What Adrienne Thinks About That

Drumroll, Please...

2004-12-24T17:09:00.000-05:00

Well, watat.com is still very much a work in progress, but I will now be updating *that* blog instead of this one. So be sure to visit me there!

Technolo-what?

2004-12-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I've been busily working away on a new and improved blog. It *is* new, but it is also, sadly, not yet very improved. However, you can watch my progress with detached amusement at: http://www.watat.com/. Someone please try posting a comment. I'm not at all sure how that works yet, and I'd like to see....

(Okay, I understand this is a lame entry, but I've been all involved in getting the new site set up today. Perhaps you'll get something more interesting tomorrow. I have a full day, though -- DMV in the morning, work, lunch out, more work, party in the evening -- so don't hold your collective breath.)

Films That Have Something To Teach a Single Girl (Such as Myself)

2004-12-21T20:57:00.000-05:00

Thelma and Louise
It’s only okay to have sex with Brad Pitt if you don’t leave him in a room with valuables by himself. It also can’t hurt for a single girl to carry a gun, just in case she decides to go on a spontaneous crime spree due to her nearly-midlife angst.

Reality Bites
Sometimes men sleep around and profess a great deal of interest in other women as a way of dealing with their intense feelings for you. Because that makes sense. To them.

The Princess Bride
Don't agree to marry any old man that comes along, especially when there's a chance Cary Elwes might still be alive -- DUH!

Bridget Jones's Diary
You can be beautiful even if you aren't as thin as a rail, and you should never, ever wear underwear that you don't want someone else to see because – hey, you never know.

Emma
Being obnoxious can win you the man of your dreams.

10 Things I Hate About You
Being obnoxious can win you the man of your (well, in this case, most everyone’s) dreams.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Being obnoxious can win you the man of your dreams. Am I alone in sensing a theme here?

Alfie
Men aren’t really worth the bother.

Yes!

2004-12-21T20:39:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter #6 will be released on July 16 (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041221/ap_en_ot/books_here_comes_harry_26) . Yay! Happiness! Joy!

Now please excuse me while I quickly read books 1-5 again….

Lucas Drops the F-Bomb and Decides He Wants to Be Jewish

2004-12-20T22:54:00.000-05:00

The funniest thing about the f-bomb was that it was so matter-of-fact. Tammy, Ron, and I were talking about watching a movie and where we might watch it, and Lucas (my 5-year-old Godson) pipes up, “I think we should just go home and watch the f-ing movie there.” I had to put my head in my arms so he wouldn’t see how I was laughing. At least he didn’t moon us (which he did do to Tammy a couple weeks ago – where does he learn this stuff???). (Well, he’d recently heard my dad drop an f-bomb, but I don’t think (hope) he learned the mooning from my dad.)

In other news, Lucas insisted he was Jewish and informed his mother that they should start celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas, but he seemed to lose interest when Tammy told him he wasn’t going to be getting presents for both holidays.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2004-12-19T22:11:00.000-05:00

If you were expecting a story about a group of women who had an uneventful trip to the movies, you might want to consider another web site. You could take a fun quiz at Quizilla (http://www.quizilla.com/) or watch a cute little film about how much the Korean people love eggs (http://www.iloveegg.com/winopen_ani/eggsong.htm -- click on “Egg Song”). It’s probably not a good idea to read a blog written by a widow during Christmas week – a week that will begin with a court date where she will try to convince the merciless judicial system to cut her a break on one of her speeding tickets and will end with three days off of work when she will attempt in vain to catch up on her listening for the ALSC Notable Recordings Committee. No, it’s not a good idea at all.

It all started when Melissa called to tell me her husband was sick so she couldn’t go out to the movies. Two hours later, Tammy called to say she was tired and crabby and had tons of school work to do and couldn’t go out. Then, too late, I realized that my car was encased in a sheen of ice that I had to spend 20 minutes scraping in the freezing wind before I could even go anywhere, so I got to Phillips European late. I found almost everyone there (Kate was mysteriously missing. What happened to Kate? Why wasn’t she there?), but, in spite of the web site’s reassurance, which here means false claim, that they were open until midnight, the restaurant was closed. Thankfully, the lucky few who were able to brave the elements found a restaurant which provided us with a hot meal on a frigid evening. Calories were consumed and confessions about speeding sprees were made, and the group did finally make it to see A Series of Unfortunate Events at the Regal Henrietta. Sadly, their own stories proved more interesting than the film, which, while Jude Law’s narration made a certain author’s susceptible heart skip a beat or two, was only a dull reflection of Lemony Snicket’s wonderful writing.

