Care To Add Anything?

Even with all the new online applications designed as virtual post-it boards, for organizing schedules and to-do lists, I still find myself making lists with paper and pencil; grocery lists, lists of books I need to read yesterday, household tasks I can not put off any longer or a list of my lists.  During the month of December and even now, people are generating the best of 2012 lists, which as a reader I find invaluable.  There is no humanly possible way to read all the brilliant books written and illustrated in any given year.  I am still determined to read some from 2012 and even 2011.

As a lover of lists I was intrigued with a new web 2.0 application released on November 15, 2012 which was noted in a tweet by Heather Moorefield, Education Librarian at Virginia Tech and former chair of the American Library Association Best Websites for Teaching and Learning committee.  Listerd wants to revolutionize the world of lists.  Not only is this a location to generate lists but it is a platform designed for sharing, collaboration and the rating of items on any given list.

Upon accessing the home page users can visit the Blog to get the latest hints and updates, Discover lists grouped by Trending, Newest or All time plus search by category.  There are currently 21 categories;

• Animals & Nature
• Cars & Auto
• Fashion & Clothing
• Home & Family
• Music
• Religion
• Technology
• Arts & Design
• Education & Books
• Food & Drinks
• Games
• Politics
• Science
• Travel
• Business & Finance
• Entertainment
• Health & Fitness
• Local
• Relationships
• Sports and
• TV & Movies.

Continuing along the top you can Create new list, Sign up, Log in or conduct a keyword Search.  At the bottom another search is available, Browse.  In Browse you search by list title in alphabetical order.  

Listnerd is an online and mobile service free of charge.  Users must be 13 years old.  To use the site or register you must agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms.  

Whether you select Create new list or Sign up you are taken to a screen where you can use your Facebook or Twitter account to log in or create a non-social form of registration.  You provide a username, email address, password, birthday and country to register.  A welcome/confirmation email is sent immediately.

When registered you are taken to your profile page.  At this point you can view your created lists, added items, or votes cast, make and read posts to your wall, read your newsfeed (followers) and adjust your privacy settings.  On the right a running tally is available for your statistics, list of followers and those you follow.  

When you select Create new list another window opens illustrating a four step process in designing a list.  The first step (Basic Steps) asks you to:

• give your list a title
• enter in a description
• pick a category in which your list will be placed and
• choose whether your list will be public or private.

Who can vote (members only or everyone), voting system (1-10 rating scale, thumbs up or down and number of votes per user), who is allowed to add items to your list (everyone, everyone, with approval, only members can add, or members, with approval), and the time limit for voting (never-ending or at this date) are all parts of step two (Settings 'n stuff).  At any point you can go back to re-do your selections.

For step three (Styling 'n stuff) you can upload an image for the header and another for the individual list. There are several selections in step four (Advance stuff).  They are whether all items should have an image, description and URL link.  You can also add up to three custom fields for your list.

When you finalize all the steps your next screen profiles the created list with its title, description, stats and sharing abilities.  Beneath that section you begin to add items to the list.  For each added item you include a title, description, link or image depending on your settings.

When your list is completed it can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Reddit, LinkedIn, Tumblr or StumbleUpon.  Your entire list can be rated and comments can be left.  Each item can be rated by viewers according to their votes and edited or deleted by you.

Here is the link to my completed list titled Xena's Picks of the Litter-Top 20 Dog Books of 2012.  Items in a list can be expanded to see the description, links, etc by clicking on them.

Although I already had eleven views before I was even done, it remains to be seen how the sharing and collaboration of this list will evolve.  But I can state without reservation that I really like using Listnerd.  The developers have made it so easy to create and manipulate a list.  The potential for use in research resources, genre study, student generated favorite lists of books read, a Mock Caldecott or just about anything you can imagine make this an exciting tool for professional or personal use.  

A Dream...

It's been nearly fifty years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom delivering his I Have A Dream speech.  Did you know in 1964 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the youngest man to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize?  Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was first observed as a national holiday on January 20, 1986?  Did you know that on August 22,  2003 the National Park Service dedicated a work, an inscription, marking the spot where Dr. King gave his speech at the Lincoln Memorial?

