Never Too Old for Fairy Tales

“If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales
and I like them best of all.”
Audrey Hepburn

Goodbye, Dear Jean Craighead George --we'll miss you, thank you for leaving us so many books!

This morning, I (The Mom) cried. Not simply that Jean Craighead George died (she passed away May 15, 2012), but because upon learning of her death I learned that realized this amazing woman had been alive. For if I had known I would have written her a letter. I cried over the lost chance to thank her. So I decided to write her now. (And it made me cry more, but I feel better now!)

 Jean feeding a wolf pup.

Dear Jean (do you mind if we address you as Jean? To us, you are a good friend),

This letter will be brief since we imagine you busy with your animals. Did you know that in our house --that is tucked in the middle of the woods-- we couldn't survive without you? Over the years we've read and then researched so many things, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU. Many people ask us our very favorite books; we agree with Neil Gaiman who said, "picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to lose." Jean we pick your books; they are like body parts. Thank you.

With adventurous, animal loving hearts,

The Four of  Us

Jean, we will miss you. 

Tell us your favorite Jean Craighead George book or story 

-or perhaps write her a letter too! 

Share in the comments below.

Thankfully, we'll always have all of these amazing BOOKS:

Acorn Pancakes & Dandelion Salad and 38 Other Wild Recipes (1995) 

All Upon A Sidewalk (1974) 

All Upon A Stone (1971) 

The American Walk Book (1978) 

Animals Who Have Won Our Hearts (1994) 

Arctic Son (1997) 

Autumn Moon (2001) 

Beastly Inventions, A Surprising Investigation into Just How Smart Animals Really Are (1970) 

The Big Book For Our Planet (1993) 

Bubo the Great Horned Owl (1954) 

The Buffalo Are Back (2010) 

The Case of the Missing Cutthroats: An Ecological Mystery (1996) 

The Cats of Roxville Station (2009) 

Charlie's Raven (2004) 

Cliff Hanger (2002) 

Coyote in Manhattan (1968) 

The Cry of the Crow: A Novel (1980) 

Dear Katie, The Volcano Is A Girl (1998) 

Dear Rebecca, Winter Is Here (1993) 

Dipper of Copper Creek (1956) 

Elephant Walk (1998) 

Everglades (1995) 

Everglades Wildguide (1972) 

The Fire Bug Connection (1993) 

Fire Storm (2003) 

The First Thanksgiving (1993) 

Frightful's Daughter (2002) 

Frightful's Daughter Meets the Baron Weasel (2007)

 Frightful's Mountain (1999) 

Giraffe Trouble (1998) 

Going to the Sun (1976) 

The Gorilla Gang (1998) 

The Grizzly Bear With the Golden Ears (1982) 

Gull Number 737 (1964) 

Hold Zero! (1966) 

The Hole in the Tree (1957) 

Hook a Fish Catch a Mountain (1975) 

How to Talk to Your Animals (1985) 

How to Talk to Your Cat (1986, 2000) 

How to Talk to Your Dog (1986) 

Incredible Animal Adventures (1999) 

Journey Inward (autobiography) (1982) 

Julie (sequel to Julie of the Wolves) (1994) 

Julie of the Wolves (1972) 

Julie's Wolf Pack (third in the Julie trilogy) (1997) 

Look to the North, A Wolf Pup Diary (1997) 

Marvels and Mysteries of Our Animal World (1964) 

Masked Prowler, the Story of a Raccoon (1950) 

Meph the Pet Skunk (1952) 

The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo (1992) 

Morning, Noon and Night (1999) 

My Side of the Mountain (1959) 

My Side of the Mountain Trilogy (2000) 

New York In Maps (1969) 

Nutik and Amaroq Play Ball (2001) 

Nutik, the Wolf Pup (2001) 

On the Far Side of the Mountain (sequel to 'My Side of the Mountain') (1990) 

One Day in the Alpine Tundra (1984) 

One Day in the Desert (1983)

One Day in the Prarie (1986) 

One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest (1990)

One Day in the Woods (1988) 

Pocket Guide to the Outdoors (2010)

The Last Polar Bea (2009) 

Red Robin, Fly Up! (1963)

Rhino Romp (1998)

River Rats (1979) 

Shark Beneath the Reef (1989)

Snowboard Twist (2004)

Snow Bear (1999)

Snow Tracks (1958)

Spring Comes to the Ocean (1965)

Spring Moon (2002)

The Summer of the Falcon (1962)

Summer Moon (2002)

The Talking Earth (1983)

The Tarantula in My Purse: And 172 Other Wild Pets (1996)

The Thirteen Moons- 13 volumes

The Moon of the Owls (1967, 1993)

The Moon of the Bears (1967, 1993)

The Moon of the Salamanders (1967, 1992)

The Moon of the Monarch Butterflies (1968, 1993)

The Moon of the Fox Pups (1968, 1992)

The Moon of the Wild Pigs (1968, 1992)

The Moon of the Mountain Lions (1968, 1991)

The Moon of the Chickarees (1969, 1992)

The Moon of the Deer (1969, 1992)

The Moon of the Alligators (1969, 1991)

The Moon of the Gray Wolves (1969, 1991)

The Moon of the Winter Bird (1969, 1992)

The Moon of the Moles (1969, 1992) 

There's an Owl in the Shower (1995) 

To Climb a Waterfall (1995) 

Tree Castle Island (2002) 

Vison the Mink (1949) 

Vulpes the Red Fox (1948)

Water Sky (1987) 

Wentletrap Trap (1978) 

Who Really Killed Cock Robin?: An Ecological Mystery (1971) 

The Wild, Wild Cook Book (1982) 

Winter Moon (2001) 

The Wolves Are Back (2008) 

The Wounded Wolf (1978)

More Libraries... Everywhere: Building Community by Building Small Libraries

The Sisters testing how the community library
looks with shelves full of BOOKS!

