Review – The Comeback Season

Once again the Chicago Cubs have broken hearts and seemingly handed a winning season away to the wind.  Oh, the disappointment; oh, the hurt; oh, the pain.  For what all true fans know is more than just a game.

So very much like the game of life as related by Jennifer E. Smith in her first novel, The Comeback Season.

The Comeback Season author Jennifer E. Smith is interviewed on The First Book.

The story of Ryan and Nick as they struggle to learn about life and loss is forever aligned when they both skip school to catch the Cubbies game.  Not just any game but the magical opening day in April at Wrigley Field.  Their trials, much like those of the historical Cubs baseball story, hold tight to bargains, curses, and hope.

But what if the one you loved wasn’t around to disappoint you any more?  What if Ryan didn’t have the bargains to blame?  What if Nick didn’t believe in some curses?  What if we, what if they, had no hope, no reason to remember, no way to hold on?

As the current Cubs hopeful season ends on a strike three and they’re out, The Comeback Season proves to us that the game of life is all about how you play it.  There is always next year, hopefully.

Ryan and Nick get my most valuable player award for knowing that there may not always be a “next year”.  They would rather cherish the deja vu than to risk never loving the magic that comes from both baseball and life.

They hope; they learn; they love for their Cubs and themselves. For just a game.  The game of life they play most beautifully.

The Comeback Season, published in 2008 by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, has been nominated as a YALSA 2009 Best Book for Young Adults.

Review – Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Please allow me to repeat myself:

“I want to know the answers to questions about ancient legends and mythical monsters, impossible fairytales and absolute truths, magic and ghost stories.

I cannot wait for Bella to help me figure those out.“

And most fantastically did Breaking Dawn deliver exactly all of that…!!

The above quote is from New Moon and was used in my review of Stephenie Meyer’s second book in the Twilight Saga. So, let’s see… did I get my answers… did I figure it out… with Bella’s help…??

Did we find answers to questions about:

Ancient Legends ? CHECK

Mythical Monsters ? CHECK

Impossible Fairytales ? CHECK

Absolute Truths ? CHECK

Magic ? CHECK

Ghost Stories ? CHECK

Well, I was so satisfied with all those answers. But also, in that review, I wondered:

With love this strong, how do you live with difficult choices? What kinds of love are the most sustaining? Can you really go home again?

Breaking Dawn helped me realize those answers as well. You sometimes get lucky with difficult choices if you are determined to make those multiples of those choices work. Sustaining love comes in so many different forms and yes… you can go (or stay at) home again.

And finally, after reading New Moon, I had noted that I loved the contrasts of hot versus cold, dark versus light, and puberty versus maturity. How abundantly all those contrasts were continued in Breaking Dawn!

Thank you Stephenie Meyer for the most happily completed book series that I have ever read. After Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse you left me desperately wanting more. I spent so much time trying to figure out what might happen next and I was so seriously wrong with my predictions.

But with the conclusion of Breaking Dawn you truly happily-ever-aftered Bella, Edward and Jacob for me and that, my dear author, left me totally satisfied and so very very happy.

Breaking Dawn is Coming…

in 1 day, and some odd hours… depending on where you live and how you intend to get your copy of Stephenie Meyer’s new release in the Twilight Saga…!!

EMBARGOED - Do not open until August 2, 2008

Just so you know, these copies, delivered today, are under lock and key, protected by snarling, fanged librarians who are SO drooling to get their own claws on them.

Twilight Portrayal – The Legend Prevails

The Legend Prevails, originally uploaded by A. Denomay. © All rights reserved

If you are a fan of Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, then stop whatever it is that you are doing and click over to flickr to enjoy this photograph made by Alexander Denomay,

A sixteen year-old fashion and conceptual photographer from Ottawa, he has not read the books… yet…;) Thankfully he was encouraged by his makeup artist and lighting assistant, Clody, who came up with the idea for this photo shoot.

I love the feeling the photo conveys. Especially the contemplation and confusion that seems to be on the model Bella’s face.

Remember, as much as you love it, Alexander’s work is © All rights reserved and may not be copied or used in any way without permission.

Check it out and see what you think… and then also see his blogspot for a behind the scenes view of the photo shoot…!!

Do You Sleeveface at Your Library?

Michael Jackson – Thriller, originally uploaded by sweetbabyboy.

Looking for the hottest family program ever for teens at your library…?? Try this neat sleeveface project!  Defined by the original Sleeveface site as “one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion”.

Invite teens to search through their parents’ and grandparents’ old LP vinyl album collections for favorite covers of popular recording artists. They need to bring any props they want to use like matching clothes and accessories. Then you provide the digital camera and upload them to your flickr account (your library has one of course…) right there on the spot…!!

Sleevefacing works best when you have several people involved so all family members can work together. You need someone to stage the shot, adjust the angle of the album or clothing, or even help hold the cover. Believe me it is a lot of fun. It took our whole family to organize these Michael Jackson and John Denver shots last weekend…!!

