Module 2: Madeline

Summary: Madeline is the smallest of twelve girls under Miss Clavel's care. Madeline is brave, loves the winter, and knows how to frighten Miss Clavel. One night Madeline's appendix bursts and she is taken to the hospital. While she is recovering , Miss Clavel brings the other girls to visit her in the hospital where she shows off her scar and new toys from her father.

Citation:

Bemelmans, L. (1967). Madeline. New York: Viking Press.

Impressions: As much as I like the story, I love the different Paris landmarks featured in the book. It really is a subtle tour of Paris. The artwork is simple, yet iconic. Like Curious George, the color palette was determined by the printing process at the time but the colors aren't as jarring as they are in other books of the time. 

Reviews:
The first book I would like to share with you is the picture book Madeline. The book was written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans. This was my favorite book when I was little.
Madeline, the character, is a student at an all-girl boarding school in Paris that is lead by a nun named Miss Clavel. Miss Clavel runs an orderly operation where the girls are in two straight lines as they “break their bread, and brush their teeth, and went to bed”. But Madeline has a tendency to test the waters with Miss Clavel (which results in many other adventures: Madeline’s Rescue, Madeline in London, Madeline and the Bad Hat, Madeline and the Gypsies).
In this book, Ludwig Bemelman uses brisk rhyming to tell the story of how Miss Clavel’s regular routine is disrupted when Madeline gets an attack of appendicitis one night and is rushed to the hospital. With great concern Miss Clavel and the other girls quietly visit Madeline in the hospital only to find “toys and candy and the dollhouse from Papa”!
What I really love about the Madeline books are the illustrations. Bemelmans illustrations fascinated me as a child. I love them because they are not perfect. Most of the picture books I read when I was young had beautiful illustrations. I did enjoy those books as well, but I felt frustrated that I could not draw like that. But I did (and still do) draw more like Bemelmans’ style for the Madeline books. I delight in studying the details of his quirky illustrations, the chandeliers, the ivy covered walls, and the Paris landmarks. Madeline.com talks about how he also contributed illustrations for New Yorker, Bazaar, and Fortune magazines. Bemelmans also painted murals at New York's Carlyle Hotel. Madeline.com tells us
"Although Bemelmans became famous for his Madeline books, he always considered himself more an artist illustrator than a writer, and later in life he became a serious painter with works now on display in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Museé National d'Art of Paris."
So it is clear why the American Library Association awarded Bemelmans with a Caldecott Honor Award, an award that recognizes the artists of distinguished American children picture books.

Bankey, L. (2009, July 17). 'Madeline' by Ludwig Bemelmans. Retrieved from http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/books/madeline-by-ludwig-bemelmans/

Library Use: I would love to do a program based around the sights and sounds of Paris as shown in the book. Travel to Paris with Madeline would feature the sights of Paris along with French treats and tea.

Module 2: Matilda

Summary: Born into a family of cretins, Matilda turns to the library and books for comfort and education. By the time her family remembers to put her in school, she has already developed into a clever, intelligent girl who loves to learn and play tricks on her family. When she arrives at Crunchem Hall Primary School, she delights at her amazing teacher Miss Jennifer Honey whose gentle nature is offset by the horrible headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Miss Trunchbull is a power crazed bully who regularly throws kids out of windows. While at the school, Matilda begins to develop strange powers that she uses on Miss Trunchbull. When she discovers the Trunchbull has usurped Miss Honey's inheritance, Matilda uses her powers to drive Miss Trunchbull away and convinces her to return the school to Miss Honey. As Matilda's parents are fleeing the country, Matilda pleads with them to let Miss Honey take custody of her and they agree. Together, Miss Honey and Matilda form a new family and life together.

Citation:

Dahl, R., & Blake, Q. (2007). Matilda. New York: Puffin Books.

Impressions: I am a little bit embarrassed that I never read this book. I love Roald Dahl and I can see why this is an instant classic. It's biting satire of middle class values and anti-intellectualism makes it a perfect book for children and adults alike. As a person who believes that family is more than blood, I also liked the relationship between Matilda and Miss Honey.

Reviews:

 Gr 4-6 Dahl's latest piece of madcap mayhem is a story filled with the elements that his fans cravesardonic humor, the evilest of villians, the most virtuous of heroines, and children who eventually defeat those big bad grown-ups. In this book, Matilda isn't just smart, she is `èxtra-ordinary. . .sensitive and brilliant,'' reading Great Expectations as a four year old. Unfortunately, her TV-addict parents neither recognize nor appreciate their daughter's genius. Neglected Matilda finds mentors in librarian Mrs. Phelps and teacher Miss Honey, a woman as sweet as her name implies. Miss Honey, Matilda, and other students are tormented by the child-hating headmistress Trunchbull. Trunchbull has also cheated orphaned niece Miss Honey out of her rightful inheritance, leaving the teacher in extreme poverty. Having practiced revenge techniques on her father, Matilda now applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of Trunchbull and restore Miss Honey's financial security. If the conclusion is a bit too rapid, the transitions between Matilda's home and school life a bit choppy, and the writing style not as even as in some of Dahl's earlier titles, young readers won't mind. Dahl has written another fun and funny book with a child's perspective on an adult world. As usual, Blake's comical sketches are the perfect complement to the satirical humor. This may not be a teacher's or principal's first choice as a classroom read-aloud, but children will be waiting in line to read it. Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Lib . , Wis.

