Kate’s 2¢: “Glass On The Stairs” by Margaret Scherf

“Glass On The Stairs” by Margaret Scherf

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

Scherf does a good job of obfuscating the culprit with numerous possible perps. I thought it was interesting that the married couple, Henry and Emily Bryce, slept in separate, twin beds, but, this story was written a long time ago during a different culture. I’m still a bit confused about the neighborhood and how the buildings were in relation to the other buildings, but, at the end, the culprit explains exactly how it was all done, so, the building logistics didn’t really matter. I enjoyed this fast paced story.
The version I listened to was recorded in the studio of the Montana Talking Book Library, November 18, 2015 by Joan Bishop .

From the Web:
Margaret Scherf (1908-1979) was an American mystery writer. She was born in West Virginia and attended public schools in New Jersey, Wyoming, and Montana before graduating from Antioch College in 1928. Scherf then moved to New York, working as a secretary to the editor at Robert McBride & Company for a year.
Scherf is best known for her many humorous murder mysteries. Scherf’s writing career spans from 1940 to 1978. Her writing career came to an abrupt end in 1979 when she was killed by a drunken driver.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Glass on the stairs DBC01247
Scherf, Margaret. Reading time: 4 hours, 57 minutes.
Read by Joan Bishop. A production of Montana Talking Book Library.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Mrs. Otis Carver has been shot in Link Simpson’s gun and antique shop. Henry and Emily Bryce, delightfully mad interior-decorators and amateur sleuths, think it was murder, and are off on one of the zaniest cases in the history of homicide. For high school and adult readers.

Kate’s 2¢: “Curse of the Arctic Star: Nancy Drew diaries book 1” by Carolyn Keene

“Curse of the Arctic Star: Nancy Drew diaries book 1” by Carolyn Keene
Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

Every now and then, I like to catch-up with Nancy Drew and her pals. It also reminds me of how to write for the grade 3-6 (8-12 year old) age group.
The language is clean and current, and doesn’t talk down to the students by using ‘baby words’. Although, they solved the issue of the saboteur, the other mystery will most likely be taken up in Book Two.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Keene
Carolyn Keene is the pseudonym of the authors of the Nancy Drew mystery stories and The Dana Girls mystery stories, both produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. In addition, the Keene pen name is credited with the Nancy Drew spin-off, River Heights, and the Nancy Drew Notebooks.
Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Syndicate, hired writers, beginning with Mildred Wirt, later Mildred Wirt Benson, to write the manuscripts for the Nancy Drew books. The writers initially were paid $125 for each book and were required by their contract to give up all rights to the work and to maintain confidentiality.
Other writers who have adapted the “Carolyn Keene” moniker include Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Walter Karig, and Nancy Axelrod.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Curse of the Arctic Star: Nancy Drew diaries, book 1 DB98518
Keene, Carolyn. Reading time: 3 hours, 37 minutes.
Read by Jorjeana Marie.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Nancy, Bess, and George are on the maiden voyage of Arctic Star when strange things begin to happen. They suspect a saboteur is onboard. Commercial audiobook. For grades 3-6. 2013.
Downloaded: May 29, 2020

Cornucopia: Somewhere Down The Road

Somewhere Down the Road
By Kate Chamberlin

Somewhere down the road, our friend’s lake home dawns with a beautiful clear sky and morning sunrise. It’s a balmy 27° outside but nice and warm with the wood stoves running inside.
The lake is like a mirror reflecting the trees from the other shore. The loons are back and starting to lose their gray winter plumage. Our friends have seen a pair of Wood Ducks do their fly-bys of the camp in their synchronized flying style. Out in the water below, a pair of small ducks they can’t recognize, have been paddling up and down the shoreline. The geese have also found their way back. A few fisherman have made their way here too, a bass boat is flying past the camp in a rush to get somewhere to fish. So they guess except for the current temp. the winter has past, yet, we are still ‘socially distanced’.

