What's New, Bobaloo?

Husband is gone once again. Sheesh. I am beginning to get used to the supreme quiet that rules the household (except for the squeaks of my monkey kitty, Juno, and the constant hunger cries of the never-satiated appetite of Mr. Pan, the bulimic wonderpuss - what would life be like without cats?!?). I should be at school right now, but due to my extenuating circumstances (i.e. week without Tim, start of my first "baby" story time, etc.) I decided to take a mental health day. Not to mention the fact that I so deserve to play hookey today after a stellar (I said stellar, right?) baby story time today. Whoa.

Can I just say that Mother Goose had nothing on me today! Not only did the mothers like the program a whole lot, but they even pulled my supervisor (head of the children's room) aside to tell her how much they liked it. Ah yeah. It was a huge difference from yesterday, when I felt like a total failure at this baby story time thing. Picture it - a room full of 23 crying 6 month to 20 month olds, none of which are even slightly interesting in what you are doing. I think it is all in the way you approach it. Yesterday, I had no self-confidence. Today, I faked it. (Thanks mom for the amazing pep-talk! Although I did consider the alcohol route, once or twice!)

So now I am just chillin' in my p.j.'s, reading Criss Cross (the Newbery Award winner), blogging, and chit-chatting on the phone. I may even cut up some strawberries and dip them in chocolate! (Lets not get crazy, though...)

I got lonley...so I adopted!

He's Home!

Well, at least for the weekend. Sheesh. I don't know how people do the "travel for work" thing. Anyway, Pan (pictured left) was so mad that Tim was gone for a whole week, because no one cleaned out the litter box. (Hey, don't look at me. What do I look like? A typewriter?!?) So Pan decided to punish Tim by peeing everywhere. Grrr.... Stupid cat. Well, at least I didn't have to clean it up. Maybe next time, Tim will think twice before leaving us here all lonely! (And no, we did not conspire!)

Thirteen Things I'd do if I had a million bucks... (yes, I realize that it probably wouldn't stretch as far as I would want it to...) 1. First off, I would be "Miss Responsibility," and put a chunk in savings. (Aren't you proud, mom?) 2. Next, I would be a heavy supporter of my favorite missionaries: Holohans, Tudors, and my parents! 3. Then, I would pay off all our school debt. 4. And I would buy Tim a new red truck. 5. I would, then, send my parents and Tim's parents on a Hawaiian Cruise. They have done so much for us - and I know that my mom and Tim's mom have both secretly always wanted to go! 6. Of course, I would make Tim take me on a world expedition to see all the things I've always wanted to see... 7. I'd also buy a sweet plantation-style house with a massive porch and a huge yard. And I'd add a waterfall/pool, a garden shed, and finish it off with a guest house on the property. Oh yeah. 8. I'd quit my job and invest in more property to renovate and run a classy B&B. 9. I'd buy one of these and drive all over North America and write a memoir (naturally, my gardener and housekeeper would care for the house while we were away...). 10. I'd hire a professional trainer to turn me into a goddess. 11. I'd buy really expensive teak outdoor furniture. (Does that sound random? I've always wanted teak furniture.) 12. I buy a "summer" home in the mountains of TN. 13. And finally, I would have a very flattering statue made of myself, out of graywacke stone. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Ladybug... Nelly... Wendy...

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When It Rains...

Geez. Why is it that when the man of the house is AWAY from the house for a forever week, all the light bulbs seem to burn out?!? (And there is not a single stinkin' bulb to be poached from elsewhere, either.) Not only that, but #1 cat just yacked up his dinner because he is a closet bulimic and every time I get near the steamy pile, I get sick too.

And you think that's bad? Try sitting in on an extremely awkward baby story time (one that you will be leading next week) where none of the moms or nannies know the ancient girl-scout-esque songs that are being sung, and are then scolded by the leader for not participating. Oh man. (That was not a great start to my morning.) And then to come home, after a super long day of work and school, to a big white ticket on your (husbands) car because it "was parked there too long." Right now, I'm wondering what I did to tempt the fates like this?!? I bet tomorrow, I'll get "spotted" by a bird.

Newbery Time...