When you try it, link them here in the comments so we can all enjoy your show…

Try AskWhyKY.org!

Tired of wasting time searching the web? Try http://AskWhyKy.org now! It’s fast, it’s FREE, and it’s easy!

from youtube.com posted with vodpod

The Twilight Saga Continues

Team Jacob T-Shirt

Originally uploaded by littlebrownbooks

For Stephenie Meyer fans, midnight tonight signifies a most thrilling darkness with not a shred of gloom. The countdown is almost complete. Eclipse is about to be released!

As an original, self-appointed, charter member fangirl of the Twilight Saga, I am extremely thirsty for this third book in the series. First Twilight and then New Moon seduced me. Teaser quotes, such as this one, #11- “Does my being half naked bother you?”— Jacob Black, released at StephenieMeyer.com each day for the past month, have done much the same.

All of the fan sites are intensely desirous as well. Little, Brown Books has updated the Saga’s site for the occasion. A new official discussion group is open there. Who will be the first to post? Do you love Bella, Edward or Jacob the most?

Absolutely do not miss their Cullen Family Photo Album on flickr or the streaming audio playlists for Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse! There is even a trailer with code to copy and paste on your blog or MySpace.

I confess now to howling at the moon for Jacob. Although the thought of a bite from Edward sends sweet shivers deep down my spine, Jacob is my fervent fantasy! How about you – Vampire or Werewolf?

This is Your Lucky Day…!!

Harry Potter 027

Originally uploaded by Canton Public Library (MI).

Imagine walking in to find a brand new popular title just ready and waiting for you. What a lucky day that would be and what a great idea for the customers of Canton Public Library…!!

We have tossed this idea around at McCracken County Public Library and this is an solution we might just try.

An iPhone @ Your Library?

Libby wants an iPhone @ your library

Originally uploaded by circulating.

or The Mobile Librarian and Another Shock of The Culture of No

We visited the Cingular store today in anticipation of setting up a wireless phone plan for the library. For the new iPhone. So we can text. And IM. And search. And share. With mobility. With our customers. Inside and outside of their library.

We were very excited, Libby and I. The questions from other library management concerning annual costs, loss prevention and efficiency had been debated. Not resolved as of yet, but addressed we hoped completely.

Our library has never had a wireless phone plan. We have, however, budgeted for this project in our upcoming fiscal year. Our research had led us to a decision to wait before making a purchase. We waited until the new iPhones were ready to come out.

What we discovered was disappointing. According to our local Cingular representative (we have no AT&T store):

• There is no business service plan for the iPhone. Personal and family plans only will be available. Ok, we might could work with that.
• Business credit cards without individual SS#s and only tax ID accounts will not be allowed. WHAT? However would that work with reimbursements monthly to library team members willing to front and be responsible for the bill?
• One phone per person. We cannot buy five we need. We cannot buy the initial two we want to start out with. How can we be Learning 2.0 without a soft opening in-house?
• EDGE will be slow but better than dialup. This is not impressive but we had already heard that. The look on the salesman’s face as he acknowledged that fact drove the point home.
• Plans will cost approximately $20 more per phone per month than other normal personal and family plans. So we may have to reassess the budget a bit.

So now what? Of all things, I cannot imagine these limitations from Apple.

I have never owned a PC. My first computer at the library was a Mac. I operate now on my third personal Mac, an iBook G4 which followed my first, a Macintosh Perfoma, and my second, an iMac.

Our Youth Services department has an iTunes account. We are set up to broadcast from it over Airport Express in our YA Media Room. We have iPod shuffles and iPod Nanos to play with while we explore eAudio solutions for downloadable books and music for possible circulation.

And now AT&T and Apple tell us no. No. No. No.

Whatever is the world coming to, for the innovative Apple to suddenly deny the innovative library? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they already did with their iTunes Music Store. We can buy individually but not on a share plan. I remember now.

As we left, our sales rep smiled and said “See you Friday.” Even though we heart the iPhone, we sadly had to tell him “We doubt so.” sighs

Could You Have Said It Any Better…??

Phil Watch Jamie Drowned David Watch Phil Dies

Originally uploaded by circulating.

One of our new Summer Reading Book Clubs read Tell by Norah McClintock this week. We, as book discussion leaders, felt that it might be important for some of the students to express their perceptions of the book via art and poetry. Sometimes, you know, the right words get stuck in your throat or jumbled in your head when it is your turn to speak.

If this illustration by one of the students at McCracken Regional Juvenile Detention Center is any indication, I think our feelings were right.

The book clubs at the facility for at-risk teens are a follow-up to our very positive experience during last fall’s Great Stories Book Discussion Club. McCracken County Public Library has teamed with local volunteers to provide six weeks of programming at the juvenile detention center during their summer school break.