Born and Bred in the Great Depression

Picture book
Open the cover of Born and Bred in the Great Depression and
you'll see black and white photographs labelled and dated. They are
of author Jonah Winter's father and his family in the 1930s. They are
the stars of the story. Winter took the stories he probably grew up
hearing and made them into a narrative that provides a portrait not
only of a loving, resilient family, but of a pivotal point in our
nation's history.
In an unusually poignant second person narration, a boy is
talking to his grown up father. He reflects on the stories he's been
told about his dad's depression era childhood. Sometimes he asks the
"did you really" questions a child would ask. The words are set in
free form poetry and perfectly complimented by Kimberly Bulcken Root's
muted pallette.
The love of the son for his father and the gentle and whimsical
details of the pictures give a sense of dignity, joy, and hope that
would be missing in a more detached treatment. The dad as boy is
clearly proud to help his father operate a pump (no indoor plumbing)
while his sister is happily absorbed in washing a doll. He is
thrilled to play checkers with his dad and listen to him play banjo.
And the family always stands ready to help others who have less.
If there ever was perfect timing in a book's publication--this
is it. Many read-to-me age children are in hard times and bombarded
by media bad news. Sharing this book with a loving parent can help a
child articulate his own fears and concerns and maybe gain hope that
(to paraphrase Winter) the storm of hard days can give way to "the
blue skies of better days."
On a personal note, I'm very happy to have my outside swing set up.
It's a perfect place to read or knit and listen to the Veazie Symphony
Orchastra (my wind chime collection).
A great big shout out goes out to my parents and all the other
outstanding men and women who experienced the Great Depression and
came out of it with a determination to give their own children a
better life.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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The Dewey books

Cats and libraries. In my mind that's an irrisistable
combination. So imagine my delight when, shelving picture books at
the Orono Public Library, I discovered Dewey There's a Cat in the
Library and Dewey's Christnas at the Library by Vicki Myron and Brett
Wittner. Dewey, by the way, was a very real cat.
Dewey There's a Cat in the Library looks at the earliest Dewey
days. He was left in the book return box of the Spencer [Iowa] Public
Library on the coldest night of the year. He was given a warm bath,
named Dewey Readmore Books, and adopted. Quickly he made the library
his own and won the hearts of its patrons. There's an adorable part
at the end where he cheers up a sad little girl.
Dewey's Christmas at the Library celebrates his discovery of the
festive season. The tree piques his curiosity. The ornaments become
perfect play things--especially a ball of red yarn. He's disappointed
when his tree disappears and elated when it's put back into place with
a blue ribbon for its Dewey themed decor winning first place in a
contest.
Both of these warm picture books are ideal to be read aloud.
And the illustrations perfectly complement the text. Steve James
really knows his cats. Whether curled up asleep or playing with
reckless abandon, Dewey exhibits that feline charm and grace that
turns every stance and move into pure ballet. And that sweet little
face! It would be impossible not to fall in love!
On a personal note, Joey cat is in feline heaven, being able to sit on
his favorite window sill and visually stalk robins through the
screen. He also enjoys the daily brushing to prevent hairballs.
A great big shout out goes out to Joey of course, my friend Jann's
lovely Hannah Marie, and the folks at Veazie Vetinary Clinic and their
dedication to all creatures great and small. And I wish to pay
tribute to the fond memory of Kaspar the bookstore cat.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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what happened to goodbye