Play the Snowball Fight Game

2004-12-18T18:26:00.000-05:00

An oldie but a goodie:

http://www.humorbomb.com/SnowFight.html

Must go party now.

My Favorite Johnny Depp Movies, In Order

2004-12-17T21:13:00.000-05:00

Chocolat
This is Johnny at his hottest, and that’s saying something.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
The whole cast was excellent in this film, and it’s a movie I can watch over and over.

A Nightmare on Elm Street
It sucks when Johnny dies, but this is a classic.

Pirates of the Caribbean
That scene where he’s on the sinking ship at the beginning is hysterical.

Don Juan DeMarco
This was a really sweet movie that didn’t annoy me. Johnny was particularly hot here, too.

Secret Window
Scary, but so worth the nightmares and anxiety.

Edward Scissorhands
The film that made me a Tim Burton fan.

Finding Neverland
Even though it made me cry. It opens in theaters today, so you all should go out and watch it. I imagine we'll see some Oscar nominations from this film.

My Own Counselor Gets Sick of Me

2004-12-16T20:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, it’s true. My grief counselor told me that she doesn’t think I need her any more. She said it’s because:

1. I am “on a good path.” (?!?)
2. I know what I need to do. (That bit’s true.)
3. I just need to go ahead and do what I know I need to do, and she can’t help me with that. (!!!)

She also said that I could call her and make another appointment at any time if I need to, but I think this all must be because that’s how boring my problems are. Every time I come in, she’s probably like, “Oh, God, it’s that neurotic (but well-dressed and attractive) Children’s Librarian again!” Sigh. And anyone can see I’m so disorganized that I didn’t even update my blog this past Tuesday (although it's nice of you all not to mention it)....

An Abbreviated List of Why I’m Glad I Work With My Friend Jason

2004-12-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

(On the Anniversary of His Promotion to Library Assistant)

1. He is taller than me and can get things from high places.
2. He is stronger than me and can move things I can’t.
3. Even though he is taller and stronger, he is wise enough to cower in fear when I threaten him with violence.
4. He often provides a good target for me to displace my anger.
5. He makes me laugh a lot, sometimes intentionally.
6. I like the way he sings and plays his guitar.
7. I like watching him tell stories, too.
8. Sometimes his cube is messier than my office. (This is funny because he’s the one with the reputation for being messy, even though he cleans his cube more frequently than I clean my office.)
9. He comes up with some pretty good ideas for programs and whatnot.

Get Involved

2004-12-13T23:30:00.000-05:00

Well, my friend Jason, who is not a regular WATAT reader, made a web site about graphic novels that he’s very proud of, so I’m linking to it:

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jpoole/gnindex.html

In the same conversation where he mentioned that maybe I could do this, he also said that he didn’t know why people read blogs. So I’m just saying that if you would like to send him e-mail to tell him why my blog is better than his web site, I’m not going to argue with you. You can contact him at: jmp_erochlibrary@yahoo.com. You could also tell him about how I’m the best Children’s Librarian you know. And that I’m always right. And that I have very pretty hair.

A Holiday Story From Lemony Snicket

2004-12-12T11:25:00.000-05:00

Read it now:

http://www.usaweekend.com/04_issues/041212/041212lemony_snicket.html

A quote:
"Miracles are like pimples, because once you start looking for them you find more than you ever dreamed you'd see, and this holiday story features any number of miracles, depending on your point of view."

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom!

The Cosmos Celebrates My Birthday

2004-12-11T15:54:00.000-05:00

Wouldn’t it be nice to see a shooting star on your birthday to get, you know, extra wishes and that whole being-in-awe-of-nature feeling? When your birthday’s during one of the biggest meteor showers of the year, you’ve got pretty good odds of seeing a shooting star. That is, of course, if you don’t screw it up by living in an area where it is always-every-single-freaking-year cloudy on your birthday. My birthday happens to be right smack in the middle of the Geminids:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/06dec_geminids.htm

I’ve seen a shooting star exactly twice on my birthday, and it looks like – shock of shocks – clouds again tonight. If it’s going to keep up with this precipitation, it should at least change over to pretty snow. Damn it.

