of the title) and land in a tangled mess.  Their parents rush in to help them up and provide comfort and care.  

Lois Ehlert's brightly colored illustrations mesh perfectly with the story. It's hard to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom out loud just once. My son invariably asked for "one more time" over and over again.  It wasn't unusual to hear him chanting the story as he played with his toys. No wonder it can be found in so many classrooms and homes with preschoolers and primary grade students.

Life & Style | Short Cuts For Reluctant Readers

I confess.

I haven't read " A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. I just listened to it. I couldn't see myself reading such a long book. It was too tedious to read.

Here are my alternatives to reading:

Audio books:

I love books but some books are too boring to read. Books on CD are great alternatives. Just call us or check our Catalog to see if we carry that book on Audio.

My favorite audio books are: Paris Wife, Reading Lolita in Tehran, The road and the Harry potter series (Jim Dale the person who reads the Harry Potter series is a genius.)

We also have Playaways. Playaways are basically these stand alone players that you attach a headphone to and listen to it. Each Playaway contains one book.

These are our titles on Playaway.

You can check out books on CD or books on Playaway for three weeks.

You can also download audio books via our Overdrive site. Just make sure to have your library card number and your library pin number handy.

Get a family member to read you the book

I miss my childhood days when my parents read to me. Nowadays, story time in my household mostly consists of me reading one page to my daughter and my daughter reading the next page to me. Sometimes I trick my daughter and mis-pronounce so many words while reading that my daughter feels sorry for me and just grabs the book and continues reading it outloud for both of us. (That is how I got around not doing the laundry in my house. I wrinkled too many of my husbands' shirts that he decided to take on the task.)

These days we are reading biographies by Mike Venezia. He is a great writer and his books are full of funny illustrations.

Popular magazines

I love reading magazines. I love articles that are short and informative. I usually checkout a few and read them at home or during my lunch breaks. To be honest, sometimes, the only reading that I do is during my lunch breaks.

So if you don't like reading that much, magazines are a great alternative for staying informed about the world around you.

We have countless magazines in our libraries. You can check out up to 25 magazines and keep them for three weeks.

Watching the Movie instead of reading the book 

It works sometimes. For example, I couldn't read more than few pages of " The Host" by Stephenie Meyer but I am definitely going to watch the movie. 

I should tell you that I believe that books are always better than the movies.  

I might go and watch "World War Z" and skip reading the book as well. 

Since I am the bravest girl in our entire library system, I might take a pillow to the movie theater in order to cover my eyes whenever things get really scary on the screen.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha