New Clothes for New Year's Day

Happy [Lunar] New Year! Today is the first day of the Year of the Rabbit. Hyun-Joo Bae has written and illustrated a lovely picture book called New Clothes for New Year's Day. "It's a new year, it's a new day, and it's a new morning. It's the first day for the beginning of everything," says a young Korean girl. She is excited to dress in her new clothes for making New Year's calls.

My favorite parts of this picture book are the beautiful illustrations and the end pages providing details about Lunar New Year traditions.

This translated edition was published in 2007 by Kane/Miller Book Publishers, Inc.

"I wish you good luck."

Spring Is Coming No Matter What the Groundhog Does

Folklore has it that winter will continue for six more weeks if a groundhog sees his shadow on February 2. To me, that has always seemed counterintuitive. If the sun is out to cast a shadow, shouldn't that mean warmer weather is near? But the tradition means that the groundhog is frightened by his shadow and retreats into his den to hibernate another six weeks.

Groundhog Day originated in Europe centuries ago, and is based on the ancient belief that the emergence of a hibernating creature forecast the imminent arrival of spring. When Germans settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th century, they brought the custom with them. In Europe different animals were used, including badgers and bears. Groundhogs were plentiful in Pennsylvania, so that’s the animal that got the job there.

The History Society of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania, has the earliest known record of Groundhog Day in the United States. A February 5, 1841, diary entry by Berks County, Pennsylvania, storekeeper James Morris reads:

“Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.”

Candlemas is a traditional name for the Catholic Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It is mentioned in this English poem:
As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop.

Other feasts and festivals also occur on or about February 2, including St Brigid’s Day and Imbolc. February 2 is one of the four cross-quarters of the year. A cross-quarter is a day approximately halfway between a solstice and an equinox.

Some in the past may have marked the beginning of spring when daylight made progress against night, on February 2, the cross-quarter. Others, as we do in modern times, marked spring on the Vernal Equinox, when on March 20 or 21 the sun shines on the equator, making day and night of nearly equal length worldwide. Groundhog Day may have originated as a compromise between the two beliefs.

Groundhog Day has long been popular in the United States, but the 1993 movie of the same name, filmed in Punxsutawney and featuring Phil, established it as an international phenomenon. Press reports estimate the biggest crowd to attend Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney was 40,000. On the morning of February 2, Punxsutawney Phil is pulled from his den by keepers dressed in tuxedos. It has become a raucous event.

Read These!

The Secret of the First One Up by Iris Hiskey Arno, illustrated by Renee Graef

Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub, illustrated by Kristin Sorra

Groundhog Day by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Mike Gordon

The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun by Wendie Old, illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye

Dragon Dancing

The Chinese or Lunar New Year is one of the most important annual celebrations in Asian countries and communities. It was first recognized in 2600 BC, when Emperor Huang Ti introduced the Chinese zodiac. Whereas the calendar that begins with January and ends with December is solar -- based on the Earth’s rotation around the sun -- the Chinese calendar is lunar, based on the rotation of the moon around the Earth. Thus the Chinese or Lunar New Year falls on a different day each year, sometime between late January and mid February. It begins on the first new moon of the year and lasts until the full moon 15 days later. (A new moon is not visible from the earth.)

Dragon Dancing by Carole Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Pierr Morgan, is a good picture book to read for the Chinese New Year. At school, the children listen to a story about dragons, and then make a dragon in art class. The colorful illustrations of the children dragon dancing are beautiful.

Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep

Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple have created a lovely rhyming lullaby in their 2007 picture book Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep. The book begins:

"Sleep, little one, sleep.
Your dreams are long and deep.
Sleep in your burrow, cave, or den,
Sleep till the winter's done and then
Rise up and start all over again.
Sleep, little one, sleep."

Each subsequent two-page spread features a stanza for one of 12 hibernating animals -- black bear, frog, bat, snakes, box turtle, gopher, skunk, badger, beaver, mouse, toad and chipmunk. Brooke Dyer's accompanying illustrations detail each animal and their home.