Sarah Dessen, in my mind, is one of the bright shining stars of
young adult literature. Pegging her books as romance, although
possibly selling them to teenage girls, ultimately does them a
disservice. Her heroines struggle poignantly with the same deep
issues as their peers. What happened to goodbye is a perfect
example. McLean, the heroine, must deal with perhaps the most
defining issue of adolescence--identity.
McLean was given the name of a winning basketball coach at her
parents' alma mater where they were college sweethearts. Her father
had lived for eventually making the team from kindergarten on.
Following graduation, he had remained an avid fan, indoctrinating
McLean into his passion at a very early age. In a supreme irony
McLean's mother had left him to marry the new basketball coach.
McLean's father then sold his restaurant and took a consulting
job that would require a lot of travel. It was assumed that McLean
would live with her mother and stepfather and soon-to-be-born twins in
an exclusive gated community. Her father would visit when he could.
She, however, had other plans. "She could have her bright and shiny
new life, with a new husband and new kids, but she didn't get to have
me too. I decided I was going with my dad."
McLean and her father moved quite frequently to the point where
she knew by heart the signs of an imminent uprooting. With each new
school she tried out a new persona. Eliza was a popular good girl.
Lizbet was a dancer and drama queen. Beth was an all round joiner.
McLean tossed each personification out with the inevitable next move,
vanishing without a trace. Hence the book title.
When McLean and her father move to Lakeview things change. She
takes her own name. Friends really start to matter to her. She's
becoming involved. There's even a special boy in her life. Then the
people she's come to care about, who have shared their homes and lives
with her, learn about her previous identities...
...Read the book already. You won't be able to put it down.
On a personal note, I am so happy. My favorite thrift shop brought
out their summer clothes. Bargain heaven!
A great big shout out goes out to our courageous RSU 26 finance
subcommittee: Sue, Travis, and Lisa. They had the gruelling task of
figuring out how to budget dwindling funds for five schools in the
ways that would impact students the least. A lot of people didn't
agree with their ideas and pressured them to change them. It took
staunch hearts and true loyalty to continue under those conditions.
Julia Emily Hathaway
Sent from my iPod

what happened to goodbye

Sarah Dessen, in my mind, is one of the bright shining stars of
young adult literature. Pegging her books as romance, although
possibly selling them to teenage girls, ultimately does them a
disservice. Her heroines struggle poignantly with the same deep
issues as their peers. What happened to goodbye is a perfect
example. McLean, the heroine, must deal with perhaps the most
defining issue of adolescence, identity.
McLean was given the name of a winning basketball coach at her
parents' alma mater where they were college sweethearts. Her father
had lived for eventually making the team from kindergarten on.
Following graduation he had remained an avid fan, indoctrinating
McLean into his passion at a very early age. In a supreme irony
McLean's mom had left him to marry the new basketball coach.
McLean's father then sold his restaurant and took a consulting
job that would require a great deal of travel. It was assumed that
McLean would live with her mother and stepfather and their soon-to-be-
born twins in an exclusive gated community. Her father would visit
when he could. She, however, had other plans. "She could have her
bright and shiny new life, with a new husband and new kids, but she
didn't get to have me, too. I decided I was going with my dad."
MacLean and her father moved to the point where she knew by
heart the signs of an imminent uprooting. With each new school she
tried out a new persona. Eliza was a popular good girl. Lizbet was a
dancer and drama queen. Beth was an all round joiner. McLean tossed
each personification out with the inevitable next move, vanishing
without a trace. Hence the book title.
When McLean and her father move to Lakeview things change. She
uses her own name. Friends really start to matter to her. She's
becoming involved. There's even a special boy in her life. Then the
people she's come to care about, who have shared their homes and lives
with her, learn about her previous identities...
...Read the book already. You won't be able to put it down.
On a personal note, I am so happy! My favorite thrift shop brought
out their spring and summer clothes. I was in bargain heaven.
A great big shout out goes out to our courageous RSU 26 finance
subcommittee. They have the gruelling task of figuring out how to
budget dwindling funds for five schools in the ways that will impact
students the least. A lot of people who don't agree with what they
suggest are mean and abusive. It takes staunch hearts and true
loyalty to continue under those conditions!
Julia Emily Hathaway

