NoveList Is Now Linked to the Catalog!

Note (4/20/08) - Sadly I haven't been able to get the PURL to work in a blog post. The good news is that you can go directly from the book entry in NoveList to the item in the library catalog. I am going to play with this some more.

When you look up a book in NoveList it now has a feature that will check the CCPL catalog for the book and take you to it so you can request it. To find this link, scroll down the page and look for the heading, "Database and Persistent Link" (The persisent link (PURL) allows you to link the NoveList entry on a book to a blog or web page which is also a great feature.) There is a pink book icon labeled "Check the Library Catalog" which, if clicked, will trigger a search of the CCPL catalog for the book described in the article. Sweet!



Here is the purl for Shoeless Joe and Me by Dan Gutman. Check it out!



http://web.ebscohost.com/novelist/detail?vid=3&hid=116&sid=6537be48-8535-4bca-b06e-9bf459412079%40sessionmgr106



To log into NoveList outside the library click here for instructions. To see why I like NoveList, click here.

Bigtime Thumbs Down: Harry Potter V

Japanese cover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I did not like the move version of The Order of the Phoenix. Maybe it was the fact that the waltzy John Williams' theme used in the earlier films was not that present. (I do like waltzes.) Maybe it was the fact that the broom flight from Little Whinging to Grimmauld Place was so low to the ground and obviously exposed to random Muggle and Death Eater eyes (I was surprised JK Rowling let this one "fly"). Maybe it was the fact that this big scene had all the hallmarks of a cheesy advert for ye old London town (I was surprised that Harry and his guard did not swoop through "The Eye" or make a pitstop on the hands of Big Ben). The fact that it was accompanied by the most BORING music possible made it completely intolerable.

There was just no spark in this movie. The DA practice scenes were as tired and dull as Rocky's workout. In contrast to the overzealous faithfulness of the first two movies, this movie varied too much from the book in several key plot areas to be forgivable. (Blasting your way into the Room of Requirement! As if.)

The script also seemed really limp and hollow. The snappy wit of JK Rowling's dialogue from the book just wasn't there. The sappiness of the final moments of the film were almost unbearable. I felt so sorry for Daniel Radcliffe for having to utter such drecky lines. I held my tongue when I saw this movie last summer in the theater but I must let it out after a second attempt to watch it on DVD. HP and the OTP (the movie) is a monumental stinker.

Maybe the next three films will be better. Frankly, I am not that hopeful. I personally think that Alfonso Cuaron's masterful version of Book 3, The Prisoner of Azkaban, is going to remain the best movie of the lot. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix proves the point that it is always better to read the book.

I like actually like this version better than Warner Brothers'. At least it is amusing. This Harry Potter parody is from the activist group, Walmart Watch.

Sci Fi for Kids

I originally posted this on the St. Andrews Regional Library Children's blog in response to the yearly sci fi reading assignment at Ashley River School of the Arts Elementary but since it is technically a book review post, I am reposting it here, as well.

What is "science fiction"? Answer: fiction that contains some plot elements based on actual or imagined science. Examples of science fiction plot elements include space exploration, "mad science" using chemistry, "time travel" using machines (if time travel occurs through magical means then it is not "sci fi"), and sustaining life despite adverse conditions in the future or in unusual places like outerspace or underground without "magic". Dystopian, futuristic fictions of society gone awry also fall into the science fiction category because they often describe the societal impact of fictional government sponsored eugenics or communities surviving some sort of cataclysmic breakdown that may have resulted from overpopulation, disease, or war.

Most sci fi for younger readers is silly stuff like the Captain Underpants series by Dave Pilkey where two friends use a machine to hypnotize their principle to turn him into Captain Underpants. The darker, more intense sci fi novels are for older children, teens, and adults.

