Saturday, April 4, 2020

Twelve Children's Books, the Emergency Poet, and Face-to-Face on Zoom







I can't seem to read anything but children's books, but I am reading a lot of them. I've read twelve of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up last week. Here's what I read and reviewed:

Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner (1894)
The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs. Molesworth (1877)
The Rose and the Ring by William Makepeace Thackeray (1855)
Ameliar-anne and the Green Umbrella (1920)
Mind Your Own Business by Michael Rosen (poetry)
The Fortunes of Philippa: A School Story (1906)
The Haunting by Margaret Mahy
I Am Susannah by Libby Gleeson
The New Policeman by Kate Thompson (fantasy)
Nesthäkchen and Her Dolls (1913)
The Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett (1937)
Roule Galette by Natha Caputo (picture book in French)







Have you heard of the Emergency Poet? The Emergency Poet is described as an "experience set up inside a 1970s ambulance. The ambulance is set up at a venue, and patients take part in a free private poetic health consultation with the Emergency Poet, and within 10 minutes will be prescribed an appropriate poem, verse or lyric." I bet it was lots of fun to do this before the coronavirus.

The Emergency Poet: An Anti-Stress Poetry Anthology is a collection of poems often used by Deborah Alma. I'm reading a poem or two a day. 







Our face-to-face book group, Third Tuesday Book Club, met on Zoom last week. We didn't really have a lot of book discussion, but it was wonderful to see everyone's faces. We decided to go ahead and try to meet in two weeks rather than a month for our next book, The Giver.




Wow. Book Sales Surge as Readers Seek Escapism and Education. I know I can't keep my Little Free Library full. It empties almost every day.





It looks like one of the few Texas Master Naturalist projects I will be able to do right now is a citizen science project on pollinators. I will be observing ornamentals (annuals or perennials) to help determine their attractiveness to various groups of pollinators in Texas and Oklahoma. For more information, see the Pollinator Project.






1. Brooks Brothers, MLB, a fashion designer, a hockey equipment company, and Under Armour have set to work making face masks and other protective gear. For more good news about how Americans are helping each other during this time, see this article in The Hill. (Thank you, Anne of A Head Full of Books).

2. I shared photos from a trip I took in February (it feels like it was centuries ago) to the Painted Churches of Central Texas. You won't believe how beautiful these churches are.

Painted Churches of Texas: St. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church of Dubina

The Painted Churches of Texas: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church of Ammannsville





3. The choir at Shadow Creek High School, one of the high schools in my school district here in Alvin, Texas. I love looking at the faces of all those young people. Beautiful. It gives me hope.



How are you doing?




I'm very happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. There are no real requirements to linking up at Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?


Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.


My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.

57 comments:

  1. My book club meeting was cancelled and no other arrangements have been made. I sure do miss seeing my friends.

    It's so hard to concentrate on books right now. I picked up a Mitford book which is usually a comfort read for me but I'm struggling to get into it. I know it's me and not the book.

    I've ordered face masks from the daughter in law of a neighbor.

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    1. It was surprisingly easy to set up a Zoom meeting, Kathy. It lifted my spirits so much to be able to see the faces of my book club friends.

      It is very hard for me to concentrate on books, too. All I have read so far have been books for children. Most of these are very old, and there is something about reading about old times when things were much, much worse than today that seems to be comforting for me.

      My husband found a few face masks he'd ordered for his work with gemstones. We have distributed these to my daughter-in-law and son in Chicago, my 93-year-old dad and his wife, and my son and his family. It gives me a little measure of comfort.

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  2. Thank you for reminding me to stop by the two local LFL and leave some books! I'm still finding it hard to concentrate on books, but did find one that distracted me enough to finish it :)

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    1. I'm going to look for that Patrick Ness book you mentioned on your blog.

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  3. I loved The Giver, which I probably read 20 years ago. Might be a good time for a reread. I may suggest to my book club that we try Zoom for our meetings. I've used it for visits with family and friends, but nothing as large as a book group. How many members are in yours? I find a lot of the group choir videos on Facebook to be so uplifting right now. Such talent and comfort to see and hear these people sharing the joy of music. My recent favorite is the family singing a Les Mis song (https://youtu.be/Nf4XxnL4lPk) and an Italian group singing Helplessly Hoping (https://youtu.be/KtX1r0SzxlI).

