Dream Come True: Australia Day, Part 2

Sydney Opera House

Since I was a teenager I had dreamed of visiting Australia. I longed to see the Sydney Opera House, spend time in the Outback and marvel at the Great Barrier Reef. It's hard to say when this dream actually started, but I think the seed was planted when I was about 13 and I got a small, stuffed koala as a present. A small collection soon followed.

Then in my late teens I saw this film that really set the dream in motion. The Man From Snowy River (1982) is a classic Australian film set in the mountains and flatlands of southeastern Australia in the late 19th century. It tells the story of a young man who becomes a part of a search for a wild horse. Why did a western from Australia make me want to go there? I have no idea, but it did lead me to watch other Australian films which led me, more and more, to wanting to visit this beautiful country.

Since Australia is so far away I never thought it would happen. I assumed that it would remain a dream. But five years ago I had the opportunity to accompany my husband on a business trip to Australia. My dream was finally going to come true!

Because of limited time we didn't really stray that far from Sydney. Which meant that I didn't get to see the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef or even the mountains from The Man From Snowy River. But that's o.k, because we still got to see some amazing places. One place in particular has stuck with me. It is now one of my favorite places.

The Blue Mountains

That place is about a two hour drive west of Sydney near a town called Katoomba - The Blue Mountains National Park. This very popular national park is a part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area due to its many and varied examples of plant life which still produces great scientific discoveries. All I know, is that this was one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen in my life.

The Blue Mountains are technically a sandstone tableland and not mountains, but they still provide very challenging hiking trails nonetheless. My husband and I attempted one of these trails. I really enjoy being in the great outdoors but I am very far from being an outdoorswoman, but I knew that I had to do this.

The Three Sisters

Our hike started in the early morning at the Echo Point Lookout which provides the best view of The Three Sisters (above). One Aboriginal legend has it that these three pillars are three sisters from one tribe who fell in love with three brothers from another tribe that they were not allowed to marry. The brothers went to war over the sisters. An elder from the sisters' tribe turned the sisters to stone to protect them planning on reversing it when the war was over. Sadly, the elder was killed in battle and the sisters remained as stone pillars.

After a short climb down to the Three Sisters the difficult part began. We climbed down 872 steps and 1,000 feet to get to the valley. It was very steep in places and my left leg was incredibly sore the next day. But it was worth every step to see the view on the way down and the forest and the valley floor when we got to the bottom.

Ascending just a few of the 872 steps!

The walk across the valley was breathtaking. We saw such wonderful and unique trees and flowers. After walking 2.5 kilometres we were able to take a cable car back to the top. But the most interesting way to get to the bottom was the Katoomba Scenic Railway, originally built to haul coal out of the valley in the 1880s. So we decided to ride it down and then back up again. On the way down they played the Indiana Jones theme!

Katoomba Scenic Railway

I did get to experience one of my dreams on this trip. While visitors are no longer allowed to hold koalas they do allow visitors to touch and pet them. I was almost in tears when I touched this koala hanging out on his perch and munching on eucalyptus leaves. It is a prized memory.

Our other stops included The Barrington Tops National Park which includes a temperate rainforest, a ride on a train on the Zig Zag Railway, and a boat ride across Sydney Harbour to Manly Beach.

While I didn't get to see as many places as Ms. B did, I loved everything that I saw and every moment spent in this beautiful and amazing country!

Don't forget to watch for kangaroos or koalas crossing the road!

From the Catalog:

-- The Man From Snowy River [DVD] - the film that set the dream in motion!

-- The Man From Snowy River & Other Verses by A.B. Peterson - the poem that the film was based on.

-- Strictly Ballroom [DVD] - a hilarious look at an Australian ballroom champ who wants to break all the rules of dancing while his family desperately tries to stop him.

-- Breaker Morant [DVD] - Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.

-- Muriel's Wedding [DVD] - Muriel longs for the big city life of Sydney in this Australian comedy.

