Teknik för Alla, novembernumret 1958. Modellbilbanor var på modet… kanske tävlingar i familjen under julhelgen.

Er trogne bloggare hade givetvis bilbana… nu var vi ganska trångbodda några år, så någon av de större bilbanorna var inte att tänka på…
Så det blev en Faller bilbana som tydligen gjordes av Märklin… Detta var ingen Racingbana utan mer som ett komplement till Märklins tågbanor. Faller var i samma skala som modelltågen då kan ni tänka er storleken på bilarna…

Jag hade nog någon av de första årgångarna som inte på långt när var färdigutvecklade, brända släpskor, motorer som stannade vid för låg fart, tunna gummidäck som åkte av vid körning, styrpinnar som lätt böjdes… ja de gav mycket övrigt att önska. Men då Fleischman tågbanan var borta var denna bilbana välkommen trots all brister.

Ni har väl inte missat min Märklin katalog från 1956…

Andra bloggar om: Bilbanor, Julklappar, Faller, Teknik för Alla, 1958

This is an addendum to the post I made earlier today, called Blog This, Fleischman in response to his blog post (available here).

I kind of lashed out at our great publications adviser and I would like to apologize. After all, I was practically jumping with joy when I started playing with the new Adobe CS4. Seriously, we have the most amazing computers! I cannot wait until we have a full lab, but until then I will be content with stealing his computer every once in a while. Had I been in his position I would have done the same thing he did, so, for the first time ever…

YOU WIN, MR. FLEISCHMAN!

But this only applies to your blog post, not any political mumbo jumbo (the cosmos would have to align in an impossible manner for that great of a disagreement to dissolve).

Dear Mr. Fleischman,

You may have a new computer (P.S. it is frickin’ amazing), but without my help you couldn’t be blogging about it right now. So, yeah, I’ll admit that your computer is ten million times more amazing than mine, but, nevertheless, as your post “Tech Savvy” points out, you would be nowhere in the blogiverse if not for those of us sitting in the back of the classroom right now…on horrible computers…with big box monitors…yeah.

Love,
Michael

Fleischman, Sid. 2008. The trouble begins at 8. New York: Grennwillow.

Let me start by noting two things: 1. I loved this book 2. I think it would be better classified as a teen book. Here’s why:

The Trouble Begins at 8 (a reference to how Twain billed his speaking engagements), is a highly entertaining and informative look at one of America’s best known authors – although he is arguably equally famous for his biting wit. The book chronicles “the adventurous years that turned the unknown Samuel Clemens into the world-famous Mark Twain.”

With chapters titled “The Man Who Made Frogs Famous,”and “Eggs, Three Cents a Dozen,” through “Golden Gate, So Long,” Fleischman’s book follows Twain’s mixed attempts at finding his fortune, his travels in the wild west, and his growing career as a writer. Peppered with many period photographs and art reproductions, as well as excellently sourced quotations, the reader is fully immersed in the whirlwind of personality that was Mark Twain. Mark Twain was at times a liar, a printer, a schemer, a riverboat pilot, a lecturer, an author, a lazy drifter, even a dueler! In his own words, “I have been an author for twenty years, and an ass for fifty-five.”

The Trouble Begins at 8, ends with an Afterstory, A Mark Twain Sampler (an excerpt from the story that made him famous, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”), a Mark Twain Timeline, References, Illustration and Photograph Sources, Bibliography, Novels and Other Works, and Index. It is an exhaustive look at a finite period in this American icon’s storied life.

Some of the reasons that I loved the book are the reasons that I find it unsuitable for a Juvenile Biography classification. It’s focus on a short period of Twain’s life makes it unlikely to be acceptable for a school biography assignment. Additionally, Fleischman’s success in offering the unique “flavor” of times gone by, makes the prose difficult reading for all but the oldest of the juvenile audience,

“In addition to the paper’s social denseness, Clemens felt in the wrong harness at the fact-
obsessed Call. His nimble imagination went unappreciated. he was heavily blue penciled for
writing sentences his editor regarded as salty caviar to the paper’s meat-and-potato readers. “

Fleischman’s use of period quotes is also very entertaining,

“Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: Some observers hold that there isn’t
any. But that wrongs the jackass,”

but perhaps above the level of the average juvenile nonfiction reader.