I did not recall knowing those three facts prior to doing a bit of research.  After I read I Have A Dream (Schwartz & Wade) by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with paintings by Kadir Nelson, I was compelled to know more, needing to step back in time moving slowly forward until 2013.  That is what nonfiction picture books with an interesting,  informative narrative enhanced by unique, outstanding illustrations do for a reader.  They completely engage and ignite the spark of curiosity.  They invite reflection and discussion.


Kadir Nelson selected the last five minutes of Dr. King's speech to illustrate.  The first of seventeen original oil paintings is show on the front and back jacket and cover of this title.  We see a face filled with strength, resolve and vision against a crystal blue sky spotted with clouds.

The front endpapers pick up the faint pale blue on the edges of those clouds; the closing endpapers the darker blue of the sky.  With two exceptions all of the illustrations span two pages, edge to edge.  The title page gives the reader a bird's eye view of the entire area around the Lincoln Memorial on that memorable day.  Off to the left side the publishing information and dedication are displayed in a narrow column of white.  So striking is this painting (as they all are) your eyes immediately look to each and every detail barely noticing the print initially.

I say to you today, my friends, that even 
though we face the difficulties of today and 
tomorrow, I still have a dream. 


Nelson begins with the columns of the memorial on the left, Lincoln in the background and Dr. King squarely in front of the statue looking out toward the people.  For each portion of the speech he shifts his perspective; zooming back to capture the expanse of the crowd on either side of the Reflecting Pool, facial close-ups of people mentioned in the speech, and back to a side view, very close, of Dr. King's face as he says

I have a dream today.

When picturing children grasping hands in a circle we only see two of them completely; hands, running feet, backs of heads of the others indicate movement.  That painting and the one of the two large hands grasped are surrounded in white accentuating their purpose, their meaning.  When Nelson's landscapes, the every valley, and the eight sections of New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi are shown the color choices and lighting are breathtaking in the grandeur portrayed.

The crowd of children's faces and the snapshot of those faces gathered during the speech are so realistic, full of emotion, you expect them to walk right off the page into your presence.  Bringing the whites and blue of the front and back jacket and cover to the final two-page illustration is a stroke of genius.  Reading this portion of the speech through the eyes of Kadir Nelson's paintings is like walking through a museum of memories; perhaps the very thoughts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. might have been thinking on that day, August 28, 1963.


I Have A Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brilliantly illustrated by Kadir Nelson is moving and unforgettable.  There is an official recording of the speech on a CD included with the book as well as the complete speech printed at the back.  With the recording playing, as each page is turned, is like being enveloped in history.

The publishers have designed an excellent resource for this title complete with booknotes and a poster.  This is a link to the Nobel Peace Prize page for Dr. King.  The Seattle Times has created a very comprehensive series of pages about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.

This video is award-winning Kadir Nelson speaking about his illustrations for this title.

Excerpts of the speech copyright 1963 by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., copyright renewed 1991 by Coretta Scott King, and the Heirs to the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Again...Again...Repeatedly

A book is a gift you can open again and again.

Garrison Keillor

What is it that makes us return to our favorite picture book titles?  Do we go back, even though we know exactly what is going to happen, because the story, the beginning, the middle and the end, is in perfect alignment.  Could it be the words, the narrative, the dialogue, create a kind of song in our minds, painting a picture even without the illustrations?  Or might another visit be due to the stellar artwork, the fresh color palette, intriguing layout and design?

I believe it to be when the combination of all of these is so striking, that not only is the book memorable, but you as a reader sense a kind of magic, a cosmic connection.  When I first lifted the cover of Open This Little Book (Chronicle Books) by Jesse Klausmeier with illustrations by Suzy Lee I had no idea what to expect. (I rarely consult the jacket flaps until after I read the book.)  Within a few seconds I began to feel a pull, a pull taking me right into the center of the book.


Open this...

Those first two little words offer much.  It seems so often when growing up we hear the opposite.  "Stop!" "Don't open that!"  This phrase is different; freeing, warm and inviting.  So we do as it requests.

In the Little Red Book, the Little Green Book, the Little Orange Book, the Little Yellow Book, the Little Blue Book and the Little Rainbow Book readers are introduced to Ladybug, Frog, Rabbit, Bear and Giant.  Each character is reading a book about the next as the volumes, inset in one another, continually get smaller.  As we move from book to book the characters move into the next title until a problem arises.

