What are these dudes talking about?  Post your answers in the comments.

Congratulations to the winners of our 2009 Word Up! Poetry Contest!

You can read all the winning poems here.

Posted by Administrator

When Christopher finds his neighbor’s poodle stabbed to death with a gardening fork, he knows that it was murder, and he swears to do something about it. After the policemen release him (he punched one of them when he put his hand on his shoulder) Christopher begins his investigation. Even though he’s overwhelmingly afraid of strangeness– strange people, strange places, and anything unpredictable– he figures that with his unusual intelligence and desire to get to the bottom of it, he is the perfect person to solve the “curious incident.” But as smart as he may be, Christopher does not understand everything, and, well, there are some things that might be better left unknown.

Although– or perhaps because– this novel is from the point of view of an autistic teenager, the unique writing style grabs readers from the beginning and won’t let go. It is an interesting thing, the situational irony that comes from reading the thoughts and observations of a person who sees the world in an entirely different way than the average person, and surely rare and exciting enough to make this novel worth reading on its own. But that’s not all that this book has to offer because, well, who can’t resist a good detective story? Mark Haddon has created a fresh version of a Sherlock Holmes story, presented in a whole new way so that it works completely. The fusion of a great plot, premise, and irresistable writing style make this book a masterpiece– it’s no wonder it has recieved such rave reviews!

Request The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time from Howard County Library.

View all items posted by Bethany.

Posted by Bethany.

Question of the month, answer in comments!

If you could achieve only great thing in your life, what would it be?

Posted by Iris

The McCain campaign headquarters was crawling with activity. The room was stuffy and crowded; the guests lined up against the wall. These guests weren’t the kind of people just anybody would associate with. They were high-class bounty hunters. A pile of rifles sat beside the door, waiting for their owners to claim them. Outside were wildlife activists, holding their signs high and shouting slogans.

“Wildlife activists!” Sarah Palin snorted, looking outside, “Doggone it; we don’t need their opinion! Our bounty hunters are involved in a science-based and abundance-driven program. The wolves need to be contained!”

“Yes ma’m,” the ex-governor of Alaska, Frank Murkowski, scuttled across the room, taking care to give the glowering hunters their space.

“You betcha! They won’t take away our rights for bounty hunter. Isn’t that right, Georgie?” She turned to the current President who was huddled in a corner.

President George W. Bush mumbled some random words: “Duty… war… strong… winning… large-mouth bass… whatever you say, my faithful old Vice President…”

Frank Murkowski came running up to Sarah Palin, “Ma’m, we have a priority signal from the GOP! Apparently bounties were outlawed in 1984.”

“Say it ain’t so,” Sarah cried, with an impetuous toss of her head. “I have full confidence that you can find a loophole.” She walked away to watch her campaign buddy, John McCain, address the bounty hunters.

“My friends. There will be a substantial award for the one who kills the most wolves. You are free to use any methods necessary.” John stops in front of Dick Cheney, “But make sure to aim before you shoot!”

Dick Cheney put on a petulant face and mumbled, “As you wish.”

Suddenly everybody jumped as they heard a loud shriek. It came from Sarah Palin, with Frank Murkowski cringing behind her. Governor Palin’s aids came running up, with water, and her $2,500 jacket in case she was cold. Sarah pushed them all aside and ran up to John McCain, “President McCain!” she said, almost reverentially, “President, we have them.”

*******

The breakfast table was all set up for two, the clean white napkins folded into little elephants. There was a door on either side of the room, each waiting expectantly for somebody to walk through them. Presently the sound of heels broke the silence. Sarah Palin appeared through one of the doors, her hair already in its immaculate updo. She sat at the table, and delicately took one of the elephant-shaped blueberry scones from the basket. She was just finishing when John McCain walked through the other door. Governor Palin jumped up, bouncing in her heels in excitement.

“Senator McCain—” she trilled.