Last week we asked you to "Guess What We've Been Up To" and many of you guessed it RIGHT! We're working on a bunch of really, really small libraries to help build communities --perhaps in a neighborhood near you, and of course, we'd like to tell you the story:

There is something really amazing that happens when many, many people all have similar ideas at the same time, Carl Jung coined the amazing word: Synchronicity. Synchronicity is simply a marvelous, meaningful coincidence. Months ago we met the wonderful Kristen Talaga, Marketing and Communications Manager at Traverse Area District Library. We recall our original meeting had to do with dreaming and scheming, but our subsequent meetings have been all about library support. During one of these meetings we realized that both Traverse Area District Library and BFWP were working on the same thing: building small community libraries. And our calendars proved even more more synchronicity:  we'd even planned little library festivities in the same week --we believe Carl Jung is smiling somewhere. It seems the whole world is getting excited about little libraries, they are popping up everywhere!

“This is not a new idea, but it’s a great idea so we are ‘paying it forward,’” said  TADL Director, Metta T. Lansdale, Jr.  “The message behind the Little Free Library is simple and dovetails with TADL’s mission; it’s about building literacy as well as a sense of community.”

Yesterday we witnessed as the first of many Little Free Libraries was dedicated to the wonder-filled community of Traverse City. There were balloons, smiles, hugs, official ribbon cutting, photos taken, and happy patrons browsing new collection. When the hubbub died down there the little library remained; waiting for the next patron to open its doors and "Take a Book, Leave a Book" as the library urges all who visit to do.

Kids Creek Little Free Library

Learn More about the synchronicity of small community libraries and the Little Free Library Movement:

• Kids Creek Little Free Library project explained via Traverse Area District Library
• The Record Eagle had a lovely article in the Sunday Paper Free Little Library for Borrowing, Lending 
• Want to build a little library RIGHT NOW?! Check out the TADL Builder's Toolkit
• Stop by Little Free Library for the background and how the group began their inspired work 
• Search "Little Free Library" and prepare to be inspired!
• And of course follow along with Books for Walls Project as we complete our own small library, we'll share photos, details and goodies along the way. Are you interested in a small library for your community? Contact us tell us what you are thinking. 

This article is dedicated to the amazing Kristen Talaga, we like to imagine a world where 

every library community has someone like Kristen on their team 

--that would be a lovely world indeed!

The Library: Your Gotta Fight. For Your Right.

Pure and simple, 

this one is for 

The Dad.

someecards.com "when you care enough to send a hit",  click here to send one!

And in memory of Adam Yauch, because The Dad is going to miss 

the original Three Beastie Boys, together.  

Remembering Adam Yauch | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

MCA Dead: Adam Yauch Remembered With Beastie Boys Hits

Take a moment, check out what's happening at BFWP: 

• Get the Scoop! At Your Library: Choose Privacy Week 2012

• Tell us What are You Reading RIGHT NOW?

• Guess What We've been up to? Building a little library, more coming soon! 

• Find us on Facebook, click here  

• Follow us on Twitter, 
  click here.
   

Get the Scoop! At Your Library: Choose Privacy Week 2012 "Freedom from Surveillance" & "What Parents Should Know About Privacy Online"

The theme for Choose Privacy Week, May 1-7, 2012, is "Freedom from Surveillance." The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) started Choose Privacy Week in 2010 "to deepen public awareness about the serious issue of government surveillance, and offers individuals the resources to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy." As fast as things change learning about our privacy rights can be a daunting task --what's a person to do? Well, check with the library of course! Or visit privacy revolution.org for resources galore.

“We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted.” 

Code of Ethics of the American Library Association

The Campaign for America's Libraries created a list "What Parents Should Know About Privacy Online" to help navigate the wild and wonderful internet with children. Here is the scoop on the the main points (please visit @yourlibrary to get the full scoop and much more about privacy that should be a must read for EVERYONE!)

1. Do a family privacy audit.

2. Discuss with your children what privacy means— for your family, in school, with friends, and online.

3. Reinforce the message that your children have the right to control what they share about themselves, who they share it with and what others share about them.

4. Take a moment to talk about the “golden rule” of privacy: how to respect other people’s privacy.

5. Remember that sharing online is an opportunity to design a positive digital footprint. Our children grow up with online identities. And remember that once shared, digital media, such as cell phone photos or videos, have the potential to be endlessly shared, regardless of original intentions, and can be virtually impossible to remove.

6. Understand what you’re agreeing to when you or your children share information with commercial interests. Websites that ask for personal information in exchange for use of a “free” or paid product or service, whether it’s a social networking site, online game, store or promotion, often use the collected information in targeted advertising and to shape search results.

7. Get up to speed on social media and privacy and talk about it with your preteens and teens.

Take the Choose Privacy Week Quiz 

brought to you by @yourlibrary!

The Mom creates "Get the Scoop" to help The Sisters learn about what the library has to offer. Together we gather, review and share the information in hope of shedding a little more light on all the amazing things libraries do for us.

Knowledge is power; 

the library makes us feel pretty strong! 

Guess what we've been up to!

Here are a 

couple 

of hints:

The Dad and The Sisters just finished step one:
the basic installation.
A wonderful creation made completely
of recycled materials.

Now mix in a little sprinkle of the
Goddess of Wisdom, Athena,
well, an Athenæum
to be specific...

Shelves,
yup,
add shelves... 

Any 

guesses?

Answer 

coming

SOON!!