The Devil's Arithmetic

"We all have such stories. It is a brutal arithmetic. But I--I am alive. You are alive. As long as we breathe, we can see and hear. As long as we can remember, all those gone before are alive inside of us."

Last year I read Jane Yolen's Briar Rose, a beautiful retelling of the fairy tale as a holocaust story. I have just finished listening to another one of her books, The Devil's Arithmetic, a story of the holocaust for young adult readers. It, too, was beautifully written and a very powerful story, and the audiobook was beautifully read by Barbara Rosenblat.

Hannah is a young girl who is "tired of remembering." She doesn't understand or appreciate the family rituals of remembering family members and friends that were lost in the holocaust, and she doesn't want to hear those stories of the past again and again. But during the family's Seder, when she "opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she is transported to a polish village -- and the year is 1942." She become "Chaya" (which means "life") and she experiences the holocaust first-hand.

It's a powerful experience to read this book or listen to the audio book version. There's not a word out of place. It was honest and riveting, (which is such a Jane Yolen thing) and it was heartbreaking. But it was also full of hope ... if we remember.

Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.

Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth is the very first Manga book I've ever read, and I enjoyed the experience. I've known very little about graphic novels or Manga, but I'm learning! And I do love Shakespeare in any form, and especially love his MACBETH. Before moving to 2nd grade after my medical leave of absence, I taught 6th grade for 16 years, and our 6th grade classes performed an abbreviated version of The Scottish Play every spring. It's the thing I miss most about my grade level change. So it was a pleasure to read another version of the play, and experience it in a whole new way.

The world of Manga is quite fascinating. There are visual traditions and things I don't completely understand yet (MacDuff had 4 arms, for instance, and the story was set in a post-apocalyptic future), but I know that there was always a real fascination and passion for it with some of my students, so I am curious to read more and learn about it. I am also pleased that the Manga Shakespeare books introduce readers, many of them young, to the plays in a way they can enjoy. The language is intact although abbreviated, and "reading" a Manga or graphic novel version of the story is much closer to the performance of a play because of the interaction of the words and the graphics.

The other day I watched an interview on the Seattle Channel with Nancy Pearl (Book Lust) interviewing Mark Siegel, the editorial director of :01 First Second Books, and he talked about the world of graphic novels, and how that world is growing and developing. Not only did I learn a lot about that genre from listening to him, but I also compiled a list of graphic novels that he recommends. I'm heading for the library today to pick up a number of them! It's a 30-minute video clip, but well worth watching.

This book is my first read for Rhinoa's Manga Challenge, and I'm looking forward to reading more Manga. I am also counting it as a book read for Historia's Shakespeare Challenge, and for Carl's Sci Fi Experience because the setting was changed to the future, so it loosely qualifies.

Abraham Lincoln

A Guest Post by Lois

This morning I called off exercise and even the treadmill. That rarely happens... mostly on weekends. What is this world coming to?

I couldn't read the last of Abraham Lincoln by George McGovern, (just out this month), without tears. It's a short read...181 pages. Yet I found valuable information I hadn't read before -- parts of his speeches I hadn't read before and many quotes. Without a doubt I found even more to like and appreciate about Lincoln. McGovern does a very good job of showing you what a great man he was. It's a prize little book. I need to get back to reciting The Gettysburg Address again every day. Also, I hadn't realized McGovern has a PHD from North Western University in American History and Government.

For those of you new to my blog, my mother, Lois, age 89, is an avid reader and lifelong inspiration to me. She writes occasional guest posts about what she is reading now.

You Were Right, Bookfool!

You were right, Bookfool! Can't trust those birdies! Your comment on my Monday morning "Bird Song" post was so prophetic!

"I'm thinking one shouldn't trust the birdies because we keep creeping up to the 70's and then it drops right back down to the 30's."

Here we are this morning, with a late-start for school due to snow and slippery roads! Spring ain't here yet! Darn it.

Bird Song, 2

Photo by Lee Karney, from the Washington DC Library,
courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Digital Library System

I never listen to the Groundhog's predictions of when Spring will come. For me, the sign of hope is always when I hear the first morning bird song of the season. I heard it this morning after months and months of dark, cold winter and morning silence in the woods outside my house! And it triggered a memory of a little song from my very early childhood: "Spring is coming! How do I know? A little Robin told me so!"

Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Mystery

We are long-time fans in this house of John Mortimer and his Horace Rumpole mysteries. We loved the books and loved watching the British television series starring Leo McKern. So we were saddened last month to hear that John Mortimer had died.

A few weeks ago, I read a wonderful post by Sam Sattler (Book Chase) about a newer Rumpole novel that I hadn't heard about. It was published by Mortimer in 2004 as a prequel for the series, and was one of the last three books he wrote. After reading Sam's review, I decided that was definitely one for my TBR list! Then, the other day I stopped by the library as I was preparing for my week in Portland helping to take care of my two-year old Grandboy, and I found the audiobook of The Penge Bungalow Mystery sitting on the shelf. I snatched it up and took it with me on the trip, and it made the drive there and back again very enjoyable.

For an excellent review of the book, I encourage you to read Sam's post. But I'll just say that I was delighted that the story explained all about Rumpole's courtship with Hilda Wystan (She Who Must Be Obeyed), and how he ended up marrying her. Listening to the wonderful narration by Bill Wallis, I grinned and chuckled all the way to Portland. Highly recommended!

Murder By The Book: A Bookshop

Murder By The Book
3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, Oregon 97214

While in Portland this week helping take care of the Grandboy, I visited a wonderfully creative bookshop, called Murder By The Book. It's a small shop located in east Portland in the middle of a unique neighborhood with all kinds of interesting and unusual shops. It's just the kind of independent bookshop I love to find, and this one specializes in mysteries and thrillers, which I love.

For a small shop, it had a great inventory of both new and used books. But the best things about the shop were the names of their sections. They like "punny" names, and so I chuckled my way through the whole store. "Shot On Location" was the section which "featured detectives from other cultures, foreign & Native American." "Through A Glass Darkly" featured classic and modern noir. "A Site for Sore Eyes" was a bookshelf holding their large print mysteries. The "Once Upon a Crime" section held historical mysteries, and "The Game's Afoot" held all their "Sherlockiana."

It was busy when I went in, but the staff was friendly and loves to give tours of their store. I didn't have much time to spend there, but next time I'm in Portland, I intend to stop in again and thoroughly explore this welcoming and humorous bookshop.

This is my second independent bookshop I've enjoyed visiting for the Independent Bookshop Reader's Challenge.

The Adventures of Manga and the Grandboy

After the sad news at the first of the week, it was nice to spend some joyous time with my grandboy. It was a reminder of just how precious life is...

Now, this post title sounds like a really good book, but Manga and Bunk are actually the names our two-year-old Grandboy has given us. I'm "Manga" and his grandpa is "Bunk." We have no clue as to where that came from, but we are delighted with the names, and with the Grandboy.

Grandboy's Mom has come down with Mono, so Manga arrived in Portland early in the week to help out as much as possible. It was Mid-Winter Break from school, and I added 2 personal leave days so I could spend the week with the Grandboy, and it truly has been an adventure.

The week was like one prolonged Play Date, and it was delightful to get to know the Grandboy so well at this new stage. It included, as you can see, learning to talk about oneself in the 3rd person. Manga also needed to learn a new vocabulary and sentence structure, she needed to dust off the singing voice and remember the words to old beloved songs, and she needed to have the patience to read certain books over and over and over. Here's a sampling of life this week with the Grandboy:

Wonderful Words:
bluebabies (blueberries)
pinemamas (pineapple)
dahmas (airplanes)
choo-choo cars (trains)
digga-diggas (backhoes or frontloaders)

Working on Sentence Structure:
Green go.
Red [s]top.
Dada car, go work.
Mama sick.
No nap. (2nd generation sentence...his Dad said that to me 34 years ago!)

Books Read Over and Over and Over:
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss
Freight Train, by Donald Crews
Numerous others that I can't remember the titles, but I've now memorized every word!