-- Australia [DVD] - Baz Luhrmann's epic about an Australian ranch during World War II.


From the Web: 

-- The Lost Valley of the Wollemi Pine [Scientific American] - a 2012 article about the discovery of a species of tree thought long extinct found in the Blue Mountains.

-- How Australia Put Evolution on Darwin’s Mind [Smithsonian Magazine] - a 2015 article about Charles Darwin's little known trip to the Blue Mountains in 1836.

-- The Blue Mountains National Park - official page of the park.


--Post by Tracy

Terror Incognita: Australia Day, Part 1

January 26th is Australia Day, the official national holiday of Australia. 

We celebrate the day with a two-part entry on this weird, wild, and wholly unique country:

Sunrise in the Outback

Taipan snakes. Funnel web spiders. Redbacks. Great white sharks. Saltwater crocodiles. Bluebottles. Box jellyfish. Cone shells. Cassowaries. Blue-ringed octopuses. Coffin rays. Stonefishes.

That's a small, utterly non-comprehensive list of all the things in Australia that are venomous, poisonous, or otherwise capable of causing extreme bodily harm to a human who ventures just a little too close. And that is, of course, only considering the animals; I've left off such things as floods, hurricane, cyclones, temperatures so hot they can literally cook a person alive -- and riptides, which many consider to be a far greater danger than any of the local wildlife.

Australia: A Summary

The point remains: Australia is not for the faint of heart. So imagine my surprise last May, when I found myself signing on for a two-week trip to the Land Down Under. I was, as my friends and family could've all told you, somewhat apprehensive about just what creepy-crawlies (or, y'know, massive crocodiles) I might run into while I was there. But there was undeniable appeal at the chance to go somewhere so utterly unique, so completely unlike anywhere I had ever gone before.

The Australian Outback

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to bounce from place to place in Australia, getting to experience several different locations entirely different from one another. There was Cairns, for instance: a veritable tropical paradise of a city, situated on the northeast coast of the country (or, if you prefer, the northeast coast of the continent, Australia being the only place that can claim the distinction of being both continent and country).

Cairns is where you go if you'd like to view the Great Barrier Reef, located just off the coast. Exactly how big it is has become a matter of some debate (280,000 square kilometers by one reckoning, 344,000 by another), but by even the shortest of estimates, it stretches the same length as the west coast of the United States. It contains incredible amounts of wildlife: fifteen hundred species of fish, four hundred types of coral, four thousand types of mollusks -- and is said by many to be the largest living thing on earth. (Some argue that, as the reef is composed of three thousand separate reefs, it is not a single entity; that hardly makes it less impressive.) Comprised of trillions of miniature coral polyps, the Great Barrier Reef is centuries old.

Saltwater crocodiles at the Marineland Melanesia Park 

on Green Island -- off the coast of Cairns, Queensland

Then there was Sydney, Australia's most famous city (despite the fact that Melbourne is swiftly gaining popularity and may soon overtake Sydney's population numbers -- and that the actual capital of the country of Australia is Canberra). It has the Sydney Opera House, Australia's most famous bit of architecture. There's also the Harbour Bridge, which our guide informed us many tourists will pay hundreds of dollars to climb across the top of (because, I was forced to assume, there are actually tourists who do not find Australia hazardous enough to begin with).

The 'roos at the petting zoo outside Sydney are 

realizing I'm almost out of treats. 

I felt like the little kid in "The Lost World" when the dinos 

find out she doesn't have any more sandwiches for them.

And then, of course, there's the Australian outback. There are great, vast expanses of outback; in fact, it comprises the majority of the continent. It redefines the concept of "in the middle of nowhere." But despite overwhelmingly high temperatures and the usual assortment of dangerous creepy-crawlies, the outback is undeniably magnificent. And nowhere is this more evident than at Uluru.