Sci Fi Series for Younger Kids (9 and under)
Franny K. Stein by Jim Benton
Horace Splattly: The Cupcaked Crusader by Lawrence David
The Zack Files by Dan Greenburg
Andrew Lost by J.C. Greenburg
Magic School Bus Chapter Books
Ricky Ricotta by Dave Pilkey

Sci fi Series for Older Kids (ages 9 to 12)
The Tripod Series by John Christopher
Butt Wars by Andy Griffiths
Star Wars: Junior Jedi Knights by Rebecca Moesta and Nancy Richardson
Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, and The Last of the Jedi by Jude Watson
Danger Boy by Mark London Williams

Sci Fi Series for Young Adults (ages 10 and up)
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield

Science Fiction Novels for Older Children and Young Adults
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Giver by Lois Lowry
I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
The House of the Scorpion and The Eye, The Ear, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

Classic Adult Sci Fi Novels
(author bios are from Biography Resource Center (a CCPL database)- click here for access instructions)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
War of the Worlds and The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Deliciously Clean Reads: A Great Book Review Blog!

Deliciously Clean Reads is a blog that reviews books that are free of sex and profanity for all ages including old favorites and new publications. If you are looking for some "family friendly reading", you might want to check this blog out!

http://cleanreads.blogspot.com/

People Are Strange: Mockumental Quirk

I am a big mockumentary fan from way, way back. I am not sure who started the trend but am guessing that Monty Python and the National Lampoon Radio hour, and later Saturday Night Live played a part. I am pretty sure that Rob Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap is the first full length feature film mockumentary. It is pretty funny, but I love Christopher Guest's films, especially Best in Show, more.

I like shows about strange people in general. I have been hooked on The Office for some time now (the BBC version is also excellent ...with subtitles "ON") but due to the writer's strike and the release of last season's TV shows, I have fallen under the spell of Ugly Betty.

Why do I like this stuff? There are so many reasons; lack of an irritating laugh track is a big one. Excellent character development, witty intertwining plotlines, snappy dialog, and edgy humor are also biggies.

The HBO series, Flight of the Conchords, is my latest discovery. The plot revolves around Brett and Jemaine, two 20-something New Zealanders, who play in a band together and who are trying to make it in NYC. The deadpan humor, flat-accented New Zealand speech, and random segues into music videos of the duo singing oddly humourous songs about whatever is transpiring in the plot, with passerbys becoming backup singers and dancers, are part of this show's strange allure. This show might not be for everyone, but for me, it is just right.

Spare Us the Clutter

The word "clutter" is related to the word for "clot" according to Merriam Webster's online dictionary. As a verb it means "to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things". Clutter in my life is definitely a "clot" that blocks my "flow".

Some of the best help that I have found for dealing with clutter is the "Flylady", Marla Cilley. She has a book (Kitchen Sink Reflections), a website, and a Yahoo Group that sends its members regular email reminders.

The Flylady says that you can't organize clutter. Her prime directive is to get rid of the attitude of perfectionism. The Flylady's system includes a variety of strategies to get rid of the clutter and home-disorganization by tackling messes frequently in small doses ("baby steps") until they dissipate and by establishing routines to increase home efficiency and to make domestic management a reality, rather than an ongoing battle. The Flylady has solutions for putting out "hotspots" (small areas where stuff accumulates) as well as for for snuffing out full scale conflagrations (junk rooms and overflowing closets). Flylady is assisted by "Kelly", an early follower of her system. Together, they dispense tips and encouragement to "Flybabies" everywhere.

Flylady (Marla Cilley's) book - Kitchen Sink Reflections

Flylady's web page - www.flylady.net
Flylady's Yahoo Group, Flylady Mentors page - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlyLadyMentors/
Wikipedia page on the Flylady
DIY Planner - Flylady Planner pages

Putting My Tags in One Basket

One of the biggest things I got out of my Tech Trek experience was getting into Del.icio.us and seeing ways that it would be useful as part of my job as a librarian. Tagging, the heart of using Del.icio.us, is, IMHO, one of the hottest things in the online marketing world. Barnes and Noble just sent me an email that they have up-graded their site to include tagging features. Photobucket has also added a tagging feature. I am now focusing my Del.icio.us efforts on my library branch del.icio.us, St. Andrews Library Information ( http://del.icio.us/standrewslibraryinformation ). I am trying to add all of the great CCPL websites of the week to it as well. It has been a really thought provoking experience, figuring out the most useful tag names, trying to be consistent in my tagging, making meaningful tag bundles, etc. The Tech Trek quest continues on!