Easter Bunny's Schedule

Did you know that this is my blog's 200th post? Huzzah! To celebrate, here is a little anecdote involving two of my favorite things: Cute kids and odd reference questions.

Earlier this week a little boy, about 5 years old, came to me in complete earnest looking for some information. He asked me to help him find a book about Easter that would tell him what time the Easter Bunny would be arriving at his house. He said that he needed to know what time it would be safe to come downstairs.

I told the boy that I didn't think we would find that information in a book because the Easter Bunny goes to different kids' houses at different times. I also suggested that he ask his mom or dad if they knew what time the Easter Bunny had visited them last year - as parents, after all, they just might know the specifics of the Easter Bunny's local timetable.

But I totally see this kid's point. Why shouldn't there be a schedule? Trains and buses have schedules, so why not supernatural chocolate-carrying rabbits?

The Hunger Games Movie

Did everyone go and see The Hunger Games this weekend? This movie came very highly anticipated with much hoopla surrounding all elements of its production. But the question that fans of Suzanne Collins' myriad fans really wanted answered: Would the movie do the book justice?

One of the biggest concerns when a beloved book is adapted to the big screen is in the how true the plot and overall sequence of events stays true to the book. As a whole, the film was very successful in this regard. It probably helps that one of the film's screenwriters was Suzanne Collins herself. Very few big changes were made to the plot, and what few did exist seemed designed to foreshadow the events to come in Catching Fire. A few added scenes showing Seneca Crane and President Snow helped to really establish the Capitol and its authorities as the cruel opponents they are, and also gave viewers some necessary background knowledge about the Games. But as a whole, the plot was very much true to the original story.

My only complaint in terms of plotting: The scene between Katniss and Peeta on the train as they return home. I found this scene disappointing in the film. Peeta's words were far too ambiguous and I think it would have packed a lot more emotional punch if their dialogue had more directly addressed their relationship rather than the games as a whole.

But what about the movie's feel? Did director Gary Ross manage to capture the gritty urgency of the Games? In my opinion, he was mostly successful. There were plenty of moments while Katniss was in the arena where my heart was pounding in anticipation. Similarly, Katniss' home life in District 12 very nearly matched my own mental images of the area. However, I'd hoped for more visual "wow" from the Capitol. I understand that this would have required additional, expensive effects, but I did find myself feeling a tad under-whelmed during a few of these scenes.

Kudos to the film's casting department for rounding up such a strong, charismatic group of actors. Jennifer Lawrence was great as Katniss, and I really thought that Wes Bentley and Woody Harrelson shone in their roles as Seneca Crane and Haymitch Abernathy, respectively. Even still, I have to say that the film's emotional punch was, while certainly present, less than I'd hoped. I can't quite pin down an exact reason for this. Was it the change from first to third-person narrative? Was there too much packed into the time alotted? Is it my own fault thanks to high expectations? Or was it something else entirely? I'm not really sure.

Even still, The Hunger Games was as a whole a good movie. Not a great movie, but a bit better than average and definitely worth my time and money. Fans of the books will be pleased. I would, however, be curious to see this movie a second time to see how much the feeling of anticipation affected my initial response. If I can spend the duration of the film lost in the characters and the drama instead of worried about the quality of the adaptation, will the film be more enjoyable? Only one way to find out...

In the interest of full discolsure: This movie was rated PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images. It's also a long one at 142 minutes.

Overall Quality of the Film: B+
Overall Faithfulness to the Book: A-

Edit: I came across this review outlining the high and low points of the movie. I more or less agree with their comments on the movie's successes and failures.

The Fault in Our Stars

As a child, Hazel was diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer and expected to die. But thanks to a medical miracle and a drug that only works in a small percentage of users (herself being one of them), Hazel has bought herself a little more time. Unfortunately, no one is sure how much. Now Hazel is sixteen, constantly hooked up to an oxygen tank, out of school and somewhat disconnected from the rest of the world. Then at a support group meeting she meets Augustus Waters - handsome, brilliant, and in remission from the disease that took his leg. The two erudite survivors are drawn to each other and especially bond over Hazel's favorite book. Unfortunately the book ends abruptly when the narrator dies, and while Hazel appreciates the symbolism she has always been troubled by the lack of closure. Augustus takes Hazel on a journey to track down the book's author and, if at all possible, discover exactly what happened to the remaining characters.