So who is going to be getting the nod tomorrow? (I know who it probably won't be... it probably won't be the author I pissed off in the post I wrote Jan. 2! Yep, that is what the "marta" thing was all about, for all you curious readers... I got swarmed by an angry mob of fans because I wrote about a book I didn't like. Well, in all fairness, the book was good, until it ended with the girl who lied and cheated her way into said academy (by claiming the death of her parents) won what was clearly the motivation for the first half of the book. It almost would have been better had her parents actually died. A major oversight, teaching young girls that lying is the way to getting what you want. But I digress...) Who do I think will win the Newbery Award? Maybe The Penderwicks, if it is not too saccharine for the judges? It is a really good read. Or maybe one of my favorite authors, Napoli, with The King of Mulberry Street? (I can't wait to read this!) We shall see tomorrow!

See Suzy All Sappy...

(My favorite picture of my boy... on our wedding day... see that sheepish grin?)

Ugg. Tonight begins my week-long lonely stint. (Already handling it well, huh?) Tim is on his very first "business" trip, which is a week of training at the World Vision main storehouse in Seattle. Translation: no one to wake me up and pack my lunch, no one to hold my hand or warm my feet at night, no one to tell me I look beautiful (esp. when I'm not!), and no one to be my moral support over a potentially long and scary week (storytimes are starting up, oh geez. And while I am so happy for his amazing opportunity and also immensely envious of the location he is in - okay, it's actually "Federal Way" which is 20 miles out of Seattle (and I've never ever been to the West Coast), I am more upset that I have to come home to an empty apartment.

And all this is making me extremely sappy. During Desperate Housewives this evening, a commercial for Hilton Hotels came on, explaining how "travel should make distances between A to B smaller..." and dang it all if I didn't start sniffling. (I was soon cured when my show came back on and Gabby had a cat-fight with a nun - good stuff.) Anyway, going to sleep tonight is gonna be a tough one. Hopefully my cats won't mind my snuggling!

Blog Olympics

One of my fave bloggers, Barbara, is hosting the first annual (hopefully) Blog Olympics!

Round 1 - starts at 10:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 22, 2006.
Round 2 - starts at 10:00 PM EST on Monday, January 23, 2006
Round 3 - starts at 10:00 PM EST on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Round 4 - starts at 10:00 PM EST on Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Round 5 - starts at 10:00 PM EST on Thursday, January 26, 2006
Round 6 (finale) - starts at 10:00 PM EST on Friday, January 27, 2006

I'll be watching and cheering on the sidelines... Go Mom!!! (Lazy Daisy Log)

Marta Is Smarta...

Thirteen Things about Suzy Thirteen of my favorite authors! 1. Flannery O'Connor. (So amazing. Wise Blood is one of my all-time favorites! My email address is "peachicken," her pet name for the peacocks she raised, also referring to some of the symbolism she used in her writings...) 2. Gregory Maguire. (He is such a creative genius! Someday, hubby will whisk me away to see the Broadway production of the most popular of his works... I also got to go to a book signing of his - what a genuinely kind person!) 3. George MacDonald. (I grew up with his writings and they resonate within me. One of my favorites: The Lost Princess.) 4. Kobo Abe. (Everyone needs a sprinkle of existentialism to keep their feet grounded! Woman in the Dunes is fabulous. Also good: The Face of Another and The Box Man.) 5. J. K. Rowling. (Yup, I'm one of those silly groupies...) 6. C. S. Lewis. (If I was stuck on a desert island with only one book, it would have to be Till We Have Faces... I am also a big Narnia fan; even the Space Trilogy was pretty great.) 7. Jane Austin. (I am a sucker for sappy sweet Victorianesque novels.) 8. Donna Jo Napoli. (Remade, yet unique, fairytales are a big fave of this long-time-Disney girl. I know the "Little Mermaid" soundtrack by heart! Napoli puts a great edge to her work and makes her stories something else entirely. I love it! The Magic Circle is one of my favorites of hers. It is incredible.) 9. J.R.R. Tolkien. (So by now, you've figured me for a sci-fi/ fantasy girl. You are mostly right. I haven't gone so far as to read the Silmarillion yet, though!) 10. Joan Bauer. (I love her sense of humor. Hope Was Here and Stand Tall and a few of my faves.) 11. Shakespeare. (Technically, he is more playwright than author, but none other could portray the human predicament with such depth.) 12. Sylvia Plath. (The day I finished the Bell Jar, I crawled in between my mattresses and wept.) 13. Antoine de Saint-Exupery. (Every time I reread The Little Prince, something new jumps out at me. I think it will be relevant to me no matter how old I am. This book nourishes my soul. "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.") (Other 13r's: Lazy Daisy, Squashed Toad, Ladybug, Uisce, KDubs, Shelli, Kimmy, Jennifer, and Kelly... Leave me a link and I'll add ya!)

