Book Review: Kenny & the Dragon, by Tony DiTerlizzi

     Kenny made it to the grassy top by sunset... ...Directly below, curled up and sleeping on the far side of the hill, was the dragon.

     He gulped. This animal was bigger than the illustrations in his book. 

     Much bigger.

Overview:

Kenny is a book-loving rabbit who lives with his farming mother and father. One day, his father bursts in from the sheep field in a panic, announcing that they must pack their things ASAP and light out of there, because he just saw a real, live, dragon! At the top of their very hill! After consulting his borrowed copy of a bestiary, Kenny persuades his parents to let him go check it out. Once he finally meets the dragon, he realizes the bestiary isn't entirely accurate concerning his new friend. But then the townspeople get wind of the dragon, and are so frightened that they prepare to rid themselves of it. Can Kenny show the townspeople that the dragon is not what they think? Or, will he have to make the impossible choice of saving a new friend, or saving an old one?

For Teachers and Librarians:

Fairly short and sweet as chapter books go, Kenny & the Dragon is a great read-aloud or independent read that will capture and hold your students' attention through several sessions and all the way to the very end. The old adage of "you can't judge a book by its cover" is presented in a fresh, new way, and was inspired by that beloved classic The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame. It's a perfect set-up for both a unit on the above-mentioned adage, and also a literature comparison between the two books - written so many years apart, yet still relevant in today's society. Author Tony DiTerlizzi notes on his website (which is very cool, and totally kid-friendly, by the way):

"I think a story like this still has significance today as it did when Kenneth Grahame first told it over a century ago. As a society we still judge and act first, then think about the consequences afterwards."

How's that for inspiration for some fantastic lessons? Even if all you have time for is a bit of discussion, your students will surely be able to enjoy the story, identify with Kenny's predicament, and get to the root of the idea of not prejudging someone - and what could happen if you do. Sometimes the most impromptu discussions lead to the most profound learning for your charges...

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:

Sometimes kids find themselves up against some pretty tough odds, just like Kenny. And just like Kenny, sometimes kids find that they know something new that others haven't found out yet. And just like Kenny, sometimes it fees like they're all alone as they struggle with what to do with that knowledge. Kenny & the Dragon is a great book for your kiddos to identify with, and enjoy, and feel good about. They'll see that a problem is easier to solve when they have people who care about them to help them figure it out. They'll see the value of being a good friend. They'll see the great things that come of doing what's right. And they'll see that this is just a fantastic book, and will ask to read it or have it read to them over and over and over. 

For the Kids:

Wouldn't you just love to find a dragon, and have it become your best friend? Someone to talk to, and read with, and play with, and learn from? In Kenny & the Dragon, that's just what happens to a little rabbit named, of course, Kenny. At first, his parents are afraid of Kenny's new friend, but then they get to know the dragon, and to like him, too. But, the townspeople are not so keen on having a dragon around. They're sure he's about to eat their sheep and destroy their crops, and maybe even (gasp!) eat them! How will Kenny ever get them to see his new dragon friend for who he really is? If you really wanna know, (and I know you do), then get your parents to help you find this brand new book. That's right! It just came out! And it is totally cool!

For Everyone Else:

Kenny & the Dragon is a quick read for adults. If you're looking for a sweet story to remind you that there is still justice and goodness in this crazy world, this one is just what you need. And it's brand new! Come on - you can't resist that brand-new-book smell, and a feel-good premise, to boot. Go ahead - indulge your inner child a while...

Wrapping Up:

Kenny & the Dragon is a story to remind us all that people are not what they look like on the surface. It reminds us to take the time to get to know people, to support those who we know to be good, and to find a way to get those who have judged wrongly to take another look. Let's face it: we all need a little reminder, now and then, don't we?

Title: Kenny & the Dragon

Author and Illustrator: Tony DiTerlizzi

Pages: 160

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Publisher and Date: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, August 5, 2008

Edition: 1st

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $15.99

ISBN-10: 1416939776

ISBN-13: 978-1416939771

Author Spotlight: Tony DiTerlizzi

Tony DiTerlizzi was born September 6, 1969 in south Florida, into an artistic household. He started drawing at a very early age, "including a crayon mural of Winnie-the-Pooh on his freshly painted bedroom walls." At the age of 12, inspired by Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal and by playing Dungeons and Dragons, he directed his energies into writing and illustrating a field guide on fantastical creatures. By high school graduation, he knew he wanted to be a children's book creator.

Mr. DiTerlizzi attended Florida School of the Arts, and received a degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale in 1992. At the age of 23, he found himself doing freelance work for TSR, the publisher of Dungeons and Dragons. He continued to illustrate in the gaming industry for most of the 1990's. 

After moving to New York City in 1996, he began illustrating children's books. In 2000, his first picture book as both writer and illustrator came out: Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-This-World Moon Pie Adventure. He followed that with the award-winning Ted in 2001, and then came The Spider and the Fly - a New York Times best seller which won a Caldecott Honor Medal in 2003. He collaborated with Holly Black to create The Spiderwick Chronicles, a popular series which spanned from 2003-2007 and included publication of The Notebook for Fantastical Observations as well as Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. In 2006 came an alphabet book, G is for One Gzonk! Beginning in 2007, he again teamed up with Holly Black for the currently ongoing series Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles. His latest title is 2008's Kenny & the Dragon, which marks his first work as both author and illustrator of a chapter book.

Having met with much success, DiTerlizzi stays connected and open to his fans, noting:

"If it were not for their appreciation, I do not think I would be where I am today. It really is a big energy circle - you only receive what you have given."

Tony DiTerlizzi currently lives with his wife and daughter in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Sources:

Toni DiTerlizzi's Imaginopolis

Tony DiTerlizzi - Wikipedia

Tony DiTerlizzi Biography - Scholastic

Kids' Q&A: Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black - Powells.com

Tony DiTerlizzi Biography

Stay Tuned...

...for a book review of Kenny & the Dragon, by Tony DiTerlizzi, which I plan to post later today, or Saturday morning at the latest. You won't want to miss it!

Jobs, Freedom, and Civil Rights - One Man's Dream

August 28, 2008 marks the 45th anniversary of what has come to be known as the "I Have a Dream Speech." Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famed oratory was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, as part of the historic March on Washington. The march was an event organized in support of jobs, freedom, and the advancement of the Kennedy administration's civil rights legislation. Though several individuals spoke that day, Dr. King's speech is considered "one of the greatest and most notable speeches in history." (Wikipedia.org)

If you've never seen the footage of this historic speech, take the time to watch and listen now.

If you have viewed it before, do so again - and be inspired anew.

And if you were fortunate enough to be there in person to hear Dr. King deliver this speech which inspired a nation, watch again - and relive that historic moment.

Sources:

The March on Washington

Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wikipedia.org

Signs of Life

A Sign That Just Makes You Giggle When You Read It Out Loud at 2 AM:

A Sign That You Probably Shouldn't Have Balked When Your Sign Painter Asked for an Extra Four Bucks to Finish the Job:

A Sign (Or Four) That You Might Wanna Rethink That Road Trip Potty Break:

A Sign Your Package Designer Got a Bit Punchy While Working on the Cotton Ball Account:

A Sign That Explains the State of My Lovely (if Cluttered) Domicile:

A Sign of Things to Come:

When my small son says to me, he says, "Mommy? When I'm 10? Can I color my hair green?"

