Friday, August 30, 2013

More Felted Critters :)

More Felted Critters :)

Crafts
A number of folks (including, if rumor can be trusted, one of
the Orono professional librarians) are getting addicted to needle
felting for quite understandable reasons. The creations are
exquisite. The materials and equipment could not be more basic. If
you are among that number you will be delighted to know that I found
two more great books.
My Felted Friends by Mia Underwood is a collection of 35
exquisite animals in colorful settings. Someone surely had fun. A
chubby, smiling panda looks ready to chow down on bamboo leaves. An
intricately striped tiger cub explores the forest. A sparrow perches
on a nest. A jewel toned parrot even incorporates tiny beads. Holy
Hannah!
I am especially partial to Laurie Sharp's Wool Pets. The step
by step directions are vividly detailed and combine written
description with pictures of hands performing the creation. The
twenty figures are sequenced in order of difficulty from bumblebee and
lady bug magnets to a mermaid and a gnome. A butterfly pin is perfect
for accessorizing a spring dress. Colorful birds would make eye
catching Christmas tree ornaments. A smiling tortoise basks on a
rock. A bat mobile would be perfect for Halloween which is not too
far away. And, yes, you'll find Nemo.
Either of these find books would give hours of pleasure to a
needle felting veteran or a total new comer to the craft.
On a personal note, my plan to make 1,000 oragami cat faces and get
them sponsored to raise money for the Bangor Public Library has gotten
off to a very slow start. I fold plenty. I just haven't gotten
nearly enough sponsored. Hopefully this will pick up as people get
back from vaca.
A great big shout out goes out to Barbara McDade and all the folks who
work with her to make her library a treasure, not only for the Queen
City, but for all the surrounding smaller bibliotheques.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Eating On The Wild Side

Eating On The Wild Side

I keep preaching on how people's diets have been going to Hades
in the proverbial handbasket since factory farms took over for the
American Gothic couple and Ronald McDonald starting handing out toys.
What I did not know was that this slippery slope began well before
white folks set foot on the what was to become the United States.
When I laid eyes on Jo Robinson's Eating On The Wild Side: The
Missing Link to Optimal Health I had no clue what a ride I was in
for! Let me tell you...
...The hunter gatherers had it good in terms of nutrients.
Native plants, which was what was available then, had ingredients
necessary for good health: vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids,
fiber, and bionutrients. At some point our way distant ancestors
decided to stay in one place and raise food. When they started
cultivating, human nature being what it is, they concentrated on sweet
varieties of fruits and vegetables, not realizing more bitter strains
were much better for them. A lot of what we see on the grocery store
shelves is a hollow shell of its former self.
Of course we can't go back to the hunter gatherer life style.
But there is an alternative to gloom and doom. Robinson lays it out
for us. In chapters on different veggies and fruits she explains
succinctly what varieties to look for at supermarkets and farmers'
markets or to grow, how to find the best specimens, and how to store
and prepare them to bring out the very best in them. She also
supplies some pretty awesome recipes. Her writing style is
refreshingly natural and conversational. This is one of the most
reader friendly volumes it's ever been my great fortune to read.
That alone would make Eating On The Wild Side more than worth
its price. But it's so much more. The vivid heritage of the foods'
development and usage make it a really fun read. Did you know, for
example, that during the Civil War onions were used for field
dressings for wounds and amputations as well as incorporated into
soldiers' diets? They were considered so essential to warfare that
when General Ulysses S. Grant ran out he refused to move his troops
until he was resupplied. Did you know that Welch's Grape Juice
originated in an effort to create a non intoxicating communion beverage?
For most books I recommend buying or borrowing. This volume, in
my mind, is a must buy, a priceless reference work. It belongs right
there with your other favorites. I don't care if they're TV Guide,
Uncle Henrys, the Betty Crocker Cookbook, or The King James Bible. It
deserves a place among them. I know what I'm asking Santa for this
Christmas. And, yeah, I'm pretty confident I've made the nice list.
On a personal note, Orono Community Garden is thriving and producing
bountifully. Our Tuesday evenings are harvesting and delivery
parties. Tillie and her lovely cream colored dog joined us this
week. That dog and Mika Star became BFFs. It was a joy to see them
playing joyously.
A great big shout out goes out to community gardens large and small
and the folks who maintain those little pieces of heaven on earth.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Virtually You

Virtually You

Awhile back when the RSU was facing money paucity and its
devastating divisiveness, I made a discovery that shook me to my very
core. I would see emails so vicious they made me sick at my stomach.
Yet the people capable of spewing such venom would be anything but in
stores and on the street. I would wonder how it was possible for two
such polar opposite personalities to coexist in one body with
seemingly no discomfort. Needless to say, when I read about Elias
Aboujaoude, MD's Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers Of The E-
Personality I requested it via inter library loan.
Aboujaoude believes that in ways that have not been fully
explored most people are subtly changed psychologically and maybe even
neurologically by the process of going online frequently. Often these
changes can bleed into off line reality.
*Anonymity and invisibility can cause one to act with less inhibition
or responsibility. This can lead to posting virulent things one would
never say in person or on the phone or spending too much on line
shopping or gambling.
*Spending a lot of time playing games or posting updates can detract
from time needed for other activities including offline relationships.
*Being able to tailor one's online presentation and interact with
other enhanced entities may make offline relationships seem boring or
too much work. One's dazzling online personality and looks may cause
deep satisfaction with one's offline self.
*Attention span and ability to read and think in depth may be
collateral damage.
*In the psycho clutter of too much we may become less able to discern
the important from the trivial in information or relationships.
Aboujaoude discusses these and other dangers lucidly and in depth.
This book is well worth reading for anyone who entertains concerns
about the brave new virtual world nearly all of us occupy to some
extent.
On a personal note, I asked people I can trust for the truth to tell
me if I'm meaner or more impulsive online than off. It's a good
reality check these days. They said no. I think if anything, knowing
that what gets put out online lives forever and can reach quite
unexpected destinations, I'm more circumspect online than offline. I
put a 24 hour delay, for example, between writing and posting this
review.
A great big shout out goes out to all the wonderful people I have
friended or who have friended me in the offline world. So dear and
precious!
Julia Emily Hathaway


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A Land More Kind Than Home

A Land More Kind Than Home

Adult novel
These stories disturb us to the depths of our soul. Children
die needlessly in the name of religion or at least someone's
interpretation of it. There was little Angela Palmer cooked to death
in Maine in a stove awhile back because of a suspicion she was devil
possessed. Her mom and baby sister were in the apartment. I've
heard of parents withholding medical attention from children dying of
diabetes or blocked bowel as the congregation participated in laying
on of hands. They are told calling a doctor or ambulance would amount
to distrusting God. These are glimpses into a disturbing, repugnant
world we don't understandably want to see too clearly.
People like that have nothing to do with us...
...or maybe they aren't totally other. Maybe it's not always
black and white. In his riveting debut novel, A Land More Kind Than
Home, Wiley Cash gives us a sensitive glimpse into how the death of a
young boy during a secretive healing service deeply effects his family
and community. It is told in three distinct and authentic voices.
There's Jess who has to live with the loss of a sibling who,
although older chronologically, was always in need of protection. In
the end he could not protect him enough.
There's elderly Adelaide Lyle, the mid wife who brought the dead
child into the world. After she had witnessed a disturbing incident
at the church she had worked out a deal with the charismatic snake
handling minister that involved children having Sunday school safely
at her house during services. That is until that fateful Sunday.
There's Clem Barefield, sheriff for decades, who has to
investigate the death with great care due to the interwovenness of a
small community. Like Ben, the father, he knows what it's like to
lose a son far too soon.
Although she does not get to speak Julie, the mother, is always
in the background. She's a woman who
*gave birth to a son who would never speak a word
*grew apart from her husband who thought their child was fine the way
he was
*was offered underunderstanding and hope for a cure by her minister
and church.
Like a superbly woven tapestry A Land More Kind Than Home shows
us a world both alien and achingly familiar. Cash obviously is a
native of the part of the country his story is told in. He invites us
on a journey of discovery, a journey well worth taking.
Let's hope that this very evocative and skilled writer keeps
practicing his craft!
On a personal note, the Orono thrift shop had a series of buck a bag
sales days. Holy Hannah, didn't I ever shop! Got more of my
Christmas list covered.
A great big shout out goes out to those very diligent volunteers who
worked through the hecticness of the sale and set out new merchandise
for fall and winter. Way to be awesome!
Julia Emily Hathaway


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game changer

game changer

YA novel
Can you imagine waking up in a parallel world somewhat like your
own but terrifyingly different? Your routines have altered. People
who have valued and cared about you in your old world, including your
own parents, are mean and dismissive. The passion that gives your
life meaning, that you have shaped your future around, is totally out
of reach. This is the plight of KT, protagonist of Margaret Peterson
Haddix's game changer.
As we meet KT she's an eighth grade softball player, the focus
of her parents' lives. The bookshelf that holds her dozens of
trophies is referred to as the shrine. Her little brother Max is left
pretty much alone unless he's required to travel with the family to
cheer KT on at her games.
Softball is the focus of KT's Olympics aimed goals, the passion
of her life. Her plans include a full ride college scholarship and
Olympic gold. A lot rides on the Rysdale Invitational. As she works
to strike out a really tough rival she collapses...
...and wakes up in a parallel universe that is the stuff of her
worst nightmares. She is no longer the family star. In fact she's
treated quite dismissively by parents fixated on her brother's math
talents. In fact academic competition has taken the place of
athletics. Mathletes and chemademics get the trophies, pep rallies,
cheerleaders, and popularity. As for softball, no one plays.
KT is desperate to get back to her real life even after it's
suggested by one of two others aware of what's going on that she might
not be happier there. If she can return, what exactly will she
discover?
If you like game changer, you are in luck. Haddix has a good
size back list you can track down through inter library loan if your
own bibliotheque has not acquired them. My personal favorite is
Running Out of Time.
On a personal note, I'm hearing a whole lot of quiet with today being
the first student day for Orono and Veazie schools.
A great big shout out goes out to students, families, teachers,
admin...and especially Orono's new superintendent of schools, Joanne
Harriman. Unless I'm terribly wrong she is going to be a badly needed
game changer for her community. YOU GO, GIRL!!!
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Monday, August 19, 2013

