SCOTT O'DELL, Author of ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS and Lover of Librarians (He was married to one!)

Scott O’Dell was born on May 23, 1898 in Los Angeles, Ca. While growing up, he traveled all around Southern California and was able to see and experience many different things. His family moved around a lot because his father was a railroad worker. When he was young, he loved being in the outdoors - especially swimming at the beach, where he could experience sea life.

Scott O’Dell attended several colleges:  Occidental College in 1919, the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1920, Stanford University from 1920-21, and the University of Rome in 1925. He only took classes that interested him and helped him in his writing career. As an adult he had several different jobs before he became a writer...he was a Hollywood cameraman (and even worked on the film Ben Hur!)... during WWII, he served in the Air Force...and at one time he was even a rancher.  O’Dell began writing both nonfiction and fiction books for adults in 1934. During the 1940s and 1950s he worked as a book columnist for the Los Angeles Mirror, as well as a book editor for the Los Angeles Daily News. He began writing children's books in the late 1950's.

"Married to children’s librarian Elizabeth O’Dell, who would be his lifelong supporter and first-reader for his books, Scott loved no group of people more than librarians—they read his books, they could tell him what children said, and they appreciated his stories. Although Island of the Blue Dolphins was published when Scott was in his sixties, he lived and wrote for another thirty years and crafted other superb novels: Zia; Black Star, Bright Dawn; The King’s Fifth; The Black Pearl. Always personally generous with the money from his books, Scott set up the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction to help other authors receive recognition for their efforts." - Anita Silvey

ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS (1961, Newbury Medal) Definitely in our Top-Ten-Family-Favorites, this book is based on the life of a real woman who lived alone on the island of San Nicolas, off the coast of California, from 1835 to 1853. She was named "Juana Maria" by a priest at the Santa Barbara Mission, who was with her when she died only seven weeks after she was rescued by George Nidever. She is buried in the S.B. Mission Cemetery.

This was the cover art on the edition we had.
I love the haunting expression on Karana's face.

We took our three children to the Santa Barbara Mission Cemetery, where
Juana Maria is buried, and saw this plaque dedicated to her memory.

A few more titles of his historical fiction for Young Adult readers:
The King's Fifth (1966, Newbury Honor)

The Black Pearl (1967, Newbury Honor)

Sing Down the Moon (1970, Newbury Honor)

and Black Star, Bright Dawn (1988)

TWO "GOODNIGHT BOOKS" FROM MARGARET WISE BROWN

Margaret Wise Brown
1910-1952

Today marks the birthday of Margaret Wise Brown, one of America's most prolific children's book authors of the Twentieth Century. She attempted to write most of her books from the "here and now" perspective of a child, rather than in the more popular style of the day: fairytale and fantasy.  Her books often included animals and everyday things that mattered to children.  Even though she died at the young age of 42, at the peak of her career she had over 100 books in print.  She chose her illustrators carefully.  They included Clement Hurd, Garth Williams, Felicia Bond, and Leonard Weisgard.

HER GOODNIGHT BOOKS...

She is probably best known for her timeless classic, GOODNIGHT MOON (1947), illustrated by Clement Hurd.  Who can forget the rhythmic text that begins:

In the great green room

There was a telephone 

And a red balloon

And a picture of --

The cow jumping over the moon!

The whole story takes place in one room, as the baby bunny bids a ritual "goodnight" to all the objects in his room.  Have you ever noticed these little details...

-the hands on the two clocks progress from 7 PM to 8:10 PM.
-the young mouse and kittens wander around the room. The mouse is present in all pages showing the room.
-the red balloon hanging over the bed disappears in several of the color plates, then reappears at the end.
-the room lighting grows progressively darker.
-the moon rises in the left-hand window.
-the socks disappear from the drying rack.
-the open book in the bookshelf is The Runaway Bunny.
-the book on the nightstand is Goodnight Moon.
-in the painting of the cow jumping over the moon, the mailbox in the right-hand side of the painting occasionally disappears.
-in the painting of the three bears, the painting hanging in the bears' room is a painting of a cow jumping over the moon.
-the painting of the fly-fishing bunny, which appears only in two color plates, appears to be black and white (or otherwise devoid of color). It is very similar to a picture in the book The Runaway Bunny.
-the number of books in the bookshelf changes.
-the pendulum of the bedside clock disappears in the final room scene
-the stripes on the bunny's shirt change
-in the last page the word bunny is gone off the brush

A new (though even older never-before-published!) "goodnight book" by Margaret Wise Brown is THE FATHERS ARE COMING HOME (2010), pictures by talented illustrator Stephen Savage.

It is nighttime and the fathers are coming home... 

This book is a perfect bedtime story, and would also be a great read for Father's Day.  The original manuscript was written in 1943, as a tribute to WWII fathers, but it was never published.  Though lost for years with many other of Brown's writings, it was finally published in 2010. The story is about fathers returning to their children at the day's end - birds, bugs, bunnies, fish - and finally, a sailor dad coming home from sea to his child.  The bold and colorful illustrations and simple, lyrical text make a sweet book for 2-5 year olds.