BTW, Sagittarians rule! Here’s a list of some famous Sagittarians:

http://astrology.yahoo.com/astrology/celebrities/bysign/sagittarius

Oh, my, though, how did Britney Spears get to be a Sagittarian? That’s just alarming. And they didn’t even mention Emily Dickinson and Frank Sinatra. But still.

My Favorite Picture Books of 2004

2004-12-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
I am no authority on the Caldecott, but I would love to see this book win. Kids and adults appreciate this story of Trixie’s attempts to communicate with her parents.

Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Then again, Kevin Henkes could win the Caldecott, too.

The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle and Hanako Wakiyama
This book about a boy’s efforts to get a dog is hysterical, and I love the retro art.

Pigaroons by Arthur Geisert
I love Geisert’s use of language.

Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont and Jennifer Plecas
You’ve got to see this baby boogie-woogie.

Don’t Forget to Come Back by Robie H. Harris and Harry Bliss
The author and illustrator put a fresh face on the familiar story of a child who doesn’t want her parents to go out.

Incidentally, my Newbery reading isn’t going as quickly as it might be, so my series is morphing into “A Newbery Whenever The Heck I Feel Like It, Thank You Very Much.”

Films That Teach Us Why Children Are Scary

2004-12-09T18:43:00.000-05:00

Children of the Corn
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087050/
I, for one, am permanently traumatized by that scene with the blender or coffee grinder or whatever it was in the diner. Yuck-o.

The Exorcist
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/
Well, really, what teenager couldn’t benefit from a good exorcism?

The Grudge
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0391198/
That kid was a lot of trouble.

Halloween
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/
Even babysitting perfectly normal kids can be scary.

Hide and Seek
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382077/
Forthcoming. I think we should all go see it.

The Others
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230600/
Those poor kids weren’t just seeing dead people.

The Ring
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298130/
Young Samara needs to learn that killing people is not an acceptable solution to one’s problems, even if you are a psychotic ghost or whatever.

The Sixth Sense
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167404/
You could see poor little Haley Joel Osment thinking, “Yeah, buddy, I see bad actors, too.”

A Newbery a Day 6

2004-12-09T01:09:00.000-05:00

Here Today by Ann M. Martin
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-martin-ann.asp
I love when children’s books acknowledge the occasional complexity and difficulty and unfairness of life. Like some adults, some children prefer the simple and mostly rosy world offered in books about the Olsen twins and Nancy Drew, but other children are painfully aware that they live in a world that’s more complex and are trying to understand it. That’s why I find great comfort and joy in books like Here Today. This book focuses on an 11-year-old girl, Ellie, whose mother has dreams that are bigger than raising her family in Spectacle, New York in 1963. When her mother moves to New York City, Ellie’s family is thrown into confusion and turmoil until Ellie decides to do something about it.

Like Martin’s Newbery Honor book A Corner of the Universe, this is a quiet novel that tells a story without drawing a lot of attention to itself. Ellie is shy and withdrawn, and she observes the world around her with a keen eye. Her world is rich, and Martin tells a familiar story in a way that feels new and interesting. This book is not the best in the pack, but it’s quite good and could certainly take an honor.

A quote:
“Doris was proud of the names she had given her children: Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and Marie Curie. Most people called Albert and Marie Albert and Marie, but they shortened Eleanor to Ellie. Not Doris, though. Eleanor had been named after the wife of a president of the United States, and Doris did not want to take away from that.”

Hell

2004-12-07T16:04:00.000-05:00

I usually have a one-entry-per-day rule, but this needed to be written about. I’m on hold right now trying to get answers to some questions about my new domain (more info on this to come!). They’ve been playing some really fun swing music, and now all of a sudden they’re playing “Hell” by the Squirrel Nut Zippers (http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/squirrel_nut_zippers/audvid.jhtml). This would seem to confirm my suspicions about the true nature of technical support personnel (no offense to the Axis team, of course). Hopefully I won’t have to sell my soul to get an answer….

So Why Am I Sweating My Ass Off at the Y?

2004-12-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

There I was working my butt off on the elliptical machine at the Y (where I do most of my high-quality television viewing – i.e. reruns of Charmed) when a spot came on R News about how studies are showing that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight. You can read about it here:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/11/17/fighting.fat.ap/index.html

I don’t know why more people didn’t get right off their machines and get themselves home for some (apparently) much-needed shuteye, but perhaps it’s because they don’t like to read the captions on the news stations and didn’t really know what was going on. Not to mention there’s that whole cracklike endorphin thing that happens once you’ve been working out for a while that makes you want to keep doing it, which just goes to show how Exercise Lies.

