tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47645334846442728852024-03-04T20:11:53.316-08:00Hermione's KnapsackA librarian's blog for discussing books, library programming, poetry, film, literacy, and other fascinating thingsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-56710562978331650432015-05-27T22:16:00.003-07:002015-05-27T22:16:55.918-07:00Moved blogs againOk sorry for people who are actually reading my blog. I am moving back to Wordpress, and here's the new address: https://hermionesknapsack.wordpress.com/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-36740232289629894722015-05-27T20:39:00.000-07:002015-05-27T20:40:40.412-07:00The Bones of You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmscwzQiPvDHmuChIGChOSdHssOXN7mAtVVzKdgH2_7vHN1m-3hlAAq0tudturl9NEEZWtUhbEJE1731242ijr6bPoAGgzZlNsJWUGkRqStFACrl6ouzcvsMshKT2DwKNaYIPX8egPyW7/s1600/The+Bones+of+You.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmscwzQiPvDHmuChIGChOSdHssOXN7mAtVVzKdgH2_7vHN1m-3hlAAq0tudturl9NEEZWtUhbEJE1731242ijr6bPoAGgzZlNsJWUGkRqStFACrl6ouzcvsMshKT2DwKNaYIPX8egPyW7/s400/The+Bones+of+You.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<i>The Bones of You </i>by Debbie Howells<br />
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To be published: June 30, 2015<br />
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Rosie Anderson, an eighteen year old girl in a small English village is missing. Kate, a local horse trainer who knew Rosie, is devastated as the girl is the same age as her daughter. She is convinced that something bad has happened to the girl, and is not surprised when the police discover her brutally murdered body in the woods. The Andersons seem like the perfect family, so who would want to kill their beautiful daughter? The story is intriguing in that it alternates between the viewpoints of Kate in the present time and Rosie reminiscing about her past and how she came to be murdered. Anonymous notes start arriving at Kate's house urging her to discover the truth about the Andersons: renowned journalist father, the too-perfect mother Jo and Rosie's little sister Delphine, and of course, Rosie herself. Will Kate be able to find out the truth? 3-1/2 stars</div>
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I picked up this book because it advertised itself as like the book/TV show <i>Broadchurch, </i>and I really enjoyed the British version of the show, so I figured I would give it a try. Plus I love a good mystery and hadn't read one in awhile. The book definitely kept me guessing to till the end, and I changed my mind about the killer at least four times. It was fairly obvious about 80% of the way through who it was, but I was curious as to the why. It really did remind me of <i>Broadchurch </i>in the way that the main character was an innocent young person who died way too soon, and the wavering between possible murder suspects until the very end. My first gripe with the book was the author's tendency to alternate between Kate, an outsider's point of view, and the murder victim Rosie, as I felt that it focused too much on Kate. The second was the length, as it dragged a bit in the middle, hence the 3-1/2 stars instead of 4. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-92058691506328786462015-05-27T13:05:00.000-07:002015-05-27T13:05:06.893-07:00Kids Cafe Art Lectures: Dale Chihuly<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have been fascinated by Dale Chihuly ever since I saw his chandelier at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. My last roommate in undergrad took a glass blowing class so I know how hot it can get in there and how easy it is to shatter the glass (as I tried it out once). I never got to see his exhibition at the Desert Botanical Gardens, though he's been there twice. So getting to research him for this Kids Cafe presentation was pretty amazing, and I learned a lot. The kids had a lot of fun with activity (which is one of my favorites we have done so far), though it took way longer and they weren't nearly dry enough by the end of the session, so if I did it again, I would definitely start earlier. </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Kid’s Café: Dale Chihuly</span></u></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Today
we’re going to learn a little about the artist himself<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Born
September 20, 1941 in Tacoma, Washington.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">1965 -
First melted glass and blew a bubble using glass melted in his ceramics kiln
and a metal pipe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">1968 -
First American glassblower to work in the Venini factory on the island of
Murano.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Has
founded many glass studios.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Lost
the sight in his left eye due to a car accident in 1976. At this time, he had to give up full control
of his glass making due to loss of depth perception (the visual ability to
perceive the world in three dimensions - 3D -and the distance of an object).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">In
1979, suffered a dislocated shoulder due to a body surfing accident, and lost
the ability to gaffer his work – others must blow the glass for him now and he
makes drawings to show what he would like them to create</span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Taken from: </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://chihulyelementaryartlessons.weebly.com/unit-plan.html">http://chihulyelementaryartlessons.weebly.com/unit-plan.htm</a></span></span></li>
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<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle"><ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>How Chihuly creates an actual glass-blown work
of art</b></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His art is created by blowing your breath
down a metal tube, forming a bubble inside a molten blob of glass</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He uses fire, gravity, heat and centrifugal
force as his main tools to shape
glass</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Produces artwork in series</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vibrant colors </span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Influences: Organic forms, Native American
Art</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eoQe0xZvGFD8IXDGkAUolehezhd-l3UUiZeOw-wCG9JVx0uCzs49IQ18Inc4gwaDwriPsOpSItR4hk0NPWJTJsy-YZD-2Qmd1NNiC9Tr_PsVWbEIILF50sM9JawSgThoBa_O-i_hWVGP/s1600/Molten+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eoQe0xZvGFD8IXDGkAUolehezhd-l3UUiZeOw-wCG9JVx0uCzs49IQ18Inc4gwaDwriPsOpSItR4hk0NPWJTJsy-YZD-2Qmd1NNiC9Tr_PsVWbEIILF50sM9JawSgThoBa_O-i_hWVGP/s400/Molten+glass.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Show glass blowing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNVo3Vp5VOQ">video</a> on Dale Chihuly [wasn't working, so had to use intro portion from <i>Chihuly at the V&A</i> on glassblowing and how he got started]<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Show examples of his work<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Sea forms</b><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amparo
Purple Seaform Set with Jonquil Lip Wraps (2000)</span></i></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z7DZwkmn9luRfkU0rqkCu4F_N5Zq409ia3UI9CQ1TX1SAjgNDoOdv4tL-RDU9wftUiyo8DRvuvOv-2YzD89VJ3N60Vs52YvdTlxAFUTW-fhUBXX-_W22ueUq-SdQ0FnTQ64KY4c1ojL4/s1600/Amparo+Purple+Seaform+Set+with+Jonquil+Lip+Wraps%252C+2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z7DZwkmn9luRfkU0rqkCu4F_N5Zq409ia3UI9CQ1TX1SAjgNDoOdv4tL-RDU9wftUiyo8DRvuvOv-2YzD89VJ3N60Vs52YvdTlxAFUTW-fhUBXX-_W22ueUq-SdQ0FnTQ64KY4c1ojL4/s400/Amparo+Purple+Seaform+Set+with+Jonquil+Lip+Wraps%252C+2000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>Fireworks
of Glass</i>, 2005-06</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-ZCMmhM13lZv8GBL9a_jJ_8HP-_LSwOoBKfD_x-maugPqwgnlrT-VEEV3itu-rOJzelAp3hbMhHLSGjmse8sDCItf7TkobFwmdeYgM07Ge8d69gTN1b8ygGBTZeJwKDHU7dPO5KRmSyh/s1600/Fireworks+of+Glass%252C+2005+at+Children%2527s+Museum+of+Indianapolis%252C+installed+2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-ZCMmhM13lZv8GBL9a_jJ_8HP-_LSwOoBKfD_x-maugPqwgnlrT-VEEV3itu-rOJzelAp3hbMhHLSGjmse8sDCItf7TkobFwmdeYgM07Ge8d69gTN1b8ygGBTZeJwKDHU7dPO5KRmSyh/s400/Fireworks+of+Glass%252C+2005+at+Children%2527s+Museum+of+Indianapolis%252C+installed+2006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chandeliers</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Otto
Stelle Chandeliers (2007) </span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and <i>V&A Chandelier (2001)</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Niijima floats</b><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Look like lava bubbles</span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>The
Sun and Black Niijima Floats </i>(2010)<i> </i>and <i>Float Boat (2007)</i></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI9qK49wQhnKcOpd4t-lvHai2viCGgDegtmPov_IMv8WfPgERYV1F7GjB4yl-bXfipLo6ot80-WhRCBIJ2F9TY8YdexLu8f3rz5Zxv2inGuStCmDKN48zYggcm9Aa9HXvQEF8wqSJPbsd/s1600/The+Sun+and+Black+Niijima+Floats%252C+2010+-+Dale+Chihuly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkI9qK49wQhnKcOpd4t-lvHai2viCGgDegtmPov_IMv8WfPgERYV1F7GjB4yl-bXfipLo6ot80-WhRCBIJ2F9TY8YdexLu8f3rz5Zxv2inGuStCmDKN48zYggcm9Aa9HXvQEF8wqSJPbsd/s400/The+Sun+and+Black+Niijima+Floats%252C+2010+-+Dale+Chihuly.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDnm7EAulyVWoqquFEWurLYMZTQQ39CPJLbeVbOQW4fFmfeeMrcwwpKWtgyoCXfLdMZrmx32cmhF0bN-6EQKEFkhGMzm5L854oE2yOg7SlST81xOZNDhkY5xb87f5u2JQLJ0F_WXv_hM4/s1600/Float+Boat%252C+2007+at+Morean+Arts+Center+St+Pete%252C+FL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDnm7EAulyVWoqquFEWurLYMZTQQ39CPJLbeVbOQW4fFmfeeMrcwwpKWtgyoCXfLdMZrmx32cmhF0bN-6EQKEFkhGMzm5L854oE2yOg7SlST81xOZNDhkY5xb87f5u2JQLJ0F_WXv_hM4/s400/Float+Boat%252C+2007+at+Morean+Arts+Center+St+Pete%252C+FL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Macchias</b> </span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Italian for "spots", Chihuly created the spotted colors by rolling the molten glass in small shards of colored glass</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>Divine
Blue Black Macchia with Marigold Lip Wrap, </i>2007</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3rhN2LOCf0yF2taEiNyyqYzQU9zlq4JOmcDkFpOaoI4mzfQ-sUrD4cNfqZMhH6hRSL3AhS0NBf9nupsh5OPzactQdB_pqnvFfCYhUXhC3-eV2ANvstmr1ud1tB-xnMRz91wuGx2jjvtj/s1600/Divine+Blue+Black+Macchia+with+Marigold+Lip+Wrap%252C+2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3rhN2LOCf0yF2taEiNyyqYzQU9zlq4JOmcDkFpOaoI4mzfQ-sUrD4cNfqZMhH6hRSL3AhS0NBf9nupsh5OPzactQdB_pqnvFfCYhUXhC3-eV2ANvstmr1ud1tB-xnMRz91wuGx2jjvtj/s400/Divine+Blue+Black+Macchia+with+Marigold+Lip+Wrap%252C+2007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRZi6mnCHs0__VpYYvlmjIaorVFx4RX4yicBN4ZaW5zsD9mIZgkozFhp5AUt4TIXzNpdpGonP33fQl1tr_S3TSR35mqCv6n-Zf-k0OAtOUVaTrcZ4-WQuoV4wL3tPnR0-3W7trAhFC1nn/s1600/Thames+Gray+Macchia+with+Kingfisher+Blue+Lip+Wrap%252C+1982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRZi6mnCHs0__VpYYvlmjIaorVFx4RX4yicBN4ZaW5zsD9mIZgkozFhp5AUt4TIXzNpdpGonP33fQl1tr_S3TSR35mqCv6n-Zf-k0OAtOUVaTrcZ4-WQuoV4wL3tPnR0-3W7trAhFC1nn/s400/Thames+Gray+Macchia+with+Kingfisher+Blue+Lip+Wrap%252C+1982.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Thames Gray Macchia with Kingfisher Blue Lip Wrap, </i>1982</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy74BOaEQrrFSsJfwDNqAyNpQKcBwygNa8qs33jys-LbfaObxWfc-lihhsw2HMqFeJ3sqnagAKM86E-qj61KuvTJ3Qcv623uWNul0IrwQuIhDMxf24EEE6zTc5NppNhiYU_C-Xn3j-f8BX/s1600/Spanish+Orange+Black+Macchia+with+Sable+Lip+Wrap%252C+2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy74BOaEQrrFSsJfwDNqAyNpQKcBwygNa8qs33jys-LbfaObxWfc-lihhsw2HMqFeJ3sqnagAKM86E-qj61KuvTJ3Qcv623uWNul0IrwQuIhDMxf24EEE6zTc5NppNhiYU_C-Xn3j-f8BX/s400/Spanish+Orange+Black+Macchia+with+Sable+Lip+Wrap%252C+2006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Spanish Orange Black Macchia with Sable Lip Wrap, </i>2006</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Chihuly's advice for aspiring artists: "Surround yourself with artists and see as much art as possible. Go with your gut and creat something that nobody has ever seen before ." </span></li>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Activities:
Creating Our Own Chihuly-Inspired Macchia</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Supplies:
white coffee filters, markers, liquid spray starch, plastic cups to hold
macchia, rubber bands, posterboard circles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Students
thought about their color plan, putting lighter colors down first and making
the spots on top of that layer of color. This actually follows the way the
Chihuly team applies the colored spots (or jimmies) after the main part of the
piece has been formed. We used regular Crayola watercolor markers and a coffee
filter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next, students wrapped their coffee filter around a cup and fastened it with a rubber band. This is a step where neighbors can help neighbors. The last step is to spray starch the whole thing and let it dry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Taken
