I'm sure you have an opinion. What is the most ominous wintry scene in children's literature? CricketMuse argues that Edmund's encounter with the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia takes the prize, —while I argue that Jacob Marley's visitation of Scrooge has put the fear of miserliness into children for over 170 years. What … Continue reading The White Witch vs. Jacob Marley’s Ghost – Debatables
Have you ever had an Amy Krouse Rosenthal (AKR) moment? Yesterday, I casually bought Terry Tempest Williams' book, "When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Variations on Voice." I read the title and decided to buy it. I didn't look inside. It just seemed like something I needed to read. When I opened it this morning, I … Continue reading Serendipity Strikes (AKR Moment)
Despite the fact that "salamander" reminds me of slander, and that the definition of "sully" falls in line with slander, I am entering the Sully Competition because I—well, who can resist entering a competition where one of the prizes is an official Sully certificate from the fabulous Mike Allegra, children's book author, playwright, freelance writer … Continue reading The Salamander-ish Sully Competition
This is the United States of America: This was the USA during the presidential campaign: This is the USA today: This is my dream for the USA: To get there, this needs to happen: And then we've got to stop doing this: And start doing this: The END
I hadn't planned on going to my niece's wedding. She was getting married in Orlando last week and had planned a large party/reception for friends and family in Illinois in early July. In honor of her grandparents (my parents) who had been married 65 years, she had decided to get married on their wedding anniversary, … Continue reading Summer Life Saving
I wrote this post a couple of days ago and accidentally hit the panic button. Sorry for the false alarm, but I didn't want it to be published in the same day as my last post. Let me try this again... Two days ago, I saw a woman get hit by a car, but I … Continue reading Telling Details
Umberto Eco died on February 19, 2016. He was a brilliant man who wrote fascinating books. He also had an encyclopedic memory. Here's a brief interview filmed by David Ferrario. In the interview, Eco discusses memory, computers, and a terrifying future. For those of you with serious book envy that may trigger a Pavlovian response, … Continue reading Umberto Eco – On Memory, Books, and Computers
In the spirit of improved public health, a librarian friend sent me a link from "Library Link of the Day" that contains an extremely high "ewwww" factor. Body Fluid Alert!!! My own take on this subject? I think library users have more robust immune systems than the average person. However, I will support any argument … Continue reading One More Reason to Buy Books
I stopped packing boxes long enough to write this teensy-weensy story for Susanna Leonard Hills' Halloweensie story contest. Here are the rules: Write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words costume, dark, and haunt. Your story can be scary, funny or anything in between, poetry or prose, but … Continue reading Dental Hygiene Halloween – Halloweensie Story Contest
A little over a year ago, we gathered family and friends on an island in Muscongus Bay in Maine to celebrate Peter Hoffmann's (my father-in-law) life and bury his ashes in the island cemetery. It was a glorious day—sunny and warm—for a picnic, wine, and shared memories. Sarah, my mother-in-law, asked the kids to craft … Continue reading Setting Fire to the Origami Crane – For Sarah Briggs Hoffmann
Jilanne Hoffmann 