In short, I loved this book, but I think it will be better received by teens and adults.

There are those days when you’re browsing through a bookstore, or a niece or nephew’s bookshelf, or a fabulous rummage sale that is actually selling something other than baby clothes and “salsa makers”, and you come across a book that you used to read as a little kid. I love finding a book that I’ve forgotten about and letting it take me back to a corner of my parents living room, sitting on the floor before dinner (which, if it was the summer of 1991, was invariably hot dogs) where my older sisters would read out loud to me and, if they weren’t particularly angsty that day, do the voices (you know what I’m talkin’ about Little Clarinda).

Here are some great kids books, some classic and some forgotten, that you should read and probably purchase for one of the little rugrats in your life. They’ll appreciate it.

1. Hooper Humperdink…? Not Him! by Theo LeSieg

Hooper is spindly little dork whom the author does not want at his spectacular upcoming shindig and will go through any lengths to get him gone. What is great about this book is, yes, the rhyming (great to read aloud), but also the illustrations of the party Mister Humperdink is being shunned from. I remember huge bunches of colorful balloons, pink and yellow and white ice cream scoops toppling over each other, and droves of people. Everyone loves a good party, even if you’re not invited. Read it to the future Paris Hilton in your life. Get the 1976 version if you can, they re-did the illustrations in 2006 and it’s a little too Bob the Builder for me.

2. McBroom’s Ghost by Sid Fleischman

I grew up in a full house, the youngest of five with little league baseball teams, foster children, relatives, maybe even a few runaways “dropping in” for years at a time. I also grew up in Michigan where there are some long, cold, boring winters. Thus, McBroom’s Ghost, a wonderful tale of a one-acre farm family with 11 children, a nasty neighbor, and (“Mercy Yes!”) ghosts. You must read this one out loud because of the dialect and because and child not suppressed by various medications will crack up when they hear McBroom call for all of his children in a row: “Will-Jill-Hester-Chester-Peter-Polly-Tim-Tom-Mary-Larry-and”, yes,-”Iittie-Clarinda” which my sisters were sure draw out like Joe Dumar’s name because, of course, Clarinda was the baby and the most special. The writing is great, the pictures (of the original) are these great pale watercolor paintings with vibrant reds jumping out, and it’s part of a series so you’ve got birthday gifts for the littleun wrapped up for the next five years!

3. The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey

Don’t you love Golden books?  (Speaking of this, I should mention here that, even though I did not include her, any Eloise Wilkins books make me weak with nostalgia.) This poky puppy is, if I remember correctly, supposed to be walking home but gets distracted by all the neat things he sees along the way. Fun to read to the smaller variety of children so they can count along with the things he sees. Probably a staple for any children’s bookcase.

4. Anything Beatrix Potter ever wrote.

Who else could make a five-year-old want to taste a radish just because her prose made it sound delicious. Read slowly and savor.

5. Mr. Shaw’s Shipshape Shoeshop by Eve Titus

Authier women (and Golden Boy) can’t leave this off any top kids book list.  Mr. Shaw, as the title may imply, has this shoeshop, see, and Mr. Green has a grocery. Madness ensues. The pictures in this book are also mesmerizing. My oldest sister still remembers her favorite illustration, a wall full of shoes (as an adult, she has a kicky shoe addiction).

That’s all for now. There will most likely be a Volume 2 for this post since I didn’t mention some of my other favorite picture books, not to mention books for older children. And I have yet to plug my own book (we’ll wait that one out until it’s actually published).

Can a vacant lot be turned into a beautiful garden? Each community member shares his/her contribution to the garden.

We are now offering a series of FREE lesson plans on the blog, with downloadable audio available for a limited time. This is a great opportunity to see first-hand what other educators are doing with audiobooks, and to give audiobooks in the classroom a risk-free try yourself! This month’s free audio lesson guide is for 1989 Newbery Medal winner Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman. Lesson Plans are by Hillary Wolfe, librarian at Northview High School in Covina, California.

Hillary says … First, I chose Joyful Noise because I thought it could work for different age levels, and it is short enough to do in one class period. Also, since there are 14 poems, it’s a great vehicle for partner work. These lessons came from ideas I got from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and they are all standards-based.