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60 Quick Knits

In the past year I've knit and crocheted nearly one hundred
scarves: keeping my hands busy during meetings and sermons, watching
tv with kids, giving Joey cat a lap on a cold Maine night. I use
recycled and repurposed yarn--yard sale and thrift shop finds, mangled
afghans, other people's unfinished projects, gifts. It's amazing what
a variety of looks you can achieve, ranging from sophisticated to
whimsical, in a seemingly prosaic end project.
If you want to embark on a manageable fashion project that will
get you compliments from friends and family or sincere thanks from a
lucky recipient and you don't fancy my fly-by-
the-seat-of-your-pants methodology, you'll find 60 Quick Knots to be a
treasure. Twenty scarves, twenty hats, and twenty pairs of mittens
are presented in a wide range of colors and styles. Beaded lavender
flowers are embroidered onto purple mittens. A lion scarf sports
button eyes, a cloth nose, and a lush mane. A cupcake hat comes
complete with yarn sprinkles and cherry. From toddler to Grandma,
there is something for all the girls and women in one's life.
Instructions are clearly written. Projects are rated by degree
of difficulty. None require a large amount of yarn. Illustrations
are bright and colorful. There are projects just right for newbies
and pros.
On a personal note, I'm wondering if maybe the length of time
government agencies put one on hold is an indication they might need
to hire more customer representatives.
A great big shout out goes out to Maine's own Ardeana Hamlin whose
delightful crafts columns enliven the Bangor Daily News every Tuesday--
a very kind and decent friend, good friend, and cat lover.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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The Black Heart Crypt

Intermediate fiction
"Zack Jennings did not want to chase a slobbering black dog with
glowing red eyeballs into the Haddam Hill Cemetary three nights before
Halloween.
It was Zipper's idea."
With these sentences Chris Grabenstein begins his latest haunted
mystery, The Black Heart Crypt. Talk about an attention getter! Not
only the young bibliophile, but the child who doesn't relish reading
and may need to do a book report for school will want to check out the
identity of Zipper, why he/she/it considers the course of action
advisable, and what the dog with glowing red eyes leads Zack and
Zipper to.
The Black Heart Crypt is the fourth in the series. In the first
book Zack and his family move to a new town. Zack has an unusual
talent--the ability to interact with the more colorful deceased. The
place is swarming with them. And Zack is quickly caught up in their
drama. Each sequel really lives up to its promise.
This book focuses on a feud that goes back centuries between the
Jenningses and the Icklebys. There are thirteen Icklebury evil ghosts
trapped in a crypt by a spell. They want out. And they want
revenge. Unfortunately the captive spell is broken right before
Halloween, the night when spirits can pass through to interact with
and wreak havoc on the living. Aided by his family, including three
quite unique great aunts who rush up, with their cats, from Florida to
protect him, Zack is in for the fight of his young life.
You'll have to read the book to see how it turns out.
On a personal note, I plan to brighten up a rainy day by baking
cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles.
A great big shout out goes out to Gail Harrison, our Veazie Community
School librarian who is also in charge of the creation of amazing
yearbooks.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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Paper Covers Rock

YA Novel
Coming of age novels are legion in young adult fiction. Good
ones, though, are rare. Good ones with a male protagonist are
practically an endangered species. Jenny Hubbard's Paper Covers Rock
is one of those.
Alex (16) has just started writing in a journal his father gave
him when he started boarding school. Now he has something to write,
something a lot less idyllic than what he's sure his dad had in mind.
A classmate, Thomas, has died. Alex was there when it happened. And
it's a lot more complex than the story one could read in the newspapers.
For one thing, the official version of the incident involves a
cover up. Four boys had been swimming and diving in a river. All had
been drinking in violation of the school rules. Thomas' autopsy would
bring that to light. Alex and Glenn, a popular classmate he alludes
to as "Golden Boy" while he calls himself "Solid Kid", deny drinking,
letting Clay take the rap and get expelled.
Alex is not sure he knows all the answers. He could have been
quicker at getting help. If he had perhaps Thomas would still be
alive. And was the death totally an accident? There were rumors...
Finally, the boys were not the only ones at the river that
fateful day. The young English teacher Alex has a crush on, Miss
Dovecott, may have seen more than she lets on. Glenn sees her
continued presence at school as a threat. When she takes an interest
in Alex's writing Glenn sees the opportunity to put her into the kind
of compromising position that would have caused a teacher to be
terminated instantly in the 1980's, using his conflicted classmate as
bait.
The journal format is highly effective. Details about the
incident and the events leading up to it merge seamlessly with Alex's
emotional discovery and growth. This is a perfect read for a lover of
mystery with the maturity to understand that sometimes life doesn't
fall into blacks and whites, but rather a wide range of greys.
On a personal note, I can hardly wait til Giffords (ice cream stand)
opens with a new flavor. :-)
A great big shout out goes out to Stephen King, Maine author and
philanthropist extraordinaire, who will share his half birthday with
me on March 21st.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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