Somewhere down the road in a grassy, open park, a family has gathered from the far corners of the county for their annual Memorial Day picnic. The families that quarantined together are grouped together. Each group is about six-feet from the other group, forming a large, loose circle, similar to an opalescent pearl necklace. They hoot and holler back and forth to each other through their unique, colorful home-made face masks. They want to hug each other and share the traditional, family picnic casseroles, as they used to. Each of the younger children has a pool noodle, because, ‘social distance’ is the mantra of the day.

Somewhere down the road, the home-owner is digging a victory garden in his back yard. The sod is fragrant as fresh dug dirt is and heavy from the recent spring down-pour. The tangled, matted grasses from last summer, make the sod difficult to remove. Visions of lush green vines heavy with pendulous zucchini; and nearby red, succulent tomatoes; orange baby carrots topped by their feathery fern-like leaves; blood red beets with deeply veined greens; and bright patches of companion marigolds dance in his head. To reduce the need to mow between the raised beds, the home-owner has place planks. The square-foot garden technique is easy to maintain and efficient, but, isn’t social distancing the plants taking it a bit too far?

Somewhere down the road, in our new reality, we’ll visit our friends on Butterfield Lake, host a feast made from the bounty of our garden, and hug our young and old family members, until our hearts are once again filled with tangible love and joy.

Kate’s 2¢: “Betsy: A Memoir” by Betsy Johnson and Mark Vitulano

“Betsy: A Memoir” by Betsy Johnson and Mark Vitulano
Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

I could identify with Johnson’s learning how to sew at an early age. My at-home mother was a good seamstress, but she didn’t like to hem anything. She’d thread a needle for me and I’d do the straight hem work. I became expert at the ‘blind stitch’, which is ironic because, now, I am totally blind and, yes, I still sew. I also sympathized on needed to custom fit clothing my mother and I made for me. The back hem had to be longer than the front…weird, but it made the outfit look great on me, since I have a ‘big following’.
I know I’ll never get to England, so, I relished Johnson’s chronicle of her working visit to London as a Barbizon Girl sponsored by ‘Mademoiselle Magazine’; as well as her other world-wide jaunts in connection with subsequent gigs.
While I can identify with neither her life style of marrying three times with disastrous results nor keeping her breast cancer a secret, I can feel solidarity as a sister breast cancer survivor. In my dance with cancer, I shared the music with everyone.
As Johnson read her auto-biography written with Mark Vitulano, her enthusiasm for her life and bubbly personality come through her voice.
After her successful open heart surgery, she wondered what she’d do for the next 20 years. Wouldn’t it be great if she began reading for the Library of Congress’s National Library Service.

From: Betsey Johnson® Apparel – betseyjohnson.com
https://www.betseyjohnson.com
• “Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked…
• “Always have fun with fashion. Dress to entertain yourself.
• “You have to hold onto your fantasy.
• “Just to see what a pink dress can mean to a woman, any woman, but a disabled woman, that’s extra special and thrilling…
• “Keep your sunny side up, keep yourself beautiful, and indulge yourself!
Mark Vitulano is a freelance writer living in New York City. He worked for Betsey Johnson thirty years ago answering the telephones at her NYC showroom. He kept his ears and eyes open. The two have been friends ever since.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Betsey: a memoir DB98887
Johnson, Betsey; Vitulano, Mark. Reading time: 6 hours, 41 minutes.
Read by Betsey Johnson.

Hobbies and Crafts
Biography

Memoir of famed fashion designer who first rose to prominence in the late-1960s. Discusses growing up in Connecticut, life in Manhattan in the 1960s and 1970s, relationships, motherhood, surviving breast cancer, and building her business empire. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
Downloaded: May 29, 2020

Kate’s 2¢: “Collective Marks by Nancy Feldman

“Collective Marks by Nancy Feldman
Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

I appreciated the opening remarks of this book. I’m familiar with the basics of dressage from a non-rider’s point of view, but, not the technical aspects of it. It made sense of the title.
Eric’s harsh, rigid techniques of training horses and their riders were hard to read about. Although, this is a novel, I suspect many riders will see various trainers they’ve known…and, perhaps, feared.
By facing one’s fear, one can learn; thus, Michael faced his fears as his mount face its fears. They learned respect, understanding, expectation, and acceptance from each other. The trainer, Eric, was able to read each of them and brought out the best of each.
Beginning writers are often told to write what you know and, if you don’t know it, research it. “Collective Marks” exemplifies how depth of perception, perspective, and authenticity only come from truly knowing and experiencing your subject. Feldman very aptly used her background to create a compelling story.

