A Funny Book...by Guest Blogger Blue Alice

I am Blue Alice. I told you about myself last week. This is a funny book about a governess that comes to take care of three odd children. They are called Cassiopeia,Alexander and Beowulf. The man who owns the house found the children in the woods and brought them home. He kept them in the barn until Miss Penelope Lumley came to teach them. She has to get them to stop howling and showed them how to wear clothes.

One of my favorite parts was when Alexander wore his pants on his arms because he never had pants before. She teaches them how to dance a little so they can go to a fancy party that Lord Fredrick and Lady Constance are having. At the party, they act a little like animals again. Lady Constance gets mad, but it is really funny. Other people at the party liked the children.

The book reminded me of the books by Lemony Snicket, which I like a lot. There will be another book by the same author who is named Maryrose Wood.

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Thanks Blue. I hope you will keep reading and stop in to write more comments for us.

This is what I have for you today: I have never been a fan of fairs, or any event that includes things that spin, but from the looks of it, this year's Manitowoc County Fair was a success. We often get hit by rain that week, saddening both carnival workers and little kids hoping to spin until ill.

A second hand spinning story came my way last week...worth sharing...some of the details may have gotten mixed, changed, and twisted in the retelling. A Heart-A-Rama friend, Chris, was returning home one night, when she noticed a small carnival in the parking lot of Park Plaza. That last detail should give you a time context. Chris enjoys a good carnival ride, so even though it was the last night, and some of the carnies had begun dismantling their rides, she stopped with the intention riding whatever was still in motion.

The guard rails around the Octopus had already been removed, even through the ride was running. Chris got too close and was bumped in the head by one of the ride's cars, knocking her to the ground. She was out for a few seconds, and when she opened her eyes. a carnival worker was standing over her. Carnie workers from that time period are probably responsible for the stereotype that unfortunately stays with them today. Anyway, Chris said her first thought upon opening her eyes was, "Oh by, I'm going to die, and the last image I have is of this guy!" The adventure continues. Chris was taken to the hospital, where she made several brave, but futlie attempts to explain to the German, on-duty emergency room doctor what had happened. He managed to treat her, and send her home, never fully understanding how she came to be attacked by an octopus!

That's it for today....Teachers and students, have a wonderful school year. Please keep in touch. Tell me what you're up to and what you're reading.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sheriffing in Sun Valley by guest blogger Steven Head

Earlier this month a friend told me about an interview on NPR's 'Crime in the City' series with Ridley Pearson. I confess ignorance when it comes to the mechanics of podcasts, but I was able to read the transcript on-line. Pearson talked about his Sheriff Walt Fleming series. It was interesting enough that I stopped by the library and picked up Killer Weekend, the first in the series.

Pearson is no stranger to the mystery genre, having written over 20 novels, including the Lou Boldt series. At least that is what the dust jacket says. He has also written books for young readers as well as two books with Dave Barry, Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves. But he was new to me so I looked forward to a western mystery adventure.

Pearson is a part-time resident of Sun Valley, Idaho, and he has decided to use this well known setting for his new crime series. In Killer Weekend, we are introduced to Deputy Walt Fleming, who starts the novel by saving New York Attorney General Elizabeth Shaler from an intruder with murder on his mind. Following Chapter One there is a fast forward eight years to find Fleming now Sheriff, and Ms. Shaler a candidate for President of the USA. She plans to announce her candidacy at a media conference surrounded by the rich and famous, but there have been threats against her life.

We quickly learn the identity and thought process of the attacker, and the level of violence and mayhem this person can create. The real mystery is who ordered 'the hit'. We know Ms. Shaler has enemies but little attention is given to potential suspects. Along the way we experience inter-agency rivalry between the Secret Service and the Sheriff's Department, the sibling rivalry of two brothers, the infidelity of the wife of an older rich man, and a gruesome murder set in the mountains.

Of course that only scratches the surface of this action driven mystery. Add in the gratuitous mention of Hemingway and film stars of the 1950's, one of Walt's deputies fooling around with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and tortured father-son dynamics to fill in the spaces around the mystery.

I could not stop reading the last 50 pages of this book. The level of action and tension interrupted my known ability to fall sleep anytime, anywhere. I will not reveal the ending of the book although it follows the prescribed formula, along with another dead body.

The comparison of Craig Johnson's Sheriff Walt Longmire series with Pearson's Sheriff Walt Fleming books is the difference between character driven and action driven mystery. By the end of a Johnson book you feel you know a cast of characters and want to see them again. In the Pearson book most of the characters are disposable, other than the Sheriff. They exist to serve the needs of the action, often having serious moral shortcomings.

I have a trip coming up at the end of September and I am hoping to listen to at least one Walt Fleming book on CD during the drive. The bubbling action and intrigue will keep me awake and concentrating on driving. (OK...honestly, it's not me...this blogger program is acting up again, and won't put spaces between this last few paragraphs. GRRRRR)

Thanks Steve. I am happy that you have resurfaced!