Back to Newbery books tomorrow….

A Newbery a Day 5

2004-12-06T20:16:00.000-05:00

Ida B.: and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan
http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0060730242.asp

I have a notebook where I keep favorite quotes from books, and you can tell that I love this book because I have pages of quotes from it. When Ida B.’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ida B.’s life changes in ways she hadn’t planned for. Her mother is often sick and tired, her father has to sell some of their land, and, worst yet, she can’t be homeschooled any more and has to go to school at Ernest B. Lawson Elementary. So Ida B. makes a new plan: she makes her heart as small and hard as she can, and she decides she’ll do what she has to but she won’t enjoy it.

This is an extraordinary novel by first-time author Katherine Hannigan. Ida B. is a completely believable, precocious child dealing with some of the hardest things life can deal out, but she learns, in the end, that love and life are worth some pain – a lesson that’s been particularly important to me over the past year. The writing is poetic and wise while staying immediate and accessible. This is a definite Newbery in my book.

A quote:
“Now I don’t know why people like Ronnie keep on trying, especially with people like me who are so good at saying ‘No.’ And it almost makes me wonder if the part of his brain that had a hard time learning the times tables had a hard time learning when to take ‘No’ for an answer. Mama would say he is persistent, and many days I found that quality of his burdensome. On that particular day, however, I found his perseverance to be something I was almost grateful for, if I let myself admit it. But I couldn’t be too agreeable too quickly.”

A Newbery a Day 4

2004-12-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

So B. It by Sarah Weeks
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-weeks-sarah.asp

Heidi keeps a list of the 23 words her mother knows and uses. Her mother can’t tie shoes, doesn’t understand numbers, and loves Jujyfruits. Heidi doesn’t know where she’s from, who her family is, or even her own birthday. Their agoraphobic neighbor Bernadette helps care for them, and life is going well until an undeveloped role of film sends Heidi on a cross-country journey to solve the mystery of her and her mother’s past.

I’ve been struggling to find what I want to say about this novel. I’m not sure there are any children’s novels with an agoraphobic central character, and there are certainly precious few with a developmentally disabled central character. The writing itself is serviceable but not quite what I could call extraordinary. The book’s been popping up on Mock Newbery lists and getting starred reviews, but I don’t think it will snag a Newbery or an honor in this year’s crowd. It’s a fine novel, though, and well worth reading.

A quote:
“When she first explained it to me, I thought she said she had ‘angora phobia.’ I looked it up in M.B.F. (Man’s Best Friend), which is what we called the big Webster’s dictionary we kept on the coffee table in the living room. It said a phobia was a fear and angora was a long-haired animal, usually a goat or a rabbit. I wasn’t sure why, but when you put them together, according to Bernadette, it meant you were afraid to leave your house.”

A Newbery a Day 3

2004-12-04T11:27:00.000-05:00

Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/christopherpaulcurtis/
This was my early Newbery favorite until my friends started pointing out things like the condom on page 3 and the [I thought subtle] references to masturbation, which may make the committee feel that the book isn’t appropriate for the up-to-age-14 range. Honestly, though, what 12-14 year old doesn’t know about condoms and masturbation??? Bah.

We have several examples of excellent first-person narrations in this year’s crop of Newbery potentials, and this is one. Luther is the sort of narrator who starts talking and demands attention. He’s a 15-year-old who lives in Flint, Michigan and whose big goals are to win the science fair for the third year in a row; become America’s best-known, best-loved, and best-paid philosopher; and not piss off his slum-lord mother, the titular Sarge. The genius of Curtis’s writing is that he lets Luther’s intelligence and wit shine through while also showing the reader his blind spots. The story itself is fresh and original. Readers have never seen a mother quite like Sarge, and the setting and supporting cast feel real enough to be true. Sadly, the book is marred by a little-bit-too-easy ending, but, even so, this is a first-rate coming-of-age story.

A quote:
“I’ve learned that if you don’t write down what you’re thinking about, no matter how amazing it is you’ll forget it. I don’t like to brag, but I know I’ve had a couple of ideas that were so great and shocking that they’d’ve won the Nobel Peace Prize for Philosophy. The only problem was I didn’t write them down and by the time I got home or got out of the shower they were long gone.”

