Blog Post
An organized beginning?
by manz
Often the New Year brings thoughts of new beginnings, new ideas, new selves, and new stuff. We look back at what was and we think of what we’d like to accomplish in the coming year, perhaps a change in habit or lifestyle. (But don’t say the words New Year’s resolution!) Some may find themselves putting away holiday decorations and are tearing their hair out because of the abundance of “stuff” they have collected. Those storage bins are on sale at stores for a reason. If you are tired of the mess in your house there are many books that can give you ideas on how to do more with the space you have. Have a peek: Real simple, The organized home, Mission: Organization- Strategies and solutions to clear your clutter, and Organizing for your brain type: finding your own solution to managing time, paper, and stuff. They might prove helpful! Or at least if you check them out you can say you tried to be organized.
Blog Post
The Rise and Fall of a Hero
by RiponGood
Everyone know Superman came from Krypton. Few know the story of The Last Days of Krypton. Fortunately Kevin J. Anderson has written us a tale about Kal-El's parents, scientist Jor-El and historian Lara and their struggle against General Zod. Krypton is about to be destroyed and no one believes Jor-El. The android Braniac has captured Kandor, the capital city of Krypton, which gives General Zod his chance to seize control of the world. In the end Jor-El and Lara rescue their son Kal-El, by sending him into space, eventually landing on Earth.
Fast forward a few years.
Kal-El is now Superman, the Earth's greatest superhero. He has saved us multiple times from certain destruction. Can he save himself when he battles Doomsday? Find out in Roger Stern's novelization of The Death of Superman.
Blog Post
What’s A Truax? Well I’m So Glad You Asked, Let Me Tell You!
by John J. Madonna
In Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, an entrepreneur named Once-Ler sees his business grow from a one-room shop to a gigantic factory selling useless Thneeds made from tufts of chopped down Truffula Trees. The titular character, a small creature that speaks for the trees, pleads to Once-Ler to leave the trees alone, but alas and alack, the forest is destroyed and The Lorax leaves. Seuss chillingly bookends the tale in the idyllic forest-cum-wasteland with the now impoverished Once-Ler telling his story to a young man. In rare form, [Seuss, Dr">Seuss adds a real subtlety to Once-Ler as the now remorseful enemy, and doesn’t pander—does he ever?—to kids with his message. So what’s The Truax? Why it’s the hardwood flooring industry’s delightful rebuttal.
Just how does Truax measure up? Well, I imagine this is what Dr. Seuss would be like if Dr. Seuss sucked at writing and was an idiot. Harsh? Yes. False? The book’s online, read it and you tell me. Unlike The Lorax, Truax forgoes plot for merely a discussion betwixt Lumberjack (Once-Ler, but with a face) and Guardbark (The Bizarro Lorax.) In their first interaction, Guardbark, speaking for the trees, throws a hissied fit, whereas patient Lumberjack was Cucumber Boy (as in “cool as a.”) Even the animals, appearing only on Lumberjack’s half of the illustration, think Guardbark a nut. Once-Ler, despite being only a pair of disembodied hands, seems more a person than either these blokes.
The book, though, takes a surprising turn: it makes sense. The logging industry helps prevent wildfires, sets aside preserves, and even replants trees (though plenty of people deforest and don’t replant.) As Lumberjack makes sense, Guardbark gets nervous. But GB pulls out the big guns: “What about endangered species?” LJ responds, “Would anyone mind if we lost, say, a tick / That carried a germ that made the Cuddlebears sick…. How far will we go? How much will we pay? / To keep a few [creatures] from dying away?” In other words, “What about endangered species?” And Cuddlebear? Really? You’re going with Cuddlebear? Yet, this convinces Guardbark.
Guardbark, leave tree representation to The Lorax. Parents, if you don’t agree with The Lorax or Seuss, leaf through 570-599 in the Dewey numbers to find books about nature, animals, and biodiversity for your kids. Terri Birkett, author of Truax, leave the writing (and made-up animal name creating) to Dr. Seuss. In fact, just leave writing. Leave computers, pens, pencils, typewriters, crayons, markers, watercolours, everything. Don’t even write your name; just sign all your checks from the hardwood flooring industry with an X.
Post Script: Truax really bugs me.
Blog Post
American Girl goes way back to the 70's!
by StoryLaura
In the midst of a caucus cacophony, even young people may be in the mood for an election story. Meet Julie, one of the newest American Girls (who makes me feel old). In 1974 she runs for president of the student body when something unfair happens to her at school. Just like today's presidential candidates, Julie needs diligence and creative campaigning to pull off a win.
Blog Post
One Million Men and Me by Kelly Starling Lyons
by Tahira
The Million Man March took place on October 16th 1995. It was a call to all Black men in this country to make a promise to improve their communities, their families, and their lives. Seen through the eyes of a little girl, The Million Man March and Me will remind young people of what an important event this was in our nation's history.
Blog Post
George MacDonald Fraser, Flashman creator, has died
by sernabad
George MacDonald Fraser, creator of Harry Paget Flashman, that randy, rollicking swashbuckler of the British Empire in the 19th century, died of cancer on January 2.
Fraser took his character from Tom Brown’s School Days (1857), by Thomas Hughes, and ran with it for twelve Flashman adventures. The final entry in the Flashman Papers, Royal Flash, was published in 2005.
The Reavers, the last novel of Fraser who was 82 at the time of his death, will be published posthumously in April of this year.
Blog Post
The Sandman
by Cherie Lee
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Recently I started reading Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series of graphic novels. This is the story of the real Sandman, master of dreams, also known as Morpheus, Dream King, or simply, Dream. He is one of the Endless--immortal entities of which there are: Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Dispair, and Delirium (and one that fled the fold). The Sandman is closest with his sister Death who is a very lovable character in spite of (or perhaps because of?) her job.
Blog Post
The classic coming of age story
by Maxine
It was on December 29, 1916 that James Joyce published his first novel, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. The book was originally serialized by Ezra Pound in the periodical, The Egoist. Semi-autobiographical, the novel describes the early years of Joyce's alter ego, Stephen Dedalus. The first section is written in childlike language reflecting Stephen's early years, moving on to the final fifth section where he uses his stream-of-consciousness style. This technique has since become an established writing tool used to evoke a rich interior monologue.
Blog Post
The same but different
by RiponGood
After reading the Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks wrote The Sword of Shannara. The story follows Shea Ohmsford's adventures to recover the Sword of Shannara and defeat the evil Warlock Lord. The story shares many elements of Middle Earth, but takes place on a alternate world in the distant future, after the downfall of the high tech society. Published in 1977, this was the fantasy novel to ever to appear on the New York Times bestseller list.
Blog Post
Sancho's Sense of Snow
by Sancho Panza
The cooperative inhabitants of Ann Arbor have banded together to produce quite a few useful lists on ArborWiki; birthday deals, free WiFi spots (that bar at the bowling alley has wireless!) and free stuff (featuring the one-and-only AADL, of course!) to name a few. So, in the spirit of the pitiful amount of snow currently accumulating outdoors, check out their list of places to go sledding in Ann Arbor. Given that it’s not supposed to amount to much out there just yet, perhaps a few snowy books are more in order: my favorite is Snow by Uri Shulevitz; tiny people with red noses and softly falling flakes… it’s enough to make me run out to Zingerman’s for hot cocoa!