The pages of the smallest book cannot be turned by the hand of Giant.  But what are friends for? A book is began and finished with the story within read; to each character's individual and personal joy.

As first the Little Rainbow Book, followed by the others, is closed Giant, Bear, Rabbit, Frog and Ladybug return to their original settings.  When readers turn a page and read:

You close this little red book...

they, like the characters, are transported to a place where a passion can be pursued in the company of like-minded beings.  Read.  Read again.  Share. Read another. This is a timeless, treasured circle with no end.


According to an interview at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast Jesse Klausmeier first conceived this book when she was five years old.  There is a child-like wonder in the simple sentences linked together; a curiosity about what will happen next to whom.  When she chooses story, the reading of a story, to bind these characters together in friendship, the repetition of the words creates a spiral circling outward to surround you.  You, the reader, become a participant in the tale.


Every single time I read this book I discover something new in the illustrations.  Suzy Lee's interpretation is meticulous; right down to the tiniest amazing detail.  Using pencil and watercolor with digital manipulation she begins on the jacket and cover; a lofty view of a tree trunk on the left whose branches stretch as shelves providing space for books and readers alike. Her opening endpapers are rows of tiny gray raindrops on a soft creamy white background switching to a variety of colors, like a rainbow, on the closing endpapers.

Initially Lee opens using a limited palette, black, white and red with a hint of green.  As each little book is opened small spots of the other colors are added.  As the characters return home the use of color increases plus careful readers will see not only the gift of color but the gift of something else bestowed upon each. The pure happiness exhibited by Lee's Ladybug, Frog, Rabbit, Bear and yes, even Giant in each setting is marvelous to behold.


I've lost count of the number of times I've read Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier with illustrations by Suzy Lee.  What I do remember is my excitement building at each page turn.  When I finish I know I am grinning from ear to ear wanting to shout from the rooftops "I love this book!"

Please follow the links embedded in this post to visit the official author and illustrator websites.  Suzy Lee did an interview at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast linked here.

I went right to my bookshelves and pulled off copies of Look At My Book: How Kids Can Write & Illustrate Terrific Books by Loreen Leedy, Making Mini-Books by Sherri Haab (Klutz) and The Elements of Pop-Up by David A. Carter and James Diaz because this title is guaranteed to inspire creativity.  You might also want to visit the web 2.0 application, Zooburst, to make virtual books.  It was an American Library Association 2011 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning.

Twitterville Talk #83

This marks the end of the first full week in 2013.  Talk about the upcoming American Library Association Youth Media Awards and possible winners has heightened.  Recommendations on new 2013 publications are increasing.  The constant sharing of resources is amazing between everyone related to books (in any form) and reading.  Technology trends are being predicted.  Yes, Twitter has been busy.  Enjoy your weekend, look for the hidden question giveaway and take time to read.

One of my educator friends, Katherine Sokolowski, a fifth grade teacher and blogger at Read, Write, Reflect wrote a post this week called The Power of Laughter.  Staying with the passion behind her post I decided to begin my post this week with a video recommended by an author in a tweet.

Thank you to C. Alexander London, author of the An Accident Adventure series and a new series, Dog Tags for this tweet.






Sometimes I think we've lost sight of what our priorities should be; of what we should value most highly.  This video says much about the importance of libraries.

Thanks to the author of The Great Molasses Flood (among many others), Deborah Kops, for this tweet.






The National Education Association has provided a page on their website Classroom Resources for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

What author has a new website?  Dave Pilkey!  Head on over and check it out.


Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher-librarian, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. for these tweets.




To celebrate the start of a new year an educator and blogger has posted this list, Jen's 2013 Bookish Un-Boring List!  There are certainly some great ideas here to expand your reading goals for the year.

Thanks go to Jen Vincent, teacher and blogger at Teach Mentor Texts for this post and this tweet.




Mark this date on your calendar--January 27, 2013.  It's the next title talk at 8PM EST.  Use the hashtag #titletalk

Thanks to Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child and classroom teacher, for this tweet.






This looks to be not only very useful but easy to understand--Twitter For Educators Beginner's Guide

Thanks to librarian and blogger at The Adventures of Library Girl, Jennifer LaGarde, for this tweet.





