IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!

Life is what happens between blog posts, and by looking at the time lapsed between my last blog post and this, you can tell I've had a lot of "life" happening. The week before Willy Wonka opened, my wonderful mother-in-law passed away after a painful illness. She was absolutely the funniest person I've ever known, and so full of life that she never really will leave us. Part of life is death, I know, but it can leave you speechless.

And part of life is . . . life. We are expecting our eleventh child in the spring, so I'm writing like mad to get ahead of deadlines. Which brings me to some good writing news!

I've been hired as a staff writer for knowonder! online magazine! So please watch for my stories there. It's a  fabulous concept. Check it out!

Our local community theater just presented It's a Wonderful Life, the Radio Show. My teenage daughter played Mary, and I couldn't help but bawl a little when we all sang Auld Lang Syne. For all it's ups and downs, heartaches and tears, the joys win out; it really is a wonderful life. I wish you all the merriest of Christmases and resolve to blog more in the New Year!

WONKA MANIA

It's the 40th Anniversary of the 1971 WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY movie. I turned 40 this year, too. So to celebrate, we're producing WILLY WONKA THE MUSICAL with Wellington Children's/Community Theater. I'm knee deep in Oompa-Loompas, and loving it!

I have to confess that I'm having more fun than a director ought to have, because these kids have SO much talent and energy! And there are so many cool effects and fun sets involved.

But let's talk about Roald Dahl, the author of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. As a writer, he broke all kinds of bounds and he broke some rules, too. I mean, alliterative characters (Grandpa George, Grandma Georgina??) and obvious morals, to name a couple. But who doesn't love it? I sure do.

So look out for some fun film facts and production updates in the upcoming weeks. If you could play any character from the show or book, who would it be? (I cast myself as Mrs. Gloop. My husband is playing Wonka.)

What's your favorite Roald Dahl book?

Did you know that the girls playing Veruca and Violet in the '71 version both had a crush on the kid who played Charlie? You can see a little fight between them on the boat ride. Check out Charlie's look of surprise. He was clueless.

Fred Astaire wanted to be Wonka in that movie. Can you imagine how different it would have been? Astaire was much closer than Gene Wilder to the proper age for a retiring chocolate factory owner, but I love Gene Wilder's performance.

Okay, your turn!

LIBRARIAN LU'S VIEW

IT'S LU'S BIRTHDAY TODAY! Wish her Happy Birthday, please!

I think CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS are just about the greatest people on earth. I'm blessed to be friends with a few, and if you want to know what's hot off the press and a really good read, just ask your local librarian. Meet Lu, Children's Librarian Extraordinaire and all-round lovely person!

How long have you been a children's librarian?

I've worked in libraries for a long time! I started out in junior high as a student library aide. (3 years) I worked as an aide in the children's department of a public library for 2 years. I've been a school librarian for 20 1/2 years.

What's your favorite thing about your job?

Getting students excited about reading or a particular author. It's great when they ask for a book that I've reviewed or read to them. The second thing I like is reading children's literature. I've always have a book going.

What was your favorite book growing up?

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I wanted to be Jo, the main character. She was a tomboy who wanted to be a writer. I was a tomboy that didn't know I wanted to write until high school. My favorite books now are by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I love her "Missing" series.

What good book(s) have you read lately?

The latest children's book I've read is Operation Yes. I've also read a fantasy by Mercedes Lackey recently and I'm currently reading a mystery based on Jane Austen's books. I prefer science fiction/fantasy or mysteries.

You're also a writer. Tell us about what you're writing at this time.

Currently I'm working on a middle grade science fiction/fantasy called Saving the Light. It's about a boy that learns to deal with the death of his father while learning to be a Thought Bender, someone that can manipulate energy and matter. Since at an atomic level that's what everything is made of, the possibilities are endless.

Have a Burning Question for Lu about books (hers or others), the ins and outs of a library, what kids are reading or what's trending? Ask away! Thanks, Lu!

