High Shelf Esteem

Archives for February 2018

What’s Making Me Happy, Vol. 9

Thank goodness February is short — I am so ready for spring! And thank goodness for my Sphere Lamp for simulating sunlight. But it’s the following four things that really lifted my spirits this past month:

“Mix Tapes”
I recently found myself in the car without my phone and didn’t want to deal with radio, so I went digging in the storage area next to my seat and found a forgotten treasure trove of mix CDs. I popped one of them in and the music transported me back almost 10 years. It was fabulous! Some Ratatat, The Bird and the Bee, Tegan and Sara…I’d forgotten how much I loved the songs on that mix. I dug around some more and unearthed a bunch of other mixes I made with silly names like “A Basketful of Music,” “Music Juice,” and “Mix Tape.” Although I’m not going to burn actual CDs, I’m now inspired to make more “mix tapes.” 

Switched on Pop
If you’ve ever wondered why some pop songs get completely stuck in your head, then you need to listen to Switched on Pop. It’s a podcast that breaks down pop songs and looks at all the components to explain why they’re such ear worms. The episode on Despacito (it aired August 10, 2017) is particularly elucidating. The hosts are a music producer and a musicologist, so they really know their stuff. Now I don’t have to feel bad about hitting replay over and over when certain pop songs come on. There’s a musical reason behind the compulsion to keep listening. It’s not my fault!

Deep Breaths
When I was meditating recently, I took a deep breath (as instructed by the lovely monk on the Headspace app) and was struck at how amazing it felt. It was a breath akin to a drink of water for someone wandering in a desert. This got me thinking about breathing in general. How cool is it that I am alive and breathing?!? Each time I take a deep replenishing breath, I feel so lucky to be a part of this crazy world.

The Mortified Guide
I’ve listened to the Mortified podcast for years, but have only been able to make it to one show. They’re always on weeknights in the city and that just isn’t doable for me. So, I love that it’s new a docu-series on Netflix, which means I can watch the show from the comfort of my living room. Watching adults read from their super cringey teenage diaries is great no matter the location!

 

What’s been making you happy recently?

Literary Linking: February 19 – 23

This week’s link topics include: adorable bookstore dogs, a library created by garbage collectors, and more!

The best bookish links the week of February 19 – 23:

“Sad” Dog Looking for Kids To Read To Him Is Now All Booked Up
Therapy dogs have a very special place in my heart. I’m so glad Sting has lots of kids reading to him now 🙂

Garbage Collectors Open Library with Abandoned Books
As long as the books are clean, I’m all for it!

50 Contemporary Books Every Woman’s Gotta Read
I’ve read about half of this list and am a fan of all the choices. I can’t wait to read the rest. And, just a side note, I think most of these books are great picks for men too.

Dolly Parton Set To Gift Her 100 Millionth Book To the Library of Congress
Dolly is such a cool lady!

14 Adorable Bookstore Dogs To Brighten Your Day
The news has been pretty grim recently, so I think pictures of cute dogs in bookstore are in order.

 

Amazing Chapter Books To Read To the Kids in Your Life, Part 1

In the eight years I’ve been a librarian (where has the time gone?!), I’ve read A LOT of chapter books out loud. Some have been fun but forgettable. Others have been painful to get through. And then there are the ones I actually look forward to reading over and over again. Books like these are as rare as a Yangtze finless porpoise (click the link — I’d never heard of the Yangtze  finless porpoise either until I looked up critically endangered animals on WWF’s website 🙂 ). I treasure these book and want everyone to read them to the kiddos in their lives. Or I recommend reading them for your own enjoyment. You won’t regret it!

I’ve summarized each book and why my students have enjoyed them so much, as well as which grades I usually read them to. These books can be read to many other ages, but these are the grade-levels that seem to enjoy them the most.


Amazing Chapter Books To Read with the Kids in Your Life:

 

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate
Ivan is a silverback gorilla on display at a New Jersey shopping mall. He hasn’t set foot in his native jungle for 27 years, and his former home doesn’t really cross his mind until he meets Ruby. Ruby is a baby elephant and she makes Ivan realize how wrong it is for animals like them to be cooped up in cages. With the help of his friends, the power of art, and his own determination, Ivan tries to right this wrong.

Why Kids Love It: Ivan narrates the story and kids fall completely in love with him and his animal buddies. Bob, the smart-talking “dog of uncertain heritage” is a hoot, and the adorable Ruby captures everyone’s heart. The illustrations are beautifully done and connect readers with the characters even further.

