REVIEW: The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne

What do books, weight lifting, and Tourette's Syndrome 

have in common?

I've been spending a lot of time at our local library lately, in part due to increased tutoring requests and the ease of meeting students there and in part due to a re-commitment to frugality and voluntary simplicity in an effort to pay down debt and increase savings. 

As I was wandering the stacks recently, I came across an intriguing title: The World's Strongest Librarian. 

I actually read the title on the spine, thought, "Huh, interesting...." and kept walking. I came back and looked at it two or three more times before finally taking the book off the shelf. 

I'm glad I went back. While I didn't LOVE every part of this book, I loved enough of it to recommend it. The subtitle pretty much sums up the book -- "A memoir of Tourette's, faith, strength, and the power of family." 

While the book is all of those things, and at times can feel a bit sappy, it is also quirky, fun, and enlightening. 

I'm slightly familiar with Tourette's and have known many Mormons, but this book gave good insight into both while also telling a charming, heart warming story of a young man coming to terms with having an, at times, debilitating condition, and the unique ways (they have to do with weight lifting!) he found to deal with it. 

The author, Josh Hanagarne, is also honest in a refreshing way about his struggles with his faith over the years -- something I think many people can relate to regardless of their religion. And, although I've known many Mormons, I realized in reading this memoir that I know very little about how Mormons practice their religion. It was interesting to read both Hanagarne's descriptions of his religion as well as how he began to stray from his faith and the unexpected way he seems to have reconnected with it.

Hanagarne is an actual librarian and what probably got me to bring this book home is his absolute love of books and reading. It is evident throughout the entire memoir and gave me an immediate connection to Hanagarne.

I love books about books or about people who love books. 

Hanagarne tells some sweet, interesting, and at times downright weird stories from his experiences with books and in particular from his experiences as a librarian. Having spent time in New York City libraries and also through working in emergency medicine, I frequently found myself not only smiling and/or sympathizing, but also nodding my head and thinking, "Oh, yes! I know exactly what you are talking about, Josh!"

I probably won't buy this memoir or reread it, but I did enjoy it and think you might too. 

You can find The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne
at Amazon.com.

Or, try your local library. 

Did you enjoy this post? You might also enjoy:

• My favorite memoirs
• Let's Be Enemies by Janice May Udry with illustrations by Maurice Sendak
• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Please note, Amazon links may be affiliate links. Making a purchase through them may result 

in a small commission for me. However, any such commissions are greatly appreciated. 

All opinions expressed here and anywhere else on my blog are 100% my own.

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Let's be Enemies by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Do you have favorite childhood books? Those books that you just loved to read over and over or books that you think of fondly when you consider your early reading experiences?

For me, Let's be Enemies written by Janice May Udry and illustrated by Maurice Sendak is just one such book. I adore this little treasure! It's a great little story that perfectly tells the tale of friendship among children -- friends today, enemies tomorrow, and friends again the next day. It's about navigating me versus you versus both of us together.

I just adore it.

I also appreciate the simplicity of the tale and the pared down, simple style of Sendak's illustrations. The simple story and the simple illustrations compliment one another perfectly.

I love that this little book and Sendak's illustration style doesn't confine itself to the borders of the page. Sendak was never afraid of the action going off the page, much like Edgar Degas paintings where it often appears that something is happening just outside the frame of the image.

And, the images throughout the book are just plain adorable. Sendak captures emotions and thoughts in the way he illustrates a face or the position of arms or legs. He creates whole characters in each illustration.

 

 

 

I love Maurice Sendak so much that when an exhibit of his work came to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco several years ago, my son and I jumped at the chance to go! Cameras were not allowed in the exhibit so I don't have pictures, but if you ever have the chance to see Sendak's work, please do go.

