Boys Without Names
If you receive a lot of the same Internet newsletters and
magazines I do you are learning that many consumer items are crafted
through the blood, sweat, and tears of child slaves in third world
nations. Some are lured by promises of jobs that will help their
impoverished families. Others are handed over by parents who are told
this is the only way to get out of escalating debt. These young
children who should be attending school become part of an underground
world where they are isolated, underfed, overworked, and harshly
punished. Kashmira Sheth's Boys Without Names really helps put a
human face on this tragedy.
In India Gopal and his family have lost their farm. Falling
into ever deeper debt, they decide that their only option is to move
to the large city of Mumbai to live with a fairly prosperous
relative. The trip is arduous. The family must sleep on streets and
under a bridge. The father vanishes.
In Mumbai, with his father still missing, Gopal is desperate to
reunite his family. Offered a job in a factory, he is drugged and
wakes up in a sweatshop. He joins a group of boys who must work long
hours making beaded frames for meager rations. They are not allowed
to talk or use their names. Infractions are punished by beatings and
food deprivation.
Gopal is desperate to get back to his family. But he becomes
emotionally attached to the other boys who share his fate. If only he
can find a way to unite them...
This very poignant children's book carries a very important
message for us all. We must know where the goods we purchase come
from and insist that they are produced in ethical and humane ways.
On a personal note, fall foliage season is peaking in central Maine.
Combine that with the warmth of indian summer and you get a little bit
of paradise on earth.
A great big shout out goes put to the fine people who rescue child
slaves.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Starstruck
Starstruck
When I was a child, Hollywood, with its stars and glamour, was
pretty much the center of the universe for lots of folks. We devoured
the movies and eagerly anticipated highly advertised new releases.
Both teens and many moms read the glossy magazines cover to cover.
Some women knew the preferences of their favorite actors more
intimately than those of their spouses. I can only imagine how things
were back in the 1930's when studios were ruled with iron hands and
fans were more trustingly infatuated.
This is the setting of Rachel Shukert's Starstruck. It combines
a lively plot and fascinating characters with just enough of a social
message to get people thinking.
Margo comes from a rich, snobby, and oh so proper Pasedena
famly--the only child. She dreams of being in the movies. One day
when she cuts private school to go to the drugstore where would be
players try for a break she's offered a screen test. She does well
and is offered a contract. Her father tells her (in a scene as
dramatic as any movie scenario) that he will disown her if she signs it.
Basically, jumping into the biz with no option for failure,
Margo must navigate a very confusing, highly competitive world.
People aren't always who they seem. Wheeling and dealing can take
place anywhere. An insatiable press ruthlessly hunts for any sign of
weakness (blood on the water) in those beings whose legends they have
helped to create. And publicists don't care what they have to do to
individuals to keep the studio rep spotless.
In a photo shoot with a boyfriend chosen by studio bigwigs (the
all American couple--America's sweethearts) Margo finds herself
thinking, "On Camera. Everything was for the camera. She wasn't
Margaret Frobisher anymore; she wasn't even really Margo Sterling.
She was a thing on display, powdered, primped, and starving, in a
dress that didn't fit, on the arm of a man she didn't love. The
camera ruled them all."
Starstruck is a glitzy and yet insightful coming of age story
set in a fascinating time and place. If you're anything like me you
won't be able to put it down.
On a personal note, I did not get the perfect library job I was trying
so hard for. Why? I didn't have enough computer experience. Most
good jobs require this. But where do you get computer experience? A
job...
A great big shout out goes out to my friends who still believe in me.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
When I was a child, Hollywood, with its stars and glamour, was
pretty much the center of the universe for lots of folks. We devoured
the movies and eagerly anticipated highly advertised new releases.
Both teens and many moms read the glossy magazines cover to cover.
Some women knew the preferences of their favorite actors more
intimately than those of their spouses. I can only imagine how things
were back in the 1930's when studios were ruled with iron hands and
fans were more trustingly infatuated.
This is the setting of Rachel Shukert's Starstruck. It combines
a lively plot and fascinating characters with just enough of a social
message to get people thinking.
Margo comes from a rich, snobby, and oh so proper Pasedena
famly--the only child. She dreams of being in the movies. One day
when she cuts private school to go to the drugstore where would be
players try for a break she's offered a screen test. She does well
and is offered a contract. Her father tells her (in a scene as
dramatic as any movie scenario) that he will disown her if she signs it.
Basically, jumping into the biz with no option for failure,
Margo must navigate a very confusing, highly competitive world.
People aren't always who they seem. Wheeling and dealing can take
place anywhere. An insatiable press ruthlessly hunts for any sign of
weakness (blood on the water) in those beings whose legends they have
helped to create. And publicists don't care what they have to do to
individuals to keep the studio rep spotless.
In a photo shoot with a boyfriend chosen by studio bigwigs (the
all American couple--America's sweethearts) Margo finds herself
thinking, "On Camera. Everything was for the camera. She wasn't
Margaret Frobisher anymore; she wasn't even really Margo Sterling.
She was a thing on display, powdered, primped, and starving, in a
dress that didn't fit, on the arm of a man she didn't love. The
camera ruled them all."
Starstruck is a glitzy and yet insightful coming of age story
set in a fascinating time and place. If you're anything like me you
won't be able to put it down.
On a personal note, I did not get the perfect library job I was trying
so hard for. Why? I didn't have enough computer experience. Most
good jobs require this. But where do you get computer experience? A
job...
A great big shout out goes out to my friends who still believe in me.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, September 23, 2013
Forks Over Knives
Forks Over Knives
"One quarter of what you eat keeps you alive. The other three
quarters keep your doctor alive.". That's an Egyptian proverb quoted
at the beginning of Gene Stone's Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based
Way To Health. I'd say there has never been a time in which it was so
true. American food purchases are keeping a whole lotta doctors and
their chums in big pharma golfing and yachting.
But it doesn't have to be this way. That's the empowering
message Stone and quite a few of his colleagues in the health
professions deliver. We can decrease our chances of or slow down the
progress of heart disease, cancer, alzheimers, and a number of other
dreaded life style illnesses. What we have to do is learn to resist
the flashy allure of the animal product and processed food industries
and enjoy a wholesome plant-based diet and let our food be our
medicine (without all those nasty side effects).
Forks Over Knives gives plenty of advice on making the
transition. My favorite part of the book, however, is the recipes.
Good stuff like:
*blueberry oat breakfast muffins
*arugula pesto risotto
*sunny orange yam bisque
*woodstock peace salad with tahini dressing
*frozen chocolate banana treats
And so many more.
If you want to feel better and enjoy a healthier life style, Forks
Over Knives is an excellent investment. It costs less than a months
supply of pills and does not have all those nasty side effects that
require...more pills.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
"One quarter of what you eat keeps you alive. The other three
quarters keep your doctor alive.". That's an Egyptian proverb quoted
at the beginning of Gene Stone's Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based
Way To Health. I'd say there has never been a time in which it was so
true. American food purchases are keeping a whole lotta doctors and
their chums in big pharma golfing and yachting.
But it doesn't have to be this way. That's the empowering
message Stone and quite a few of his colleagues in the health
professions deliver. We can decrease our chances of or slow down the
progress of heart disease, cancer, alzheimers, and a number of other
dreaded life style illnesses. What we have to do is learn to resist
the flashy allure of the animal product and processed food industries
and enjoy a wholesome plant-based diet and let our food be our
medicine (without all those nasty side effects).
Forks Over Knives gives plenty of advice on making the
transition. My favorite part of the book, however, is the recipes.
Good stuff like:
*blueberry oat breakfast muffins
*arugula pesto risotto
*sunny orange yam bisque
*woodstock peace salad with tahini dressing
*frozen chocolate banana treats
And so many more.
