#Kate Klise

[travelinglibrariansdesk]

New idea for a blog

New idea for a blog: circulation assistant who enjoys talking about the books she checks in and out every day. I have no idea if anyone would find my opinions of books interesting: I'm mainly writing for me. Last fall, after the library hired me, I began keeping a list of good-looking children's books for my mother, who says she's going to start reading books to little kids somewhere, as soon as she's settled into her new apartment. The list mushroomed right away.

Can I start a blog this way? I'd love to keep notes on the books I see every day. For instance, today someone returned Jenny and the Cat Club, a book my grandmother used to read to me. So dear to my heart, little black cat Jenny with her red scarf and silver ice skates, and her wonderful friends. I'm overjoyed that someone is still reading it!

Also, a really funny edition of Frankenstein: Frankenstein: Annotated for Scientists, Engineers, and Creators of All Kinds. Worrisome, isn't it, to think that someone seems to want to encourage scientists to...um...duplicate Frankenstein's research? Not sure if that is what is intended by the title.

Just read an adorable book called It Came in the Mail. Little boy loves getting mail, so he writes a letter to the mailbox asking it to send him things. The first thing that arrives is a dragon. All the art is letter/postcard art, with appropriate and adapted post office stamps: "oversize" on the elephant, and "pearishable" on a giant pear.

Every day I'm amazed at the dazzling and creative art used in children's books. Yesterday I read a sweet Native American myth, called The Girl Who Loved Horses, a Caldecott winner from 1978 by Paul Goble. His Native American-style art is colorful and gorgeous, and sweeps across the pages in a way that suggests wild mustangs in motion.

The popularity of graphic novels has freed both adult and children's book authors from the either/or of "text" or "picture book". I nabbed a book today that I'd like to read called Trial by Jury Journal. I opened it to find that the story is told by all kinds of print media - the usual paragraphs, letters, newspaper articles, etc. I love creative flights like this. It reminds me of that beautiful series of books done as letters and postcards: Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine romance. I love the zing I get when I can connect two authors and think, I wonder if the older book(s) had an influence on the newer ones? Did Bantock's books pave the way for others of this type?

Update on Trial by Jury Journal: Good but not great. Kids will probably appreciate the character name puns more than I did - over several pages it wears a little thin (e.g., Anna Conda, Rhett Tyle). Still, the narration style keeps switching, which both keeps it interesting and develops individual characters. However, I think she could've gone further with the character development. They're not flat, but they don't have a full three dimensions. Still love the pen-and-ink art, reminiscent of Joseph Schindelman's original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Lemony Snickett.

Then there's Kaz Windness's If Ur Stabby, about a psycho anti-unicorn. Definitely NOT for kids under 12. A nice old man handed me the book the other day because (I think) his granddaughter had pulled it off the (presumably) adult graphic novel shelf, and he thought it might not be for children. Which it is NOT. However, the dark (one might say sick) humor of a depressed unicorn depicted largely in black and white is pretty funny if you've had a little too much princess literature, or the Pinkalicious series, come across your desk.

Just did a deeper dive into Stabby, who is apparently a graduate of Mother Goth Rhymes, which I can't put on hold right now because I have too many other books out that are overdue. (Just can't get myself to read enough. Very frustrating.) Fascinating stuff, though - "Stabby the Unicorn" is a meme, and apparently a game - "Unstable Unicorns", which would be a great name for a band, don't you think? But the game - "a strategic card game that will destroy your friendships" - is a little to manga for my taste. Even though they're "unstable", they're too cute and marshmallowy. More on that some other time, I think. Stabby is not manga. Original artwork - lots of curly, swirly letters and piles of skulls.

On a more serious, but still dark, note, I saw a book today entitled The Midwife of Auschwitz. My first reaction was YOW, this sounds horribly depressing. I was intrigued enough to read the blurb on the back, and it depicts exactly the story you'd expect of the title. However, I expect it would be an interesting take on the Holocaust, if you're in the right frame of mind. It turns out that among the atrocities the Nazis committed at the camps, they took the most Aryan-looking babies and gave them to German couples wanting children. Just like the Irish nuns and the evil folks in Before We Were Yours did.