A beautiful illustrated talk between Terry Gross from NPR and Maurice Sendak, originally on NPR but illustrated by Cristoph Niemann for The New York Times -- this talk starts with mention of Sendak being an atheist. If you are not an atheist, I hope that won't discourage you from watching and listening as this really is a lovely little video and chat (although a bit sad as well). It is an excerpt from a longer interview on NPR's Fresh Air in an interview titled On Life, Death, and Children's Lit. I love this video and talk:

A second, lovely video -- this one is also illustrated for Blank on Blank on PBS Digital Studios, and it features Maurice Sendak talking about "Being a Kid":

Do you have a favorite Maurice Sendak book or illustration? Please share with a comment!

Did you enjoy this post? You might also enjoy:

• Book Review: Nalah Goes to Mad Mouse City by Anne Sawyer-Aitch
• My favorite dog-related books
• My favorite memoirs

Please note, Amazon links may be affiliate links. Making a purchase through them may result 

in a small commission for me. However, any such commissions are greatly appreciated. 

All opinions expressed here and anywhere else on my blog are 100% my own.

REVIEW: Nalah Goes to Mad Mouse City by Anne Sawyer-Aitch

I adore this book. Nalah Goes to Mad Mouse City by Anne Sawyer-Aitch is a terrific little romp of imagination and fun. But, more than that, this book is simply gorgeous. It works beautifully as a story to read with children, but it also makes a wonderful picture book.

Nalah Goes to Mad Mouse City is the second in a series by Sawyer-Aitch, following young Nalah through adventures galore. In this book, Nalah is upset because most of her imaginary friends have gone on vacation leaving her seemingly alone. Of course, her family is still around, but they are all too busy preparing for a big family picnic to pay attention to Nalah.

However, not all of the imaginary friends turn out to be gone! Mad Tooth, a mouse who loves to chew on Nalah's socks (but only one sock from each pair), is still around. Mad Tooth finds out that Nalah is sad and missing her friends and decides to take Nalah on a wild adventure through the sock drawer and into a mouse metropolis. The fun that ensues is filled with lively play, dancing, new friends, taffy, and a sock monster.

The story itself is sweet, especially for this mama reviewer who had (has) an active imagination. As a child, I had an imaginary friend named Danny, and until my sister was old enough to talk and play with me, Danny was my constant companion. This book helped rekindle memories of Danny and my wild childhood imagination. I loved it!

The adventures of Nalah and her imaginary friends are sweet enough, but what I truly loved about this book is the illustration.

Stunning. Gorgeous. Bright. Bold. 

I can't think of better words to describe the pictures that fill every page.  Sawyer-Aitch describes her process as illuminated illustration which brings to mind illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages. Although the overall style of Sawyer-Aitch's illustrations are quite different from those of the monks and others that perfected illumination techniques all those centuries ago, there are many similarities. The illustrations cover the page in full, glorious color and involve multiple steps to create the final product.

Sawyer-Aitch's process, as described at the end of Nalah Goes to Mad Mouse City, involves two pencil drawings or each illustration, coloring them in, cutting away key pieces, and layering the two over a lit surface. The result is full of bright, colorful movement and emotion. It is a technique I plan to try in my own art soon.

While you could use this book simply for reading enjoyment, I do have some ideas on how it could be used for educational activities beyond literature:

• At the start of the book, Nalah's imaginary friends are going on vacation to various places around the world. They specifically mention Australia and France. Find each place on a map or globe. Consider calculating the distance from your own home. How would you get there? What would you do there? What do you think each of Nalah's friends are doing there?
• Use the story to discuss emotions -- Why is Nalah sad at the start of the book? What other emotions does she feel throughout? How do the other people and characters in the book feel? What do you do when you have those emotions?
• Ask, "What would you do in each situation presented in the story?" 
• Try the illustration technique described at the end of the book -- this would be a great art activity for older kids, even teens.

Find out more about Anne Sawyer-Aitch and her books:

• Nalah and the Pink Tiger Facebook page (the first book in the series)
• Nalah and the Pink Tiger website
• Nalah Goes to Mad Mouse City on Goodreads
• Buy Nalah Goes to Mad Mouse City on Amazon

***This post and others on this site may include affiliate links. 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review. 

However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.***