And he's totally serious. 

No photo for this one yet.

But I'll keep ya posted...

Hooray! It's Toilet Paper Day!

Toilet Paper Day is celebrated every year on August 26 - I have no idea why, but really: why not? Grab a seat - maybe even in the "reading room" for some appropriate ambiance - and let's whoop it up!

I'll start with a stat. Back during my husband C's work in consumer products, he came across market research that said that there was a 98% Household Penetration Rate for toilet paper in the United States. Translated from the business-ese, that means that 98% of US households buy toilet paper. I'll give that a moment to sink in...ninety-eight percent of US households buy toilet paper... So, what on earth are the other 2% using?? Ewww...

But let's not jump to conclusions just yet. Perhaps that rebel 2% are instead using all those catalogs that clog the mailbox with irritating regularity, taking Reduce/Reuse/Recyle to a whole 'nother level - old school. You may recall (or if you're not old enough, you may recall reading about) the, ahem, alternate use put to the old Sears & Roebuck catalogs? Or maybe you're more familiar with one of the spinoff catalogs that made the rounds: Rears & Sorebutt...

Yes, the use of toilet paper is important (being kinder to one's behind, and all), but so is how it's used. Or, more specifically, how it comes off the roll. That's right: the dreaded Roll Dispenser Controversy. When one installs a roll of t.p. on the dispenser, should the paper dispense from over the roll, or from under it? I'm an over-the-roll proponent myself. And as per usual in Chez Wheedleton, C holds the opposing view, insisting - not through word, but through dispenser-filling deed - that the correct installation is under-the-roll. 

And now, our little celebration must come to an end, so I'll leave you with a t.p. claim to fame for Philly. In 1867, brothers Edward, Clarence, and Thomas Scott began selling a type of toilet paper from a pushcart in Philadelphia, PA. The end result all these years later? A thriving paper product business, with grateful (and clean) behinds everywhere. (Well, at least 98% of them...)

Sources:

History of Toilet Paper - Virtual Toilet Paper Museum

The Story of Toilet Paper

Historical Facts - Toiletpaperworld.com

Toilet Paper - Wikipedia

An Unexpected Education

You never know when - or where - you're going to learn something new. 

Case in point: I learned something new while on vacation this summer, thanks to our gracious hosts. After showing us around their oh-so-comfy home, they took us on an aquatic tour of their lovely neighborhood. It was during this most relaxing journey that they mentioned the neighborhood's claim to fame: a residence of the family of the man who invented...

...kitty litter. That's right. There is an actual person responsible for the ingenious waste disposal material used by hundreds, thousands, and probably even millions of house cats everywhere. That person's name is Edward Lowe.

It all started back in 1947, when he worked for his father's industrial absorbents company. Lowe's neighbor, Kaye Draper, came by and asked to buy some sand. She wanted to use it in her cat's box, instead of the soot which she had been using, but which her cat tracked all through her house. He offered her granulated clay, instead. She tried it, and it worked so well, she never used anything else after that.

Figuring he was onto something, Ed Lowe filled ten brown bags with clay, wrote "Kitty Litter" on each of the five-pound bags, and approached a local pet store owner. When the store owner doubted his customers would pay 65 cents a bag for clay when sand was so much cheaper, Lowe said, "So give it away."

The gamble paid off, as cat owners not only asked for more, but were totally willing to pay for it, thrilled with its odor control and absorbency. And so, the Kitty Litter business was born. Lowe started visiting cat shows and pet stores across the country, selling Kitty Litter from the back of his car. He also continued to experiment with additives to improve Kitty Litter. Soon, he created Edward Lowe Industries, Inc. to mass manufacture and distribute his popular invention.

In 1964, Edward Lowe created the Tidy Cat brand of kitty litter, or "cat box filler," to use the correct generic term. (Kitty Litter vs cat box filler is a Band-Aid vs adhesive bandage or Kleenex vs tissue kind of thing. See? Bet you didn't know that.)

Edward Lowe became a multi-millionaire. 

And he owed it all to a soot-tracking cat.

You never know when - or where - you're going to learn something new. What did you learn today?

Sources:

Whatever Happened to Kitty Litter?

Bio- Inventor Edward Lowe

Edward Lowe and Kitty Litter

Kitty Litter

Edward Lowe - Entrepreneur (picture credit)

Book Review: The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner

I didn't know how long I had been in the king's prison. The days were all the same, except that as each one passed, I was dirtier than before... ...I reviewed over and over the plans that had seemed so straightforward before I arrived in jail, and I swore to myself and every god I knew that if I got out alive, I would never never never take any risks that were so abysmally stupid again.

Overview:

Gen is a thief who delights in bragging to any who will hear that, "I can steal anything." The prison guards delight in reminding him of that boast each time they pass his cell, taunting him with questions about why he hadn't escaped yet. But one day, the king's magus, a scholar, summons Gen from his cell. "There's something I want you to steal. Do this for me, and I'll see that you don't go back to prison. Fail to do this for me, and I will still make sure that you don't go back to prison." And so begins the long and dangerous journey...

For Teachers and Librarians: 

The Thief is a young adult novel that will grab teens' attention and never let it go. It will appeal to both guys and gals, having the perfect mixture of action, mystery, and emotion. Megan Whalen Turner is a master storyteller, giving the reader just enough clues to keep it interesting, but not enough to give anything away before she's ready to have it known. Set in a place that resembles both ancient and modern Greece, the author notes that "Nothing in this book is historically accurate." However, your students will come across references to the bubonic plague, weaponry, printed and bound books, the landscape, monarchy, and even watches. These make for the perfect comparison and contrast to what ancient and modern Greece are really like, as well as research opportunities into when in history these things actually appeared and how they worked. The book is a good springboard into Greek mythology, as well, since Greek-like gods are intertwined in the plot. But most of all, your students will be hooked from the very first sentence. A definite page-turner.

For Parents:

If you struggle with how to get books in the hands of your teens, you are not alone. There is steep competition out there: ipods, internet, gaming, texting, videos, TV. It seems as if there's no room to wedge even the slimmest of volumes in between, but take heart. The Thief may be just what you need. It is a timeless story, with action, drama and suspense. It has the feel of an adult book, but it's still a book for teens, so you can feel good about what they're reading. It is a story that will pull them in right away, and they won't want to put it down. And best of all, it has two sequels, with another in the works, so once they devour this story, you have two more options to keep their noses in a good book - at least for a little while...

For Teens:

This is so not a kiddie book. And it's not a crud-my-English-teacher-is-making-me-read-a-total-yawner book. Gen is a thief who brags that he can steal anything. When he steals something way valuable that everyone thought couldn't be done, he shows it off - and is arrested. But while he's in the king's prison, chained and dirty, the king's magus summons him and gives him an offer he can't refuse: to steal something that has not been stolen or even found for hundreds of years. If he succeeds, he earns his freedom. If he fails, he won't go back to prison either, but... well, you get what I mean. Gen accepts, but not for the reason the magus thinks he does. You have to go find The Thief and read it. You will be so glad you did, and bonus! There are two more sequels, and author Megan Whalen Turner is working on a fourth.

For Everyone Else:

Though this is a young adult novel, it will appeal to adults as well. Set in what feels like Greece, though it isn't Greece, it feels timeless, and is riddled with mystery and sprinkled with clues set up to keep you always searching for more. In fact, there are so many twists and turns that you'll want to read The Thief again. And maybe even again.

Wrapping Up:

The Thief is the perfect marriage of suspense, intrigue, mystery and emotion. Find your copy today. 

Title: The Thief

Author: Megan Whalen Turner

Pages: 219

Reading Level: Teen/Young Adult

Publisher and Date: Penguin Group, 1998

Edition: Paperback

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $5.99

ISBN-10: 0140388346

ISBN-13: 978-0140388343

Author Spotlight: Megan Whalen Turner

Megan Whalen Turner writes fantasy fiction for young adults. Her titles include a collection of short stories, as well as The Thief trilogy - the first of which (The Thief) won a Newbery Honor in 1997. However, her journey through the world of children's writing has not been a straight path.

At ten years old, Mrs. Turner says she read many wonderful books, until she "couldn't easily find more." So, she decided to be a writer herself, despite the fact that reading seemed far more interesting to her than writing. Story ideas never materialized, though, and she dropped the idea.

She hadn't given writing another thought until her third year of college, when it came time to choose a field and begin a senior project. She chose to study children's literature, and wrote some of her own, but it didn't go well, in her opinion. Upon receiving a BA with honors in English language and literature from the University of Chicago in 1987, she again abandoned writing, choosing instead to become a children's book buyer - a job she kept for seven years.

When her husband's research grant necessitated a move to California, Mrs. Turner left children's book buying behind and went back to writing. This time she met with success. She wrote several short stories, which she submitted to Susan Hirschman at Greenwillow. Turner saw them as writing samples, "hoping to interest Greenwillow in a novel if I ever wrote one." Hirschman saw them differently, and the result was the 1995 publication of Instead of Three Wishes, a collection of seven short stories. 

Thereafter came the trilogy: The Thief (1996), The Queen of Attolia (2000), and The King of Attolia (2006). A fourth Thief book is presently in the works.

Megan Whalen Turner and her English professor husband have three children. They often relocate when her husband needs to do research.

Sources:

Megan Whalen Turner - Wikipedia

Author Information: Megan Whalen Turner

Squeetus Exclusive: Megan Whalen Turner, Part 1 of 3 (Interview by Shannon Hale)

Megan Whalen Turner - Squidoo.com

Instead of Three Wishes - Amazon.ca listing

Quirkily Tagged!

And now, a treat for you! Well, maybe it won't be such a treat, but you will learn a few mundane but possibly...more than likely...alright! alright!...most definitely...quirky things about me, 'cause I was tagged by Ava at Tales From the Funny Farm. 

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. List 6 unspectacular quirks you have.

4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.

5. Leave a comment on each taggee's blog to let them know they've been tagged.

Six Quirky Things About Me

1. Having sound on in the house during the day bugs me. I like to have no radio or TV mucking up the calm - and I like to be able to hear what's going on around me. It infuriates my husband C to no end. He hates the silence. When he's home, he'll go and flick on the kitchen radio. I wait until he leaves the room and turn it off. He comes back in and flicks it back on. I wait until he leaves the room...and unplug it. Ha HA! (Oh, the games we play...)

2. I can't sleep at night if there's any light seeping into the room I'm sleeping in. Any light at all. Even the little indicator light on my laptop keeps me up so that I have to remember to turn it to the wall. And even then, the shadow of the light reflected on the wall bothers me. I so need to get a sleep mask. Or a therapist.

3. I once hid a solid chocolate Easter bunny in a big bowl on top of my bookcase so no one else would find it and eat it before I could. (The apple doesn't fall far from the tree - Lovely Girl has an excellent stash of chocolate in her room somewhere. I have yet to find it, but school starts soon...)

4. When the kiddos were babies, I used to worry about them so much when they slept that I would lie down on the floor next to their cribs in the middle of the night, just so I could hear them breathing.

5. I was still afraid of the dark well into my twenties. I even did the whole flick-off-the-light-and-give-a-flying-leap-to-land-on-the-bed-without-taking-a-step-from-where-I-was thing. Yeah. That was then. But now, I wander my house at night sans illumination with no problem - unless I hear a funny noise. And not the ha-ha funny kind. Then I creep around with my two-foot-long solid metal flashlight clenched in my fist. 

6. I never sleep with an extremity hanging off of the bed. There are monsters under there, you know. I read Calvin and Hobbes. I know what's up! And I read somewhere once that blue-eyed people see better in the dark than brown-eyed people. If that's true, then we blue-eyed peeps also have the unfortunate ability to see all the monsters lurking not only under our beds, but also in our closets, behind the couch, on top of the fridge...

Well, there ya go. Don't you feel enlightened? And now, here are my taggees, but I only have three today, instead of the requisite six. Right. I'm a regular rebel, I am. (If you read this and want to participate, you are most welcome! Just leave me a comment and let me know so I can come visit!)

MommyC at The Barn's on Fire, the Horses Are Out, and Someone Has a StinkyBum

Beth at This Crazy Thing Called Motherhood

Michelle at My Semblance of Sanity

So, There!

Why is it I never find out potentially important stuff from my kiddos until after the fact?? I invariably hear about the day's goings-on (which were out of my line of sight) at bedtime - waaaayyy after there's any time to do anything about anything. Take today, for example.

Did I hear about said event when it happened early this morning?

No.

Did either of my little cherubs think to clue me in to this little rebellion against all that is decent once lunch time rolled around?

Nope.

Was I at least given the teensiest inkling of the situation when we headed out to the post office and the grocery store, at which time I gave in and let Handsome Boy wear his beloved pajama shorts out in public?

Uh uh.

That's right. Not a word was sent my way the entire day. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Not until long after the stars were twinkling merrily in the inky sky did this particular event come to be revealed - an event which lasted from early morning, through three meals, two errands, a stint of playing outside with the neighbor kids, and all the way up to bedtime.

See, Handsome Boy has very itchy skin these days. Therefore, we lotion him up before bed so he'll have a comfortable night's rest. Well, tonight, he chose long pants for his pj's, which had to be removed of course before the lotion could be applied. I walked into his room and sat next to him on the floor, gesturing to the pajama pants with the lotion bottle.

"You gotta take those off, buddy."

Handsome Boy looked at me kinda funny, and squirmed a little bit. Lovely Girl snickered in her room. She must be reading Dear Dumb Diary again, I thought.

"I can't get the lotion on you with those long pants on. But you can put them right back on when we're done. You don't want to be itchy, do you?"

Handsome Boy looked at me again, then flipped down a bit of his waistband - revealing nothing but skin. He stifled a giggle.

"You're not wearing any underpants, are you." It was not a question.

An unfettered giggle from Handsome Boy. A snort from Lovely Girl's room. Then there was an explosion of explanation as the two of them giggled and guffawed their way through the whole sordid tale. It seems that, early this morning, Handsome Boy - who loves to prank but hates to have the favor returned - gave Lovely Girl a wedgie. No shrinking violet, my Lovely Girl, she lunged after him with threats of helping him experience a wedgie like he'd never in his young life experienced before.

"Ha HAAAAA!" he crowed in triumph as he skittered out of reach. "No you won't. I'm not wearing any underwear!"

Fabulous. All day long. One big, fat, comfy experiment - at least as far as Handsome Boy was concerned. (No wonder he didn't want to wear his jean shorts today...)