Some Spin On The Nature Of Blogs...

Blog (Weblog)
A public web site where users post informal journals of their thoughts, comments, and philosophies, updated frequently and normally reflecting the views of the blog's creator. E-Learning Glossary

Let's talk about blogs. Blogs can be beautiful, blogs can be boring, blogs can be informative, and blogs can be entertaining. The thing I like best about the nature of blogs is that they are an inherently personal thing. My blog is my space. I've created it. You have entered Suzy Land knowingly and are a welcomed guest. You can make choices when you visit about what places interest you and read what you like. Book land is much the same - the reader chooses to read or not to read. Ahh freedom. Is that not what makes democracy work?!?

However, we must be good stewards of that freedom. This means not writing a blog entry about a good book you thought ended poorly, that could possibly be found by the author googling herself (See Suzy Say She's Sorry). This also means not blogging, in response to other blogs, that get you nods and pats on the back at the expense of the original bloggers' opinions. We must all be aware of our intentions, whether we see their outcomes or not.

Have To Get Me One Of These...

I am a mess of baby songs. Every night at about 3:00 am , I wake up with some (@#%$) kiddie song in my head and I can't get back to sleep for another hour or so. (Tonight is an "or so.") That is why I need this shirt. The storytimes begin on the 23rd of this month. Here's to going on no sleep! In the mean time - "There's a brown bear in the room, Tra La La La La!..."

Green With Envy

(Boy, am I jealous!) Ruthie is up and running with her new blog, so everybody made sure to pay her a visit. It is called trip with ruth and it focuses on her repertoire of travels. Ruth gets around! She has her "Favorite European" hotspots listed; and I was proud to say that I've been to two of them (Barcelona and Paris). I would love to visit Galway, Ireland someday.

Speaking of travels, I've been working so hard on my scrapbook lately! I'm documenting our summer of 2004 when Tim and I took our European excursion. We sold our house in TN and spent a month backpacking, Rick Steve's style! We had the most amazing time, stopping off in seven different countries: England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, and Greece (at least major city or two in each). We had a digital camera and took hundreds of photos! (If you're interested, check out my fotopage for some of the highlights... it starts on July 25 and runs sporadically through a couple months after that).

Well, about the scrapbook, have you ever noticed how hard it is to pick the photos that really matter and leave out all the rest?!? I hate narrowing them down and I think it is obvious by the sheer bulk of scrapbooking I still have left to do! (It's soon to be the summer of '06, and I've done just about 1/3 of the '04 trip!) I am just now finishing up our visit in Scotland and our book is already full. Maybe this scrapbooking thing is really a marketing scam. More later.

Well, lurk why don't cha?!? A comment wouldn't kill ya!

Thirteen Things about Suzy Thirteen of my favorite nursery rhymes Nursery rhymes, and rhymes in general, are super important in the developmental stages of babies up through grade school. And since I am embarking on this "Mother Goose Storytime" program designed for babies ages six months to two years, I have been immersed in finger plays and songs lately, hence the theme of my TT. (Note: Since babies will learn rhymes whether you teach them or not, isn't it better to have them learn Mother Goose rather than commercial jingles?!?). 1. The Queen of Hearts (I get so dang mad at that knave!) 2. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (I still have issues with math...) 3. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary (I like gardens.) 4. Three Blind Mice (If nothing else, but for the violence of the tail cutting with a carving knife!) 5. Old Mother Hubbard (Dude, that dog is whack.) 6. Hot Crossed Buns (I can play this on the piano.) 7. Mary Had A Little Lamb (I've always had a pet...I can identify) 8. Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat And The Fiddle (running tableware is an excellent concept.) 9. Little Miss Muffet (What are "curds and whey," a nasty way of saying cottage cheese?) 10. This Little Piggy (Isn't this everyone's favorite?) 11. London Bridge Is Falling Down (I've been there!) 12. Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater (My boy would put me in a pumpkin if he could fit me.) 13. Hush Little Baby Don't Say A Word (I need a sugar daddy!) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Lazy Daisy... Squashed Toad... Jennifer... Ladybug... Susie... Nelly... Shelly... Shizzle (Lisa)...