From the WEB:
Nancy Feldman has actively ridden and trained horses for more than 50 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature and Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in Psychiatric Social Work.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Collective marks : a novel DBC12428
Feldman, Nancy N. Reading time: 10 hours, 33 minutes.
Read by Jason Ryan. A production of Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Animals and Wildlife

Social worker Annie Trowbridge makes one last effort to find work for Michael, a willful and suspicious young man who is fascinated with horses, by placing him with a horse trainer. Struggles ensue between the volatile, defensive Michael and the hard, unsympathetic trainer. Michael’s growing understanding of dressage and the techniques used to communicate with horses are the means by which Michael learns that he is dealing with both a gifted trainer and a potentially dangerous man. Unrated.
Downloaded: May 29, 2020

Cornucopia: voting absentee ballot2020

*** Agreement Made for June Accessible Absentee Voting Program
A federal court has approved an agreement between the NYS Board of Elections ACB, and other disability groups that provides voters a more accessible absentee ballot for the upcoming June 23 Primary Election. Following the lawsuit that was filed on May 22, the NYSBOE has agreed to email accessible absentee ballots to qualified voters with disabilities. Read the full press release about the agreement at: https://acb.org/june-accessible-absentee-program
Home>Agreement Made for June Accessible Absentee Voting Program
Agreement Made for June Accessible Absentee Voting Program
June 3, 2020 – New York, NY – A federal court has approved an agreement between the NYS Board of Elections (NYS BOE) and disability groups that provides voters a more accessible absentee ballot for the upcoming June 23 Primary Election. Following a lawsuit filed on May 22 by a disability rights coalition, the NYSBOE has agreed to email accessible absentee ballots to qualified voters with disabilities. Voters can access an Accessible Absentee Ballot Request Form on the NYS BOE website to request an accessible electronically-delivered absentee ballot.
The accessible absentee ballot request form is located here: https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/Voting/NYAccessibleElectronicAbsBallotApp.pdf.
“We are encouraged by the steps taken to ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to protect both their safety and their vote, via absentee ballot, in the upcoming June primary. However, there is still more to be done before the general election in November for the system to be fully accessible,” says the coalition, which includes Disability Rights New York, the American Council of the Blind—New York, Inc., Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, Disability Rights Advocates, National Federation of the Blind of New York State, Inc., represented by Eve L. Hill of Brown of Goldstein & Levy LLP and several New York voters with disabilities, including Rasheta Bunting, Karen Gourgey, Keith Gurgui, and Jose Hernandez.
The terms of the agreement, which only applies to the June 23, 2020 Primary Election, include the following:
1. A voter with a print disability can request an accessible absentee ballot using the accessible request form available online.
2. The voter must send via email their completed request form to their county BOE on or before June 16. Voters can sign the form with text input or e-signature.
3. The county BOE will send the accessible absentee ballot to the voter by email as soon as possible after it receives the voter’s request form. The county BOE also mails a postage paid return envelope and oath envelope to the voter.
4. The voter will receive an email with the accessible ballot, and the voter can mark their selections on the computer and print it out at home.
5. The voter must sign the oath envelope anywhere on the envelope, then put the ballot in the oath envelope. The voter must put the oath envelope in the larger envelope provided with paid postage by the county BOE. A voter must get the ballot in the mail by June 22, or hand-delivered it to the county BOE by June 23, 2020.
This agreement does not provide an online ballot submission option, and only applies to the upcoming June election. Plaintiffs will continue their pursuit for a fully accessible absentee ballot for the November 2020 General Election and all subsequent elections.
Source: Dots and Dashes June 5, 2020
The American Council of the Blind is bringing the latest edition of Dots and Dashes to your inbox! This weekly newsletter features a variety of topics and ACB stories.