The truth is that Steve has been doing some of his own writing. I have been the honored (and sometimes shocked!) recipient of a two or three of Steve's short stories. As you know, SS is my favorite genre, so they worked well for me. I wonder if Steve when Steve will begin sending query letters to publishers.

Watch for our new guest blogger, Blue Alice.

She has written an introduction for you.

Hello. I am Blue Alice. That is my writer name. Blue for my favorite writer, Blue Balliet, and Alice for a poem by the same man who wrote Winnie the Poo. I like poems that rhyme and have a beat because I play the piano.

I also like to read and so Bev asked me to tell you about some good books. The first book I will tell you about as soon as I get to the end is The Incorrigible children of Ashton Place Book 1 The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood.

I am in fifth grade this year. Bev helped me pick out this picture to be my trademark. She called it a different name but I can't remember it.

*****Thanks Blue. I hope to hear from you soon. By the way, I am quite sure she meant Winnie the Pooh, but you never know.

*****What am I reading? I am into my first ever Jeffery Deaver mystery called The Vanished Man. My friend Karen read in on the back of a Harley while she an her husband took a loooooog ride from Manitowoc to Alaska. She thought I would like it because it is about magic, and she knows that our friend, Chris, worked lights and sound for a magician for a while after college. Chris is one of the most honest, trustworthy people I know, and even though the document he signed in blood way back when promising not to reveal any magic secrets surly has vanished, he refuses to tell. Well, I did pry one trick out him...and he was right, it makes magic shows less magic-y for me now.

Hey, if you're going to the county fair, bring me some teeny-weeny donuts, OK, inso, hey!

Thanks for stopping by.

The Lure of the Kindle

People keep asking my opinion of the Kindle, Amazon's wireless reading device, and others of similar ilk. Figured it was about time to spell it out. Let me start by saying these opinions are coming from someone who is not all that enchanted with technology. To be honest, I have come a long way since hurling my mouse across the room because I could not get graphs to settle into the text of my Masters thesis...which by the way took a 180+ page look at the scintillating topic of authentic assessment versus traditional testing in high school American Lit classes. Order your copies today!

I can now locate the spell checker (which I seldom use; but I didn't need to tell you that, did I?). From time to time I can fetch and place a picture into a text document; I can read and send email, although I frequently forget to attache the intended documents; and I can find realitysteve.com on the Internet. Now, with all that acquired skill flowing from my fingertips, I learn that, once again, I am several technology incarnations behind. I do not have a cell phone or any device to attache to my ear or index finger 24/7. No need, no desire. So, that is my starting point for my opinion of the Kindle.

Nosey people, with little sense of decorum, ask if the Kindle has hurt my business. Believe it or not, a couple customers have even brought their wafer thin "books" in for me to see, expecting that I would rejoice along with them. Come on, people, I sell books. Think about it! Some people are simply gadget folks, and they are not my customers. They have been Amazon customers since that on-line retailer broke into the marketplace. I can happily say that I haven't noticed a change in my business. As a matter of fact, each of those joyful Kindle owners have since returned to buy books!

Personally, I would probably get one of these contraptions if I lived in a tiny apartment with no room for books. That apartment would have to be very far from a library. A long commute to work might also tempt me. For me, the dangers outweigh any advantage. Have you seen these things? They are paper thin. I would manage to break it, or worse, lose it within days of purchase. Oh, but then, I would be safe if I bought the extra warranty for $50.00. The first generation Kindles are now selling for $139.00, but I bet those who jumped on the bandwagon without thinking about the built in planned obsolescence factor paid much, much more. The newest ones cost close to $400.00, and we all know it won't stop there. You can buy a leather case for another $50.00, or a deluxe case for $60.00. Shortly, no doubt, the Kindle will read your book to you, leaving you hands free to text, apply make-up,dance or whatever else can be done while driving.

My biggest problem with the Kindle is that it is an Amazon product. Amazon, along with B&N (currently in a state of turmoil due to overconfidence) are partly responsible for the decline in small, indie bookstores throughout the U.S. Most simply can't compete. We do not try, and when we did, it made no difference. Case in point. We, and another local indie bookstore advertised pre-sales for new Harry Potters at the same price Amazon listed, meaning we stood to lose money on the deal. Still, mail trucks were filled with HPs coming into the Lakeshore from Amazon. All those kids hungry to open those books could have picked them up at our midnight party, or grabbed them during the day - hours before they arrived via mail. So, again, those people who love gadgets will use gadgets. I am sure they have their reasons, and I continue to be ever so grateful for our loyal customers.

As long as I am on a roll (not a rant) let me share a fear with you. What happens when Amazon rules the world of books? When they are the only game in town, you can be sure those attractive prices on best sellers, and their come-on package deals will go poof, and their pricing structure will change. I worry about what will happen to our many fine libraries if the love affair with electronic readers continues. Our Manitowoc and Two Rivers libraries are treasure troves for intellectuals and explorers. They are havens rich with informations, insights, and all sorts of fun...all without judgement. But, most of all, they promore books and reading. Will the Kindle create the perception that books, and therfore buildings housing them, are passe? What happens then?