[readingbooksinisrael]

Sister's Day

A book written and illustrated by two sisters

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Les Chevaliers d'Emeraude by Anne Robillard

Apprenant que l'Empereur Noir s'apprête à envahir le continent de nouveau, le Roi d'Emeraude, soucieux de protéger tous les peuples d'Enkidiev, ressuscite un ancien ordre de chevalerie. Choisis pour leurs dons particuliers, dotés de pouvoirs magiques, les nouveaux Chevaliers d'Emeraude sont au nombre de sept : six hommes et une femme.Au moment où les compagnons d'armes se disent enfin prêts à combattre, la Reine Fan de Shola demande audience à Emeraude Ier et lui confie Kira, alors âgée de deux ans et encore inconsciente du rôle qu'elle sera appelée à jouer dans le futur des hommes. Ce jour-là, Wellan, le grand chef des Chevaliers, tombe profondément amoureux de la reine. Malheureusement, le Royaume de Shola subira les attaques féroces des dragons de l'Empereur Noir et tous les Sholiens, y compris la reine, seront massacrés.Le coeur brisé, Wellan devra organiser la défense d'Enkidiev et repousser les forces du Mal...

I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale

After her mother unexpectedly leaves her with her uncle's family, members of a fanatical Christian cult, Kirby tries to learn what has become of her mother and struggles to cope with the repressiveness of her new surroundings and to maintain her own identity.After her mother leaves her with her uncle's family, members of a Christian cult, Kirby tries to learn what has become of her mother and struggles to cope with the repressiveness of her surroundings and to maintain her own identity.

Regarding the... by Kate Klise

The Dry Creek Middle School drinking fountain has sprung a leak, so principal Walter Russ dashes off a request to Flowing Waters Fountains, Etc.

...We need a new drinking fountain. Please send a catalog.

Designer Flo Waters responds:

"I'd be delighted...but please understand that all of my fountains are custom-made."

Soon the fountain project takes on a life of its own, one chronicled in letters, postcards, memos, transcripts, and official documents. The school board president is up in arms. So is Dee Eel, of the water-supply company. A scandal is brewing, and Mr. Sam N.'s fifth grade class is turning up a host of hilarious secrets buried deep beneath the fountain.

Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry

Horses were in Annie Bronn's blood. For as long as she could remember, she had been fascinated by the spirited wild mustangs that roamed free throughout the West. So when greedy cattlemen started to round up the mustangs for slaughter, Annie knew it was up to her to save the breed.

Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke

Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft never expected to enjoy boarding school. Then again, he never expected to be confronted by a pack of vengeful ghosts, either. And then he meets Ella, a quirky new friend with a taste for adventure...

Together, Jon and Ella must work to uncover the secrets of a centuries-old murder while being haunted by terrifying spirits, their bloodless faces set on revenge. So when Jon summons the ghost of the late knight Longspee for his protection, there's just one Can Longspee truly be trusted?

The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence

The dogs on Flavia's street have started dying mysteriously, and she is determined to find out why. Her investigation leads her to three extraordinary people: Jonathan, her new neighbor; Nubia, an African slave; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy. The four embark on a search for the killer ... and that's when the excitement begins

The Cloak Society by Jeramey Kraatz

The Cloak

An elite organization of supervillains graced with extraordinary powers. Ten years ago the Cloak Society was defeated by Sterling City's superheroes, the Rangers of Justice, and vanished without a trace. But the villains have been waiting for the perfect moment to resurface. . . . Twelve-year-old Alex Knight is a dedicated junior member of Cloak who has spent years mastering his telekinetic superpowers and preparing for the day when Cloak will rise to power again. Cloak is everything he believes in. But during his debut mission, Alex does the He saves the life of a Junior Ranger of Justice. Even worse . . . she becomes his friend. And the more time he spends with her, the more Alex wonders what, exactly, he's been fighting for.

Barnen pa Brakmakargatan by Astrid Lindgren

Look out -- here comes trouble! Jonas, Maria, and Lotta Nyman don't mean to make trouble, but because their idea of fun is to stick salami on the windows, keep the water running from the kitchen faucet until the sink overflows, and lower meatballs down through the chimney, trouble just seems to follow them....

With the Nyman kids around, anything can happen!

The Water Horse by Dick King-Smith

The story begins with a mysterious egg washed up on a Scottish beach, the morning after a great storm. Kirstie and her brother Angus find the egg and take it home. The next day it has hatched into a tiny greeny-grey creature with a horse's head, warty skin, four flippers and a crocodile's tail. The baby sea monster soon becomes the family pet – but the trouble is, it just doesn't stop growing!

Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell

A silver brumby is special, but he will be hunted by man and horse alike, and must be stronger than both. Thowra, the magnificent silver stallion, is king of the brumbies. But he must defend his herd from the mighty horse, The Brolga, in the most savage of struggles. But that is not the only danger. Thowra needs all his speed and cunning to save his herd from capture by man. In a desperate chase through the mountains, it seems there is no longer anywhere for him to run to...