Grade I Read It To: 4th Grade

 

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of 4 Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, by Jeanne Birdsall

In The Penderwicks, sisters Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty, along with their dog, Hound, and their botanist father are summering on the grounds of the Arundel estate in Massachusetts. From bunnies to train to gardens to explore (some with bulls in them!), the girls have lots of adventures lined up, but it’s meeting the son of Arundel’s owner, that makes their summer special. Jeffrey is the perfect companion for all their fun, but his snooty mom doesn’t think the Penderwick girls are suitable company. Will this ruin their holiday? Not if they can help it!

Why Kids Love It: What’s particularly nice about The Penderwicks as a read aloud is that there’s a little something for everyone. The girls are all different ages and they are wonderfully unique character with different interests (one’s a writer, another loves soccer, etc.). Each is very fleshed out and tons of fun to get to know. Their individual scrapes fit their personalities and cause lots of laughs.

Grade I Read It To: 3rd

 

Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery, by James Howe

When Toby and Pete Monroe bring home the bunny they found at the movie theater, something strange starts to happen. The vegetables in the house all turn white and seem to be sucked completely dry. The Monroe’s cat Chester is sure the bunny is actually a vampire and will do anything can to get rid of him. Harold, the Monroe’s dog, is not so sure, and he’s here to tell the tale.

Why Kids Love It: Kids get a major kick out of the idea that a bunny could be a vampire with vegetables as victims. And Chester’s misled attempts at eliminating this poor cute bunny always have them in stitches.

Grade I Read It To: 2nd/3rd

 

Alvin Ho: Allergic To Girls, Schools, and Other Scary Things, by Lenore Look

Second grader Alvin Ho is afraid of EVERYTHING. School is especially terrifying. As soon as Alvin enters the school doors, he can’t speak anymore. But with the help of his PDK (Personal Disaster Kit), unlikely friends, and his amazing family (especially his dad), he’s able to face the super scary world.

Why Kids Love It: Alvin’s fears are extreme, but kids relate to at least one or two of the things he finds scary. Plus, Alvin gets himself into some pretty hilarious and entertaining situations.

Grades I Read It To: 2nd

 

 

Clementine, by Sarah Pennypacker

No matter what she does, Clementine always seems to get into trouble. She cut her classmate Margaret’s hair and drew on curls because she asked her to! How is that Clementine’s fault? Can she ever prove that not being the “easy” sibling is a good thing?

Why Kids Love It: Clementine is a free spirit with lots of creative ideas, but many of them get her into trouble. Kids love hearing about other kids getting in trouble, especially when the situation is a funny one. Clementine offers these funny situations in spades. She may not be the “easy” kid of her family, but she’s the one my students want to read about.

Grades I Read It To: 1st/2nd

 

Nuts To You, by Lynne Rae Perkins

Being a squirrel is no easy task. Danger lurks around every corner. When Jed is swooped up by a dreaded Hawk, his friends Tsts and Chai embark on the journey of a lifetime to find and save him. All three squirrels have experiences they never expected: meeting new squirrel communities, encountering humans, and more! Will they ever get home?

Why Kids Love It: Lynne Rae Perkins incorporates a lot of squirrel sounds in the book which has always cracked up my students. The adventure itself is compelling, especially because the squirrels’ encounters with humans show how what we do affects the natural world. It doesn’t hurt that Chai wears an acorn as a beret. Kids always love animals with style 🙂

Grades I Read It To: 1st/2nd

 

I’ll have Part 2 of the list ready in a few weeks. What books do you enjoy reading aloud to the kids in your life? Please share in the comments below!

Literary Linking: February 12 – 16

This week’s link topics include: a Harry Potter cruise, awards for children’s literature, Jane Austen heroines, and more!

The best bookish links the week of February 12 – 16:

It’s Finally Happened: A Harry-Potter-Themed Cruise Is Coming
Start saving your pennies! This cruise looks AMAZING!

What It’d Look Like if 6 Children’s Book Authors Designed Your Baby’s Nursery
Eric Carle’s The-Very-Hungry-Caterpillar-themed room is my winner, but all the rooms are incredibly fun and whimsical.

Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You?
Anne Elliot is my heroine…I guess I should read Persuasion to see what I’m like.

Top Awards Given Out for Young Adult and Children’s Literature
I was lucky enough to be at the American Library Association conference where the awards were announced. It was like the Oscars for children’s books!

How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolution To Read More
Lots of useful and practical advice here, though waking up earlier to read more doesn’t really appeal to me 🙂

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Dinner Party Recipe

There are few things I like more than reading, but delicious food is one of them, and combining the two is a match made in heaven. A high school friend and I reconnected last fall at the National Book Festival and decided that the coupling of books and food was something we wanted more of in our lives. So, we thought we’d try our hand at hosting a literary dinner party. Our bookish feast finally came to fruition a couple weekends ago.