If you want to feel better and enjoy a healthier life style, Forks
Over Knives is an excellent investment. It costs less than a months
supply of pills and does not have all those nasty side effects that
require...more pills.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Young Chicken Farmers
Young Chicken Farmers
Picture book
Marketing consultant Vickie Black and her hubby have two
adorable sons. One day the family visited a pumpkin patch that had a
small chicken flock. Unlike most parents (including me) who would
have admired the critters, anticipated a lot of added work, and
declared, not on my watch, the Blacks built and acquired residents for
a coop in their garage. The operation evidently went well, leading to
the writing of Young Chicken Farners.
This deceptively slender volume packs a lot of information for
the young would be chicken farmer. It discusses the process from
before the choice of poultry (investigate your town's zoning laws!)
until the birds are old enough to lay eggs. Even the basics are
covered. (There is a certain way to pick chickens up and put them
down.) Although the language is warm and encouraging, no punches are
pulled. A page is dedicated to recognizing predators. The work that
must be done on a daily or weekly basis is not glossed over.
My favorite part of the book is the photographs of the kids and
birds interacting. So cute!
Basically if a child or family is considering this most
eggcelent hobby,
Young Chicken Farmers is a great place to start!
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Marketing consultant Vickie Black and her hubby have two
adorable sons. One day the family visited a pumpkin patch that had a
small chicken flock. Unlike most parents (including me) who would
have admired the critters, anticipated a lot of added work, and
declared, not on my watch, the Blacks built and acquired residents for
a coop in their garage. The operation evidently went well, leading to
the writing of Young Chicken Farners.
This deceptively slender volume packs a lot of information for
the young would be chicken farmer. It discusses the process from
before the choice of poultry (investigate your town's zoning laws!)
until the birds are old enough to lay eggs. Even the basics are
covered. (There is a certain way to pick chickens up and put them
down.) Although the language is warm and encouraging, no punches are
pulled. A page is dedicated to recognizing predators. The work that
must be done on a daily or weekly basis is not glossed over.
My favorite part of the book is the photographs of the kids and
birds interacting. So cute!
Basically if a child or family is considering this most
eggcelent hobby,
Young Chicken Farmers is a great place to start!
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Disabled Dogs
Disabled Dogs
Picture Book
Some dogs are born with disabilities. Others acquire them
through accidents. Sorta like people, right? The canines, however,
face an additional heart breaking challenge. Too many of them are
euthanized. In a society where we can get designer doggies and where
sentient beings are often seen as possessions, it's often assumed they
are unwantable.
A lot of times this is very much untrue. Adaptations can help
disabled dogs lead happy, healthy lives and contribute to the well
being and happiness of people. That's the empowering message of Meish
Goldish's Disabled Dogs. In its pages you'll meet canines with great
heart and spirit like:
*Faith who learned to walk on her only two legs and was made honorary
Army Sargent for inspiring disabled war veterans,
*Echo who can navigate his home and play hide-and-seek despite being
blind,
*Angelyne who flunked obediance school because she was deaf and was
able to then learn over 40 hand signals and even do tricks,
*Chili and Arlo who, equipped with their own little wheel
contraptions, inspire patients in rehab...
This is a beautiful book to share with children with a really
powerful message. I highly recommend it.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture Book
Some dogs are born with disabilities. Others acquire them
through accidents. Sorta like people, right? The canines, however,
face an additional heart breaking challenge. Too many of them are
euthanized. In a society where we can get designer doggies and where
sentient beings are often seen as possessions, it's often assumed they
are unwantable.
A lot of times this is very much untrue. Adaptations can help
disabled dogs lead happy, healthy lives and contribute to the well
being and happiness of people. That's the empowering message of Meish
Goldish's Disabled Dogs. In its pages you'll meet canines with great
heart and spirit like:
*Faith who learned to walk on her only two legs and was made honorary
Army Sargent for inspiring disabled war veterans,
*Echo who can navigate his home and play hide-and-seek despite being
blind,
*Angelyne who flunked obediance school because she was deaf and was
able to then learn over 40 hand signals and even do tricks,
*Chili and Arlo who, equipped with their own little wheel
contraptions, inspire patients in rehab...
This is a beautiful book to share with children with a really
powerful message. I highly recommend it.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
A Book That Changed The World
A Book That Changed The World
Picture Book
A book is published that strongly criticizes widely used and
very lucrative chemicals. The chemical industry fights back. The
book itself is considered "emotional and alarmist." its author is
categorized as part of the "organic-gardening faddists and other
beyond-the-fringe groups." The public, however, makes the book a best
seller and joins its author in criticizing the chemical industry and
their government chums.
Ripped from today's headlines? Not hardly. The year was 1962,
the book Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. Carson was a scientist and
writer. She was ahead of her time, aware of the interconnectedness of
all facets of nature. Unlike many professionals, rather than
addressing her degree holding peers in jargon filled pieces, she wrote
and edited carefully to create works that regular people could
understand and care about.
Laurie Lawlor's Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the
World gives younger readers a glimpse into Carson's fascinating life
story. They will learn how she:
*had her first story published when she was only eleven,
*had to support her family by teaching and journalism after earning
her master's degree because people weren't hiring women biologists
*performed ground breaking for women field work like using a diving
suit with an 84 pound helmet to study coral reef inhabitants,
*believed so strongly in her work she finished Silent Spring while
fighting breast cancer.
What I love about this book is that it really makes Carson come
to life as a human facing the challenges of her time, not some larger-
than-life statue. You know what I mean. From this vantage point she
can inspire us as we face our own challenges. Goodness only knows
there are plenty...and formidable adversaries in the form of big
business and their too close government chums.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture Book
A book is published that strongly criticizes widely used and
very lucrative chemicals. The chemical industry fights back. The
book itself is considered "emotional and alarmist." its author is
categorized as part of the "organic-gardening faddists and other
beyond-the-fringe groups." The public, however, makes the book a best
seller and joins its author in criticizing the chemical industry and
their government chums.
Ripped from today's headlines? Not hardly. The year was 1962,
the book Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. Carson was a scientist and
writer. She was ahead of her time, aware of the interconnectedness of
all facets of nature. Unlike many professionals, rather than
addressing her degree holding peers in jargon filled pieces, she wrote
and edited carefully to create works that regular people could
understand and care about.
Laurie Lawlor's Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the
World gives younger readers a glimpse into Carson's fascinating life
story. They will learn how she:
*had her first story published when she was only eleven,
*had to support her family by teaching and journalism after earning
her master's degree because people weren't hiring women biologists
*performed ground breaking for women field work like using a diving
suit with an 84 pound helmet to study coral reef inhabitants,
*believed so strongly in her work she finished Silent Spring while
fighting breast cancer.
What I love about this book is that it really makes Carson come
to life as a human facing the challenges of her time, not some larger-
than-life statue. You know what I mean. From this vantage point she
can inspire us as we face our own challenges. Goodness only knows
there are plenty...and formidable adversaries in the form of big
business and their too close government chums.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
The Little Woods
The Little Woods
YA fiction
McCormick Templeton's The Little Woods has to be one of the most
engrossing mysteries it has been my pleasure to read.
Imagine you're Cally, the protagonist. Ten years ago your only
sister, Clare, vanished while visiting a friend from camp. The
children's bodies were never found. Your father died prematurely,
probably from shock and grief. Your mother can't seem to stay sober.
Home is not really where you want to be.
So you get a full ride scolarship to a prestigious private
boarding school. Only it's not just any one. It's the one where
Clare and her little chum went missing. When you arrive mid term you
learn that a student, Iris, disappeared in the fall. You're occupying
her bed. The children who disappeared have become legend. Some link
their fate with that of Iris. There are rumors that the little woods
next to the school, inexorably linked with both tragedies, is also the
site of supernatural evil, an evil that may still hold menace.
I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy a superbly
crafted chilling mystery. Just don't read it home alone at night.
