AliceBakerBlog

Preschool Storytime

Today's Preschool Storytime has a timely theme: I'm Sick!  No doubt, most of the kids (and their moms and dads) can relate.  But Ms. Maria has a knack for making anything fun, even illness.  A good time was had by all. 

These are the books featured this morning:

Once Cow Coughs: A Counting Book for the Sick and Miserable by Christine Loomis

Monkey Soup by Louis Sachar

Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon by Maggie Smith.

Here's hoping there's no illness in your life, other than pretend, as in these fun books.

Andre Norton Awards

The Andre Norton Awards recognize the best recent YA Science Fiction writing, and the 2006 honorees have been announced.  So many Young Adult readers are Sci Fi fans--these awards deserve a mention.  Be sure to check into these most worthy new books.  And you don't have to be in the Young Adult demographic to enjoy them.

Magic or Madness by Justine Labarlestier

Midnighters: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Link courtesy of Kids Lit.

A Photographer's Life: 1990/2005

Last fall, in a wonderful book shop in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to look through a copy of Annie Liebovitz's gigantic photo-memoir-retrospective, A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005.  It's huge and it's odd, juxtaposing famous photos of celebrities--John and Yoko curled up together, Demi Moore naked and pregnant on the cover of Vanity Fair--with grainy family photos, including photos of Ms. Liebovitz's dying father.  It was mesmerizing, although I couldn't decide if the mesmerizarion came from the artistry and the celebrity angle, or from Ms. Liebovitz's decision to share some very personal aspects of her life and the lives of those near and dear to her, some of whom aren't around to give a thumbs up or thumbs down on the idea.

What does this sort of organization, or lack of it, say about the photographer/author and the message she wants to send?  It's an interesting question.

Powells reprints a New Republic review of the book, its contents and the thinking behind it, touching on the nature of celebrity and access to celebrity.

Lapsit Storytime

At this morning's Lapsit Storytime, Ms. Lynette is sharing stories about birds, the most colorful animals we're seeing in our Wisconsin winter landscape. 

Here are the books she is sharing with our littlest library patrons. 

Find the Bird by Cate Foley.

I Am a Bird illustrated by Tom Brannon.

Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert

On My Desk

Admit it: We all love to snoop, don't we?  On My Desk is a blog where creative types show their work areas and/or desks.  I find this sort of thing endlessly interesting.  Some people have work areas more confused than mine...

This Morning at Alice Baker Library

Wednesday, February 14, 2007.  Preschool Storytime with Ms. Maria.  Theme: Red!

Red: Seeing Red All Around Us by Sarah L. Schuette

Red is Best by Kathy Stinson

The Story of Red Rubber Ball by Constance Levy

Chick Lit Is All Around Us

This past weekend, Maureen Dowd's editorial in the New York Times lambasted the genre known as chick-lit, and described this book store experience:

Suddenly I was swimming in pink. I turned frantically from display table to display table, but I couldn’t find a novel without a pink cover. I was accosted by a sisterhood of cartoon women, sexy string beans in minis and stilettos, fashionably dashing about book covers with the requisite urban props — lattes, books, purses, shopping bags, guns and, most critically, a diamond ring. 

Maureen Dowd's columns are Premium (read: NOT FREE) content in the New York Times online but this column can be read in full here.

This sort of throwing down of the gauntlet couldn't go unchallenged and bloggers are weighing in.  Author Sarahbeth Purcell responds here in a blog called Beatrice.  Galleycat responds here.

What's your take on the whole controversy?

Kids Lit

Tasha Saecker, former Director of the Green Lake (WI) Library is now Director of the Menasha Public Library, also in Wisconsin.  But thank goodness she still is finding the tiime to blog! 

Children's literature is a subject near and dear to Tasha's heart.  Her Kids Lit blog is consistently full of news on children's literature and allied topics.  Whether it's author websites, book news or book reviews, she gets a lot of usable information out there.

I've highlighted her blog here before, and link to it fairly often, but it's worth a special mention occasionally.  Check it out, if you haven't already.

This Just In

We're pleased to be able to offer a new series of Introductory Internet Classes.  Taught by Nancy Fletcher of the WCFLS staff, these classes will cover basic computer use and simple Internet searching, in a casual and stress-free atmosphere.

The classes will be held Thursday, March 1, and Thursday, March 8, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the library.  Spaces are limited and students may register in person or by phone.

If you know anyone who's looking for an opportunity to get going on the Internet, please pass the word about these classes.  Ms. Fletcher will provide assitance for any students with hearing difficulties.  Seniors are especially encouraged to register, but the classes are open to the everyone.