Berenstain Bears

(from Thursday, October 30, 2008)

I have always enjoyed the Berenstain Bears books, especially the ones featuring the Bear Scouts, and the earlier ones in which Papa would try to teach Brother how to do something & fail miserably (ex: The Bike Lesson). To get into the Halloween spirit, I recently went back & reread Bears in the Night, The Spooky Old Tree, and The Bear Detectives: The Case of the Missing Pumpkin. I still really enjoyed the first two; I think they are fun books to introduce children to prepositions (over, under, etc.) and to reading independently . As I was reading the Case of the Missing Pumpkin I was amused by Papa's bumbling nature & his knack for getting everything wrong, until I came to the page where Papa and his dog inadvertently get caught up in a hay bale. Now I don't know, maybe I'm just extra-sensitive concerning farm accidents, but I found it a little disturbing. Give this book a look and tell me what you think!

The Poetry of Langston Hughes

from Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Today as I was searching the stacks for a class instruction session, I came across this 16 vol. set of the works of Langston Hughes. Hughes was one of the most important writers of the Harlem Renaissance; through his poetry, novels, plays, essays, and children's books, he promoted equality, condemned racism and injustice, and celebrated African American culture, humor, and spirituality. As I paged through this volume, some of the poems seemed to leap off the page at me and seemed fitting to share at this important juncture in our history. I encourage you to seek out some of his writings for yourself!



Children's Rhymes
By what sends the white kids
I ain't sent:
I know I can't be President.
What don't bug them white kids
sure bugs me:
We know everybody ain't free.
Lies written down for white folks
ain't for us a-tall:
Liberty and Justice--
Huh!--For All?


Words Like Freedom
There are words like Freedom
Sweet and wonderful to say.
On my heartstrings freedom sings
All day everyday.
There are words like Liberty
That almost make me cry.
If you had known what I know
You would know why.

To You
To sit and dream, to sit and read,
To sit and learn about the world
Outside our world of here and now--
our problem world--
To dream of vast horizons of the soul
Through dreams made whole,
Unfettered free--help me!
All you who are dreamers, too,
Help me make our world anew.
I reach out my hands to you.


--from Rampersad, A (Ed.). (2001). The collected works of Langston Hughes. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press

Diets don't work. Why not? Because they focus on what foods we should and shouldn't eat but completely ignore everything else that makes us fat. Look at your own situation: You say you want to lose weight, but you just can't stop indulging. You say you'd exercise more if only you had the time, yet you spend precious hours every night in front of the TV doing what? Munching nutrition-free snacks and drinking supersized beverages.

Who would you be if you felt at peace and had more time and money? An organized life enables you to have more freedom, less aggravation, better health, and to get more done. Whether you’re living in chaos or just looking for new ways to simplify, this essential book will help you get the whole household organized-and stay that way.

I have high hopes for both these books! Now, if I could only get motivated to act upon them....{sigh}.......

The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer

In anticipation of Ashley's birthday party, the final book in the series coming out in August, and the movie coming out in December, I recently re-read Twilight. Although these books were aimed at teenagers, I know several adults who really enjoy them, too. Yesterday I started reading the 2nd in the series: New Moon. Of course, I can't give anything away, but I'm on about page 100 and very depressed; luckily there are 400 some pages left to make things right!

P.S. Ashley & I plan on attending a release party for Breaking Dawn Aug. 1. I'm so excited!

Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It’s way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he’s well-prepared. Scaredy Squirrel’s emergency kit includes antibacterial soap, Band-Aids and a parachute. Day after day he watches and waits, and waits and watches, until one day … his worst nightmare comes true! Scaredy suddenly finds himself out of his tree, where germs, poison ivy and sharks lurk. But as Scaredy Squirrel leaps into the unknown, he discovers something really uplifting …

Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Cracker is one of the United States Army's most valuable weapons: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler. It's an utterly unique powerhouse of a book by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira.

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French

Wombats are cuddly-looking, slow-moving Australian animals. Here, in the words of one unusually articulate wombat, is the tongue-in-cheek account of a busy week; eating, sleeping, digging holes . . . and training its new neighbors, a family of humans, to produce treats on demand. This entertaining book, with its brief, humorous text and hilarious illustrations, will endear the wombat to young children, who may recognize in the determined furry creature some qualities that they share.