Happy Holidays!

Cindy: Lynn and I found ourselves sitting on Santa's lap this afternoon while taking her grandsons and my teen daughters for a visit. We asked him to bring us lots of good new books to keep our blog full for you in 2009. We also got an early gift: an invitation from Booklist Online to host our Bookends Blog. We can't wait to join their great line up of bloggers. Watch for news here soon of our move. Happy Holidays to all of our Bookends readers!
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Lynn: Happy holidays from my end of the bookshelf too! It is dark and quiet as I write this but crazy excitement will soon reign when the five-year-olds hit the house. Before that happens, I want to send my best wishes to everyone and to say thank you. When we began Bookends it was mostly to amuse ourselves. We have been astonished and so grateful for its reception. It is truly an amazing world when two ordinary librarians can have such fun and get such wonderful feedback. Thank you for reading and responding! I am grateful beyond words for the fellowship of the book world. May your holidays bring you joy and strength for the New Year! Don't forget to check on us at Bookends. Cindy and I are already scheming for the coming year.
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Cindy: It just dawned on me...we are Santa Bookends too! :)

Happy Holidays!

Cindy: We have big glass display cases in both of my middle schools and the art department uses them a lot, but one of them has sat empty for quite a while. Tired of looking at it, my awesome secretary, Val, surprised me this morning with a gift wrapped case. I added a bow and a gift tag that reads: For: Mac Bay Readers -- From: Santa. Sometimes the easiest displays get the most attention. This one is already attracting the students and staff and everyone wants to know what is in the gift! We can't help you with your shopping, but our gift to you is the fast display idea. Happy Holidays from Bookends!

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic, 1990)

Cindy: This post should have been up yesterday, but if I hadn't cleaned the kitchen instead we'd never have been able to get to the counters to stuff our own turkey this morning. Our plan was to each share a favorite Thanksgiving picture book, but Lynn was traveling over the river and through the woods to Lafayette, IN to bring her parents home for Thanksgiving, so I am flying solo this year. We'll plan ahead next year. Yeah, right.

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving
And all through the trees,
The fall leaves were spinning
Aloft in the breeze.

Eight school children take a field trip with their peace sign earring-wearing teacher to a turkey farm where Farmer Mack Nuggett calls his turkeys by name: "Now Ollie, now Stanley, now Larry and Moe, on Wally, on Beaver, on Shemp and Groucho!" The kids befriend the turkeys and come up with a plan to spare them from their Thanksgiving fate. Signature Pilkey humor, great comic illustrations that pay tribute to some famous paintings, and a message of peace. Great holiday fare. If you're not familiar with this 1990 Scholastic/Orchard publication, add it to next year's holiday traditions!

Now, football is also a part of many families' Thanksgiving weekend traditions, so I have another reading recommendation for those fans. It's The Sports Kid Blog written by my cousin, Jack, a 6th grader. Even if you are not a Miami Dolphin or football fanatic like he is, check out his great writing style and voice. We just recently discovered each other's blogs and I was very impressed with his and have added it to my reader feed. He asked how I read so many books. I said, "I don't clean my house, can't you tell?" He looked around and completely deadpan said, "Yes." Consider this a fitting coda to this post's opening statement!

Happy Thanksgiving from Bookends!