The Books for Walls Project Archive

Looking for us? We've moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 11:54:00 +0000

Since 2010 we've been a mission to explore possibilities.
Possibilities for healthy relationships with digital technologies.
Possibilities for creative communities.
Possibilities for science communication.
Possibilities for engaged literacy.

And we are just getting started…

Come join us in our new virtual home
lookwonderdiscover.org.

We hope to see you there.

Banning Books Silences Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 17:03:00 +0000

graphic design by SDEDM

Our stories shape the world around us, a world that is diverse and complex. Banned Books Week is a time to celebrate, preserve, and fight for freedom to tell our stories and to fight against banning books and silencing stories.

Censoring our stories is, essentially, censoring our world: denying a perspective is denying the richness of our human experience. Right now especially, culture needs all of our voices, all of our stories. And you have the power to make sure information and stories are heard. It’s simple: read, process, and share your insights.

Learn more:

Seek out stories and perspectives. Because, as Banned Books Week’s video “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2017” explains,

"Often the most frequently challenged books, are the stories that need to be heard the most."

Listening to stories (reading books) can help us glean not just perspective, but also context. Master storyteller John Green recognizes that “text is meaningless without context” in his response to the banning of his 2005 novel Looking for Alaska (LibraryBorrow/IndieBuy).

Banning a book due to an offensive word or difficult subject doesn’t necessicarily take into account the entire story, or that being affected by a difficult or stressful story can help us learn. John gets to the heart of an essential truth about the side effect of reading: “we are all better off with a well-informed, well-educated population.”

In his video "On the Banning of Looking for Alaska", John goes on to express why stories are such important catalysts to understanding humanity,

“Instead I believe books challenge and interrogate, they give us windows into the lives of others and give us mirrors so that we can better see ourselves.”

Read more:

Scientific research helps us understand that reading literature actually can help us empathize with one another. With the aid of story, we can begin to seek out and understand the intricate and complex within everyone. Julianne Chiaet's Scientific American article Novel Finding: Reading Literary Fiction Improves Empathy elaborates,

“This psychological awareness carries over into the real world, which is full of complicated individuals whose inner lives are usually difficult to fathom. Although literary fiction tends to be more realistic than popular fiction, the characters disrupt reader expectations, undermining prejudices and stereotypes. They support and teach us values about social behavior, such as the importance of understanding those who are different from ourselves.”
When we ban books that challenge our set ways of thinking, we close off an opportunity to become more empathetic. Raymond A. Mar and Keith Oatley's 2008 study The Function of Fiction is the Abstraction and Simulation of Social Experience dives deeper into the study of how fiction helps us coexist,

“The simulation of social experience that literary narratives afford provides an opportunity for empathic growth. It trains us to extend our understanding toward other people, to embody (to some extent) and understand their beliefs and emotions, and ultimately to understand ourselves. Fictional literature brings close attention to distant worlds that would otherwise remain unknown.”

Speak Out: Everyone can get involved: support and advocate for free speech and expression, or report challenges and injustices.

The American Library Association (ALA) created this handy pyramid chart of public, reported, and silent challenges. It's discouraging that so many challenges go unreported, but don’t let the data get you down, you can do something. Use the ALA Challenge Reporting page, become a champion for challenged books.

And if all this information got you as fired up as us, take a second to share on social media or why not use the old-fashioned way: word of mouth. Start a converstion about why you think your favorite banned book is an important read. And ask people in your community to do the same. If you post on social media, use the hashtag #BannedBooksWeek. Give us a shout out, we're on twitter @BooksforWalls.

For a little fun, check out New York Public Library's Banned Books Quiz, test your knowledge of challenged books.

While you are at it, go ahead and support your local library --visit in person or online. Find your nearest library: www.worldcat.org/libraries

How to Hold Hands with the Darkness

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 22:27:00 +0000

All stories begin somewhere, they can often take us far away from where we are comfortable, sometimes the hardest part is just letting ourselves go.

In A Beginning, a Muddle, and an And: The Right Way to Write Writing Avi weaves his usual story magic, this time exploring the writing process through narrative. At one point the characters are talking about the tricks of observation, they arrive here,

“Creatures usually only see what they are looking for.”
“Are you suggesting we should look for what we don’t see?”
“You can see more that way,” suggested Edward.

One way to observe what we can’t see is through storytelling. And listening to (or reading) stories often involves trust, trust in the storyteller, trust in another person.

“Can you really see?” She asked.

“It’s dark,” said Bod. “But I can see.”

He began to lead Scarlet down the steps, deep into the hill, and to describe what he saw to her as they went.

Bod, the main character in Neil Gaiman’s Newberry winning The Graveyard Book uses his sight to lead Scarlet into a dark and scary place, a place where his fellow five-year-old friend can see nothing at all. Trust, like this especially, can be quite a scary thing. Seeing from another person’s perspective sometimes is surprising because they see things differently, but it is very important to see other people’s perspectives.

Trust in storytellers also involves some trust in darkness, which can be the beginning of many things. According to classical mythology, the universe began as Chaos and darkness, but eventually, the mayhem bore love, as Edith Hamiton's Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heros sheds light,

“From darkness and from death Love was born, and with its birth, order and beauty began to banish blind confusion.”

A dark beginning may turn into a muddle, but from the muddle, the process, the darkness can be transformed into a kind of beauty. And beauty can be found in the midst of chaos. Often this kind of beauty relies on a translator, a storyteller, an artist. Painter Vincent van Gogh, during his time in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole Asylum, inadvertently depicted the scientifically elusive and invisible turbulence.

TED-Ed’s video The unexpected math behind Van Gogh's "Starry Night” explores the correlation between Van Gogh’s own darkness and his ability to express the unseen,

“in a period of intense suffering, Van Gogh was somehow able to perceive and represent one of the most supremely difficult concepts nature has ever brought before mankind[.]”

From Van Gogh's darkness, his art; from his art, his story...

______________________________________________

As for stories, we urge you to take this story, process it, add your own insights, your own experiences, and then, share your story —with us, with a friend, with your journal, on social media.

Tell a story, one of darkness, of light, of turbulence, of art, of muddles, of beginnings, or perhaps of an end.

If you do share on social media, please add the hashtag #LookWonderDiscover and we’ll look out for your story -because that’s what we do, we look, we wonder, we discover.

collaboratively written by: the LWD Team

graphic art and design: The Observer

National Poetry Month: How to Memorize a Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Bonaventure) — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:25:00 +0000

I think National Poetry Month1 grows more important with each coming year, because poetry gives us a reason to stop, to listen. In such a loud world it is hard to tune out the din, but poetry has an uncanny ability to condense turmoil into something peaceful.

April 26th is Poem in Your Pocket Day and we’ve loved this idea for many years2, but why not take it a little further this year? Why not, instead of just carrying around a poem in your pocket, carry it around in your mind. Carry around a deep, complex, intricate, peaceful moment.

I’ve been reciting and memorizing verse for almost as long as I can remember, everything from ditties to Shakespeare’s soliloquies. The first poem I memorized, I was nine, was Robert Frost’s Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening3; I can still remember it, nine years later.

More recently, I memorize any poem that moves me enough to want to keep with me. Like William Ernest Henley’s Invictus4, it’s a good one for hard days, a great confidence booster. And Sara Kay’s Point B5, a powerful poem that embraces life and its vastness in a mere matter of words.

And after all this time memorizing and reciting, poetry I have inadvertently developed a memorizing process. There are a few steps for ingraining a poem into your mind; so jump in, and immerse yourself in poetry.

Choosing a poem:

This may be the most difficult step because there are many poems, many poets, many topics. It can be hard to figure out where to start.

Start with what you know. Make a list of the poets and poetry you are familiar with. If you are completely new to the world of poetry, make a list of topics that impassion you (nature, or justice, or sadness).

Then do your research. Go to the library, find the reference desk or look for the poetry section, look through the books, listen for poems that grab you especially. Or you can also search for poems on websites like the Poetry Foundation6.

Familiarizing:

Memorizing a poem really only works when you get to know a poem, really know a poem. There are two ways to become familiar with a particular piece of work.

Read yourself between the lines. How do you fit into the poem? By a feeling, a desire, a memory? Imagine yourself inside the poem, try to “become one with the poem”.

Translate. Some poems are written in language different from our everyday speech. So take ten minutes to translate the poem into words you’d use in your daily life. For example, here is a section of Helena’s monologue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream I’ve “interpreted”:

Original text: “Things base and vile, holding no quantity, love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.”

My interpretation: Love can make terrible things into some of the best qualities. And that’s probably because love is blind.

Memorization:
Memorizing a poem is a process. Once you have a poem and feel comfortable with it you are ready to memorize.

Split the poem into reasonable sized chunks. Separate the poem into sections between 2 and 6 lines long. If the poem has clear stanzas, separate it by those. Stanzas are usually four or more lines, but sometimes they are less. And with poems that rhyme, splitting this way can really help.

Memorize one section per day (or in any other time unit you would like, but days work best). You can write the section down repeatedly, recite it in your head, recite it out loud. By the evening you should be able to know what you’ve memorized inside and out.

