Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Chapter Books from the Symposium
What follows is information about the four chapter books I read for the Symposium on Books for Young Readers held in July 2009. I hope you'll find something here that you or your children/grandchildren will enjoy! I especially enjoyed Dragon Slippers and The Boy Who Dared.
The Boy Who Dared
The Boy Who Dared, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Scholastic Press, New York, 2008, p. 202.
Book Summary: In October 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hübner, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people.
This was a moving story. I wasn’t sure it was one I wanted to read. I really don’t like stories about World War II and the atrocities that went on. I did a pretty thorough scan of the book before deciding to read it. I knew the end from the beginning and could tell that the story was going to be gently told and it was.
What Bartoletti really brought out in telling Helmuth’s story is that one person can make a difference. One person can be noble and save others. Each person can face death with bravery and a sense of self-worth. Helmuth knew the German people were being lied to. He thought it was important to let them know. When he was caught, then it was important to him to save his friends and to make sure they didn’t have to suffer what he was going to suffer. And he succeeded in saving them from death. They still had to serve prison sentences, but they survived and were able to move to the United States after the war and live long lives.
Bartoletti also shares a brief historical time line that helps put perspective on the events related in the book.
Book Summary: In October 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hübner, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people.This was a moving story. I wasn’t sure it was one I wanted to read. I really don’t like stories about World War II and the atrocities that went on. I did a pretty thorough scan of the book before deciding to read it. I knew the end from the beginning and could tell that the story was going to be gently told and it was.
What Bartoletti really brought out in telling Helmuth’s story is that one person can make a difference. One person can be noble and save others. Each person can face death with bravery and a sense of self-worth. Helmuth knew the German people were being lied to. He thought it was important to let them know. When he was caught, then it was important to him to save his friends and to make sure they didn’t have to suffer what he was going to suffer. And he succeeded in saving them from death. They still had to serve prison sentences, but they survived and were able to move to the United States after the war and live long lives.
Bartoletti also shares a brief historical time line that helps put perspective on the events related in the book.
Notes from a Liar and her Dog
Notes from a Liar and her Dog, Gennifer Choldenko, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 2001, p. 216. Chapter book.
Book Summary: Eleven-year-old Ant, stuck in a family that she does not like, copes by pretending that her “real” parents are coming to rescue her, by loving her dog Pistachio, by volunteering at the zoo, and by telling lies.
I have to say, I did not like this book most of the way through it. I found Ant (Antonia) to be a real whiner. But I was comparing her life to mine and later I decided that wasn’t quite a fair comparison. When I was in the sixth and seventh grades I moved and changed schools six times! That was in the day before cell phones, computers, and the Internet. When I left friends behind, our only hope was to keep in touch writing letters. But most of the time, our friendships just came to an end.* My dad was in the Air Force and we didn’t have any choice about making those moves. That’s where Ant and I are different. Her father seemed to get bored with his job and then quit and move on. And I couldn’t understand why he’d move the whole family when he’d be gone for a month at a time anyway. And then there was Ant’s relationship with her mother. No one was happy there. At least, she was open to the suggestions made by the art teacher, Just Carol. Finally, Ant and her mom really talked and came to an understanding about each other. They discovered that they had more in common than they thought and that they could get along. They even worked things out so the dad wouldn’t uproot their family again.
*Since originally writing this summary, I've joined the Facebook crowd and found my best friends from the 9th grade! Technology is amazing!
Book Summary: Eleven-year-old Ant, stuck in a family that she does not like, copes by pretending that her “real” parents are coming to rescue her, by loving her dog Pistachio, by volunteering at the zoo, and by telling lies.I have to say, I did not like this book most of the way through it. I found Ant (Antonia) to be a real whiner. But I was comparing her life to mine and later I decided that wasn’t quite a fair comparison. When I was in the sixth and seventh grades I moved and changed schools six times! That was in the day before cell phones, computers, and the Internet. When I left friends behind, our only hope was to keep in touch writing letters. But most of the time, our friendships just came to an end.* My dad was in the Air Force and we didn’t have any choice about making those moves. That’s where Ant and I are different. Her father seemed to get bored with his job and then quit and move on. And I couldn’t understand why he’d move the whole family when he’d be gone for a month at a time anyway. And then there was Ant’s relationship with her mother. No one was happy there. At least, she was open to the suggestions made by the art teacher, Just Carol. Finally, Ant and her mom really talked and came to an understanding about each other. They discovered that they had more in common than they thought and that they could get along. They even worked things out so the dad wouldn’t uproot their family again.