The Caged Graves

The Caged Graves

YA novel
My library boss and fellow actress, Louise, told me she had just
finished a book I had to read. Her eyes were shining as she told me
how I would love it. Of course with a recommendation like that I
checked it out. I devoured it it one day...it was that good: the
literary equivalent of chocolate truffles. Now I'm passing the
reccomendation on to you, my readers.
Diane Salerni's The Caged Graves starts with a mysterious
preamble, a scene of murder and betrayal in the Revolutionary war.
Then the action shifts to 1867. Verity Boone, 17, is returning to the
town in which she was born. She had been sent away to be raised by
relatives at the unexpected death of her mother. Now she is betrothed
to a man who she only knows through letters.
Things don't start off well with Nate. In person he's nowhere
near as polished as his letters. There are suspicions that he isn't
marrying her for love alone, that his mother engineered the match so
he could gain her father's very productive farm land through semi holy
matrimony. The girls who had hoped to catch Nate's eye (not to
mention their angry mothers!) are not exactly welcoming. There is a
dashing young doctor's apprentice who is flouting convention, openly
flirting with her even though she is taken, eager to give Nate a
healthy dose of competition.
Also Verity is in for a horrifying discovery. Near the church
she finds two cage like structures surrounding two graves dug outside
of the holy cemetary grounds: the graves of her mother and aunt who
died on the same day. Of course she wants to find out why they were
buried on unhallowed ground. Some say to protect them from grave
robbers. Some say to keep them below ground where they belong. There
are rumors of witchcraft...and worse.
But there's more. Writers don't start with preambles just for
the heck of it. The murder and betrayal involve a goodly amount of
gold...gold people are seeking and ready to do whatever it takes to
get their hands on it.
Our Verity is in confusion and danger. She may find her answers
in her dead mother's diaries...if she can figure out their message in
time.
The Caged Graves is a real spell binder. Hold off on reading it
until you have the time because if you are anything like me you are
not going to want to put it down. Salerni wrote the book after
finding two caged graves in real life. When she couldn't discover the
explanation she created one. I just hope as I pen this review she has
found another mystery to engage her curiosity. She has considerable
talent I don't want her to be wasting!
On a personal note, I am so excited for tomorrow! There is going to
be a work party sprucing up the grounds of the Orono schools
culminating in lunch and swimming. Then, of course, I have community
garden. Who could ask for more in a day. At the same time I'm
worried. I have been exhausted for days with even simple things
taking an inordinate amount of effort. My friend Pam says it's a
virus. I just hope it doesn't render me useless when I need to be at
my very best.
A great big shout out goes out to all who will join me in making the
school grounds look awesome and Joanne Harriman who puts the super in
superintendent.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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Yellow Star

Yellow Star

In 1939 Nazis forced all the Jewish residents of Lodz, Poland to
move into a ghetto surrounded by barbed-wire. Guards were taught to
shoot on sight anyone who tried to escape. Starvation and illness
also took a terrible toll. Many people were herded into trains headed
for death camps.
"In 1945, the war ended. The Germans surrendered, and the
ghetto was liberated. Out of more than a quarter of a million people,
only about 800 walked out of the ghetto. Of those who survived, only
12 were children."
Sylvia Perlmutter was one of those twelve. For much of her
adult life she did not talk about her growing up years. Then,
fortunately for us, she confided in her niece, Jennifer Roy, a
published author who decided her aunt's story should belong to the
world. Her first two attempts to write it in different styles didn't
work. Then she made the fortuitous choice of free form poetry told
through the innocent voice of a child.
As the story opens 4-year-old Syvia (Sylvia's childhood name) is
listening to anxious adults. After an attempt to escape to Warsaw,
her family must move to the Ghetto.
"A fence has been built
around
us.
The ghetto is now a cage
With iron wires."
There is very little food. Bitter cold and illness claim malnourished
bodies. There is never safety. The day after a carefree tea party, a
dear friend and her family go by train to a death camp. At one point
her father keeps her safe by staying with her in a shallow hole he has
dug in a cemetary. This is when the Nazis are trying to send all
children to death camps.
"Look! Over there!
From behind a gravestone not far away
a boy walks out.
And there's a little girl holding
The hand of a woman
As they crawl out from behind another stone."
Can you imagine the terror those children must have experienced?
The book's title, Yellow Star, alludes to one of Syvia's
poignant observations:
"Yellow
is the color of
the felt six-pointed star
that is sewn onto my coat.
It is the law
that all Jews have to wear the
Star of David
when they leave their house,
or else be arrested.
I wish I could
rip the star off...
because yellow is meant to be
a happy color
not the color of
hate."
The absolute evil that was the holocaust can be hard to
comprehend. The numbers of innocent people who were killed can
overwhelm our hearts and minds. It is the narrative, the testimony of
someone we can relate to that really stirs our hearts and souls.
Yellow Star is a truly significant contribution to this body of work,
forcing us to never forget, to do our best to make sure...NEVER AGAIN!
On a personal note, sadly, as we see in places like Sudan, ethnic and
racial purging are still happening in the 21st century. In a more
subtle form they are going on in the United States. Only here it's
along the lines of demonizing the poor to justify making their lives
even more precarious. For example there are folks making SNAP (food
aid) more difficult to get. Starvation and illness kill just as
surely as guns.
A great big shout out goes out to people who hunger and thirst and
work for justice. (paraphrasing the Bible here but all major world
religions are on the same page.)
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Lost Boy, Lost Girl