Those routine night noises may make you just a little bit jumpy.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA fiction
McCormick Templeton's The Little Woods has to be one of the most
engrossing mysteries it has been my pleasure to read.
Imagine you're Cally, the protagonist. Ten years ago your only
sister, Clare, vanished while visiting a friend from camp. The
children's bodies were never found. Your father died prematurely,
probably from shock and grief. Your mother can't seem to stay sober.
Home is not really where you want to be.
So you get a full ride scolarship to a prestigious private
boarding school. Only it's not just any one. It's the one where
Clare and her little chum went missing. When you arrive mid term you
learn that a student, Iris, disappeared in the fall. You're occupying
her bed. The children who disappeared have become legend. Some link
their fate with that of Iris. There are rumors that the little woods
next to the school, inexorably linked with both tragedies, is also the
site of supernatural evil, an evil that may still hold menace.
I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy a superbly
crafted chilling mystery. Just don't read it home alone at night.
Those routine night noises may make you just a little bit jumpy.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Imagine
Imagine
Picture book
These days daydreaming of the sort that was more tolerated in my
youth is becoming harder for today's kids to come by. Some kids don't
have the time for it, being constantly scheduled for sports and
lessons and more "productive" activities. Others don't have the peace
and quiet for it. They watch tv, play video games, multi task, and
never enjoy the solitude essential for an inner life. You know what
this means? We need to bring then to this sacred space. Bart
Vivian's Imagine is a great way to start.
On the first page children are told that anything can happen
when they dream their own dreams. The rest of the book is divided
into two page spreads. Half, done in black and white show a child's
physical situation. The others, done in colors, show his or her
fantasy.
My very favorite starts with a girl drawing in chalk on a
sidewalk. The text says "Believe that you can overcome..." Flip the
page and she's clad in shining armor, wielding a sword, facing a
dragon. There is no doubt who's gonna walk away from that encounter.
The text says, "...all obstacles in your path." The knight is a
woman! Finally! A moment I've lived for!
If you want to help your children recapture the fine art of
daydreaming and creativity, Imagine is a mighty fine investment.
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
These days daydreaming of the sort that was more tolerated in my
youth is becoming harder for today's kids to come by. Some kids don't
have the time for it, being constantly scheduled for sports and
lessons and more "productive" activities. Others don't have the peace
and quiet for it. They watch tv, play video games, multi task, and
never enjoy the solitude essential for an inner life. You know what
this means? We need to bring then to this sacred space. Bart
Vivian's Imagine is a great way to start.
On the first page children are told that anything can happen
when they dream their own dreams. The rest of the book is divided
into two page spreads. Half, done in black and white show a child's
physical situation. The others, done in colors, show his or her
fantasy.
My very favorite starts with a girl drawing in chalk on a
sidewalk. The text says "Believe that you can overcome..." Flip the
page and she's clad in shining armor, wielding a sword, facing a
dragon. There is no doubt who's gonna walk away from that encounter.
The text says, "...all obstacles in your path." The knight is a
woman! Finally! A moment I've lived for!
If you want to help your children recapture the fine art of
daydreaming and creativity, Imagine is a mighty fine investment.
Sent from my iPod
Friday, September 20, 2013
The Giant
The Giant
Juvenile history
Like probably most of us, when Bernie Madoff's humungous Ponzi
scheme that stole tens of billions of dollars was uncovered, Jim
Murphy was "...appalled and mesmerized by the monumental size of
Madoff's theft...". Unlike most of us, he thought of writing a book
about the scandal and discarded the idea. It was too recent with much
unknown. He considered writing about the original Ponzi schemer,
Charles Ponzi, but found him and his shenanigans too boring for his
readers. He wanted a fraud that was colorful and larger than life.
Then he remembered the Cardiff Giant.
The Giant And How He Humbugged America looks at a spectacle that
had people mesmerized during a pre Internet, pre television time in
American history. While digging for a well on a farm in 1869, workers
discovered a large foot shaped stone that was part of a 10' 4" long
body. News began to spread by word of mouth. The curious began to
arrive in droves and pay for the privilege of viewing this massive
being. The story went 19th century viral--it was printed in the
nation's major newspapers.
Scientific experts were quick to proclaim the giant an authentic
aniquity. Although most people considered their word good enough, not
everyone was convinced. Some began to suspect that the American
public was being bamboozled and flimflammed. (Gotta love a review
that let's me use both these old time words!) Their accusations
stirred up quite the controversy. It all makes for quite the
fascinating story.
If you like this book you're in luck. Murphy is quite the
prolific author. He really knows how, through a skilled blend of
words and pictures, to make a long ago event come to life. I have
read quite a few of his works and never been disappointed.
On a personal note, tomorrow is my birthday. Still being up in the
air about whether I'll get the library job I have my heart set on, I'm
not sure I'll be up for any celebrating.
A great big shout out goes out to my friends and family who consider
my birthday something worth celebrating.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile history
Like probably most of us, when Bernie Madoff's humungous Ponzi
scheme that stole tens of billions of dollars was uncovered, Jim
Murphy was "...appalled and mesmerized by the monumental size of
Madoff's theft...". Unlike most of us, he thought of writing a book
about the scandal and discarded the idea. It was too recent with much
unknown. He considered writing about the original Ponzi schemer,
Charles Ponzi, but found him and his shenanigans too boring for his
readers. He wanted a fraud that was colorful and larger than life.
Then he remembered the Cardiff Giant.
The Giant And How He Humbugged America looks at a spectacle that
had people mesmerized during a pre Internet, pre television time in
American history. While digging for a well on a farm in 1869, workers
discovered a large foot shaped stone that was part of a 10' 4" long
body. News began to spread by word of mouth. The curious began to
arrive in droves and pay for the privilege of viewing this massive
being. The story went 19th century viral--it was printed in the
nation's major newspapers.
Scientific experts were quick to proclaim the giant an authentic
aniquity. Although most people considered their word good enough, not
everyone was convinced. Some began to suspect that the American
public was being bamboozled and flimflammed. (Gotta love a review
that let's me use both these old time words!) Their accusations
stirred up quite the controversy. It all makes for quite the
fascinating story.
If you like this book you're in luck. Murphy is quite the
prolific author. He really knows how, through a skilled blend of
words and pictures, to make a long ago event come to life. I have
read quite a few of his works and never been disappointed.
On a personal note, tomorrow is my birthday. Still being up in the
air about whether I'll get the library job I have my heart set on, I'm
not sure I'll be up for any celebrating.
A great big shout out goes out to my friends and family who consider
my birthday something worth celebrating.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Searching For A Sea Monster
Searching For A Sea Monster
Admit it. That grabbed your attention. Throughout human
history we've been fascinated with monstrous creatures from the deep,
particularly the more elusive ones. In Giant Squid: Searching For A
Sea Monster Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F. E. Roper document the myths
surrounding the leviathan and one man's quest to sort truth from legend.
The man is Clyde Roper. As a child he was fascinated with
snails. As a college student he specialized in the study of
cephalopods, a varied group that includes squids, octopi...and
chambered nautiluses. He became preocuppied, or shall we say
obsessed, with giant squids, hard to study critters that insist on
dwelling in the ocean's abysmal deeps. Some of the things he did to
achieve his goal of learning their ways and observing one live would
satisfy the most adventure craving student. The narrative combines
scientific precision with good old fashioned suspense. The
photographs are riveting, if now and then a little gross.
I'd invite the future marine biologist to dive right in!
Sadly, like other ocean monsters such as great white sharks,
giant squids have more reason to fear us than we have to fear them.
Overfishing kills creatures they need for food. Other creatures, in
turn, rely on them for sustenance. So, they are a vital part of the
ocean's ecosystem, in need of protection.