DEEP INSIDE, WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL (TO QUOTE A PHIL COLLINS SONG)

"When you have a handicapped child, you realize...the balance of the two sides of things...the weight of such a life and the indescribable grace that such a life offers...it's about trying to sort out why it feels so valuable, even though it might not look that way". Ian Brown, father of Walker, from the book THE BOY IN THE MOON: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son.

Once a week, my daughter, Mary, teaches "Special Day Classes" for children with Special Needs at a local elementary school.  She teaches music and movement to three separate classes, with kids ranging in age from kindergarten to fifth grade.


Yesterday, my husband and I attended their end-of-the-year musical program, "JUNGLE BOOGIE".  Many of the kids can't even talk, yet they got totally involved with presenting songs to their parents, siblings, and grandparents.  We felt honored and lucky to be looking on.


Keeping with the Jungle theme, Mary included a couple of Phil Collins songs from the Disney animated film, Tarzan.

The two she chose were Strangers Like Me and You'll Be in My Heart.  I'll never again hear these songs in the same way.  From now on, I'll always think of that Special Day and Mary's Special Kids - the lyrics communicated a poignant message to us from them...

With a soundtrack in the background, the oldest students performed Strangers Like Me, holding up signs with the words:


"Come with me and you'll see my world,
Where there's beauty beyond your dreams...

Can you feel the things I feel right now with me?

Take my hand - there's a world I need to know!"

The final song was performed by all the kids.  You'll Be in My Heart speaks to what must surely be felt by every parent of a child with Special Needs, but my daughter had the children sing it to their parents.  (Of course, my husband pretty much had to scrape me up off the floor after they'd finished this one...)

"This bond between us 
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry.


'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart...
No matter what they say
You'll be in my heart...always.


Why can't they understand
The way we feel
They just don't trust
What they can't explain


I know we're different
But, deep inside us
We're not that
different at all

And you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more..."

Later, over lunch, Mary told us that when the performance was over she went to tell the kids goodbye.  One boy, a fifth-grader who will be graduating this year, is unable to speak (with words); so he made the hand gestures she'd taught all the kids for their last song:  looking deep in her eyes, with his hands outstretched to her, he reached them up over his head in a circle and brought them back down, crossing them over his chest.  He was saying, "You'll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more..."  He finished his message with a big hug for her.  Indescribable Grace.

A LIBRARY IN HUNTINGTON BEACH BRINGS THE OUTDOORS "IN"

It's a rainy morning, and I'm headed off to Huntington Beach's Central Library in Orange County, CA, with my library side-kick, Sophie, her Mommy, her dog...
          
       and her Hello Kitty umbrella.

This library branch holds a lot of good memories for me, as it was the first I ever frequented with my kids when they were little.  It's in a beautiful setting, located at one end of H.B. Central Park.  There's a pond, ducks, wonderful pathways, an outdoor amphitheatre, and even a cafe in the park, where you're allowed to bring your doggie.

On this particular afternoon, the cafe was closed due to the rain, so Sophie and I headed straight to the books, while her Mommy took their dog for a nice long walk. (The rain, luckily had stopped).

As you walk into the main entrance and turn left, the children's area looms ahead, just beyond a circular fish tank, full of tropical fish...

Sophie wanted to run over and see the fun water-filled bubble panels that frame the big, open doorway.  She immediately spotted the Storytime Theatre off to the side and Mrs. Rabbit, who waits next to the small children's door, ready to greet young visitors...

...and get a BIG HUG!

The theatre wasn't open, but one of the very helpful librarians (who is also the storyteller), Miss Debra, unlocked the doors and let us in for a "peek" at the wonderful big storytime room.  The carpeted steps serve as stadium-style bench seating for well over 100 kids and parents.

Miss Debra

Once you enter the actual book area of the Children's library, you'll be greeted by shelves full of books, a sailboat, a computer area, and...Nature!  The huge windows let in lots of natural light and the green leaves of the Eucalyptus trees that surround the library.  And if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the great-horned owls that nest in the branches.  (The librarian told us there are little owlings, too, at this time of year, that perch just outside the windows!)

Here are some of the humorous books that Sophie chose today.  We laughed and laughed at the stories she picked, especially her choices by author/illustrator Lauren Child!  One of my favorites was Child's quirky book, HUBERT HORATIO BARTLE BOBTON-TRENT.  (Click HERE for Lauren Child's Amazon web page and a list of all her very unique books.)

On our way out, we passed a bronze figure of Huck Finn and spotted a sign for a little snack area on the library's lower level...

I'm not sure which Sophie enjoyed more, the long ramp that led down between the concrete fountains to the snack bar, or the chocolate treat she indulged in!

Visit the Huntington Beach Public Library WEBSITE for the Storytime and Events Schedule for Central Library, as well as HBPL's four other branches - Banning, Helen Murphy, Main Street, and Oak View.