*Since originally writing this summary, I've joined the Facebook crowd and found my best friends from the 9th grade! Technology is amazing!
Dragon Slippers
Dragon Slippers, Jessica Day George, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Holtzbrinck Publishers, New York, 2007, p. 321. Chapter book.
Book Summary: Orphaned after a fever epidemic, Creel befriends a dragon and unknowingly inherits an object that can either save or destroy her kingdom.
Creel is offered up to a dragon in the hope that a young nobleman would rescue her and take her for his wife without her having a dowry. As it turns out, the dragon, Theoradus doesn’t want to fight the nobleman. Creel offers to get the young man out of the way in exchange for something from his horde. She assumes he collects gold (don’t all dragons?), but it turns out he collects shoes of all kinds. Creel selects some beautiful blue slippers, talks the young nobleman into going home, and sets herself on her journey to the King’s Seat where she will work in embroidery until she’s able to open her own dress shop.
Along the way, she is rescued by another dragon, Shardas, who lets her live with him for awhile to sew samples of her work. He collects stained glass windows and Creel’s embroidery work is inspired by the glass designs. In the King’s Seat Creel meets the king’s younger son, Luka, who helps her find a place to stay the night. Her hostess helps her find a place of employment the very next day.
In the story that follows, Creel discovers her slippers have powers over the dragons. When they are stolen away by the foreign princess (Amalia) who is to marry the king’s older son, the story escalates with the royal family seeking to destroy the dragons, or at least take the power away from Amalia. Many lives are lost among the humans and the dragons. Through Creel’s valiant efforts, the kingdom is saved and Amalia perishes in the Boiling Sea. It seems that Shardas has also perished in the sea.
The king offers Creel the chance to marry the crown prince, but she refuses and requests to have her own shop instead. (She is also far more interested in Luka, anyway.) A year later, after the kingdom has gone through some serious rebuilding, Luka comes to Creel and tells her that a stained glass window has been stolen from a chapel, then off they go dragon hunting!
I really enjoyed this story because it was always full of hope. Things got challenging and uncomfortable, but everyone put forth their best efforts to resolve their troubles in a good way.
Book Summary: Orphaned after a fever epidemic, Creel befriends a dragon and unknowingly inherits an object that can either save or destroy her kingdom.Creel is offered up to a dragon in the hope that a young nobleman would rescue her and take her for his wife without her having a dowry. As it turns out, the dragon, Theoradus doesn’t want to fight the nobleman. Creel offers to get the young man out of the way in exchange for something from his horde. She assumes he collects gold (don’t all dragons?), but it turns out he collects shoes of all kinds. Creel selects some beautiful blue slippers, talks the young nobleman into going home, and sets herself on her journey to the King’s Seat where she will work in embroidery until she’s able to open her own dress shop.
Along the way, she is rescued by another dragon, Shardas, who lets her live with him for awhile to sew samples of her work. He collects stained glass windows and Creel’s embroidery work is inspired by the glass designs. In the King’s Seat Creel meets the king’s younger son, Luka, who helps her find a place to stay the night. Her hostess helps her find a place of employment the very next day.
In the story that follows, Creel discovers her slippers have powers over the dragons. When they are stolen away by the foreign princess (Amalia) who is to marry the king’s older son, the story escalates with the royal family seeking to destroy the dragons, or at least take the power away from Amalia. Many lives are lost among the humans and the dragons. Through Creel’s valiant efforts, the kingdom is saved and Amalia perishes in the Boiling Sea. It seems that Shardas has also perished in the sea.
The king offers Creel the chance to marry the crown prince, but she refuses and requests to have her own shop instead. (She is also far more interested in Luka, anyway.) A year later, after the kingdom has gone through some serious rebuilding, Luka comes to Creel and tells her that a stained glass window has been stolen from a chapel, then off they go dragon hunting!
I really enjoyed this story because it was always full of hope. Things got challenging and uncomfortable, but everyone put forth their best efforts to resolve their troubles in a good way.
Keeping Score
Keeping Score, Linda Sue Park, Clarion Books, New York, 2008, p. 2006.
I am not a fan of baseball. I think golf and baseball have to be two of the most boring athletic events out there. However, I recently attended a brown bag luncheon where Vance Law, BYU head baseball coach, was the guest speaker, and decided I really shouldn’t be so hard on baseball. I think if you know the game it’s a lot more exciting than it seems. So when I was perusing the library shelves to pick a book authored by Linda Sue Park and saw that she’d written one about scoring baseball, I thought I had to try it out.