from: </span><a href="http://kids-finelines.blogspot.com/2012/02/chihuly-inspired-macchia.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">http://kids-finelines.blogspot.com/2012/02/chihuly-inspired-macchia.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My art examples: The red/yellow one I did first, but I prefer the blue/purple/pink one. I added the posterboard circles as a way to hold them up after they finished drying; also easier to transport this way. They can write their names on the circles instead of inside cups. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-13707644046265894502015-05-20T15:18:00.002-07:002015-05-20T15:18:38.136-07:00May 2015 Reviews<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've not finished a lot of books this past month, other than picture books, and even that has slowed down recently. I'm currently reading an ARC of <i>The Bones of You </i>by Debbie Howell, a mystery thriller. I finally finished listening to Burton Raffel's translation of Geoffrey Chaucer's <i>Canterbury Tales, </i>and I have never been so glad to finish any audiobook. I'm trying to figure out what I want to listen to next. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are some great ARCs coming out this summer, so I hope to be able to read more of them. I'm a little bit behind in book reviews, but I am slowly catching up again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I rate books from 1-5 stars, 1 being the lowest. I will include illustrations from the children's books that I enjoyed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Naked! </i>written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I first learned about this book at a library training session on children's books, so I had some of it before reading it to my son, and thought it reminded me a lot of him. It is an adorable book and the nakedness is done tastefully, i.e. you know the boy is naked but they don't show parts. The little boy in the book is really excited about being naked and doing things naked, and the book is pretty fun to read aloud. Gradually after running around for awhile, he gets cold and puts on cape and later some pajamas and goes to sleep. Recommended for ages 2-5, 3-1/2 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Smick! </i>written by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Juana Medina</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A very cute and simple book, but it totally works. My son enjoys this book and it reminds me of our dog. Smick is a dog that likes to chase sticks. One day he meets a Chick and they become fast friends and enjoy chasing the stick together, although slower than before. Recommended for ages 2-5, 3 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Ah Ha! </i>written and illustrated by Jeff Mack</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've used this a couple of times for Toddler storytime, mostly just because it is cute and literally only uses two letters the entire time to form words. A frog just want to relax in the pond, but a young boy and his dog, a bird, an alligator and a turtle all want to capture him. But he manages to escape them all. Recommended for ages 2-5, 3 stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Small Elephant's Bathtime</i> written and illustrated by Tatyana Feeney</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love Tatyanna Feeney's illustrations, so that's why I picked up this book. The story was super simple and would be great for a bathtime or bedtime Toddler Storytime. Small Elephant does not want to take a bath, and only ends up taking one through some pretty creative imagination on part of his mom. For all the parents who have ever struggled with a toddler or preschooler's bathtime, this book is really cute. Recommended for ages 2-5, 3 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I love Mommy! </i>written and illustrated by Lizi Boyd</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I read this for my Toddler Frog Storytime, and thought it was a cute sweet book. It is all about a mommy frog who hangs out and plays with her small frog child. They draw, dance, build forts, snuggle to read a story, and make dinner. Recommended for ages 2-5, 3 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Mustache Baby Meets His Match (Mustache Baby #2) </i>written by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Joy Ang</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Baby Javier (aka Beard Baby) comes over for a playdate with Baby Billy (aka Mustache Baby), and Billy thinks he must show Javier how things are done around here and whose in charge. That plan backfires as Beard Baby proves he is tougher, and the two are at odds with each other. Mom steps in to referee, and explains that it is normal for kids to have competition, but it is always good to be the first one to apologize when things get out of hand. So instead of Javier being his sidekick, he is his partner. This was so much fun to read aloud to my son, and I will have to admit that I want a copy for myself because it made us laugh so much! My favorite part was when Billy tries to best Javier at art, with Billy as Dali and Javier as Van Gogh. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Recommended for ages, 3-6, 5 stars. </span></div>
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<i>Viva Frida! </i>written by Yuyi Morales and photographed by Tim O'Meara </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been wanting to read this forever because I love books about Frida Kahlo and Yuyi Morales is particularly talented. I just didn't like this book at all though. The puppets Morales made were incredibly detailed and gorgeous (and the reason this book got two instead of 1 star) and it does give a very basic look at Frida and her art, but the bilingual single or couple of words per page just made it too choppy for me. It is a very unique look at the artist though, so that's probably why it won a 2015 Caldecott Honor and a 2015 Pura Belpre Illustrator award. It is obvious through the book and the author's note that Morales really admires Frida's work. Recommended for ages 3-7, 2 stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Perfectly Arugula </i>written and illustrated by Sarah Dillard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Arugula the hedgehog (I love her name!) wants to have a tea party, but everything must be perfect. The food, the tea, the table, the guests, and of course the hostess. All of her friends come but they are so afraid of upsetting Arugula that no one is having any fun. Then an unexpected guest arrives and shakes things up a bit and Arugula sees that it is okay to not be perfect. Recommended for ages 3-7, 3 stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Spike, the Mixed-Up Monster </i>written by Susan Hood, illustrated by Melissa Sweet</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Spike the salamander believes he is a monster and practices at being one. The only problem is that he is small, only the size of a lily pad. So everyone just thinks he is cute. One day a real monster, a Gila Monster, comes to the pond and all the other animals are scared and run away. Spike holds his ground and tries to scare the new monster, but only succeeds at making him laugh. The monster asks Spike for directions to his family's party as he has gotten lost, and Spike tells him the way. When the other creatures return, they are amazed that Spike has survived. Spike is actually an axolotl from Mexico and so the story is peppered with Spanish and you can't help but adopt a bit of an accent while reading it. The back of the book features nonfiction information on the axolotl, cinnamon teal duck, armadillo and vole featured in the story. My son and I really enjoyed this book. Recommended for ages 4-8, 4 stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The Mighty Lalouche </i>written by Matthew Olshan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will admit that I picked this one up for me because I was amused by the pictures. I'm not sure my son understood everything that was going on in the book, but he liked it too. Lalouche is a French postman in the 1890s who is fired from his job after his walking route is replaced by an electric car. He is devastated, and is about to give up when he sees a flyer for a kickboxing sparring partner and decides that this will be the perfect way to support himself and his pet finch Genevieve. Will the Mighty Lalouche be able to beat anyone in order to survive as a boxer? To find out, read this delightful tale of surprising victory for our hero and delightful illustrations for everyone. Recommended for ages 4-8, 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The Totally Awesome Epic Quest of the Brave Boy Knight</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I picked this up for my son after he just loved another graphic novel, <i>Rutabaga: Adventure Chef</i>. This is a good introduction to graphic novel/comics for young kids because it has the same format but larger pictures and text bubbles, plus it's all about the power of imagination. The Brave Boy Knight and his Bigfoot/Wookie friend Butterscotch roam the countryside helping the shape-changing Animal Princess save her world from a monster and find secret buried treasure. Recommended for ages 5-7, 3 stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>William the Curious: Knight of the Water Lilies </i>written and illustrated by Charles Santore</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I picked this one up because I liked the look of the cover. I didn't think my son could make it through this book because it was so long, but he was rapt the entire time. William the Curious is a frog who lives in the moat of a Queen's castle. One day, the queen decides that anything that is not perfect within the castle must be thrown out the window. Soon the moat is full of discarded items and the fish, frogs and other wildlife are afraid. All of the plants have been killed except for one water lily. William picks up the costume of a toy knight and dresses himself up and brings the flower to the queen, determined to ask her one question about perfection. It is cool because it's not only a fairytle of a sort but also about protecting the environment. My son really enjoyed the book and wants me to read it to him again. The illustrations were rich and detailed and I loved them.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Recommended for ages 5-9, 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Hidden </i>written by Loic Dauvillier, illustrated by Marc Lizano, Color by Greg Salsedo and translated by Alexis Siegel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was an interesting graphic novel in that it is one that can introduce the subject of the Holocaust to much younger children than it is usually introduced to, which is usually in the fourth or fifth grade. The story is told from the viewpoint of a grandmother named Dounia who was a little girl during the time of WWII and the Nazi invasion of France, and is telling her story to her granddaughter Elsa. Her parents were sent to a concentration camp and Dounia had to live with French Resistance workers in the countryside. Eventually only her mother returned and she was completely unrecognizable to her daughter. Recommended for 7-11 yr olds, 3 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>El Deafo </i>written and illustrated by Cece Bell</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been wanting to read this one for awhile, especially after it won one of the two 2015 Newbery Honors. This book is the memoir of the author/illustrator CeCe Bell, who lost her hearing after getting meningitis at age four very suddenly. She has to adjust to not hearing and using a giant hearing aid called the Phonic Ear that straps to her chest, under her clothes. She is able to hear everything her teacher says with it and everywhere she goes with it and Cece believes she may have a superpower, and so makes up her alter ego superhero, El Deafo. Really the book is all about acceptance, which is so hard with young kids, especially girls and especially if someone is different. Will Cece be accepted and find a true friend? To find out, read this fascinating biography. Recommended for ages 8+, 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Rutabaga the Adventure Chef: Book 1 </i>written and illustrated by Eric Colossal</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I loved this graphic novel and surprisingly, so did my nearly 4 year old son! He kept asking me again and again to read him the "dragon story". Rutabaga, a chef, is going on an adventure to see different exotic foods, and make new dishes that no one has ever seen. On the way to find a rare ingredient which only grows on relics, he meets up with a group of three kids who are searching for the Dragon Killer sword. They need it to defeat the dragon, who has recently terrorized their village. He joins up with them, only things don't exactly go as planned and the dragon gets away. He has many more adventures after that, including a cook-off and defeating a monster with a group of Vikings. It was an adorable little book and great for ages 8+. I wish I could be an adventure chef. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5 stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><a href="http://hermionesknapsack.blogspot.com/2015/04/an-ember-in-ashes.html">Ember in the Ashes</a> </i>by Sabaa Tahir</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><a href="http://hermionesknapsack.blogspot.com/2015/05/joyride.html">Joyride</a> </i>by Anna Banks</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Templar </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">written by Jordan Mechner, illustrated by LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wow this was a hefty graphic novel. Definitely the first time I've read a over 400 page one, but it was a good read. "Templar" is about Martin de Troyes, a French Knight Templar who has recently come back from the Crusades. King Phillipe of France wants to destroy the Templar Order so that he can claim their treasure to fuel his war in the north, so he brings the whole Order up on false charges and imprisons them. Martin and few of his comrades manage to escape and they decide to steal the Templar treasure, based off a map they intercepted from the Grand Master of the Order, before the King can get his hands on the money. Will they be able to pull of their rescue attempt? To find out, read this fascinating journey into 14th century France! Recommended for ages 16+, 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have always been fascinated by the Templars, so I jumped to find a copy of this book when I saw it on a great graphic novels list. I will admit that even though I kind of knew it was coming, the Templar mass burning was a little hard to read. It's sad that the Pope essentially sold out the Templars (an order the Vatican started) to placate the King of France. The story is a bit like a religious Indiana Jones mixed with a bit of "Ocean's 11", in the sense that is an impossible job that miraculously works out. The author definitely knows the period and it is well-researched, and it even includes a extensive bibliography in the back of the book. The artwork is awesome. Martin is an interesting complex character and I really enjoyed his love Isabelle as well (for her feistiness). </span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Outlander (Outlander #1) </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Diana Gabaldon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Claire Randall was a WWII English nurse and afterwards got back together with her husband Frank, a history professor. They have taken a second honeymoon to Inverness, Scotland to rediscover each other, after being apart for 5 years during the war. Once there, she discovers some ancient standing stones on the hill at Craig na Dunand when she touches the largest one, she is transported back in time to 1743 Scotland. She meets a ruthless English captain named Jonathan Randall, aka Black Jack, an ancestor of her husband Frank. She is rescued from Captain Randall by a Scottish man and soon after introduced to Dougal MacKenzie and his band. She bandages the shoulder of one of his injured men, who turns out to be Dougal's nephew, Jamie (who is also a fugitive from British law and who has had dealings with Captain Randall). She is taken to the MacKenzie castle Leoch to figure out what to do with her. She ends up as the castle's herbalist, before being taken to collect the land rents with Dougal and his party of men. She runs into Captain Randall while on their journey, and he wants very much to question her about her association with the MacKenzies and anything else she might know. To prevent this, Dougal marries her to Jamie which Claire is vehemently against because she is already married to Frank but sees that she has no choice. Jamie and Claire must get to know and trust each other very quickly. Will she be able to make it back to Frank? Does she want to? To find out, read the exciting start of this series. 5 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have had this on my to-read list for awhile but never picked it up until now. I saw the Starz series of the same name and fell in love with the story and desperately wanted to know what happened next as they ended it rather abruptly (at 40% through the first book I found out later). The book is even better than the series, though I will admit that they stayed pretty true to the story. I loved all the medical info and what it was like to be a doctor in the 18th century (pretty crazy and with some really weird practices). Claire is a great character and I loved getting to know her and of course Jamie. Oh Jamie, how can I not love your Scottish accent, red hair and kilt! Thank you Sam Heughan for your Starz portrayal of Jamie, you are who I think of when I read about Jamie now - in a very good way. I can't even begin to describe how much I love Jamie as a character. Le sigh. I am hoping they have more info about Geillis Duncan as her role in the story was pretty fascinating, especially when they revealed that she is also a time traveller. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) </i>by Diana Gabaldon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The book starts in 1968, with Claire and her grown daughter Brianna. It becomes apparent that she actually did come back to Craig na Dun and travel back to 1946, and she came back pregnant. She has never told her daughter the truth about her real father, and so brings her to Scotland to tell her the truth, after the death of her twentieth century husband, Frank. At the end of "Outlander", Jamie and Claire Fraser had to flee to France. They thought this would be the best way of getting into the good graces of Charles Stuart, the exiled Prince of Scotland (aka Bonnie Prince Charlie), so they could prevent the Battle of Culloden from happening in 1745 and all the subsequent MacKenzie and Fraser deaths. The best opportunity for Jamie to do this was to take over his cousin Jared's wine business while he was in Germany, and then become a friend and confidant to the Prince. He does but oh the court intrigue and politics, which eventually force the two of them to flee back to Scotland, after his outlaw charges are removed by the English. They end up having to join Prince Charles's army. Will they be able to actually avoid the slaughter at Culloden? To find out, read this second book in the Outlander series. 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh my goodness! I wanted to strangle Diana Gabaldon after reading this book (figuratively, not literally). First because the book was so damn long, and then because of the ending. I understand why she did it, essentially anyways as it had to cover over a year of time and a whole lot of political and social manuevering. But the book is still 947 pages! She definitely has researched her subject matter very well, and it shows in the writing. I only knew a bit about the Battle of Culloden because of a project I did at St. Andrews, so it was cool to get a more accurate representation about what was going on with the Stuarts and their attempts to re-establish the exiled monarchy, even if it was from a historical fiction viewpoint. As others have said, she did a great job of character development and letting us get to know Claire and Jamie even better. I loved Master Raymond's character, even if I couldn't completely understand who or what he was. My guess is magician/time traveller. Fergus was also an interesting addition to the Fraser family, as well as getting to know Jenny (Jamie's sister) a bit more. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-43873482744370215352015-05-19T18:23:00.000-07:002015-05-19T18:23:06.608-07:00Joyride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Joyride </i>by Anna Banks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To be published: June 2, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has been a long time since sixteen year old Carly Vega's parents were deported back to Mexico. She and her older brother Julio have been working very hard to get them back, with her working the graveyard shift at a local convenience store. She is studious and quiet, and not whatsoever on the radar of Arden Moss, the former quarterback of the football team. That is until one night when their lives collide and they realize they have more in common than they think. Arden is still grieving over the loss of his sister Amber, whose mental illness caused her to commit suicide, something their father (the town sheriff) will not acknowledge. Arden sees in Carly a kindred spirit, someone that not only understands him and will not lie to him, but also a partner in crime for his pranks. Will Carly be able to get her family back? Recommended for ages 14+, 4 stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The author did a good job of portraying a small North Florida town, and especially the conservative attitudes towards immigration. Apparently she even lived and graduated high school in Niceville, Florida (a bit north of Destin) where my brother also graduated. Having lived in the South most of my life, I have sadly met people like Arden's dad. As others have mentioned, I think Carly's character was a bit too passive (despite her explosive temper), especially in agreeing to work till the point of exhaustion every day to get a little bit of money to send to her parents so they can illegally cross the border again, and I think it was wrong of her family to do this. I mean c'mon, she's only sixteen, let her be a kid a little bit longer. I liked that it wasn't your traditional romance in that Carly didn't immediately fall for Arden, only only agreed to be friends with a lot of conditions before they eventually fell in love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author, in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-12901313536789579802015-05-19T10:43:00.003-07:002015-05-19T10:43:49.998-07:00Kids Cafe Art Lectures: Shapes and Henri Matisse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So last week was another crazy week at work, and Summer Reading program starts in about two weeks. We're already registering kids for the program and it looks to be easier to use than last year, so hopefully that will help with a lot of problems later on. The tagline for this year's theme, Superheroes, is pictured above. This will be my 3rd summer reading program I've helped with, and the second at this library. As the ALA says on their fact sheet about <a href="http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet17">summer reading</a>, "Summer reading began in the 1890s as a way to encourage school children, particularly those not needed for farm work, to read during their summer vacation, use the library and develop the habit of reading." Teachers use this time to get their students to read required books before school starts, and sadly I think that has taken a lot of the fun out of reading what you want during the summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On to Kids Cafe. For my third week, we looked at Geometric vs Biomorphic Shapes and then talked about how Henri Matisse created his art and how he primarily used Biomorphic Shapes. I never really knew anything about Matisse before researching him for this lecture, so it was interesting getting to know his works and pick which ones I wanted to use for the discussion. <i>Polinesia, The Sky </i>was my favorite piece. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: start;">The cut paper illustrations were a lot harder to make than you would think. I did have a parent remember this one a couple months later though, so at least the geometric/biomorphic shapes part stuck in her head. All of the lecture can be found at the </span><a href="http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art/shape.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: start;">source</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: start;">. </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Kid’s Café: Shapes and
Henri Matisse – Jan 20<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Introduction:
Welcome to Kid’s Café. My name is Miss Rachel and we’re going to learn a little
about art. Today we’re going to be talking about Shapes and Henri Matisse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">There
are two basic kinds of shapes that artists use: Geometric and Biomorphic</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Geometric
shapes are precise and regular, like squares, rectangles, and triangles. They are often human-made things, like building and machines while biomorphic shapes are found in nature. These shapes may look like leaves, flowers, clouds--things that grow, flow, and move. The term biomorphic means life-form (bio = life and morph = form). Biomorphic shapes are often rounded and irregular, unlike most geometric shapes. </span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">An artist that loved to explore the possibilities of mixing geometric and biomorphic shapes was Henri Matisse. In the last few decades of his artistic career, he developed a new form of art-making: the paper cut-out. Still immersed in the power of color, he devoted himself to cutting colored papers and arranging them in designs. Matisse was drawing with scissors!</span></li>
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Matisse - <i>The Sheaf, </i>1953</div>
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Matisse - <i>Polinesia, The Sky, </i>1947</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i> La Betes de la Mer (The Beasts of the Sea), </i>1950 is a memory of his visit to the South Seas. In this work of art, Matisse first mixed paint to get all the brilliant colors of the ocean. Then he cut this paper into shapes that reminded him of a tropical sea. Lastly, he arranged these biomorphic shapes vertically over rectanglees of yellows, greens, and purples to suggest the watery depths of the undersea world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Matisse - <i>The Beasts of the Sea, </i>1950</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Piet Mondrian - <i>Tableau No. IV; Lozengge Composition with Red, Gray, Blue, Yellow, and Black, </i>c. 1924-25</span></li>
