Library & Literary Miscellany

Summer camp anyone? If you aren’t going yourself, then perhaps you might enjoy reading about another’s experience. If so, try Elvin’s summer camp story on for size…

Slot Machine by Chris Lynch (hardcover 1995, softcover 1997, other editions available)

In Chris Lynch’s Slot Machine, portly, uncoordinated Elvin does not fit into any of the typical athletic slots. He has great difficulty discovering where he best fits—bouncing from one slot to another—from football (knocked out), to sick bay, to baseball (kicked out), to sick bay, to wrestling (thrown out), to sick bay, to golf (drinks out), to sick bay, to the Religion Sector (out, out, out). In the end, all that’s left for him, is to become an artist—a poet, in fact. Elvin discovers that traditional sports slots are not the only places where a young man is able to develop his potential and find a place in this world.

Elvin’s narration, being hilarious, poignant, and real, makes it easy to identify with him. His letters to his mother are laugh-out-loud funny and show Elvin’s indomitable spirit–he is not about to let his lack of a well-fitting slot (or his lack of more sick bay cards) get him down. A few noteworthy letter moments (which will be funnier in context, so just go ahead and just pick up the book) include:

• Elvin explaining that he’s at what has been labeled a retreat not a camp (but he’s not sure which dictionary definition of “retreat” applies): “It’s not a camp, it’s a retreat…They may mean definition 3, ‘a place of seclusion or privacy,’ or definition 4, ‘a period of retirement for mediation,’ But since they’ve left it open, I’m going with definition 7, ‘to slope backward’.”

• Elvin explaining why he wishes his mom were at “retreat” undergoing football scrimmages with him: “I wish you were here with me today, shoulder to shoulder, holding that line. Together, we could have done it. As it was, my success was a little spotty.”

• Elvin explaining why he’s writing with his left hand after a football trouncing: “Because that’s the hand that still has two fingers that can curl…There you go, another hidden skill that camp experience has drawn out of me. I was really dogging it back home, wasn’t I? Tomorrow they’re going to have me snag a salmon out of the river with my teeth.”

• Elvin explaining why his mother must come see him on Parents Weekend: “If your family does not show up, you’re put into a group informally known as “The Unloved,” who legend has it, roam around like a pack of wild dingoes all weekend doing unspeakable things to themselves and others.”

In the end, Elvin concludes, “I’m not an athlete,” and he’s okay with that. Readers who find themselves wanting to hear more about Elvin can follow his further adventures in Extreme Elvin and Me, Dead Dad, and Alcatraz. And may everyone have a wonderful summer, whether you’re able to attend a “retreat” or not. Feel free to leave a comment if you have thoughts on any of the books about Elvin or if you have other summer camp favorites!

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It’s that time of year again. Today begins the second annual Summer Blog Blast where authors and bloggers get together and have a blast (also known as an interview). You can read all about the Summer Blog Blast from Colleen Mondor over at Chasing Ray; she has also posted a day one SBBT round-up.

But just in case you haven’t already seen the week’s schedule and you don’t want to leave this site, then here’s a taste of the “who” and the “where” for you. I’ve also added in some information about the who and where of today in case you’re not familiar with the author’s names and/or works.

Monday (i.e., today)

Adam Rex at A Fuse #8 Production

• Adam Rex is both an author and illustrator. He’s the illustrator of The Dirty Cowboy (2003), Lucy Rose: Here’s the Thing About Me (2004), Ste-e-e-e-eamboat a-Comin’! (2005), Lucy Rose: Big on Plans (2005), Lucy Rose: Busy Like You Can’t Believe (2006), and Small Beauties: The Journey of Darcy Heart O’Hara (2006). He’s the author/illustrator of Tree-Ring Circus (2006), Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich (2006), Pssst! (2007), and The True Meaning of Smekday (2007) not to mention the forthcoming Frankenstein takes the cake (September 01, 2008).
• A Fuse #8 Production is a part of School Library Journal’s website and is written and directed by Elizabeth Bird.