On a personal note, Mary is one of my favorite science writers. I've
been highly impressed by her work since I reviewed Sea Soup back in
2001 for the Bangor Daily News! She really knows how to make kids and
adults become interested in and care about the sea in all its mystery
and glory.
A great big shout out goes out to Mary! Keep up the good work!
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Admit it. That grabbed your attention. Throughout human
history we've been fascinated with monstrous creatures from the deep,
particularly the more elusive ones. In Giant Squid: Searching For A
Sea Monster Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F. E. Roper document the myths
surrounding the leviathan and one man's quest to sort truth from legend.
The man is Clyde Roper. As a child he was fascinated with
snails. As a college student he specialized in the study of
cephalopods, a varied group that includes squids, octopi...and
chambered nautiluses. He became preocuppied, or shall we say
obsessed, with giant squids, hard to study critters that insist on
dwelling in the ocean's abysmal deeps. Some of the things he did to
achieve his goal of learning their ways and observing one live would
satisfy the most adventure craving student. The narrative combines
scientific precision with good old fashioned suspense. The
photographs are riveting, if now and then a little gross.
I'd invite the future marine biologist to dive right in!
Sadly, like other ocean monsters such as great white sharks,
giant squids have more reason to fear us than we have to fear them.
Overfishing kills creatures they need for food. Other creatures, in
turn, rely on them for sustenance. So, they are a vital part of the
ocean's ecosystem, in need of protection.
On a personal note, Mary is one of my favorite science writers. I've
been highly impressed by her work since I reviewed Sea Soup back in
2001 for the Bangor Daily News! She really knows how to make kids and
adults become interested in and care about the sea in all its mystery
and glory.
A great big shout out goes out to Mary! Keep up the good work!
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Alex The Parrot
Alex The Parrot
Picture book
These days we have learned a lot about the intelligence of
animals and their capability of doing things--communicating through
sign language, showing empathy, using tools to achieve goals--that we
thought were the sole domain of humans. It wasn't always this way.
Stephanie Spinner's Alex The Parrot: No Ordinary Bird is the true
story of one of the critters who helped advance this enlightenment.
In 1977 Irene Pepperberg, a life long bird lover, became
fascinated with the idea of animal communication. Unlike most
researchers who worked with animals like apes, she chose an African
grey parrot, a critter capable of copying a wide range of sounds. She
named him Alex, an acronym for Avian Learning Experiment.
Alex did learn what he was meant to, exceeding even Irene's
expectations. He also developed a quite assertive disposition,
demanding what he wanted when he wanted it. When a younger bird was
introduced to be his companion he showed sibling rivalry as well as
any pre school human.
I highly reommend Alex The Parrot for critter loving kids and
parents.
On a personal note, I made three new friendly, fluffy feline friends
today.
A great big shout out goes out to cats and dogs and their human
companions.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
These days we have learned a lot about the intelligence of
animals and their capability of doing things--communicating through
sign language, showing empathy, using tools to achieve goals--that we
thought were the sole domain of humans. It wasn't always this way.
Stephanie Spinner's Alex The Parrot: No Ordinary Bird is the true
story of one of the critters who helped advance this enlightenment.
In 1977 Irene Pepperberg, a life long bird lover, became
fascinated with the idea of animal communication. Unlike most
researchers who worked with animals like apes, she chose an African
grey parrot, a critter capable of copying a wide range of sounds. She
named him Alex, an acronym for Avian Learning Experiment.
Alex did learn what he was meant to, exceeding even Irene's
expectations. He also developed a quite assertive disposition,
demanding what he wanted when he wanted it. When a younger bird was
introduced to be his companion he showed sibling rivalry as well as
any pre school human.
I highly reommend Alex The Parrot for critter loving kids and
parents.
On a personal note, I made three new friendly, fluffy feline friends
today.
A great big shout out goes out to cats and dogs and their human
companions.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
The Price Of Freedom
The Price Of Freedom
Picture book
The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up To Slavery by
Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin is one of those rare
picture books that will enchant quite the age span. The true story
coupled with Eric Velasquez' illustrations is truly riveting. The
theme it carries--that sometimes bad laws must be broken--will give
older kids (and hopefully parents) something to think about.
Back in slavery days the town of Oberlin, Ohio was a really busy
underground railroad stop. In church and college classroom citizens
and students were exhorted to ignore the infamous Fugitive Slave Act,
which empowered slave owners and their hired guns to capture runaways
even in free states, in favor of the higher law of right and wrong.
In 1858 they were put to the test.
John Price had lived there happily for two years. A slave
hunter sought ought a family who favored the act and bribed their son
to deceive John and deliver him to them. The picture where the slave
hunters ride up--the expressions on the faces of John and his
betrayer--is worth the proberbial thousand words. As John was taken
out of town he saw a student walking and shouted that he was being
kidnapped. He was sure he was not heard. This was very much not the
case. How a town banded together to fight for his freedom and
personhood is a must read--even for folks with no little ones in their
lives.
If there was ever a time The Price Of Freedom is relevant, it's
now. There still are slaves. Many of them are further away in third
world countries making cheap consumer goods. However, here in
America, can the increasing numbers of folks who work for such low pay
taxpayers subsidize their employers through food stamps and Medicaid
be truly considered free?
Just asking?
On a personal note, here in Maine we're enjoying some really nice
Indian summer days with temps going up into the 70's. Better enjoy
them while we can.
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to rescue today's slaves.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up To Slavery by
Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin is one of those rare
picture books that will enchant quite the age span. The true story
coupled with Eric Velasquez' illustrations is truly riveting. The
theme it carries--that sometimes bad laws must be broken--will give
older kids (and hopefully parents) something to think about.
Back in slavery days the town of Oberlin, Ohio was a really busy
underground railroad stop. In church and college classroom citizens
and students were exhorted to ignore the infamous Fugitive Slave Act,
which empowered slave owners and their hired guns to capture runaways
even in free states, in favor of the higher law of right and wrong.
In 1858 they were put to the test.
John Price had lived there happily for two years. A slave
hunter sought ought a family who favored the act and bribed their son
to deceive John and deliver him to them. The picture where the slave
hunters ride up--the expressions on the faces of John and his
betrayer--is worth the proberbial thousand words. As John was taken
out of town he saw a student walking and shouted that he was being
kidnapped. He was sure he was not heard. This was very much not the
case. How a town banded together to fight for his freedom and
personhood is a must read--even for folks with no little ones in their
lives.
If there was ever a time The Price Of Freedom is relevant, it's
now. There still are slaves. Many of them are further away in third
world countries making cheap consumer goods. However, here in
America, can the increasing numbers of folks who work for such low pay
taxpayers subsidize their employers through food stamps and Medicaid
be truly considered free?
Just asking?
On a personal note, here in Maine we're enjoying some really nice
Indian summer days with temps going up into the 70's. Better enjoy
them while we can.
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to rescue today's slaves.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
My Family For The War
My Family For The War
As Anne C. Voorheave's My Family For The War begins, protagonist
Farnziska, then 10 and called Ziska, is watching her best friend,
Rebecca, jump from a windowsill to a tree. In Hitler's Germany they
have to be constantly ready to escape from playground bullies. Sadly
cruelty is not confined to the young. The Nazis arrive one night,
trashing her home and beating and arresting her father.
Things become more and more desperate. When Ziska's mother
hears of the Kindertransport that will carry German children to safety
in England she signs her up. In Ziska's mind she is being sent away.
Her mother has chosen her father over her. At the last minute at the
place the children are being collected she leaves her mother to hug
her best friend's mother. It is an act she regrets for years.
In England Ziska becomes Frances. Her host family gives her a
new name to begin a new life. Their Orthodox rituals are puzzling.
Her new school places her in a grade with much younger children due to
her limited English. Often she cuts school, desperate to find a way
to bring her beloved parents to safety. Then just as she is adjusting
there is another move to a supposedly safer location.