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<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="square">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Geometric? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Yes, triangles, a square, and
rectangles.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From nature/biomorphic? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">None.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Edward Steichen, <i>Le Tournesol (The Sunflower)</i>, c. 1920</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b></span>
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipS2b9SjkmVb_l552FyYc1V5VWuibV08UY5EYDOukSHNmYGmt45Otp2RP-HPin9yUPpELgSU5Uod0kQhkbIU6nt6UGX5AoeHGg0_u7eiqmOl7Z3C_YAi3y4Y56rrghPM2ZY2ziywki0Q7j/s1600/Edward+Steichen+-+Le+Tournesol+The+Sunflower+c.+1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipS2b9SjkmVb_l552FyYc1V5VWuibV08UY5EYDOukSHNmYGmt45Otp2RP-HPin9yUPpELgSU5Uod0kQhkbIU6nt6UGX5AoeHGg0_u7eiqmOl7Z3C_YAi3y4Y56rrghPM2ZY2ziywki0Q7j/s320/Edward+Steichen+-+Le+Tournesol+The+Sunflower+c.+1920.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="square">
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Geometric? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">The artist used mostly geometric
shapes.)</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From nature/biomorphic? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">The big green shape—the vase—in the
middle of the painting seems more like something found in nature with
its rounded edges.</span></i><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"> </span></i> </span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Vincent van Gogh, <i>Roses</i>, 1890</span></b></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_UaR8YngMRxB7Qy05h4xDEIR2p-TNv4FtvqV6lFobXAHfObXyu2sMIX0XZLtWEUpShFTGlBT0oAoKowKkOx-PMSnm-gGC3JyT_c3ukIh2vDguibFnYdSKm97DKVSIk5IZ44cOEztktTi/s1600/Vincent+Van+Gogh+-+Roses%252C+1890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_UaR8YngMRxB7Qy05h4xDEIR2p-TNv4FtvqV6lFobXAHfObXyu2sMIX0XZLtWEUpShFTGlBT0oAoKowKkOx-PMSnm-gGC3JyT_c3ukIh2vDguibFnYdSKm97DKVSIk5IZ44cOEztktTi/s320/Vincent+Van+Gogh+-+Roses%252C+1890.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="square">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Geometric? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">No hard-edged shapes here.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From nature/biomorphic? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Yes, it makes sense that a painting
of flowers uses biomorphic shapes—things "from life."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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</ul>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Henri Matisse, <i>Woman Seated in an Armchair</i>, 1940</span></b></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b>
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<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7ObZ1k3yc7lv8FuqFKy9zUEuZ6el89P96l_nRv1AVOCzTbm-0UUFVuvIbxS-MD3Yef6TtRdevh1FuLvqsHo89zF8dPVyaRXGN2ykIQ8xZ837Sz8IT-UewGMRUqNLsF9QPenrwC7KM9Md/s1600/Henri+Matisse+-+Woman+Seated+in+an+Armchair%252C+1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7ObZ1k3yc7lv8FuqFKy9zUEuZ6el89P96l_nRv1AVOCzTbm-0UUFVuvIbxS-MD3Yef6TtRdevh1FuLvqsHo89zF8dPVyaRXGN2ykIQ8xZ837Sz8IT-UewGMRUqNLsF9QPenrwC7KM9Md/s320/Henri+Matisse+-+Woman+Seated+in+an+Armchair%252C+1940.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="square">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Point out that this is the same artist as
the one that created <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Beasts of the Sea</span></i>,
however, this one uses paint instead of cut paper.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did he mix kinds of shapes in this painting
too? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Yes, the artist used shapes from nature
and geometric shapes here.</span></i></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Activities:
Creating Our Own Cut Paper Collages</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Supplies:
Construction paper (use white and black for backgrounds, and then use blue,
red, yellow, orange and green to create collage), scissors, glue sticks</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Create
underwater collages or one of your choosing based off Matisse cut paper
examples</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Underwater Collage Examples I found on the web: </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS3hfgoCvlzdDaOsNIAm3kWZDu_vUztn8IuKqnVVRyQgIHFkS1xfzAqGsmfH-cvx8iuNu8Quw83GRY6JFjrI5PNb8zA2YeBEmtBGnuQTydiHAUb_RP23QH1gCmn-_M9TOv_5ZQO3i558P/s1600/Underwater+Collages+Matisse-style.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS3hfgoCvlzdDaOsNIAm3kWZDu_vUztn8IuKqnVVRyQgIHFkS1xfzAqGsmfH-cvx8iuNu8Quw83GRY6JFjrI5PNb8zA2YeBEmtBGnuQTydiHAUb_RP23QH1gCmn-_M9TOv_5ZQO3i558P/s320/Underwater+Collages+Matisse-style.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Here are my personal examples of Matisse-style collages (my favorite one is the top one): </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2YzPaQrSB85oRNece1usSMT4GdTh3Uyz7i04IRqXEt-6HZjzwdKF_MiptGPFraAnduj4UydlnwBLftdnG9WWBBv_PYKFVNMY2Jr7cDLdmmu0KCs5JB0HKhoERLxEWSQGx-nbPfR190Zm/s1600/Matisse+Example.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2YzPaQrSB85oRNece1usSMT4GdTh3Uyz7i04IRqXEt-6HZjzwdKF_MiptGPFraAnduj4UydlnwBLftdnG9WWBBv_PYKFVNMY2Jr7cDLdmmu0KCs5JB0HKhoERLxEWSQGx-nbPfR190Zm/s320/Matisse+Example.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMht7TqrvTavM_HE8mKChB7JDeNNzDGL2ZTyLepBMhk5LO6yOUdOpvfBPB0XY8wx30BFIxGvjfHKJldkvQpQSYuHB20woUM4H8xem4IDyU93QwTupeZJDlkVuFC83Cl64aCIErNfFOOXl/s1600/Matisse+Example2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMht7TqrvTavM_HE8mKChB7JDeNNzDGL2ZTyLepBMhk5LO6yOUdOpvfBPB0XY8wx30BFIxGvjfHKJldkvQpQSYuHB20woUM4H8xem4IDyU93QwTupeZJDlkVuFC83Cl64aCIErNfFOOXl/s320/Matisse+Example2.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2fEOxsIUEBppQx9njdsaFINs3gx-ol4T5ZpEb0SYUo9vI1R0JR0Xi5juK4rXbK7QwjhNxVj5UQYfQtJ5JRlW4Y8-ul3hKdvx2xlxHlQkjSX-tGVdcdrHKbNzXKyDJpJKvoPZAHuwXQWz/s1600/Matisse+Example3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2fEOxsIUEBppQx9njdsaFINs3gx-ol4T5ZpEb0SYUo9vI1R0JR0Xi5juK4rXbK7QwjhNxVj5UQYfQtJ5JRlW4Y8-ul3hKdvx2xlxHlQkjSX-tGVdcdrHKbNzXKyDJpJKvoPZAHuwXQWz/s320/Matisse+Example3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-90603878359502497232015-05-06T14:55:00.003-07:002015-05-06T14:55:14.430-07:00Kids Cafe Art Lecture: Australian Aboriginal Art<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been a bit MIA from the blog. Personal/Professional life is getting all crazy again. I just started another free online class, this one through Vanderbilt University called <i><a href="https://www.coursera.org/course/onlinegames">Online Gaming: Literature, New Media, and Narrative</a>. </i>As the course overview says, the class is<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> " a multi-genre multimedia tour of how literature, film, and games engage in storytelling. It will also take us to some landmarks of romance literature, the neverending story that lies behind most fantasy games: J.R.R. Tolkein's <i>The Fellowship of the Ring, </i>a bit of Edmund Spenser's <i>The Faerie Queene, </i>and poems by Keats, Tennyson, Browning, and others." Anyways, that just sounded really intriguing to me. The course talks about all kinds of gaming, especially online gaming, but focuses in on Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO for short), which I have played twice previously and am playing again now for the course and because it is enjoyable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had an interview for a Librarian I position in my library system on Monday (next step up, would've been my first professional library position as you have to have a Masters to get it). There were three positions available, and I was hoping for one of them, but I was not added to the list for the next interview. Oh well, I will try again when another position opens up. The Youth Services Department getting ready for Summer Programming again and the <a href="http://az.readsquared.com/Default.aspx?PID=102">Summer Reading </a>Program starts in June. As soon as we have some written materials, I'm going to try to do some outreach to a local school and some daycares to get them all excited for it and get more kids enrolled. I'm scheduled to do a summer program on Food Photography, which should be pretty interesting. I think it'll end up being super Macro (up-close) and look something like the following:</div>
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On to Kid's Cafe. For my second week of Kids Cafe, we did Australian Aboriginal Art. I knew a little bit about it before I started researching, but honestly didn't know much and it was fascinating to learn facts like they only started using canvas about 40 years ago, and before that it was more of a temporary spiritual art. I was really excited about this program (both the presentation and the activity) and the kids seemed to have fun with it, even though making all those dots was pretty time-consuming. I was rather proud of my art examples that week, even if the program crowd was small. <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I showed the kids some pics so they could get an idea of what dot painting actually is. I compared them to European examples, like Georges Seurat's 1884 painting </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A Sunday at La Grande Jatte </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">and then I showed them actual examples of artist-created dot paintings (in part to spark creativity and in part just to give them examples) and ones that kids and adults had done in imitation of this style. My art examples have a brown painted background as that is the traditional background color. Not bad for my first attempt at this style of art, I was rather pleased with myself. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Introduction:
Welcome to Kid’s Café. My name is Miss Rachel and we’re going to learn a little
about art. Today we’re going to be talking about the Australian Aboriginal Art <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Where
is Australia? Get globe to show kids<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Aboriginals
is the name for native Australians, kind of like our Native American Indians
here in the US<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Australian
Aboriginal Art – made for thousands of years and they continue to be created
today<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Aboriginal
Art consists of symbols. Symbols were used in order to show the presence of
different things or objects that existed around them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">These
symbols were used as a means of communication, because they have no written
language of their own – to show their customs and rituals and for decoration. These
works were almost always ceremonial or religious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
subject matter was based on patterns and animals, and colors used were only
ones found in nature; and they used things like bark, rocks, clay, burnt sticks
and trees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The
background of the paintings are always busy and never blank and feature a dots,
patterns, or lines to create movement. <span class="apple-converted-space"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Taken
directly from: </span><a href="http://art-educ4kids.weebly.com/aboriginal-art-and-patterning.html"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">http://art-educ4kids.weebly.com/aboriginal-art-and-patterning.html</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Aboriginal
art is based on important ancient stories and symbols centered around “The
Dreamtime” – which is when they believe the world was created and is at least
50,000 years old. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It
is only in the last 40 years that canvas and board are being used; before they
were scratched on walls, used in body painting or drawn in the sand or dirt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Dot
painting came about because the aborigines did not want the white man to
understand their secret art, so they covered the symbols with dots<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Taken
directly from: </span><a href="http://www.kateowengallery.com/page/10-Facts-About-Aboriginal-Art.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">http://www.kateowengallery.com/page/10-Facts-About-Aboriginal-Art.aspx</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Other
Aboriginal Art includes bark painting, weaving and sculpture<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Activities:
Creating our own Aboriginal Paintings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Supplies:
paint, paintbrushes, water cups, Styrofoam/plastic plates for colors, butcher
paper for tables, Q-Tips to make dots (very important), paper template (20
total) – could alternatively paint on paper bags to symbolize bark paintings
(but really need bigger bags)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Take
template of animals (kangaroo, snake, gecko, turtle) and paint in aboriginal
