Eight Hundred Grapes

Synchronize (verb) "to occur at the same time or coincide or agree in time" (Online Etymology Dictionary).

Much of our lives are left to chance, in spite of perfect planning one cannot prepare for the weather, the actions of another, and as I learned while reading this book, the making of wine. We cannot control the rain or the weather, just as we cannot control the actions of others.

In Eight Hundred Grapes Georgia is one week away from her wedding that is set to take place at her parents' vineyard.  She finds her fiancee is keeping the knowledge of a daughter from her as well as meetings with his ex-wife.  She realizes this as she is trying on her wedding dress and flees the city, heading home.

Upon returning home she finds her family is also struggling in their relationships and realizes the importance of home and family.  Weeks have passed since I read this book and I'm still thinking about it, still wanting to try putting chocolate in lasagna and to enjoy (just one more) glass of wine.

In short, read this book, especially if you have a love of wine, it will probably help increase that love.


synchronize. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved December 22, 2015 from Dictionary.com website http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/synchronize

Recycled Tree

I am all about recycling whenever possible.  I have some old shirts I retired in a pile waiting to be cut up and turned into a rug, old pillows are waiting to be turned into stuffed animals, and sheets found at Salvation Army have been turned into dresses or skirts.

In turn, my recycling habits have entered my work life and I began to find annoyance at recycling newspapers when we were using fresh paper for our bulletin board.  And so, an idea was born, when presented with the opportunity of reusing newspapers I decided to make a tree.

Newspapers prior to rolling

Papers are opened, rolled into tube-like pieces and staple it like crazy to the bulletin board in tree form!

I've done this design for the spring, having children write their names on leaves to add to the board, in the fall spraying the leaves with watered down red, brown and orange paint to give the perfect fall look.  This time we had ornaments and snow flakes for kids (and some staff) to color

Fairy Doors at the Library

Close up of my favorite door. Guess the book title.

One of the local Girl Scout troops asked me if they could put fairy doors in the library and I couldn't say no. There are 5 little doors hidden around my branch and I love it. We have a handouts at the desk that show the doors, but don't tell where they are located. So far, we have only had a few kids find them all. One is so well camouflaged that you almost don't see it. They aren't all low to the ground, either, which probably makes it harder to spot. Anyway, here are our fairy doors.

Hidden by the exercise and how-to DVDs.

Hiding in the board books.

Extreme camouflage.

Fairy Library entrance.

I know what you're thinking...Full House books actually still check out like crazy. I credit the reruns.

The kids love hunting them down, and we hope to add more in the coming years. Thanks for stopping by!

Starting a Monthly Lego Club for Kids

Horses love giant candy canes. Credit: Andy 2014.

A few of years ago, I begged my admins to let me try starting a Lego Club for local kids to come and get creative and then we would display their creations until the next session the following month. It was met with some trepidation…and the realization that Legos are expensive as all hell. So, instead of asking the admins for the loot, which would have been met with a resounding “NO!,” I went to my local community. I posted fliers around the branch asking for Lego donations, of which I actually got some. However, it was nowhere near the volume I needed for making a successful monthly program. Next, I asked the Friends of the Library group for a financial donation. I’m fortunate that my Friends group will usually support anything I ask so long as it benefits children. I was able to secure about $800 and went to Amazon to make the purchases.  The suggestions below work best for a group of 20-30 kids.

Royal Carage (sic).Credit: Ethan 2014.

What you need to get started:

•  Large and small plates totaling 25-30 (unless you plan to have more kids)
• About 15-20 basic sets of blocks, which include doors and windows and a couple of people
• 1 set of people, we ordered the Community Members minifigure set that had I believe had about 25 people, and a ton of accessories, including foods, bikes, dogs, etc.
• Large storage bins to hold everything. I have found the more bins, the better. They get heavy, but also easier to spread the kids out when there are multiple bins to dig through. We have 6 bins, and they work like a dream.
• Buckets to carry Legos to the tables/workstations. We got them from the local Walmart for $.88/each.