Lost Boy, Lost Girl

Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping Civil War in Sudan by John Bul Dau
and Martha Arual Akech is...I am at a loss for words...
John was thirteen when war came to his village. He was awakened
one night by explosions and gunfire, running into the darkness, then
waiting for daybreak. What he saw was smoking ruins of homes, dead
animals and people, no family members.
Martha hadn't even turned six. Her parents had left her and her
little sister with a relative so they could go to church. Suddenly
there was gunfire and a frantic race for survival.
For both young people life as they had known it was over. Home
was taken over by soldiers and no longer safe. They had to walk
through dangerous country where wild animals or soldiers could lurk
anywhere without adequate food and water to a refuge camp in Ethiopia,
an open piece of ground without running water or electricity. People
died there of malnutrition and illness and suffered from parasites.
When that refuge camp was closed the inhabitants had to travel
hundreds of miles to Kenya. At one river crossing thousands of people
died, shot by soldiers or devoured by crocodiles.
John and Martha survived and were able to immigrate to the
United States. Today they are married with three children. In the
pictures they look happy. I hope they are. If anyone in this world
deserves happiness they do.
This is one of the most powerful true stories I have ever read.
Although it is targeted at a juvenile audience, I think it should be
required reading for adults. We need to know what kind of world we
are in charge of and work to change things for the better so that
innocent children don't have to suffer.
On a personal note, I want to draw your attention to the fact that
it's World Humanitarian Day.
A great big shout out goes out to the folks who leave the safety and
comfort of home to work to bring stability and peace to dangerous, war
torn regions a lot of people would rather write off.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

A couple of months ago I was enchanted by Brian Selznick's
Wonderstruck, a book that beautifully combines narrative with
enchantingly detailed pictures to tell a compelling story. Recently I
found another one of Selznick's works and checked it out. I found it
mysterious and magical.
Hugo, the young protagonist of The Invention of Hugo Cabret,
lives in a small apartment in a Paris train station. His uncle, in
charge of maintaining the station's many clocks, has disappeared.
Hugo keeps the clocks going and collects the checks. He fears that if
his deception is uncovered he will be sent to an orphanage. Of course
since he has no way of cashing the checks he must steal food to survive.
Sounds like a pretty bleak existance, right? It would be if
Hugo did not have hope. He believes his salvation lies in a broken
automaton (robot) that he rescued from a burned down museum. It is in
the form of a man with pen in hand. Hugo also has a notebook of
drawings his dead clock maker father gave him. If he can get the
automaton to work and see what it has to write he will have the answer
to all his questions.
Complications begin to arise when a toy seller (Georges) from
whom Hugo has been stealing pieces for his automaton takes the
notebook and claims to have burned it. Isabelle, Georges' adopted
godchild, claims that it is intact. She becomes an unlikely ally in
his quest. If you wish to learn about their adventures...
...you'd better plan on tracking down the book because I have no
intention of spoiling it for you.
On a personal note, I am anxiously waiting to see if I get an
interview for the library job, thinking what questions might be asked
and what the best answers would be.
A great big shout out goes out to the people who are hopefully my
future coworkers.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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Caroline

Caroline

When my girls were young there were five spunky American Girls
heroines: Felicity, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, and Molly. Their
adventures were celebrated in six volume sets. Chapter book readers
love series with likeable protagonists who embody traits like courage
they value in themselves and their friends. As they got to know say
Molly, my daughters' favorite, they learned what it was like to live
in another era, in Molly's case, World War II.
There are now a dozen. Recently at Orono Public Library I
became acquainted with Caroline, venturesome ship builder's daughter.
In the beginning she is sailing with her father and cousins, unaware
that Great Britain has declared war on the United States.
(Communication in 1812 was not instantaneous like it is today.)
Suddenly they are boarded by a British officer and sailors who
confiscate the vessel and take the men prisoner.
In her father's absence Caroline strives to stay steady, to
behave in a way that will fill him with pride if he is able to
return. As she encounters situations she could not have imagined she
struggles to discern the best course of action. For instance, fishing
with her cousin and a friend, she sees a British sloop pursuing a
bateau with badly needed supplies. Blocking the channel might slow
down the sloop, buying time for the bateau. To do so she would have
to sink the Sparrow, the skiff her father built in happier times.
Fans of American Girls series books certainly have another
protagonist well worth cheering for!
On a personal note, I took my own American girl, Katie, back to school
shopping at the Orono Thrift Shop's buck a bag sale. It was amazing
how many lovely outfits we were able to find.
A great big shout out goes out to the wonderful volunteers who run the
Orono Thrift Shop.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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Tillie Pierce

Tillie Pierce

Imagine you're a young woman living in an America far before
Internet connections. In fact television and radio are decades from
being invented. For months you've been terrified by rumors that an
rebel army will invade your town, killing and destroying and stealing
everything. Then one day at school you hear a commotion. Your worst
fears are coming true.
That was the plight of 15-year-old Tillie, real life heroine of
Tillie Pierce: Teen Witness To The Battle of Gettysburg. The
invading Rebels stole food, clothing, and animals including her
horse. A few days later the Union soldiers arrived and fighting
started. Tillie was sent to what should have been a safe haven with
another family, only to find herself in a make shift military hospital
in the midst of the conflict with no way of knowing if her family was
safe, her home still standing.
What makes the book really come alive are the excerpts in
Tillie's own words around which the Civil War narrative is built.
Whether she is describing piles of hastily amputated limbs or the
stench of dead, decaying horses, her words ring true a century and a
half after the event. A couple of examples should suffice:
"This caused the greatest alarm; and our hearts often throbbed with
fear and trembling. To many of us, such a visit meant destruction of
home, property, and perhaps life..."
"Nothing before in my experience had ever paralleled the sight [Beckie
and I] then and there beheld. There were the groaning and crying, the
struggling and dying, crowded side by side while attendants sought to
aid and relieve them as best as they could.
We were so overcome by the sad and awful spectacle that we hastened
back to the house weeping bitterly."
The realism is heightened by the many period photographs.
Although the book is written for a YA audience it has a very
adult adult message. War always has far too many young victims who,
if their lives are not snuffed out, have to grow up much too fast.
On a personal note, as we commemorate the Civil War a century and a
half later I have been learning a lot from Brian Swartz's in depth,
well researched stories about that time in history.
A great big shout out goes to Brian. He's also a great nature
photographer. Maybe a little too fond of doing restaurant reviews
though. Just want him around a long time.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Friday, August 16, 2013

Best School Year Ever

Best School Year Ever

You probably remember Barbara Robinson's classic The Best
Christmas Pageant Ever. I know it's one of my all time juvenile
literature favorites. No matter how many times I hear or read it I
get choked at the end when the family of worst kids in town turns a
very interesting Christmas pageant into a true faith experience.
What I did not know until I discovered it shelf reading that
Robinson had written a sequel: The Best School Year Ever. The six
Herdmans are back, one to a class (narrator Beth's dad thinks that
must be in the teacher contracts along with sick leave). Beth worries
about she won't succeed at her yearlong class project. Each student
has to write a compliment about each of his or classmates including
(shudder) Imogene Herdman.
Whether displaying a kidnapped baby with fake tatoos to get
money, terrorizing kindergarten kids with a dead snake, or absconding
with the PTA talent show refreshments, the Herdmans are at their
sneaky, sinister best. (I will have to say, though, I prefer then to
goodie two shoes Alice Wendleken and her helicopter mom.) Stuff
happens. It is duly recorded in the local newspaper. For the very
surprising ending...
...you gotta read the book.
On a personal note, cleaning is coming along.
A great big shout out goes out to my domestic goddess friend, Rose.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Alone Together

Alone Together

Recently I shared an experience with a friend. I was hurt by a
comment made to me by a third person but not sure if I was justified
in feeling hurt. She reassured me that I wasn't oversensitive. We
discussed how I could respond in a constructive way and came up with a
plan I felt good about. I also had the heart warming experience of
being in the presence of someone who truly cares about me.
As I walked from her office I thought about how impoverished
this exchange would have been if it had been conducted
electronically. Without the cues of gesture, expression, voice tone,
and touch so much would have been missing. Even the element of
mindfulness, of being together in the moment would have been absent.
I probably would not have gone beyond venting to doing something
positive.
In a moment of supreme serendipity I arrived at the library to
discover that Sherry Turkle's Alone Together: Why We Expect More From
Technology And Less From Each Other had just arrived via inter library
loan. I opened the book and saw the most amazing words: "Technology
is seductive when what it offers meets our human vulnerabilities. And
as it turns out, we are very vulnerable indeed. We are lonely but
fearful of intimacy. Digital connections and the sociable robot may
offer the illusion of companionship without the demands of
friendship. Our networked life allows us to hide from each other,
even as we are tethered to each other. We'd rather text than talk."
Holy Hannah! If you are like me, the above paragraph pinpointed
or at least touched upon some of your concerns. Is the sight of
several teens in a room, oblivious to each other while texting absent
peers disconcerting? Do you feel diminished as a person or sentient
being by the commonly held idea that when phoning or visiting you are
imposing on someone? If so you will be delighted with how Turkle
speaks the truth to power.
The premise of this book is that we are relying on technology to
do a lot of what we used to count on people for while we're pushing
even our closest friends out of previously enjoyed connections. The
changing role of the phone answering machine is a good example of
this. We used to switch it on when we were out so we'd know to return
a call. Now frequently people call when we're out specifically to
leave a message. Requiring us to actually speak to a friend or
relative is considered an imposition.
For this to happen we must make two things happen. We must make
our machines more human like, more deserving of our love and trust.
We must also expect less of the humans in our lives, accepting the
appearance of caring for caring. In a truly chilling paragraph Turkle
speaks of students having an I and thou (a heart and mind touching
encounter described by Martin Buber) experience with robots.
The first of two sections describes how robots have gone from
novelty toys to human substitutes. Remember the Tamagotchis and
Furbies we gave our kids or received from parents? They primed
children to feel needed by and care for inanimate objects in ways
previous generations had reserved for people and pets. Children
create the illusion of sentient being even when researchers try to
debrief them by showing them how a robot works. Only it's not just
kids. Quite frighteningly robots in furry, critter like bodies are
being used more and more as companions for senior citizens. Is this
what you want for your golden years? I don't think so.
The second section takes up those electronic networks that have
us "tethered and marked absent": on tap for even the most banal of
comuniques from folks we've never met while too busy to focus on our
nearest and dearest. You have, for example, the parent pushing a
swing with one hand, texting with another. Folks aren't always who
they claim to be on social networking sites. If we try to make
ourselves more interesting and say captivating on Facebook, our real
world lives can seem boring and meager in contrast. Perhaps, most
poignantly, since electronic communication is so often only a part of
multi tasking, there is rarely the comfort of knowing that the other
is thinking exclusively or even deeply of you. One can have 874
Facebook friends and feel important to and understood by none.
I was very reassured to read at the end of the Author's Note:
"...Thinking about robots, as I argue in these pages, is a way of
thinking of the essence of personhood. Thinking about connectivity is
a way to think about what we mean to each other. This book project is
over; my preoccupation with its themes stays with me." I think we all
need to share in this preoccupation. If a lot of us aren't asking the
important questions in the face of the current don't worry be happy
acceptance of better living through electronics, we and our
descendents may lose out on some of the most crucial and beautiful
aspects of what it's like to be truly human.
On a personal note, a lot of people in the book talk of the risks
(rejection, hurt) of attempting authentic communication. Actually
there are two kinds of risks: risks of commission and risks of
ommision. They carry an inverse relationship. Let me illustrate. On
a principal search committee I met Christine who works with homeless
students. I recognized a potential soul mate. I took the risk of
rejection to reach out rather than feeling sad that we were ships
passing in the night. A little over a year later every time I see
her, as my heart takes joy in her presence and her eyes show that the
feeling is mutual, I am aware of what a treasured friendship we would
have missed out on if I had chosen to protect my heart.
A great big shout out goes out to all who take joy in our precious
humanness.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Sunday, August 11, 2013