The book follows Frances for seven years leading up to and
including the war. As I read it the characters felt real and
compelling. At times I just had to put the book down and walk away
from the sadness. But there were also moments of tenderness and joy
that were equally as palpable. My Family for the War is one of the
most compelling coming of age stories I have ever discovered. I would
highly recommend it not only for the young adults for whom it was
penned but also the adult adults who are their parents.
On a personal note, I think my first interview for the library job
went well. Now I am very anxiously waiting to hear if I make the cut
for a second interview.
A great big shout goes out to the friends who are kindly praying for
me and encouraging me.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
As Anne C. Voorheave's My Family For The War begins, protagonist
Farnziska, then 10 and called Ziska, is watching her best friend,
Rebecca, jump from a windowsill to a tree. In Hitler's Germany they
have to be constantly ready to escape from playground bullies. Sadly
cruelty is not confined to the young. The Nazis arrive one night,
trashing her home and beating and arresting her father.
Things become more and more desperate. When Ziska's mother
hears of the Kindertransport that will carry German children to safety
in England she signs her up. In Ziska's mind she is being sent away.
Her mother has chosen her father over her. At the last minute at the
place the children are being collected she leaves her mother to hug
her best friend's mother. It is an act she regrets for years.
In England Ziska becomes Frances. Her host family gives her a
new name to begin a new life. Their Orthodox rituals are puzzling.
Her new school places her in a grade with much younger children due to
her limited English. Often she cuts school, desperate to find a way
to bring her beloved parents to safety. Then just as she is adjusting
there is another move to a supposedly safer location.
The book follows Frances for seven years leading up to and
including the war. As I read it the characters felt real and
compelling. At times I just had to put the book down and walk away
from the sadness. But there were also moments of tenderness and joy
that were equally as palpable. My Family for the War is one of the
most compelling coming of age stories I have ever discovered. I would
highly recommend it not only for the young adults for whom it was
penned but also the adult adults who are their parents.
On a personal note, I think my first interview for the library job
went well. Now I am very anxiously waiting to hear if I make the cut
for a second interview.
A great big shout goes out to the friends who are kindly praying for
me and encouraging me.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Mennonite Girls Can Cook
Mennonite Girls Can Cook
If you want a cookbook that summons up wholesome cooking,
Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a great choice. There are over one
hundred tempting recipes for breakfast foods (eggs Benedict, blueberry
scones), soups and salads (corn chowder, chicken tarragon salad),
suppers (savory pot roast, coconut prawns), breads (peppernut spice
buns, raisin bread with apple filling), and desserts and sweets
(hazelnut roll, lemon merangue pie). It is obvious that the women use
good, fresh ingredients. Clusters of blueberries are shown ready to
harvest. A woman proudly shows a freshly picked head of lettuce. The
pictures of the prepared foods are truly beautiful.
However, there is a lot more than recipes. The preparation and
sharing of meals is a spiritual experience for the women who shared
them. They speak eloquently of their lives and faith. It is
important to be mindful of the Source of food bounty. Those in need
should be welcomed to the table. Herbs can serve as reminders of
God's love.
Food for both body and soul is provided in this lovely book with
its cover picture of colorful aprons drying on a line. I surely can't
think of a more satisfying combination.
On a personal note, that is the spirit behind Orono United Methodist's
kitchen ministry. We gather in the kitchen before Sunday school to
prep quite a spread that is an after service lunch for all who wish to
partake.
A great big shout out goes out to my chums who work in the kitchen
with me.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
If you want a cookbook that summons up wholesome cooking,
Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a great choice. There are over one
hundred tempting recipes for breakfast foods (eggs Benedict, blueberry
scones), soups and salads (corn chowder, chicken tarragon salad),
suppers (savory pot roast, coconut prawns), breads (peppernut spice
buns, raisin bread with apple filling), and desserts and sweets
(hazelnut roll, lemon merangue pie). It is obvious that the women use
good, fresh ingredients. Clusters of blueberries are shown ready to
harvest. A woman proudly shows a freshly picked head of lettuce. The
pictures of the prepared foods are truly beautiful.
However, there is a lot more than recipes. The preparation and
sharing of meals is a spiritual experience for the women who shared
them. They speak eloquently of their lives and faith. It is
important to be mindful of the Source of food bounty. Those in need
should be welcomed to the table. Herbs can serve as reminders of
God's love.
Food for both body and soul is provided in this lovely book with
its cover picture of colorful aprons drying on a line. I surely can't
think of a more satisfying combination.
On a personal note, that is the spirit behind Orono United Methodist's
kitchen ministry. We gather in the kitchen before Sunday school to
prep quite a spread that is an after service lunch for all who wish to
partake.
A great big shout out goes out to my chums who work in the kitchen
with me.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer
Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer
Picture book
Winnie, the intrepid protagonist of Carol Brendler's Winnie
Finn, Worm Farmer is a girl after my heart. She loves worms. She
likes to trundle them around in a wagon. When she wants to enter them
in the county fair to earn money for a less rickety wagon she is told
there are no prizes for earthworms. A lesser kid would give up. Not
our Winnie. She finds ways to help neighbors to get their entries
ready, promised if they win they will share their money with her.
I love the very cute and expressive orange cat that accompanies
Winnie. Young children could be encouraged to find the cat in each
picture.
At the end of the book you will find easy instructions for
making a worm garden. What a great family project! And what a way to
get ready for organic farming which is another super family project.
On a personal note, thinking about worms brings back delightful
memories of walking places with my kids. If there had been rain I had
to add in extra time to rescue worms from puddles. One day when I had
walked Amber two miles to her bus stop I found a worm nearly as long
as my arm. As I was admiring it a man ran out of his house asking if
he could buy it. I gave it to him for his wife's garden. When he
went running in his house, shouting, "Honey, look what I have!" I
hoped "Honey" would find it a pleasant surprise.
A great big shout out goes out to earthworms who do so much to keep
soil in great shape for growing things. Give these invertebrates the
respect they deserve!
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Winnie, the intrepid protagonist of Carol Brendler's Winnie
Finn, Worm Farmer is a girl after my heart. She loves worms. She
likes to trundle them around in a wagon. When she wants to enter them
in the county fair to earn money for a less rickety wagon she is told
there are no prizes for earthworms. A lesser kid would give up. Not
our Winnie. She finds ways to help neighbors to get their entries
ready, promised if they win they will share their money with her.
I love the very cute and expressive orange cat that accompanies
Winnie. Young children could be encouraged to find the cat in each
picture.
At the end of the book you will find easy instructions for
making a worm garden. What a great family project! And what a way to
get ready for organic farming which is another super family project.
On a personal note, thinking about worms brings back delightful
memories of walking places with my kids. If there had been rain I had
to add in extra time to rescue worms from puddles. One day when I had
walked Amber two miles to her bus stop I found a worm nearly as long
as my arm. As I was admiring it a man ran out of his house asking if
he could buy it. I gave it to him for his wife's garden. When he
went running in his house, shouting, "Honey, look what I have!" I
hoped "Honey" would find it a pleasant surprise.
A great big shout out goes out to earthworms who do so much to keep
soil in great shape for growing things. Give these invertebrates the
respect they deserve!
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Lucky Ducklings
Lucky Ducklings
Picture book
When we think of animals like ducks we tend to imagine them out
in the ponds and woods of the world of nature. There's only one
problem. The human built up world keeps on encroaching on their
turf. So more and more critters have to face the challenges and
perils of town or city life. That is what happens in Eva Moore's true
rescue story, Lucky Ducklings.
Mama Duck takes her five ducklings out of their pond in a park
for an excursion. They snack on food that has fallen out of a garbage
can. This is a nice bit of realism. They are waddling down a street
when the babies fall down a storm drain, becoming separated from their
frantic mother.
What can be done to reunite them?