David Almond at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

• David Almond is the author of numerous works including Skellig (1998), Kit’s Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003), Clay (2005), My Dad’s a Birdman (with Polly Dunbar, 2007), and The Savage (with Dave McKean, UK publication April 2008; US publication October 2008)
• Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast is “a blog about books” by Jules and Eisha. With a blog title that that, who can resist?

R.L. Lafevers at Finding Wonderland

• R.L. Lafevers is the author of such works as Werewolf Rising, The Falconmaster, the Lowthar’s Blade series (The Forging of the Blade, The Secrets of Grim Wood, and The True Blade of Power), and Cybils nominee Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. Also watch for the coming-soon sequel to the latter, Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris (November 01, 2008).
• Finding Wonderland is the Writing YA Weblog by contributors Aquafortis and TadMack. Yet another well-named blog (I’d love to find Wonderland myself).

Dave Schwartz at Shaken & Stirred

• Dave Schwartz‘ first novel Superpowers is set for release in June 2008.
• Shaken & Stirred is written by Gwenda Bond who is herself an aspiring YA author. She has made some of her writing freely available online.

Elizabeth Scott at Bookshelves of Doom

• Elizabeth Scott is the author of Bloom, Perfect You, Stealing Heaven, and Living Dead Girl (September 2008). Her website mentions she has more works planned for 2009.
• Bookshelves of Doom from a “Librarian. Okay, okay. Uber-librarian. Minus the MLS. That might happen. Someday.” She lives in (and loves) Maine. She reads (and loves reading) books.

Laurie Halse Anderson at Writing & Ruminating

• Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of novels such as Fever, 1793 (2002), Catalyst (2003), Prom (2006), Speak (2006), Twisted (2007), and Chains (coming in October 2008).
• Writing & Ruminating is “one children’s writer’s journey”; it’s the fine ruminations of children’s author and poet Kelly Fineman.

Susan Beth Pfeffer at Interactive Reader

• Susan Beth Pfeffer is the author of post-natural disaster survival story Life as We Knew It and its upcoming (and purportedly darker and more horrifying, we’ll soon find out) sequel the dead and the gone (June 01, 2008). She has other, older works too such as Twice Taken, Kid Power, and The Year Without Michael.
• Interactive Reader is written by Jackie Parker, teen librarian. She quips, “hopefully they won’t eat me alive” (the rest of the blog is equally witty).

And that’s just today. What’s coming up for the rest of the week you may ask? We have a variety of authors coupled with a variety of bloggers to create a variety of interview and book options for you. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday

• Ben Towle at Chasing Ray
• Sean Qualls at Fuse #8 Production
• Susane Colasanti at Bildungsroman
• Robin Brande at HipWriterMama
• Susan Beth Pfeffer at The YA YA YAs
• Debby Garfinkle at A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy
• Jennifer Lynn Barnes at Writing & Ruminating

Wednesday

• Delia Sherman at Chasing Ray
• Ingrid Law at Fuse #8 Production
• Polly Dunbar at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
• Tera Lynn Childs at Bildungsroman
• Siena Cherson Siegel at Miss Erin
• Barry Lyga at A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy

Thursday

• Elisha Cooper at Chasing Ray
• Dar Williams at Fuse #8 Production
• Jennifer Bradbury at Bildungsroman
• E. Lockhart at The YA YA YAs
• Mary Hooper at Miss Erin
• Charles R. Smith at Writing & Ruminating
• Mary Pearson at A Chair, A Fireplace & a Tea Cozy

Friday

• Varian Johnson at Finding Wonderland
• Jincy Willet at Shaken & Stirred
• John Grandits at Writing & Ruminating
• Meg Burden at Bookshelves of Doom
• Gary D. Schmidt at Miss Erin
• Javaka Steptoe at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

So there’s quite a bit going on this week. And when you’re done reading author interviews, there’s always the option to head to the library to pick up their books (unless, of course, you wait until Memorial Day when many libraries will be closed, but why wait?).

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In a belated salute to mothers and Mother’s Day, here’s a review of a story about a loyal young son on a quest to save his mother (among other things).

*mild, but not overly detailed, spoilers follow

Erec Rex the Dragon’s Eye by Kaza Kingsley (2006)

Erec Rex, also known as Rick Ross, hails from New York City, New York on the planet Earth as we know it. Or at least he always thought he did until one day when he wakes up to find his mother missing and his thoughts cloudy.

For Erec’s whole life (which is to say twelve years), he’s experienced what he calls “cloudy thoughts”–thoughts which essentially compel him to perform a certain action. Erec has found that these thoughts generally arise when someone is in danger, and, on that note, he embarks to find his mother.

Armed with his one good eye, his glass eye, and his cloudy thoughts, he tracks his mother to her last known whereabouts–Grand Central Station. While Erec does not find his mother at Grand Central Station, he meets a girl named Bethany who has seen his mother and who has some ideas about where his mother may have gone.

Together, Erec and Bethany leave Upper Earth and enter a world beneath Grand Central Station–the Kingdom of the Keepers. They soon find that the Kingdom of the Keepers is a kingdom where magic has been kept (aptly named, no?) and still flows freely, whereas they have come from a world where magic has been lost.

As they begin adjusting to the magic around them, they find that they have entered the Kingdom of the Keepers just as a tournament is about to begin to decide the next three rulers of the lands. King Piter (as in Jupiter), Queen Posey (as in Poseiden) and King Pluto (as in Pluto) are purportedly in charge of the tournament. But, as they say, there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark (or Alypium, as the case may be), and the contestants keep getting hurt.

Erec’s special eyeglasses enable him to communicate with his imprisoned mother. However, he does not find conversations with her to be all that enlightening in helping him to understand his past; instead, he finds vague hints and blatant omissions. Nevertheless, he doggedly pursues gathering the materials (through the MagicNet and other means) that she says he needs in order to free her.

The time that Eric does not devote to planning his mother’s breakout he spends entering the tournament and navigating the various contests; Bethany enters as well. As they persevere through each contest, they discover latent talents and gain confidence in themselves and in their friendship.

With contests such as MONSTER (“multi option non stop to end race”), Pro and Contest, Tribaffleon and creatures such as minotaurs, wenwolfs, and sea serpents and objects such as a gravity-challenged castle, anibals, and Identdetectors (and let’s not forget nitrowisherine), there’s a great deal here to engage the mind, delight the senses, and jumpstart the imagination. Plus, Kingsley mixes in just the right amount of Greek, Roman, Celtic and Norse mythology to create some intertextuality as well as offering up age-old (and yet never outmoded) themes of justice, friendship, loyalty, and courage.

In the end, it’s not really the end, as Erec discovers he’s got twelve Herculean labors, errr, that is, quests to complete. The epilogue contains additional clues to his past and provides a compelling case for running straight out and jumping into Book 2, Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness.

For those who want to just “get a taste” of either book one or book two, sample chapters from each book are available at the official Eric Rex website. And Book 3, Erec Rex: The Search for Truth is scheduled for release in October (and the cover art has already been released)!

Kaza Kingsley also recently finished a blog tour, so you can find author interviews and more on numerous kidlit blogs. Or read more about this tour and her other wanderings at her own The Memory Mogul (life in the mind of a fantasy author) blog.

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I finally got around to messing about with Yahoo Pipes (as opposed to messing about in boats; plug classic literature here: “`Nice? It’s the ONLY thing,’ said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. `Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING–absolute nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,’ he went on dreamily: `messing–about–in–boats; messing—-’” The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame).

So here’s the result (Note: the pipe output may take a moment to appear; I’ll also be posting a larger version on its own page under the Books Buzz tab for those miss out on this post; I decided not to post it on the main page as it increased page load time significantly):

My pipe is fairly rudimentary; I figure now that its created I can continue to revise. So feel free to comment if you have ideas regarding pipe alteration, for example, suggestions about feeds to add, filter additions/subtractions, or otherwise.