“Good morning, Sarah,” Senator McCain said, pulling his jacket off and hanging it on his chair.

Sarah Palin’s red pumps flashed as she jumped even higher. John McCain reached over the elaborate flower arrangement for a scone of his own. “Good morning, Sarah,” He said again.

“Morning,” Palin gasped, sitting down on the edge of her chair.

“You seem to have good news, Sarah, why don’t you share.”

Sarah Palin settled herself in her seat. “Well, I had a message from the Lord,” she declared reverently, leaning forward in her chair, “You were addressing Alaskan bounty hunters, who we had hired to kill wolves.” John McCain nodded, as if he knew all about it. “And just when you finished, we got news that we had won the election!” She finished triumphantly, leaning back in her chair in a self-satisfied way.

John McCain looked at her blankly. Sarah stared back at him, waiting for him to praise her. When he still didn’t say anything, she added, “Well, don’t you see? It is a message from God that putting a bounty on wolves will win us the election! It can be our platform of the day!”

“Oh!” John McCain started, “Oh, yes, I see. Well, maybe it wouldn’t appeal to the public. A little too… bloody.”

“Nonsense!” Governor Palin scoffed. “They’ll be loving it!”

“Well, Sarah, I’ve been campaigning longer than you, and the bounty is not going to work. Don’t do it.”

“But—”

“No buts! Don’t bring up the bounty.”

*******

A few hours later, John McCain was campaigning in Florida; Sarah Palin was left to campaign in Arizona. And Sarah Palin knew in her heart of hearts that God knew better than John, so she said,”

“Permit holders will be paid $150 when they bring in the left forelegs of wolves taken from any of several designated control areas. Our science-driven and abundance-based predator management program involves volunteers who are permitted to use aircrafts to kill some predators where we are trying to increase opportunities for Alaskans to put healthy food on their families’ dinner tables. It is not hunting.”

Posted by Black-eyed Susan.

I did not expect to love Edward Scissorhands .

From the title and vague memories of seeing posters or t-shirts with slashy things on them, I thought Edward Scissorhands would be a slasher movie, not at all a bittersweet, dark fairytale that would make me tear up as much as I laughed.

Edward (Johnny Depp) is the “son” of an inventor, a boy created to all appearances human, but with scissors for hands. After the inventor dies, he lives in isolation up in an old, gothic-looking house outside of a relentlessly normal suburb (where the houses are a rainbow of pastel!), until Peg Boggs finds him by chance going door to door selling make-up products. After convincing her husband to let Edward stay, Edward befriends the Bogg family.

Edward is gentle, quiet, and beautifully bewildered by cars, beds, and people most of all. As the movie progresses, the residents of this little “Anytown, USA” are at first wary of his formidably sharp scissorhands and scarred face, but grow to like him as he proves his shrub sculpting and hair cutting skills.

Enter some romance. Edward is fascinated, and then entranced by Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder), but Kim has a boyfriend, the immediately unsavory Jim. Though Kim is equally fascinated by Edward, Jim makes it clear that she is not to go near him.

In a series of mishaps and accidents, Edward is placed under suspicion, Kim’s feelings for Jim and Edward are put to the test, and whether Edward is really just too different to be live in normal society is questioned again and again.

The score by Danny Elfman was incredible (of course), the acting was quite good (of course), and I walked away with a new favorite movie.

10/10 stars on this one!

Request Edward Scissorhands from Howard County Library.

Posted by Iris

This new Adam Sandler movie strays from his more adult/teenage comedies into the realm of little kids. A hotel janitor realizes that while babysitting his niece and nephew, that whatever the children add onto the bedtime stories come true.  When Sandler’s character was young, a man bought the hotel from Sandler’s father, and promised that one day Sandler could run the hotel. He hasn’t kept his word. Thanks to the kid’s bedtime stories, Sandler might just get the shot he’s been dreaming of.