Piehler, H. (1988, October). Matilda (Book Review) (Undetermined). School Library Journal, 35, 143-143. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson). 

Library Use: I was use this as a way to discuss the use of satire and middle class values. One of the recurring themes in the book is anti-intellectualism so I would contrast that with the freedom that Matilda achieves through reading.

Module 1: Little Red Writing

Summary: Little Red is a pencil on a mission--to write a story for her class assignment. Little does she know where her story path will lead her as she discovers that Principal Granny has been replaced by the Wolf 3000, the biggest baddest pencil sharpener ever.

Citation: Holub, J., Sweet, M. (2013). Little red writing. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Impressions: I really loved this ingenious retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It works as both a fractured fairy tale and as a lesson is developing a short story. 

Reviews:
Little Red, a red pencil at Pencil School, embarks on a story-writing assignment, equipped with the advice “to stick to your basic story path so you don’t get lost” and a basket of words to use in case of trouble. Although Little Red begins well, she soon ends up in “a deep, dark, descriptive forest,” so she pulls out the word “scissors” and cuts her way out. A strange growling then causes her to fling more words and flee, but when she notices a tail (an appliance plug on a cord) she follows it to Principal Granny’s office to find a computer-like machine. Though the thing initially purports to be Principal Granny, it eventually reveals itself to be the Wolf 3000, a powerful pencil sharpener who has sharpened Principal Granny down to a stub. Little Red throws her last word—“dynamite”—at the Wolf 3000 and blows it to smithereens, thus rescuing Principal Granny and giving Little Red an exciting conclusion to her assignment. This is an original and action-filled concept, but the story-writing instructional hints feel forced, the plot is rather tangled, and Red’s tool words are too often contrived and convenient. Sweet’s watercolor, pencil, and collage artwork is a whole lot of fun, though, and the details of the pencil-inhabited world are charming if a bit cluttered. Enterprising English teachers willing to give a little added guidance may find this the most useful, and storytime leaders or school librarians may enjoy pairing this with Ahlberg’s The Pencil (BCCB 9/08) or Dromer’s The Obstinate Pen (BCCB 6/12).

Hulick, J.(2013). Little Red Writing by Joan Holub (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 67(4), 217. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved January 22, 2016, from Project MUSE database.

Library Use: This would be a perfect complement to any language arts class. It succinctly  describes how to use a Story Path, developing a short story, and proper ways to use parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. It does all of this in an entertaining format that will grab the reader's attention. I can even see this book being used in middle and high school classes because it never talks down to the reader.

Papermaking at the Library

As an early Earth Day celebration, I taught a handmade recycled papermaking class today. I don't have any pictures of the actual class because I was elbow deep in paper pulp but I do have photos of the results here.

Welcome TLA Participants!

Hi gang! I hope you enjoyed Monique's presentation at TLA. If you have any questions about the Steampunk Journal, let me know.

I haven't been very diligent about keeping up this journal, but I promised to start actually using it so keep an eye on it.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Darla and I am a wannabe Librarian. Right now, I work at the Atascocita Library as a Circulation Assistant (my official title) and Young Adult Program Coordinator (my unofficial title). I have been running a highly successful YA program for over 3 1/2 years. The title of this blog refers to the fact that I am 16 hours of Spanish away from starting my MLIS (feel free to poke me periodically or send messages of encouragement).

Previously, I spent quite a few years in professional theatre as an actor, stage manager, and director. For 10 years, I owned an art supply store called Eccentricities which sold supplies for bookbinding, rubber stamping, papermaking, altered books, and other eccentric notions.

I am a geeky, dorkalicious fangirl with interests in anime/manga, cult TV, paper art, and too many strange things to mention.

Any questions?