Record yourself reciting the poem. You can voice or video record yourself reciting the poem as you go and listen to, or watch, it, over and over. This is a mental and more interactive version of rote memorization, and I’ve found that it works better.

Add on.On day two, once you’ve memorized the day’s section recite all the parts of the poem you have in your head. On the last day of memorizing you’ll be reciting the entire poem.

Retention:

Now, if you want to retain the poem, for a long time, you’ll have to recite it often, to yourself, or to others. So, weeks and months and years after you’ve initially memorized, come back and remember why you chose to make this poem a part of you.

This is a process that I’ve found to be successful, but you can also find your own way. In fact, please find your own way, because poetry is a very personal thing, it helps make sense of all the vastness, the beauty, and the pain around us.

Poet, activist, librarian, Audre Lorde articulates how important all this poetical expansiveness is in her Essay “Poetry is Not a Luxury”7,

“For women, then, poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action. Poetry is the way we help give name to the nameless so it can be thought. The farthest external horizons of our hopes and fears are cobbled by our poems, carved from the rock experiences of our daily lives.”

Written by Nadia Daniels-Moehle,
produced and edited by Amy Daniels-Moehle

__________________________________

1. National Poetry Month
2. BFWP: Put a Poem in Your Pocket Challenge
3. Robert Frost, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening
4. William Ernest Henley, Invictus
5. Sara Kay's Ted Talk "If I Should Have A Daughter..."
6. Poetry Foundation
7. Audre Lorde, "Poetry is Not a Luxury" from the collection of essays and speeches Sister Outsider.

How Story Shapes Culture: A Wrinkle in Time

noreply@blogger.com (Bonaventure) — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 23:02:00 +0000

Written by Nadia Daniels-Moehle1

Image credit: Sonja Daniels-Moehle

We are shaped by culture and we shape culture. There are so many great thinkers and creators that have influenced humanity, we come back to their work over and over, and each time we experience it a little differently. Good books are like this, and movies too. Perhaps because of this I’ve always been wary of film adaptations of favorite books, I grow convinced that my interpretation of an author’s work is the work, but that is just not the case.

I remember distinctly the moment when I heard that Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time was being made into a movie, I immediately went into "protective book lover mode" a combination of intense hope with an acrid undertone of dread. Then I saw the trailer of Ava DuVernay’s adaptation, I was hopeful to see the racially diverse cast, but could the magical Disney imagery quell my "dark and stormy"2 expectations? Sha Xin Wei director of the Synthesis Center at Arizona State University said,

“When the problems exceed our current scientific solutions, the only way we can have palpable impact is through imagination. Sometimes good science requires magic.”3

On the weekend of March 9-11, 2018 A Wrinkle in Time created necessary magic for our times. Ava DuVernay’s direction took the film to the second highest place at the box office second only to Black Panther, the first time in history that two black directors claimed this prize. Which makes me realize that even if the movie isn’t like the story in my mind, this narrative, the story, is positively shaping our culture. Madeleine’s and Meg’s stories are impacting another generation, thanks especially to Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time.

A Wrinkle in Time shapes our universes with stories we all need to remember, in the words of Madeleine herself in an interview with PBS from 2000,

"Meg finally realizes that love is stronger than hate. Hate may seem to win for a while, but love is stronger than hate.”

___________________________________
1. In collaboration with Sonja Daniels-Moehle and Amy Daniels-Moehle
2. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle, first line "It was a dark and stormy night."
3. The New Education, Cathy N. Davidson, Sha Xin Wei quote p.p. 147

Discovering Libraries: Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 13:56:00 +0000

by The Thinker, Nadia Daniels-Moehle

"So it goes."

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut has been a household name throughout my life. When I was pretty small, I was a bit too young to comprehend politics or why this guy Kurt my parents mentioned was so brilliant.

For example this quote was written, in indelible marker, on our wall: "The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush, Dick and Colon." I got a little older, politically aware, tall enough to be eye to eye with the quote, and old enough to understood its humor.

For a few years Kurt hovered in the background. Then when I was about 14 I read Slaughterhouse Five, I find my impetus for reading it is somewhat embarrassing: a boy I found cute said it was his favorite book.

So I let Slaughterhouse Five take me on a desolate adventure that turned life's insanity into the only sane thing. I continually come back to Kurt Vonnegut's work because it has the ability to bring his readers to an ironic, truthful, and beautifully brutal portrayal of the world, and of people.

In 2016 I learned about Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library (KVML) when I came across its Kickstarter campaign A Permanent Home for Kurt Vonnegut's Legacy. I was delighted to see an organization not only remembering an author's legacy but also using that legacy to create community and possibilities.

Thanks to KVML I, a then 15-year-old, funded a Kickstarter with my own money for the very first time. The preservation and sharing of knowledge and world views surrounding Kurt Vonnegut's work is utterly important. To evolve into better people, and into a better world, we need accessible knowledge and willing people, KVML has both.

About a month ago I was planning a, long dreamed of, visit to KVML during Banned Books Week. I knew I needed to write a Discovering Libraries post about it. I contacted Julia Whitehead, the founder and CEO, who then put me in touch with Chris Lafave, the Library Curator. I then had an great phone conversation with the friendly and willing Chris during which he said, "Libraries are something else, they are almost like science fiction in a way." I was excited, really, really excited.

Then Life happened, the kind of Life that makes you shrug and say "so it goes": two days before our visit my little sister found herself in the ER, while in the end she was alright she (and therefore we) couldn't travel. However I was determined, so determined that I chose to write a Discovering Libraries post without having visited the library.

photo credit: Chris Lafave
Chris Lafave, Library Curator

Thankfully Chris was still willing to answer the Discovering Libraries interview questions as planned. Chris's answers made it possible for me, and now you, to virtually experience KVML. I also learned that his position as Library Curator is one that I dream of having, so watch out Chris someday I just may try to steal your job!

BFWP: Could you share how you came to work at KVML?

Chris Lafave: Certainly. In the beginning of 2011 I was halfway through a masters degree in Library Science from IUPUI when I found out there was about to be a Kurt Vonnegut Library opened right down the street from where I was going to school, so naturally as a huge Vonnegut fan, looking for employment of any kind in the library world, I ran to the spot as soon as I could and I offered any services I could give. I started as a volunteer, I spent about 3 hours that day alone taking stickers off of books that had been donated to our lending library by Half Priced Books*. I attended our grand opening, ran a raffle for fans to win a prize from our gift shop, and continued to work events as my schooling and day job allowed. Towards the end of 2011 our CEO and Founder Julia Whitehead asked me if I'd like to work for the library as the curator, and I excitedly agreed, and took over the position in 2012.

BFWP: Why do you think Kurt Vonnegut's stories and wisdom give people, young and old, both community and escapism?

CL: Well, I believe that Kurt Vonnegut's work touched on difficult subjects, for example we took the name of our 2018 programming from his novel Slapstick, or Lonesome No More. Vonnegut considered loneliness to be a disease, afflicting America because we no longer have large families, thus removing from us a large sense of community. Kurt may have born this feeling because of the somewhat recent dissolution of his marriage to Jane Cox, and partly because of the death of his sister in 1958, which he never really had much time to process until later in his life, when his kids (and her kids, whom he adopted) grew up. Lastly, he does reference the death of his uncle in that novel in the beginning, with Kurt and his brother going back to Indianapolis for the funeral. It's a sad book, but full of humor. I believe it's Kurt's way of saying "the world is always going to be hard and difficult, here is a way I have dealt with it, through humor and these interesting stories about a guy who runs for President of the United States with the promise of giving everyone random large families, to help with loneliness, which contributes to poverty and the dissolution of marriages." That kind of escapism I think, gives people hope, it removes them from the idea of feeling alone.

Chris mentioned KVML's 2018 programming and it just so happens that you, yes you, can help fund it! Their Kickstarter Lonesome No More - 2018 Programming at KVML ends November 15, and every donation, every dollar counts.

Why fund this Kickstarter you may ask...well...donating financially gives you a deeper connection to what you believe in whether the arts, social justice, science, or Hoosier literary culture. You become personally invested, and the world needs people to be personally invested, especially right now.

I know this from personal experience, as a teenager I've donated to Kickstarters knowing that I am not only investing in things I believe in but investing in the future. KVML wants to invest in the future of many for it will, "focus on mental health for all of its 2018 events and programming."

So take whatever you have to share and share it with KVML, this programing is so important and you will be investing in many people's futures.

BFWP: Why do you think libraries are an important part of a community?

CL: Endless reasons really, many people cannot afford books, movies, or even internet access, the library provides all of those, plus a feeling of both community and escapism depending on what you are looking for. Plus, nearly every library on earth has programs, ranging from childhood to adult literacy to book clubs, to simply providing meeting space for any kind of organization.

BFWP: Which library did you grow up using?

CL: Carmel Clay Public Library, but I have fond memories of many, Indianapolis has an excellent selection of public libraries, very fond of the College Avenue branch, the Spades Park Library which is a Carnegie Library, the main branch, in Muncie, Indiana where I went to University, Bracken Library with the college is an excellent library, the Lozano Branch of the Chicago Public Library is where I believe I first checked out Cat's Cradle, and thus was responsible in a large way for my love of Vonnegut, which is interesting considering he eventually received his masters degree from the University of Chicago for Cat's Cradle.