Queen Bees and Wannabees

Queen Bees and Wannabees

Parenting pre teen and teenage girls can be downright
confusing. I'll give you an example. A friend does something really
mean to your daughter. She's very upset. So you're upset. What
happens the next day? She brings the girl in question home, both of
them all happy and cheerful, acting like nothing happened. Does that
leave you wondering what the heck is going on? You're far from alone.
Fortunately Rosalind Wiseman's updated Queen Bees & Wannabees
covers just about every situation imaginable. She walks us through
the everyday realities of young women's social worlds: uses and
misuses of technology, roles (I.e. Queen bee, sidekick) within
cliques, pressure to conform to stereotypes, teasing and bullying,
competition over boys... She wants to enable us to help our daughters
utilize the experiences in their lives to grow into confident,
socially competent, empowered, and ethical adults. She gives out very
good information.
What I like the most about this very empowering book is the
angle wiseman takes. She realizes that some parents, learning of an
incident, will be horrified and ready to explode into action to STOP
IT NOW while others will think, oh she can handle it; no big deal.
Neither approach is particularly useful. Girls need us to really
listen and offer guidance and support, but not take over. "It's very
hard as a parent to hold your tongue when you see your daughter being
used or mistreated in power play situations. You'll be sorely tempted
to tell her what to do and summarily banish the mean girls who
steamrolled her heart. But remember these situations give her a
chance to test her own strength, hew to her own standards, and affirm
her self-sufficiency." We are the coaches and she is the player. We
have to look beyond the incident or situation, messy and unpleasant as
it may be, and keep our eyes on the ultimate goal.
Wiseman's emphasis on mindfulness and her candor may not always
be comforting. Among other things we learn that:
1) Our child is not always the innocent victim. The same child can be
bully, victim, and bystander in different situations.
2) Baggage we bring from our own youths can color how we interpret the
events of our children's lives. A parent who was teased mercilessly
for being overweight can find the possibility of this happening to her
daughter very upsetting.
3) We aren't always so innocent. If we gossip a lot and our daughters
gossip a lot, could they be learning this behavior as much at home as
from peers?
However, I recommend sticking with the book even when it's difficult.
If bringing up daughters to be responsible, competent, ethical, and
empowered adults is not truly crucial, I don't know what is.
On a personal note, I am as anxious as a long tailed cat in a room
full of rocking chairs. Orono Public Library can now hire a 20 hour a
week librarian for teens. I would LOVE that job. I know given the
chance I could do it. Not to mention that when you have a disability
that makes it impossible to get that all important drivers license but
does not fit a category that would require accomodations, getting a
decent job that requires intelligence is very difficult.
A great big shout out goes out to my church family and friends for
praying for me.
Julia Emily Hathaway




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An Edible Alphabet

An Edible Alphabet

Abcderians (and parents) rejoice. I bring tidings of great
joy. Carol Watterson's An Edible Alphabet: 26 Reasons to Love the
Farm is not only an amazing alphabet book, but also a font of
information on where food comes from. I bet some of these facts will
be news to moms and dads.
Did you know that ants tend to aphids like people herd cattle,
gaining nourishment from a substance they produce and protecting them
from predators?
Do you know why ladybugs are farmers' BFFs?
Do you know where sheep have scent glands that we don't?
Do you know the definitive difference between veggies and fruits
and why tomatoes are considered the latter?
Do you have a clue what zoom zoom zucchini are?
Read the book and see. The facts are fun. The illustrations
are lively. There is so much to discuss on each page. If you have a
curious youngster in your life I highly recommend An Edible
Alphabet. :)
On a personal note, despite receiving an overabundance of rain and
drawing the attention of gophers and deer, our community garden is
thriving and our senior citizens are happy. Pat Bears' CISV and
children's discovery gardens look like picture postcards
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to make fresh produce
available to underserved populations. Also our girl Pat and the joy
she gets from helping children discover the surprises and beauty of
growing things.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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reaching for sun