[pigswithwings]

if so do you have any book recommendations? I feel like you would read good books 

oh fuck yeah okay. disclaimer. i don't oft get the chance to read and when i do read it's usually only a few books i really like. heres some that i can recall

House of Leaves (Mark Danielewski) for LIFE it is SO good. very confusing sometimes but throughout it creates this energy that is so eerie. and sad. and loving and very painful. i will never stop thinking about it i will never stop holding will navidson in my head. also the layout/formatting of the book is WILD and i am such a sucker for books with fun formatting (see also: this guy was obsessed with Letters From Camp and Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise). like if you've never checked out house of leaves it is a great time right now. the pages are all over the place. good fucking god i love house imagery

Holes (Louis Sachar) - yeah kind of a simple straightforward book but it means a lot to me. i like it very much it reminds me of being quite young. i like how it binds together a lot of current struggles. i like how all plotlines intersect it is like how all humans are connected in some ways throughout history

Stone Butch Blues (Leslie Feinberg) - you can find a FREE pdf here and it is VERY. very good. very personal. nearly made me cry heed the warnings for content. described experiences that i have never considered but understand. feels like being broken into bits and put together with pieces missing.

The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman) - similar to Holes in that it is not the Most Complex book, but still an interesting read. i like how warm it feels. i like how the supernatural elements are put plainly and never really dramatised too much it's similar to the tone of Coraline but less focus on the horror more just like. the story happens to be very comfortably swaddled in the horror. mudane-ing the strange. very neat

Not Necessarily Books, But Good Short Stories: There Will Come Soft Rains (Ray Bradbury) , I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (Harlan Ellison) (also consider checking out the radio drama)

[maddie-grove]

I really want to reread Trial by Journal by Kate Klise (2001), a middle-grade scrapbook novel about a sixth grader who is made to serve as a juror in a sequestered murder trial where the victim is her missing-presumed-dead classmate (because the State of Missouri has passed a law saying that trials for crimes concerning a child victim need to have a child juror), for the following reasons:

As a kid, I was like “okay, sure, obviously that law would probably not be passed but it’s possible.” And now, as an adult and a lawyer, I’m like could you IMAGINE.

The book is whimsical in a lot of ways—almost everyone has punny animal-based names, and there are plot points such as “the heroine befriends a flamboyant reclusive former Old Hollywood star” and “art fraud involving a gorilla”—but the premise is that a child has apparently been murdered and his family/friends/community are devastated, and also that the main suspect is not getting a fair trial because he is desperately poor and mentally disabled. In my memory, Klise pulled it off, but that’s a wild combo.

I’m really interested to see how the current events of the 1990s/very early 2000s influenced the book. Rhett Tyle is obviously kind of pre-politics Trump, right?

[kolase-klise]

Kolase atas klisè lukaku. sehubungan dengan rasa yang tak sempat tersampaikan. perihal duka romansa yang tiba diujung kisah dan perjalanan.

mengkaji ulang selayaknya penyesalan dan keinginanku menemuimu sekali lagi.

Kediri, 23.10 wib.

mjd.

[roesolo]

Librarian Resistance! Don't Check Out This Book by Kate Klise

Librarian Resistance! Don't Check Out This Book by @kateklise @AlgonquinYR

Don’t Check Out This Book!, by Kate Klise/Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise, (March 2020, Algonquin), $16.95, ISBN: 978-1-61620-976-6

Ages 8-12

In this testament to the librarian resistance, new school librarian Rita B. Danjerous moves into the town of Appleton, Illinois, a town that’s been dwindling. Heck, Rita’s there because the school received a “When All Else Fails” grant, and by enrolling…

[bookmama]

Book 1 from Day 1 of social distancing😊

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Thank you so much to @algonquinyr for sending me this ARC of Don’t Check Out This Book by Kate Klise📖

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Synopsis from the publisher: Is the sweet town of Appleton ripe for scandal? Consider the facts:

Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian named Rita B. Danjerous. (Say it fast.) Principal Noah Memree barely remembers hiring her. Ten-year-old Reid Durr is staying up way too late reading a book from Ms. Danjerous's controversial "green dot" collection. The new school board president has mandated a student dress code that includes white gloves and bow ties available only at her shop. Sound strange? Fret not. Appleton's fifth-grade sleuths are following the money, embracing the punny, and determined to the get to the funniest, most rotten core of their town's juiciest scandal. Don't miss this seedy saga!