Kate’s 2¢: “Eager: the surprising, secret life of beavers and why they matter

“Eager: the surprising, secret life of beavers and why they matter
by Ben Goldfarb

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

Now I’m a beaver believer too.

from the WEB:
Ben Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental journalist who covers wildlife conservation, marine science, and public lands management, as well as an accomplished fiction writer. His work has been featured in Science , Mother Jones , The Guardian, High Country News , VICE , Audubon Magazine , Modern Farmer , Orion , World Wildlife Magazine , Scientific American , Yale Environment 360, and many other publications.

From NLS/BARD/LOC :
Eager: the surprising, secret life of beavers and why they matter DB91831
Goldfarb, Ben, (Environmental journalist). Reading time: 12 hours, 2 minutes.
Read by Bob Moore. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Nature and the Environment

Journalist examines the role of the beaver in ecology and conservation efforts. Topics include their construction abilities, what happens when they are removed from an environment, hunting traditions, personalities involved in beaver conservation, ways beavers can rehabilitate ecological systems when reintroduced, and more. 2018.

Kate’s 2¢: “The Night Watchman” by Louise Erdrich

“The Night Watchman” by Louise Erdrich

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

In this novel, Erdrich has written a wonderful tribute to her grandfather, Chippewa Council chief Thomas Wazhashk. She has captured the essence of tribal characters virtual and real; the customs and struggles; and the variety of personalities of the Turtle Mountain Tribe.
Her wonderful narrative voice ebbed and flowed fluidly from English into Chippewa adding an authenticity to the whole novel.

From the WEB:
Louise Erdrich (born Karen Louise Erdrich, June 7, 1954) is an American author, writer of novels, poetry, and children’s books featuring Native American characters and settings. She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Anishinaabe (also known as Ojibwe and Chippewa).

Erdrich is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native American Renaissance. In 2009, her novel The Plague of Doves was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and received an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. In November 2012, she received the National Book Award for Fiction for her novel The Round House.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:
The night watchman DB98896
Erdrich, Louise. Reading time: 13 hours, 34 minutes.
Read by Louise Erdrich.

Historical Fiction
Bestsellers

1953. Chippewa Council member Thomas Wazhashk tries to balance the demands of his job as a night watchman at the new jewel bearing plant outside the Turtle Mountain reservation and monitoring the consequences of the bill purporting emancipation for Native American tribes wending its way through Congress. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2020.
Downloaded: May 29, 2020

Kate’s 2¢: “When You Can’t Believe Your Eyes: Vision Loss and Personal Recovery” by Hannah Fairbairn

“When You Can’t Believe Your Eyes: Vision Loss and Personal Recovery” by Hannah Fairbairn

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read. I’m just saying…

This short book is geared toward adults who are loosing their vision. Hannah has a wonderful sense of humor, yet, tells it like it is! I enjoyed listening to her presentation from the Hadley School. I’ve included the link below, but I don’t know if the link will work for you from my blog. Her book is available from BookShare. h

Hadley Presents and a microphone with the braille ‘h’ appear in white on a black background, framed by red curtains
Becoming Socially Confident After Vision Loss
Author of “When You Can’t Believe Your Eyes,” Hannah Fairbairn, chats with us about how to communicate in everyday situations when you can’t rely on visual cues. Hear Hannah’s own story about losing vision, her practical tips on adjusting to vision loss, and advice she has on regaining confidence in social situations.
Listen Now
A downloadable transcript is available on our site.
Hadley Logo – Braille “H” in teal square
700 Elm Street
Winnetka, Illinois 60093
800.323.4238 | hadley.edu