At the end a child tucked in with stuffed animals hears:

"And even YOU, it's time for sleep,
So snuggle down and burrow deep.
The sheet and quilt will keep you warm
Through winter or through summer storm
Till you awaken in the morn.
Sleep, my little child, sleep."

Where Writers Write

This morning at Bruegger's Bagel Bakery in Wellesley, MA, the man at the next table was reading the Boston Globe. The page facing me read, "Where writers write." I am a writer. I bought the paper.

The first few lines of Meredith Goldstein's article could have been taken from my mouth. "I am finishing my first book," wrote Meredith.

Okay, stop here for a comment. If these were my words, they would say, "I am starting my first book." Continue.

"I am finishing my first book. That is, I am finishing my first book when I am not doing laundry, watching marathons of 'House,' or reorganizing my closet."

As a writer, I, too, want to be more productive. Daily life and the responsibilities of being a single Mom working full-time outside of the home compete with my book. Then there are those lazy hours watching Law and Order marathons.

Like Meredith Goldstein, I dream of renting an isolated cabin to escape distractions and write. Last year I snow shoed to the Vermont cabin where Robert Frost wrote during the last years of his life. "It would be nice," I thought.

Also like Meredith, but for slightly different reasons, I will finish my book in my apartment. It's nice to dream. But in the end, it is best to write.

U.K. Plans February 5 Read-Ins to Support Libraries

The blog Voices for Libraries explains what read-ins are and why they are important. Can we apply this in the United States? The Guardian reported in December on these days planned in protest of library budget cuts.

Linda Asks - Picture Books for Two-Year-Olds

My friend Linda asked for picture book suggestions for a two-year-old. Boy or girl? What are their interests? In the meantime, what are some of your favorite picture books appropriate for preschoolers? I'll start the list with these five:

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Emily's House by Niko Scharer

Only One Woof by James Herriot (His Treasury for Children contains this and seven other stories, all superb.)

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen

I could list lots more, but it's your turn. Please add your favorite(s)!

Amos McGee Illustrator Wins Caldecott

Last Sunday I recommended the book A Sick Day for Amos McGee. I consider it one of the best picture books of 2010, and I've often recommended it since its publication.

On Monday the book's illustrator, Erin E. Stead, won the Caldecott Medal. Although I don't rely on award and best seller lists, because I often disagree with them, I felt validated by the Caldecott committee's choice. As my librarian friend Nancy said, "Susan called this one!"

Erin E. Stead is only 28-years-old, and A Sick Day for Amos McGee is the first book she's illustrated. Her husband is the book's author. This in itself is a nice story. Erin shared it with the Wall Street Journal.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association to the artist of "the most distinguished American picture book for children."

A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a book that both children and adults will enjoy. It has now earned both the Caldecott Medal and the LitLinx Seal of Approval.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Zoo keeper Amos McGee takes time each day to visit his good friends. He and the elephant play chess. The tortoise always wins their races. The shy penguin appreciates McGee's quiet company, and the rhinoceros borrows McGee's handkerchief. And the owl, who is afraid of the dark, listens as McGee reads him a story.

When McGee stays home because he's sick, his friends wonder where he is, and set out to find him.

Philip C. Stead has written a lovely story of dedicated friendship. The illustrations by his wife, Erin E. Stead, bring each character to life and provide wonderful details that add to the pleasure of looking at the pictures.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee stands out from many of the picture books published in 2010. Both Steads, writer and illustrator, have invested thought and detail to craft an excellent book.

A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose

Amelia is ready for a dog, but her parents are not. To prepare her parents, Amelia brings home Bones. Bones is small and brown, and has a wet pink nose; and he can only be seen by Amelia. He becomes a real part of the family, so that when he goes missing, a hunt ensues. A clever story with cute illustrations, A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose, turns out to be "Amelia's Guide to Getting Your First Dog." Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen is the author, and Linzie Hunter is the illustrator.

Picture Book Disappointment

In preparation for a monthly column about picture books, I've been reading 2010 titles owned by my local public library. I'm disappointed by the lack of originality and ingenuity, and shocked that publishers have churned out so much mediocrity.