Obviously, the book is about more than just scoring baseball. It turns out that it’s a story about hope and friendship. Maggie-o loves baseball, loves the Dodgers (Dem Bums), loves scoring the games, and loves her new friend, Jim. Maggie’s dad is a fireman. He’s hired Jim and Jim is a Yankees fan. He’s as excited about scoring games as Maggie is. However, Jim is called up into the Army and goes to work with an ambulance crew at the front during the Korean War. He’s been writing home to Maggie on a regular basis and then suddenly stops. Maggie doesn’t know why, but continues to write Jim. Later she learns that Jim came home from Korea early and her dad just didn’t know how to tell her why. Jim isn’t talking about what happened and doesn’t want to interact with anyone.
Maggie works on plan after plan to help Jim feel better. Some plans fail totally and other plans have some degree of success. At the end of the book (several years have passed) we are able to see that Jim is finally making some progress and Maggie plans to continue scoring games, even though she’s headed into Junior High, as a way to keep close to Jim.
I am not a fan of baseball. I think golf and baseball have to be two of the most boring athletic events out there. However, I recently attended a brown bag luncheon where Vance Law, BYU head baseball coach, was the guest speaker, and decided I really shouldn’t be so hard on baseball. I think if you know the game it’s a lot more exciting than it seems. So when I was perusing the library shelves to pick a book authored by Linda Sue Park and saw that she’d written one about scoring baseball, I thought I had to try it out.Obviously, the book is about more than just scoring baseball. It turns out that it’s a story about hope and friendship. Maggie-o loves baseball, loves the Dodgers (Dem Bums), loves scoring the games, and loves her new friend, Jim. Maggie’s dad is a fireman. He’s hired Jim and Jim is a Yankees fan. He’s as excited about scoring games as Maggie is. However, Jim is called up into the Army and goes to work with an ambulance crew at the front during the Korean War. He’s been writing home to Maggie on a regular basis and then suddenly stops. Maggie doesn’t know why, but continues to write Jim. Later she learns that Jim came home from Korea early and her dad just didn’t know how to tell her why. Jim isn’t talking about what happened and doesn’t want to interact with anyone.
Maggie works on plan after plan to help Jim feel better. Some plans fail totally and other plans have some degree of success. At the end of the book (several years have passed) we are able to see that Jim is finally making some progress and Maggie plans to continue scoring games, even though she’s headed into Junior High, as a way to keep close to Jim.
Picture Books from the Symposium
What follows is information about the seven picture books I read for the Symposium on Books for Young Readers held in July 2009. I hope you'll find something here that you or your children/grandchildren will enjoy!
Silver at Night
Silver at Night, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1994, p. 30. Picture book.
Book Summary: Massimino emigrates from Italy to work in the coal mines of turn-of-the-century America and slowly saves enough silver to pay the passage of his fiancée.
This book was so full of hope, it was a joy to read. Even though Massimino is alone and the days and months are long, he has such a positive attitude about living in America, about having a home and a farm, and about bringing his fiancée to be with him even though he has to work long days in the coal mines to earn the money for his dreams. I liked the imagery of “gold in the morning and silver at night” because it represented the sun and the moon. And the silver at night also represented the money Massimino earned at the end of each day.
Book Summary: Massimino emigrates from Italy to work in the coal mines of turn-of-the-century America and slowly saves enough silver to pay the passage of his fiancée.This book was so full of hope, it was a joy to read. Even though Massimino is alone and the days and months are long, he has such a positive attitude about living in America, about having a home and a farm, and about bringing his fiancée to be with him even though he has to work long days in the coal mines to earn the money for his dreams. I liked the imagery of “gold in the morning and silver at night” because it represented the sun and the moon. And the silver at night also represented the money Massimino earned at the end of each day.
How to Make Friends with a Giant
How to Make Friends with a Giant, Gennifer Choldenko, The Penguin Group, New York, p. 29. Picture book.
Book Summary: The other kids make fun of the new boy because he is so tall, but his short classmate Jakes helps him fit in.