Outings in Manga's Car:
To the library, numerous times, for books and for toddler book group
To Starbucks for coffee for Manga and an Hawaiian bagel (untoasted) for the Grandboy
To the toy store that happened to have the giant picture of the Cat in the Hat in the window
To the car wash, just to watch...too scary to go through

It was a wonderful week for Manga, and a happy time for the Grandboy. Back home this weekend, I've been thinking (with the utmost respect and admiration) about all the grandparents in the world raising grandchildren. I completely understand why the best time to have children is when you're young! I watch my son and daughter-in-law work with this little person, and admire their skill and problem-solving abilities, their patience and their unconditional love, and I am so proud of them. What a delightful way to spend my Mid-Winter Break!

The week's Book Reviews and another Bookstore Visit to be posted soon!

In Memoriam: Donna Doyle

When I started blogging two years ago, I found a warm and welcoming community, and quickly discovered that the real pleasure of being a book blogger is the communication with those newfound friends from far and wide. Donna Doyle (The Between-Place) became one of those special friends. It was Donna's adventuresome spirit, her intelligence, and her beautiful poetry that drew me to her. Yesterday, Donna lost her battle with cancer, and the world (and the book blogging community) lost a beautiful spirit.

To her family and friends, I send my heartfelt condolences. To Donna...I will miss you, Friend.


FLYING

There are many places across this land
where my soul takes wing,
lifted above the mundane worries
that fill my days

I have looked down from the sky to see
puddles of farmyards
amongst squares of green and gold

barns and houses huddled together
as though protecting each other
from cloud-shadows that converge
and engulf

and rivers,
like sparkling ribbons
fallen loosely
across the prairie's fabric

I have gazed across northern lakes
in the early morning mist
and listened to mated loons
as they dive, surface, and call to each other

...dive, surface, call
......dive, surface, call
.........dive, surface, call

reassuring each other
of their continued presence,
and the forest looks on,
deeply satisfied.

And I have returned to my roots
where the geography is about
the people...
the faces and the voices
that have offered me these wings.

Soon I will go again
to follow the call of the sea,
the call that pulls me
ever forward.

Donna L. Doyle 04 Aug 08

200 Years Old

An interesting coincidence happened at our house recently. B has been reading a book on Charles Darwin, and I've been reading about Abraham Lincoln in preparation for a lesson at school. I mentioned to B that this is Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, and he responded with the fact that it is also Charles Darwin's 200th birthday -- on the same day! Wow! We thought that was really cool! Then, our daughter, a great Edgar Allan Poe fan, let us know that Poe's 200th birthday was a short time ago on the 19th of January. And I've been reading aloud a book to my second graders on Louis Braille, and discovered that his 200th birthday was on February 4th! We concluded that 1809 was quite a year!

The Defining Moment

This is a guest post from my mother, Lois, age 89, a prolific reader.

When Robin told me in early January she was sending me a book she knew I must have, little did I know it would be such a fascinating and absorbing experience for me. Even just reading the author’s notes and the prologue, I knew Robin got it right. This book touched my life in an unusual and meaningful way. When she sent the book, Robin must have known I would escape the long winter days of January into a unique journey back to family life on the farm. No matter the winter storm clouds of January...for me the sun was shining.

Jonathan Alter’s book, THE DEFINING MOMENT: FDR’S HUNDRED DAYS AND THE TRIUMPH OF HOPE, brought back some vivid memories of that special time. I was 14 years old when FDR took the oath of office and became the 32nd president of the United States. And that was a defining moment in the life of our family. After finishing that book, I read back through my mother’s diary -- which I ran across almost magically while cleaning out a closet. She wrote of the great depression and told how they were “struggling to make ends meet.”

From Mother’s diary account of the years 1930—33:

These were the “depression years” and were years of stress and strain. Wheat sold for 29 cents per bushel...A.L. hauled loads of wheat to Manti for 65 cents per bushel and then the crop would not stretch to cover our current indebtedness. For two or three years the going was rough to say the least. It was impossible to meet the demands and it looked as if our days at the farm were numbered. I do not remember the exact year or time of year, but it was during these depression days from 1929 to 1933, or thereabouts, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt , knowing the conditions and to stop the many foreclosures on farms throughout the country, issued a “Moratorium,” which set a period of time during which no one could demand payment of debts owed, and the farmers were given an opportunity to make arrangements whereby their creditors would wait until such a time for them to get their affairs in order...