Tomorrow I'll share two titles with some merit. Today, here are the books that disappointed.

Henry in Love by Peter McCarty (dull)
Subway by Christopher Niemann (ugly)
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown (doesn't work)
Busing Brewster by Richard Michelson (wrong audience)
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Kahn (weak)
Little Wolf's Song by Britta Teckentrup (nothing new)
My Mommy Hung the Moon by Jamie Lee Curtis (huh?)
What's the Matter, Bunny Blue? by Nicola Smee (stretches to keep rhyme)
Hip Hop Dog by Chris Raschka (inconsistent)
Cinco de Mouse-O by Judy Cox (poor transitions)

Books Read in 2010

For the third consecutive year, I've kept a list of books read. I count listening to a book as reading, and such titles are included on my list with a (CD) designation.

My least favorite for 2010 is The Last Time I Saw Paris by Elizabeth Adler, for what reason I no longer remember. I know it is my least favorite because my list includes a minus sign after the title.

My favorite is George Washington's Great Gamble: And the Sea Battle That Won the American Revolution by James Nelson. Nelson's research and writing make history come alive. I learned details I never before knew.

My complete list follows. What was your favorite read in 2010?

Books Read in 2010
A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham
A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
At Risk (CD) by Patricia Cornwell
Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe
Can You Keep a Secret? (CD) by Sophie Kinsella
Detour Berlin by Ruth Baja Williams
Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Emma by Jane Austen
Every Day in Tuscany by Frances Mayes
Four to Score (CD) by Janet Evanovich
George Washington's Great Gamble: And the Sea Battle That Won the American Revolution by James Nelson
High Five (CD) by Janet Evanovich
Hornet's Nest (CD) by Patricia Cornwell
Hot Six (CD) by Janet Evanovich
I'll Never Be French by Mark Greenside
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
One for the Money (CD) by Janet Evanovich
Plain Truth (CD) by Jodi Picoult
The Birth of Virginia's Aristocracy by James C. Thompson II
The Body in the Library (CD) by Agatha Christie
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
The Last Time I Saw Paris (-) by Elizabeth Adler
The Leap by Rick Smith
The Lightning Thief (CD) by Rick Riordan
The Phantom Tollbooth (CD) by Norton Juster
The Scarpetta Factor (CD) by Patricia Cornwell
Three to Get Deadly (CD) by Janet Evanovich
Two for the Dough (CD) by Janet Evanovich
Wandering Souls by S. Scott Rohrer
When You Reach Me (CD) by Rebecca Stead

Mark Greenside's "I'll Never Be French"

Knowing that I love everything French, a friend gave me a paperback copy of Mark Greenside's I'll Never Be French, published in 2008 by Free Press.  It is an easy read, mostly enjoyable.  It's Greenside's account of purchasing a home in Brittany.

The first two sentences of the book hooked me.  "It begins with a girl.  It always begins with a girl, and even though we don't make it through the summer -- through half the summer  -- she gets me there and changes my life."

I'm a sucker for these kind of memoirs, because I harbor a wish to live them.  Greenside introduces me to a part of France I know little about, and his descriptions of the quality of life enjoyed by the French ring true.

Greenside first goes to France knowing no French, and seems to progress very little with the language as he lives there.  This, and his refusal to dress neatly, seem to be the main reasons he will never be French.  It's his own choosing.

To illustrate his language deficiencies, Greenside records his attempts at conversations in French.  I don't understand why.  His faux-pas (French for "false step") with the language are lost on readers, like me, who speak no French.  These frequent passages become sections to skip.

The book ends abruptly.  The break between the story and the last two paragraphs reminds me of a bad finish to a term paper. 

Mark Greenside will never be French by his own choosing, but the stories of his part-time life in Brittany are interesting.  His book is not a literary great, but it is a quick, mostly fun, read for those who dream of living in Europe.

A Thanksgiving Thanks Owed to Sarah Hale

Portrait of Sarah Hale

America's Thanksgiving holiday is credited to the Pilgrims. The truth is, we have a national celebration thanks to Sarah Hale's 38-year letter writing campaign.