BFWP:What can a citizen do to help preserve the library as an institution?

CL: Donate money, or your time to volunteer, advocate for arts/humanities organizations, whenever you hear that funding is a problem, tell your neighbors and family, write your congressperson/governor.

BFWP: What service or feature is available at KVML that might surprise people?

CL: We are trained to register people to vote!

BFWP: If you had a magic wand and could do absolutely anything for the libraries of the world what would it be?

CL: Give us unlimited funding and make sure the entire world knows we're here.

(BFWP: Hint, hint... now would be a great time to fund KVML's Kickstarter.)

BFWP: What is the most interesting item held in the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library's collection?

CL: Oh man, that's a tricky one, there is a letter from World War II, written by his father, that Kurt never opened, and his son Mark never opened it either, it's still sealed from 1944. There's also a very angry letter to the editor that Kurt (father of 6) wrote to Look Magazine about Little League Baseball ruining family dinner hour. That about broke my heart, thinking that Kurt might not like Baseball (I'm kidding), we also have a speech where he admits to not liking Bratwurst (that did break my heart).

BFWP: What are some special features of KVML?

CL: I can think of quite a few, this is one of the few libraries in the world where you are downright encouraged to type on a Typewriter, we have a piece of charred paper in our collection from when one of our Banned Books Week guests typed up the entire novel Fahrenheit 451 on two taped together pieces of paper, and then lit it on fire! It sits next to a great photograph of Kurt and Ray Bradbury, courtesy of Dr. Jonathan Eller, who represents the Ray Bradbury Center, which is at IUPUI, right down the road from here.

BFWP: What is the best part of working at KVML?

CL: Hands down getting to meet diverse and interesting people every day, and having nearly all of them be Vonnegut fans, not to mention fans of the arts in general. I've met so many other deadheads here.

BFWP: Do you have a favorite place in KVML?

CL: Absolutely, the actual reading space in the library, we have very comfortable chairs, a stereo system, a dimly lit light, a Typewriter, and walls of books. I'm pretty content there.

BFWP: What are your hopes for the future of KVML?

CL: That it remains a place where arts and humanities fans can congregate for whatever reason they need us for centuries to come. That it outlives me by an enormous margin.

Seriously Chris thanks for the awesome interview and don't hesitate to give me a call when you are ready to retire! Even though I haven't (yet!) visited KVML I feel as though I have.

The ability words and stories have to connect never cease to amaze me, nor does life, so in the words of Kurt Vonnegut: "So it goes."

photo source: KVML

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library's Mission:

The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library champions the legacy of Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut and the principles of free expression, common decency, and peaceful coexistence he advocated.

Take a moment to check out their diversity statement which opens with this very truthful and poignant Kurt Vonnegut quote:

“New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth.
The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.”

Take five minutes and share what you can with KVML's Kickstarter.

The clock is ticking so don't hesitate!

The Culture of Science: Get Out, Look Up --Eclipse 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 18:35:00 +0000

A note from The Big Sister to help introduce our new feature The Culture of Science:

In a culture full of technology and distractions the simple act of looking up is becoming a lost art. Yet tilting your head back to peer at something immense and mysterious, whether a person or the sky, should feel natural: that's what we all did for the first 10 years of our lives. Once the world was a marvel, now we just strive to find answers.

Recently while stargazing, and waiting for the Persieds to blip across the sky, I felt expansive and fascinated in a way I hadn't for a long time. I realized that just as there is a vastness full of curiosity above us, there is the same vastness and curiosity inside us, sometimes we just forget it's there.

The solar eclipse is giving us an opportunity to look up and experience a very special (and magical, as I would have said when I was little) part of the universe, and ourselves. This is a time to let our curiosity out and let the wonder in!

Where will you be on August 21, 2017? Wherever you are (if you happen to be on the North American Continent) you are gonna want to look up. We've gathered references, resources, information, and inspiration from some of our go-to science favorites like Scientific American Magazine, Bill Nye and The Planetary Society, U.S. National Park Service, the original Bad Astronomer Phil Plait of PBS Crash Course Astronomy & SyFy Wire, and of course, our book shelves.

Take a minute or 30, spend some time with Books for Walls Project, enjoy the our new feature:
The Culture of Science and Get Out and Look Up!

Eclipse 2017: All the way across North America!
(Image credit: Planetary Society)

How to know where to go and what time?

"If you can, plan your primary destination to be the closest place within your range of travel with the best climatological conditions. Then, watch the short-term weather forecast starting a week before and adjust your target destination if necessary.

And maybe hope for a little luck: As the moon begins to partially cover the sun, a phenomenon called “eclipse cooling” begins: The lowering of air temperature may dissipate a thin cloud layer and save the day."

Read more tips for viewing from Scientific American, click here.

How to I get my kids to look up and understand how special this is?

Don't worry, you have help. The Planetary Society and the U.S. National Park Service have partnered up for the very first time to pool their resources and inspiration to help us all get out and look up.

Ever want to be a Park Ranger... well here is your chance to become a National Park Service Junior Ranger. Get the Junior Ranger Eclipse Explorer Book, full of fun and engaging activities, geared toward the curious and youthful of all ages.

To download Junior Ranger Eclipse Explorer Book
click here!

WATCH: a short video about the eclipse with Bill Nye, Planetary Society CEO and of course, the Science Guy and a ranger from the National Park Service:

LEARN: Phil Plait breaks down what an eclipse is. If you like this video consider watching PBS Crash Course Astronomy entire series, we did and whew, the course and Phil Plait are simply brilliant --we dare you to watch just one and try not to get hooked.

Now you know what the eclipse is and where to look, but how to look?

Shop carefully for glasses: Trust the America Astronomical Society, "your eyes are precious! You don't need astronomers to tell you that, but you do need astronomers to tell you where to get safe solar filters:" click here for the list from AAS.

Oh, no, I cannot find glasses! What to do? No worries, Science has a solution:

"Here's a simple and safe way to observe a partial eclipse that's appropriate for young children with no eclipse glasses or other special equipment needed." Emily Lakdawalla of The Planetary Society explains, "throughout the exercise, kids safely face away from the Sun."

Click here to DIY your own Pinhole Projector or watch the video!

______And this happened, all you science geeks can understand how cool it is:

We're learning about how to use (read: not get distracted by) Twitter.
@booksforwalls tweeted and yup, @exploreplanets retweeted, that was cool.

It's not to late to get Planetary Society Eclipse 2017
swag, check out the Chop Shop Store. We are just about ready,
but we have a lot of reading to do...

How about some recommendations from the shelves of Books for Walls:

George's Secret Key to the Universe by Stephen and Lucy Hawking (Stephen's Daughter!) Get it at the library.

Contact by Carl Sagan Get it at the library.

Death by Black Hole by Neil de Grasse Tyson Get it at the library.

The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H.A. Rey (this book has been on The Sister's shelf since they were very small and there is a new up-to-date edition!)

The History of Astronomy by Michael Hoskin (We absolutely love the Very Short Introduction books by Oxford University Press.)

Get a Grip on Astronomy by Robin Kerrod (The illustrations call you to pick up and explore astronomy.) Get it at the library.

Still want more?

Learn more about The Sister's experience with the National Park Service Junior Ranger Program.

Explore www.booksforwallsproject.org, where everyday is a good day to read a book. Join us.

Take Action for Libraries Day

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 14:27:00 +0000

"A library is a place that is a repository of information

and gives every citizen equal access to it." Neil Gaiman

It's National Library Week and the American Library Association is launching Take Action for Libraries Day.

"Take Action for Libraries Day is a national library advocacy effort observed for the first time on the Thursday of National Library Week, April 13.

In response to President’s Trump proposed budget cuts, this year’s Take Action for Libraries Day will highlight the library community’s efforts to safeguard funding for the Institute for Museum and Library Services , which serves as a critical funding resource for every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories to support libraries and museums."

Find resources and learn more click here: Fight for Libraries! information provided by ALA

We're celebrating by heading to the library!

Illustration: Chris Riddell
Quote source: Angela Clarke

For more information on National Library Week, visit I Love Libraries or follow #NationalLibraryWeek.

The Big Sister's First Book (and Happy Anniversary to BFWP!)

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:29:00 +0000

Their Sister Love began just
over ~~7 years~~ 13 years ago.

(Photos subject to copyright)

Sparked by this week's* Get in Touch with Your Inner Dummy Challenge and thanks to her wonderful relationship with The Little Sister, The Big Sister began writing her own "Dummies Book."

Unprompted, she wrote the following list in her journal and decided to share it with the BFWP readers in honor of our one year anniversary.

The Books for Walls Project is about more than just reading, it is about relationship building and learning more about the wonderful people inhabiting this lovely planet.

Without further ado we give you...

Big Sistering for Dummies

This list is to help you and your younger

siblings get along and be friends

#1 Remember you are worshiped by a younger person.