This book is encapsulated in the line, “The shrimp and the giant are friends.” Jake is small; his new friend, Jacomo, is tall. At opposite ends of the spectrum, they are both outcasts. But with Jake’s help, they find ways to cope. When Jacomo takes up all the space in the classroom, the kids are invited to sit around him and on him. When Jacomo kicks the ball too far, Jake helps him learn to softly kick pinecones. When Jacomo doesn’t fit in the bus, Jake suggests he race the bus to school (and Jacomo wins). My favorite part of the story is when all the kids are trading their lunch sandwiches. Jacomo’s sandwich is too big for Jake to pick up and Jake’s is hardly a mouthful for Jacomo. “Friends trade back,” says Jake. And so, as the two boys become best friends, Jake sums up his day with these words, “I have never felt so tall.” Jake is a great example of how people can be inclusive with those who are different.
Book Summary: The other kids make fun of the new boy because he is so tall, but his short classmate Jakes helps him fit in.This book is encapsulated in the line, “The shrimp and the giant are friends.” Jake is small; his new friend, Jacomo, is tall. At opposite ends of the spectrum, they are both outcasts. But with Jake’s help, they find ways to cope. When Jacomo takes up all the space in the classroom, the kids are invited to sit around him and on him. When Jacomo kicks the ball too far, Jake helps him learn to softly kick pinecones. When Jacomo doesn’t fit in the bus, Jake suggests he race the bus to school (and Jacomo wins). My favorite part of the story is when all the kids are trading their lunch sandwiches. Jacomo’s sandwich is too big for Jake to pick up and Jake’s is hardly a mouthful for Jacomo. “Friends trade back,” says Jake. And so, as the two boys become best friends, Jake sums up his day with these words, “I have never felt so tall.” Jake is a great example of how people can be inclusive with those who are different.
Louder, Lili
Louder, Lili, Gennifer Choldenko, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 2007, p. 29. Picture book.
Lili is so quiet the teacher marks her absent the first day of school. Lili’s teacher always has the students work with partners, so after that first day, Cassidy has discovered she can walk all over Lili since she’s so quiet. But one day, when a substitute teacher is there, and Cassidy threatens to put glue in the drinking water of the class guinea pig, Lois, Lili finally finds her voice and shouts, “Stop it.” And everyone did, including the entire class, the birds in the sky, and the fishes in the sea. After that, Lili and another quiet classmate, Rita B., decide to not let Cassidy near Lois again. And that’s how they find each other and become friends.
Lili is so quiet the teacher marks her absent the first day of school. Lili’s teacher always has the students work with partners, so after that first day, Cassidy has discovered she can walk all over Lili since she’s so quiet. But one day, when a substitute teacher is there, and Cassidy threatens to put glue in the drinking water of the class guinea pig, Lois, Lili finally finds her voice and shouts, “Stop it.” And everyone did, including the entire class, the birds in the sky, and the fishes in the sea. After that, Lili and another quiet classmate, Rita B., decide to not let Cassidy near Lois again. And that’s how they find each other and become friends.
Roger, the Jolly Pirate
Roger, the Jolly Pirate, Brett Helquist, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2004, p. 31. Picture book.
Book Summary: Roger was a lousy pirate because he knew very little about ships and never struck fear in the heart of any sailor, until one day when his shipmates were in grave danger while he was below decks baking a cake.
Brett is both illustrator and author of this book. The pictures are great! Some of the pirates are very “evil” looking and have a traditional sense of “darkness” about them. Then you have Roger’s toothless grin—he’s rather cute when he smiles. On the other hand, he does look pretty sad when he doesn’t meet the expectations of the other pirates. It really made me laugh when he decided to make a cake (of flour, salt pork, fish, whiskey or rum, and onions!) inside the barrel of a cannon. Of course he lit it! Of course he made a mess everywhere! And then to have his floured face seen as a ghost that scared off the Admiral, well that was priceless. Now his face raises fear in the hearts of sailors across the seven seas!
Book Summary: Roger was a lousy pirate because he knew very little about ships and never struck fear in the heart of any sailor, until one day when his shipmates were in grave danger while he was below decks baking a cake.Brett is both illustrator and author of this book. The pictures are great! Some of the pirates are very “evil” looking and have a traditional sense of “darkness” about them. Then you have Roger’s toothless grin—he’s rather cute when he smiles. On the other hand, he does look pretty sad when he doesn’t meet the expectations of the other pirates. It really made me laugh when he decided to make a cake (of flour, salt pork, fish, whiskey or rum, and onions!) inside the barrel of a cannon. Of course he lit it! Of course he made a mess everywhere! And then to have his floured face seen as a ghost that scared off the Admiral, well that was priceless. Now his face raises fear in the hearts of sailors across the seven seas!