 

Medieval Beheading. Credit: Owen 2015.

What works best for my branch and possibly yours, too:

• Free build. We attempted to do themes in the beginning and the parents took it entirely too seriously, so I had to put my foot down.
• Solo builds. If they want to work together, then by all means, I let them. But, most kids have their own vision about what they want to build.
• Let them pick their own seats. Sometimes they want to sit alone, sometimes they want a parent to sit with them, and sometimes they just want to sit next to the bin on the floor and build there.
• Let parents help if they kids want them too. Otherwise, encourage the parents to socialize or read a good book while they wait.
• Cap the time at 1 hour for the session. Many kids need a limit or they will never stop.
• I made little slips of paper that they fill out and I post them with their build. They fill in the blanks (What I made at Lego Club_______. My name is________.) themselves. They seriously love this part.
• I have a table set up where they all deposit their creations so everyone can see them before they leave.
• I take pictures of the builds with my phone in case I break them on the way to displaying them. It happens more than I would like to admit, hence the photos. I always take them after the kids leave so they don’t know that I am a bumbling klutz who is likely to drop their special creation before it makes it to the display area. Ours are displayed up high where small hands can’t play with them. And the display serves as an advertisement for the club, too.
• I set up about 7 6-foot tables and put out chairs around them, as well as other chairs around the perimeter of the room. This is usually where the parents sit, and where kids can deposit their coats and belongings while they build. The tables are put into 2 long rows on opposing sides of the room, and then the bins of Legos are spaced all down the middle of the room (between the tables). This is the configuration that works best for us. We have tried so many, and the kids have actually told me that they like it best this way so they don’t have to carry legos far to get back to their tables.
• Display any Lego books you might have on a table and tell them they can use them as inspiration, as well as encouraging them to check them out when they leave. Lego books are like book crack to Lego Club kids. They can’t get enough.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments. I will do my best to help however I can.  

Shark Attack. Credit: Archie 2015.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

What on Earth can I say about this book besides, “WOW!” I don’t often feel extreme emotions when I read but the content and the writing and the raw emotion felt like an unstoppable hurricane blasting through my heart. This novel has a little bit of everything: bullying, stereotypes, adventures on ice (not in a good way), love and romance, family, and, of course, the milking of cows. Who could possibly not want to read it!? 

I had ordered the book for all 18 of my district library’s branches because the reviews were astounding in the selection journals we subscribe to. Honestly, though, I didn’t have much interested in reading it personally. But, at a CATS (Children’s and Teen Services) upcoming book conference this week, I actually got a free copy of the title. AND!! The author spoke with us and did a reading. Maybe it was the fact that I was able to hear the background that led to the author writing Orbiting Jupiter or maybe it was because I was hearing it read exactly how Schmidt intended it. Either way, he hooked me instantly. Schmidt is a tremendous story teller and I felt every single emotion of the character Joseph as if it were my own. Not because we had been through anything similar…we hadn’t. It is simply that Schmidt can tell one hell of a tale. His words were few but exceedingly well-chosen and powerful. He gave this “throwaway” kid a second chance when most wouldn’t give him a second glance. 

Schmidt told us that he had attended a book talk for reluctant readers, but was not informed in advance that it was at a correctional facility for juvenile males. While he was there, he had the chance to get to know some of the boys and, in a non-direct way, based his latest, Orbiting Jupiter, on the experience of meeting kids that society had just thrown aside. 

Here’s what the publisher says about Orbiting Jupiter: 

The two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a juvenile facility, he’s placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine. Here Joseph, damaged and withdrawn, meets twelve-year-old Jack, who narrates the account of the troubled, passionate teen who wants to find his baby at any cost. In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires.

I kind of think that the less you know going in, the better. Just be prepared to feel all the feels and have your tissues handy. Oh, and while the book is only 183 pages long and you’ll read it in one sitting, it’ll drain your immortal soul like a 1200 page epic. Just sayin.’ Now go get it from your local library and prepare to have your heart ripped out and stomped all over...but maybe in a good way.