style, colors are entirely up to kids – usually inside of template is colored
in one color, then colored dots added on the outside<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Show
them the two examples I made<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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George Seurat's <i>The Sunday at La Grande Jatte</i></div>
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Aboriginal Turtle</div>
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Tracks or Water Holes</div>
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Honey Ant Kids Example</div>
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A Mom's Example of Gecko Art</div>
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My version of Aboriginal Kangaroo (the J-looking things are Kangaroo tracks)</div>
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My version of Aboriginal Gecko (the circles with wavy lines are supposed to be watering holes)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-47148805225623585462015-04-28T13:08:00.000-07:002015-04-28T13:08:22.704-07:00An Ember in the Ashes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYL4LAAstMhaR7OuCC_tHCGC7cl0Fea1LzAyNRwZJbb4xGauTrkiMTcr4CzHLXLr3_LzL4AIEbQIeB_2qt5MPGhLDd8UdENbe1seGbwJQntmTIScmNroePrZeu1iuGFo6zFRdstIEXzI99/s1600/Ember+in+the+Ashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYL4LAAstMhaR7OuCC_tHCGC7cl0Fea1LzAyNRwZJbb4xGauTrkiMTcr4CzHLXLr3_LzL4AIEbQIeB_2qt5MPGhLDd8UdENbe1seGbwJQntmTIScmNroePrZeu1iuGFo6zFRdstIEXzI99/s1600/Ember+in+the+Ashes.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>An Ember in the Ashes </i>by Sabaa Tahir<br />
Published: April 28, 2015<br />
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Laia is a teenage Scholar girl living with her grandparents and brother in Serra, under the rule of the unforgiving Martial Empire. One night, the Masks (an elite Martial fighting group) raids the house killing her grandparents and taking her brother to prison, claiming he has committed treason. Laia manages to flee and meets the Resistance, who put her in the house of the Commandant, the leader of the Masks, as a slave and spy. Elias is about to graduate as a Mask from Blackcliffe Academy, but is planning his escape from that life. The book alternates between Laia and Elias's viewpoints. Will Laia be able to get her brother out of prison? Will Elias ever escape the Martial military? To find out, read this awesome book. Highly recommended for ages 14+, 5 stars. </div>
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I adored this book! I literally could not stop reading it, and it's hard to believe that this is the author's first book. The author is great at world-building and you can feel yourself totally immersed in the characters and setting. It definitely lives up to the tremendous hype it has gotten so far. The description made it sound like the Martials are Roman, and the Scholars sound Greek or Egyptian to me. I really enjoyed the writing, and even the story was fairly complex, I was able to follow along pretty easily. The violence in the book is pretty graphic, especially in the beginning,so that's why I settled on ages fourteen plus. I can't wait to see what happen next in the series - apparently it is billed as a stand-alone book, but she definitely left it wide open for a sequel and I know many people will be disappointed if she does not!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-15150272576688569152015-04-24T22:55:00.002-07:002015-05-05T20:38:10.362-07:00Kids Cafe Art Lectures<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today is Friday and thank goodness! It doesn't have the same meaning for me as for others, as I work part-time and am usually off three-four days a week anyways, but the sentiment is nice all the same. I was jamming in the car this morning to happy bouncy music (i.e. this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IrQHeDcMi8">song</a>, which was making me laugh and sing along loudly to repeatedly) to get me excited about work. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I've just been so exhausted feeling lately, that sometimes it takes a bit more encouragement for me to get in the mood. I fell backwards and hit my head on a stool last Friday and it's been hurting, plus making it hard for me to sleep (as I hit the back of it). I finally made it to the doctor yesterday and it turns out I got a first-grade concussion, which is essentially a small but not serious one. It sounds scary though. Mostly just my head hurts every now and then and I keep getting headaches, though I usually get those anyways as I have migraines. The one this morning hurt like a mother but thankfully I had some Motrin in the car. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first post on this blog was about <a href="http://hermionesknapsack.blogspot.com/2015/04/kids-cafe-and-kraken.html">Kids Cafe</a>, a program that I'm involved in which I do every week. It's a really great program which I enjoy doing. As I said on that first post, I usually do mini-art or history lectures and then we do a craft. I'd like to start sharing them on this blog, so that will probably be my Friday post (at least until I run out of them). I was rather proud of last week's as I did it on the Dutch Baroque artist Jan Vermeer and his use of the camera obscura (aka pinhole camera). I made my own version of the pinhole camera, which was really cool once I finally figured out how it actually worked. Anyways, the first couple ones I did with a spoken lecture and some pictures on the magnetic board. After a few weeks, I realized that most people couldn't see them so I should make it larger. So I started using a Powerpoint followed by a craft and this is what I've been doing since then. I will try to post images of my personal art examples as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Disclaimer: Most of the writing was done by different people and I just edited it, some is my own; for the text I borrowed, I have included where I got the information from. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This particular Kids Cafe went over pretty well, considering it was the first program I did (the first week at least). I'm not sure very many were listen, then as well as now, but I still really enjoy doing them and I think that shows with how much prep goes into them and the way I am presenting them. The good feedback I get from the attendees is usually from parents, though some kids obviously like it too. I really liked the paint chip poetry, but didn't actually do an endangered animals coloring sheet myself. </span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Kids Café: Color Wheel
and Pop Art - Jan 6<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Introduction:
Welcome to Kid’s Café. My name is Miss Rachel and we’re going to learn a little
about art. Today we’re going to be talking about the color wheel and learn a
little about Pop Art. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Primary
Colors: colors that are not created with any other colors<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Red,
Blue, Yellow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Colors: colors made from mixing two primary colors<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Orange,
Violet, Green<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Warm
Colors (red, orange, yellow) and Cool Colors (blue, purple, and green)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Pop
Art – from the 1950s – 1960s<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A
famous French artist named Marcel Duchamp said in 1917 “that any object could be art, as long as the artist intended it as such.”
The movement centered around painting, sculpture and printmaking. It has been
defined as (see Pop Art quote below). Pop Art uses images from popular culture such as
comic, advertising esp product labels, news, and other cultural images. It can
also use found objects and tends to be rather kitschy (tacky and cheap)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Taken
from: </span><a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/pop/a/pop-art"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/pop/a/pop-art</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> and </span><a href="http://www.moma.org/collection/theme.php?theme_id=10170"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">http://www.moma.org/collection/theme.php?theme_id=10170</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_art"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_art</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Artists
included <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Andy
Warhol: most famous American artist of this period – made printmaking more artistic
and less commercial <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Jasper
Johns: incorporated symbols such as numbers, flags, maps, and targets into his
paintings <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Roy
Lichtenstein: based his early images off comics <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Robert
Rauschenberg: famous for creating what he called “combines” or mixed media art
using found objects; his most famous example is <i>Monogram</i>, which combines a found object painting with a stuffed
goat with a tire around its middle and its face painted <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Wayne
Thiebaud (tee-bow): very colorful paintings of common objects, most famously
his cakes </span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Warhol Endangered Species Suite 1983<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Give
out kids 4-square images of one of the Endangered Animals used in Warhol’s
painting (use coloring sheets - </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I</span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> used a butterfly, tree frog, rhino and elephant</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">) and have them color them in primary colors or complimentary colors
(colors that are opposite from each other on the color wheel) - <span style="color: red;">Most kids didn't color them this way, but it was still fun</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Color
Poetry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Get
kids to fill out Color Poetry sheet and then give them paint chip cards (the
square Behr ones) - <span style="color: red;">I only had two kids do this activity, which I was a little upset with because I thought it was really cool; I had originally wanted to include this activity not only because it is cool but because some people, myself included, are better with words than art. The below examples are the ones from the website I found the activity on. </span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> Taken from: </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><a href="http://www.arttherapyblog.com/color-meanings-and-color-symbolism-chart.html">http://www.arttherapyblog.com/color-meanings-and-color-symbolism-chart.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Marcel Duchamp’s <i>Fountain </i>1917<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pop Art has been called<b> “‘Popular </b>(designed for a mass
audience)<b>; Transient </b>(short term
solution)<b>; Expendable </b>(easily
forgotten)<b>; Low Cost; Mass Produced;
Young </b>(aimed at Youth)</span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">; Witty; Sexy;
Gimmicky; Glamorous; and Big Business’.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Andy Warhol’s <i>Campbell’s Soup Cans </i>1962<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jasper John’s <i>Target with Four Faces</i>, 1955<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Roy
Lichtenstein’s <i>Drowning Girl</i> 1963<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-5204816296670473182015-04-21T11:25:00.001-07:002015-04-21T11:25:16.716-07:00Picture Books and Why They're Awesome<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week's<a href="http://hermionesknapsack.blogspot.com/2015/04/national-library-week-2015.html"> post </a>was all about National Library Week. I talked about the fill-in-the-blank photos that my library system was displaying in celebration, and I wanted to add that if I was going to do one my would say "Hello, my name is Rachel and I read way more Children and Young Adults books than Adult ones." I have been teased by this fact, but the truth is that I love reading them, and would still do so even if I wasn't a Children's Librarian. I'm a sucker for good illustrations, as my <a href="http://hermionesknapsack.blogspot.com/2015/04/april-2015-book-reviews.html">book reviews</a> can attest. I know a lot of people like to poo poo this kind of art, especially if it's for children, but some of the best art I've seen lately has been from these sources. The majority of my children's book collection at home is picture books. A lot of times I can't think about a certain author without thinking about the artwork included in their children's books, like <a href="http://riseoftheguardians.wikia.com/wiki/The_Guardians_of_Childhood">William Joyce</a>, <a href="http://www.pigeonpresents.com/books.aspx"> Mo Willems</a>, <a href="http://www.peterbrownstudio.com/books/#.VTaVUvnF_To">Peter Brown</a>, or even <a href="http://diterlizzi.com/home/project/the-search-for-wondla/">Tony DiTerlizzi</a>. I've been sharing picture books with my son since he was a baby, and sometimes I check them out just for me to read. It honestly surprises me to see which picture books my son likes, especially if they are ones I got for me because I didn't think he would like the subject matter or understand what it is about. Case in point, I brought home a haiku poetry book called <i>Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku </i>by Lee Wardlaw, which is right now one of his favorite books for me to read to him. </div>