The Firekeeper's Son
The Firekeeper’s Son, Linda Sue Park, Clarion Books, New York, 2004, p. 37. Picture book.
Book Summary: In early-19th-century Korea, after Sang-hee’s father injures his ankle, Sang-hee attempts to take over the task of lighting the evening fire, which signals to the palace that all is well. Includes historical notes.
I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to learn about the fires set to inform the king that his provinces were safe each night, or to let him know that there was trouble and that he needed to send soldiers to help. Because of his father’s injury, it’s left to young Sang-hee to light the fire. The first night he is fascinated with the idea that if he doesn’t light the fire, the soldiers will come, and then he’ll be able to see the soldiers and share his life experiences with them. Two of his three coals are gone when he decides it’s more important to light the fire than to call out the soldiers on a false alarm. In the fire he imagines seeing the soldiers anyway. Until his father is healed, Sang-hee makes the nightly trek to light the fire at the top of the hill. I also really enjoyed the illustrations by Julie Downing in this book. The blues and purples of night are beautiful and make a great contrast to the browns and greens of day time.
Book Summary: In early-19th-century Korea, after Sang-hee’s father injures his ankle, Sang-hee attempts to take over the task of lighting the evening fire, which signals to the palace that all is well. Includes historical notes.I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to learn about the fires set to inform the king that his provinces were safe each night, or to let him know that there was trouble and that he needed to send soldiers to help. Because of his father’s injury, it’s left to young Sang-hee to light the fire. The first night he is fascinated with the idea that if he doesn’t light the fire, the soldiers will come, and then he’ll be able to see the soldiers and share his life experiences with them. Two of his three coals are gone when he decides it’s more important to light the fire than to call out the soldiers on a false alarm. In the fire he imagines seeing the soldiers anyway. Until his father is healed, Sang-hee makes the nightly trek to light the fire at the top of the hill. I also really enjoyed the illustrations by Julie Downing in this book. The blues and purples of night are beautiful and make a great contrast to the browns and greens of day time.
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2007, p. 32.
Book Summary: A sweet little girl meets a hungry wolf in the forest while on her way to visit her grandmother.
Since Little Red Riding Hood is a retelling, this version has some aspects I don’t remember seeing before. For example, the wolf eats both Grandmother and Little Red. I thought the funniest line of the book came after the wolf had eaten Grandmother and Little Red is at the door. In part of her response to the wolf she says, “Soon you’ll feel just like yourself again!” and since he’s not Grandmother, that line amused me. It was also interesting that such a gory story could be told in such soft muted colors.
I thought the books’ illustrations looked cold and wet. Sometimes the pages felt like snow had been dripped on them. The colors were woodsy brown, deep green, deep red, and deep blue, with lots of white. The setting seemed perfect for a wintry walk in the woods. I loved the bright colors of Grandmother’s quilt in contrast.
Book Summary: A sweet little girl meets a hungry wolf in the forest while on her way to visit her grandmother.Since Little Red Riding Hood is a retelling, this version has some aspects I don’t remember seeing before. For example, the wolf eats both Grandmother and Little Red. I thought the funniest line of the book came after the wolf had eaten Grandmother and Little Red is at the door. In part of her response to the wolf she says, “Soon you’ll feel just like yourself again!” and since he’s not Grandmother, that line amused me. It was also interesting that such a gory story could be told in such soft muted colors.
I thought the books’ illustrations looked cold and wet. Sometimes the pages felt like snow had been dripped on them. The colors were woodsy brown, deep green, deep red, and deep blue, with lots of white. The setting seemed perfect for a wintry walk in the woods. I loved the bright colors of Grandmother’s quilt in contrast.
The Nightingale
Hans Christen Andersen The Nightingale, adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, Phyllis Fogelman Books, New York, 2002, p. 35.
Book Summary: Despite being neglected by the king for a jewel-studded artificial bird, the little nightingale revives the dying ruler with her beautiful song. A retelling set in Northwest Africa.
Jerry Pinkney decided to place The Nightingale in a Moroccan setting because of its architecture and culturally diverse people. The images are beautiful and so full that you can spend a lot of time looking at different things on each page. I think a child would be fascinated looking at these pictures while someone older read the text. I love the colors and the small and intricate details. In the same way that I like James Christiansen’s work for the small, precise details, I like this book for the small, soft details. I would enjoy having this picture book in my library.
