Poe’s Valentine
February 11, 2021
Who is the woman pursued by Poe in his acrostic Valentine poem? … More Poe’s Valentine
Category: Librarian
Outside Over There; OR Goblin Weddings, Changelings, and the Otherworld
January 21, 2020
I’d shelved the book numerous times as a Children’s Librarian. But it took Victor LaValle’s creepy New York modern fairy tale, The Changeling, to get me to open its pages and actually read it. (It looks vaguely familiar; perhaps I had opened it when scouring the shelves for a book to read aloud for storytime … More Outside Over There; OR Goblin Weddings, Changelings, and the Otherworld
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop; A Picture Book [Review]
January 19, 2020
Not long ago, There lived a King. He did not sleep in a castle. He did not wear a crown. He did not rule a royal court Or ride in chariots. The King marched in the streets. He lived to help the poor. He lived for peace and love. Hate killed the King. The … More Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop; A Picture Book [Review]
Here There Be Dragons [Book Review]
January 22, 2019
Caroline McAlister’s John Ronald’s Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien is a picture book biography for the whole family. McAlister takes the reader through Tolkien’s youth, war service, and career to and through his initial penning of those classic words, “In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit.” The cadence, pacing, and echoes … More Here There Be Dragons [Book Review]
What Does It Mean To Be A Faerie Librarian?
November 28, 2018
I call myself the Faerie Librarian. I like the slant rhyme. The rhyme is more pronounced in my Facebook Faerie News page: Faerie Library. Here I curate fairie references and fairy tale allusions in the news and other sources. Even today, faeries are alive and well in conversation and print! “Like” my Facebook page for … More What Does It Mean To Be A Faerie Librarian?
A Tween and Teen Guide to Dystopian Societies
August 2, 2017
Mimi the Librarian’s Recommended Reading List In Georgia Briggs’ book Icon, twelve-year old Euphrosyne has been renamed Hillary by the anti-religious government in the new “Era of Tolerance.” Her family has been killed, on Pascha (Easter) night, and she goes to live with her grandparents. Her teachers, psychologist, and even her grandfather want her to … More A Tween and Teen Guide to Dystopian Societies
Righteous Among the Nations: The Muslims of Paris
June 21, 2017
Over sixty years later, there is so little documentation. This important story needs to be told, especially in these days of European terrorism, Islamofascism, and Islamophobia. “Jewish or Muslim,”–and so I’ve been told, also Christian–“the people of North Africa lived as neighbors and shared similar cultures. Through the centuries, they referred to each other as … More Righteous Among the Nations: The Muslims of Paris
Band of Bear Brothers [Book Review]
February 10, 2017
Soldier Bear is the story of the bear Voytek who became both mascot and comrade-in-arms to the men of the Second Polish Corps during World War II. Caught outside their homeland due to the war, 120 Poles joined up with the British and became part of the Allied invasion of Italy and the … More Band of Bear Brothers [Book Review]
Judgment-Free Zone
November 28, 2015
I saw this sign when I was out running errands: Judgment-Free Zone. My heart got a little squishy. I have zero interest in joining a gym, but I reached out toward that advertisement with longing: I want to go to a judgment-free zone. It reminded me of that time when as a children’s … More Judgment-Free Zone
Hear ye, Hear ye: Now Presenting John D. Batten
February 26, 2015
In honor of National Tell a Fairy Tale Day, I am sharing the work of one of my favorite fairy tale illustrators: John D. Batten. John Dickson Batten was an English illustrator and painter most known for collaborating with English fairy tale anthologist Joseph Jacobs. His illustrations populate Jacobs’ books: English Fairy Tales (1890), … More Hear ye, Hear ye: Now Presenting John D. Batten