I refused to help him with his lotion until he was no longer in the altogether. But I had to hide my own grin as I stepped in the hallway and sent him off - giggling all the way - for the requisite undies. My own little man. His first freeball experiment. Ahhh, they grow up so fast...

I am Humbled...

...to receive my first ever blog award, courtesy of  ZeBee/Joy over at Zooprize Party/Fiesta Zoorpresa. Thank you, my friend.

And now, I am in turn tasked to nominate blogs I feel are award-worthy. It is not an easy decision, as I thoroughly enjoy each blog over there in my blog roll. However, I narrowed it down to these two:

My first nomination is Ava at Tales From the Funny Farm. Here is a lady who is by turns funny, outrageous, touching, and poignant. She writes fantastic prose, and even her poetry is, well, poetic. She can paint you a portrait with her words, no matter what she writes, and visiting her blog is most definitely time well spent. (And fair warning - most of the time, she'll have you doubled over with laughter).

My second nomination goes to a scathingly funny blogger who I already know will not accept the award, because she doesn't "do" awards. And I'm cool with that. But, I'm gonna give her some props anyway: Kathi D at I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus. Most of the time, she is irreverently funny - and completely unapologetic about it! She writes about her past, and her present, her chickens (yes, chickens), current events, celebrities, Wii Fit... You name it - no one and nothing is spared her acerbic wit. Even her commenters will have you in stitches. But, check her archives for this post (among several others) about her mom, and you'll find there's a bit of a softie in there too...but don't tell her I told you so...

Thank you Joy, for the nomination! And to you who are reading this post - don't just take my word for it. Check out my nominees, and see if you don't add them to your own blog rolls.

Superhero Material?

I've been thinking about superheroes lately. Some of my favorites are Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and the X-Men. Then there's the Bionic Woman (old school - not the new show from last season) and Wonder Woman. I loved Wonder Woman! I always wished I had those deflective arm bands, and that lasso of truth was just the coolest. Oh, and Greatest American Hero was...well, OK, that guy maybe wasn't so impressive, superheroically speaking, but he was a favorite of mine, too.

Anyway, that got me to thinking about all the odd but interesting things the human body can do. And that got me to thinking that maybe all these super dudes and dudettes may have superpowers based in a teensy bit of fact. So, I did a little digging, and I have for you a list of:

Six Superhero-Like Things You May Not Know About the Human Body

Your body has enough iron in it to make a nail 3 inches long. (Ouch! I wonder if that's where they got the idea for Wolverine?)

Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil. (Hmmm... LavaGirl comes to mind...)

It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body. (Flash Gordon inspiration, perhaps?)

In one hour, your heart works hard enough to produce the equivalent energy to raise almost one ton of weight one yard off the ground. (Superman, anyone? Or the Incredible Hulk, maybe?)

The tooth is the only part of the human body that can't repair itself. (Ahhh, so an Achilles' Heel of sorts - or the whole Superman/Kryptonite deal.)

The human nose can remember 50,000 different smells. (If there isn't a superhero with a super smeller, there should be!)

                      - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Got any more superhero-esque human body facts? Drop me a comment and let me know!

Sources:

Funny Facts About the Human Body

Amazing Facts About Our Body

Book Review: the Geronimo Stilton chapter book series, by Geronimo Stilton

Pictured here is Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye, Book #1 of the Geronimo Stilton chapter books - the international best-selling children's book series published by Edizioni Piemme of Milan, Italy, since 2000. Scholastic has published the English version of this series since February 2004. So far, readers have been delighted by 35 titles, with the latest scheduled for release in 2009. The series is aimed at the 9-12 year-old set, and has been translated into 35 languages.

Overview:

"Author" Geronimo Stilton talks directly to the reader, chronicling his adventures in each book, as well as being sure to point out that adventure is precisely not his cup of tea. Still, he gets dragged into one fantastic romp after another. Usually, these (in his view) disastrous encounters involve his sister Thea, cousin Trapp, and nephew Benjamin, but other family members and friends and enemies also make appearances from time to time.

One can expect several constants in each book, despite the variety of predicaments Geronimo finds himself in. The text is sprinkled with words of varying fonts, sizes and colors. Funny puns, similes and metaphors abound. Sentences are short and to the point, yet full of action and description that move the story along at a rapid pace. Each book includes fun informative articles here and there - written by Geronimo, of course, and illustrated, to boot - that provide the reader with relevant background on the places he goes and the things he writes about. The cartoon illustrations are bright, colorful, funny, and complement the text perfectly. 

To help in sorting out all the characters and places Geronimo writes about, readers will find, right at the beginning of each book, a labeled drawing of each mouse at The Rodent's Gazette. At the end of each book, Geronimo includes an author biography, as well as labeled maps of The Rodent's Gazette Building, New Mouse City, and Mouse Island.

For Teachers and Librarians: Though the Geronimo Stilton series is aimed at ages 9-12, your smaller guys and gals will delight at hearing Geronimo's antics read aloud, and will enjoy looking at the pictures, reading the maps, and even following along with the text to discover the fancy fonts. You can do so much with this series for those younger readers, and the target ages, and even kids who are a little bit older, and there are 35 different adventures to choose from. Map reading skills come into play, research skills, geography, history, sports, manufacturing, story elements, food, wild west towns, islands, travel, paleontology...even stolen identities! You really can't go wrong. Grab a Geronimo Stilton book (or two, or thirty-five) and get it into your classroom. Your students will thank you, and you will have a wealth of material to choose from. And besides all the educational possibilites, these books are a riot for the kids!

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:

If your little guys (and even your bigger guys) have a funny bone, this is a series you have to get into your home. Geronimo Stilton is a mouse, and he writes all about his adventures, making sure his reader knows he would much rather have a quiet cup of tea in his comfy chair at home. Your kids will laugh out loud at the antics of Geronimo and his family as they wrangle their way out of countless impossible and action-packed predicaments. Great to read aloud, and fun to read on their own, this series of books is one the kiddos will not want to stop reading.

For the Kids:

Did you know there's a mouse out there that runs a newspaper, and writes books? Well, there is, and his name is Geronimo Stilton: a 'fraidy mouse who somehow ends up in all kinds of wild places and funny spots, all thanks to his loud but loving family. There are 35 books, and each one has a different adventure to read about, like the one where Geronimo gets stuck fighting a bull in the wild, wild west. Then there's book where he ends up shipwrecked on pirate islands. Oh, and of course there's the one where he ends up in the middle of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, and they discover dinosaur bones. But don't take my word for it - ask your parents to take you to the library or your bookstore, get one (or two, or more) Geronimo Stilton books, and get reading (or ask someone to read it to you). You'll be so glad you did!

Overview:

Fun, fast, and packed with adventure, the Geronimo Stilton books are a must read, sure to become children's classics someday.

Title of Book One: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye

Author: Geronimo Stilton

Illustrators: Matt Wolf, Mark Nithael, and Kat Stevens

Pages: 128

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Publisher and Date: Scholastic, Inc., February 2004

Edition: Mass Market Paperback

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $6.99

ISBN-10: 0439559634

ISBN-13: 978-0439559638

"Author" Spotlight: Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton - a spectacle-wearing, mild-mannered mouse - is a best-selling author and publisher of The Rodent's Gazette newspaper. Online issues of The Rodent's Gazette can be found on the Scholastic website. 