#2 The smaller (younger) person wants to be the same as you because they like you so much.

#3 Remember even though they can be frustrating, they still love you.

#4 If you do not want them to be in your space or room do not have a keep out sign. That makes them more curious. Let them come in and look, but you can have privacy and thing off limits.

#5 Try to be kind to them, remember you were their age once. If they ask you to play and you do not want to you can simply say, "no, but I would like to some other time!"

#6 Try to love them. Look at them and try to recognize that they are human beings with feelings.

#7 You need time for yourself, do something relaxing, by yourself.

#8 Find something you and your sibling have in common and like to do together because you are going to be with them a long time.

#9 If you are frustrated walk out of the room/get away or ask for help. Adults are really important at times like these. You are not responsible for your younger sibling, your parents are and it is okay to ask them for help!

#10 The reason it's worth it to work on your relationship with your sibling is because when you are sick or down they are always there for you and you'll always have a friend to hang out with. The rewards are worth all the work!

And thankfully their Sister Love keeps growing and

growing! The Little Sister's great idea for

a photo hiding their faces...Hugging!

(Photos subject to copyright)

Thank you Big Sister for writing this wonderful list --we cannot wait for the whole book.

Thank you, Dear Readers, for sharing your time and your thoughts with us and of course for taking Challenges --oh, we LOVE when you take Challenges and leave comments.

Thank you to our Wonderful Regular Contributors, both old and new. Your participation keeps us smiling and ever inspired.

Thank you to the Writers of the World who keep us ever-content and supplied with good books to read.

Thank you Librarians of the World for all of the work you do.

Thank you to The Sisters who are a great inspiration to their parents and, thanks to them, we began this wonderful project!

Without all of you we wouldn't be celebrating our ~~One Year~~ Six Year Anniversary

and so one thousand thanks and
Happy Anniversary!

Over the next couple of weeks we'll be cleaning up the site

and making it a little simpler to navigate the challenges

--we want it to be fun and easy to take

part in the Books for Walls Project.

Hope to see you again soon!

*This was originally published on our first anniversary in April of 2011.

The Art of Listening

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 14:39:00 +0000

“Asking questions and listening intently to the stories that emerge is one of the most powerful forces in the world. If we all take one hour this year to do it, we’ll strengthen our national fabric at a time when it desperately needs it.” Dave Isay, StoryCorps founder and president

A whole lot of listening goes on around here. We listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and music is often streaming from speakers or earbuds somewhere in the house. Most of all though, we listen to each other. Like most things in life listening takes work and there is always, always, more to learn. In the past several years we’ve been researching, studying new techniques, and we have begun to really honor the art of listening.

An important part of the art is one that seemed surprising: Quiet. “We have two ears and one mouth and we should use them proportionally.” Such a simple idea, but one that holds so much wisdom, as Susan Cain explains in her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. Quiet was recommended by a dear friend, singer-songwriter May Erlewine. In person May seems to be well, quiet, but when she steps on stage her artful, engaging, energy effects everyone with the depth of her voice and poetry of her craft. May suggested the book because The Big Sister wondered how to be quiet and still be part of conversation. In a world that felt like we have to be loud to be heard, can we really be still and listen? We’re discovering that the answer is resoundingly, yes.

Why are we thinking about Listening?

In the United States on the fourth Thursday in November people gather: some to celebrate Thanksgiving, some to mourn*, and many struggle to communicate with those they love deeply but wonder: how did we get here, how can I get to know each other better, where do we begin? We’re guessing that people in each category might find some inspiration and hope in two tools that both focus on listening:

#TheGreatListen

The Books for Walls Project first became involved with the StoryCorp National Day of Listening oral history project in 2011 with the Listening Challenge, we were even official state partners of the project. Our interview plans were thwarted by lack of proper recording equipment that is no longer a problem for anyone with a smart phone thanks to the StoryCorps app. Now anyone, anytime, anywhere can participate and become part of this incredible compendium of relationship oral history. Start now, click here: https://storycorps.me

Lets Talk, an interactive to bridge the gap

In 2016 the U.S. experienced a divisive, ugly, and unsettling election. The process of understanding, grieving, working to fix, and healing the division is just beginning. Thankfully, The New York Times created a resource to help heal the wounds and wouldn’t you know, it’s all about listening. With 19 interview questions, a few ground rules, just about anyone can be on the road to reconciliation. Click to learn more and even listen to a couple of the interviews: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/18/podcasts/how-could-you-19-questions-to-ask-loved-ones-who-voted-the-other-way.html?_r=0

Now get out there and listen.

_____________________________________________________

Listening Tools, Resources, References, Information, and Insights:

Another part of listening is empathy. Learn more with Brene Brown’s Empathy Primer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

Are you an Educator? Bring the Great Listen to your students, get the toolkit: https://storycorps.me/about/the-great-thanksgiving-listen/

The Dad found a resource to help us understand the difference between judgement and being judgmental, definitely a doorway to better listening: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge/201305/making-judgments-and-being-judgmental

More about May Erlewine: http://mayerlewine.com

How to Be a Better Listener, Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-be-a-better-listener/

Thanksgiving and the Myth of Native American “Savages”, from Scientific American https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/thanksgiving-and-the-myth-of-native-american-savages/

*Why Thanksgiving Is A ‘National Day Of Mourning’ For Some Americans, Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/native-americans-national-day-of-mourning_us_5650c46ee4b0258edb31c3ca

Learn about the American Thanksgiving from “why turkey?” to “why Thursday”: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/thanksgiving-day-whats-the-history-of-the-holiday-and-why-does-the-us-celebrate-pilgrim-fathers/

A Reluctant Reader Can Become a Ravenous Reader with an Adventure at the Library

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 22:25:00 +0000

"If you're gonna do one thing for your kids,

teach them to read."

Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan was 12 or 13, James Patterson was 19, Diane Rehm was 21, and The Dad was 28, at these "late ages" each finally found their way to book love.

Sadly, these wonderful people would have been considered reluctant readers in elementary school. Fortunately all went on to become ravenous readers.

What made it happen? Was it worth the wait? How do we help the reluctant readers in our lives fall in love with reading?

"For many years we had 6 to 7 o'clock, that was our reading time," Rick Riordan explains. "I don't care what you're reading, but you're reading. I'm reading too, because if the parents say they're too busy to read, well, of course the kids are going to feel the same way."

According to Rick if you want a child in your life to read it's all about what you do, not what you say.

We agree, The Four of Us read whenever we have a moment and make certain there are tons of books to choose from because, as James Patterson explains, one of the keys to getting kids to read is "freedom of choice."

The Big Sister believes that any child would like to read, "they just have to find the right book, it may be a comic book, but that is a start!" The Little Sister adds, "Calvin and Hobbes is great book to read!"

Go on an adventure with your reluctant reader: together visit the library. Make sure you have time to wander and discover. And make sure you take turns, let your child watch you try to find a good book. And don't be afraid to ask for help, find a librarian, ask them how to go on a library treasure hunt. Then schedule your library adventures regularly, mark them on the calendar and plan accordingly.

Whatever you do the first step is simple: grab a book and start reading!

(Originally published 2011)

Put a Poem in Your Pocket Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:51:00 +0000

"Poetry is a record of the life around us and in us, and you'll get a better idea from poetry what it was like to be alive in 2011 than you will from the New York Times." Garrison Keillor

The Big Sister recently learned that she loves to write poetry. With this came a new understanding of poetry and how truly wonderful poetry is.

April 21, 2016 is national Poem In Your Pocket Day, the idea is simple: select a poem you love then carry it with you to share throughout the day. Want other ways to participate? Click here for a treasure trove, brought to you by the Academy of American Poets. (In 2016 The League of Canadian Poets have extended Poem in Your Pocket Day to Canada!)

The Put a Poem in Your Pocket Challenge is to find a poem and share it with BFWP (post it in the comments.) Then if you choose, print it, carry it in your pocket, and share it with people in honor of Poem in Your Pocket Day!

Visit www.poets.org. There you will find a treasure trove of information.
To randomly search for a poem by topic, author or first line click here for poets.org amazing search engine. On that page we found this quote: "For poems are not, as people think, simply emotions (one has emotions early enough)—they are experiences." Rainer Maria Rilke
Visit this very cool interactive map to search for local poets in the USA, click here to learn more.

Now it is your turn, find a poem and share it! The Big Sister adds, "it is okay to share your own poetry!"

Read the comments --you might like some of the poems that have been shared. Please use the following format for your comment: Title of Poem, Author, and your thoughts on the poem.

**This post was originally posted April 14, 2011 --we've updated the content and links!

Get in Touch with Your Inner Dummy Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 14:50:00 +0000

A few weeks ago The Little Sister was peering at the bookshelves with a curious look on her face, "Mom, what are all those books? Those yellow and black ones?"

The Mom responded without thinking, "those are Dummies books."

I wish we had a photo of her face at that moment: a mix of giggles and wisdom trying to work out in her head how there could be dummy books.

The Mom went on to explain, ""Dummies Books" are written by people who are experts in their field to help other people understand the subject."