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    1. We had about eight people connect to Zoom for the book club. It worked well.

      I will look for these group choir videos. Thank you, Les. I love them right now.

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  4. It's getting a little better for me to concentrate on reading. It's still hard, but I'm working at it. I do better with things that keep me busy like blogging :) Or just watching mindless TV helps me :) I just know I have to stay away from the news. Too much of it makes me crazy. Stay safe!

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    1. I completely deleted all my news notifications.

      Happily, I finished an adult book today. First since this all began.

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  5. I love the idea behind The Emergency Poet! I will have to look for that one. That is so great that people are reading more. Even if the circumstances that are causing the surge aren't ideal. I wish I could say my reading is up. I realized the other day it wasn't just my mood that was playing a part, but I actually have less time to read too. Who would have thought? I hope you are doing well. Stay safe, Deb. Have a good weekend.

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    1. I never would have thought I'd have trouble reading. I certainly have enough books to choose from.

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  6. We've used Zoom for some of my son's online classes and I was surprised with how user friendly it was! I picked up a middle grade book because now seems like a good time but so far it's been disappointing. I might have to go back to my tried and true favorites - L.M. Montgomery or Elizabeth Enright. I just placed a big order through Book Outlet but then I discovered Bookshop.org so I think I might need to place another bookish order! I haven't had any additional time to read but I'm desperately missing my library so I'm feeling the need to buy more books! The Toyota plant here has transferred production to face shields which I think is so great. I hope you have a lovely week!

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    1. It makes me feel so happy to hear that the Toyota plant near you had changed to face shields.

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  7. That choir video was dynamite! Thx for sharing it. Also good to see that book sales are surging. I hope the Indie bookstores will make it. Enjoy your weekend.

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    1. I'd do anything I could right now to support our indie bookstores.

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  8. The Emergency Poet - I love that! I'm finding some comfort in some of my favorite poems. Otherwise I'm having such a hard time reading but that's exciting to see that book sales are doing well! Hope you are staying safe!

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    1. Reading The Emergency Poet, a couple of poems a day, is very helpful to me.

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  9. That's great! Thank you for having a Little Free Library. Have you ever posted a photo of it on your blog? I'd like to see yours. A friend and her husband in Texas have built and stocked several, putting them in places like her church property. I am also finding it hard to get into a book. One reason why is taking the time to check on friends and family and them calling to check on me. I probably really TALK to more people in a day (and for longer) than before the stay-at-home orders here in St. Louis.

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    1. I'm sure that checking on friends and family is the most important thing you are doing now.

      Here is a post about my Little Free Libraries: https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/10/little-free-libraries.html. Later I set up two more LFLs.

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  10. I love that choirs and music groups are gathering on zoom to perform and connect with one another. I also think it's great that your book club is connecting via video; it's so important to keep up our personal connections through all of this.

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  11. Reading and blogging is getting much easier these days. Zoom is a great way to stay connected. I am definitely going on longer runs and cooking more. Have a great week!

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    1. I feel like I turned a corner by finishing an adult book yesterday.

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  12. I'm definitely adding some of those children's books to my reading list - especially the one by Thackeray! Have a great week :)

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    1. That Thackeray book is so good, and I found it online free, as the copyright has expired.

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  13. I've been catching up on children's books as well - easier to focus. Most of my March reading happened in the first half of the month when things were less crazy here.

    I was happy to read about Brooks Brothers and also that the NE Patriots owner flew his private plane to China for 1.4 million masks for MA and NY crisis situations. I wish more billionaires would follow his lead.

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    1. I hadn't heard about the NE Patriots owner. I am glad to hear that.

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  14. My 5yo and I were working our way through the 1001 Children's Book list but now we can't utilize our library so I guess that will be on hold for a while unless I can find more of them online. It's been easier for me to read to my Little than to read my own books lately!
    Have a great week! Stay safe!

    Stacy Renee | LazyDayLit

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    1. I found a lot of the 1001 Children's Books online, through either Hoopla or Overdrive at my library. I'm glad you can enjoy time reading with your child.

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  15. Aren't those choir things so beautiful? I saw one with the cast of Dear Evan Hansen doing You Will Be Found <3 Glad you're still hanging in there. Have a great week!