Uluru (the Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock) is a rock formation that's a mile and a half long, five and a half miles around -- and a hundred million years old. It's a type of geological marvel known as a bornhardt: a deposit of weather-resistent rock that's left behind after the wind and rain and water has worn away its surroundings. The thousand-foot-high structure is considered a holy place by the Aboriginal people -- and it's not hard to see why.

Uluru

So, yes: it's wild and massive and even, perhaps, at times, a bit terrifying. But Australia remains a truly fascinating place.

Just be sure to check the sheets for spiders before you go to sleep. I know I did.

And, hey: not all of the animals are scary.

-- From Terry Pratchett's The Last Continent:

"I want," he said, "A book about the dangerous creatures of [Australia] --"

"Hmm …" He picked up a book at random and read the cover. "'Dangerous Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Jellyfish, Insects, Spiders, Crustaceans, Grasses, Trees, Mosses, and Lichens of Terror Incognita'," he read. His gaze moved down the spine. "Volume 29C," he added. "Oh. Part Three, I see."

He glanced up at the shelves. "Possibly it would be simpler if I asked for a list of the harmless creatures of the aforesaid continent?"

Something white [came] zigzagging lazily through the air. Finally he reached up and caught the single sheet of paper.

He read it carefully and then turned it over briefly just in case anything was written on the other side.

"'Some of the sheep,'" he read aloud. "Oh, well. Maybe a week at the seaside'd be better, then."

Uluru

From the Catalog:

-- The Last Continent - a satirical novel by Terry Pratchett

-- In a Sunburned Country - A hilarious, and highly informative, Australian travel guide by Bill Bryson

-- Crocodile Hunter's Croc Files [DVD] - Host Steve Irwin takes viewers on an informative tour on the wildlife of Australia

-- The Rescuers Down Under [DVD] - An animated film set in the Australian outback


-- Post by Ms. B 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa -- it's the time of year for many joyful celebrations.

But of all the wonderful winter holidays, there is one that clearly stands out.

Yum.

Yes, December 30th is Bacon Day, one of two days of the year when all bacon aficionados can come together to celebrate that most tasty of foodstuffs. (The other day is International Bacon Day, held the Saturday before Labor Day. I think we can all agree, however, that bacon is special enough to deserve two holidays.)

As much as I agree with the idea on principle, it's true that I'm not exactly sure when, or why, bacon became singled out as the food most worthy of special attention. (It's more or less become a genuine internet phenomenon.) Cookbooks are devoted solely to bacon dishes, restaurants are adopting an all-bacon theme -- and bacon-based products abound, from bacon perfume and bacon soap to bacon jewelry and bacon band-aids.

As a bacon fan myself, however, I say: bring it on. And so we've compiled a list of bacon resources, from around the web and from our own Library Catalog, to help you celebrate the fast-approaching bacon holiday.

From all of us at MPL, we wish you and yours a very happy and peaceful holiday season.

With lots of bacon.

Getting hungry now.

Links

- Bacon Day -- More about this all-important holiday, including information on the day's history, tips on how to celebrate, and the great minds behind such a noble celebration.

- Bacon Today -- For all your bacon news needs.

- 50 Things to Make With Bacon -- Courtesy of the Food Network. Includes recipes for bacon and bacon-flavored guacamole, popcorn, meatballs, croque-monsieur, pancakes, and brittle.

- BaconFreak.com -- Your one-stop bacon shop. Includes t-shirts, jewelry, and a bacon-of-the-month club.

- Bacon Restaurant Grand Opening Expected Early 2015 -- Plan your trip to  Louisville, Kentucky now; they've got an all-bacon restaurant in the works!

- Stove Ownership -- Webcomic XKCD weighs in on bacon.

From the Catalog 

(Click to request!)

- Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes -- by Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama.

- The Bacon Cookbook: More Than 150 recipes From Around the World for Everyone's Favorite Food by James Villas.

- Seduced by Bacon: Recipes and Lore About America's Favorite Indulgence by Joanna Pruess with Bob Lape.

- Everything Tastes Better With Bacon: 70 Fabulous Recipes for Every Meal of the Day by Sara Perry.

Click here to watch Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson request "all the bacon you have"

Even a super-villain like Loki appreciates the value of bacon

-- Post by Ms. B 

Sounds of the Season: Part III

Part Three of our "Sounds of the Season" music recommendations comes from Mark Hudson, Adult Services Librarian and today's guest poster:


I usually wait until December to start listening to holiday music, and the music I like tends to be fairly traditional -- old hymns and spirituals, jazz and rhythm and blues from the 1950s and 1960s. Even the newer music I listen to is strongly roots-based, as you can see from my list of favorites:



-- Oy Chanukah! (Klezmer Conservatory Band)

I'll start with Hanukkah, because it always comes before Christmas. Oy Chanukah!  includes lively klezmer versions of traditional Hanukkah songs, interspersed with reminiscences and explanations of Hanukkah traditions from immigrant elders and other sources. If you're looking for just one CD to celebrate Hanukkah, this is probably the one.

Request Oy Chanukah! from the Catalog



-- Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah (Klezmatics)

In 1942, the renowned singer-songwriter and folk musician Woody Guthrie moved to Brooklyn. Through his mother-in-law, the influential Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt, he became involved with the Jewish community, and wrote songs about Hanukkah and other aspects of Jewish history and spiritual life. Woody's Hanukkah lyrics sat forgotten in archives for decades until they were rediscovered in 1998 by his daughter, Nora Guthrie, who asked the Klezmatics to write new music for them. Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah deftly mixes klezmer with country, bluegrass, funk and jazz in a collection of songs that's almost certainly destined to become a perennial holiday classic.

Request Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah from the Catalog



-- A Christmas Celtic Sojourn (Various Artists)

This album and its sequel, Comfort and Joy, have become two of my favorite Christmas music compilations. Musicians from all parts of the Celtic world perform an idiosyncratic mix of ancient and modern songs on traditional and modern instruments. Some of these songs are ethereal and contemplative, some are more raucous, but they're all beautiful and quite unusual -- definitely "off the beaten path," musically speaking. Even the few better-known melodies in the collection (e.g., "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear") are given unique interpretations and sound nothing like the more commonly-heard versions.

Request A Christmas Celtic Sojourn from the Catalog



-- Christmas in Bethlehem (Bach Choir of Bethlehem)

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, PA was organized in 1898 and is the oldest Bach choir in the United States. This collection includes some well-known Christmas hymns, along with many others you may have not heard before!

Request Christmas in Bethlehem from the Catalog



-- Soul Christmas (Various Artists)

This absolutely must-have collection is a 1991 reissue, which includes eight of the eleven tracks on the original 1968 release, plus eleven newer songs from the vaults of Atlantic Records. The artist list comprises some of the most illustrious names in soul/R&B history: Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters, Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Impressions, Otis Redding, Joe Tex, Solomon Burke, King Curtis and more.

Request Soul Christmas from the Catalog



-- Christmas Spirituals and Beautiful Star (Odetta)

Odetta, who Martin Luther King, Jr. once called "the queen of American folk music," recorded Christmas Spirituals at Carnegie Hall in 1960. In 1987, she re-recorded the same set of thirteen traditional and original spirituals in Burlington, Vermont, and the resulting CD was issued under the title Beautiful Star. The earlier recording is rougher, the later one more heavily produced. Both are magnificent.

Request Christmas Spirituals from the Catalog

Request Beautiful Star from the Catalog



-- Verve Presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz (Various Artists)

This is a collection of classic Christmas songs from the catalog of Verve Records. If you love jazz, this is the Christmas record for you! Artists presented include Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dinah Washington and Oscar Peterson. Fitzgerald's version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" leads off the CD and is, without a doubt, my favorite version of that song ever recorded. Coltrane's version of "Greensleeves" is likewise not to be missed.