We own several Dummies Books. We frequents library book sales and always looks for the yellow and black covers: Sewing for Dummies, Yoga for Dummies, Nonprofit Kit for Dummies, Houseplants for Dummies.

There is something comforting about referring to a Dummies Book for help. Mortgages for Dummies helped us navigate buying our first house. Houseplants for Dummies helped The Mom stop killing plants. Yoga for Dummies, got The Mom over her fear of yoga, there was something about relaxing in a room full of people just didn't work in her head.

Rminiscing about our Dummies Books got The Sisters and The Mom into full BFWP brainstorming mode, there seemed to be a challenge here. The Big Sister got it, "we can invite readers to tell us what THEY are experts on, what Dummies book THEY could write!"

The Mom asked The Sisters what Dummies Book they could author, wondered about what subject they were experts on, and without hesitation they answered (read the comments to find out).

Now it is your turn.

Here is your Challenge: We all have some special thing, a talent, a secret hobby, a career, a sport, a trick, something we are experts on.

Don't worry you do not have to actually write the book, just tell us in the comment below what Dummies book Y-O-U could write!

We searched www.worldcat.org for Dummies
Books and the search came up with 19,000 titles,
click here to check out the search
and find a Dummies book at a library near you!

*Updated, originally published March 2011.

10 Ways to Give the Library for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 13:10:00 +0000

Need the PERFECT holiday gift? How about a gift that is simple, inexpensive, and local; a gift that literally keeps on giving?

Give

the

Library.

No, we're not suggesting the WHOLE thing, would there even be a box that big? We can imagine our library wrapped in a BIG bow. We came up with 10 ways to give friends and relatives The Library as a gift! Enjoy:

Get your new bags at
all branches of Traverse
Area District Library!

Give library bags or wrap presents in your local libraries re-usable bags! (This suggestion is inspired by Traverse Area District Library's wonderful move for the environment: reusable bags in a rainbow of colors.)
Give a library card! Know someone that doesn't have a library card, a child perhaps? Slip a library card form into their stocking or into a christmas card and explain that you are giving them thousands of books, movies, music and oh, so much more for Christmas.
Give a "Friends of the Library" Membership. A great way to support libraries and often the membership is inexpensive --give a lifetime membership, very generous!
Shop at library gift shops. Our local library has an amazing gift shop with lovely bookish gifts, cards and treasures. According to Carolyn Moehle, Manager of the TADL gift shop, "we have tons of stocking stuffers!" Contact the library for gift shop hours. Shop online via New York Public Library's extensive gift shop. Call your local library and see if they have a gift shop!
Giving someone an eReader? Check to see if their local library has OverDrive. OverDrive is an amazing online resource that many libraries use to give access to ebooks and audio books to patrons. Click here to see if your local library uses OverDrive. Then give the eReader with literally thousands of books, wow!
Giving books for Christmas? Stop by your library and get information on how to donate books. Then in the gift card suggest that when the giftee finishes the book they donate it to the library!
Donate books to a library in the name of a friend. Be sure to call you library and ask what books they need. Then put a bookplate with "Donated by: your friend's name", take a photo of the book plate and slip it into a card with an explanation! We always love when we come across books at the library that were given in honor.
The lovely Holiday Book Sale at

Interlochen Public Library

Shop Library Book Sales. Many libraries have on going book sales with all sorts of wonderful options. Contact your library to see what they have available.
Have a friend that is notorious for racking up library fines? Stop by their branch and deposit a bit of money into their account. Due to privacy issues the library can't tell you how much they owe --but they can credit an account! Take a photo with the librarian as you pay the fines (with big smiles) and slip it into a gift card!
Give a library date. Invite the giftee on a library adventure. Often there are music and special events at the library --spend the day at the library with your friend. Remember the best way to give the library is to USE IT!!

Give the Library a present for Christmas:

Clear out your bookshelves and donate them to your local branch.

Give your librarians a present! We like to give a big basket of oranges and chocolate, lots of chocolate... lots and lots of chocolate.

The simplest gift: Use your library. That is the best way to show you care.

Now get out there

and

Use

Your

Library!

Portable Magic.

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 12:27:00 +0000

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King

Celebrating: Detroit Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

UPDATE on March 25, 2015 Detroit Public Library Celebrates its 150th Birthday! Congratulations!!
Explore the library care of the Detroit Free Press, click here.
And enjoy our visit to the magnificent Main Branch below.

Main Library opened: March 1921, the north and south wings were opened June 1963

Mission: "The Detroit Public Library enhances quality of life for the diverse and dynamic community in the city of Detroit. The Library enlightens and empowers its citizens to meet their lifelong learning needs through open and equitable access to information, technology and cultural/educational programs."

Collection Size: 8.3 million "4 million government documents, 4 million books, 150,000 audio recordings, and 100,000 video recordings. The remaining 50,000 are spread across electronic databases, print and electronic subscriptions to magazines and newspapers, and the archival collections plus "museum collectibles" in the Library's Special Collections units."

Collection Available Digitally: Approximately 5% of the 4 million books and approximately 1/3 of 4 million documents.

Current Director: Jo Anne Mondowney

Visited: May 20, 2011

On a beautiful Friday afternoon in May 2011, The Four of Us entered The Detroit Public Library's Main Branch. The Mom returned to an old favorite place; The Dad and The Sisters discovered a new favorite place. In a nutshell, this is what we learned: knowledge is power, education is freedom, which are free gifts to those who choose to use the Detroit Public Library.

The Mom, The Little Sister, The Big Sister -out from behind our books-

with our new friend Uzoma Onyemaechi

We were welcomed by Uzoma Onyemaechi, Assistant Director for Main Library, or "Mr. Uzo", as he invited The Sisters to call him. We explained our goals for the visit: to learn all about Detroit Public Library, about its past, present and future and to ask three questions.

Question #1: What is the most interesting item held in the library's collection? After a short, thoughtful pause Uzo answered, "there is not one thing," and then lead the way to show us exactly what he meant. All along the way Uzo, an excellent guide, shared his vast knowledge of Detroit Public Library.

This painting sits opposite the Burton Historical Collection and was donated

by Timothy Oriki, the artist. We learned that many people choose to donate art to the library. While art museums charge a fee to view art, libraries are free and DPL is full of art, for free!

Touring the Music and Performing Arts Department --oh, the sheet music, The Sisters were in heaven. And how about a treasure trove of record albums, 50,000?

A display of the E. Azalia Hackley Collection "presented to the DPL by the Detroit Musicians Association to serve as the nucleus for a special black music collection." Over the years the collection has grown in size and scope, unmatched indeed.

Upon entering the Burton Historical Collection, we were immediately drawn in as Uzo told the story of its remarkable history. The Sister's ears perked up as they heard names like Barack Obama, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Abraham Lincoln mingled with their own. Mr. Uzo described the amazing genealogical resources to The Sisters "since your Mom and her family are from Detroit, you will find information about her, your grandparents, great grandparents. People come from all over, finding out about their families." The Burton Historical Collection is a genealogy lover's dream!

"At the moment that we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold, that magic
threshold into a library, we change their lives forever, for the better." Barack Obama

Our nation's current events are also represented within the walls of the Burton Historical Collection, "President Obama was in this room," Mr. Uzo told the wide eyed Sisters. During his campaign in 2008 Obama spoke to a huge crowd if front of DPL; he chose to get ready in the Burton Historical Collection near the statue of Abraham Lincoln and Joe Biden, "the Vice President is a base ball fan," chose the Ernie Harwell Collection.

No beard, beard. Which Abraham Lincoln would you vote for?

And the stories continued! Periodically, "the Library of Congress sends guards here to borrow a letter to display which is a part of our collection." This letter, said to be worth over $1,000,000, is written by a young girl named Grace Bedell who suggested to Abraham Lincoln that he "let his whiskers grow... you would look a great deal better..." Many believe that without this letter from Grace Bedell, a beardless Abraham Lincoln may have lost the election. We learned all about Clarence Burton the man who had the vision to begin the collection so many years ago. All of the wonderful stories stopped us, for a moment transfixed, in the immense importance of what is held within the walls of the Burton Historical Collection.

Grace Bedell's Letter with amazing penmanship!

Read and view President Lincoln's response in his letter held by the Library of Congress.

__________

BONUS INTERVIEW with Mark Bowden, Coordinator for Special Collections at DPL:

What is your favorite part of working with the collection? "As Coordinator for Special Collections, I'm responsible for the five collections housed at the Library: Burton, Rare Books, E. Azalia Hackley Collection of African Americans in the Performing Arts, Ernie Harwell Sports Collection, and the National Automotive History Collection. One of my favorite parts of my job is making a presentation to groups called "Bibles to Baseballs: Treasures of the Detroit Public Library's Special Collections" where I display about 50 items that document our local and national heritage. Many are singular items of cultural, historical, and literary significance: Sumerian clay cone (2100 BCE), illuminated Book of Hours (15th century), George Washington's diary, Abraham Lincoln documents, Mark Twain and Laura Ingalls Wilder manuscripts, Fisk Golden Jubilee Singers scrapbook, Motown promotional materials, carbon copy of the Tigers' purchase of Ty Cobb's contract etc. I'm extremely fortunate and honored to be the caretaker of collections of such variety and cultural richness."