Mother wrote that they had been paying 7% at first then 8%. they had paid $22,000.00 in interest on a $25,000.00 farm. Favorable laws were passed and they were able to get a Federal loan to complete the payment and the interest was reduced to 3-1/2 %. They had moved to the farm in 1914 and were free from debt at the end of 30 years.

Mother wrote that “It was a happy day for us when the long years of struggle to keep the farm were over.”

They didn’t live on the farm all thirty years but they probably spent the best years of their physical lives on the farm. Thanks to some of those early changes during the first part of FDR's administration, they were able to secure the farm and that changed our lives dramatically.

What an amazing reading experience that brought back such an historical time in our lives, while at the same time giving me a close up look at the historical events taking place today. At the end of January, I witnessed a present-day "defining moment" as I watched Barack Obama take the oath of office and become the 44th president of the United States ... truly a defining historical moment as the first African American to hold that office ... And reason to hope.

Weekly Geeks: Judge a Book By Its Cover

Judge a Book By Its Cover:
This week it's all about judging books by their covers! Pick a book--any book, really--and search out multiple book cover images for that book. They could span a decade or two (or more)...Or they could span several countries. Which cover is your favorite? Which one is your least favorite? Which one best 'captures' what the book is about?

The second oldest book in our home is a copy of The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, that belonged to B's father. It is falling apart, having been read almost to death, but it's a treasure for us. I'm getting ready to read a different copy of The Wizard of Oz to my second graders. Last year's class loved it...actually adored it...so I'm looking forward to sharing that reading experience with this year's group. With that on my mind, I chose the Wizard of Oz for my book cover search. I'm particularly fond of the copy of the book with Michael Hague's illustrations (bottom row, on the far right). That's the one I read to our own kids, and they loved the illustrations. Don't each one of these book covers capture the story, though?

Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening

“To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June.”
~ Jean-Paul Sartre
(I borrowed this quote from Iliana)

Every month, my second grade students memorize and recite a poem. January's poem is my favorite of the year, and I've been wanting to post this audio recording, but had to figure out the technology for doing so. It's not January any longer, but I do hope you enjoy listening to one of my second graders reciting her "January Poem" (Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost.)

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Red Sky in Morning...

I was glad I had my camera in my purse when I stopped in at school early this morning to leave "sub plans." The mean cold/flu bug that has been running through our classrooms, finally got to me, (despite all the handwashing and disinfecting of desks we've done) and I'm home with sneezles and wheezles today. The beautiful morning sky made the task of putting together an entire day of work for someone else a lot less painful.

SNEEZLES, by A.A. Milne

Christopher Robin
Had wheezles
And sneezles,
They bundled him
Into
His bed.
They gave him what goes
With a cold in the nose,
And some more for a cold
In the head.
They wondered
If wheezles
Could turn
Into measles,
If sneezles
Would turn
Into mumps;
They examined his chest
For a rash,
And the rest
Of his body for swellings and lumps.
They sent for some doctors
In sneezles
And wheezles
To tell them what ought
To be done.
All sorts and conditions
Of famous physicians
Came hurrying round
At a run.
They all made a note
Of the state of his throat,
They asked if he suffered from thirst;
They asked if the sneezles
Came after the wheezles,
Or if the first sneezle
Came first.
They said, "If you teazle
A sneezle
Or wheezle,
A measle
May easily grow.
But humour or pleazle
The wheezle
Or sneezle,
The measle
Will certainly go."
They expounded the reazles
For sneezles
And wheezles,
The manner of measles
When new.
They said "If he freezles
In draughts and in breezles,
Then PHTHEEZLES
May even ensue."

Christopher Robin
Got up in the morning,
The sneezles had vanished away.
And the look in his eye
Seemed to say to the sky,
"Now, how to amuse them to-day?"

The Audacity of Hope

Politics is something I keep very private. I support candidates, do my part during election time, and vote. But when it comes to talking in public (or on my blog) about politics, I'm shy -- because I'm very conscious of the many differing views held by friends, and I respect them.