reaching for sun

Juvenile fiction
On the first page of Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's reaching for sun
protagonist Josie describes hiding in the girl's bathroom at school
until after the late bell. Why? She doesn't want to be seen going
into the special ed classroom. She's tired of being ostracized and
picked on by her peers. She's also tired of the endless occupational
and speech therapy. She has cerebral palsy but resents being defined
by it. Rather being seen as a wilting petunia she wants to be an
amazing wildflower.
Home where Josie lives with her mother and grandmother (Her
father took off quite early on, leaving her with no memories and the
unanswered question: did her disability scare him away.) is not always
a refuge. Her mom, a junior college double major with a job) is
rarely ever home. When she is she's always nagging Josie about
schoolwork and therapy. The kitchen table is her favorite place to
pounce. The land surrounding her home that used to belong to her
family has been sold off and parceled into house lots. Some of her
favorite spots are routinely destroyed by bulldozers.
Ironically one of the McMansions has something special to offer
Josie. A boy her age moves in. Unlike her school peers, Jordan sees
beyond the disability to the strengths and traits that make her a
unique individual. Could this be what it's like to have a friend?
Josie's story is told beautifully in free form poetry rich in
the imagery of gardening and growing things. This is a literary
journey very well worth taking.
On a personal note, I went to Kahbang yesterday. It's an annual event
on the Bangor waterfront: a festival of music, art, and films. Most
of it is free. It's so much like the happenings of my young hippie
years right down to the colorful sun dresses. It's truly worthy of
celebration.
A great big shout out goes out to Sharon Brady, special ed director
extraordinaire, her second-in-command, my chum Christine, and her crew
for what a huge difference they make.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Mountains Beyond Mountains

Mountains Beyond Mountains

YA biography (revision of adult book for younger readers)
A Haitian proverb reads "Beyond mountains there are mountains."
Basically it means once you're solved one problem you see that others
have cropped up. I don't think there is any adage more suited to
today's world or any phrase more descriptive of this truly inspiring
biography of a doctor, Paul Farmer, devoting his life to providing
health care to the indigent, prisoners, and others whom folks in power
would rather just write off.
Farmer had an unusual upbringing. One of six children, he moved
around a lot. Sometimes his family lived in quite unorthodox quarters
including a bus, tents, and a boat. When he started college,
amenities like hot showers that his classmates took for granted
surprised him. Although he didn't feel deprived he would consider his
childhood "pretty strange."
Travel abroad during his college years led Farmer to combine the
studies of medicine and anthropology. He was inspired by the writings
of Rudolf Virchow who had connected health and social conditions.
"The physicians are the natural attorneys of the poor, and the social
problems should largely be solved by them.". He realized that an epi
(short for epidemiological) map would show that financially well off
populations tended to live a lot longer and die from different causes
that the poor, slum housed, and malnourished. The drive to change
this became his life's work.
Mountains Beyond Mountains documents not only Farmer's
trailblazing work, but the thoughts and feelings behind it. You
learn, for instance, that even jetting around the world to raise money
and effect policies he never lost the heart of a clinician caring for
and about very specific patients or his desire to stay as much as
possible in the impoverished nation of Haiti. I would reccomend this
fine book to folks like myself who believe that fighting for what you
believe in agaist all odds is crucial and then even more to people who
see it as an exercise in futility.
On a personal note, I greatly admire Farmer's committmemt. I could
not begin to match it, especially since I've been the mom in my
family. I think by now you know my passion is educational reform.
Most of my life I've seen how education in America, financed by
property taxes with government loathe to make up the difference to
help poorer communities, is anything but equal. Now there's also the
way schools focussed narrowly around standardized tests and judged by
their achieving high scores are, in my mind, not only widening the
inequality, but doing a disservice to all kids. With my children just
about grown up, although I'll never match Farmer's total dedication,
I'll be doing all I can to fight for what I believe in against very
big and monied interests.
A great big shout out goes out to all who strive to bring the basic
right of health care to those capitalism would just write off.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Battle Hymn