Read the book and see. :)
Apart from being a fun read for kids who are animal lovers,
Lucky Ducklings is a great intruduction to a complex topic: the
changing relationship between humans and animals as sprawl eats away
at their natural habitat and forces them to adapt to ours.
On a personal note, in Maine we get quite a few wild critters showing
up on our turf. Raccoons and skunks go after garbage quite
assertively. Deer prefer the gardens. Pat who runs the CISV garden
has named a particular sassy one Beyonce. Sometimes we even see red
foxes or mama turkeys with lines of babies. Adam, in his growing up
years, was quite taken with puddle ducks.
A great big shout out goes out to "all things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small."
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
When we think of animals like ducks we tend to imagine them out
in the ponds and woods of the world of nature. There's only one
problem. The human built up world keeps on encroaching on their
turf. So more and more critters have to face the challenges and
perils of town or city life. That is what happens in Eva Moore's true
rescue story, Lucky Ducklings.
Mama Duck takes her five ducklings out of their pond in a park
for an excursion. They snack on food that has fallen out of a garbage
can. This is a nice bit of realism. They are waddling down a street
when the babies fall down a storm drain, becoming separated from their
frantic mother.
What can be done to reunite them?
Read the book and see. :)
Apart from being a fun read for kids who are animal lovers,
Lucky Ducklings is a great intruduction to a complex topic: the
changing relationship between humans and animals as sprawl eats away
at their natural habitat and forces them to adapt to ours.
On a personal note, in Maine we get quite a few wild critters showing
up on our turf. Raccoons and skunks go after garbage quite
assertively. Deer prefer the gardens. Pat who runs the CISV garden
has named a particular sassy one Beyonce. Sometimes we even see red
foxes or mama turkeys with lines of babies. Adam, in his growing up
years, was quite taken with puddle ducks.
A great big shout out goes out to "all things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small."
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
I Could Pee On This
I Could Pee On This
Yes, that is the title. If you share your home with at least one
favored feline or have fond memories of doing so, you will enjoy I
Could Pee On This And Other Poems By Cats. It's a nice compact volume
that fits perfectly in a purse. It's a perfect way to add sunshine to
an otherwise dreary day.
The photographs are totally enchanting. They are accompanied by
witty descriptions of slices of life from the four footer
perspective. A cat with a Santa hat asks doesn't the tree look better
on its side. A puzzled looking calico wonders why everything looks
different and her people are pronouncing Georgia as New York. A
kitten peeks through a slit in the cardboard while the virtues of
small boxes are extolled. There is fortunately no picture of the cat
who protests a trip to the vet to be neutered.
I Could Pee On This would make a lovely Christmas gift or
stocking stuffer for a cat loving friend or realtive...if you can
stand to give it away.
On a personal note, I am in a state of high anxiety. Remember I said
I was applying for my dream job which is half time librarian for teens
at Orono Public Library. I have an interview scheduled for exactly a
week from today. I'm like the proverbial long tailed cat in a room
full of rocking chairs.
A great big shout out goes out to the friends who really want me to
get this job.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Yes, that is the title. If you share your home with at least one
favored feline or have fond memories of doing so, you will enjoy I
Could Pee On This And Other Poems By Cats. It's a nice compact volume
that fits perfectly in a purse. It's a perfect way to add sunshine to
an otherwise dreary day.
The photographs are totally enchanting. They are accompanied by
witty descriptions of slices of life from the four footer
perspective. A cat with a Santa hat asks doesn't the tree look better
on its side. A puzzled looking calico wonders why everything looks
different and her people are pronouncing Georgia as New York. A
kitten peeks through a slit in the cardboard while the virtues of
small boxes are extolled. There is fortunately no picture of the cat
who protests a trip to the vet to be neutered.
I Could Pee On This would make a lovely Christmas gift or
stocking stuffer for a cat loving friend or realtive...if you can
stand to give it away.
On a personal note, I am in a state of high anxiety. Remember I said
I was applying for my dream job which is half time librarian for teens
at Orono Public Library. I have an interview scheduled for exactly a
week from today. I'm like the proverbial long tailed cat in a room
full of rocking chairs.
A great big shout out goes out to the friends who really want me to
get this job.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, September 9, 2013
To The End Of June
To The End Of June
You wanna know something that's changed? Welfare? Back in 1911
it was set as "Mothers' Pension Programs" so widows could have the
means to take good care of their children. Then potential recipients
had to get references from people like clergy. So it was a badge of
respectability. Now it's seen as anything but. The stereotype is
that of a dependent woman cranking out kids fathered by random studs
to get the money to lie around and watch tv.
You wanna know what hasn't changed in all that time? The poorer
you are and the darker your skin, the more likely you are to have your
children taken away. Back in the day they went into orphanages or
rode the orphan trains out west. Today they get shunted into a
complex and convoluted foster care system courtesy of child protective
services.
Chris Beam's To The End Of June: The Intimate Life of American
Foster Care gives an in depth, no holds barred look at this system and
its effects on children and families. Beam was one of those kids who
was a neglected, endangered child who was not visited or taken out of
her home by child protective services. She became a foster parent
when a high school student she was teaching was in danger of being put
in juvie for lack of better options. She put in five years of
research to write this book because she saw the interconnectedness
between foster care and many other aspects of life. "A lawyer who has
done litigation in foster care for decades once told me that foster
kids are our country's canaries in the coal mine, and he's probably
right: they're the most vulnerable members of society, and they
reflect society's spikes in poverty and violence. If we were looking
at foster care and foster kids, we could learn a lot."
Feeling that a broad overview would be, by necessity, too
shallow in scope to do much good, Beam decided to take a more in depth
approach. She gives intimate longitudinal portraits of families she
was involved with for years. The Greens are an example. When they
were parenting three birth children they were called on to take in
nephews who had been removed from their home. This led to parenting
classes and licensing which opened the door to fostering a lot of
kids. At first they were confident that protective strictness,
security, and enrichment would enable their charges to grow to
productive adulthood. That belief was to be tested sorely. In fact
the title of the book comes from one of their wards who went from
wanting, at the age of 16, to write about her journey through 21 homes
to, three years later, deciding it's a pointless venture.
If you aren't willing to write foster kids off as someone else's
problem, if you want to understand the trials and challenges they go
through, if you believe that society can and must do better by them,
To The End Of June is a must read. I highly recommend it to teachers,
guidance counselors, pediatricians, and anyone else in a vocation that
involves working with children.
On a personal note, here in Maine you can tell autumn is right around
the corner. Trees have started to change color. Days are sadly
getting shorter. It is decidedly nippy in the morning. This gives me
less reading time in my outdoor swing BUT more reading time with a
purring Joey cat on my lap.
A great big shout out goes out to the leaf peepers who are going to
drop some change in this lovely state as they admire nature's beauty.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
You wanna know something that's changed? Welfare? Back in 1911
it was set as "Mothers' Pension Programs" so widows could have the
means to take good care of their children. Then potential recipients
had to get references from people like clergy. So it was a badge of
respectability. Now it's seen as anything but. The stereotype is
that of a dependent woman cranking out kids fathered by random studs
to get the money to lie around and watch tv.
You wanna know what hasn't changed in all that time? The poorer
you are and the darker your skin, the more likely you are to have your
children taken away. Back in the day they went into orphanages or
rode the orphan trains out west. Today they get shunted into a
complex and convoluted foster care system courtesy of child protective
services.
Chris Beam's To The End Of June: The Intimate Life of American
Foster Care gives an in depth, no holds barred look at this system and
its effects on children and families. Beam was one of those kids who
was a neglected, endangered child who was not visited or taken out of
her home by child protective services. She became a foster parent
when a high school student she was teaching was in danger of being put
in juvie for lack of better options. She put in five years of
research to write this book because she saw the interconnectedness
between foster care and many other aspects of life. "A lawyer who has
done litigation in foster care for decades once told me that foster
kids are our country's canaries in the coal mine, and he's probably
right: they're the most vulnerable members of society, and they
reflect society's spikes in poverty and violence. If we were looking
at foster care and foster kids, we could learn a lot."