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So when I saw this <a href="https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/sharing-our-love-of-picture-books-by-katherine-sokolowski/">post</a> today from Nerdy Book Club, I knew I had to include it in a post. In it, 5th grade students made up a list of why they love picture books, all of which I agree with especially number 8, 7, 5 and 1. So I guess the moral of this post is pick up a picture book and enjoy one with your child, or just on your own. </div>
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<i>Our </i>Top Ten <i>Reasons We Love Picture Books</i></div>
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10. Picture books are amazing because they are short enough to teach us something in one class period. </div>
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9. Picture books are amazing because they bring us laughter and make us remember when we were younger. </div>
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8. Picture books are amaing becauase they help us to be creative. </div>
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7. Picture books are amazing becuase they give us a break and chance to relax from reading chapter books. </div>
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6. Picture books are amaing because they are entertaining and don't have as many rules to follow as chapter books. </div>
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5. Picture books are amazing because they allow all of us to feel the joy of reading. </div>
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4. Picture books are amazing because they teach us. Just because they're short doesn't mean they can't teach us a lesson. </div>
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3. Picture books are amazing because they help us learn lessons through them and then we can turn and apply them to our own reading. </div>
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2. Picture books are amazing because they open up the whole world to us in a short text that we can gather around and share together. </div>
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1. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Picture books have no age limits. </i>(This one is supposed to be said with enthusiasm. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-73428590511603374822015-04-17T19:35:00.000-07:002015-04-17T19:35:32.066-07:00National Library Week 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55d3ZFKfHvxzEjqpfS3y64d8J2hDYK31VwFE2pjfgXUKccMk_pIHRY5LgVmd5L9SwCRG-SL10w_yd90qPfQ3FD8hME6pMvNNlOZd2rxIqyTregFcdYJO26P-oNkl3-KA7HbwduDkPx7pF/s1600/National+Library+Week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55d3ZFKfHvxzEjqpfS3y64d8J2hDYK31VwFE2pjfgXUKccMk_pIHRY5LgVmd5L9SwCRG-SL10w_yd90qPfQ3FD8hME6pMvNNlOZd2rxIqyTregFcdYJO26P-oNkl3-KA7HbwduDkPx7pF/s1600/National+Library+Week.jpg" height="147" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ok, so I'm a little late for this as it ends tomorrow, but I figured I would post a little something. We've been celebrating it at the public library I work at this week for basically two reasons. First, it's a library celebration, so why not? Especially if it celebrates both libraries and reading, two very important things in everyone's daily life. Secondly because the system is trying to win the <a href="http://www.imls.gov/about/medals.aspx">National Medal </a>(we are one of 30 finalists) and I think we're trying to be as fun and community-related as possible, plus it's another way to highlight all the cool things that this system does. This coincidentally also goes with this year's theme, "Unlimited possibilities @ your library". For example, the Media Relations people asked the staff to take pictures with a sign that said "My name is (blank) and I (blank), and called it "Library Confessions". There are some pretty cute ones <a href="http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/browse/Interest-Guides/Pages/Seasonal/National%20Library%20Week/Library-Confessions.aspx">here</a>. </div>
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So I just wanted to share some things I thought were cool that relate to libraries and reading. The first are a couple of the ALA's (American Library Association) Read posters. They always get actors and actresses to do them. As I've been playing Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) again lately, I thought I would include this poster with Orlando Bloom (plus he's holding a copy of a JRR Tolkein book, one can only assume it is LOTR. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpstDZqea4Hw2bh_wprde7ZqBjl3GHJkC-Oz2Y2lh9T6a-V9U09rrYFxxKGemNqrn3ZZgm2v4s5sVx_tdp33PISYoIj-IKCJk3AlSKkdzDrkD9VuU2YY27TNsoND0qFFXbMqOUBbfZtnqY/s1600/Orlando+Bloom+Read+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpstDZqea4Hw2bh_wprde7ZqBjl3GHJkC-Oz2Y2lh9T6a-V9U09rrYFxxKGemNqrn3ZZgm2v4s5sVx_tdp33PISYoIj-IKCJk3AlSKkdzDrkD9VuU2YY27TNsoND0qFFXbMqOUBbfZtnqY/s1600/Orlando+Bloom+Read+poster.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></div>
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I wanted to include this one because A. I thought it was cool and partially in Arabic, and because it was a woman representing Dubai Women's College. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_rZkqZicxbpi1847DvNRnH8DmfTV-ePO12vmilKhUSRGmm0Mn3fnS3QHxrcsd_M3TjkE1Zwk8E0NWTiQF9egbxeEulw-BkKbNVe_T3WocvPaNSbnfnWlLyRgbK_bIIno_qbQWe9PdVwO/s1600/Dubai+Womens+College+Read+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_rZkqZicxbpi1847DvNRnH8DmfTV-ePO12vmilKhUSRGmm0Mn3fnS3QHxrcsd_M3TjkE1Zwk8E0NWTiQF9egbxeEulw-BkKbNVe_T3WocvPaNSbnfnWlLyRgbK_bIIno_qbQWe9PdVwO/s1600/Dubai+Womens+College+Read+poster.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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The next two I just wanted to add because I'm a children's librarian and I think they are not only informative but also very true. Plus the first one is especially important to me because I've actually heard some parents say they don't want to read to their children because they "won't be able to understand the words". </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiokEG-Foiy5n0cn4uwy6Y85uu_VOZoZ4Gib7LjNB_08nc6lu0qFiSrusXZq0xlhbFoKuUSgZPwMaJbx1gbca4k9VYTmIfhSxIutWchE65YV7BzFtomvwQN8Id7ay179Zj9UzNVTSR3oYH/s1600/Reading+to+Children.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiokEG-Foiy5n0cn4uwy6Y85uu_VOZoZ4Gib7LjNB_08nc6lu0qFiSrusXZq0xlhbFoKuUSgZPwMaJbx1gbca4k9VYTmIfhSxIutWchE65YV7BzFtomvwQN8Id7ay179Zj9UzNVTSR3oYH/s1600/Reading+to+Children.png" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-66225306413405023692015-04-14T20:32:00.001-07:002015-04-14T20:32:50.727-07:00April 2015 Book Reviews<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been trying to read more poetry this month as it is National Poetry Month. My attempts at doing poetry for Kids Cafe have kind of fallen flat, but I did write a couple of new things for it, so I'm happy about that. I'm taking a bit of a break from Advanced Reader's Copies, but should be starting up on them in a week or so. I am currently reading <i>How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-To-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life </i>by Ruth Goodman. I am also listening to a more modern version of Geoffrey Chauncer's <i>The Canterbury Tales. </i>Both are slow going but for different reasons, one being nonfiction (and reading a lot of short books while I'm reading it) and the other just being an insanely long epic poem. The crazy thing is with Chauncer is that the poem is unfinished, and it is still over 600 pages already. I have recently finished watching the new <i>Outlander </i>tv series, Season 1 and completely fell in love with it. So I will definitely be buying the book as I do not have cable and probably won't be able to see the next series for about a year and I'm dying to know what happens next (as they left the series on a total cliffhanger ending!). Hopefully the rest of the series will be easy to find at my local library. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I rate books from 1-5 stars, 1 being the lowest. I will include illustrations from the children's books that I enjoyed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Children</u></b></span><br />
<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Tall </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">by Jez Alborough</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
was looking for books for my Toddler Jungle Storytime. I thought this one was too
simplistic, but it was cute. Bobo the little monkey just wants to be tall, so
he keeps climbing on the shoulders of his friends so that he can be taller.
That is, until he gets up to high and his momma has to rescue him. Then he is
glad to be small. Recommended for ages 2-4, 2 stars. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">How to Cheer Up Dad </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">written and illustrated by Fred Koehler </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> This book was
super adorable, not only the content but the illustrations too. You can tell the author/illustrator is the parent of small children as this plays out pretty much like a real-life situation. Dad is taking
care of his young elephant son Little Jumbo, who is misbehaving and he is, of
course, getting super frustrated. Of course, his son has no idea why his dad is
so upset, as children never do. Little Jumbo wants to cheer him up so starts
doing things to make him feel better, like getting ice cream and hanging out
together. Great book for Father’s Day, single dads and maybe just for moms
wanting their sons to connect more with their dads. My son and I both enjoyed
this book. Recommended for ages 3-5, 5 stars. </span></div>
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<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Mustache Baby </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">written by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Joy Ang </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> This book has
been on to-read list for a while, so finally got a copy. So glad I did, this
book was hilarious. Baby Billy was born with a mustache and his parents are
obviously worried. But it turns out his mustache is a good one, as exemplified
when he pretends to be a cop or a cowboy. But soon enough his good mustache
turns into a villainous one with curled up ends, and he starts a life of crime,
which is cut short by his parents. The ending of the book hinted at a new book
in the series, called </span><i style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">Mustache Baby Meets
His Match</i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">, which I’ve already put on hold. Recommended for ages 3-6, 5
stars. </span></div>
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<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Huff & Puff </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">written and illustrated by Claudia Rueda</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> My son loved
this book, just like I thought he would, as it is interactive. It is a very
simply done version of “The Three Little Pigs” story with a twist ending. The
interactive part is the kids getting to help the wolf huff and puff through a
die-cut hole in the center of the page. Instead of eating the pigs or trying to
at least, the wolf blows out his birthday candles on the cake the pigs baked
him. Everyone is happy after eating the cake. Recommended for ages 3-6, 3
stars. </span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Have You Ever Seen a Sneep? </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Written by Tasha Pym, and illustrated by
Joel Stewart</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> A
young boy is just trying to enjoy his summer day by having a picnic, reading
some books, swinging across a swimming hole, and other adventures, and he keeps
getting interrupted by the Sneep and his mischievous friends. He is amazed that
none of these creatures live where the reader is, and so is determined to move
there to get away from them, but the Sneep and his friends want to move with
him! Recommended for ages 3-6, 3 stars. </span><br />
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<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> Chameleon’s Colors </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">by Chisato Tashiro</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
originally picked up this book as a possibility for a Jungle Toddler Storytime,
but quickly realized it was too long. My son liked all the crazy color
combinations the little chameleon came up with in the story. Chameleon hates
blending in to everything, so when Hippo tells him how jealous he is of his
changing colors, Chameleon agrees to help him change. Soon all the animals in
the jungle want to change colors, which is fine until they realize that this
affects how they eat and hunt! So they demand Chameleon change them back, but
he is thankfully saved by a rainstorm, which washes all their colors away.