We Interrupt This Newbery Series to Bring You a Review of The Ring

2004-12-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

Of course, I’d seen parts of The Ring (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298130/) and I knew the whole storyline, but I’d never watched it all the way through, so I thought, “Hey, why not?” Here’s why not: that movie sucks. To be honest, though, it didn’t benefit from the fact I’d seen Scary Movie 3 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306047/), which parodies the film closely. In fact, the first half of the film gave me a new appreciation for Scary Movie 3, which did a nice job of pointing out the goofiness of things like Naomi Watts gratuitously running around in her black underwear (getting ready for a funeral, of course), the strange creepiness of children in horror films, the absurdity of obvious product placement, and more. The second half of The Ring did get scary, though, which I guess made it worth the effort of watching. And I did have to sleep with the hall light on.

Creepy children in horror films has become its own little subgenre. I’m anxiously awaiting the release of Hide and Seek (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382077/) in January, a film starring Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning. It’s hard to imagine cute little Dakota as creepy unless you’ve seen the previews, but they accomplish this in the way they accomplish it in all horror films: dark circles under the eyes. And, after all, it’s true that children who haven’t had enough sleep can be scary. Perhaps the dark circles invoke some kind of primal fear response like the dark or fire or heights. Since The Sixth Sense (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167404/), all the coolest creepy kids are also seeing dead people (The Ring, The Others, and, now, Hide and Seek). It’s an interesting phenomenon, and I’m glad these children don’t visit the library.

A Newbery a Day 2

2004-12-02T19:03:00.001-05:00

The Teacher’s Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck
“If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it.” Call me Ishmael, but that’s a great first sentence. And the sentences continue in that wonderful way Richard Peck has of being funny and wise at the same time. This story is told from the point of view of Russell Culver, a 15-year-old boy living in rural Indiana in 1904. Russell dreams of joining a threshing crew in the Dakotas, but when his older sister Tansy takes over the school, he finds his whole life turning upside-down.

Why should this book win an honor? Peck is a master of first-person narration, and the story flows like conversation. His characters are vivid, unique, and never quite what the reader’s expecting. Why shouldn’t it win the medal? Well, I wouldn’t be sad to see this book win, but there’s a book I love more.

A quote:
“So when you get right down to it, if you can’t hear and you can’t whup, you’re better off dead than teaching. That’s how I looked at it.”

A Newbery a Day

2004-12-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

I didn’t read much new fiction last year, and I didn’t find myself with any clear favorites for last year's Newbery Award. This year, I’ve read tons of new fiction, a lot of it has been really good, and I have all sorts of opinions about what should win. And you lucky people get to hear all about it. So with no further ado….

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
http://www.choldenko.com/
I picked this book up because I loved the title: it just begs you to open it and find out what’s going on. This diary-format novel chronicles six months in the life of Moose, a kid whose father gets a job as a guard on Alcatraz Island in 1935. At the time, the guards and their families moved to the island so the guards would always be available in the event of trouble. Moose is none-too-happy about the move, and he takes a quick dislike to his surroundings and the warden’s manipulative daughter. To complicate matters, Moose’s sister, Natalie, is different. It becomes increasingly clear through the book that she is Autistic, but there was no name for this condition at the time nor was there any sort of treatment for a child like Natalie. Moose struggles to find his place in his new life against the backdrop of the family’s struggle to do what’s best for Natalie.

I always love a book that teaches me some history while telling me a meaningful and compelling story. This book has something to say about growing up, about what it means to be normal, and about the value of letting people be who they are. It’s funny, warm, and interesting. I highly recommend reading it, and I’d be happy to see it take an honor.

A quote:
“After school, I head for South Field, thinking about Piper. What is it about her, anyway? There were plenty of annoying people at home. I stayed away from them. It’s living on a stupid island. It’s like a prison. Okay, it is a prison. There’s the problem right there.”

In Which Our Heroine Gets a Speeding Ticket and Visits West Virginia

2004-11-30T16:54:00.000-05:00

The bad part of my trip to West Virginia was when I got a speeding ticket in Painted Post, New York (http://www.paintedpostny.com/). It may look like a quaint little community, but please remember that these are people who give poor, grieving widows speeding tickets even when said poor, grieving widows didn’t realize that the speed limit had changed back to 55 MPH. (And the officer said, “Even if the speed limit was 65, you were still speeding.” Me, “Oh. Sorry.”)

