Adam

Checking out some tools 

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Katie

And a new little friend. She bought this hen for her handsome, fluffy orange and white cat, Archie.

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Katie

See what I mean by diverse and fascinating. Check out the antique diving helmet. 

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Katie

See what I mean by diverse and fascinating. Check out the antique diving helmet. 

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Katie and Adam

Eyeing the merch at Route 1A Relics. If you ever find yourself in Central Maine make sure to check it out. Three floors of the most diverse and exciting stuff you can imagine. 

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Stonewall (juvenile nonfiction)

     When I spotted Rob Sanders' Stonewall: A Building, An Uprising, A Revolution in the children's wing of the Orono Public Library I was totally at a loss for words--something that happens very rarely. Seeing one of the most important events in LGBTQ+ history chronicled in a young reader friendly format was priceless, especially in a time when so many people are working overtime to limit the information and voices our kids have access to.

     Sanders chooses a quite unusual narrator: a pair of buildings that were built in the 1840s as stables. That was when horsepower was literally that and the wagons and carriages they pulled were state of the art transport wise. As  its neighborhood evolves from the wealthy to immigrants and artists of all kinds and automobiles replace horses and carriages it becomes a restaurant in a place very open to diversity of all kinds... 

     ...including by the 60s gays and lesbians. It becomes a gay bar where they can gather.

     "Women and men, young and old, teenagers, transgender people, drag queens, veterans, business people, people of different colors, religions, and cultures, gathered, chatted, laughed, and danced under one roof."

     Unfortunately the police kept making raids--harassing and arresting--until one night people started speaking up and fighting back.

     Jamey Christoph's vivid illustrations really bring the narrative to life.

     Stonewall is a most excellent acquisition for public, school, and family libraries. 

On a purrrsonal note, it's been a good week. Tuesday they didn't have children's garden. But community garden was fun and I got good spinach. Wednesday when I went to the thrift shop I saw the donation bin on the porch was overflowing with bags of donations. I carried all those bags up the stairs with hardly any effort. The ladies were ever so grateful. But I was grateful that I'm now strong enough. When I got to the library the librarians wanted to make sure I talked on camera to a guy who was interviewing people about the library. Well of course. He asked me what is so special about the library. I explained how it's the beating 💓 of the community. He asked me what I like best about it and I had plenty to say. He asked if I was looking forward to the renovation. I said like a kid looks forward to Christmas. I asked him if my speech defect was too evident. He asked what speech defect. I hope he wasn't just being polite. Laurie who runs the library was pleased that he interviewed me. The vigil went well. We got 144 honks. I don't know what I'm doing this weekend beyond having breakfast at Governors. 

A great big shout out goes out to the Orono Public Library community and the man who is documenting the library's specialness.

Jules Hathaway 

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Father's Day

The soon to be famous author 

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