THE PENGUINS HAVE SPOKEN!

The penguins have drawn a name, and the lucky winner of the MR. POPPER'S PRIZE PACKAGE IS:  Small Town Shelly Brown! Congratulations, Shelly! Please send an email with your mailing address to mlbrown90 @ att dot net. WOO HOO for you! Thanks to all who entered!

MR. POPPER'S PRIZE PACKAGE

Yes, I love alliteration! And I love birthdays! And I love MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS! What do these things have in common? Well, in honor of my daughter, Hannah's 19th birthday, and the opening of MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS (this isn't an endorsement, since I haven't seen it yet, but did I mention how great the book is?) I'm giving away a PENGUIN PRIZE PACKAGE!


It will be filled with things Hannah loves (and she loves Mr. Popper and his flippered friends), like the book, Hot Tamales, a stuffed pony, a stuffed penguin AND a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card! (Stuffed items subject to change.) More random items may be included. 

How to enter: Tell me what animal you would have if you could and how you would feed it. It does not have to be an animal that lives on this planet. Purely imaginary animals are fine, too. In fact, they are better!


Contest ends July 1st!

SUMMER FUN

My kids help with the local summer reading program doing puppets and skits. They never walk the two blocks (aren't we lucky?!) to the library, without bringing home sacks of books. I confess, I'm a little jealous that they have so much free time to read. Sigh.


This summer I'm reading WE ARE NOT EATEN BY YAKS, LOSER, RULES, WHALES ON STILTS, and WIVES AND DAUGHTERS (which is a humongous non-middle-grade book, which I read to keep from turning into a twelve-year-old boy, ya know ;). I hope to read more than these, but I have to write, too. AND we're beginning rehearsals for WILLY WONKA soon at the Children's Theater of Wellington, so that will be "Buckets" of fun. (If you get that pun, be sure to note it in the comments!)


So, what are you reading this summer?


AND, it wouldn't be summer without a good game of flashlight tag, and Leslie Rose of YES, THIS WILL BE ON THE TEST has tagged me on her blog. Go check it out. She's the coolest fifth grade teacher I know, and she's into STAR WARS. Seriously. Check it out. Here are the honest answers to the tag questions:

Do you think you’re hot?

I'm certainly warm.

Upload a picture or wallpaper that you’re using at the moment. 

That's my husband (of course, he wasn't my husband then), me in the middle (age 16), and my brother, Jay. Oh, and the poodle? That's Cha Chi. This pic has been circulating throughout the Brownie ranks this summer.

When was the last time you ate chicken meat?

Two days ago I made some incredible baked chicken for dinner. I got the recipe off the Biskquick box. ;)

The song(s) you listened to recently.

Everything by Delirious? (Everything is not a song. I mean literally, everything by them.)

What were you thinking as you were doing this?

Why did we ever name that poor animal Cha Chi?

Tag, you're it!

Linda Niehoff
Brenda Sills
Amanda Hoving
Chantele Sedgwick

Kassidy and Hope

This is Kassidy and her faithful friend Hope. I love her dog's name, because that's what this guest post gave me--HOPE. What books got YOU hooked on reading? For me, it was the BLACK STALLION SERIES. I would lie on my white canopy bed and read them for hours on end (always with a bag of Reese's Pieces.) Thanks, Kassidy, for sharing!

I took after my Dad because I did not like to read. It was boring to me. I would rather watch TV and play with my sisters.

     

Then my big sister told me about The Baby-Sitters Club. I liked that the characters were teenagers, and I liked reading about the same characters in the series. Then she told me about Nancy Drew. I liked the mysteries and how they were all different.

     

I don’t think reading is boring any more. Right now, I’m reading Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I like it because it’s about horses and their different lives.

     

I know there are some people who are like I used to be, and don’t like to read. Try reading because you might find a book that you like. You just have to find a book that interests you. Once you start reading, you can’t stop!