Do children ever come to do research? "Rarely. We did, however, have a group of Detroit fifth graders do some research from our biographical files. Each child was assigned a prominent Detroit or Michigan African American from among several categories such as business, education, politics, and religion They had to take notes or make photocopies of the material and then write a paper about that person."

Do people every cry over things they find there? "One woman found her estranged father listed in the Social Security Death Benefit Index as having died two years earlier and she did quietly shed a few tears."

__________

A state of the art, freshly renovated

area, incredibly inviting.

Question #2: Why do you think libraries are an important part of a community? To us, the answer was clear by the abundant resources around each corner and on each shelf. Uzo pointed out a few highlights: the seasonal tax center where the Accounting Aid Society offers free tax preparation by volunteers. On days the tax help is offered "there are lines before the library opens and the volunteers help as many people as they are able." And then there is The Technology, Literacy, and Career Center (TLC Center) offering help with everything from finding a job to learning to read, one on one. Through the glass window we witnessed an encouraging staff member helping a middle aged man, hands hovering above keyboard, tentatively, learning. Uzo clarified how important these types of resources are, used concepts like "Digital Divide" and explained that the library gives access to information and technology that otherwise would be unavailable to many citizens. Smiling, Uzo shared a tidbit of his own story: his father encouraged him with the idea that "education is freedom". Thanks to Detroit Public Library so many people find education and freedom, including the often overlooked and under served citizens.

Happy Teens @ DPL

Enter H.Y.P.E. (Helping Young People Excel) Teen Center, you must be 13-18 years old to get in on this action --we were allowed, our Tour Guide, the privilege of a quick visit to witness the magic. This is what we saw: one group of kids playing the latest music video game; others huddled over books; a stage, waiting an impromptu performance; big, flat screens a-buzz with entertainment, children clicking away on computers, learning; a room filled with the loud hush of happy kids; comfy chairs for quite reading; and adults with a watchful eyes, ready to help and provide whatever these fortunate young patrons needed. Perhaps H.Y.P.E. should stand for Happy Young People Excel.

__________

BONUS INTERVIEW with Oneka D. (Wilson) Samet, Teen Services Specialist at the H.Y. P.E Teen Center:

H.Y.P.E. Teen Center

What do you do every day at H.Y.P.E.? "As the Librarian, my task is to make sure the center runs smoothly and the teens have books to read. But most importantly, I am a resource for the teens. One of my nickname's is Oneechan. That is a Japanese translation of Big Sister. I order the materials, plan programming and keep the room organized. The teens are very talented and they love sharing those things with others. So I try to plan programming that encourages those talents or helps manifest those that they don't know."

Have you had an experience with a teen that stands out that you wouldn't mind sharing? "I'm very proud that many of our teens use their experience here as an amplifier for real life. There is a group of teens that meet here to practice writing music. We've let them practice and perform for the other teens here. Just yesterday, I went to their school to see them perform their pieces at the Spring Concert. I was really proud of the practice and effort that I saw them put into preparing for that moment. We have many moments like that here. Teens enjoy writing poetry and participate in our Citywide Poets program. It is very refreshing to see them get up on our stage and perform an original piece of poetry that they have written, edited, researched and now perform. These are the young people that will lead our society in the future."

The HYPE stage, ready for action.

What did you want to be when you were young? Did you think you'd love working in a library? "I went to Oak Park High School when I was a teenager. The library was literally across the street and I was one of those teens who did not want to be at home. I wanted to get away from my siblings and hang out with my friends so I spent a lot of time at the library. It was the people there who made the difference. It was John Martin, the Director of the library, who encouraged my love of the library, reading, and writing. I met great authors at my library like Gwendolyn Brooks and Julius Lester who encouraged me to write everyday. I fell in love with fantasy novels like the Wizard of Oz series and The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. When I started college, I knew I loved books so I majored in English but I remembered my days as a young person at the library and wanted to pursue it even more so that I could have a positive influence like Mr. Martin did for me."

__________

Question #3: How can children support the library? Mr. Uzo listed some suggestions:

Come to the library, click here to visit DPL

Ask your parents to join the Friends of the Library and to volunteer

Donate books

Check out the library's programs

Simply, "use it!"

Adam Strohm Hall ceiling

One of our last stops and a moment that is etched solidly in our memories is when Uzo read the frieze of inscriptions that winds around the ceiling of Adam Strohm Hall. On the ceiling they are blended into one statement, but after doing a bit of research and learning that divided and credited, the quotes are no less moving:

"To promote self development by ample facilities for wide reading, in an atmosphere of freedom and morality." Sir John MacAlister, we think he was the founder of The School of Librarianship --we are still researching him (1856-1925)

"Read not to contradict and confute nor to believe and take for granted, but to weigh and consider." Francis Bacon, philosopher (1561-1626)

"Through seas of knowledge we our course advance, discovering still new worlds of ignorance." John Denham, poet (1615-1669)

"Books are the most enduring monuments of a man's achievements. Through them, civilization becomes cumulative." Cass Gilbert (1859-1934) the architect of the 1921 Main Library (An interesting fact we found when researching: the 1963 addition was designed by his son Cass Gilbert Jr. and Francis J. Keally.)

Our tour lead us all over an amazing library and everywhere we looked we wanted to know more and we didn't even begin using the library, we were just experiencing it as a place. During our visit and follow up research we spoke to several other members of DPL staff including Randolph Call, Assistant Director for Technical Services at DPL. He shared data about the library's collection and noted yet another wonderful truth: "libraries are community centers, a safe place for everyone." We'd like to thank Randolph, Mark, Steve, Janet, Oneka, Uzo and all of the staff and volunteers at Detroit Public Library. With their help we learned that libraries are so much more than just book repositories; libraries are portals through which we can visit our past and find our future; libraries are a free gift to our present, if only we learn how to use them.

During our research found an amazing resource "Detroit Public Library: Information for Readers and Visitors", originally published in 1922, the book is full of unmatched information about the historic building, click this link and enjoy the digitized version. Thank you to Kathy Daniels who is an amazing editor! (re)Discovering Detroit Public Library is dedicated to the memory of Dan Daniels. The Mom's Uncle Dan loved DPL and was very proud of the Burton Historical Collection. We think he would be proud that we are carrying on his library love legacy! (This article was originally published in 2012.)

Face to Face with Ellen Airgood

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 14:22:00 +0000

When we first set eyes on Ellen Airgood, we have to confess that we didn’t realize it was her. We foolishly fell into the trap of thinking that a writer is just a writer. And didn’t realize that, like The Mom, Ellen Airgood is a woman who wears many hats (or in this case glasses and a purple bandana). The image of Ellen Airgood on the book jacket is as different from "real life Ellen" as Clark Kent is different from Superman, and if you really look, it is obvious.

The Big Sister, Ellen Airgood, The Little Sister
Hiding behind Prairie Evers and South of Superior
photo credit: BFWP

We happened upon Ellen Airgood on glorious summer day in Grand Marais, Michigan just about one year ago. We took leap and invited her to do an impromptu interview (during the dinner hour, no less). And thankfully the beloved Michigan author of South of Superior was willing to emerge from the kitchen of the West Bay Diner, transform into "Ellen the writer" (she shed a bit of flour and removed her purple bandana), and joined us at our table for a short interview. All the while we enjoyed our dinner at Ellen Airgood's super hero hideout... The West Bay Diner.

The following is a slightly abridged version of our interview:

BFWP: That moment we saw you earlier you blended perfectly into the restaurant, flour, purple bandana and all, what were you putting in the oven?  It looked like brownies, maybe?

Ellen Airgood:  It was cream cheese brownies!

(Note dear reader that The West Bay Diner was full of the scent of freshly baked brownies, can you smell it?! Okay, back to the interview.)

BFWP: We have to admit when we first saw you we thought, “Who is she?” And then looking at your book jacket, we realized “that’s her, that’s the author of South of Superior!”

The West Bay Diner Grand Marais, Michigan
Photo credit: BFWP

Ellen Airgood:   And not everybody recognizes the bandana. They had me take my glasses off for the book jacket photo and they had me wear makeup, which I don’t  – I had never done before.

First question from The Dad:

The Dad:  My question is about Prairie Evers, did you have any particular inspiration for the book, did you feel like “I’ve got to write a book about this”?

Ellen Airgood:  I did.  It was really cool.  Prairie was a writing gift to me.  And I don’t know if I’ll ever have another gift like that.  I got a grant from the State of Michigan in the winter of 2000 – to write a book, so I closed the diner down and I spent the winter writing a young adult novel.  It was called Tin Camp Road.  I worked really, really hard on it.  And I think, if you read it, you’d think, “Wow.  She worked really, really hard on this,” which is not really the effect you want in a novel. Well, I did it.  And then I thought, because I had to do writing workshops in schools, which I did around the U.P.   And I had to do a reading, which was very traumatic.  And I had a heckler, so I got that out of my way, right away.  And I had to write a novel, which I did, and I had to send it to my state rep, which I didn’t even know who they were, so I learned something.