Book Summary: Despite being neglected by the king for a jewel-studded artificial bird, the little nightingale revives the dying ruler with her beautiful song. A retelling set in Northwest Africa.Jerry Pinkney decided to place The Nightingale in a Moroccan setting because of its architecture and culturally diverse people. The images are beautiful and so full that you can spend a lot of time looking at different things on each page. I think a child would be fascinated looking at these pictures while someone older read the text. I love the colors and the small and intricate details. In the same way that I like James Christiansen’s work for the small, precise details, I like this book for the small, soft details. I would enjoy having this picture book in my library.
Sabbath Notes
The talks in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday were especially good and I came away with a few notes and scriptures. The first is an indirect quote from President Thomas S. Monson:
If you're on the Lord's errand, you can receive the Lord's help.
Then, for those who often have tears while bearing their testimony, see 3 Nephi 4:33:
And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction. (emphasis added)
And finally, God will watch over us in all our needs. Here are the words of Isaiah from chapter 58 verse 11:
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
If you're on the Lord's errand, you can receive the Lord's help.
Then, for those who often have tears while bearing their testimony, see 3 Nephi 4:33:
And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction. (emphasis added)
And finally, God will watch over us in all our needs. Here are the words of Isaiah from chapter 58 verse 11:
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
And the blogging begins....
In the fall of 1974 I went to BYU to study elementary education and music. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love to sing. I participated in University Chorale, ward choirs, Young Adult choirs, and a really good quartet before getting married. In recent years I've taken University Chorale over and over and over again. I have loved it. (Thank you, Prof. B!)
One interest I picked up at college and after my mission was a love for children's books. I've always read them and collected them.
I really love my family. I've got a great husband, Bart, who likes so many of the same things I do. And he gets me to try new things--like I got my HAM radio license a year and a half ago. We have three kids: Nathan, Angela, and Lisa. I'll share more about them later.
When I've had time or a strong interest, I've really enjoyed handwork crafts like crocheting, knitting, and embroidery. Sometimes I get too easily distracted and I have incomplete projects. One of these days...
I love working on a computer, too. Part of my job is to do desktop publishing. I currently use Adobe InDesign. There is nothing like the satisfaction of a good layout. Or puzzling all the pieces of a newsletter to fit together nicely.
I like taking classes at BYU. I like taking them for free (employee benefit). And I really like taking them one at a time (so much easier to get an A). Because I can easily take classes for credit, I always do. So I am still a certified elementary teacher after 31-1/2 years.
Anyway, I just took an ElEd class on wikis, podcasts, and blogs and that is how this blog got started. We just threw stuff into the blog to get experience. Now I'm cleaning it up to start it for real. So I've been thinking about what I want to put in my blog and what I decided is that I will share the things I love--family, books, crafts, flowers, music, and anything else I can think of.
I hope some of the things I share will be able to enrich your life the way they have mine.
Oh, I didn't say earlier, but I served my mission in the Netherlands, so I have a special love for tulips...and wooden shoes.
One interest I picked up at college and after my mission was a love for children's books. I've always read them and collected them.
I really love my family. I've got a great husband, Bart, who likes so many of the same things I do. And he gets me to try new things--like I got my HAM radio license a year and a half ago. We have three kids: Nathan, Angela, and Lisa. I'll share more about them later.
When I've had time or a strong interest, I've really enjoyed handwork crafts like crocheting, knitting, and embroidery. Sometimes I get too easily distracted and I have incomplete projects. One of these days...
I love working on a computer, too. Part of my job is to do desktop publishing. I currently use Adobe InDesign. There is nothing like the satisfaction of a good layout. Or puzzling all the pieces of a newsletter to fit together nicely.
I like taking classes at BYU. I like taking them for free (employee benefit). And I really like taking them one at a time (so much easier to get an A). Because I can easily take classes for credit, I always do. So I am still a certified elementary teacher after 31-1/2 years.
Anyway, I just took an ElEd class on wikis, podcasts, and blogs and that is how this blog got started. We just threw stuff into the blog to get experience. Now I'm cleaning it up to start it for real. So I've been thinking about what I want to put in my blog and what I decided is that I will share the things I love--family, books, crafts, flowers, music, and anything else I can think of.
I hope some of the things I share will be able to enrich your life the way they have mine.
Oh, I didn't say earlier, but I served my mission in the Netherlands, so I have a special love for tulips...and wooden shoes.
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