I was encouraged to start a blog through the 23 Things on a Stick Web 2.0 program for Minnesota librarians, and I made one called Libba Bray, Cormier and Me, http://libbabraycormierandme.blogspot.com/ to highlight my teen librarianship and salute a couple of my favorite teen authors. I found that I quite like to blog. So this is my continuing blog, with a somewhat broader base.
My screen name has been Cleery since about 1996, an homage to a character in one of my favorite children's books, Magic in the Alley by Mary Calhoun.
Man, I loved that book as a kid. I reread it about every season. It is hard to find now. But, a few years ago, I tracked it down through an out of print book service and grabbed up a copy of my very own. If you like children's literature and fantasy, you should read it, you really should. If your library doesn't own it, you can get it through interlibrary loan. If you're in the Twin Cities, guess what, Minneapolis libraries have it!
Now, I shall tempt you. This is from memory at this point, so excuse any errors :) Cleery is a skinny, mysterious girl (age 11?), who likes to poke around alley junk shops hoping to find something interesting. One day in a shop, she finds a carved box, with a secret latch, that contains... magic? She tests out the ingredients on a conveniently located stuffed crow, and gets a big surprise. The outcome is that Cleery, her best friend Knobs and Crow get to enjoy a strange summer of magic. They meet a ghost, a mermaid, and a truly awful scarecrow, among others. I wanted to be Cleery, lucky, brave, non-conformist Cleery. And I loved Crow. I still love Crow.
So, Ms. Calhoun, in the crazy unlikelyhood that you should read this, please consider it a big, fat valentine. You gave young me many happy hours.
And for my readers (Carol Has Her Nose in a Book? Floating Lush? Librarian DOA?), stay tuned.
My screen name has been Cleery since about 1996, an homage to a character in one of my favorite children's books, Magic in the Alley by Mary Calhoun.
Man, I loved that book as a kid. I reread it about every season. It is hard to find now. But, a few years ago, I tracked it down through an out of print book service and grabbed up a copy of my very own. If you like children's literature and fantasy, you should read it, you really should. If your library doesn't own it, you can get it through interlibrary loan. If you're in the Twin Cities, guess what, Minneapolis libraries have it!
Now, I shall tempt you. This is from memory at this point, so excuse any errors :) Cleery is a skinny, mysterious girl (age 11?), who likes to poke around alley junk shops hoping to find something interesting. One day in a shop, she finds a carved box, with a secret latch, that contains... magic? She tests out the ingredients on a conveniently located stuffed crow, and gets a big surprise. The outcome is that Cleery, her best friend Knobs and Crow get to enjoy a strange summer of magic. They meet a ghost, a mermaid, and a truly awful scarecrow, among others. I wanted to be Cleery, lucky, brave, non-conformist Cleery. And I loved Crow. I still love Crow.
So, Ms. Calhoun, in the crazy unlikelyhood that you should read this, please consider it a big, fat valentine. You gave young me many happy hours.
And for my readers (Carol Has Her Nose in a Book? Floating Lush? Librarian DOA?), stay tuned.
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