But let’s forget about that Bad Man and concentrate on the fun parts:

Berkeley Springs: The Country’s First Spa (http://www.berkeleysprings.com/)
Yes, you, too can bathe in hot mineral waters and get a massage at a place George Washington frequented. The baths and massages were great, and the town is wonderful. You can visit the Ice House Artist Co-Op (http://www.icehouseartistsco-op.com/), a very cool gallery of locally-produced art. There are a bunch of other very cool places to spend your money, and I highly recommend eating at Tari’s (http://www.tariscafe.com/), where you can enjoy wonderfully creative – and healthy! – food and check out more local art.

The Belle Boyd House (http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/13753/places/15683/)
Talk about a feminist – this woman rocked!

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (http://www.nps.gov/hafe/home.htm)
I didn’t quite know this place existed before I went there, and I was sorry I didn’t have more time to explore it. The landscape is beautiful, and there’s a lot of historical stuff my friend Tammy would appreciate more than I did. We also visited the headquarters for the Appalachian Trail Conference (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/), which was a really interesting and fun place.

Vacation! :)

2004-11-25T22:21:00.000-05:00

I'll be traveling from Nov. 26-29, and I don't anticipate updating the blog. I'll be back next week, though, with my highly-anticipated "Newbery a Day" series that will explore some of this year's potential Newbery Award titles. If you just can't wait to hear what some of the potentials might be, check out these lists that organizations are using to hold Mock Newbery discussions:

http://www.tempe.gov/library/youth/mock.htm

http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/children/newbery_current.html

http://www.lori.ri.gov/youthserv/newbery.php

So, you know, get reading!

Why I’m Thankful for Being a Children’s Librarian at the Webster Public Library

2004-11-25T13:19:00.000-05:00

1. People act like it’s normal when I wear things like my red feather boa, my slippers, or my Cat in the Hat Costume. They even encourage me.
2. I have many opportunities to share my solicited and unsolicited opinions.
3. I have access to a wide array of office supplies, including post-it notes in many sizes and colors.
4. Sometimes I get to make crafts with glitter and wiggle eyes and tacky glue.
5. Children appreciate details, such as my favorite bright pink nail polish.
6. The books in the Children’s Room have lots of pretty pictures.
7. In my work, I routinely use phrases such as “You rock” and “That’s cool.”
8. I have lots of puppets to use in story times and at meetings.
9. As head of the department, I’m pretty much like a queen.
10. Kids make me feel tall. (This is especially important because my staff makes me feel short.)
11. I can sing “The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” as often as I like.
12. When I do my job well, kids give me presents and hugs.
13. There is no sex in the Children’s Room. (That’s why we have a Teen Lounge.)
14. Most people think I’m sweet and nice.
15. I can buy great librarian novelty merchandise at: http://www.teasecatalog.com/. (You can, too!)

My Favorite Public Service Announcement Busts-a Rhyme

2004-11-24T18:44:00.000-05:00

Not everyone has a favorite PSA, but I do. It’s called “We’re Not Candy” and teaches children about the potential dangers of prescription medication. Sadly, this file moves around a lot, and I can’t seem to find the corresponding video. I used to catch it on channel 11 out of New York when I was a kid, and I had all the words memorized when I was about 7. Take a listen at:

http://www.chrisdiclerico.com/files/candy.au

Interestingly enough, Busta Rhymes (or whoever’s writing for him) is also a fan. (Listen, if you dare: http://www.rapnewsdirect.com/Videos/Busta.Rhymes/Dangerous/; read lyrics, again, if you dare: http://www.ewsonline.com/music/busta/lyrdang.htm.) I’m not a Busta fan, but I must admit it’s a clever little use of the PSA lyrics. I wonder if he had to get permission to use them???

Why Watching Star Wars Fan Films is Better Than Cleaning Out the Litter Box

2004-11-23T07:17:00.000-05:00

If you haven’t already been watching Star Wars fan films for several years, you have a lot of catching up to do. The joy of fan films is that they’re a.) short, b.) low-budget, c.) funny, and d.) a great way to waste time. Here are my favorites:

Troops (http://www.theforce.net/theater/shortfilms/troops/)
Find out what *really* happened to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru.