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Fondly Thinking of Tennessee...

No, I did not get jumped in the parking lot by the brothers or cousins (or whatever) of the library punks. And no, my situation really hasn't visably improved, either. I am hoping to suggest time limits or something at our next staff meeting, anything would be better than nothing at this point. We absolutely have to have some rules set up.

Anyway, today I've been thinking fondly of Tennessee - good ole Rocky Top. It just seems like I didn't have nearly the issues there as I've got up here! I mean, sure the library I worked at in Johnson City is situated right next to a homeless shelter and we had patrons like "wheel-chair man" who liked to pee into the nearest trash cans. Those were the good old days! I remember vividly the day my friend Dunstan got the opportunity to scrub a poo smiley face off of the guys bathroom wall. He was so pleased. And that time the Feds came to find out who had been sending threatening emails. (Pre-Patriot Act!) That too was lots of fun. I honestly do not know why Hollywood has not picked up on the idea of a library sitcom. I really think that would be a serious hit.

Well about my love of Tennessee, my friend Celeste sent this to me and if you are from TN, you will understand. If not, maybe someday you'll get a chance to visit this marvelous and unique state.

Things I've learned about Tennessee and being a Tennessean....
1. Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.
2. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Tennessee.
3. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Tennessee, plus a couple no one's seen before.
4. Squirrels will eat anything.
5. If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.
6. Onced and twiced are words.
7. It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy.
8. Fire ants consider your flesh as a picnic.
9. People actually grow and eat okra.
10. "Fixinto" is one word.
11. There is no such thing as "lunch". There is only dinner and then there is supper.
12. Backards and forwards means "I know everything about you."
13. Jeet? is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"
14. You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.
15. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: "I'm fixing to go to the store "
16. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.
17. You know what a "VOL" is.
18. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.
19. You know whether another Tennessean is from east, west or middle Tennessee as soon as they open their mouth.
20. Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time known as"goin' Wal-martin" or off to "Wally World".
21. A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop...it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: "What kinda coke you want?"
(and one of my own to add...)
22. Learning the meaning of the phrase "If you don't care to" (which actually means the opposite of what it says!)

This is what librarians play when they've had a bad day...

I can take you...

(Warning - if pressed for time, skip to the last paragraph... Long, yet quality, post ahead...)

Yeah, so today was my first real librarian experience (all those others were fake, I guess...). I was thrown into the deep-end and it was a sink or swim kind of day - and I think I learned to swim. First off, I've worked the reference desk many times before, but not during a program sign-up day, all by myself, while having three or four people standing in front of me needing help finding their lists of books and having six others waiting on a phone that I don't yet know how to work. And if you know anything about Westchester, you know that the people group here is not known for patience, but rather their lack thereof. Anywho, I dealt with it and moved on. It was a busy morning.

So really, I thought I had the worst of it out of the way, until tonight. Yes folks, tonight was a different kind of trial-by-fire. Let me throw out this disclaimer... I can deal with rowdy kids. I can deal with stupid kids. I can deal with the shy ones and I can deal with the flamboyant ones. And tonight, I learned how to deal with the library punks.

For a while now, I've had a growing concern for the lack of policy at my library on kids using the computers (and a growing concern for the complete lack of policies at all at my library!!!). We seriously don't even have any codes of conduct written anywhere. (And being the new kid on the block, it is not like I have a whole lot of pull, yet.) So about a week ago I started witnessing the lack of control my coworkers have on a particular group of kids. These kids come in everyday to game or get on myspace or something, and that would be okay, but these kids in particular are in the "push-the-boundaries" age and they drive everyone in the building insane. My coworkers give idle threats, like "Henry, you know you shouldn't say curse words..." and "Omar, you behave or else..." Or else what?!? Please tell me, because I am dying to know! This group of punk boys then start feeding upon themselves, punching and slapping, locker-room talking, and even looking at pictures you wouldn't want your toddler to happen upon. And obviously, the years of idle threats have not even phased them, so the situation worsens until no one wants to work the Reference Desk, so they throw the "new girl" to the lions. (Thus begins my rant.)