And then there is the notion of....of, so sorry, I never intended this to get so long. Bottom line, if the Kindle lures you away from us, keep in touch. Please know that your friendship will always be worth more than dollars in the register.

What am I reading? We got a pile of new kids' books in last week, and I have been having the best time reading silly stories.

(Steve, where have you been? How have you been? Have you stopped reading?)

It's Dog Blog Time!

Finally! It's Showtime and You Know Who is too busy to write even a paragraph for her faithful readers. Harrumph! Harrumph I say! Never fear, dear readers (was that not a nicely turned phrase for a pup?) I will not desert you. I have been waiting for this chance to tell you about two of my new best favorite books.

Let's start with Dodsworth in New York. What a story! Jeepers, did I laugh. My laugh is great. I wish you could hear it. It sounds sort of like when a mosquito flies down your throat and you have to get it out cuz it tickles. YKW always thinks I'm having some sort of attack when that happens; she just doesn't get it.

Well, Dodsworth is a mole, I think, but he's still cute even if that is what he is. He likes to travel. Dodsworth packs his little suitcase, jumps in a taxi and goes places. In this book he goes to New York. He meets a duck at Hodges' Cafe, and the duck tags along with Dodsworth. Dods , as I like to call him, tries to hide from the duck, but the duck always finds him. What a hoot. I mean, just think about it...a duck following you to the movies, to museums, to the Statue of Liberty. Dodsworth is so nice that he won't just walk up to that pesty duck and say "Duck, this is my vacation, go away." that is exactly what I would do.

This was a very long book to read between naps, growling, shaking my stuffed pepper, and entertaining the owner, but I plan to read more. Dodsworth in London and Dodsworth in Paris should fill my winter months.

Broadway Barks is also about New York. Douglas is a nice doggy who is waiting to be found. He remembers all the cozy parts about having a family like the walks, and the good dinners. One day, he is found, polished up, and given a job in show biz! He sings, he dances, he does tricks. I do all those things too, but you can bet your life I'll never let on to YKW or else she'll drag me out of my nice warm bed, and put me in of those goofy shows of hers.

So, that's my DogBlog for today. What is YKW reading? Well, I saw her dragging around a copy of Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, the same guy who wrote something called Tess of the Durbervilles. I think I saw her crying, but she would say it was allergies. Maybe she is missing her only friend, Karen, who is on a mortorcycle trip to Alaska with her husband, Steve. I bet their butts are sore. She'll probably tell you about it soon, the book, not the trip or the butts.

Hey, go see "Rumpelstiltskin" at UW-Manitowoc - Thursday at 7, or Saturday at 1:30 and 3:30.

A Nice, Big Commercial for Rumpelstiltskin at UW-Manitowoc

Come join us at UW-Manitowoc for an interactive production of

RUMPELSTILTSKIN

Thursday, August 12, 7:00..........Saturday, August 14, 1:30 and 3:30

Get tickets here at LaDeDa, at UW-Manitowoc, or at the door. Festival seating.

$2.00 for children under 12 $5.00 for adults

Here's a copy of the press release to local papers......

On a high mountain, at the end of the forest, where the fox and hare bid each other good-night, lives Rumpelstiltskin, a funny little man with the power to spin straw into gold! Children of all ages are invited to meet this whimsical fellow, and see him work his magic when UW-Manitowoc’s Continuing Education Department presents “Rumpelstiltskin”, an imagination play, 7 P.M. Thursday, August 12, and 1:30 and 3:30 Saturday, August 14.

Chuck Allger, Laurie Magyar, Corrie Skubal, and Scott Zahn, all seasoned Heart-A-Rama performers, along with Rick Oswald, an audience favorite from UW-Manitowoc’s productions of “The Taffetas” and “Honky Tonk Angels” have assembled to enact the traditional tale of the miller’s daughter who must spin straw into gold or suffer the consequences.

Children from the audience will be selected randomly to fill the roles of the king’s pages, and to act as assistant to Glady, the storyteller who must keep the miller from fainting from hunger.

The cast will be available for photos with children after each performance.

Kathy Palmer, Director of Continuing Education is the producer, Bev Denor is director, and Chris Lochmann is tech coordinator. Dawn Dabek, Maddie Hansen, Rich Hanke, Cindy Oswald, Arlo Temme, and Kris Zahn provide additional show support.

Tickets cost is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for children under 12. They are available at the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc (683.4782) and at LaDeDa Books & Beans, 1624 New York Ave (684.7745). Profits from the show support Continuing Education theatre offerings and programming for children.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my little commercial. I hope you can make it to the show. You could make the weekend of the 12th a full out theatre weekend. Catch Peter Quince' "The Pajama Game" and Tome Drill's Showtime 2010. Really...you can get to all three! Such fun!

What am I reading? I just dug into T.C. Boyle's short sotry collection called Wild Child.