And now with the pipe created, I am heading to the great outdoors to take a walk. Using my own powers of ambulation is no boat ride, but still, it is outside activity and it is a beautiful day :).

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Need to remember something or just want to track your activities? Evernote is there (and we’re not talking paid insurance services of the State Farm variety here, although Evernote does offer insurance of sorts in the remembering things category). Evernote is there for you via its desktop (Windows and Mac), web, and mobile offerings.

Besides its mobility, a few other features to note about Evernote:

• Evernote plays well with other applications such as Jott and Skitch (and who can tell what the future holds?)
• Evernote has admirable text recognition of captured items (thus making the text searchable and the items findable)
• Evernote’s captured content can be of a wide variety (Evernote’s examples of “things to capture” being: Webpages, Wine labels, Whiteboards, Scribbles, To-dos, and Photos)
• Evernote notes can be entered multiple ways such as manually typing, captured images (webcam), clipping web pages or pictures, email, and/or voice.

From the Evernote Corporation Getting Started:

Evernote is a Web Service that helps users manage all the digital information most relevant to them. The Service can be accessed through free, user-friendly Evernote software running on a personal computer or mobile device, or any Web browser.

If you’re like many people in the world today who are trying to keep up with an ever increasing onslaught of information, whether personal or business, it’s getting harder and harder to keep track of all the information that you care about - and to find it when and where you need it.

Evernote can help. Our services and software are so simple, easy to use, and valuable that you’ll wonder how you ever got by without them. You’ll always have access to your information, even as the devices and applications that you use to access them changes over time. Imagine, no more manually reentering or copying information, no more digging through pieces of paper and software applications to find photos, that favorite restaurant review, a research report, scanned documents, web clipping, and much more.

So if any of that sounds interesting, here’s how to proceed. First, request an invite. Then sit back and wait for your invite to arrive (it didn’t take me too long to get mine, and I don’t think it’s solely because I’m irresistible…). Perhaps you could sleep a little, enjoy a good meal, or read a good book (perhaps even try one I have reviewed ).

Also, in the meantime, you can get started watching these YouTube videos by Evernote Phil and reading other reviews of Evernote. My review wasn’t that extensive, because why reinvent the wheel when others have already provided such enlightening synopses, for example:

• The Apple Blog: Evernote=Ubiquitous Personal Memory by Bob Rudis (April 03, 2008)
• Ars Technica (the art of technology): A review of Evernote with invites, exclusive iPhone preview by David Chartier (April 29, 2008)
• Lifehacker: Jott Your Way to Evernote Bliss by Brad Isaac (March 30, 2008)
• MadPercolator: Evernote After the Initial Infatuation Wears Off (May 01, 2008)
• MakeUseOf.com: Become a Rockstar Note Taker with EverNote by Shankar Ganesh (April 22, 2008)
• Mashable: Evernote Public Bookmarks, and Invites for Mashable Readers by Kristen Nicole (April 29, 2008)
• O’Reilly Blog: Evernote: Notes Everywhere - Mac, Web, Phone by Todd Ogasawara (April 09, 2008)
• Salon: Software to Help you Remember Everything, Forever (at Machinist: inside tech, gizmo, and big ideas column by Farhad Manjoo posted April 16, 2008)
• TechCrunch: Extend Your Brain with Evernote (Private Beta Invites) by Erick Schonfeld (Februrary 21, 2008
• TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Blog): Evernote Universal Human Memory Extension by Brett Terpstra (March 20, 2008)
• Wikipedia: EverNote
• WIRED: Evernote is Noteworthy by Michael Calore (April 19, 2007)
• WIRED: Evernote A Database for your Life by Michael Calore (January 24, 2007)
• WIRED: Evernote Offers a Backup for Your Brain by Scott Gilbertson (March 14, 2008)
• ZDNet: First Thoughts on the Evernote Web Public Beta and the Incredible Search Technology (February 27, 2008)

You can also view Evernote’s What is Evernote or read the Evernote blog (or just request an invitation and play). On that note, enjoy (and have a great weekend)…

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