Shazaam Maam!

  Cool Beans.  Headed down to the box this am to discover sixteen new books.  Someone donated ten young adult titles and six adult books.  Fun Stuff... check 'em out:

Kid's books

Big People Books

Thanks EWEB

  After the ice storm many of us have been cleaning up a bit.  Fortunately for the library the oak above the box did not sustain any damage.  EWEB did loose some branches and trees on their lot and this week sent a crew through straightening up.  The tree crew thinned out the stressed trees along Whitten and trimmed the oak tree above the library.  Nice and tidy and ready for spring.

  An interesting and eclectic set of new books in the box:  The Elegant Universe by Brian Green (Physics & Universal Theory), The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (Food Safety), These is My Words, Nancy E. Turner (Historical Fiction), What is the What by Dave Eggers (so called Pseudo-Autobiography) and Baa Baa Black Sheep by Iza Trapani another kids book donation from the Friendly Park Library.

  Coming up:  I have some books to give away courtesy of World Book Night!

Full House

  We just had an excellent donation of twenty-four children's books!  Yes 24 New Kids books!  Yahooza.  With a steady stream of recent adult book additions we just passed the 500 book mark.  This is five hundred books that have been noticed going through the box, there are likely books that come and go completely incognito.  Well done book folks and such a cool book box.  The early readers and kids who drop by will certainly dig into these new reads.

Generous Kids Book Donation!

  There are a couple of notable books that are hanging out in the box.  If you haven't read any of Erik Larson's historical books give In the Garden of Beasts a read.  This brilliant book details the politics and intrigue surrounding the last US Ambassador to Germany before the outbreak of the second World War.  It's very readable history, worth reading and thought provoking about the American mindset leading up to WWII.

  Thanks to everyone reading and contributing to our neighborhood library.

This picture was before the new books showed up.

Bookstore Layover

  I was stuck @ PDX and spent a couple hours browsing through my favorite bookstore.  Powell's is such an eclectic gamish of new, used, unusual and oh so worthy books.    These quotes drew my eye.

SMILE Eugene

  This morning I sauntered down to the box to complete my post travel habit of checking out what's new in our little library.  As I walked up I noticed an officious looking typed page carefully wrapped in a plastic sheet protector and attached to the side of the box.  My first thought was "uh oh" we've had a complaint and the city's getting on our case.

  The notice started "Recently some neighbors have noticed unusual rocks mixed in the gravel at LFL 8481."  What is going on?  There's nothing wrong with this gravel, hey wait a minute what is that mixed in with the regular gravel the neighbors spread?  And just who put out this letter?

  Reading further the letter's mirth and sly manner was exposed.  Here's the full text for your own exegesis to make sure there's not something subtly nefarious at foot here.  Seriously it's great to be back in Eugene and see another spontaneous event around the box.

  Here's a quick review of a book I picked up from the Olive Street LFL: Finding George Orwell in Burma.  Did you know that George Orwell was actually a British Imperial policeman as a young man in Burma?  The connection from Orwell's young adult days, Burma (now Myanmar) and the protests of Aung San Suu Kyi is a fascinating memoir written by American journalist Emma Larkin.  Emma Larkin is actually a pseudonym and the writing is a detailed and enlightening account tying Orwell's life and writing to modern day events.  I'm almost finished and will pass this engaging read back to the box.  Cheers to All.

Read Books

  Today I woke up to a winter thunder and lightening display outside my window.  No I'm not in Oregon, although this is the final day of my visit to South Carolina.  My bags will soon be packed with a few books I collected at local little free libraries and a bevy of rich memories.

Reader Robot says...

  Along with rich family time getting to see two of my sons, their wives and grandson Neil, we managed to start and complete a new library.  The kid's at Buena Vista Elementary School in Greer, South Carolina now have a little free library to steward, enjoy and hopefully encourage them down the reading road.  Thanks to the efforts of Sean & Hayley Flanagan this creative project became reality.

New Years

  I'm on the road in the Carolinas visiting kids and enjoying grandson Neil.   Neil's a ways from joining the next generation of readers, but he has plenty of laps to nurture his love of story.   In fact he just happened to receive "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silversteen from his Auntie Lauren & Uncle Eli who joined us for the New Year's get together.

    Shel Silversteen was quite popular in my undergrad days and it's been a while since I've picked up one of his books.   The story, not dissimilar to so many great tales, is poignant and sad.   A child's love affair with a generous tree fades under adulthood's preoccupations.  There are so many great writers who remind us of how growing up seems to invariably press childhood out of our souls.

  And then one day you're a Grandpappy giggling with your adult kids and grandchild. And maybe you recall that magical tree you slept under, played hide and seek under, learned and grew up under, that tree which arched over your nascent days.  

  I love that our neighborhood book box is under a beautiful tree, that this is a giving place and that kids are discovering Whitty Storeys.

Blessings in the new year.

Stephen
W/S Library Steward