Winter Weekends and Whodunnits

Many days librarians are faced with taking on tasks that are not exactly in the job description. (Cleaning up after people in the public restroom, for instance, and that's just about as gross as you would think.) Cleveland is currently buried under The Second Coming of the Polar Vortex. This morning, our snow removal crew was backed up trying to clear other locations so I bundled up and grabbed a shovel. As much as I would have relished in a snow day, I totally respect the library's commitment to our community. Especially to those members in need of an escape from the elements. So here I am after shoveling our walkways...

I don't have my shovel because I borrowed it from a really nice patron (he offered to do the job himself!) and he had to go home. I enjoyed the time spent outside and the only downside is the hat hair I'm sporting for the rest of the day. Here is a picture of the awesome job my coworker did at one of our other branches. As you can see, I wasn't kidding about being buried...

We're kind of like the postal service. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these librarians from the swift completion of their appointed rounds! Access for all!

It is pointless to gripe about the weather when you live in a place like Cleveland, so you might as well make the best of it, right? Last weekend Husbando and I, along with a couple friends and some family went up to Lake Chautauqua in New York. The majority of our summer weekends are spent on the dock soaking up the sun, floating on the lake, and playing lawn games, but this was the first winter weekend I had visited the lake. Chautauqua turns into a completely different world covered in snow and ice. The green and blue summerland with which I am familiar has given way to a gray-washed frozen tundra occupied only by townies and ice fisherman. A certain quietness only achieved by a thick blanket of snow has enveloped lake, lending a completely different but just as beautiful experience.

There are plenty of winter activities in which to participate (sitting by the fireplace with a book being my personal favorite) and after a few debacles with turning the heat and water on, Husbando took a trip around the lake on cross country skis.

I should mention he was actually skiing on the lake...

Though we were going to make it a downhill ski/snowboarding weekend, we decided to forgo the trip to Peek'n Peak for a few hikes, a great dinner, games, and a walk across the lake. It was an incredible experience to be standing in (on?) the middle of a frozen lake... that is, as long as I didn't think about it too hard.

So! Books! With all this talk of snow, I would like to suggest a few whodunnit series. I always like reading mysteries in the wintertime. Get ready to curl up with a heavy blanket and a cup of tea in front of the fireplace after your exciting cold weather adventures. As said earlier, fireside reading is by far my favorite winter sport.

Agatha Christie's Poirot

The Queen of Mystery herself takes us to London where the world-famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, uses his little grey cells to solve unsolvable murder mysteries. Agatha Christie writes the type of mystery you can't solve up until the very end (or at least I can't). I also highly recommend the movie renditions staring David Suchet. You could even *gasp!* skip the reading and just watch from your fireplace post. 

The Cat Who... by Lillian Jackson Braun

In a small rural town, reporter Jim Qwilleran, known for his over-sized mustache, solves murder mysteries with the help of his unusually intelligent Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. The series falls into the cozy mystery genre. Basically the equivalent to beach reads, you can enjoy a cozy mystery without feeling like you are doing homework. Kind of turn-your-brain-off books, which let's face it, sometimes is just what you need. Usually they have some sort of cute theme such as food or knitting or tea. In this case it's cats. My grandmother, the woman who inspired the avid reader/librarian in me, was a huge fan of The Cat Who... books, therefore they hold a special place in my heart. Gorgeous, wasn't she?

Speaking of cozy mysteries...

I haven't read it but the cover is awesome.

Hamish Macbeth by M.C. Beaton

Set in the Highlands of Scotland, charming and instantly lovable police constable Hamish Macbeth keeps the peace in his small town of Lochdubh. A little on the lighter side, but not too light.

Bonus! 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Though not a mystery,  Wuthering Heights is totally a winter storm book. Set on the Yorkshire moors, the novel tells the story of a passionate love affair between Heathcliff and Cathy.

Um. And then there is this: 

Oh, Kate Bush, a red dress version too?

Yep. Hope that just made your day...

What is your favorite genre to read in the winter?

The Moral of the Story: We Are All Okay.

Do you ever have a day when you feel like maybe you don't quite fit in? Or a day you are trying so hard to do everything the right way but you are too clumsy, or too soft, or too loud, or too small? Or a day you are absolutely positive about something and it turns out that maybe you were just a little bit (just a little bit) wrong? Everyone has their fair share of days like these in a lifetime and they can leave us feeling sad, or anxious, or just plain uncomfortable. (If you have not, you must be some sort of super person. Please teach me your ways, master!) 

Here are the stories I read for Roxboro Elementary Outreach this month. They are stories with characters that are struggling with identity, difficult decisions, and surprising truths. Children have a lot going on in their little heads just like adults do in their big heads, and it is important for all of us to be reminded now and again that everyone has difficult days (and it is all right to have them). How we handle the bad days, mistakes, and difficult decisions is what matters most.

Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen

A very large egg rolls its way through the trees, across a meadow, down a hill and into a duck's nest. Mother Duck didn't notice (she was reading) and when all her eggs hatch, she raises Guji Guji as her own, along with his brothers and sisters Crayon, Zebra, and Moonlight. Though Guji Guji is not a duck, he is also not much like the bad crocodiles that try to convince him otherwise. 

"But no matter how quick they were, or

what they looked like, Mother Duck

loved all her ducklings the same."