BFWP:  And that was all a part of the grant?

Ellen Airgood:  That was part of the grant.  And it was the first time I got paid anything, well, I had made twenty-five dollars for winning an essay contest in the Old Farmer’s Almanac once.  And I had won a couple writing contests and got published in Dare Magazine.  But to actually make a little – I mean, it wasn’t some huge amount.  But it was real money from the grant, so that made me feel like a writer.  So, anyway, I finished that book.  And we were getting ready to reopen the diner.  And I was sitting on my bed.  It was raining.  It was April.  And I was, I wasn’t even trying to write another book.  I’m like “I’m so” – “I’m done.”  I mean, good – good to go.  I’ve got to go back to work.  And I heard this voice in my head, and Prairie said, “Folks said it could not be done, but I did it.”  And I literally – I was like, “What?”  It was like somebody talking in my head. That does not, happen usually, and I’m not that kind of writer.

We couldn’t help but interrupt her with wows and ohhh, at this point.

Ellen Airgood:  I’ve written a lot, but I’ve never had that kind of thing happen.  And so I actually – I took scrap pages from this other book, the one I worked so hard on, and flipped them over, and I started – and I wrote that down.  I still have those pages somewhere.

The Dad:  Oh, cool.

Ellen Airgood:  And she told me she had moved from North Carolina to New York State, and that she hated it, that her grandma had always homeschooled her, and now she was going to have to go to public school, and she hated it, and that there were a lot of very gossipy people around, and that she hated that.  But she obviously wasn’t an unhappy kid, she was just very – she was like a force of nature.  She just had something to say, and she said it.  And that’s how I met Prairie.  And if I ever had that happen to me again in life, it would be awesome, but I don’t necessarily expect that.

BFWP:  What a cool story, can you tell us more about the work you did in schools?

Ellen Airgood:  One of the writing workshops that I had done was in Sault Ste. Marie, a tribal school.  And I am not a teacher.  I am not trained as a teacher.  I am trained as a scientist, and I work in, I run a restaurant.

The Mom:  Science! What did you study?

Ellen Airgood:  I have a Bachelor’s of Science in natural resources from the University of Michigan.  I wanted to work outside.

The Mom:  Oh, that’s incredible.

We were amazed that Ellen could stay on point with all four of us interacting with her story —our “interview” was much more of a series of interruptions…

Ellen Airgood:  But a student there actually was the inspiration for Ivy -- the character Ivy in this book.  While working at the school a boy told his story very courageously about something that had happened in his family, which, as a non teacher, I wasn’t prepared for.  It happened during the writing exercise** (I’d usually done with veterans): write for five minutes, or ten if they’re older,  starting with, “I remember.”  And I offer them the chance to read aloud after.  So kids are saying, “I remember going to the fair” or “I remember Christmas,” or like -- all these fun – and then he stood up, and he said, “I remember,” and he told about something extremely traumatic.  And I was like, “Oh, I’m an idiot.”  Because it didn’t even dawn on me. He was very grateful and courageous.  And he stayed with me.  He still stays with me.  I don’t know his name – you know, I never saw him again.

BFWP:  And that inspiration was the character Ivy?

Ellen Airgood:  For Ivy.  So that was a – kind of a long answer to your question.

Then The Mom got to ask her question:

The Mom: Do you have a favorite author, a go-to writer to inspire you, a muse?  Do you get inspiration from a writer?

Ellen Airgood:  Well, I can never pick a favorite writer, you know, but, like, I can – there’s a lot of great writers.  And I just – all I can ever do is say some books I recently read. Because I freeze like a deer in the headlights.  And since this came out, I’ve done a lot of book talks and stuff, which I really enjoy.  But every single time, they’re like, “Who’s your favorite writer?”  I’m like “Um, um, ahh” – I do read.  I mean, I like to read, you know?  I read voraciously.

The Dad:  Yeah.  There are so many good books!

Ellen Airgood:  I just read a book called, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.

The Mom:  Ooh, that’s one of our favorites. It’s in our camper right now!

Ellen Airgood:  Isn’t that an amazing book?  And then “As Small as an Elephant,” which I just loved, another – so these are all middle grades, just because we’re talking about Prairie.  I mean, I love Dickens, and I love Steinbeck, and I love, I love – I don’t know what I — But have you guys read Kate DiCamillo?

The Mom:  Oh, yes, every single book!

Ellen Airgood:  All right!

The Mom:  Well, we just love books.

The Little Sister who happens to be a budding pasty chef and can handle her home kitchen like a seasoned pro was ready with the next question:

The Little Sister: What’s it like to be a chef in a restaurant?

Ellen Airgood:  It’s a very demanding job, and it’s really fulfilling. It’s both.  It’s the best of times and the worst of times.

The Mom:  What role do you play in the restaurant?

Ellen Airgood:  You guys (she asks some diners sitting at a table nearby) what do I do here?

A sweet couple at a nearby table became a part of the moment...

A “regular” named John:  It would be much easier for her to tell you what she doesn’t do.

The Mom:  Doesn’t do?

At this point we all laugh and the interview becomes a little hard to follow, we’ll pick up as Ellen explains how she arrived at the kitchen’s door:

The Sisters and their first REAL Malts.

Ellen Airgood:  I married into it (the restaurant business).  When I was a little kid, one of my favorite things was to go into town to the bakery.  I loved that place.  And I have such specific memories.  And then when I graduated from college, people say, “What are you going to do?”  And I didn’t know.  And I kept saying, “You know, open a bakery.”  And I was totally kidding.  I mean, I thought I was kidding. And then I’d ask my sister stuff like, “Do you remember when we went to Kentucky when I was ten, and we ate at that little tiny restaurant that had those little white, thick china cups and the hot chocolate had whip cream on it?” And she’s like, “No.”

The Mom:  And you remember the details!

Ellen Airgood:  So that kind of thing, I think I was really drawn to the food and then the really, really spooky thing happened, my sister has the letter… I while ago I lived in New Hope, New York for a year (which is where Prairie Evers was set).  And I wrote my sister a letter.  And I don’t know why or how there’s this line that says, “Maybe I’ll restore a diner and open it someday.”

More ooohs and ahhs from the tables.

The Mom:  No, way!!

The amazingly renovated diner.

Ellen Airgood:  Now, there are a lot of diners on the East Coast and  this was two years before it actually happened.  And I had no intentions of doing something like – but – well, not two years – I shouldn’t say that!  It was seventeen years before we did the diner, but it was two years before I married into the restaurant business.

The Mom:  That’s so amazing.

Ellen Airgood:  So it’s very demanding, very, very demanding. For twenty-some years, a lot of the year, I have worked anywhere from twelve to seventeen hours a day, six or seven days a week.  It takes a lot of focus and a lot of dedication, but a lot of – that’s the first of my life – happened here, too.  And you meet friends.

The Mom:  Including the friends that are sitting right here.  And I can’t remember their names, but their names are – what are your names?

Genie:  Genie and John.

The Mom:  Genie and John.  How do you spell “Genie,” Genie?

Genie: G E N I E.  It’s short for “Eugenie.”

The Mom:  “Eugenie.”

The Dad:  That’s beautiful.

The Mom:  Beautiful name.

GENIE:  Thank you.

JOHN:  She popped out of a bottle for me.

The Mom:  I’d say.  Well, that explains your smiles.  Lots of wishes come true between the two of you.

Dear Reader please note: this couple was adorable and we continued a conversation with them about their sweet love story —we were enamored and elevated (In case they read this: "Hi John and Genie! We hope you’re well.")

Now back to The Big Sister’s question:

The Big Sister: So how do you juggle the restaurant and writing, and what is your daily schedule, as far as writing goes?

Ellen Airgood:  It’s very – it’s turned into a really hard juggle.  And that’s a really good question.  I haven’t quite figured it out yet.  Prairie Evers I wrote long before I wrote South of Superior, although South of Superior was published first.  And I didn’t – back then, nobody cared if I finished a book or anything.  It was just something I was doing.  It was between me and Prairie.  And I worked on it – not steadily, but off and on for five years.  And then South of Superior, I worked on it when I had time, for seven years.  So that’s how I juggled it, by taking a long time.

The Mom:  Wow.

The Dad:  Thank you so much.

Ellen Airgood:  You’re welcome.

She happily takes some time to ask about us as she signs our books!

Ellen Airgood:  Here you go, guys.

The Big Sister:  Thank you.

Ellen Airgood:  Can I have a widespread hug --

We share an unforgettable hug-moment.

The Mom:  Hugging.  Hugging is good.

The Little Sister: Bye!

Ellen Airgood:  Bye.  Good luck with that cooking thing!

The Mom: Who knows?  Maybe by the time you’re ready to retire, she’ll be in the market to take over a restaurant.  What do you think?

Ellen Airgood:  Well, keep in touch.

You bet we will Ellen!!

That night we had a delicious meal, made three new friends, and we all fell in love with a restaurant, with a lifestyle and fell in love all over again with the stories behind the books. There are always so many stories aren’t there?! Thank you Ellen Airgood, we'll see you soon.