So here I am, already put into a bad situation. What is the "Librarian Trainee" to do, with no freakin' positive examples to go by?!? And no rules posted?!? And no examples having been set?!? By this time, these kids are ready to push those limits, ESPECIALLY since the "new girl" is at the desk. They want blood. But guess what, they got more than they bargained for tonight. Just like the Ghostbusters "ain't afraid of no ghost," I ain't afraid of no sixth grader. I laid down the law according to Suzy and let them know that they were on a "three-strike program." (Yes mom, how very motherly of me... I know!) One of them decided to try me on it by becoming Mr. Potty Mouth and I promptly threw him off the computer. He adamantly denied using the words that had so recently tumbled out of his mouth and looked to his friends for back-up. (I'm thinking here, "Holy Crap. I can take one or two of them out, but can I really take out six of them?!?") Naturally, the rest of them rallied behind punk #1 and I now realize that I have some serious choices to make really quick. Either I stick to my guns and let them all learn the lesson of "Guilt by Association" or I take the easy cowardly way out and just run. Let me tell you, I really wanted to run. (Read: my coworker all suck for putting me in this position in the first place.)

Long story short (or shortened... too late for short), they all lost their computer privileges tonight. All in the name of "Henry." I had to tolerate about 30 minutes of heckling, but then they all finally went away. (About halfway into it, I almost cracked - two big guys, brothers I guess, came to check in on them. I just about wet my chair. I got through it, though.) Funny thing is, once you lay down the law, I think (after the initial shock) that the kids start to respect you more. My little punks even thought that I was a Latino chick instead of the "gringo" that I am (but maybe that is because of my "ghetto booty!"). So I guess tomorrow, we'll see if my efforts were in vain or if I am going to get gang-banged in the parking lot. Tune in tomorrow - I hope.

Weird? I'd say Wonderful!

I've recently been tagged by my mom to give up 5 of my weird quirks. Let me first explain that to me, these are not "weird quirks," this is just me. I can tell you about some of my crazy friends with weird quirks, though. My friend Rachel will not under any conditions share milk or any other dairy products; and if she sees two people sharing a milkshake, she starts gagging ferociously. My buddy Celeste has 3 cats named Chewy, Pussins, and a three-legged one named Lucky. Now that is weird. And Jeremy, he can't say a cliche right to save his life - his favorite cliche is "What the deal?!?" (minus the "s" on "what's"). So that being said, here goes... (most of these have been taken from my husband, who thinks I am weird.)

The rules are: "The first player of this game starts with the topic . Five weird habits of yourself, and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. Don'’t forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says, "“You are tagged"” (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.

1. As is a "Bennetch Family Trait," I too stick my foot out as a temperature regulator while I am sleeping. Thanks mom.
2. I talk to my cats and other inanimate objects, not that I think they will answer; sometimes you just need to talk.
3. I still sleep (much to the dismay of my husband) with my baby blanket... or what's left of it.
4. I have a button nose. Literally. Growing up, I was traumatized by random people coming up to me in the mall and pushing my nose in. My dad even calls me his "Button."
5. I don't like to get my face wet. More specifically, I don't like my head to be completely submerged in water, which made swimming lessons growing up very dramatic.

That's not too weird, is it? And I think I will tag my boy who seems to think that I am so bizarre. Besides, he has been working on his blog lately, so this will give him a chance to show it off!

Week in Review

To begin with, thanks for all the happy thoughts and well-wishes; the hubby is starting to feel better. He is still working with the docs to figure out what his bizarre ailment is, however. It could be something as freakish as Job's Syndrome or Cat-Scratch Fever to just a plain old staph infection that he can't shake. Whatever this is, it is strange. But he doesn't have a fever or anything like that any more. Which was good this week, because we had company!