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

In the same vein as Guji Guji, Stellaluna falls into a bird's nest after being separated from her mother. Mother Bird takes care of her, but is clear about the rules of the house. If Stellaluna is to stay, she must act like a bird. Stellaluna tries her hardest not to hang by her feet, stay awake during the day, and eat bugs like a good bird should.

"Stellaluna learned to be like the birds."

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Leonardo is a terrible monster. He isn't big, he doesn't have a ton of teeth, he isn't weird, and he can't scare anyone. Leonardo decides he will "find the most scaredy-cat kid in the world... and scare the tuna salad out of him!" In the end, Leonardo must make a very big decision between being a good monster or being a good friend.

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

Wilfred is absolutely sure he owns his moose, Marcel. Or does he? Can one ever really own a moose?

"One day, as Wilfred discussed their plans for the coming year

on a particularly long walk, he made a terrible discovery..."

[Also, Oliver Jeffers is totally dreamy and will teach you how to draw a moose. Swoon.]

Maude The Not-So-Noticeable Shrimpton by Lauren Child

Everything about the Shrimpton Family is outstanding and they love nothing more than to stand out. All except for their middle child, Maude. Maude blends in, goes unnoticed, disappears. Is blending a talent unto itself? 

So. The Moral of the Stories? The things to remind each other of on difficult days? It is okay to be different from the ones you love, and those differences should be celebrated. It is okay to do some things wrong, especially when acting with good intentions. It is okay to be absolutely positive about something and then change your mind. Most importantly, it is absolutely, positively, more than okay to be you just the way you are. 

We are all okay. Okay? Okay!

[High Fives]

Friday Five: Music for Mom and Dad and the Chickadees Too

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a very fun and safe holiday season. Ours was packed with much enjoyed family visits, lots of snow, and TONS of food. SO. MUCH. FOOD.

Now we are into Recovery Season: taking down decorations, making (and breaking) New Year's Resolutions, hunkering down for the next four months of winter (yes, four, if you live in Ohio), and warding off cabin fever. Music is an easily accessible cure for the wintertime blues, so today's Friday Five is a list of albums you can listen to with your children... without making your ears bleed. (I know you don't want to be stuck listening to The Wiggles all season.)

1. Elizabeth Mitchell, You Are My Little Bird (Folk)

"Once in a great while we encounter an artist who stands consciously and directly in the tradition of children's music that Folkways has carried for nearly 60 years, and Elizabeth Mitchell is one such artist. Her lovely voice brings a fresh sound to cherished American folk songs and other melodies from around the world. In a peaceful yet powerful way, she reintroduces us to songs we thought we knew so well." -Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Top Tracks: Little Liza Jane, Three Little Birds, Buckeye Jim, Peace Like a River... Oh, gosh, I just really love the whole thing. A perfect album for cuddle-up quiet time.

2. Recess Monkey, The Final Funktier (Funk)

Get ready for a super funky dance party, kids! These guys are hilarious and who can possibly resist songs about science fair day, moon boots, and jet packs?

"You can't go wrong with Recess Monkey. This band simply rocks, but they just happen to be teachers who love kids and want to supply them with a steady stream of excellent music. Their first two CDs were hands-down favorites, and this latest creation raises the bar for children's music even higher. I hear great vocals which remind me of two Pauls (McCartney and Carrack), creative and original arrangements, and thoughtful, often humorous lyrics. This trip with Recess Monkey takes us to space (are we there yet?), science fairs, and black holes. Singing along with my daughter ups my cool factor (in my own mind at least) and the kids with whom we carpool all ask who's playing. This CD rocks the minivan, though, even when the kids reached their final destination. Thank you, Recess Monkey, for giving us another great CD. A+." -Kiwi Magazine

3. The Jellydots, "Hey You Kids!" (60's Pop)

This is a seriously fun rock-out album perfect for car sing-alongs. Check out the first track, "Bicycle". It will make you long for snow-free streets and riding with the wind in your hair. Sample the whole album here: "Hey You Kids!"

"This band will change your life. Not to get all Natalie Portman on you, but like the Shins, the Austin-based band The Jellydots might just change a few families' lives, or at least their opinions on what kids' music can be." -Zooglobble

P.S. Zooglobble is a great place to look for new music for children and families!

4. They Might Be Giants, No! (Alternative)

TMBG has been around for decades rockin' our socks off with their unique sound. Can you believe it has been almost 25 years since Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was released?! Neither can I. 

An oldie but a goody, No! was the first in a long list of TMBG albums for children, released in 2002. In 2012 they re-released a deluxe edition with seven bonus tracks. Zooglobble claims No! to be "the single most important and influential kids music album of the past decade or so." Read the whole review here: No! 

5. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Easy (Hip-Hop)

Get ready to get down with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo! 23 Skidoo offers kid friendly lyrics with beats adults can jam to. This awesome track, Family Tree, features both his wife and his daughter, Saki. Adorable!

Bonus Time!

5.5 Rockabye Baby! (Lullaby)

For those of you who are tired of listening to All The Pretty Horses, the Rockabye Baby! series has lullaby versions of your favorite bands from AC/DC to Jay Z. Yes, it's true. There are lullaby versions of Big Pimpin', Hard Knock Life, and Empire State of Mind. Fantastic. You can find a complete list of bands here: Rockabye Baby Music List. You will be super thrilled with the awesomeness of this list.

So there's a little list of parent-worthy kids music for you! Happy listening and happy Friday!