Now for more on Ellen Airgood, start clicking away!

Read the story behind the diner, written by Ellen for the New York Times: A Side Order of Romance, Please

Learn more about Ellen at her blog, including a "Bucket List" story about things she plans to do --including making a dress inspired by none other than The Mom (she even shared my photo! Thanks Ellen!): Bucket List

Listen to Ellen on NPR's Weekend Edition: Novel Takes Place 'South of Superior'

Want to meet Ellen? We highly recommend it! If you live in the Traverse City area Ellen is making an appearance at Horizon Books on October 25, 2014. A talk at 2pm, followed by a Q&A and book signing. Jill Beauchamp, Events Coordinator at Horizon books shared, "we love Michigan authors and Ellen Airgood is one of our best sellers!" Hope to see you there.

**Writing Assignment: do the "I remember" exercise Ellen explained above! Share it with us if you feel inclined!

Find Ellen Airgood's Books at your local library: click here!

Find Ellen on Facebook: Ellen Airgood Author

Visit the West Bay Diner on Facebook

Words of Wisdom from the Diner's blackboard:

"Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character

of your mind; for the soul is dyed by

the thoughts." -Marcus Aurelius

The Perfect Book to Read on #WorldElephantDay

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 02:34:00 +0000

The Little Sister's Suggestion for World Elephant Day:

An Elephant and Piggie Book

"We Are in a Book"

by Mo Willems

Elephant and Piggie books never get old.
Happy #WorldElephantDay!

A BFWP Story: The Little Sister's Discovery

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 20:20:00 +0000

A BIG UPDATE: Carbon Dating reveals she discovered a rare, extinct Eastern Elk!
Read all about it!

Earlier this year The Little Sister made the discover of a lifetime: what may be an ancient elk. If not ancient, it may be an extinct Eastern Elk. The size of the antlers alone make it a very special beast. With the help of The Books for Walls project (her family), a team of scientific advisors and her amazing community, she has committed to researching the Elk and learning all about his past.

Click this link to learn the whole story!

Are you an Archeolibrarianologist?

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 22:51:00 +0000

This seemed perfectly fitting considering The Little Sisters plunge into Zooarcheology of late.

A little bookish fun. Hope you are digging some good books.

Library Love Stories and BFWP's Top Ten Reasons We Love Our Library

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 20:52:00 +0000

This week is National Library Week (April 13-19, 2013) so we were thinking about why we love our library. We'll give you our top ten and an invitation to tell us your library love stories.

Learn more: http://atyourlibrary.org/national-library-week

Why We Love Our Library* --The Top Ten (and believe us there are many more!)

Our librarians know us by name and they are the best in the WORLD.
They don't hold it against us when we check out our limit (40 books per person that's 160 total and we have maxed out.)
"The library is nice and Quiet." (The Dad)
Two words: Interlibrary Loan. Book from Ohio, no problem, oh and no charge.
There is always a book I wasn't expecting just waiting, for me. (The Mom)
During flu season, I've watched as they carefully wipe down books and stand them on their spines in a row to dry, so lovely, like little inspiration soldiers all ready to get back to the field.
"Has all the books we like and great owners." (The Little Sister)
The entire catalog is online so we can browse and hold books anytime of the day, the Mom is known to do her best browsing late night.
"So many great books that you can borrow for free." (The Big Sister)
They email us three days before the books are overdue... so we can just go online and renew them (up to SIX times!)

(* We consider "our" library to be Interlochen Library, but it is part of the Traverse Area District Library --and without their Woodmere Branch and its amazing selection, we would have to Interlibrary Loan a bit more!)

Feel free to share any library love stories or tell us about your favorite library in the Comments below.

This is an updated reprint from the BFWP Vault.

Anna Karenin

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 09:32:00 +0000

I (The Mom) was told by a wonderful professor that I "must read Anna Karenina", over twenty years ago. That week I headed to John King Books* and picked up a 50 cent copy, well worn and

Anna Karenin or Mary Poppins
(you decide)

marginalia filled.

And I began reading. About 20 pages in, gave up. And several times over the next dozen years tried again and again. But never made it past the first hundred pages, until 2003.

In 2003, pregnant with The Little Sister I tried again. And this time the words came to life.

I was pulled from page to page, and thanks to a queasy first trimester, had a perfect excuse to read for hours, and hours, and give Tolstoy's masterpiece all of the time it deserved.

I was rewarded in three ways:

One: I finished. And completely understood why my professor said I must read it, and yes, he was right.

Two: The Big Sister decided that she wanted to read it too. Her sweet 3-year-old self carried that copy around in her backpack for months, pretending to read it.

Three: When Little Sister was old enough to appreciate a good book she also got attached. However, she thought Anna (see photo) looked like Mary Poppins and also carried around the well worn edition, even loaning it to her Nana (The Bean) to read, "the goooooood book."

While the girls are not ready to read Anna quite yet, techincally, they already love it.

One day -if they can make it past page 20- I have a good feeling they will agree: Anna Karenina is a must read. (2018 update: The Big Sister loved it.)

Ways to enjoy Anna:

Online, Project Gutenberg, click here.
The Masterpiece Theater 1977 Version is available, try your local library.
(2018 update: we cannot, however, reccommend the 2012 version, perhaps we'll write about it one day soon...)
Read it. Find at your local library: www.worldcat.org

*One of the most wonderful used book stores in the world! Favorite location: Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, wish they had one in Northern Michigan. Check it out online: John King Books

Reading Aloud: The Best Thing in the WORLD. (...and what are you reading?)

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Wed, 29 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000

Chapter 1: Exeunt on a Leopard

In Which a Girl Names September is Spirited Off by Means of A Leopard,  

Learns to Rules of Fairyland, and Solves a Puzzle

Right now The Mom and The Little Sister are reading:

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

by Catherynne M. Valente

While at first it was hard to read aloud --so many new things, wild words and spelling, but THEN, BAM, MAGIC... Catherynne's fantasy pulls you in and we are THERE! We can't read fast enough. Today is a rainy day. We might just try to finish it!

Here's a little more if you're interested in reading this wonderful book along with us!

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

Now, Tell Us:

What are you READING?

Share in the comments!

TC Reads Announces the 2013 Selection: 'A Good American' by Alex George

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:48:00 +0000

A city that reads together...

"Please join with TC Reads as we celebrate the joy of reading and appreciate the common threads that unite us as a community by encouraging your friends to read and discuss this book, an uplifting novel about the families we create and the unique place that we call home," explains Ruth Bay, president of Friends of the Traverse Area District Library.

The story of every city needs a character like Ruth Bay, a slight of a woman, always on the move and always impeccably dressed -we dare you to ask her how you can help. We have the pleasure of seeing her often in our book loving corner of the world; this last weekend while she was working at just one of Traverse Area District Library's epic book sales. Oh, we love their book sales.

Thanks to Ruth and her team of trusted bibliophiles, Traverse City celebrates the 12th year of TC Reads, with another wonderful selection:

"A Good American, by Alex George, is a story of immigrant hope.

Set in a fictional Midwestern town and spanning more than a century, the novel tells the story of three generations of the Meisenheimer family. Beginning with an improbable love affair ignited by the power of song, the story follows an unorthodox young couple as they flee to America in search of a new life together. Their new home, Beatrice, Missouri, is filled with unforgettable characters: a jazz trumpeter from the Big Easy who cooks a mean gumbo, a teenage boy trapped in the body of a giant, a pretty schoolteacher who teaches more than just music, a minister who believes he has witnessed the second coming of Christ, and a malevolent, bicycle-riding dwarf.

From bare-knuckle prizefighting and Prohibition to sweet barbershop harmonies and the Kennedy assassination, and beyond, the family is caught up in the sweep of history. Each new generation discovers afresh what it means to be an American, and in the process they sometimes finds out more about themselves than they had bargained for.

Poignant, funny, and heartbreaking, A Good American is a novel about being an outsider – in your country, in your hometown, and sometimes in your own family. It is a universal story about the families we create and places we call home." from www.alexgeorgebooks.com

Want More?

Listen to what NPR had to say: read and listen.

Learn about it on Good Reads, with a click.

Find a copy at a library near you: start here.

Read more from the Traverse City Record Eagle, here.

Begin with an excerpt on Alex George's website, to enjoy just click here.

We look forward to hearing what everyone thinks of this year's TC Reads! Enjoy!

Pick Up a Book And...

noreply@blogger.com (Books for Walls Project (The Four of Us)) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:48:00 +0000

Here is a new simple challenge we just came up with: Pick Up a Book And...
Since we just want everyone to pick up a book and tell us a little something.
Pick up the book you are reading. And tell us...

The Little Sister came
up with this one!

Pick up your book.

Turn to page 64.

Tell us the first full sentence on the page!

(We're wondering if the comments will tell a new story!)

The Mom's Book
between shades of gray
byRuta Sepetys
"As I rolled the umbrella and wrapped the closure, I jumped when I saw a
face staring at me from the puddle at my feet."

The Big Sister's Book
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
"He looked down at it."

The Little Sister's book
The Sisters Grimm The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley
"You know, cool."