Doctor Buks and Other Fabulous Bookish Memories

The first week of school I welcomed children to our library as the Queen of the Library.

Doctor Buks came each year to explain to the children in her French/German/? accent how to care for their library books.

I am too much of a scaredy-cat to read spooky books, so my identical twin sister* would come during Halloween to share some scary stories in the library. She could be pretty scary herself.

We loved following a recipe using imaginary ingredients and the magic that all libraries hold and surprising the students with pumpkin bread (real!) during the week before Thanksgiving.

Book fairs were a time to go on a safari...

...or be a superhero...Super Reader!

It was great fun to visit Paris through books. Bonjour!

We also explored folktales from Africa...

India...

China...

Germany (with a native from that country!)...

Pakistan...

Mexico...

The Cat in the Hat always paid the library a visit.

You never knew who you might meet at a library conference. (Magic Tree House, Mo Willems)

My husband often visited the library to share his knowledge of rocks and his rock and gem collection.

The kids loved surprising author Jon (I Want My Hat Back) Klassen with an auditorium full of hats during his visit the year Klassen won the Caldecott.

Gotta love Fancy Nancy Day!

I brought out the guitar and we sang cowboy songs around the campfire during Go Texan Week.

The Great Madame Nance looked into her crystal ball and read children's fortunes. 

How proud I was the year our school brought home the prize at our district 2x2 Tumble Reading event.

And what a joy it was to set up five Little Free Libraries in neighborhoods near our school!

Fabulous bookish memories.

*Just so you know...I have no real identical twin sister who loves scary books...but it was great fun convincing the children at my school that I was Mrs. Zance...

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.   

New to My TBR

Week 5: (November 29-December 3) — New to My TBR with Jaymi at The OC Book Girl: It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about that book! 

Here's a list of books that I'd like to look for and read. Thank you to all who shared books.

HAPPINESS

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk from Rennie at What's Nonfiction.

The No-Nonsense Meditation Book: A Scientist's Guide to the Power of Meditation by Steven Laureys from Stephanie at Bookfever.

Mindscaping: A Practical Guide For How To Be Happier by Donovon Jenson from Stephanie at Bookfever.

Chill Out and Cheer Up: A Ten-Step Guide by Grace Grossmann from Stephanie at Bookfever.

A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax from Molly at Silver Button Books.

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee from Carol at Reading Ladies.

SPIRITUALITY

If God is Love, Don't Be a Jerk: Finding a Faith That Makes Us Better Humans by John Pavlovitz from Bonnie at Bonnie's Books and Lisa at Lisa Notes.

Unbelievable: Why Neither Ancient Creeds Nor the Reformation Can Produce a Living Faith Today by John Shelby Spong from Bonnie's Books.

HISTORY

Ultimate Visual History of the World: The Story of Humankind from Prehistory to Modern Times by Jean-Pierre Isbouts from Julie at JulzReads.

Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with The Myth of the Lost Cause by Ty Seidule, Professor Emeritus of History at West Point from Bryan at Still an Unfinished Person.

Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holiday, And the Vendetta Raid from Hell by Tom Clavin from Bryan at Still an Unfinished Person.

The Flying Tigers: The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged the Secret War Against Japan by Sam Kleiner from Bryan at Still an Unfinished Person.

Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall by Helena Merriman from Julie at JulzReads and Rennie at What's Nonfiction.

The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made by Patricia O’Toole from Lori at Entering the Enchanted Castle.

Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 by Mitchell Zuckoff from Tina at Tina Says.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari from Nishita at Nishita's Rants and Raves and Harry at Unsolicited Feedback.

Square Haunting: Five Writers in London Between the Wars from Brona at This Reading Life.

Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of World War II by Svetlana Alexievich from Jen at Introverted Reader.

NATURE/SCIENCE

Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom by Joel Sartore from Julie at JulzReads.

Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart from Erin at Cracker Crumb Life.

Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs from Kate at booksaremyfavouriteandbest.

Inside Animal Hearts and Minds: Bears That Count, Goats That Surf, and Other True Stories of Animal Intelligence and Emotion by Belinda Recio from Bonnie at Bonnie's Books.

Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder: A Memoir by Julia Zarankin from Jane at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing.

Life’s Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive by Carl Zimmer from Rennie at What's Nonfiction.

A Place in the Woods by Helen Hoover from Jinjer at Intrepid Arkansawyer.

Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard from Harry at Unsolicited Feedback.

SOCIAL ISSUES

The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea from Iliana at Bookgirl's Nightstand.

Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump by Kate Andersen Brower from Angela at Musings of a Literary Wanderer.

Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power by Anna Merlan from Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks.

Children Under Fire: An American Crisis by John Woodrow Cox from Tina at Tina Says.

Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America From My Daughter's School by Courtney E. Martin from Tina at Tina Says.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green from Lou at Louloureads and Anne at My Head is Full of Books.

TRAVEL

Epic Solitude: The Story of Survival and a Quest for Meaning in the Far North by Katherine Keith from Angela at Musings of a Literary Wanderer.

English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks from Marg at Books Please.

Christ Stopped at Eboli by Carlo Levi from Jane at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing.

On Island Time by Hilary Stewart from Les at Coastal Horizons.

MEMOIR

The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn from Karen at Booker Talk.

Men We Reaped: A Memoir by Jesmyn Ward from Jen at Introverted Reader.

Act One by Moss Hart from Lori at Entering the Enchanted Castle.

Thankful

 

It's Thankfully Reading Weekend, and I am sitting here in a turkey fog, stuffed with all the delicious things Thanksgiving brings, and I am reading. No goals. No boxes to check. Just enjoying some good books. 

Last week I read...

Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity by Carl Zimmer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke ⭐⭐⭐

Some of the books I am reading now...

 An Alphabet for Gourmets by M.F.K. Fisher

Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration by Sara Dykman

Five True Things: A Little Guide to Embracing Life's Big Changes by David Ricio

Good Birders Don't Wear White: 50 Tips from America's Top Birders edited by Lisa A. White

The Listening Road: One Man's Ride Across America to Start Conversations About God by Neil Tomba

Last week I posted here at Readerbuzz:

In Which I Read a Book that is Way (Way, Way, Way) Over My Head (Personal Testimonial)

Characters I'd Love an Update On

Nonfiction November: Week 4: Stranger than Fiction

Good Thing #1

I am thankful for all the wonderful books I've gotten to read this year.

Good Thing #2

I am thankful for your amazing blogs.

I am so fortunate to be able to visit your blogs and talk books with you.

Good Thing #3

I am thankful for you, 

my wonderful friends here in the Blogosphere.

I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's 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.