Mr. Stilton is a self-described "fraidy-mouse" who prefers a calm, quiet, comfortable life to one filled with adventure. He hates to travel, as he gets airsick, carsick, and seasick. 

And yet, he is constantly finding himself in the midst of one heart-pounding adventure after another, along with his sister Thea Stilton (an adventure-loving photographer), his annoying jokester cousin Trapp Stilton (owner of the marketplace Cheap Junk for Less), and his favorite nephew Benjamin Stilton (a nine year old mouse hoping to work with his favorite Uncle Stilton someday). He chronicles these adventures in the popular Geronimo Stilton chapter book series.

According to the bio page included in each book in the series, Geronimo Stilton was born in New Mouse City, on Mouse Island, and lives there still. He is Rattus Emeritus of Mousomorphic Literature and of Neo-Ratonic Comparative Philosophy. He has run The Rodent's Gazette - New Mouse City's most widely read daily - for the past 20 years. In his spare time, Mr. Stilton collects antique cheese rinds, plays golf, and tells stories to his favorite nephew Benjamin.

Sources:

Geronimo Stilton - Wikipedia

Geronimo Stilton series - Kidsreads.com

Geronimo Stilton Biography

The Rodent's Gazette - Scholastic

Book Review/Author Spotlight..

...will be up - but not until either late tonight or tomorrow, as I'll be traveling for a good part of the day. So if you're looking for my newest Review/Spotlight, please check back later, and I apologize for any inconvenience.

Operation Find the Filth

I was about to embark on a stealth mission. It would be bold. It would be risky. It would most likely fail, but I just had to try. So, I loaded up two kiddos, three suitcases, and one bewildered pet grow-a-frog, then made the four hour trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a week of swimming, playing...and snooping. 

What? Snooping? In my own parents' home? 

Yes.

And what, you may ask, was I planning to snoop for?

Dirt. 

Yeah. But it's not what you think. (What kind of person do you think I am?) I'm not digging for the latest family gossip. It's the actual, germy, need-to-vacuum-it-up kind of dirt that I'm after.

See, I have never found dirt in my mother's house. Never. N-e-v-e-r. Not even when three teenagers lived there - all at the same time. But this trip, I was determined to find some. (Dirt, of course. Not teenagers.) I mean really! No mere mortal can possibly continue to maintain the impossible Cleanliness Utopia that is my parents' home: where dirt never settles, dust never flies, and crumbs never find the table, let alone the floor.

So, one day, after my dad left for work and Mom took the kids out to Walmart (it doesn't take much to please my little darlings), I began my search.

I figured it was best to start at the top, so I went upstairs to the bedrooms. I checked the tops of door jambs and the corners behind doors. Nothing. Not even an hint of dust on the top ledge of the baseboards. 

Same deal in the family room and sitting room. No stray dust bunnies glaring out from beneath the couch. No fuzzy coatings on the photo frame glass. No defiant bits of fluff skating across the wood floor.

Next stop: the bathrooms. No ring in the bathtub - not even a hint of grit as I ran an accusatory finger around the edge. Not even some token soap scum clinging forgotten in a corner of the shower doors. The toilets - the toilets I tell you - gleamed with so much cleanliness, you could eat off of them. (Not that you'd want to, but still, I'm just saying...)

That led me to the kitchen. No little bits of grime in that no-man's-land in that teeny crack where cabinet meets floor. No crumbs and crusts and who-knows-what-else under the stove. Not even the remnants of an old spill or splatter in the fridge.

Nothing.

Even growing up, the most I saw was the occasional clump of dog hair - and that was quickly snatched up - after it left the dog but before it even had a chance to hit the floor. So, I know this failure to find filth of any kind is not the result of a frenzied cleaning spree before The Company comes. (What? No, I don't know anyone who regularly cleans in that manner...) 

And now, here I am again, in this impossibly clean house, wondering why. Why, why, why did I not inherit this cleanliness gene?

But... Wait a minute... What if... OK, stay with me now: I rarely see her actually scrub. I do see her run the vacuum sometimes, but only if I'm quick enough to come running when I hear it turn on. And yet, it's always squeaky clean here... Soooooo...

That's it! Of course! I can't believe I didn't figure it out before! It's gotta be elves. Or sprites. Fairies. Maybe even Brownies - and I mean the little fairie-type creatures you can read about in The Spiderwick Chronicles, NOT the little girls in the brown outfits that dream of being Girl Scouts one day. Don't you see? That has to be it! She has some wee little creatures that-

What? You don't think it's... 

Oh. Really?

Crud.

I guess mere mortals really can maintain a Cleanliness Utopia. And in my mom's case, it's not virtual. It's real.

And unfortunately, it's not hereditary.

A Natural Lullabye

It's late. 

The rest of the house has long since retired. 

I'm writing, thinking, listening.

A gentle rain tap, tap, taps on the roof above me. The water trickles down the sloped roof, carried along the gutters until it cascades down, down through the rainspouts. The lumbering thunder rolls in the distance. The occasional flashes of lightning disappear as quickly as they arrive, a sharp contrast to the comforting blanket of darkness. 

The stage is wonderfully set for a blissful night's sleep.

With that, faithful readers (and new readers, and accidental-but-I-hope-you-stick-around readers) I bid you goodnight. I just can't resist taking advantage of this most fortunate set of circumstances...

               ...to sleep...

                             ...to dream...

Calling All Lefties! August 13 is Your Day!

All these years, I thought August 13 was special because it's my Aunt N's birthday AND it is my friend and one-time fellow Beastie Girl's birthday. (Yeah, I used to love the Beastie Boys. I make no apologies.)

Anyway, I have come to find out August 13 is also special because it's Left Handers' Day. Yes, there's a day to celebrate left-handedness. Who knew? And, not only is there a whole day dedicated to all things lefty, there's a website, too: Left-Handers' Day 2008. I kid you not. Whether you are a lefty or a righty or an ambidextry, you have got to check it out. It is a veritable cornucopia of fascinating information and fun stuff and quizzes and surveys, and help for left-handers. 

But wait, there's more. On that website is a page all about the Left-Handers Club, formed in 1990. Their goal?

"The Left-Handers Club was formed in 1990 aiming to keep members in touch with developments, make their views known to manufacturers and others, provide a help & advice line, to promote research into left-handedness and development of new left-handed items."

If you ever wanted to know what it's like to be a lefty living in a righty world, you will find a wealth of information and fun on Left-Handers' Day 2008. 

Now, in honor of all you southpaws out there, I dedicate this post to all things lefty:

Origin of the nickname "southpaw"

It came about in the late 1890's, when most baseball fields were laid out so that the pitcher faced west and the batter faced east. Well, when a left-handed pitcher threw a pitch, it was with his arm that was toward the south - hence left-handed folks came to be referred to as "southpaws."

Lefty Facts

• Most left-handed people draw figures facing to the right.
• Left-handers adjust more readily to seeing underwater.
• Four of the five original designers of the Macintosh computer were left-handed. (Hey! So that's why the little red x's to close a window are on the left on Macs...)
• Four of the last six presidents have been left-handed.
• In the 1992 US Presidential election, all three major candidates were left handed.