Sarah Josepha Hale was born in Newport, New Hampshire, in 1788.  Her father, disabled Revolutionary War Captain Gordon Buell, and her mother, Martha Whittlesay Buell, believed in equal education for both sexes. Hale was educated at home by her mother, and by her brother Horatio, who taught her what he'd learned at Dartmouth. Hale continued her education as an autodidact.

According to Laurie Halse Anderson in her book Thank You Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving, Hale grew up listening to her father's Revolutionary War stories.  They made a deep impression on Hale, setting the stage for her commitment to the American Union.

In 1811, Hale's father opened The Rising Sun tavern in Newport.  At that time, Hale was working as a schoolteacher. She met her eventual husband David, a lawyer, and they were married in her father's tavern on October 23, 1813.

The Hales had five children between 1815 and 1822. David died in 1822, and Hale wore black the rest of her life to mourn his death.

Hale began to write to support her young family, publishing her first book of poems, The Genius of Oblivion, in 1823.  Her novel Northwood: Life North and South, subtitled A New England Tale in London, made her one of the first Americans to write in opposition of slavery. The novel was praised by Reverend John Blake, who asked Hale to move to Boston and serve as editor of his journal Ladies Magazine. Hale accepted and served as "editress," her preferred title, from 1828 until 1836.  Her goal was to help educate women.  In the book Boston Women's Heritage Trail Hale wrote that a woman's, "first right is to education in its widest sense, to such education as will give her the full development of all her personal, mental and moral qualities."

In 1830 Hale published Poems for Children, a collection that included the now famous "Mary Had A Little Lamb," which was originally titled "Mary's Lamb." The poem is based on an event that occurred while Hale was working as a school teacher.

Louis Antoine Godey bought Ladies Magazine and merged it with Godey's Lady's Book in 1837.  He brought Hale on as editor, a position she held for 40 years. According to Ann Douglas in her book The Feminization of American Culture, "During this time she [Hale] became one of the most important and influential arbiters of American taste."

Hale's advocacies included education, especially higher education for women, employment for women, the American Union, and the preservation of Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home. She helped found Vassar College, and she raised money for the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston.

 Sarah Hale Exhibit at Bunker Hill Museum

Hale also wanted Thanksgiving to be a national holiday, and she started a campaign to bring it to pass in 1825. In Hale's day—two hundred years after the pilgrim's arrival—Thanksgiving had been mostly forgotten.

But, Hale used her editorial position to garner support for a Thanksgiving Day.  Individual states began to declare their own Thanksgiving holidays.  But Hale remembered her father's stories, and she had a bigger goal. She wanted the entire country to celebrate Thanksgiving together, on the same day. She continued her articles and letter writing campaigns. Then she went to the top.  She wrote to the President of the United States.  But Zachary Taylor said, "No." 

So Hale wrote to the next president, Millard Fillmore. He also said, "No."  Hale continued her state-by-state campaign until a new president came to office. She wrote to President Franklin Pierce.  She received another no.  Then it was President James Buchanan.  No.

By now America was at war, North against South. Some states that had instituted a day of Thanksgiving were no longer holding the celebration.  Hale had been working on this project for more than 35 years, and it looked more hopeless than ever.  According to the Hale's biographer Anderson, "She [Hale] picked up her mighty pen and wrote another letter; this time to President Abraham Lincoln.  America needed Thanksgiving, now more than ever, Hale argued. "A holiday wouldn't stop the war, but it could help bring the country together." Abraham Lincoln agreed.

In 1863, Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday. And it has been a national holiday in November ever since.

The Thanksgiving we celebrate today is based on the Harvest Feast celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, with modern touches added in through the decades.  For example, football was first played on Thanksgiving Day in the 1870's, and the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924.  But we'd have none of this but for the perseverance of a woman who did not even have the right to vote. 

Hale retired from her editorial duties in 1877 at age 89.  That same year, Thomas Edison made his first recording on his newly invented phonograph, speaking the opening lines of Hale's poem "Mary's Lamb."

Hale died at her home in Philadelphia on April 30, 1879, and was buried in a simple grave in that city's Laurel Hill Cemetery. She published some 50 volumes of work by the end of her life. And her persistent pen had brought generations of Americans the annual national holiday known as Thanksgiving.
 

First published by Lorton Patch 

Native American Heritage Month

You can tell by the dates that I've not posted for a while.  That's because I've been freelance writing for Lorton Patch.  Here is my article What Should I Read? November is Native American Heritage Month.

Beach Reads in Picture Books

Photo by Susan Ujka Larson.  Available on Flickr for Creative Commons use.

Here are ten picture books to take to the beach.

Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies - Night is perfect for bats to enjoy the beach.

Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore by Jim Arnosky - This guide will help you recognize the wonders of the beach.

Beach Day! by Patricia Lakin - Four crocodile friends set off for the beach.

Beach Day by Karen Roosa - Family fun at the beach is captured in rhyme.

Beach Feet by Lynn Reiser - Many different feet are on display at the beach.

A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams - A boy leaves a trail to his beach drawing.

Harry by the Sea by Gene Zion - When a big wave covers Harry with seaweed, he is mistaken for a sea serpent.

Little Clam by Lynn Reiser - Little Clam faces many dangers at the edge of the sea.

The Sand Children by Joyce Dunbar - A father and son’s sand giant comes alive.

The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow - A mother describes a day at the beach to her son who has never been there.

BooktalkThree

Reference librarian Carey Hagan has begun her long envisioned online record of booktalks.  A booktalk is a brief introduction to the characters and plot of a book with the intention of enticing a reader.   Teachers and librarians often use booktalks to promote reading.  Carey is writing her booktalks as she reads, and recording them on BooktalkThree for others to use. 

When Writing a Poem

Today while writing about W. S. Merwin, the newly announced 17th Poet Laureate of the United States, I discovered a poetry treasure on the Library of Congress' Website.  Poet Charles Simic shares "A few things to keep in mind while sitting down to write a poem."  His seven guidelines are simple, yet profound.  I know some of us like to try our hand at writing poetry, and that students are given poetry writing assignments.  Simic's list is an inspirational aid.

(Photo:  Lydia and me in the stacks at the Library of Congress, February 2010.)

A Great Traveling Read

Can You Keep a Secret?  This romantic comedy by Sophie Kinsella, read by Kate Reading on the Books on Tape version, is an excellent listen for a long drive or a daily commute.  As always, Kate Reading is outstanding.

It's Pouring Books!

You know the saying, "When it rains, it pours." That has happened in my book life. I've passed through a dry spell of not finding anything that looked interesting to read. And now, all of a sudden, I have a stack by my bed and a growing pile on my desk that I'll never get through even renewing them the full extent allowed by the library.  So I thought it would be good to begin a 2010 list of Books to Read for when I'm needing that next one.  Here is the start of that list.

• Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life by Frances Mayes
• Your Brain: The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald.  (I think a better title for me would be -- Your Missing Brain: The Manual for Finding It)
• Life is Friends by Jeanne Martinet
• The Art of Mingling by Jeanne Martinet (I saw this book mentioned on the cover of Life is Friends.)
• So Stressed: The Ultimate Stress-Relief Plan for Woman by Stephanie McClellan and Beth Hamilton, both M.D.s
• Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

What are some of the books on your To Read list?

Youngest Ever Summits Everest

Thirteen year old Jordan Romero of the United States today became the youngest person ever to summit Mt. Everest.  Photos and details are at his Web site.  In his honor, I compiled a book exhibit at the library.  Here are a few of the included titles.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (my favorite)
View From the Summit by Sir Edmund Hillary
To the Top of Everest by Laurie Skreslet (nonfiction for children)
Everest (A Fiction Series for Kids) by Gordon Korman
The Contest (Book One)
The Climb (Book Two)
The Summit (Book Three)

50 Best Blogs for Teen Readers

This month I ran across a list of 50 Best Blogs for Teen Readers on the Website OnlineDegrees.net.  The list is divided into five categories: General, Book Reviews, Book Lists and Recommendations, Teen Readers, and Librarians.  Take a look and let me know which you like.