We chose The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows as our first book, and by golly, it was fantastic! Both of us love the story, and food plays a very important role in the creation of the titular society. It also turns out that it’s coming out as a movie later this year (see the trailer here). Our table was laden with roast pig, turnips, peas (all mentioned at some point in the book) and, of course, potato peel pie.

Before reading the book, I’d always wondered about the potato peel pie part of the the book’s title. Is it just a pie full of potato peels??? That sounds gross. Oh, but it’s not gross — it’s scrumptious! Imagine a pie with hashbrowns as the crust, mashed potatoes as the filling, with cheese and chives on top. Yummy-sounding, right? That’s a potato peel pie!

The book describes it as a concoction of “mashed potatoes for filling, strained beets for sweetness, and potato peelings for crust.”  This was a helpful starting point, but I needed more information before I attempted to make it for the party. Thankfully, the Guernsey tourist office has a YouTube videos with one of their local chefs making different versions of the potato peel pie. Using those videos, some other book bloggers’ recipes, and some of my favorite cookbooks, I developed my own culinary interpretation of the pie.

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

For the pie crust:

Grease your pie pan super well.

3 pounds Russet potatoes
1 egg white
2 teaspoons flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F
  2. Grate the peels off the 3 pounds of potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Reserve the grated potatoes in cold water for later in the recipe. Mix the egg, flour, salt and pepper into the grated peels.
  3. Grease a 9-inch pie pan and spread the potato-peel mixture evenly on the bottom and sides.
  4. Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown.
For the filling:

So pink! So fun!

3 pounds of Russet potatoes (these are the same potatoes you used for the crust, but with the peels removed)
1 pre-cooked beet run through a ricer (it should be mostly liquid)
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. Use a peeler to remove an excess peel from the potatoes, then cut into 2-inch pieces. Place the potato pieces in a large strainer and run cold water over them until the water runs clear.
  2. Bring a stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil for about 15 minutes.
  3. While the potatoes are boiling, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter has melted.
  4. When you can cut a knife easily through the potatoes, drain them back into the strainer. Then, run the potato pieces through a ricer into a large bowl.
  5. Once all the potatoes are riced, fold in the milk and butter slowly until combined. Add the beet juice and season to taste. (Yes, it will be pink!)
Putting it all together:

⅓ cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
1 ½  tbsp freshly chopped chives

  1. Set oven to broil.
  2. Spread all the mashed potatoes into the potato peel crust.
  3. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the mashed potatoes and broil until golden brown
  4. Sprinkle chives on top and serve!

I thought it tasted pretty darn good. I hope you enjoy it too. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!

Literary Linking: February 5 – 9

This week’s link topics include: an outdoor library, free literary coloring books, bookish bars and cafes and more!

The best bookish links the week of February 5 – 9:

Dartmouth “Blazing a Trail” with New Outdoor Library
Reading outside is lovely, so an outdoor library sounds like heaven…as long as it doesn’t rain!

A Peek at Famous Readers’ Borrowing Records from a Private New York Library
Lots of famous folks have been members of the New York Society Library, a subscription library that’s been around since 1911. Check out what Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were reading pre-duel in 1790.

Download Free Coloring Books from Great Libraries, Museums and Cultural Institutions
Bookish coloring is the best coloring.

13 Mnemonic Sentences To Boost Your General Knowledge
Can you name the first 10 elements on the periodic table? The first 20? You will after you read this article!

A Visual Tour of 35 Literary Bars and Cafes from around the World
This is an amazingly exhaustive list of bookish bars and cafes. I’ve been to two of them: Cafe Louvre in Prague and The White Horse Tavern in New York City. Only 33 to go…

Nail Your Reading Time!: 13 Book & Nail Polish Pairings

Whether you read printed books or from a tablet, there’s part of your body that’s always on display as you get sucked into a story: your hands and nails (well, at least your thumbnails). Wouldn’t it be nice to match your manicure to the book you’re reading? As someone who loves eating book-themed foods, wearing book-themed clothes, and drinking out of book-themed glassware, I respond with a wholehearted YES!

Nail polish names are incredibly creative, so I figured there must be at least a few that have a literary bent. I did a little hunting and found some nail polishes that pair perfectly with certain books. Some combinations are a super obvious and cheesy (in a good way!) but if you can’t figure out why I’ve coupled them together… you’re just going to have to read the book! 🙂

Indulge in a little self-care and try some of these the book and nail polish pairings. Even if manicures aren’t your thing, I think you’ll still get a kick out of some of these ridiculous nail polish names. Enjoy!

