Thursday, January 06, 2005

At a high school library yesterday, a boy thanked me very sincerely for helping him find several books on immigration and for showing him some web sources for students. I hope his report turns out okay. I did some shelving, some circ, and tried to keep students from actually shouting across the library. And I still had time to read most of Ann Brashare's book The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In the voice of a character providing a prologue, she admits that the characters are types: jock, beauty, shy, etc., but in general, each girl has some real characteristics readers can relate to. The girls' (separate) summer adventures make up the story. Maybe they are a bit extreme -- even the girl working at the big box store has some intense experiences -- but maybe they tell the readers something about seeing the adventure in everyday life. I bet that bits that made me smile make teens hoot with laughter. The kind of quotations I have liked since I was about the age of the characters divide the chapters. For example:

Luck never gives: it only lends.
- Chinese proverb

There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.
- Jerry Seinfeld

Capital City weather: foggy and chill for 2 days in a row

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Foggy and chill"? Did you change cities without telling anyone? Bearing in mind that it's early January, the temp has been in the 70's for a couple of days, setting a new record high day-before-yesterday.

Granted, is has been a little damp overnights.
P.

Anonymous said...

Just grabbed a salad at Grace & Harrison ~ can we call it the VCUkrop's?

Maggi

Lisa said...

"P"!! Have you *been* outside?! These two damp, sunless days make me feel much colder than any 30 degree day. Granted, Tuesday we did get beautiful "Juneuary" weather.

Maggi, I'll vote for that!

Anonymous said...

I'll grant that my office is prettier than most, but yes, I've spent a bunch of time outside and I've enjoyed every second of it. A few clouds maybe, but not enough to qualify as unpleasant.

"VCUkrops"? It's a natural.
P.

Lisa said...

Yeah, well, you work some 60 miles east of here. Though it may just be me. When I get a chill, I can't shake it. The last classroom I was in yesterday was over-air conditioned and I felt cold until I had been under my down comforter for hours.