Kids Titles for Asian Pacific Heritage Month

Celebrated annually during the month of May, Asian Pacific Heritage Month recognizes the culture and traditions of those Americans who trace their ancestry to the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

In honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, a brief list of suggested titles for kids.

Buster Changes His Luck by Marc Brown
Chang’s Paper Pony by Eleanor Coerr
The Ch’i-Lin Purse: A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories retold by Linda Fang
The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep
The Jade Dragon by Carolyn Marsden

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month honors the generations of Asian and Pacific Islander peoples who have enriched America’s history, and provides opportunities to learn about the diverse culture of Asian Americans. The celebration was established in 1977 as Asian Pacific Heritage Week, and became a month long celebration in 1990. May was chosen because it is the month in 1843 when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the U.S.

Five Picture Book Suggestions -
The Beckoning Cat: Based on a Japanese Folktale by Koko Nishizuka 

Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin  

A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack 

Yoon and the Jade Bracelet by Helen Recorvits 

Happy Birthday, William

William Shakespeare is the most renowned English playwright and poet in history. Details of his life are sketchy due to the fact that little documentation remains besides his writings and a few church documents including his baptismal, marriage and burial records.
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, on or about April 23, 1564. Records from Holy Trinity Church indicate that he was baptized on April 26. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a glover and leather merchant, and local heiress Mary Arden.
On November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. Their first child, Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583, and twins Hamnet and Judith were born on February 2, 1585. Hamnet died at age 11, but Shakespeare’s wife and other two children outlived him.
Scholars estimate that Shakespeare arrived in London in about 1588 and began to work as a playwright and actor. By 1594 he was acting and writing for London’s most popular and successful theater company of the day, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, as well as serving as the group’s managing partner. He is credited with writing 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two narrative poems.
As with his birth, the date of William Shakespeare’s death is a guess -- April 23, 1616. Church records do show that he was buried at Holy Trinity in Stratford on April 25. In 1623, two of Shakespeare’s colleagues published the First Folio, his collected plays, half of which were previously unpublished.
Special thanks to Dora Lee for the graphic.

Five Earth Day Reads for Kids

An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming by Al Gore (2007)

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (2002)

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh (2008)

Eye on Energy - Alternative Cars by Jill C. Wheeler (2008)

Just A Dream by Chris Van Allsburg (1990)

Mark Twain Centennial

Samuel Langhorne Clemens is the American author and humorist Mark Twain, best known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Twain was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, along the Mississippi River, and was licensed as a steamboat pilot in 1859. He worked on the river until the Civil War, when fighting interrupted river traffic. He then worked as a traveling reporter, writing stories from all across the United States. This led to his writing career.

His life along the Mississippi River influenced much of his work, and his pen name comes from a common riverboat term for testing the depth of water. If a crew man called “Mark Twain” it meant to check for a depth of 12 feet, the minimum depth required for a river boat to travel safely. Nobel Prize-winning American author William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."

April 21, 2010, marks the centennial of Mark Twain's death.

Photo is courtesy of the Library of Congress creative commons - public domain collection.

Reading: A Family Affair

Renee and I at the Northern Virginia Literacy Council's annual event, Reading: A Family Affair.

Picture Books for National Library Week

National Library Week is an annual celebration that highlights the value of libraries and librarians. Join the 2010 celebration April 11 - 17 with a visit to your local library.  Here are ten picture books with a library theme to read with your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, or students.

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians by Carla Morris
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
The Shelf Elf by Jackie Hopkins
Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book by Alexander Stadler
Our Library by Eve Bunting
Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
Bats at the Library by Brian Lies
Winston the Book Wolf  by Marni McGee

I Am The Book

I'll be your friend, stay by your side, contradict you, make you laugh or teary-eyed
On a sun-summer morning.

I'll spark you, help you sleep, bring dreams you'll forever keep
On a dappled-autumn afternoon.

I'll warm you, keep you kindled, dazzle you till storms have dwindled
On a snow-flaked winter evening.

I'll plant in you a spring-seedling with bursting life while you are reading.

 I am the book you are needing.

Poem by Tom Robert Shields
Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins for the book Wonderful Words