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I have been a fan of Kate Klise’s books for a couple of years now, and her newest book is no exception! This fun book about mysterious books, shady school board members, clueless principals, and a sassy librarian ready to defend her patrons rights to books is sure to warm so many hearts. This book is also an epistolary middle grade novel told completely through letters, emails, and newspaper clippings. The fun format is sure to attract many young readers. Overall this book was the love letter that all Librarians need and deserve. They are superheroes without capes, with the power of inspiring and supporting life long readers❤️

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What is the first library book you remember falling in love with?

[ex-professo]

It occurs to me that Flowing Waters Fountains, Etc., would go bankrupt v. quickly if all their drinking fountains wound up being over-designed behemoths - and built for free, too!  It's cool, sure, but massively impractical - and can you imagine the school board's reaction to the costs of maintaining this thing, as opposed to an ordinary fountain?

[maraczeks]

in the bag thread

[sspaz1000]

Book Review: Don’t Check Out This Book

Book Review: Don’t Check Out This Book #Dontcheckoutthisbook #netgalley

I was contacted about reviewing this book and received a copy of the book off of NetGalley.

Title: Don’t Check Out This Book

Author: Kate Klise

Illustrator: M. Sarah Klise

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Release Date: March 10th 2020

  Review:I’m a librarian and I have a soft spot for books about libraries and librarians. When they are geared towards middle grade, even better. This book was…

[baconpncakes]

@palewhitehorse tagged me to do this! Thank you so much, Vi!

Nickname: I’m Samantha but you can also call me Pancakes

Sign: Virgo

Height: 5′7���

Last thing googled: “Peter’s Friends Kenneth Branagh” (I had to make a very specific meme for my sister last night)

Song stuck in my head: See The Day by The Altogether

Number of followers: That number is between me and my demons 🙏

Amount of sleep: I usually get 7.5 but the past few days it’s been more than eight and holy shit dude it’s amazing

Dream Job: Dream jobs that I would never actually be able to pursue are comic book writer and video essayist!

Wearing: Black and gray striped sweater, jeans, gray socks with hearts on them, black cons, black choker

Books that summarize you: At one point in my life I would have told you hands-down Deliver Us From Normal by Kate Klise. But these day’s I am much happier, so I’m not really sure! I really loved I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston and I know that had it come out when I was in high school I would have been even more obsessed: the queerness, the theatre angle, the mystery, etc.

Favorite song: I always have a million but right now it’s Cold December Night by Michael Bublé because it’s my favorite Christmas song lol

Favorite instrument: I love the melodica

Aesthetic: Too many to count. Sometimes punk, sometimes light academia, always androgynous, often just a tee shirt or button-up and jeans

Favorite author: This is really tough, but off the top of my head I’d say P.G. Wodehouse and Chuck Wendig.

Random fun fact: I pet a baby goat yesterday!

Anyone who wants to do this is welcome! I will tag @plangentia, @watermelonmountaindew​, and @accusedoffeminism!

[wanlittlehusk]

1 7 19

book you’ve reread the most times? I will give you the real, incredibly embarrassing answer to this which is the secret history. sorry

7. is there a series/book that got you into reading? Kate Klise's epistolary chapter books!! I wish more of them were still in print, they were so innovative and beautiful.

19. most disliked popular books? let's see...colleen hoover is the classic answer, i really hate the new cormac mccarthy lol, beyond that idk off the top of my head!

[book--brackets]

[pigswithwings]

trick or treeaaaaatttt

You Received: 1 Copy of Letters from Camp (Kate Klise), 5 Library Cards (Under Various Names - How Did You Get These), 43 Meters of Steel Cable Wire, 7 Welding Helmets, 2 Packages of Instant Ramen (Spicy), 6 Pieces of Toffee

[ponyoisms]

1, 4, 17 <3

book i’ve read the most: i have no idea, probably something i read lots as a kid. post childhood it’s likely the secret history LOL

sections of the bookstore i browse: new fiction, contemporary fiction, horror, sci fi etc

favorite childrens books: sorry for what im about to do :) when you reach me by rebecca stead a crooked kind of perfect by linda urban whales on stilts by MT anderson the mozart season by virginia wolff deliver us from normal by kate klise the amber cat by hilary mckay the daydreamer by ian mcewan magic by the lake by edward eager (anything by edward eager) island of the aunts by eva ibbotson (ditto anything ibbotson) what do fish have to do with anything by avi and of course harriet the spy by louise fitzhugh and the phantom tollbooth by norton juster