Although marketed to younger children, I went out with five of my friends to see this movie and we all enjoyed it. That’s right, we’ll actually admit that three fifteen year old teenage boys went willingly to see this movie and enjoyed it. And my two girl friends and I…well, let’s just say that we were all sold when we saw the kid’s pet hamster. Slightly creepy, but adorable at the same time.

Being older, we could give the plot more thought. Such as, could all of the happenings from the bedtime stories be happening because of Sandler’s subconscious? Could he unknowingly be causing these actions to happen based upon the single fact that he believed they could? Or, could it simply just be a cute kids movie? I guess we’ll never know…

4/5

Posted by Temporary Unrealistic Name.

The Happening, the 2008 film directed by M. Night Shyamalan, can best be described as a plot which makes you think. Unless you have a scientific base of knowledge, the plot can become confusing.

Some unknown toxin in the air is effecting everyone, slowly moving up the east coast. Eliot Moore and his wife are trying to outrun the toxin, bringing with them Eliot’s best friend’s young daughter. This is a unique concept from the director which brought the nation The Sixth Sense in the 1990’s. Where this movie fails though, is how it ends suddenly and does not offer any explanation. It leaves the viewer wondering what exactly just happened and why they spent an hour and a half watching it.

If you want to see a good M. Night Syamalan film, go rent The Sixth Sense.

2/5

Request The Sixth Sense from Howard County Library.

Posted by Temporary Unrealistic Name

Leon Sanders has plenty of friends, but there’s one thing he wants that he can’t seem to acquire– a girlfriend. Sure, he has friends who are girls, but it’s not like he thinks of them as such, and he certainly wouldn’t consider dating one of them. Of course, he’d love it if his longtime crush Amy Green would show an interest in him, but the beautiful cheerleader seems to him to be entirely unattainable.

But then, out of the blue, comes Melody Hennon. Horribly burned as a child, Melody has been shunned for all of her school years, and Leon has never even considered holding a civilized conversation with her. But when she’s moved to the locker next to his, Leon takes pity and strikes up a conversation, and it turns out that Melody isn’t that bad, when one can get past her looks– in fact, she’s the nicest girl he’s met in a long time. Soon, the friendship blossoms into something more, but when Amy suddenly shows an interest in him, he’s tempted to drop all the good things he has going to be with the girl of his dreams.

It’s a rare thing to find a male-narrated romance, but Brian Katcher has pulled this feat off admirably, creating a funny, easy to read and yet emotional novel. In this genre, character is everything, and Katcher has created some brilliant romance characters indeed– multifaceted, emotional, and hilarious. Unfortunately, in his attempt to incorporate this hilarity throughout his novel, Katcher has taken away from one of the most important characteristics in fiction– believability. If anything, his characters are too developed, and it becomes difficult for readers to understand as he introduces quirk after quirk into his limited cast. Sure, this is amusing– in fact, the whole novel is amusing– and perhaps if Katcher had put a little less effort into joke telling and a little more into consistency, his novel would be a standout, but for now, well, it’s hard not to pronounce this contradictory novel anything but “forgettable.”

Posted by Bethany Davis

This 2008 movie directed by Bryan Bertino is a short horror film, with a total runtime of only 85 minutes. The plot involves a young couple who are terrorized by three masked strangers in the man’s vacation home. Although marketed as being a “true story”, “inspired by real events”, or “based off true events”, this is a stretch on the director’s part. He states that it is inspired from his childhood, when someone came knocking at his door and asked for someone who was not there. Later, he discovered that local houses were broken into.

Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman play the leading couple. Although the concept is not extremely original, the costumes add a dramatic effect and improve the movie quality. The lines can be cheesy at times, and the characters seem to make deliberate mistakes to continue the plot. Bryan Bertino attempts to stray into new territory with a horror flick that takes on a psychological level, but falls short.

3/5, for a bad plot and acting yet good cinematic features

Posted by Temporary Unrealistic Name