Recommended for ages 3-6, 3 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i> My Teacher is a Monster! (No I Am Not.) </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">written and illustrated by Peter Brown </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">Bobby has a
problem. He thinks his teacher is a monster, until the day he runs into her in
the park outside of school. He helps rescue her hat and they end up running
around and playing together. Their perception of each other naturally changes
after this. My son didn’t pick up on all the nuances of the book, but enough to
appreciate it. My son loves "reading along" with me while I read him this book, even the author's comment in the back. Recommended for ages 3-6, 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Bats (Scholastic Science Readers: Level
1) </span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; text-indent: -0.25in;">by Lily Wood</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">I'm
using this book, and other beginner's books like it, as an incentive for my
son. We're trying to finish potty-training him and I figure giving him these
books is two-fold. Besides being a surprise incentive, they are also a cool
nonfiction book that is easy to read, so when he does start reading (which will
hopefully be soon), he can start with this book. We both like bats, so I
figured this would be a fun topic. It is a very basic book about bats and tells
the reader a little bit about them and features a lot of great huge pictures.
Recommended for ages 3-6, 3 stars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">An Island Grows </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">by Lola M. Schaefer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> I
picked this book for my Volcano Preschool DiscoveryTime because it was a was a
cool way to describe the way an island forms from an underwater volcano. The
magma comes out of the volcano into the water, where the lava cools and hardens
building up layer by layer until it comes out of the water and becomes land. Then
plants, animals and people come to the island and soon it is thriving. It’s
almost a nonfiction picture book except that it is describing islands in
general and not one in particular. Recommended for ages 3-6, 4 stars. </span></div>
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<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Snoozefest </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">written and illustrated by Samantha Berger </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Oh my goodness
I loved this book! I mean how can you not love a book about sloths, sleeping as
an event and the cutest name ever for a book character, Snuggleford Cuddlebuns.
Plus the illustrations were great. Snuggleford is the best sleeper in town, and
can do it for months at a time. Her favorite event of the year, Snoozefest is
coming up, and she's so excited. She gets on the bus, goes to the festival,
settles into her hammock, buys the swag and gets ready for a great snooze. They
have performers guaranteed to put you to sleep (on purpose), they sell hot milk
and honey, and there is a designer fashion show, with pun-y names like Diane
von Firstinbed. Recommended for ages 3-7, 5 stars.</span></div>
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<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> The Circus Ship </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">written and illustrated by Chris Van
Dusen</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">I
will say that I picked this one up for my Toddler Circus Storytime, quickly
realized that it was way too long, but thought it would be a fun read for my
son. He enjoyed it too. It is a rhyming book, based off a true story, about a
ship full of circus animals that crashes off the coast of Maine. The animals
make it to a small island in the state and are adopted by the locals after the tiger
saves a young girl. When the angry circus owner comes to claim them, the locals
hide the animals and they end up staying there forever. This was a very fun
book to do accents with, especially the angry British one for the circus owner.
Recommended for ages 3-7, 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i> If Not For the Cat </i>written by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Ted Rand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> I usually don't like Jack Prelutsky stuff all that much, with a few exceptions. This is one of them. I love these haikus and the watercolor and ink illustrations are amazing. They are all about animals, so would be a great way to introduce haikus to kids. My favorites are the one about the hummingbird, the jellyfish, and the sea otter. Recommended for ages 5-10, 4 stars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Young Adult</u></b></span><br />
<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Rivals in the City (The Agency #4) </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">by Y.S. Lee</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Mary Quinn and
James Easton are engaged to be married, but Mary has to sort out a few things first. She loves him, but is enjoying her independence. The Agency has asked
her to find Mrs. Thorold, who has tried to kill James before. On top of all
that, she believes she may be related to a Chinese fighter that has recently
come into town. Will she be able to bring Mrs. Thorold to justice, save James,
and find out about her family? To find, read the exciting conclusion to this
amazing mystery series. Recommended for ages 14+, 4 stars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> I have been waiting
forever for this book to come out, only to realize that my library only had the
first book in the series and had no plan to get the fourth. So I had to get an
inter-library loan, but it was worth the wait. I really love Mary’s need to be
independent, and was glad she wasn’t pining over James the whole book (like a
lot of other YA books). I missed the banter between James and Mary though, it
was there but they were separated for the majority of the book so there wasn’t
as much of it. I enjoyed the twist ending, and Mrs. Thorold really did think
her plans through. I’m sad to see this series end, as it is hard to find a
well-written strong multicultural female character these days. I hope the
author’s next books are just as awesome. </span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i> Princess of Thorns </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">by Stacey Jay</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> I thought this
was a very fascinating re-working and combination of two fairytales, i.e.
"Sleeping Beauty" and "The Six Swans".</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">The book starts out with the death of
Princess Aurora's mother, the Sleeping Beauty, who transfers her fairy magic to
her daughter. Only it doesn't work like it did for mother. Aurora (known as
Ror) is never allowed to have romantic love, only platonic. Ror and her brother
Jor are raised by the fairies, but constantly being hunted by the evil troll
queen Ekeeta. One day, her brother is captured and Ror must dress as a boy to
find an army that will help free him. On the way, she meets Prince Niklaas who is
desperately looking for Princess Aurora so that he can break his curse. If he
does not marry before dawn on his eighteenth birthday, he will meet the same
fate as his ten older brothers. Ror blackmails him into helping her find an
army to free her "sister" from the Troll Queen. Will Niklaas be able
to be free of his curse? Will Aurora be able to rescue her brother in time?
Will she ever tell Niklaas the truth about herself? To find out, read this
fabulous book. Recommended for ages 14+, 5 stars</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> I had originally wanted
to read it when it was just an Advanced Reader's Copy, but I didn't have the
time. This review has taken me forever to write because I kept forgetting about
it. I love fairy tale re-tellings and this one was really good. It had some
great quotes in it, like this one on page 54, where Ror is talking about
herself: "Sometimes it seems a small price to pay for my fairy gifts.
Sometimes it makes my body ache with a loneliness so profound I fear my soul
will forever be bruised. I am a prisoner in a cell of my mother's good
intentions and I will never, ever escape." Or this one on page 122, where
Ror and Niklaas are talking about women and Ror wonders why any woman should
have to learn the truth about the world and he responds "Because they are
strong enough to know the truth, and proving that to themselves will make them
stronger. And perhaps, if men were brought up to be gentler people, women
wouldn't have need of protectors." And then there's this profound quote
about love, which Niklaas tells to Ror on pages 252-53: "...that's what
searching for love is like. You keep pushing on, breaking and being broken,
until you find the person you want to hold safe, the only one who knows how to
keep you in one piece." Le sigh. And when Ror and Niklaas finally did
kiss, it was magical and then sad. Hard to explain without giving away
storyline, but believe me when I say this book is definitely worth a read.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i> Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> written and illustrated by Fumiyo Kouno</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"> I had been
looking for a book on the atomic bomb from the Japanese perspective for a
while, and this was one of the books I had come up with in my search. It tells
the story of the Hirano family told over the span of about sixty years, from
1945-2004. The first part, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">Town of
Evening Calm, </i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">is about a young girl named Minami who works in a dress shop
in Hiroshima ten years after the bomb dropped, but it keeps flashing back to
ten years before and how the Hirano family faired on that day. Minami has
survivor’s remorse because her father and sister passed away either on the day
or shortly afterwards, but she and her mother survived. The book does go into
some details about what it was like when the bomb dropped, and that part was
hard to read. One of the most powerful parts of the book is when Minami says
“All I know is that somebody wanted us dead. They wanted us to die, but we
survived. Nobody talks about it. I don’t really understand what happened even
to this day.” Minami is soon courted by a young man who works at the shop named
Uchikoshi. She suddenly gets really sick from delayed radiation sickness, and
dies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></div>
<div class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> The next section, broken
into two parts, is </span><i style="font-family: Georgia;">Country of Cherry
Blossoms. </i><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The first part starts in 1987 with a seemingly unconnected family
who have just moved to a new city. The daughter Nanami is about ten years old
and is obsessed with baseball, and joins the local team. Nanami and her friend
Toko sneak away to the hospital to visit Nanami’s brother Nagio, who has
asthma. The second part is set seventeen years later, and Nanami is convinced
that her father is senile as he keeps disappearing for days and racking up the
phone bills. So one day she follows him and runs into Toko at the train
station. While she is following her father, the story flashes back to his youth
and how he met Nanami’s mother. Eventually we find out that he was visiting
Hiroshima because he is Asahi, the brother of Minami, the girl from the first
story. The book includes explanations of the text (which really explain a lot
because I was rather confused as to the identity of all the characters and how
they were connected), as well as a map of Hiroshima, and an afterword by the
author/illustrator. Recommended for ages 14+, 4 stars. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i>The Speaker for the Dead </i>written by Orson Scott Card, script written by Aaron Johnston, art by Pop Mhan and Veronic Gandini</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoyed this graphic novel a lot more than the regular book version of <i>Ender's Game</i>. It is a lot easier to explain complicated sci-fi ideas in graphic form versus in print, at least in my opinion. The graphic novel is set about twenty-two years after the first book, and Ender is now a Speaker for the Dead, one that tells the truth about a dead person's life. While Ender's only aged an additional 22 years, because of light-speed travel, it is now 3500 years in the future. He is called to the remote planet Lusitania to find out the truth about the death of two Xenobiology researchers who studied the native inhabitants of the planet, the Pequeninos. They have been accused of murdering the two scientists, so it is up to Ender to figure out if that is true or not. The Pequeninos seem to know Ender's true identity and want him to leave the Hive Queen Egg (of the insect race, the Formics, which he killed off at the end of <i>Ender's Game</i>). What really happened to the xenobiologists? How are the Pequeninos connected? Recommended for ages 14+, 4 stars. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was a very fascinating book. It was interesting that all the names were Portuguese sounding and that the Catholic Church was so prevalent there, and they were essentially the ruling class with the help of the Congress. The Descolada disease element was also intriguing, and that is even more true with the Pequininos (or "Piggies" as they are more coloquially known), their religion and birthing system. I hope there are more graphic novel versions of his books, if so, I would be very interested in reading them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Adult</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I Could Pee on This And Other Poems By Cats </i>written by Francesco Marciuliano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had originally picked this up to use with Kids Cafe, but decided it was a bit too adult for that program. It was a cute take on what cats would write about, were they actually able to write poetry. Chapters are broken down into Family, Work, Play and Existence. I think my favorites are "Something's Wrong" about moving to a new place, "Unbridled Love" about the ways cats show affection, "Tripped" about kitty assassins, and "Most Amusing" about what makes cats laugh. This would be a good gift for cat lovers. 3 stars. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Shojin Ryori: The Art of Japanese Vegetarian