 

Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden & Kimono Over, by Essie

                

 

Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin & Game of Chromes, by Sally Hansen

               

 

Young Jane Young, by Gabrielle Zevin & Polly Want a Lacquer, by OPI

          

 

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman & That’s What Friends Are Thor, by OPI

               

 

The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman & Turn on the Northern Lights, by OPI

                                   

 

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald & Bubbles, by Butter

               

 

A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson & This is Tree-mendous, by China Glaze

                                   

 

How Stella Got Her Groove Back, by Terry McMillan & Jamaica Me Crazy, by Essie

                              

 

Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert & Beet Pray Love, by Sally Hansen

                

 

Tiny Pretty Things, by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton & Ballet Slippers, by Essie

                                    

 

Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins & Hunger Flames, by Sally Hansen

               

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt & Vegas, Baby, by Revlon
                

In a Dark, Dark Wood, by Ruth Ware & Hen Party, by Butter

                    

 

And if you want a more general literary lacquer…

I Red a Good Book, by Wet and Wild

Do you have any additional pairings to add?  If so, share in the comments below!

Literary Linking: January 29 – February 2

This week’s link topics include: Kwame Alexander’s new imprint, VERY expensive typos, words of wisdom from Ursula K. Le Guin, and more!

The best bookish links the week of January 29 – February 2:

Why Today’s A-List Actresses Are Obsessed with Judy Blume
From Lena Dunham to Mindy Kaling, mega-famous actresses love Judy Blume. And how could they not? She’s amazing!

Ten Things I Learned from Ursula K. Le Guin
Author Karen Joy Fowler was lucky enough to become friends with the recently late Ursula K. Le Guin, and this is a lovely compilation of Le Guin’s words of wisdom for writers. My favorite is: “Add as many dragons as you like.”

10 of the Most Expensive Typos in History
This article will definitely teach you to proofread your work!

New Prize Launches To Honour Thrillers without Violence Against Women
I can’t think of the last thriller I read that didn’t include violence against the female protagonist. It’ll be refreshing to dive into one free of all of that.

Kwame Alexander Will Start His New Imprint. The Name? Versify. Get It?
Kwame Alexander is a phenomenal writer and speaker. I can only imagine that he’ll do nothing but amazing things for publishing industry with his imprint.

What’s Making Me Happy, Vol. 8

Summer is my preferred season, so I’m glad to say goodbye to January, the Monday of all the months. Thankfully, there were a handful of things that made the month much more bearable.

Headspace App
Starting a meditation practice can seem daunting (at least it did to me), but Headspace makes it much easier. It starts you off with a 10-session series of Basics that guides you through very short meditations and progressively builds to longer ones. There are tons of other themed guided meditations to try, though you do have subscribe to access them. One of my favorite parts of the app is the Buddhist monk who talks you through the sessions. His British accent is tremendously soothing 🙂

Black Books
A British sitcom about an eccentric, heavy-drinking bookstore owner? Yes please! Bernard (the owner of the bookshop), his assistant Manny, and their friend Fran who owns the shop next door get into the funniest situations and scrapes. It’s available on Hulu for your viewing pleasure.

Yoga with Adriene
I learned about this YouTube channel from www.iamyourrabbit.com, and I’m so glad I did. Adriene’s yoga videos are free and fabulous! This month, she offered a 30-day series called True that “invites you to go on a ride back to…you.” It helps you explore who you are, how you move, how you can be present in the moment, and how to be true to yourself. Adriene’s instruction is clear and adaptable to different skill levels, while also being pretty entertaining. She’s full of funny quips and isn’t afraid to poke fun at herself. PLUS, she has an amazing dog named Benji who sometimes sits in on the sessions. He’s so chill and yogi-like. I strive to be like him someday!

Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea
During these cold winter months, I’ve rediscovered how lovely a cup of herbal tea can be in the evenings. Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea has been my favorite. Maybe it really has ingredients in it that can make you sleepy, but I think it might just be the coziness of having a warm beverage in my hands while reading a good book that makes me feel relaxed and ready for bed.

All Songs Considered: New Music Friday
For the past couple years, I’ve listened predominantly to 70s rock, 80s pop, and 90s grunge. I’ve only recently started listening to new music again and have floundered a bit when deciding what to try. To guide me on my musical journey, I turned to NPR’s All Songs Considered, a podcast I followed religiously in my mid- to late twenties, and they’re even better than before! Not only do they have their regular podcast featuring music coming out in the next few months, but they also have New Music Friday, which highlights the best albums released that week. I still love my 70s, 80s, and 90s music, but I’m glad to have All Songs Considered as a resource for all the new stuff I’ve been missing.

What’s made you happy recently? Please share in the comments below!