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    1. Oh my, Becki, now you have me crying. Here's the link, if anyone else would like to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_10msPMEick

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  16. I had more trouble concentrating on books this week...I DNFed one and then read and reviewed two. But then yesterday I discovered two little books I have from childhood, gifts from my mother who received it in her childhood. Johanna Spyri's Cornelli...and another one, Elsie Dinsmore, from Martha Finley. They are both available on Kindle, so I read Cornelli yesterday! Now I am ready to read my nonfiction book The Watergate Girl.

    Thanks for sharing, and stay safe.

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    1. Yes, it's these children's books that seem easy to settle into.

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  17. If reading children's books works for you that is great. I have sloed by about 1 book a week and thatis playing havoc with my review schedule. :(

    Stay safe .

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  18. Sounds like you are keeping busy :)

    My mother, who is in her 70’s, has organised for her ukulele group to meet and rehearse over Zoom, she and my Dad are also regularly Skyping with different groups of friends for a cocktail hour. They are both social people and refuse to let the lock down interfere with the things they are enjoy. :)

    Wishing you a great reading week and good health

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    1. Oh my goodness, wouldn't I love to hear your mother's ukelele group! How fun is that. Your dad and mother are leading us all by example.

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  19. the pollinator project sounds so cool. good luck and have fun with it
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. It is great fun. It gives us a chance to work as citizen scientists during this time.

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  20. Children's books sound like perfect reading right now. I've managed to find a reading groove again...lighter-than-usual fare seems to be just what I need. Thanks for sharing the video. Hope you have a good week.

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  21. I think it's funny that it seems that people who don't usually have time or inclination to read a lot are reading a lot. And those of us who read a lot normally, many of us anyway, are struggling. There's probably some psychological meaning there. LOL

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    1. Kay, I think you have something here. It could be a great project for someone to investigate.

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  22. I haven't been able to read anything much at all lately.

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  23. I do tend to read a lot of children's books as well and your post has inspired me to go look at that 1001 books list for myself :)

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  24. I'm glad you're trying out virtual book groups. They can be fun!!!! I got around to everyone's blog late today, as I was driving lyft earlier today.

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  25. Thanks for sharing those links. It's nice to see a little hope amidst all the news. I'm so glad to see too that book sales are up and people are finding an escape in them. We all need it after all.

    Hope you are well and stay safe this week. The Emergency Poet- what a cool thing.

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  26. The Emergency Poet sounds like a perfect read for right now.

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  27. I'm not reading anything new right now. I have trouble focusing. But I am enjoying rereading and listening to old favorites. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  28. What a great idea to read all those children's books. I may have to do some of that right now. They can pack a powerful punch. And I'm reading a lot with my son who's 11. And that citizen science on pollination sounds wonderful. I love that you're doing it! So amazing what we can do as people together. I hope you and yours stay safe and healthy this week.

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  29. Oh my word the Emergency Poet sounds entertaining! I like how you ended with three good things! This Sunday Salon is a fun concept. Thanks for sharing!

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  30. I don't know anything about The Emergency Poet but this project indeed sounds like a lot of fun.
    I hope you are enjoying the poems!
    The Little Library projects are amazing! I wish I had one in my neighbourhood.
    I tried out Zoom last week as well, I will have to use it to teach my classes, it's quite different and I will have to adjust.

    I hope you'll have a wonderful week!

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  31. I don't know anything about The Emergency Poet but it sounds like a wonderful project! I hope you are enjoying the poems!

    I wish I had a Little Library in my neighbourhood, I would love to share books that way!

    Last week I tried Zoom as well, to be honest, I don't think I will love teaching that way, it's going to take a lot of adjustments.

    Have a wonderful week!

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  32. OK, this came right when I needed it. I am having trouble setting up a Zoom account to get in on The Giver. I keep messing up.
    The Emergency Poet seems interesting. I have a book that "prescribes" novels for whatever ails you. (Maybe you sent it, now that I think of it.
    My LFL is doing well, as are the ones you planted at Stevenson and on House Street by Judi's church. I check on those two frequently. People leave them trashed half the time .
    Maybe we could have a phone conversation and you could walk me through Zoom.

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