Request Verve Presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz from the Catalog

Sounds of the Season: Part II

When it comes to Christmas music, I am a traditionalist. I like the standards from the 40s and 50s and many of the stars who sang them. There have been some new songs along the way that haven't been bad, but not enough to make me stray from my old standbys.  As you will see with my list of holiday favorites, there may be a few "newer" singers and musicians, but they are still singing the oldies but goodies!

-- Johnny Mathis

Of all the Christmas albums I have listened to in my lifetime, there is none better than Merry Christmas by Johnny Mathis. Mathis, known for such hits as Chances Are and It's Not For Me To Say, has released several Christmas albums throughout his long career, but none could top that first album released in 1958. Merry Christmas combines traditional Christmas songs with more modern tunes. If you listen to the album on vinyl, as I did growing up, you'll hear the modern songs on the first side with the traditional songs on the second side.

This is one of the first albums I can every remember listening to and was well worn from the numerous times it was played.

Request Merry Christmas from the Catalog

Request Sending You A Little Christmas from the Catalog

Request The Christmas Album from the Catalog

-- Harry Connick, Jr.

I have been a fan of Harry Connick Jr. for a very long time and I own most of his albums. But my favorite album of his just might be When My Heart Finds Christmas, the first of three Christmas albums from Connick. While the other two are fine recordings, this one has a wonderful combination of traditional and original songs. 

My favorites are (It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus, What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? and the title track, When My Heart Finds Christmas. 

Request When My Heart Finds Christmas from the Catalog.

Request Harry For The Holidays from the Catalog.

Request What A Night: A Christmas Album from the Catalog.

-- A Charlie Brown Christmas

If there is someone not aware of this very special 1965 Christmas special, they must be living under a rock. As a kid I couldn't wait for this to be on television. And now as an adult I still feel the same! Besides being a Peanuts fan, I've grown to love the music as much as the show. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first of many collaborations between Vince Guaraldi and the producers of the Peanuts specials. They wanted a different sound than the usual cartoon music and boy, did they ever get that! The jazz trio created a very atmospheric and beautiful accompaniment to Charlie Brown's quest to find the true meaning of Christmas.

Request A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack from the Catalog.

Request A Charlie Brown Christmas [DVD] from the Catalog.

-- Barenaked Ladies

This wonderful eclectic collection of Christmas and Hanukkah songs comes from one of my favorite bands. The band includes several very traditional songs, like Jingle Bells and God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/We Three Kings (with Sarah McLachlan). There are also quite a few covers of more contemporary Christmas favorites like Do They Know It's Christmas? and Wonderful Christmastime. 

But for me the highlight are the original songs such as Elf's Lament (with Michael Buble), Hanukkah Blessings and Green Christmas. If you are looking for something just a little bit different, but still somewhat traditional, this is the album for you!

Request Barenaked for the Holidays from the Catalog.

--Post by Tracy

Sounds of the Season: Part I

I love Christmas music. I rarely make it until after Thanksgiving before I break out the Christmas albums, and I've been known to listen to Carol of the Bells or Star of Bethlehem during the middle of the summer.

But as much as I love The Little Drummer Boy and Merry Christmas, Darling -- there are quite a few Christmas albums I cherish that don't fit the conventional mold. Read on for my holiday music recommendations:


-- Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The 2000 soundtrack

Though I'm a big Jim Carrey fan, I confess that his live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas is not my personal cup of tea. That doesn't stop me from loving the soundtrack, however, which features original Christmas-themed songs from the Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds, Smash Mouth, Faith Hill, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The songs are mostly not featured in the film, yet still retain a very Grinch-y flavor; if Christmas is not your favorite time of year, you may be able to relate!  But there's plenty for Christmas-lovers here, too -- including an updated version of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, sung by Jim Carrey himself. (And, whatever your feelings on Jim Carrey, the truth remains: the guy can sing.)

Perfect for Scrooges and Tiny Tims alike, this album is the first one I reach for come Christmastime.