Wookie (http://theforce.net/theater/musicvideos/wookie/index.shtml)
and
Jabba on the Dais (http://theforce.net/theater/musicvideos/dais/index.shtml)
Parody music videos.

House Wars (http://www.theforce.net/theater/shortfilms/housewars/index.shtml)
Star Wars meets Real World.

Pink Five (http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/content/pink5)
and
Pink Five Strikes Back (http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/content/pink5_strikes)
A valley girl learns about the force.

And I don’t want to hear about any of you watching these at work while you’re supposed to be doing something important like helping customers or embezzling funds.

My Favorite Web Comic, Part 2

2004-11-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

Why I Love Unshelved (http://www.unshelved.com/):

1. It takes place in a library (the fictional and wonderfully named Mallville Public Library).
2. You can have the comic sent to your e-mail every day.
3. The main character, Dewey, is sort of my hero (http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20040319, http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20040305, http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20040205).
4. The Children’s Librarian, Tamara, is sort of my hero, too (http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20040717, http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20040919).
5. I like the time they almost arrested Dewey (http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20031219).
6. The creators recognize the value of caffeine (http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20031214).
7. They clearly also appreciate high-quality television programs (http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20031118) and movies (http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20040831).
8. They have very cool merchandise (http://www.unshelved.com/store.aspx).

DVR Alert!

2004-11-21T16:35:00.000-05:00

TNT has clearly realized the powerful dramatic potential of a career in librarianship and has made a film about it. The Librarian: Quest for the Spear premieres on Sunday, December 5 (http://www.tnt.tv/Title/Display/0,5918,543783,00.html). I saw a preview while I was exercising at the Y, and I’m afraid I said (a little louder than I intended) (to no one in particular), “You’ve got to be kidding me.” (This is, perhaps, why I'm so popular at the Y.) After reading the Official Movie Web Site, I have the following observations:

1. Even in cheesy TNT movies, a man (Bob Newhart, no less) is running the library.
2. One of Noah Wyle’s fictional character’s 22 degrees had best be an MLS – no cheating with one of those degrees that doesn’t actually have the word “library” in the title.
3. I think someone from the Indiana Jones camp should consider suing TNT because I, for one, am hearing echoes.
4. Do you think the Metropolitan Public Library has any Children’s Librarian openings? Noah Wyle's cute, and we don't have *anything* nearly as cool as the Mona Lisa or Excalibur at the Webster Public Library. The best we have is the Ellison Machine... and puppets.

My Favorite Web Comic, Part 1

2004-11-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

Sockpuppet Asylum (http://www.sockpuppetasylum.com/)

This web comic follows the exploits of the main character – a former Page at a library I used to work at – and his family and friends. It’s a daily comic, but it’s probably best to check in once a week. Even Mike will tell you he’s not always what you would call timely about updating the site.

The best part about the comic is that I was once featured in it: http://www.sockpuppetasylum.com/comics/031211.html. He’s done a lot of library storylines in the past (http://www.sockpuppetasylum.com/comics/030610.html), although not so much since he sold out and went to work in the mall. He’s a fellow Buffy fan – or Spike fan, as the case may be (http://www.sockpuppetasylum.com/comics/041111.html). And I truly love his series of rejected children’s book ideas (starting here: http://www.sockpuppetasylum.com/comics/030726.html). Oh, yes, and you should note the credit given to me on Spot; just one more reason to love this comic!

Which Children's Author Wrote You?

2004-11-19T17:36:00.000-05:00

Apparently I was written by A.A. Milne, which seems appropriate, since I'm so cute and all. Which author wrote you?

http://quizilla.com/users/Dotti/quizzes/

Movies I Hate That Everyone Else Likes

2004-11-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

1. Pretty Woman - I thought this was boring.
2. Braveheart - This was even more boring.
3. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - I found myself wishing that someone would just go ahead and kill the main character. I don't think I was supposed to feel like that.
4. The Piano - They should only include full male nudity in films where the male is worth looking at.
5. Shallow Grave - Well, really, the only person I know who likes this film is my friend Tammy; nonetheless, I felt it was worth noting how much I dislike it.
6. The Last of the Mohicans - If I was that woman, I would have jumped to my death *way* sooner.

Blogging Class

2004-11-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

I'm having a lot of fun with Mary Ann Kwiatkowski at this blogging class today. :)