Feeling that a broad overview would be, by necessity, too
shallow in scope to do much good, Beam decided to take a more in depth
approach. She gives intimate longitudinal portraits of families she
was involved with for years. The Greens are an example. When they
were parenting three birth children they were called on to take in
nephews who had been removed from their home. This led to parenting
classes and licensing which opened the door to fostering a lot of
kids. At first they were confident that protective strictness,
security, and enrichment would enable their charges to grow to
productive adulthood. That belief was to be tested sorely. In fact
the title of the book comes from one of their wards who went from
wanting, at the age of 16, to write about her journey through 21 homes
to, three years later, deciding it's a pointless venture.
If you aren't willing to write foster kids off as someone else's
problem, if you want to understand the trials and challenges they go
through, if you believe that society can and must do better by them,
To The End Of June is a must read. I highly recommend it to teachers,
guidance counselors, pediatricians, and anyone else in a vocation that
involves working with children.
On a personal note, here in Maine you can tell autumn is right around
the corner. Trees have started to change color. Days are sadly
getting shorter. It is decidedly nippy in the morning. This gives me
less reading time in my outdoor swing BUT more reading time with a
purring Joey cat on my lap.
A great big shout out goes out to the leaf peepers who are going to
drop some change in this lovely state as they admire nature's beauty.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Salt Sugar Fat
Salt Sugar Fat
Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Moss' Salt Sugar Fat: How The
Food Giants Hooked Us is not for the faint of heart. Many of the
insights in this fascinating book will be inconvenient dietary
truths, especially for those of us who are raising children. And then
there's the size. It's over three hundred pages densely packed with
information. But if you eat food and care what you are putting in
your mouth it's a must read.
Moss spent years researching this book. He had access to
industry insiders and documents most of us would not have even
imagined existed. It shows. The man knows his stuff. He gives us
quite the comprehensive history of processed food and the dangers it
poses.
The people who engineer these foods are not villains. However,
they're earning their livings in a dog eat dog (yes, they also are in
charge of what we put in Rover and Fluffy's bowls) industry with
stockholders who demand to see profits. Knowing that their
competitors are always poised to strike (think Pepsi and Coke), they
have legions of scientists studying soda's bliss point and fat's
mouthfeel to design food items we can't resist and marketing divisions
striving to bring them to marketplaces we can't avoid. When it comes
to consumers the big companies know exactly what buttons to push.
This has a very big down side. The ingredients they pack food
with to increase its allure are those we get way too much of. This
fuels the rapidly growing epidemic of obesity and the rise of life
style diseases such as heart disease and Type II (formerly called
adult onset) diabetes--even in young children.
This is not going to change any time soon. The food industry is
as addicted to its processes as consumers are to their products. At
one point Moss compares the grocery store to "...a battlefield, dotted
with landmines itching to go off." But he leaves us with a message of
hope. Knowledge truly is power. "You can walk through the grocery
store and, while the brightly colored packaging and empty promises are
still mesmerizing, you can see the products for what they are. You
can see everything that goes on behind the image they project on the
shelf: the formulas, the psychology, and the marketing that compels
us to toss them into the cart. They may have salt, fat, and sugar on
their side, but we, ultimately, have the power to make choices."
That's why you really should read the book. Consider it an
investment in your future.
On a personal note, since I started reading this book I have developed
a compulsion to go through cupboards and fridges (my home, the in
laws, my church...basically wherever I am allowed into a kitchen) and
study processed food labels. I feel like an anthropologist studying a
very strange and fascinating culture. I have even watched a little tv
with the hubby to catch the food ads. In a normal year I can use my
fingers to count the times I do this. I'm about ready to pass over
the offerings of Little Debbie, the Pillsbury Dough Boy and their
peers except in moments of weakness. Too bad I can't sat the same for
candy and ice cream.
A great big shout out goes out to Center for Science in the Public
Interest, our David battling the formidable processed foods Goliath.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Moss' Salt Sugar Fat: How The
Food Giants Hooked Us is not for the faint of heart. Many of the
insights in this fascinating book will be inconvenient dietary
truths, especially for those of us who are raising children. And then
there's the size. It's over three hundred pages densely packed with
information. But if you eat food and care what you are putting in
your mouth it's a must read.
Moss spent years researching this book. He had access to
industry insiders and documents most of us would not have even
imagined existed. It shows. The man knows his stuff. He gives us
quite the comprehensive history of processed food and the dangers it
poses.
The people who engineer these foods are not villains. However,
they're earning their livings in a dog eat dog (yes, they also are in
charge of what we put in Rover and Fluffy's bowls) industry with
stockholders who demand to see profits. Knowing that their
competitors are always poised to strike (think Pepsi and Coke), they
have legions of scientists studying soda's bliss point and fat's
mouthfeel to design food items we can't resist and marketing divisions
striving to bring them to marketplaces we can't avoid. When it comes
to consumers the big companies know exactly what buttons to push.
This has a very big down side. The ingredients they pack food
with to increase its allure are those we get way too much of. This
fuels the rapidly growing epidemic of obesity and the rise of life
style diseases such as heart disease and Type II (formerly called
adult onset) diabetes--even in young children.
This is not going to change any time soon. The food industry is
as addicted to its processes as consumers are to their products. At
one point Moss compares the grocery store to "...a battlefield, dotted
with landmines itching to go off." But he leaves us with a message of
hope. Knowledge truly is power. "You can walk through the grocery
store and, while the brightly colored packaging and empty promises are
still mesmerizing, you can see the products for what they are. You
can see everything that goes on behind the image they project on the
shelf: the formulas, the psychology, and the marketing that compels
us to toss them into the cart. They may have salt, fat, and sugar on
their side, but we, ultimately, have the power to make choices."
That's why you really should read the book. Consider it an
investment in your future.
On a personal note, since I started reading this book I have developed
a compulsion to go through cupboards and fridges (my home, the in
laws, my church...basically wherever I am allowed into a kitchen) and
study processed food labels. I feel like an anthropologist studying a
very strange and fascinating culture. I have even watched a little tv
with the hubby to catch the food ads. In a normal year I can use my
fingers to count the times I do this. I'm about ready to pass over
the offerings of Little Debbie, the Pillsbury Dough Boy and their
peers except in moments of weakness. Too bad I can't sat the same for
candy and ice cream.
A great big shout out goes out to Center for Science in the Public
Interest, our David battling the formidable processed foods Goliath.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, September 2, 2013
Dogtripping
Dogtripping
Mystery writer, David Rosenfelt, and his wife, Debbie, were
about to move from Southern California to Maine. They'd bought a
house. The relocation would be a piece of cake except for the twenty-
five dog family they'd have to transport. Airline fees would be much
too exorbitant. What's a guy to do? Fortunately for us David
documented that adventure in Dogtripping. It has to be the ultimate
road trip saga. I can't imagine anyone passing up this spirited
book. It's not just my opinion. Since I checked it out it has
accumulated a waiting list of about thirty-four eager readers.
A little back story is in order here. When David met Debbie,
she was the devoted human companion of Tara, a golden retriever. He
fell for both. Sadly the threesome was only together a year before
Tara died of cancer. David and Debbie, grief stricken, became
involved in dog shelter volunteering and then dog rescue. There were
so many dogs that would be euthanized if they were not adopted. The
family grew very rapidly.
David and Debbie were able to rent three RVs and recruit a small
army of volunteers to come along for the ride. Still there were
logistical hurdles. Just the simplest should give you an idea.
Imagine at each rest stop having to allow all the dogs to follow the
call of nature without losing any. If you want to learn the rest and
how they were tackled...
...you're just going to have to read the book.
