For my Papa

Dear Papa,

I found a book that I think you would have really enjoyed. I remember how much you loved Wile E. Coyote from the Loony Tunes cartoons. We used to watch them together when I was little and you and Grammie would babysit me.

I found The ACME Catalog! It shows, in full color with lots of fun descriptions, many of the purchases that Wile E. Coyote made in the cartoons! It was so much fun. My favorite was the bat costume. Do you remember that episode?

I wish that you were still alive so that I could have shared it with you. I think you would have laughed quite a bit. But, I am glad that I was able to enjoy it and think fondly of you. I miss you very much.

Wherever you might be, if you have access to books (and I hope you do), please see if you can find it. Read it and think of your favorite granddaughter.

Love always,
Dawn

monthly favorites august 2008

most empowering book of the month:

• Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution edited by Alix Olsen

saddest graphic novel i've ever read:

• The Last Lonely Saturday by Jordan Crane

now that i've read the manga, i have to watch the anime:

• Revolutionary Girl Utena series by Chiho Saito & Be-Papas

non fiction book i learned the most from:

• Flush!: The Scoop on Poop Throughout the Ages by Charise Mericle Harper

best & weirdest short stories i've read in a long time:

• Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan

hottest yaoi:

• My Paranoid Next Door Neighbor by Kazuka Minami
• Man's Best Friend by Kazusa Takashima

hottest implied yaoi:

• Godchild series by Kaori Yuki

biggest attack of cuteness EVER:

• The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade by Meomi

book that makes me wish i knew a dragon:

• Kenny & the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi

cutest manga characters:

• Free Collars Kingdom series by Takuya Fujima

bestest picture books this month:

• Cesar Takes a Break by Susan Collins Thoms & Roge
• The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade by Meomi
• Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski & Lee Harper

best Meg Cabot book i read this month:

• How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot

most interesting (and creepy) book concept:

• Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

best graphic novel of the month:

• Fables: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham & others

Six Word Memoirs

Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Rachel Fershleiser & Larry Smith

Really, really cool. Some of my favorite six word memoirs:

Almost a victim of my family.
--Chuck Sangster

Taking a lifetime to grow up.
--Mirona Iliescu

And he nerded as never before.
--Jon Thysell

An unusual turn of gender circumstances.
--Dragana Varadinac

Verbal hemophilia. Why can't I clot?
--Scott Mebus

Boys liked her. She preferred books.
--Anneliese Cuttle

After your jump, the net appears.
--Vincent Lauria

Without me, it is just aweso.
--Chris Madigan

Can't read all the time. Bummer.
--Rina Bander

Not quite what I was planning...
--Summer Grimes

Straight jacket on the gentle cycle.
--Stewart Rudy

Asked to quiet down; spoke louder.
--Wendy Lee

Say no now, I now know.
--Steve Woodruff

Good, evil use the same font.
--Arthur Harris

Man, slightly disgruntled, may throw poo.
--Egan Fowler

Just a rockin' readin' knittin' kitten.
--Emmeline Friedman

We were our own "Springer" episode.
--Michelle Hoogerwerf

I started writing some of my own...but I'm not ready to share them. :)

I am changing the world

I am making people's lives better by encouraging them to read Scaredy Squirrel, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, & Scaredy Squirrel Goes to the Beach by Melanie Watt.

Go on, read them. I know you'll love Scaredy Squirrel!!

For Randall

Dear Randall,

I know you'll never read this (or it's very very unlikely), but... I just read a book that I wanted to recommend to you.

You should read Freak Show by James St. James. Here's why:

1. It's by James St. James.
2. The main character, Billy, is a budding drag queen.
3. Billy combats homophobia in his high school.
4. To discover why Billy uses this slogan (my favorite!): "Tease hair, not homos!"
5. B/c it's good and I said you should read it!

Hope you enjoy it!

Dawn