Battle Hymn

My first reaction to Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
was to thank God that he had not given me one. One of three things
would have happened.
I would have starved myself to death. I don't do well with pressure
for perfection.
I would have been kicked out of the house before I finished high school.
The department of children's services would have started paying visits.
Chua wrote about raising her two daughters Chinese style.
Academics are everything. A- constitutes a bad grade. Being top
student is essential. Events like sleepovers, play dates, and school
plays are distracting time wastes. Happiness is overrated. Left to
their own devices kids will make poor choices and disgrace the family
so parents must make and enforce decisions and be treated with total
respect. I mean this is a woman who could give lessons to marine
drill sergents.
In contrast there are the decadent Western parents (of which I
am a prime example). We encourage our children to discover and follow
their passions. We praise them for grades like B. We don't
constantly nag and scream. We think of childhood as a special,
fleeting time to be cherished by parent and child alike. We even
allow for time wasters like play dates and sleep over parties.
Chua's first daughter brought into her philosophy and way of her
life. Her second daughter introduced an element she never thought she
would experience: open defiance and rebellion. Battle Hymn of the
Tiger Mother is a poignant look into family dynamics and what it's
like to hold onto and enforce a value system at odds with the world
around you even when it carries the risk of permanently alienating a
child you adore. Even if you keep thinking OMG every few pages, it is
an insightful and totally worthwhile literary journey.
On a personal note, I was horrified as I read most of the book. Then
when I read Chua's answer to people who ask if she pushes her girls
for their sake or hers I felt sad for her. "...so much of what I do
with Sophia and Lulu is miserable, exhausting, and not remotely fun
for me. It's not easy to make your kids work when they don't want to,
to put in gruelling hours when your own youth is slipping away, to
convince your kids they can do something when they (and maybe even
you) are fearful they can't. 'Do you know how many years you've taken
off my life' I'm constantly asking my girls..." Holy Hannah. As one
who finds true joy in child raising, depths of bliss that I could not
imagine before becoming a mother, I can't help feeling sorry for her
and her kids.
A great big shout out goes out to people who somehow survive parents
who accept nothing less than perfection.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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My Beef With Meat

My Beef With Meat

Yesterday I was relaxing in the library with a good book before
community garden. Louise handed me a volume that she had checked out
for me. It had arrived by inter library loan. What could be more
perfect for a vegetarian to review than Rip Esselstyn's My Beef With
Beef: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet?
The first part of the book is built around thirty-six reasons
why veganism is optimal for health. A lot of arguments made by the
meat and dairy are essential crowd bite the dust. Did you know that:
*Plants pack more than enough protein, even for athletes.
*Plants have plenty enough iron (which I, as a regular blood donor,
can attest to).
*Non animal products can keep bones strong. Paridoxically the dairy
products touted to do this actually leach calcium because of fat
content.
*A plant-based diet is easy to prepare, economical, and palate pleasing.
*Plant production is a lot better for our planet than meat consumption.
*Veggies and fruits are much better for you than vitamin supplements.
There are some many more points cogently developed. Number 22 in
particular will make the male readers stand up and notice. Oops. Bad
pun. Taken as a whole they give a great deal of food for thought.
But the piece de resistance is the second part of the book: the
recipes. The color illustrations in the center look as tasty as any
on a restaurant's menu. The 140 recipes include:
*cranberry-polenta French toast
*spicy Southern grits
*spicy Italian eat balls
*no-moo-here mashed potatoes (love the name)
*pizzas and flatbreads
*the mad Greek gyro
*beer battered onion rings
*Adonis cake
*bittersweet chocolate truffles
and so many more!!!
I know I'm going to be trying quite a few and I'd suggest you give
this fine book a try...unless you're not really interested in more
energy and better health.
On a personal note, I thought I was doing OK by being a vegetarian.
Wrong. I am now questioning the presence of animal by products in my
diet. I am going to seriously work on losing the milk mustache in
favor of goodies like lentils, spinach, and my favorite black beans.
A great big shout out goes out to my chum Louise with whom I've passed
many great hours both in the library children's wing and on the
stage. You go, Girl!
Julia Emily Hathaway



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Friday, August 2, 2013

the good braider

the good braider

YA novel
Sometimes I get very angry with the people who try to close
America's borders to people from other countries. The depiction of
freeloaders who want to take advantage of our "generosity" is horribly
wrong. Many refugees are fleeing conditions that are too horrific for
most of us to imagine. I just wish Terry Farrish's the good braider
could be required reading for the folks bound and determined to keep
everyone who wasn't born here out.
Living in Sudan, Viola has had to grow up far too fast. Her
city is occuppied by government soldiers who kill anyone they believe
is affeliated with the rebels. The skies are filled with war planes.
Boys are at risk of being kidnapped into the military. Errands are
dangerous and "don't speak to strangers" has far darker connotations
than in the United States.
The terror and violence are very personal for Viola. A boy who
tries to defend her is shot by a soldier. That same soldier later
rapes her, warning her that he will kill her if she cries for help.
(In this episode it totally chills me that her five-year-old brother
knows to stay hidden instead of coming to her rescue by reading her
non verbal cues). It has become far too dangerous for her family to
remain in their home. But joining her uncle in Maine is fraught with
difficulty, danger, and loss.
Life in America carries its own challenges, particularly for
Viola's mother who has lost her husband and young son. Like other
Sudanese immigrant parents, she fears that her daughter is running
wild, forgetting all she has been taught, bringing disgrace. A
desperate act of discipline ends up with her arrested, Viola in the
hospital, and human services involved.
All is not pathos, however. Even in the hardest times there are
moments of beauty, joy, and laughter. The free form verse that
carries Viola's voice conveys the complexity of living far more
eloquently than prose ever could. For anyone wishing to get a glimpse
of a woman child making a journey between far different worlds the
good braider is a must read.
On a personal note, I love to see young adult literature in the form
of free form verse. The sparcity of the medium forces a discipline of
mindfulness in writing. You can't just go on and on. You must choose
only the most meaningful, evocative words. I guess that's why it's my
favorite way of writing. I think the visual representation of verse
as opposed to huge blocks of print is a lot more welcoming, especially
to young adults for whom reading is not an unmitigated joy.
A great big shout goes out to the oh so inspiring writers who choose
this form and the publishers who get their work out in print.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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