But B and I have just listened to the audiobook version of President Obama's The Audacity of Hope, which we enjoyed very much. We found it intelligent, interesting, and an enjoyable listen (he was the narrator). We were impressed with his ideas and his ability to communicate clearly and directly, with his humanity and with his hope. It filled us with hope, too.

The Snow Goose Bookstore

The Snow Goose Bookstore
8616 271st St. NW
Stanwood, WA 98292

There's nothing quite like spending part of an afternoon or evening in a bookstore. B and I particularly enjoy the independent bookstores that are so much a part of a community. We love to browse with nothing to hurry us along, sometimes we'll have a cup of coffee offered and happily accepted, and the staff always takes time to visit, get to know us a little. It's our favorite "date."

This weekend, we drove to Stanwood, Washington, a small town about 50 miles north of Seattle, and visited a very nice independent bookshop called The Snow Goose. I had heard about this store, but had never been there, so I wanted to check it out for the Independent Bookstore Challenge.

B picked out a couple of books, and I found one that caught my eye -- The Last Town On Earth, by Thomas Mullen. When I showed it to the bookseller, she smiled and told me that the book I had chosen (quite by random) just happened to be the book that had been chosen for their "Community Big Read" last fall. The local library and the historical society had put together some special activities, the high school teacher read the book aloud to her classes, and the bookstore was crowded with townspeople on the day of the discussion. The author, himself, flew out from the east coast and attended the "celebrations" of his book. The story had, afterall, been set in a fictional town based on the area around Stanwood.

So I'm looking forward to reading a book the whole town has read, and will plan on returning to this little bookstore from time to time. It's worth the trip.

My First Weekly Geek

This week's Weekly Geek is inspired by Dewey's Knit-a-Long, a mini challenge of Dewey's Reading Challenge. Dewey had other passions besides reading and blogging. Knitting was one of them. This made me think, what are the Weekly Geek's other passions?
Here's this week's topic:

What are you passionate about besides reading and blogging?

This is my first time doing the Weekly Geeks, and it's a special one for me because it is inspired by my Knit-A-Long in memory of Dewey. (A special thanks to Chris for this week's topic!)

When I have some "free" time, after a day of teaching 7 and 8 year olds, I usually spend it reading, blogging, or knitting. But I do have another passion, and that's for the arts. I love all kinds of music, am fascinated with art and artists, and adore the theater. And I find that those things are becoming more and more important to me as I get older.

I discovered a long time ago that I can't live without Music. I grew up in a home filled with music -- my parents listened to all kinds of music, we all took music lessons, and my oldest brother is a very talented jazz musician. Growing up with a musician in the house is a powerful experience. I loved listening to him practice whatever instrument he was learning at the time, (except maybe the time he brought home the tuba and practiced it late at night in the room below my bedroom). As a result, I love all kinds of music. Music was imprinted on my soul.

So I put together a "Playlist" of some of my music memories: (The links will take you to youtube videos...and if you actually listen to each one, you'll know a lot about me!)

First music memory: Ravel's "Pavane Pour Une Infante Défaunt," The memory is of my mother braiding my hair and reciting Eugene Field's "Little Boy Blue" to me. Was the music playing during that hairbraiding session, or did my brain make the connection between the moment, the poem, and the music?

Music I listened to on Saturdays (while doing chores, making cookies, or sewing) while I was growing up: La Boheme, with Renata Tebaldi

A favorite that Mom and I loved/shared while I was living at home: Mahalia Jackson's "I Believe."

Favorite singer from my year in Argentina: Miguel Saravia singing "Me espera la noche" - aire de zamba by Raúl Tomás"

A favorite from early days with B: "Follow" by Richie Havens

Song for my son: "Pooh Corner" by Loggins and Messina

Song for my daughter: "You Are the Sunshine of my Life" by Stevie Wonder

The song I listened to the most after I lost my Dad: "Here's To Life" by Shirley Horn. This version is by a very young and talented singer.

Quiet Evenings with B: The entire album "The Melody at Night With You," by Keith Jarrett. Here's a favorite: "I Loves You Porgy."

My Favorite Albums of all time:
Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon"
Keith Jarrett's "The Melody at Night With You"
Joni Mitchell's "Blue"