Steampunk Time Twistin' Journal

Steampunk Time Twistin' Journal
By Darla Pruitt


Supply List:
Black Composition Books
Scrap Paper
Various Pigment Ink Pads (miniature ones like Cat's Eyes from Colorbox work best)
Glue Sticks
Laser Copied Images
Embellishments (keys, gears, watch parts, brads, shipping tags, etc.)
Clear Contact Paper or Self-Laminating Film
Dye Ink Pads in dark colors (I would pick just one or two)
Double sided tape (I used the kind with a red backing)
Glue Dots (for heavy embellishments)
Scrapbook paper

Optional:
Rubber Stamps
Baby Wipes (great for cleaning messy hands)
Exotic paper (available from art supply stores)
Stickers

Where To Buy Supplies:
Local Craft, Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Stores
eBay
etsy (www.etsy.com)
Better yet, have patrons donate items.

Photos from the test class are here.

Step A: Cover Me
There are several ways to cover the journal. If you don't have the time or resources to do the technique described below, you can always use scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, cardstock, or anything else you can devise to cover the front of the book. In the sample, I used the Magenta (named after the Canadian rubber stamp company, not the color) style pigment ink color layering technique.

Supplies: Scrap paper, pigment ink pads (miniature ones work the best), dye ink pads.

1. Pick three colors of pigment ink pads. Starting with the lightest color first, gently pounce the ink pad on the paper. You can also twist the pads and use other movements across the paper to make patterns. Don't feel the need to completely cover the paper with one color. You will notice that pigment ink doesn't dry quickly so you can blend as you go along.

2. Repeat this process two more times and make sure to save the darkest color for last.

3. If you would like to rubber stamp on top of your paper, do so now with dye ink. Dye ink is fast drying so it won't smear like pigment ink. This will insure that your image is crisp and won't blend into the background.

4. Once you are finished with your background, crumple your paper up into a tight ball. Smooth it out and then crumple it again. Do this until your paper feels soft like fabric. One or two times usually does the trick.

5. You will notice that your paper is not completely flat and has what I like to call valleys and mountains. Take a dye ink pad (I used a Distress pad in vintage colors) and run it across the surface. The ink will stick to the mountains, not the valleys creating an aged effect. See the video here.

6. In the video, I mention paper tearing. Experiment on scratch paper tearing the paper toward you and away from you. Both directions will produce a different deckle edge effect. On the sample, I rubbed the edge facing the black binding with a dye in pad for an aged look.

7. Covering the book: Use a glue stick to cover the front with a thin layer of glue. Position your paper on the front of the notebook. Fold in any excess paper and glue it to the inside of the cover. If you want to cover the inside cover, you can create endpapers with the same technique or use cardstock.

Step B: Transfer Time
Supplies:
Contact paper or self-laminating film
Color laser copies
Bone folder
Bowl of cold water

Video here.

1. Cut out your image. Also cut your contact paper so it is a little bit larger than your image.

2. Peel the backing off the contact paper.

3. Place your image face down on the contact paper.

4. Rub the back of the image gently with a bone folder a few times. Do the same thing for the front.

5. Drop the whole thing in a bowl of cold water. Give it a minute and start to rub the back of the image. The paper will start to curl up and fall off. DON'T PANIC! This is supposed to happen. It's also a long and tedious process. Watch it here. When you have finally rolled off the paper, you image will be transferred to the contact paper and is ready to mount.

6. To mount the transfer to another piece of paper (in the sample, I mounted it to a tag), just use a clear double sided tape. In some cases, the transfer might still have enough stickiness left to adhere it to the paper. If not, just put a few pieces of tape under the image and stick it to your desired surface.

Step C: Embellish It!
Now, it's time to get creative. Here are some handy hints for embellishing:

When it comes to layering papers, I always recommend layering with a solid, pattern and a solid or vice versa. Two pattern papers on top of each other tends to create visual dissonance.


Always lay out your project before you glue everything down.

To glue heavy embellishments like the key, use Glue Dots (aka snot dots). Don't peel the dots off their backing paper, use your embellishment to pull the dots off the backing paper. This keeps the dots from sticking to your fingers.

One Thing I Learned This Summer....

The one trauma of the summer was the loss of my Chess Camp teacher. It wasn't anything tragic. He helped me start our Chess Club (I know, original name) and taught the first summer. And then, he remarried. Wife #2 was not happy with all the time he spent on chess (in his divorcee days, he would spend 6 hours on a Sunday memorize moves) and 1 week before the start of summer reading, he e-mailed me his resignation citing a need to spend more time with his family. Now before you get all upset, he had 9 months to make this decision but every time I talked to him, he would tell me how excited he was about this summer. You can't tell me that his wife made this request one week before the launch of Chess Camp.

As a result, I was left with no chess teacher. I play chess myself, but playing and teaching are two different animals. I tried to find a substitute to no avail. In the end, I did it myself.

Tonight, I had a newbie chess kid and discovered that this summer not only made me a better chess player but also a pretty good teacher. Not as good as Henpecked!Chess Guy but I actually enjoy it now. My newbie is playing in a tournament this weekend and I can't wait to hear how he fairs.