Request the Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack from the Catalog

-- A Colbert Christmas

In 2008, Stephen Colbert (of The Colbert Report) did a Comedy Central Christmas special entitled A Colbert Christmas, complete with original Christmas songs and a plethora of musical guest stars that included Willie Nelson, John Legend, Feist, and Elvis Costello. The songs are both utterly hilarious -- the album won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album -- but also ridiculously catchy. The satire flies strong, with Colbert's "Another Christmas Song" poking gentle fun at Christmas commercialism and Feist's "Please Be Patient" using a Christmas carol standard as telemarketing muzak. (It's funnier than it sounds.)

My favorite tunes feature Colbert in duets with his guest stars. There's "Can I Interest You In Hannukah?" as performed with fellow comedy show host Jon Stewart. And then there's Colbert's duet with Elvis Costello, in the funny and surprisingly philosophical "There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In." If you're looking for some humor this holiday, give A Colbert Christmas a try.

Request A Colbert Christmas [DVD] from the Catalog

-- A Christmas Story: The Musical

Based on the holiday classic A Christmas Story, the adapted musical was first performed over 25 years after the film was first released. I've not seen the musical itself, but as a big fan of show tunes, I've checked out the soundtrack. And I'm pleased to report that, while not every song is instantly memorable, there are a whole host of selections that are: "Genius of Cleveland Street," "Up on Santa's Lap," and "When You're a Wimp," among others.

You don't have to be familiar with the original film to appreciate the tunes on the album -- particularly the opening number, "Counting Down to Christmas." If parents are frantic to get ready for the season in time, our protagonist, Ralphie, is equally frantic: he's running out of time to make his Christmas gift wishes known to his parents. After all, what's a boy who just wants an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Range Model Air Rifle BB gun (with a compass and a stock and this thing that tells time) to do??  It's Christmas from a kid's point of view, and, for the most part, the music captures that world beautifully.

Request the Christmas Story soundtrack from the Catalog



-- Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics

I recently mentioned my affection for the rude, crude, classic animated series South Park. The show runners have done a number of holiday-themed episodes, but my favorite is their musical installment, Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics. Styled like a (rather unconventional) variety show, the episode features ten holidays standards with a decided South Park twist, including O Tannenbaum, Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, and a version of Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel sung in rounds. (The album version of the episode features an additional eight songs.)

This being South Park, most of the songs are warped to humorous effect, making for holiday music filled with the show's typical irreverent humor. For those familiar with South Park, however, it's all part of the fun, making this an ideal holiday treat for fans.

Request Christmas Time in South Park [DVD] from the Catalog



-- Straight No Chaser

A professional a cappella group, SNC first came to prominence with their holiday-themed music, performed with only vocal back-up. Though they have since released other albums, they remain best-known for their holiday offerings.

Rather than detract from the sound, the a cappella approach offers a wholly unique performance, with singers in the place of instruments creating the songs' back-up. With a handful of delightfully fun unique pieces, Straight No Chaser is an unconventional take on classic carols. Not to be missed!

Request Holiday Spirits from the Catalog

Request Christmas Cheers from the Catalog

Request Under the Influence from the Catalog

Click here to hear Straight No Chaser perform "The Christmas Can-Can"

-- Post by Ms. B 

Doing Your Best: The Lessons of Jack Skellington

When it comes to family-friendly Halloween classics, it's pretty hard to top The Nightmare Before Christmas. It tells the tale of Jack Skellington, the resident Pumpkin King of Halloween Town -- a city populated by friendly witches, vampires, ghosts, and monsters, whose job it is to create the Halloween holiday each year. As the annual Halloween celebrations wind down to a close, we discover that Jack, while great at his job, is feeling stuck in a rut. Isn't there more to life than the same old chills and thrills?

So Jack can't believe his good fortune when he stumbles onto a magical portal that takes him to the land of Christmas Town. He doesn't exactly understand what it is about the place that makes him feel such a warm and happy glow, but he's eager to share the wonders of Christmas with his fellow Halloween Town citizens. And, before he knows it, he's struck with an even better idea: what if, this year, he takes over the Christmas holiday himself?