A Few Famous Lefties

• Alexander the Great 
• Julius Caesar 
• Henry Ford - auto manufacturer
• Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin - astronaut 
• Helen Keller
• David Letterman
• Robert Plant
• Michelangelo
• Sid Caesar - comedian
• Kermit the Frog

Folklore and Superstitions

• Throwing salt over one's left shoulder wards off evil spirits.
• An itchy right palm means money is on it's way to you, but if your left hand itches it means you'll be giving your money away.
• When dressmaking, it is believed to be bad luck to sew the left sleeve on to a garment before the right sleeve is sewn on.
• The ancient Zuni considered left-handedness to be a sign of good luck.
• Anyone who digs coal out of the ground from under his/her left foot in the spring will have very good luck.

Did You Know?

• Officials in MENSA (a high IQ society) believe as many as 20% of their members are lefties.
• The first recorded Siamese twins, born in 1811 and joined at the waist, were named Chang and Eng - which meant "Left" and "Right."
• Studies show that left-handers are more likely to have allergies than their right-handed counterparts.
• Using a standard "qwerty" keyboard and typing with both hands as is traditionally done, about 3400 English words are typed with only the left hand, while only about 450 are typed only with the right. Go ahead - try these out: watercress, aftereffects, reverberated...

A Righty-Biased World?

• The intended meaning of "ambidexterity" is "skillful on both sides." But, since it contains the Latin root "dexter," which means "right," it ends up technically meaning "right-handed at both sides."
• "Cultural pressures" for using the right hand were prevalent in industrial societies in the 18th and 19th centuries and even well into the 20th century. 
• Scissors. 'Nuff said.

Left-Handers, Rejoice!

Left-handers have right brain dominance. Soooo:

• They're more likely than righties to be creative and visual thinkers.
• They're generally better at three-dimensional perception and thinking.
• They're usually pretty good at most ball sports and things involving hand-eye coordination.

Happy Left-Handers' Day to all the left-handers out there! May your scissors always cut crisply, may your right hand always itch, and may you never be blinded by flying salt.

Sources:

Famous Left Handers

Left Handers' Day 2008

Unique Left Handed Facts

Left-Handed Myths and Misunderstandings

The Left-Handed Page

Left-handedness

My Door-to-Door Don'ts

Do you remember when you were a kid, and your school/girl scout troop/baseball team/insert-your-group-here sent you home with those fundraising plastic cups, or hoagie order forms, or boxes of candy bars? You went door-to-door to sell them, didn't you? (Unless you were one of those lucky few whose parents worked somewhere with a bazillion co-workers, so they sold, like, thousands of candy bars for you, and you won all the selling prizes, while kids - like me - whose parents said, "It's your school. You sell them yourself" scrabbled together orders for, oh, 32. Maybe. Yeah, I've got a wee little chip there.) 

Thank goodness nobody thinks that's safe for kids anymore - Lovely Girl and Handsome Boy are spared those memories in their childhoods. (Can you tell I hate-hate-hated selling stuff as a kid?) Well, now that kids don't sell door-to-door anymore, the field is wide open to everyone else. But, I never buy stuff from people I don't know who show up at my door, for three reasons. One is larcenous, one is villainous, and one is just plain icky-ous: 

The Larcenous Reason:

I don't buy from people who show up on my doorstep asking me to buy magazines, because I'm still waiting for the ones I ordered from those girls who said they were paying their way through college by selling magazines. Oh, that, and they were competing with other college kids to try and win a Spring Break trip if they sold the most magazines. That was 1992. I wonder if they've graduated yet...

The Villainous Reason:

I don't buy from people who show up on my doorstep asking me to buy something big, because of the vacuum salesman that I politely turned down (and did not allow in the house) back in 1998. Turns out, my neighbor across the street called the cops and had him arrested. Why? Well, after I shut my door, said vacuum salesman decided to case my house and try to find a different - and unannounced - way in. 

The Icky-Ous Reason:

I don't give contributions to people who show up on my doorstep asking for charitable donations because of this one year, when a local charitable group (NOT where I live now) knocked on my door well after dark, with flashlights, looking for contributions. Legit or not, that's just creepy.

So, I'm not a big fan of buying from the door-to-door peeps. Buying from brick-and-mortars (with bookstores, the Apple Store and TJMaxx the only notable exceptions) aren't really my cup of tea, either. Give me an internet connection, a credit card, and a secure shopping site, and I'm all set.

But, that's another post for another time...

Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart

In a city called Stonetown, near a port called Stonetown Harbor, a boy named Reynie Muldoon was preparing to take an important test.

Overview: Reynie's life was about to change, all because of these nine words: "ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITES?" Before he knew it, Reynie was standing in a very long line of children all waiting to take that test, which led to another test, and then another, each more mysterious and puzzling than the last. But only four very special children succeed: Reynie, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. They soon discover they've been selected to complete a secret mission that requires the intelligence and resourcefulness that they alone possess. It's a mission filled with mystery, excitement...and danger. Will they accept it? And more importantly, can they succeed if they do?

For Teachers and Librarians: Where to begin? First and foremost, The Mysterious Benedict Society is an excellent story - one that will grab and keep the attention of each of your students. There's something for everyone here: mystery, danger, action, good vs. evil, puzzles, problem-solving, humor...even poetry! Weaved throughout are larger issues about society, power and control, as well as more personal journeys related to self-confidence, self-doubt, inner strength, leadership, trust and friendship. You could branch out into so many different directions, it's mind-boggling. Pick up a copy for yourself and read it. And keep a notebook and pencil right beside you as you read - with the watershed of lesson ideas that will no doubt pour from your mind as you read, you'll be glad you did!

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers: Author Trenton Lee Stewart said in an interview with KidsReads.com that the idea for The Mysterious Benedict Society came from his belief that "children are often seen, rarely heard, and always underestimated!" This is definitely a kid-power book. It will show your kids that they are important, and that they have great ideas that are worth listening to and acting upon. They will see that that with hard work and the help of friends and others who care about them, they can do almost anything. The story is action-packed, funny, serious, puzzling, mysterious, sometimes sad, and always surprising. The kids in this story learn a lot about themselves, the world they live in, and the adults who support them. What will your kids get from this story? The possibilities boggle the mind - so make sure to get a copy into their hands as soon as possible.

For the Kids: The world needs saving, but almost nobody knows it. Nobody, that is, except for four kids and the adults who brought them together. And get this: the only ones who can fix what's going wrong is the kids! There is so much in this book to like: a secret mission, snooping around for clues, solving riddles, even figuring out Morse Code. There is danger around every corner, but there's also help around every corner, too - if they can just solve the riddles to figure out what the help is. These are four kids who have the same feelings lots of kids have - they worry about their families, they worry about their friends, they get afraid, they wonder if they're good people and if they're strong enough or smart enough to do what has to be done. They laugh with each other, sometimes they get mad at each other, but they're always there for each other. So, can their friendship survive this most dangerous mission?

For Everyone Else: The Mysterious Benedict Society has a little bit of everything: mystery, action, poetry, humor, adventure, and an epic battle of good vs evil. There's so much to like here, and so many ways for you to identify with so many characters, you'll find it hard to put down...

Wrapping Up:

Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart

Illustrator: Carson Ellis

Pages: 512 pages

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Publisher and Date: Little, Brown Young Readers, April 1, 2008

Edition: Paperback

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $6.99

ISBN-10: 0316003956

ISBN-13: 978-0316003957

Author Spotlight: Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton Lee Stewart is relatively new to children's writing, but not to the writing world. 

A graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, he teaches creative writing, and wrote the adult novel, Flood Summer (2005). 

Mr. Stewart ventured into the children's literature arena with his debut children's novel, The Mysterious Benedict Society, published in early 2007. He followed that with a sequel, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (2008).

The author lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with his wife and two sons.

Source:

KidsReads.com - Trenton Lee Stewart

Did I Just Say That?

Everybody, at some point, has let fly some odd combination of words. I'm not talking the wash-your-mouth-out-with-soap kind (though those combinations can shock even the speaker, as well). No, I'm referring to those things that you say to your kids in the thick of things, but once the words escape your lips, the total absurdity of them hits you - and you either double over with laughter, or cringe into a teeny tiny ball and hope no one actually heard that, or both.

Moms (and yes, even sometimes Dads) seem to be stuck with most of these did-I-just-say-that moments, and - totally after the fact of course - they're enough to bring tears to your eyes. For example, there's the time when I was a teenager, and my own mother burst out with, "I DIDN'T PAY FOR A ROOM WITH A TV IN IT JUST SO YOU COULD WATCH IT!" Or the time my husband was compelled to utter, "WE DON'T TALK ABOUT POOP!" (I could barely see, I was laughing so hard at that one...)

Well, my blogging/writing friend (and fellow Penn Stater) over at My Semblance of Sanity is running a "Things Moms Never Dreamed They'd Have to Say Contest." She's looking for "the funniest words that have ever left your lips," and the more ridiculous, the better. In fact, the one that has her in the most stitches wins both you and the owner of the blog who referred you one of her one-of-a-kind, personalized Namesakes. (Click here to see what a Namesake is. Very cute, I must say...) 

Sound interesting? Pull the best one from your arsenal of oh-my-word-what-did-I-just-say, visit Michelle's contest post, and leave it in the comments section of that post, along with your name, and my name, and my blog. If we're lucky, we'll both walk away with a fabulous prize!

One last thing: I did see one Dad on there who entered, too. If you're a dad, go ahead and leave your comment. Even if you don't qualify, it will still be fun. What do you have to lose?

Fishy Fishes

In honor of Sea Serpent Day on August 7, I did a search for famous sea serpents. Turns out, there's a whole slew of 'em. Who knew?

And, there is a science out there called cryptozoology, whose scientists search for cryptids. Ah, and what is a cryptid, you ask? According to Wikipedia, it's "any creature whose existence has been reported but no scientific proof has yet been found in support of its existence." This includes animals discovered via fossil remains, but which are/were believed to be extinct (like the giant squid and the coelacanth - both discovered to be alive and swimming), as well as animals described via myth, legend and/or undocumented sightings.

So, the cryptid for today is the Sea Serpent, my friends, and I have a wee bit of info for you right here in this post. If any of them tickle your fancy, you can read further by clicking the links within the descriptions. (Each link is a source I used). Go ahead - sit back, relax, read up, and retreat from reality for a while...

        ...maybe...

Six Sensational Sea Serpents

Here we have the famed Ogopogo. OK, not the actual one, but you get the idea, right? He's a rendition? Anyway, Ogopogo is a lake monster that reportedly lives in Lake Okanegan, British Columbia, Canada. It has been spotted over 200 times since the 1700's.

Up next is Champ, famous watery resident of Lake Champlain, in north-eastern North America. He (or she) has been seen by early Europeans, contemporary Americans, and early Native Americans. He's even been featured on the TV show Unsolved Mysteries!

This is Morgawr. Impressive name, no? Powerful. Mysterious. Looks sort of lumpy, though. Compensating? Hmmm... Anyway, this sea serpent has been sighted several times in the Falmouth Bay area of Cornwall, England.                                                       Sightings date back to                                                     1876.

Feast your eyes on this epic battle between mythological sea serpent Jormungandr and his arch enemy, the mighty Thor. Norse legend has it that Jormungandr was so long, its body encircled the entire world so that it could grasp its tail in its mouth. It also has an interesting family history as the middle child of                                                     a giantess and a god. 

And now, for the legendary Leviathan. Did you know this sea serpent is referenced in not one, but two sacred books? You will find it mentioned a number of times in the Christian Bible, in the books of Job, Psalms and Isaiah. You will also find it mentioned in the Jewish Talmud. Its name comes from the Hebrew "iawo" meaning "to writhe" and the Arabic "tinin" which means "dragon." Pretty cool...

No sea serpent treatise can be complete without mention of that rock star of them all: the Loch Ness Monster, denizen of Loch Ness in Scotland. In fact, this one so intriques me that I devoted one entire post to that eternal question: Nessie - Fact or Fiction?

Well, now, wasn't that fun? Be sure to check out the highlighted links as well as your local library if you're interested in further reading.

August 6th is a Very Special Day...

...so free your piggies from their shoe and/or sock bondage, then join the kiddos and I as we celebrate:

When is a Failure Not a Failure?

August 5th is National Failures Day. (Or, it may be August 15th. I found it listed for both dates.) When I found this little-known holiday, I thought, Do we really need a day to point out failures? Honestly? After all, it seems a fairly depressing holiday. I mean, who wants to celebrate their failures? 

But, hold on a minute! Maybe we do have something to celebrate, after all. Yes, I said celebrate. Consider the following quotes:

"Failure is the enemy of efficiency, but it's the best way to learn."

- Robert E. Gunther, consultant in Conshohocken, PA

"Failure is the preamble to success. Most efforts don't work. If you persist, you'll eventually figure it out."

- Dr. Thomas Fogarty, Doctor-Inventor of medical devices

My point - and I do have one - is that our lives would not be the same were it not for several "failures." Take the Harry Potter book series. Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 10 years, you'll recognize the name: protagonist of the wildly popular novel series loved by both kids and adults, written by J.K. Rowling. This seven book series has, as of June 2008, sold over 400 million copies. It has made J.K. Rowling the highest earning novelist in history. And yet, the first agent she approached turned it down flat, and the second had to shop it for a year to several publishers (I found various counts between 8-12, but J.K. Rowling's official site only says "several") before it was finally picked up by Bloomsbury, a small British publishing house in London, England. Imagine if she'd given up...

And so, in honor of National Failures Day, I give you:

Five Serendipitous "Failures" or "Accidents"

1. "What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, and makes a slinkety sound? A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing. Everyone knows it's Slinky... It's Slinky, it's Slinky, for fun it's a wonderful toy. It's Slinky, it's Slinky, it's fun for a girl and a boy." Now that that song is stuck in your head, do you know how this most marvelous toy came to be? Back in 1943, naval engineer Richard James puzzled over how to design a meter to monitor horsepower on naval battleships. When he dropped one of the tension springs he was using, he noticed how it kept moving after it hit the ground. He went home and told his wife about the idea that came to him as he watched the bouncing spring. Slinky made its debut in Philadelphia, PA two years later, during Christmas season. The rest is history.