My friend Ruth (Rootie Toot, as some friends affectionately call her) and her bud Jenni came up for their annual visit this week. And it has been a busy one! (Hence the lack of posts...) We had a really nice visit. The girls stayed here and also with their artist friend Fletch, who lives in the city, so they were able to do lots of fun stuff. Ruth and Jenni even stood in line for an hour so they could score us some tickets to The Producers (not the movie, the Broadway show) which was hilariously funny. Thanks guys, that was super fun! The above picture is Ruth in Texas on one of her many travel adventures... We also worked on starting a blog for Ruth this visit. You can see the start of it at Trip with Ruth. Maybe she might have some pictures posted of her trip soon here.

And as far as the job front goes, so far so good. There are some really cool kids that frequent the library that I have immediately bonded with, which is always a good thing. One girl, in particular, will probably be one of my pets! She is really a cool chick, super helpful and creative. I just finished doing a display of Chinese New Year books (with this cute bulletin board, if I do say so myself...) and since my little buddy is taking Chinese in HS, she learned how to do some calligraphy signs for me! And they look great. I am pleased as punch. Tune in tomorrow for a lesson on Chinese New Year traditions, "same Bat Channel..."

Thirteen Things about Suzy & her favorite T.V. Shows... (occurring in alphabetical order - I'm a librarian, remember?) 1. 24 (Is it possible that Sutherland will survive to do another season?!?). 2. Alias (Although last season was way better as far as plot... Why did she have to go and get herself pregnant?!?) 3. Amazing Race (Oh, Phil... when are you gonna learn to dress yourself? Pants are not designed to be pulled up so high, sweety.) 4. Apprentice (Both versions - Trump AND Martha... although, what was Martha's deal at the finale?!?) 5. Arrested Development (This show is so funny! Jason Bateman, who knew?!?) 6. Carnivale (It's really starting to get interesting... I wonder when the new season begins?) 7. Desperate Housewives (This is my weekly "soap.") 8. Huff (I love Hank Azaria and the rest of the cast in this one.) 9. Lost (The polar bear did it.) 10. My name is Earl (This hilarious show brings me back to memories of Tennessee...) 11. Sopranos (This show makes me question why I live in NY.) 12. Survivor (Me and Survivor, we go way back. I love you, Jeff. You're like a brother to me.) 13. Weeds (This is such a funny show! Soccer moms who sell pot; what a plot!) And these are some of my other favorites that are now off the air... (hence the reason why 24 made it to my list) Dead Like Me, Six Feet Under, and Wonderfalls. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! Lazy Daisy, Squashed Toad, LadyBug, and Indigo (Leave your link in comments, I'’ll add you here!)

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Princess Academy

Well, I've been doing some catch-up reading on Newbery Mock Award Winners of 2006. For a list of possible winners - go here, and for Newbery requirements - check here. (It seems like my new co-workers have read everything! Geez, intimidating much?) Anyway, I took home Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (who also wrote Goose Girl, which is "supposed" to be good...) to read over my three day weekend, and now I feel totally ripped off. I feel jipped of a day, that is how bad this book is.

Arrgg. I despise enjoying the beginning of a book and then hating loathing the conclusion. It seems almost like false advertising to me - thanks a lot Shannon Hale. This book starts out with so much potential, being a slightly fantastical and slightly feminist portrayal of a mountain culture. It goes into great detail outlining the language and lifestyle of this created world, and continues with a decent/ good plot up to about 3/4's of the way into it. By that time, the reader is kinda stuck. Do you finish and risk further disappointment simply because you are already so close to the end? Or do you throw the book across the room and forget about it? Silly Suzy, I kept reading. So without going into immense detail (I am prone to drag things way out...), let's just say that this book, designed to highlight the importance of family and education, ends up glorifying being a liar and a cheat. It takes multiple (and probably unintentional) stabs at religion. It was also just plain random, sometimes. (And I'm not even going to bother backing up my blanket statements of hatred for this book, because I am just plain bored with it at this point! So I figured I'd save all of my readers a little bit of time to read something of better quality.)

So if you are one of the lucky people to have spent time with this book, congratulations. As a children's librarian, this will not be on my list of recommends.

Oh man. I found the funniest site. Check this out...

(My posts are way better gizoogled.)