There are several parts to this lesson, which get more sophisticated. So, younger grades would only need to do parts 1 and 2, whereas upper grades could continue with parts 3 and 4 and use this lesson as a springboard to other poetry and literature lessons. Recorded Books will post each lesson separately.

Listen to or download (for a limited time) the audio clips below and download the corresponding lesson plan (in pdf format). Leave comments for other teachers on your additions or modifications to the lesson plan—we want to share your ideas with educators around the country!

LESSON 1 – Objective: Identify how sound (form) influences content (function).
Joyful Noise – Lesson 1 – Lesson Plans
Joyful Noise – Lesson 1 – Student Worksheets
Joyful Noise audio – Grasshoppers-WaterStriders-Mayflies
Joyful Noise audio – Fireflies-BookLice

Listen online: Grasshoppers, Water Striders, Mayflies

Stay tuned to the blog for Lesson 2 and more audio from Joyful Noise on May 12, 2008. Lessons 3 and 4, as well as audio for the rest of the poems in Joyful Noise, will be posted later in May.

If you’d like your lesson plan to be featured, send us your idea!

Hoy, serie esencial. Doctor En Alaska.

Los bocadillos de Nocilla, las tetas de Sabina, mojar los ganchitos en la Coca-cola, el final de David El Gnomo… Todos tenemos en nuestra pre-adolescencia cosas que nos han marcado de por vida y que, cuando nos las mencionan, exclamamos “hostias, el (inserte aquí su pieza de nostalgia o fetiche preferido)”, qué tiempos.

No conozco a nadie nacido entre el 74 y el 80 a quien no se le ponga cara tontorrona y ensoñadora cuando se les hace mención a “Doctor En Alaska” (y los que no la ponen no la veían, directamente). En tiempos en los que Internet no existía, “Doctor En Alaska” (“hostias, Doctor En Alaska”) fue una serie de culto maltratada por los programadores de la 2 que narraba las peripecias de Joel Fleischman (“hostias, el doctor Fleischman”), un doctor que se ve obligado a prestar 4 años de servicio en la remota aldea de Cicely (“hostias, Cicely”), Alaska.

El mayor atractivo de la serie eran los propios habitantes de Cicely, todos ellos más raros que un perro verde pero con un encanto que no ha sabido mostrarnos ninguna otra producción audiovisual. Teníamos al ex-astronauta de la NASA Maurice, la guapísima piloto e icono sexual de una generación Maggie, los propietarios del bar del pueblo Holling y su esposa unos 40 años menor Shelly, el atractivo ex-convicto, dj de la radio local e icono sexual de una generación Chris, Ruth-Anne la propietaria de la tienda, Dave el cocinero, el aprendiz de chamán Ed, el hombre burbuja…

Las situaciones eran surrealistas sin dejar de ser naturales y se nos ofrecía un estilo de vida endogámico y localista pero con un sex-appeal abrumador, como la ocasión en que Chris decide hacer algo que no se haya hecho jamás y catapulta un piano. Por supuesto, todo se torció cuando Rob Morrow (el doctor Fleischman) decidió desligarse del proyecto para no encasillarse en exceso y hacer otras cosas (“Emperor’s Club”, “Numb3rs”) y los productores lo sustituyeron por otro “Doctor” en Alaska. La serie, como es normal, aguantó cuatro días más.

Siempre me comerá la envidia de pensar en el tío de la facultad que tenía la sudadera de Northern Exposure y es que, por aquel entonces, no existía Internet.

Sí, qué tiempos.

Foto: obras de la Expo. ¿Cómo cojones sacas la furgoneta ahora, campeón?

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En otro orden de cosas, sé que hoy tocaba actualización travestida pero estoy en casa de mis padres y no llevo las fotos encima. Mañana será otro día. Y el sábado, otro más.

El sábado, concierto de Wilco y Miss Kittin. Lo sé, es como mezclar a Metallica con Parchís, a Tamara con Bob Dylan o a los Klaxons con Tchaikovski. ¿Es la suiza telonera de Wilco en las demás ciudades también? Manténgame informado, por Dios.

El otro día me dejé encerrados dentro del curro a dos chicos que estaban jugando a rol. Señoras y señores, esta es mi cabeza últimamente.

Número de familiares en el extranjero: 1. A por la segunda A.