Earlier this week author Jo Knowles, See You At Harry's, wrote a blog post titled Live Your Life: A Theme and a Challenge for 2013.  It's well worth a reread for two reasons; it's heartfelt and well written and it was inspired by the illustrated NPR interview of the late Maurice Sendak.

Thanks for the tweet and for this post to Jo Knowles.




And once again I am looking for the elusive money tree as this came over the wire---Maurice Sendak illustrations to go up for auction.  Other very notable illustrators' work is to included.

Get a load of the first two authors writing for a new series---Scholastic to Roll Out New Multi-Platform Series.  I think I might have gasped, laughed, clapped or all three.

Nancy Farmer Returns with 'Scorpion' Sequel This should be very good.

There are some very excellent titles on this list, A Literary Tour of Historical Y.A.


Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for these tweets.




Author Madelyn Rosenberg, Happy Birthday, Tree! (reviewed here), has posted a wonderful list of resources for celebrating the Jewish observance, Tu B'Shevat.  As she states in her post, Birthday of the Trees, there are other times of the year, actually every day, to honor our leafy friends.

Thanks to Madelyn Rosenberg for this post and tweet.




The Nerdy Book Club Jr site is up and running again.  It is a collaborative blog for student readers.  An author can be any elementary student (K-6).  Spread the word.

Thanks to fourth grade teacher Tony Keefer for this tweet.

Candlewick Press continues to spread the joy in their We Believe In Picture Books! campaign.  Here is one of this week's videos by author/illustrator, John Rocco winner of a 2012 Caldecott Honor award for his title, Blackout (reviewed here).





In case you missed the outstanding TED video, How A Boy Became An Artist, by author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka it is included in this guest post he recently did at the TED Blog titled 10 great children's books destined to become classics.  

To the first person who tweets or leaves a comment after this post with the correct answer I will send them a copy of Phillip Hoose's Moonbird: A Year On The Wind With The Great Survivor B95  The question is:  What is the name of Jarrett J. Krosoczka's new chapter book to be released on May 7, 2013?

Thanks to Jarrett J. Krosoczka for this tweet.



This is almost unbelievable but then take a look for yourself---Paper Computer Makes Rounds at CES.

Thanks to author James Iver Mattson for this tweet.

When you next talk to your students about poetry, think about using this wonderful video by author, Jacqueline Davies, the author of The Lemonade War series.  Thanks to HMHKids for this tweet.







If you are looking for a good resource for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration look no further---The 'Our White House' Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids has some great ideas.

Thanks to teacher-librarian, Shannon McClintock Miller and blogger at Van Meter Library Voice for this tweet.



Our Library of Congress is an amazing resource; Infographic--Teaching with the Library of Congress

Thanks to Donna Baumbach, retired professor at UCF in Orlando.







And the winner is...The Charlotte Zolotow Award

Interesting post about students wanting to read versus knowing how to read---The Reading Race



Thanks to Professor Teri Lesesne, educator and blogger at The Goddess of YA Literature for these tweets.



This is a unique version in a completely different setting of Barrie's Peter Pan---Peter Panzerfaust, Peter Pan Comic, Displays New Take On Classic (PHOTOS)

Thanks to HuffPost Books for this tweet.




It is with great sadness that I write of the death of Caldecott Medalist and two time Caldecott Honor award winner, Gerald McDermott.





 Here are a few of my favorite quotes and thoughts from Twitter this week.

The danger of research is that looking up 1 fact about ancient languages can lead you to browsing CIA jobs and shopping for a coffee table.
— Jeramey Kraatz (@jerameykraatz) January 5, 2013

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.
— Phil Torcivia (@PhilTorcivia) January 6, 2013

I know things are going well when my students ask me about how I'm progressing with my reading goals. #titletalk
— Colby Sharp (@colbysharp) January 7, 2013

Now and then, it strikes me as peculiar that one seemingly normal adult can say to another seemingly normal adult: "Do you tweet?"
— Sandra Boynton (@SandyBoynton) January 7, 2013

Best question of the day: "Do you have the ARC for Extreme Babymouse? I don't want to wait until tomorrow." -3rd grader
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) January 7, 2013

I love that special moment during a read-aloud when you & your students are so hooked that time's forgotten. Good writing causes that!
— Cynthia Alaniz (@utalaniz) January 8, 2013

Why do we need to quantify everything in education?Kids are not numbers.
— Teri Lesesne (@ProfessorNana) January 9, 2013

"I prefer to search library stacks because when I work to learn something, I remember it." -Harper Lee tmblr.co/Zkm-MvbLs_Yr
— SchoolLibraryJournal (@sljournal) January 9, 2013

The following tweet should be marked on your calendar.