The book has two strands to it. One is the trip narrative.
David takes on the curmudgeon persona, constantly wondering why
everyone else is having so much fun. Fortunately he does it with
enough humor to not sound whiny. "You've never lived until you've
eaten spaghetti and meatballs off paper plates, standing in an area
pretty much covered in dog shit. Of course, it was almost completely
dark out, so there was no way to actually see the dog shit, which made
stepping an adventure, and something to be avoided."
In the other strand he belies this grouch identity. It tells
the very sweet and touching stories of dogs he and Debbie have taken
into their lives and hearts. Let's put it this way--he's not giving
Sesame Street's Oscar a run for his money.
On a personal note, I hope my readers, like myself, are having a great
Labor Day weekend. I hope you're also thinking on what today means.
Leaders and workers, often risking all to do so, have tackled crucial
workplace issues like child labor and unsafe working conditions.
Sadly, today, there is so much to reform in today's global economy
including aspects labor's foremothers and fathers could never have
imagined.
A great big shout out goes out to the fast food and other low wage
workers who are going on strike for a living wage.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Mystery writer, David Rosenfelt, and his wife, Debbie, were
about to move from Southern California to Maine. They'd bought a
house. The relocation would be a piece of cake except for the twenty-
five dog family they'd have to transport. Airline fees would be much
too exorbitant. What's a guy to do? Fortunately for us David
documented that adventure in Dogtripping. It has to be the ultimate
road trip saga. I can't imagine anyone passing up this spirited
book. It's not just my opinion. Since I checked it out it has
accumulated a waiting list of about thirty-four eager readers.
A little back story is in order here. When David met Debbie,
she was the devoted human companion of Tara, a golden retriever. He
fell for both. Sadly the threesome was only together a year before
Tara died of cancer. David and Debbie, grief stricken, became
involved in dog shelter volunteering and then dog rescue. There were
so many dogs that would be euthanized if they were not adopted. The
family grew very rapidly.
David and Debbie were able to rent three RVs and recruit a small
army of volunteers to come along for the ride. Still there were
logistical hurdles. Just the simplest should give you an idea.
Imagine at each rest stop having to allow all the dogs to follow the
call of nature without losing any. If you want to learn the rest and
how they were tackled...
...you're just going to have to read the book.
The book has two strands to it. One is the trip narrative.
David takes on the curmudgeon persona, constantly wondering why
everyone else is having so much fun. Fortunately he does it with
enough humor to not sound whiny. "You've never lived until you've
eaten spaghetti and meatballs off paper plates, standing in an area
pretty much covered in dog shit. Of course, it was almost completely
dark out, so there was no way to actually see the dog shit, which made
stepping an adventure, and something to be avoided."
In the other strand he belies this grouch identity. It tells
the very sweet and touching stories of dogs he and Debbie have taken
into their lives and hearts. Let's put it this way--he's not giving
Sesame Street's Oscar a run for his money.
On a personal note, I hope my readers, like myself, are having a great
Labor Day weekend. I hope you're also thinking on what today means.
Leaders and workers, often risking all to do so, have tackled crucial
workplace issues like child labor and unsafe working conditions.
Sadly, today, there is so much to reform in today's global economy
including aspects labor's foremothers and fathers could never have
imagined.
A great big shout out goes out to the fast food and other low wage
workers who are going on strike for a living wage.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Dogtripping
Dogtripping
Mystery writer, David Rosenfelt, and his wife, Debbie, were
about to move from Southern California to Maine. They'd bought a
house. The relocation would be a piece of cake except for the twenty-
five dog family they'd have to transport. Airline fees would be much
too exorbitant. What's a guy to do? Fortunately for us David
documented that adventure in Dogtripping. It has to be the ultimate
road trip saga. I can't imagine anyone passing up this spirited
book. It's not just my opinion. Since I checked it out it has
accumulated a waiting list of about thirty-four eager readers.
A little back story is in order here. When David met Debbie,
she was the devoted human companion of Tara, a golden retriever. He
fell for both. Sadly the threesome was only together a year before
Tara died of cancer. David and Debbie, grief stricken, became
involved in dog shelter volunteering and then dog rescue. There were
so many dogs that would be euthanized if they were not adopted. The
family grew very rapidly.
David and Debbie were able to rent three RVs and recruit a small
army of volunteers to come along for the ride. Still there were
logistical hurdles. Just the simplest should give you an idea.
Imagine at each rest stop having to allow all the dogs to follow the
call of nature without losing any. If you want to learn the rest and
how they were tackled...
...you're just going to have to read the book.
The book has two strands to it. One is the trip narrative.
David takes on the curmudgeon persona, constantly wondering why
everyone else is having so much fun. Fortunately he does it with
enough humor to not sound whiny. "You've never lived until you've
eaten spaghetti and meatballs off paper plates, standing in an area
pretty much covered in dog shit. Of course, it was almost completely
dark out, so there was no way to actually see the dog shit, which made
stepping an adventure, and something to be avoided."
In the other strand he belies this grouch identity. It tells
the very sweet and touching stories of dogs he and Debbie have taken
into their lives and hearts. Let's put it this way--he's not giving
Sesame Street's Oscar a run for his money.
On a personal note, I hope my readers, like myself, are having a great
Labor Day weekend. I hope you're also thinking on what Monday means.
Leaders and workers, often risking all to do so, have tackled crucial
workplace issues like child labor and unsafe working conditions.
Sadly, today, there is so much to reform in today's global economy
including aspects labor's foremothers and fathers could never have
imagined.
A great big shout out goes out to the fast food and other low wage
workers who are going on strike for a living wage.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Mystery writer, David Rosenfelt, and his wife, Debbie, were
about to move from Southern California to Maine. They'd bought a
house. The relocation would be a piece of cake except for the twenty-
five dog family they'd have to transport. Airline fees would be much
too exorbitant. What's a guy to do? Fortunately for us David
documented that adventure in Dogtripping. It has to be the ultimate
road trip saga. I can't imagine anyone passing up this spirited
book. It's not just my opinion. Since I checked it out it has
accumulated a waiting list of about thirty-four eager readers.
A little back story is in order here. When David met Debbie,
she was the devoted human companion of Tara, a golden retriever. He
fell for both. Sadly the threesome was only together a year before
Tara died of cancer. David and Debbie, grief stricken, became
involved in dog shelter volunteering and then dog rescue. There were
so many dogs that would be euthanized if they were not adopted. The
family grew very rapidly.
David and Debbie were able to rent three RVs and recruit a small
army of volunteers to come along for the ride. Still there were
logistical hurdles. Just the simplest should give you an idea.
Imagine at each rest stop having to allow all the dogs to follow the
call of nature without losing any. If you want to learn the rest and
how they were tackled...
...you're just going to have to read the book.
The book has two strands to it. One is the trip narrative.
David takes on the curmudgeon persona, constantly wondering why
everyone else is having so much fun. Fortunately he does it with
enough humor to not sound whiny. "You've never lived until you've
eaten spaghetti and meatballs off paper plates, standing in an area
pretty much covered in dog shit. Of course, it was almost completely
dark out, so there was no way to actually see the dog shit, which made
stepping an adventure, and something to be avoided."
In the other strand he belies this grouch identity. It tells
the very sweet and touching stories of dogs he and Debbie have taken
into their lives and hearts. Let's put it this way--he's not giving
Sesame Street's Oscar a run for his money.
On a personal note, I hope my readers, like myself, are having a great
Labor Day weekend. I hope you're also thinking on what Monday means.
Leaders and workers, often risking all to do so, have tackled crucial
workplace issues like child labor and unsafe working conditions.
Sadly, today, there is so much to reform in today's global economy
including aspects labor's foremothers and fathers could never have
imagined.
A great big shout out goes out to the fast food and other low wage
workers who are going on strike for a living wage.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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