Monday, June 21, 2010

Ahh...Summer!

Well, as anyone who has worked in the Youth department of a library will tell you, summer is a very busy time for us! Busybusybusybusy. That is not to say that it can't be fun.....just, well, busy. I am hoping to get back to some semblance of order, but I'm afraid that blogging has taken the farthest back burner. I am reading....mostly to children and not as much for myself, but I am always reading. Currently, at our Tuesday afternoon "all ages storytime" I am reading Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaiman. I like to read something that will take us a couple of weeks, but not much more than that to get through. It is about testing their attention spans and reading stuff I don't normally get to read. Yes, I could get through several "picture books" in that time, but I wanted this particular Storytime to be different. I like to change things up like that, it is how I roll.

So, Odd and the Frost Giants. This is the story of a boy called Odd, which means "tip of a spear". His father dies at sea during a Viking expedition, after saving the life of a pony, changing Odd's life dramatically. Odd injures his leg, his mother re-marries, and through a series of remarkable events he ends up in Asgard (home of the Norse gods) trying to help a trio of gods regain their home. Gaiman once again shows his expertise in storytelling with this tale of an unlikely hero up against seemingly impossible circumstances. Odd is a wonderful character, his quirky personality, which often got him hit by his step-father Fat Elfred, is very endearing. I really enjoyed the story when first I read it, and then handed it to my son to read, as he likes reading Norse myths and legends. It seemed like a great story to start off our Summer Reading 'all ages' group. I think they have very much enjoyed this story, and I am looking forward to starting a new one on Tuesday. What shall it be this time? I have some ideas...

While Summer Reading is taking up so much of my time, we also just went "live" with our library's digital collection, powered by Overdrive. We now offer downloadable audio books and e-books. I am very excited that our library is catching up a bit technologically speaking. The first audio book I downloaded? Odd and the Frost Giants read by the author, of course.

I will try to keep updating over the summer, and I promise to read something for myself again soon, and also to tell you about it. : ) Hope all are having a wonderful summer! Hug your family often, and tell them you love them!

4 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm so glad you wrote about this book! My husband is seriously into Norse mythology, already talking to our daughter about Sif's hair and Odin's ravens. He'll love the idea of reading a Gaiman story to her, I'm sure. Yet another title to put in my cart! ;)

    Enjoy your summer at the library! What a delicious time---to match kids with book, knowing they're going to climb up trees or down into cool basements, escaping the heat in a retreat of fantasy and adventure. Don't you secretly think you have the best job in the world?

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  2. Well, I really do think my job is awesome.....I just very often also wish I had more time for writing....of which I have done none since the start of this crazy season. I will. IwillIwillIwillIwill! : ) I haven't even touched the surface of what I have wanted to write just on this blog. *sigh* All things come to an end, however, and Summer Reading is no exception. This week, next week, and that's all she wrote, folks. Bittersweet. Hopefully kids keep reading, which I am sure they will.

    Thanks (yet again) for your support Jessica!!

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  3. I listened to the audio of Odd and the Frost Giants. It was splendid. Gaiman reads it himself. Like they said on the CBS Sunday Morning interview with him, listening to Neil Gaiman read is better than...well, a lot of things.

    With the Thor movie in the offing Norse mythology could be quite the thing. Kids are always interested if I offer it to them in addition to the Greek myths.

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  4. I have listened to portions of the audio. (it is on my mp3 player...in case I need a dose at any time) I agree that listening to Gaiman read his work is....yeah, great! Many times have I listened to him read, and many times I've been glad I did.

    My son has been getting books on Norse mythology from his school library for a couple of years now. We were pleasantly surprised by Odd and the Frost Giants.

    Recently we got The Wolves in the Walls....excellent!! An Instructions.....a must have for any lover of fairy tales and fantasy. Illustrated by Charles Vess.....amazing!

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