2. Do you ever ponder over how those corn flakes came to be in your bowl this morning? I mean, besides the obvious I-poured-them-in-there? Well, it seems that in the late 1800's, in Battle Creek, Michigan, the Kellogg brothers ran a sanatorium - a combination health spa/hospital for the "elite and famous." They wanted to provide something more tasty for breakfast than the bland bread already offered, and so experimented with boiled wheat that they ran through rollers to create long sheets of wheat. (I know. Sounds so much tastier, doesn't it?) But, Fate stepped in when they were called away from their experiment one day before the boiled wheat could be rolled. So, it was left to air dry the rest of the day. When they returned, they still put the wheat through the rollers, and it came out as flakes, which they baked. One thing led to another, and voila! You've got your Corn Flakes, and everybody's happy (and full).

3. Would you give little kids a wad of wallpaper cleaner to play with? Maybe not. But, if it wasn't for Noah McVicker and his nephew Joseph McVicker, and their creation of a non-toxic, putty-like substance meant to be used as wallpaper cleaner, millions of kids would never know the joys of Play-Doh. Joseph's sister-in-law, a kindergarten teacher, began giving it to her students to use as modeling compound for art projects, since it was softer and neater than clay. In 1955, Noah and Joseph McVicker called it Play-Doh, and marketed it through their newly formed company Rainbow Crafts. By age 27, Joe McVicker was a millionaire, and to this day, the recipe for the original Play-Doh remains a trade secret.

4. Whadda ya do when the guy in the ice cream booth next to you runs out of bowls? Improvise! That's just what Ernest Hamwi did at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. He ran a waffle booth, and when the ice cream vendor next door had a small crisis of the container variety, Ernest saved the day. He rolled a waffle in a cone shape, the ice cream was deposited inside, and (oh, thank goodness!) the ice cream cone was born. *(It seems there is some haziness as to the actual person who invented this wonderful treat, as most historians say that more than likely there were over fifty ice cream cone stands at that fair. Some sites say the ice cream cone - in paper or metal form - had already been in existence over in Europe before then. This is just one of several stories out there. Do a Google search on "history of ice cream cones" and you'll see what I mean.)

5. Do you ever think about who (or is it whom?) to thank for the convenient Band-Aid you just put on that cut on your finger? (No, I don't mean your mom, or the Band-Aid box, or the medicine cabinet...) The person you want to thank is Earle Dickson, who was a cotton buyer for Johnson and Johnson in 1921. See, his wife Josephine was always cutting her fingers in the kitchen during meal prep. What concerned him was that the bandages of the time - two-piece affairs consisting of a piece of gauze and a piece of adhesive tape you had to cut to size and assemble yourself - didn't stick well, and would slide off as she worked. Well, Earle decided to invent something to fix that. He placed a piece of gauze on the adhesive side of the center of a pre-cut piece of tape, then covered the gauze with a piece of crinoline to keep it sterile. Well, that little inspired piece of work caught the attention of his boss, James Johnson. Pretty soon, Johnson & Johnson was manufacturing Band-Aids, and Earle Dickson was promoted to vice-president.

And, there you go. 

National Failures Day? 

I guess it's all in how you look at things...

Sources:

A Startup's Best Friend? Failure

The Role Model for Doctor Inventors

Wikipedia: Harry Potter

History of the Slinky Toy

Kellogg's Company History

Wikipedia: Play Doh

Play Doh: About.com

Play-Doh: Ohio History Central

Ice Cream Cone: Ideafinder.com

History of the Band-Aid

Book Review: Just Grace, by Charise Mericle Harper

     I did not get to be the helper to Mister Magic the Magician at my very own (so it should have been me) sixth birthday party because Sammy Stringer spit purple grape juice all over my special white shirt with a big six on it, and I had to change it right when Mister Magic was starting up.     

     Mom said she was sure it was an accident, but I just know that spitting is pretty much and on-purpose thing, and it is almost impossible to forgive someone for something on purpose even if it was almost three years ago, which is a very long time.

Overview: ...and that is just item one of Grace's "I Did Not Get to Be" list. Grace is a girl who makes a lot of lists, draws comics (even though it's #4 on her list of "Boy Things"), and has a "small superpower." When Grace discovers a sad story about her neighbor, that superpower kicks in, and she hatches a Big Idea to help her neighbor feel better. She enlists the help of her best friend, and the glamourous French flight attendant who lives in the apartment in Grace's basement. But when things go wrong and the plan threatens to collapse, Grace finds more help from a very unlikely source.

For Teachers and Librarians:

There is much in this book for you to use with your little charges. Written from Grace's point of view, both boys and girls will connect easily, as the voice is very authentic, and Grace - while a typical third grade girl - is not a girlie-girl. After you've read the book, have them identify someone in your community who could use some cheering up. Let them plan out a way to help them feel better, write it all out, gather supplies, and then carry it out. It's a great way to give kids a sense of empowerment, and to help them develop a community service project. Talk with them about empathy. What does it mean? How is it a superpower? What kinds of similar things are they good at? Let them draw and write a comic about a superpower that they have. Is someone a good listener? How about someone who is good at solving problems between friends? Or perhaps there is a good organizer in the bunch. Discussion can pull out lots of ideas for the kids to work from.

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:

Just Grace is all about friendship, knowing yourself, solving problems at school, and caring for those around you - and not just family. Besides being a good story, it will show your kids how powerful they are, and how much help they can give, even though they are "just" kids. Once you've read it with them, or they've read it themselves, maybe they will want to help someone the same way Grace helped her neighbor. Maybe they will begin to see another kid they know in a new light. Maybe they will figure out a way to solve something unpleasant or embarrassing that happened to them at school. Definitely, they will enjoy the book, and learn a lot - but not in a preachy, obvious kind of way. It's a book they won't want to put down.

For the Kids: Grace has a lot to say, she loves making lists, she has a great best friend, and she has a super-cool downstairs neighbor. She also got stuck with a name she didn't want at school, has a scary old-kid teacher for a next-door neighbor, and gets blamed for something bad that she didn't do while she was trying to do something nice. And all of it is connected. How? Well, you gotta go read the book to see...

For Everyone Else:

Just Grace is a quick read for adults, but the story will stick with you long after the book is put down. Grace is a memorable kid, and a likeable one, and she has to sort out her life just like the rest of us. It may bring back old memories of elementary school. Were you one of four other kids with the same name? Did you have any Big Ideas? Go ahead...step back in time a little while...

Wrapping Up:

Just Grace is a fun story, with a character the reader can't help but like: she's got a lot of spunk, and she has her own ideas about life, but she's willing to see the other side of things, too. And the great thing is, if this book leaves you wanting to read more, there are more Just Grace books out there!

Title: Just Grace

Author and Illustrator: Charise Mericle Harper

Pages: 144

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Publisher and Date: Houghton Mifflin, 2007

Edition: 1st

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $15.00

ISBN-10: 0618646426

ISBN-13: 978-0618646425

 

Author Spotlight: Charise Mericle Harper

Charise Mericle Harper is the author and/or illustrator of many picture books and chapter books, as well as the Just Grace chapter book series.

Born in Vancouver, Canada, Ms Harper did not go to art school. Most of her paintings are done in acrylics, and she works on illustrations after the story is written.

She dislikes brussels sprouts and trying to problem solve her computer, but she loves her family, lists, her job, riding her bike, getting mail...and pie.

She now lives in Mamaroneck, New York with her family.

Sources:

Charise Mericle Harper - Houghtonmifflinbooks

Charise Mericle Harper Official Site

Charise Mericle Harper - Macmillan