After reading this book I think that I can truly say that I love author John Green (author of such books as An Abundance of Katherines and Will Grayson, Will Grayson). He is such a smart writer, and in The Fault in Our Stars he really does an excellent job of exploring what it is like to live with a death sentence. The lesson Hazel learns about not allowing cancer to define the scope of her life is a powerful one. There have been plenty of books written about kids with cancer, but very few that have so effectively explored the human condition with such well-drawn, clever, truly interesting characters. Best of all, Hazel and Augustus' story will appeal to all kinds of readers, not just those looking for a tear-jerker. I laughed and cried simultaneously - a rare treat to find in any story, but even more impressive in a genre that normally assumes that crying is enough. Well played, John Green.

Overall Grade: A

I fully expect The Fault in Our Stars to make my Top 5 list of best books of 2012 - it was really that good! If you need more convincing, check out the book trailer:

Articles Worth Reading

It's been a busy day for reading interesting articles!

This article, published by The Telegraph, discusses The Hunger Games, the subsequent rise of dystopian fiction, and its impact on teens. Very interesting read. It's worth noting that The Telegraph is a British publication and that several of the examples of other dystopian books are, in fact, British in origin.

This article from the Salon Media Group is slightly off topic for this blog, but is worth reading if you care about children and children's television. It's all about Mister Rogers and the impact he has had on generations of children though his simple, meaningful television show.

Happy reading!

Saving Armpit

The small town of Harmony Point is having a rough time. The town's welcome sign been strategically vandalized to read, "Welcome to Armpit," and with the town slowly falling into disrepair there are some who think that "Armpit" is living up to its name. Things soon begin to look up, at least, for the local baseball team. The Terriers haven't won a game in recent memory, but with the help of their new coach - Harmony Point's new postmaster - their game is really starting to turn around. The Terriers are thrilled with their coach and are looking forward to maybe winning a game or two this season. But soon rumors spread that the government will close Harmony Point's post office, consolidating with the post office of a nearby larger city and forcing their new coach to move away. What are the Terriers to do? They soon begin a letter writing campaign in an attempt to increase business at the post office and prove that Harmony Point really does need its post office. In the process, the Terriers might just be able to help their town make a few changes that will help the rest of the town shed its reputation as the region's armpit.

I was pleasantly surprised with author Natalie Hyde's work in Saving Armpit. Sports fans should be pleased with the story of an underdog baseball team, and those readers who generally avoid sports stories will find enough else in the story to keep them interested. I especially enjoyed reading the responses that the kids got to their letters from sources ranging from summer camps to government officials to the Barry Manilow Fan Club, which were featured between chapters and often included plenty of funny comments. I also greatly appreciated the subtle message about community activism found in this book. Though the Terriers didn't initially set out to really improve their community, by the end of the story readers can see that all of the letters that they wrote really have made their community a better place.

It is worth noting that this book is set and was originally published in Canada. Readers will need to be aware of this setting as they encounter references to Parliament and see the Canadian flag on replies from government officials. The only non-transferable difference that truly prevents this story from taking place in the United States: Apparently Canadians can write letters to their representatives without paying for postage, part of a program designed to encourage communication between representatives and their constituents. Still, this detail shouldn't be a major deterrent for American readers and might actually spark some conversation about the similarities and differences between the two nations.

Overall Grade: A-

Literary Names

Today I encountered two kids, both under the age of three. Guess what there names were.

Isabella and Cullen

Hmmm, I wonder where Mom got the idea for those names? I can only hope for their sakes that by the time these kids are in school their peers will be fairly oblivious to the Twilight reference.

Mice Are Nice

We have a new book display up here in the library all about our favorite little critters - mice!


Actually, it's pretty impressive how many books we can come up with about mice for children of just about any age. Our display includes titles like:

Picture Books
Owen by Kevin Henkes
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
Now It Is Winter by Eileen Spinelli
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stol Walsh

Chapter Books
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck