www.roanoke.com

This said:

By Barack Obama

Saturday, June 25th, 2005
From the speech, "Literacy and Education in a 21st-Century Economy,"
Full text can be found: http://obamaspeeches.com/024-Literacy-and-Education-in-a-21st-Century-Economy-Obama-Speech.htm

"What if it was as easy to get a book as it is to rent a DVD or pick up McDonalds? What if instead of a toy in every Happy Meal, there was a book? What if there were portable libraries that rolled through parks and playgrounds like ice cream trucks? Or kiosks in stores where you could borrow books? What if during the summer, when kids often lose much of the reading progress they've made during the year, every child had a list of books they had to read and talk about and an invitation to a summer reading club at the local library?"

Hungate's Ghost by Walt Mayes, PublishAmerica, 380 pages, $29.95, available at www.amazon.com.

Hungate's Ghost tells the story of a young plantation owner in 1776, who is tragically killed in an accident and refuses to believe he is dead,  until he misses the light to the other world.  For two hundred years he searches for the light, only to push others through when he finds it.  It is his triumphs and tragedies, the people he meets, the friends he cultivates, and the lessons he learns about life in general, and death.

Walt Mayes lives in Roanoke County.

Hollins “Chapter” Book Club
A chapter book club for kids who have finished 3rd through 5th grades. The club will read a book, discuss it, do a craft and have the opportunity to eat snacks tied to the theme of the book. Reading “Whittington” by Alan Armstrong.
When: 4 p.m., Feb. 11
Where: Hollins Library, 6624 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke
Cost: Free
Contact: 561-8024

The Friends of the Bedford Public Library will hold a Valentines Weekend Book Sale on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Feb. 15, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thousands of books to choose from in diverse subjects and genres. Also available will be CDs, DVDs, puzzles and videos.

At the Bedford Central Library, 321 N. Bridge Street in Bedford, VA. www.friendsofbedfordlibrary.org

When you have more books than clothes, children’s toys, and dishes put together, how do you go about packing them up to move? I have found that starting with the books before anything else is a very satisfying way to go. You can do this early on in your plans to move and feel like you are accomplishing something. Packing them up first also prevents a person from getting into that last minute habit of throwing things into a box all willy nilly. You don’t want to do that with books. At least I don’t. Packing them first also allows you to use the best boxes you can find for them. And, packing them first also puts them out of mind when you decide that you have way too much stuff to fit into the new home and it is decided to start selling things or giving them away. This is how I have ended up with more books than anything else I own.

Curious about exactly the best manner to pack books, I went searching and found this advice from a moving company: “…it is a good opportunity to reevaluate the books you would like to transport. Keep in mind that books can be heavy and it will increase the weight of your load thus increasing your transportation cost. Consider selling some books at a yard sale, donating them to charity, or selling to a secondhand bookstore.” Shudder at the thought! Unless you are moving across the country and really need to weed out. The instructions were minimal though and not very helpful. How hard is it to pack books? This little article was fun to read and made me well aware that I am not alone: http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/10/packing-books-the-best-way/

It’s not very difficult to pack if you are just transporting across town, but what about long term storage?

I found this Frequently Asked Questions list that explains nicely about preserving books: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~preserve/html/faq.shtml  but if you don’t feel like reading that and want to know what the Library of Congress has to say about storing books, click here: http://www.loc.gov/preserv/presfaq.html#1.

Got a funny book related moving story? Tell me about it!

What more can I say? I am just thankful we were able to recognize this author recently on our pages.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28877018?GT1=43001

I went to see the movie Inkheart (A fantasy movie based upon the book Inkheart by Cornelia Funke) over the weekend with my two kids, ages 16 and 12. The 16 year old is the one who had read the entire series of books, but I’m not sure who was more excited about the movie, her or me. The premise of the movie and books is that a father and daughter are able to “read” characters out of the pages of books. When they read aloud, something or someone from the book pops into the real world. I fell in love with the idea when my daughter first read Funke’s first in the series by the same name. If you could read Dumbledore out of the Harry Potter books, what would you talk with him about? If you could read Buddha into your life, what would you do? What about dragons, elves, the fountain of youth? The fantasy of the plot enticed me. So how was the movie?

Enchanting, fun, delightful. It was an adventure story that involved books of all things, so how could I not like it? I’d like to see the rest of series made into movies. Brendan Fraser certainly didn’t hurt the film and the daughter’s role was played by a beautiful young lady, Eliza Bennett. The baddies in the film were wickedly humorous. It was good time. My daughter felt the movie accurately portrayed the book. That’s pretty high praise these days. The three of us gave it three thumbs up.

Cornelia Funke’s web page regarding the movie can be seen here: http://www.corneliafunke.de/en/film/film-82.html

Augusten Burroughs was featured on the Sunday Morning show on January 25. He has written five memoirs, the latest of which, "The Wolf at the Table," is being released in March, and one of which, "Running With Scissors," has been made into a movie, starring Annette Bening.
While a very interesting man, Burroughs is only in his 40’s. The interview touched on how it was possible that he had written five books based on his life already. He revealed his childhood as having been tortuous, and as such, provided fodder for much thought. He relayed something to the effect that getting the memories down in print was a way to release them. I can relate to that.

His older brother John Elder Robison has also written a memoir, "Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's." He was also interviewed and while he saw their childhood in a slightly different light, he conceded that their perceptions of it would almost have to be different given the age difference between them and each of their relationships with their father.  How would your siblings see your childhood dear reader? Absolutely, there are things you would argue over having happened.

The interview also brought up the hot topic question of stretching the facts while writing a memoir. The controversy with James Frey’s "A Million Little Pieces" has spurred the close scrutiny of memoirs.

While I wholeheartedly agree that bold faced lies should not be incorporated into a memoir, that facts cannot be invented when the book is labeled as non-fiction, one has to remember that a memoir is a remembrance. The author is depicting things as they experienced them. When that memory is twisted with fearful moments in life, dire circumstances, the mind may have twisted the perception of the moment. A person who is terrified during an instance is going to see things quite differently than someone who is at ease in that same moment. I will tell you that the spider I found in my hair one night was tremendous and vicious, while another person might have seen it as tame and tiny. To me, it was terrifying.

It is my thought that a memoir should certainly be viewed with this grain of salt.

In Scotland, every January 25, they celebrate the birthday of their national poet, on Robbie Burns Day. A special pudding is served called Haggis which has been cooked inside a sheep's stomach. While I know I couldn't, um, stomach haggis, I might celebrate this man's life by singing a little song that many people know thanks to him, or almost know. The words sometimes escape us but we can all hum along to Auld Lang Syne. (For the lyrics and meanings of some the old Scottish words, see here.)

So why celebrate his day? Burns wrote even an epitaph to explain why we should recall the bard:

A Bard's Epitaph

1786
Type: Epitaph

Is there a whim-inspired fool,
Owre fast for thought, owre hot for rule,
Owre blate to seek, owre proud to snool,
Let him draw near;
And owre this grassy heap sing dool,
And drap a tear.

Is there a bard of rustic song,
Who, noteless, steals the crowds among,
That weekly this area throng,
O, pass not by!
But, with a frater-feeling strong,
Here, heave a sigh.

Is there a man, whose judgment clear
Can others teach the course to steer,
Yet runs, himself, life's mad career,
Wild as the wave,
Here pause-and, thro' the starting tear,
Survey this grave.

The poor inhabitant below
Was quick to learn the wise to know,
And keenly felt the friendly glow,
And softer flame;
But thoughtless follies laid him low,
And stain'd his name!

Reader, attend! whether thy soul
Soars fancy's flights beyond the pole,
Or darkling grubs this earthly hole,
In low pursuit:
Know, prudent, cautious, self-control
Is wisdom's root.

This poet of many words left quite the collection behind. Many of which I was pleased to have recognized. To learn more about the bard of Scotland, click over to this ode of a website.

Toddlers’ Book Club

Provides the opportunity for hearing, listening and watching facial expressions while learning new words.

When: Mondays, 10 to 11 a.m.

Where: Preston Park Recreation Center, Roanoke

Cost: Free

Contact: www.roanokeva.gov/play