Getting ready 4 #SharpSchu Book Club w/ @origamiyoda & @michaelwbuckley! See ya 1/16, 8PM EST! @colbysharp @mrschureads twitter.com/AmeDyckman/sta…
— Ame Dyckman (@AmeDyckman) January 10, 2013

I don't know how teachers do it. I'm exhausted.
— Barbara O'Connor (@barbaraoconnor) January 10, 2013

Today I'm starting research on Florence Nightingale - Jack and Annie might be meeting her on the River Nile!
— Mary Pope Osborne (@MaryPopeOsborne) January 11, 2013

"Read like a wolf eats." - Gary Paulsen
— Kurtis Scaletta (@kurtisscaletta) January 11, 2013

And Then The Sun Came Up

Twelve years ago I became acquainted with one of the first books written by Lauren Thompson other than her delightful Mouse's First series.  The title was One Riddle, One Answer (Scholastic Press, March 1, 2001).  One Starry Night  (Margaret K. McElderryBooks, October 4, 2011) is the first title she authored which I reviewed on this blog.  To me from those titles, plus others, I have come to believe Thompson truly has the gift of conveying much with a few carefully selected words.

Where's Walrus? is the first title (written) and illustrated by Stephen Savage clearly demonstrating his wordless wizardry with which I was familiar.  Again he charmed me with his newest title released this fall, Little Tug.  Whatever his medium, Savage depicts an invitation to his readers, a sense of warmth.

When these two notable artists first collaborated with Polar Bear Night (Scholastic Press, October 1, 2004) the results were, and still are, extraordinary; the title winning numerous prestigious awards.  On December 5, 2012 when Stephen Savage tweeted about a book trailer for a new work by he and Thompson, I quickly watched it.  For a person like me who enjoys picture books, understanding the process employed by either the illustrator or the author increases the bond between the creator(s) and the reader.

 

Within a week Savage tweeted about an interview explaining the steps taken in creating his various works given at the blog Pen & Oink.  At this point I had not held a copy of Polar Bear Morning in my hands but I could hardly wait; something told me it would be golden.  Like a sunrise on the new year on January 1, 2013 Polar Bear Morning (Scholastic Press) written by Lauren Thompson with pictures by Stephen Savage was revealed to the world.


THE MORNING IS CHILL AND BRIGHT.
From her cozy den, a polar bear cub peeks out
at the snow and ice and clear blue sky.

Serenaded by the calls of wheeling seagulls overhead the little polar bear continues on her walk over the icy landscape.  But wait...what's that tumbling down a hill?  It's a cub covered in snow.  A greeting is made in silence.

Much as the moon followed polar bear in Polar Bear Night, she follows this new little snow cub.  Climbing up and rolling down hills, they move toward the sea as fast as they can.  Seals, whales, and walruses each enjoying morning's first light are passed by in a rush.

Before they know it, the vast expanse of the sea is spread before them.  What's a polar bear to do?  Jump in, dive and swim in perfect tandem.  A floe is found for the friends.


Although I have never visited the far northern regions in which the little polar bear lives I have been a resident of northern Michigan for many years.  I have logged thousands of miles worth of walks in the snow along the shores of Lake Michigan.  With her spare text in this narration Thompson captures the sensory experience "to a tee."  As a reader you feel the cold, smell the water, and see the brightness of the sun's reflection on the snow and icy waves.  The descriptive exhilaration of the two cubs at play is irresistible.  Without rhyme Lauren Thompson instills a type of cadence in her writing bringing readers into the rhythm of life in the Arctic, into the rhythm of two-like minded creatures.


As is my custom when I first held Polar Bear Morning, I opened the jacket and cover.  The cheerful contrasting colors of the front, yellow and orange with the blues and stark white are tempered with the back illustration, blues and white feature the new cub, only head and feet showing beneath a snowy coating.  The title page in shades of turquoise has polar bear peering at the readers, his sleeping mother next to him, followed by the next two pages of him peeking out the darkened cave into the daylight.

All of Stephen Savage's linocut illustrations, printed on Thai mulberry bleached rice paper using water-based ink, span across both pages, a reflection of the extent of polar bear's habitat.  This is counterbalanced by the textures created through his illustrative technique which generate an intimacy with the reader; you want to touch every single page.  Most of the pictures are done in varied hues of blue and blue-green except for the coloring on the animals until Savage surprises with a background representing the morning sky touched by the rosy rays of the sun.


Author Lauren Thompson and illustrator Stephen Savage have collaborated to give we readers another endearing gem.  The setting may be chilly but the story is full of heart; the kind of heart that will warm you from the tip of your toes to the top of your head, through and through.  One can only hope polar bear might have another adventure.

Links are embedded in each of their names taking you to their respective websites.  Links attached to each of their titles provide my previous reviews.  Here is a link to an interview of Stephen Savage at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast with Julie Danielson on Monday of this week.  It is outstanding.

Matched With A Meteorite

When I think about the talents of individual authors, illustrators and author/illustrators it seems to me their work is as unique as they themselves are.  Each is known for their particular gifts when applied to the art of making books for all kinds of readers.  For authors it might be their descriptive settings that tantalize the senses, the realistic, relevant dialogue between characters or a pulse-quickening plot.  A particular medium, color palette or technique applied to their visuals is what usually sets one illustrator apart from another.

When I first read the graphic novel Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword (Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, November 2010, reviewed here by Elizabeth Bird) by Barry Deutsch I was captivated from  the opening page to the final panel, reading it in a single sitting.  Two years later the eleven-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl has returned in Hereville:  How Mirka Met a Meteorite (Amulet Books, an imprint of of Abrams).  Opening the cover of this book, fashioned by an author/illustrator distinguished by his writing and artwork, is stepping into a world unlike any you have ever known.


Being grounded left Mirka with too much time and pent-up energy.  So, under orders from her stepmother Fruma, Mirka turned to knitting.

Unfortunately her limited skills lead her to knit one thing and one thing alone---berets.  Having covered the heads of her entire family, she is now bored and bugging those she can with her urges to sword fight with curtain rods.  One chess game and a chat later with her stepmother, frees her from the confines of her home.

Running to the woods she summons the troll to claim her sword.  Wanting to pay the witch back for initially helping Mirka, the troll casts a spell which backfires; a meteorite is sent plummeting toward not only the witch but Hereville.  There's only one person who can stop the meteorite---the witch.  With only fifteen minutes until Hereville is no more, Mirka sets off running to cover the two mile distance.

Gasping in exhaustion she collapses in the witch's yard with the meteorite in sight before she passes out.  When she awakens the witch informs Mirka the meteorite was transformed with only moments to spare.  Mission accomplished! or so Mirka thinks until she discovers the form the meteorite was given.

It seems Mirka now has a twin given the name Metty.  While it might be handy to have a replica of yourself from time to time, it is not a good thing to have one who not only wants to take over your life but is superior in nearly every way.  As events and emotions reach a fever pitch,  a competition is staged; three contests will determine who gets to stay in Hereville.  Clever siblings, a magical ball of yarn and an unforeseen flight into space seal the fate of both Mirka and Metty.


There is no pause in the pace of Barry Deutsch's narrative.  He holds his reader's attention during a family chess match, word battles with the troll, Mirka's conversations with herself, thoughtful, sometimes anguished, discussions with her stepmother, and the constant conflict with the meteorite, Metty.  To have all these individual threads seamlessly woven into the setting of an Orthodox Jewish community, Hereville, including the weekly holiday of Shabbos, the use of Yiddish terms (meanings noted in footnotes) and other cultural customs (the attire of the witch against the modest clothing worn by others in the community), is the sign of a master wordsmith.


The opening endpapers show in rows of small diamonds the many faces of Mirka.  The closing endpapers feature the many faces of the additional characters in this story, including the monsters (yes, monsters).  With the exception of specific panels of the meteorite in it's original form and those pages when Mirka is in space, Deutsch's color palette is limited to shades of green, brown, and orange along with black and white; his signature style.

The panel sizes and shapes on a given page vary according to the emotions of the characters, the particular sequence of events and the specific point reached in the story.  Readers may see an illustration cover two entire pages, view a series of twelve uniform squares on a single page or observe one visual superimposed on another; all to enhance the story and further involve the reader.  I can not begin to imagine the amount of time, thought and skill it took to design and layout this graphic novel; it's impeccable.


Look no further if you're looking for a flawed but feisty character set squarely in the middle of an action-packed adventure amid a fantastical world.  Hereville:  How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch is one of those books you devour and go back for second helpings; it's that good.  There is a Hereville website linked by Deutsch's name above.  This link will take you to the first sixteen pages of this book to preview.  Just after the release of this title Barry Deutsch was interviewed at The Enchanted Inkpot.  

Imagine, Create and Share-- A Blogger Bonanza

In the middle of May, 2012 a new application was released.  On November 27, 2012 Richard Byrne of Free Technology for Teachers posted about this app having had it introduced to him through Twitter.  This free service can be used online, as an iOS app or Android app.

Muzy is one of the most interesting applications for creating a blog post I have seen.  It incorporates the use of other apps.  Upon accessing the home page you have a variety of choices.



You can immediately connect to Facebook to like a particular app, sign up or sign in, or create a photobox collection.  Along the top in the upper right-hand corner other visible apps are photo collage, versus and photo pile.  Simply mouse over each to be given an explanation of what they provide.


By clicking on more users can see a display of thirty other applications which can become a part of your Muzy blog.  Some of the additional apps are PicMonkey, Word Play, Thoughts, Photo Quote, Dream Status, Video, Comic, Music Maker, Brushes, or Webcam Status.  Simply mouse over each to discover the possibilities.  These applications are heavy on images but allow for text, drawing, audio and video to be added to your blog.

Users of this application need to be at least 13 years old.  To sign up you need to choose a username, give your email address and choose a password as well as read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy unless you wish to sign up through your Facebook account.  Muzy has a very inclusive Help section which can be located at the bottom of the page.

Upon signing in you are taken to your dashboard (home page).  Immediately your choices are:

• search for other Muzy posts to like
• create a new post (new post)
• go to your blog (my muzy)
• check for messages
• enter in a keyword to search for apps, users or posts
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Having recently completed a Mock Caldecott unit with fifth graders in my building plus Skyping with fifth graders in Illinois who were doing the same (Katherine Sokolowski) that became the theme for the posts on this blog.  I decided to begin using the Photobox app.  This is a great app; bringing in photos from either Facebook, upload from your computer, Google images, Muzy, webcam, or via a web address.  Each photo can be altered with a variety of filters; enhance, cross process, artsy black and white, old timey and x-ray...or no effect at all.

If you decide you want to change the layout mid-way into your Photobox it is as easy as a mouse click. Added photos can be deleted, edited and dragged from position to position.  There are nine different fonts for the box title.  A full color spectrum is offered for the border.  Four options are available for the photo corners and by checking a box you determine whether you desire shadowing.  When you click the orange Post button you can have it posted to Facebook, Twitter or neither.

Having clicked Post your creation is saved and you are taken to the app choice window again to design another post.  If at any time you wish to see your blog click on my muzy at the top of the screen.  Each post can be liked, deleted or a comment can be left.  There are 19 Muzy themes to choose from for your blog background or you can upload an image from your computer.

Each post is hyperlinked to another window which allows the user to like, repost, comment, or share a URL link for that post or click on the tiny gear located in the middle right-hand portion of the screen.  The options here are to share, edit or delete the post.  If you select share your options are to post it to Facebook or Twitter, send it via email, download it to your computer or copy the URL link.

A person could easily spend hours making posts for their blog with the available choices.  The ease of use, the integration of the apps into Muzy, is a huge plus.  I successfully tried five of the apps.

The link to my blog is embedded here.  (To enlarge each post for viewing mouse over and click.)  When you download one of your posts it turns into a .jpg file.  On the left is one of my posts that was downloaded.

I can see using Muzy to highlight units of study, books read, student projects or activities.  It would be a terrific way to compile top "..." lists.  I know some of my PLN on Twitter are creating memes; they could be posted in a Muzy.  Another of my Twitter colleagues is posting a picture of a book read every day.  Collecting those in a Muzy for her followers would be fantastic.

Muzy definitely has my vote as a great vehicle for quickly making a blog that will get people's attention visually.  Will I put it in my virtual toolbox?  Yes!