Cuisine </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;">by Danny Chu</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i> </i>I've read this
sort of cookbook before, so I pretty much knew what to expect. This type of
vegetarian (actually vegan since it doesn't include meat, dairy or eggs) cuisine
originally came from Buddhist temples, and depends entirely on seasonal fruits
and veggies. The chef and author divided the food up into seasons, and like
most Japanese food, the plates are very small, but there are a lot of them. I
kind of wished that they would put all the basic recipes in the front, not just
stocks and sauces, and not repeat them with every section. The food is simple
and beautiful, and there were a few recipes that I would like to try at home
like the asparagus with white miso and walnut sauce. Most of the recipes are
ones that I would rather try at a restaurant. 3 stars.</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-78875545795275366842015-04-06T22:30:00.000-07:002015-04-06T22:30:09.981-07:00Atom Bombs and Sakura Blossoms<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I just finished reading the historical fiction manga <i>Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms </i>by Fumiyo Kouno. It was a little hard to read, but I figured it would be given the subject matter. Let me explain. The book is about one family's journey from 1945-2004, and talks about the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb explosion and how the family survived it. I've always felt a bit weird about the Hiroshima bombings as my paternal grandfather fought in the Pacific for all of World War II and he was not a fan of the Japanese as a result. I never really got to know him because he died when I was three. Anyways, after reading the children's book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/116202.Hiroshima_No_Pika"><i>Hiroshima No Pika</i> </a>or The Flash of Hiroshima, was a true story about a seven year old and her family witnessing the explosion and what it did to people, I was firmly against nuclear proliferation and against the American government for doing what they did. I know there are many people who will argue for dropping the bomb. I would ask them to check out these <a href="http://www.hiroshima-nagasaki.com/">testimonies </a>from people who survived it before saying yes to doing it again in the future. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPSi_nK0ffJL7glxUZ2EwdjrNvjANSoAN-ca4Z-14TBlss1-A7Ar_GspYFMToLJCrNVZX4LQbhtzYGqEer0uefTzYwuLBcMwWlgLk5tGcG2vGV920QimOx_rwfGBCU6NCK2tseRQsAQw-/s1600/Cherry+Blossom+Festival+in+DC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPSi_nK0ffJL7glxUZ2EwdjrNvjANSoAN-ca4Z-14TBlss1-A7Ar_GspYFMToLJCrNVZX4LQbhtzYGqEer0uefTzYwuLBcMwWlgLk5tGcG2vGV920QimOx_rwfGBCU6NCK2tseRQsAQw-/s1600/Cherry+Blossom+Festival+in+DC.jpg" height="260" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So I figured to counter all the depressing and sad aspects about Hiroshima, I should think about something beautiful. I've always loved cherry blossoms. I used to live right outside of Washington D.C. and loved being able to watch the cherry blossoms bloom and then fall in delicate pink showers on your hair and clothing. It is one of the most stunning things I have ever seen. These cherry trees were originally given in friendship from the Japanese people to the Americans, so it is this image I will end with. I found this poem about a Buddha sculpture in a beautiful garden which included sakura (cherry) blossoms as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Garden Buddha</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">by Peter Pereira</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gift of a friend, the stone Buddha sits zazen, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">prayer beads clutched in his chubby fingers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Through snow, icy rain, the riot of spring flowers, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">he gazes forward to the city in the distance--always</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the same bountiful smile upon his portly face. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why don't I share his one-minded happiness?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The pear blossom, the crimson-petaled magnolia,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">filling me instead with a mixture of nostalgia</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and yearning. He's laughing at me, isn't he? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The seasons wheeling despite my photographs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and notes, my desire to make them pause. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is that the lesson? That stasis, this holding on,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">is not life? Now I'm smiling too--the late cherry,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">its soft pink blossoms already beginning to scatter;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">the trillium, its three petaled white flowers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">exquisitely tinged with purple as they fall. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-32104195110836912582015-04-04T21:11:00.000-07:002015-04-04T21:11:11.324-07:00Short but lovely spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGvQ-y9SRu5ZewfjmkxozBg_m-4jleZlvI4JNKqd9s7XjyQa_VTO05x4CldmLIZ6Gi01bQ440axQP0bIBI6-lLYZ_t5RjsfvlctZNrR2ESNRzfh3A0ei0MHmLajy8ElquRFeschFkwDUR/s1600/Arizona+Wildflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGvQ-y9SRu5ZewfjmkxozBg_m-4jleZlvI4JNKqd9s7XjyQa_VTO05x4CldmLIZ6Gi01bQ440axQP0bIBI6-lLYZ_t5RjsfvlctZNrR2ESNRzfh3A0ei0MHmLajy8ElquRFeschFkwDUR/s1600/Arizona+Wildflowers.jpg" height="170" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I live in Arizona, and summer is the predominant season here. It lasts from about April-November, and we may get a brief but warm winter and short but lovely spring. In the summer, it's not just hot, it's usually over 100 degrees with dry heat. Don't let people fool you, it's still bloody hot. I grew up in the Southeastern US, so I'm more used to a more humid heat, but both will make you sweat a lot. Dry heat just means the sun is way more intense. So if you have fair skin like I do, you will sunburn if you are outside for any length of time. You pretty much have to either travel with water everywhere or at least have water in your car. Getting away from my original point, I love spring. I love watching the irises and roses bloom and here in Arizona, it is 70 to 80 degrees F (21-26 C) usually with a breeze. The nights and early mornings are cool. Spring training baseball games are going on. They have just finished here and the temperatures are already starting to climb towards 100. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the visual imagery of this poem. It reminds me of what spring should be like, and what an English spring is like, which I haven't seen in a really long time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Magdalen Walks</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">by Oscar Wilde</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The little white clouds are racing over the sky, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> And the fields are strewn with the gold of the flower of March, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The daffodil breaks under foot, and the tasselled larch</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sways and swings as the thrush goes hurrying by.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A delicate odour is bourne on the wings of the morning breeze, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The odour of deep wet grass, and the brown new-furrowed earth, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The birds are singing for joy of the Spring's glad birth, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hopping from branch to branch on the rocking trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And all the woods are alive with the murmur and the sound of Spring, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> And the rose-bud breaks into pink on the climbing briar, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> And the crocus-bed is a quivering moon of fire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Girdled round with a belt of an amethyst ring. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the plane to the pine-tree is whispering some tale of love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Till it rustles with laughter and tosses its mantle of green, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> And the gloom of the wych-elm's hollow is lit with the iris sheet</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of the burnished rainbow throat and the silver breast of a dove. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">See! the lark starts up from his bed in the meadow there, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Breaking the gossamer threads and the nets of dew,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> And flashing adown the river, a flame of blue!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The kingfisher flies like an arrow, and wounds the air. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764533484644272885.post-33730157421702468212015-04-03T22:12:00.003-07:002015-05-05T20:38:49.300-07:00Kids Cafe and The Kraken<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have a program that the library is co-sponsoring with a local food bank and the USDA called <a href="http://www.firstfoodbank.org/child-nutrition-programs">Kids Cafe</a>. Basically we give a wholesome snack to children 0-18 with an enrichment program. I doesn't have to be fancy, just has to be vaguely educational. I like to make an effort with my programs and have been using them as an opportunity to expose kids to art. My undergraduate degree was in Art History and I love to be able to use it when I can, plus I like to teach people about art. In addition, I know a lot of schools have cut art programs because of all the budget cuts, so I figure that they will be predominantly learning something new. Overall, I have really enjoyed the mini-lectures I have given, despite the time constraints, as I am limited to basically 10-15 minutes, and then we do a craft. I've gotten to research cool artist like Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Chihuly, Matisse, and even cool historical periods/cultures like the Ancient Egyptians. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y_IF4wqRiD_XswfFWyAYBc_Wf1Im7D2_2mlPEkuA83X_GXTRbljZJuFGq5PmpbHnMApZRIhjGFwLMIh84zd9su5eO0s_wXEv8tCnljlp6kuCLu8ry4iepthg7wAzi8KnFiEKQmjahn9y/s1600/the-sun-and-black-niijima-floats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y_IF4wqRiD_XswfFWyAYBc_Wf1Im7D2_2mlPEkuA83X_GXTRbljZJuFGq5PmpbHnMApZRIhjGFwLMIh84zd9su5eO0s_wXEv8tCnljlp6kuCLu8ry4iepthg7wAzi8KnFiEKQmjahn9y/s1600/the-sun-and-black-niijima-floats.jpg" height="287" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dale Chihuly's <i>The Sun and Black Nijima Floats</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This month I'm am attempting to do some programs around poetry as it is National Poetry Month. Last year, I blogged every day with a different poem. I don't have as much time this year. Today's programs was on "Haikus and Origami". Needless to say the origami was more popular, even though I was super excited about the haikus as they are one of my favorite poetical forms. Anyways, I have decided to post this poem today because I recently found it while reading a children's nonfiction book with my son on the Kraken entitled <i>Here There Be Monsters: The Kraken and the Giant Squid </i>by H.P. Newquist. I highly recommend the book. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-JQsidCE9ZgMJbH9XXgSIGDD4hXfkdlRFiXSaTftuIU8eqkTVawi1I4Ai-41DfBwyRJ9G7QH0luLGDngOHFDFEfEffiion2bIHqoO-mIr2tVsElSBW9E6Fs_vYctfflvYAUTuBtBlD2X/s1600/Colossal_octopus_by_Pierre_Denys_de_Montfort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-JQsidCE9ZgMJbH9XXgSIGDD4hXfkdlRFiXSaTftuIU8eqkTVawi1I4Ai-41DfBwyRJ9G7QH0luLGDngOHFDFEfEffiion2bIHqoO-mIr2tVsElSBW9E6Fs_vYctfflvYAUTuBtBlD2X/s1600/Colossal_octopus_by_Pierre_Denys_de_Montfort.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The Kraken</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">by Lord Alfred Tennyson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Below the thunders of the upper deep, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About his shadowy sides; above him swell</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Huge sponges of millenial growth and height; </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And far away from the sickly light, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From many a wonderous grot and secret cell</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Unnumbered and enormous polypi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There hath he lain for ages, and will lie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Battening upon huge sea worms in his sleep, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Until the latter fire shall heat the deep; </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then once by man and angels be seen, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00143904151312488406noreply@blogger.com0