Cheryl Rainfield's Blog, page 112

Kate Messner's poem on the impact of books

If you haven't read Kate Messner's beautiful, moving poem yet about how our books can reach readers, you'll want to check it out! It talks of the way books give us what we need, and how our books give that to others. Just beautiful. So beautiful I want to print it out and put it somewhere I'll read it!

I needed her poem today; I'm sure I'm not the only one who did. Give it a read!

ALA Awards

For a full list of this year's ALA Awards, check out the article in PW.

I was really excited to see some of my favorites getting awards and honors, and interested to check out the many books I didn't know. Are you going to check out any of the books you don't know?

Some online book fun

Find out what the NYT bestsellers were in the week you were born.

(Mine was JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL. What's yours?)

Linda Joy Singleton's Don't Die, Dragonfly ebook free for limited time

Do you like teen fiction? If you do, you'll want to download Linda Joy Singlet 's Don't Die, Dragonfly! which is free for a limited time on Amazon.

This ebook is for the Kindle, but you can also download the Kindle app and read it on your computer, even your phone. If you like teen fiction, check this out.

Lambda Literary: 2010 in Review: Dan Savage, and SCARS giveaway

If you haven't seen it yet, check out this post about Dan Savage. Dan Savage started the whole It Gets Better videos for lesbian/gay/bi/trans youth, in response to the queer teen suicides after homophobia and bullying. He started one of the most powerful, compassionate acts this year of reaching out to queer people and letting them/us know we're not alone, we're okay, and things get better. I love it when people put good into the world–and Dan Savage really did.

…I'm mentioned in Lambda Literary's post on Dan Savage as one of the most vital messages from queer authors for my It Gets Better video. I am so honored to be mentioned!

If you haven't seen my It Gets Better video, you can check it out. When my It Gets Better video reaches 1,500 views, I will be giving away a signed copy of SCARS to one of my Twitter followers. Want to make sure you're in that giveaway? Follow me on Twitter.

Grateful for the time I had with Willow

My sweet little Willow passed away Dec 24, 2010. I miss her deeply. I loved her fiercely. She gave me unconditional love, and was the sweetest, most loving, gentle beautiful-soul dog I have ever known. Willow was 13 years' old when she passed–about 91 in human years. She hung on for four years past what the vets thought she could and would (she had congestive heart failure). I think she hung on so long because of her deep love for me, and my deep love for her.

I may post more about the whole process of her passing and my grief; I feel a need to write about it, and to share. For now, I hope you will watch a short video of her. She was so sweet.

If you do watch it, and enjoy it, perhaps you'll leave me a comment so I know?

Man who wrote 'how-to' for pedophiles book on Amazon has been arrested!

I LOVE it when justice happens! When children are actually protected, when people take the rights of children seriously, when child molesters, abusers, rapists, and those that encourage that actually have consequences. It makes me want to cry.

The man who wrote the how-to book for pedophiles on Amazon–and who had graphic depictions of how to rape a child and supposedly get away with it–has been arrested!

I am used to people turning the other way, people ignoring abuse and rape while it happens. That certainly happened for me as a child, a teen being abused and raped. Even as an adult. But this time, someone who was actively encouraging the rape of children is being punished, instead of the victims. I am so happy!!

Thank you to everyone who spoke out about this to Amazon and to the media. You are all wonderful for caring.

Please sign the petition against curing lesbianism with rape

PLEASE sign the petition against "curing lesbianism" with rape. Declare it a hate crime!!

Yes, this actually happens. It sickens and saddens me.

It happened to me as well–my abusive family did not want me to be lesbian. Of course they tried to rape it out of me with men, while telling me they'd make me like it. (Father, uncles, and men who they rented me to.) My parents were part of an intergenerational cult, and rape was an everyday (and nightly) occurrence, always mixed with threats, twisted control, etc–but when they discovered I was lesbian, they made it pointed. It is hard enough to be queer in a world where there is hatred, prejudice against it. To be raped to "change" one's sexuality can feel unbearable.

But it is happening now–in South Africa, and likely here, too, just not as openly.

Please sign the petition and help take a stand against this atrocity.

Easy way to donate to a food bank

Send a holiday e-card through this site, and Kraft Canada will donate $2 to a food bank.

Or, on FaceBook, pledge that you will help a foodbank, and Campbells will donate cans of soup to a foodbank.

These are two easy, painless ways to donate to food banks. Food banks need donations all year round, but especially this time of year. The holidays are a hard time for many. When you don't have enough money for food, it makes the holidays even harder.

I hope you'll do one or both of these easy ways to donate, and also consider adding a few non-perishable items to your local foodbank, or a bin for a foodbank at your grocery store. And I hope you feel good about it! I think it's a gift to help others (and to help ourselves), and it can feel especially good to do so this time of year.

What do you like to do to help others that makes you feel good?

Looking for a funny picture book?

Imogene's Antlers

written and illustrated by David Small.

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House

ISBN-13: 978-0375810480

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Looking for a funny, laugh-out-loud picture book? Check out Imogene's Antlers by David Small. It is SO funny, and has beautiful illustrations! It's written and illustrated by David Small.

The story goes into fantasy–a little girl, Imogene, wakes up one morning with antlers. At first she encounters some problems (getting dressed, getting out the door), but then she also discovers some fun–hanging donuts off the antlers, feeding birds that way, having her mother faint. Imogene clearly enjoys her new experience. I think kids will delight in the adults' reactions–her mother fainting away (twice), the principal getting bugged, the doctor unable to find anything wrong.

The text is beautiful–just enough to tell the story, but not overdoing it. Short sentences that tell us so much. I wish more writers wrote like this. And the illustrations! They are gorgeous–so full of life, light-hearted and happy, fun and funny.

The ending is also a delight–when it appears that the next morning, Imogene has been "cured"–only to see that she's got a huge peacock's tail attached. This is a funny, feel-good book. It's one of those books I think both children and adults will enjoy.

I highly recommend it.

source: review copy from the publisher, in exchange for an *honest* review. (I do not review books I don't like.)