Running Red Lights

We used to have a number of red light cameras in our city, those cameras that would take a picture of your automobile when the light turned red and then another picture as you crossed through the intersection while the light was still red.  Many of those have been removed now.  Perhaps they weren't cost effective, or maybe they didn't provide the best photographs of offenders' license plates, or maybe they were just downright a pain to support.

Either way, I can tell you an intersection that could use a red light camera or better yet a full-time traffic cop monitoring the roads: the intersection nearest my daughter's school.

No less than at least three out of five days a week, either in the morning or the afternoon, somebody blows through the red light at that intersection.  We've witnessed private school transportation vehicles zooming right on through the red light.  We've seen school buses fail to stop.  We've been frightened for at least two high school students who cross at that intersection to get to their bus stop near my daughter's school.  We've seen cars turn left on red because they refuse to wait for the light to change.

It's a dangerous intersection.  I'm thinking about contacting the city.  Wonder if it'll do any good?

100 Books in 2012: Creating Your Library Brand

Book 30:  Creating Your Library Brand: Communicating Your Relevance and Value to Your Patrons by Elisabeth Doucett

I checked out this professional book from our district office, hoping to get a few more ideas about building my influence and program recognition with my students, staff, and parents.  While this book is geared more toward public library, there are some take-aways for school libraries.

The idea that you have a brand logo that identifies your program makes sense.  Since most schools already have a mascot, I could see modifying that mascot to include a book, laptop/device, something that tags it as a more information and technology icon. 

I like the push that libraries need to create a presence in which people think of them first, as a preferred provider of information.  Schools can take some of the ideas here and tweak them to work for our communities and stakeholders.

Carving Out Time to Write

NaNoWriMo starts on Thursday.  That's the National Novel Writing Month, held in November, when folks try to write a novel, approximately 50,000 words, in one month.  I've attempted it 2, maybe 3 times, but I don't think I've never gotten passed about 6,000 words.

Last April I participated in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, which I managed to keep up with within a day or two of the actual alphabet letter and day postings.  I focused on my bucket list, and I enjoyed writing about my possible excursions, endeavors and life dreams.

I've attempted to read 100 Books in 2012 and 2011 and 2010 with a group of mommy friends, but I've fallen short there, getting only half way there one year, and barely keeping up with my blogging and posting in Goodreads.

Once again I'm hoping to start some sort of writing schedule.  I was overcome with topics just the other day, pulling out my notebook and jotting down the ideas, while driving on a fairly busy highway no less.  Probably not the best time to write, but I had to get those ideas on paper.

I've been trying to figure out what's not right with my psyche for the past few years, and I've decided that it's because I'm not journaling, blogging, writing on a regular basis.

So here's to November and carving out some time to get back to writing! 

100 Books in 2012: Wonder by Palacio

Book 29:  Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Auggie is a bright, funny, intelligent boy who is about to attend school for the first time, entering middle school at a small private institution.  He's nervous, a little scared, and a little excited.  Sounds like a typical preteen?  But Auggie is different, unique, a wonder: he has a facial deformity that has caused him to have over twenty surgeries in the last ten years.  He doesn't look like everyone else.  And while he is academically on par with everyone and even quick witted, how will his face go over in middle school?

Told from a number of characters' points of view, Wonder is the special, heart-warming story of how Auggie matures, managing to have a "normal" school experience, while affecting the lives and hearts of his family, his new friends, his teachers and the students at Beecher Prep.

A definite winner and possibly a Newbery contender.

100 Books in 2012: My Name is Mina by Almond

Book 28:  My Name is Mina by David Almond

Mina is different.  She doesn't fit in at her school.  She doesn't fit in at the special school.  She just doesn't fit in.  Through her journal and writings, we learn that Mina is very bright; she thinks about things differently than most people and they just don't get her.  She's trying to come out of her shell, trying to fit in, trying to write more about her feelings, to understand her dad's death.

I was a little put off at the beginning, hard to get into the book, but enjoyed it was I was a third of the way in.

100 Books in 2012: Lost in the River of Grass by Rorby

Book 27:  Lost in the River of Grass by Ginny Rorby

Fourteen year old Sarah, who's on a swim scholarship at a private school, goes on a weekend field trip to the Everglades with a group of snotty, preppy kids and the likable, nice teacher.  She finds herself faking sickness to avoid spending the day sloshing through the glades with the group and instead ventures out on an air boat with the fifteen year old son of the folks that run the camp.

What starts as a fun cruise through the cattails, saw grass, and marshy glades ends in a scary four day trek for the two teenagers as they try to get out of the glades on foot after the air boat sinks.  With alligators, snakes, cuts and bruises, and a baby duckling, Sarah discovers she's more courageous than she ever thought and that she and Andy need each other in order to come out alive.

100 Books in 2012: Condolezza Rice

Book 26:  Condolezza Rice:  A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me

I've always been impressed with what I knew about Condi Rice:  accomplished pianist, multilingual, respected historian and confident spokesperson.  After reading her autobiography, I'm even more impressed with her, her ideas, and her accomplishments.

Throughout the book chronicling her life from childhood through the beginnings of her work with President George W. Bush, Condolezza constantly relies on the close bonds with her parents and her own strong faith to make the decisions that have led her to become accomplished as a professor, provost, national security advisor, and secretary of state.  She is outspoken about her upbringing in segregated Birmingham, her support of affirmative action done right, and her decision to affiliate with the Republican party.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this autobiography and recommend it!