After sending Halloween Town's best trick-or-treaters to find (that is, kidnap) Santa Claus from Christmas Town, Jack and his fellow scarers begin putting together their own version of Christmas: spiderweb-decorated Christmas trees, Venus-Fly-Trap Christmas wreaths, and presents that range from zombie rubber ducks to haunted toy dolls. They're convinced their take on Christmas will be the perfect way to improve the holiday -- and that the children around the world will find their surprises frightfully delightful. Unfortunately, sometimes even the most well-meaning of plans don't quite work out ...

Released in 1993, the film was animated with stop-motion techniques; instead of drawings, the characters were sculpted and then posed frame-by-frame to achieve the illusion of animated motion. The movie itself is a musical, with ten songs by composer Danny Elfman framing the backbone of the story. With an original storyline, intricately sculpted sets, and colorful, quirky, wholly engaging characters, it's a beautifully unique movie that is a quirky joy to watch.

While I find the animation bizarrely charming, and the music delightfully catchy, the real heart of the story, for me, lies in the character of Jack Skellington. Because as it turns out, Jack is not just a somewhat surprising Everyman character -- he's also got a truly inspiring lesson lying at the heart of his story.

Sure, he's a skeletal pumpkin king whose job description includes scaring the wits out of people whenever he can manage it -- but it's hard not to relate to Jack's opening lament. Who hasn't grown weary of the daily grind now and again, and found themselves in need of rekindling the enthusiasm they once had for the day-to-day challenges of life?

Jack's delight in discovering Christmas is an easy thing to relate to, too. We can all understand his sudden enthusiasm for this new world, and for the happiness -- inexplicable as he finds it -- that the Christmas spirit gives him. He doesn't understand it, but he loves it just the same.

So you almost cheer him on when he gets it in his skull to take on the holiday himself -- despite all evidence to the contrary that he'll be able to pull it off. It's not just that he doesn't understand how to make Christmas come alive; it's also that he doesn't seem particularly good at it. Still, Jack doesn't let the odds stand in his way. Believing whole-heartedly in what he and his fellows have created, he sets off with a happy heart to bring a Halloweenified Christmas to children the world over.

And he fails abysmally.

The children of the world (not to mention their parents) hate Halloweentown's Christmas gifts. Jack's Christmas flight ends in miserable defeat, and it takes a newly-released Santa Claus to right the chaos Jack has inadvertently created.

His failure doesn't come as a surprise -- not even to Jack himself, once he stops to think it over. The residents of Halloween Town had never quite grasped the concept of Christmas to begin with ("Nobody really understood," he laments to his ghost dog, Zero). Jack himself had struggled to understand Christmas, and as he'd never truly been able to explain it, it's unsurprising that his fellow Halloween citizens didn't get it either. It's only to be expected that Jack's Christmas "nightmare" proves such a disaster.

And yet, despite that failure -- Jack ultimately decides that he's not sorry that he tried. "I did my best!" he exclaims, clearly proud that he "at least ... left some stories they can tell." (Which is certainly true.) Best of all, it was in preparations and celebration of his Halloween-ified Christmas that Jack felt like himself again.

Ultimately, the joy for Jack came not from whether or not he succeeded, but in the attempt itself. And in a world where winning is often held up as the only goal of value, it's a timely reminder that there's worth to be had simply in trying.

And I asked old Jack,
"Do you remember the night
When the sky was so dark,
And the moon shone so bright?

"When a million small children,
Pretending to sleep,
Nearly didn't have Christmas at all,
So to speak?

"And would, if you could,
Turn that mighty clock back
To that long, fateful night --
Now, think carefully, Jack!

"Would you do the whole thing
All over again,
Knowing what you know now,
Knowing what you knew then?"

And he smiled, like the old
Pumpkin King that I knew,
Then turned, and asked softly of me,
"Wouldn't you?"

Happy Halloween!

-- Request the film on DVD from the Catalog
-- Request the film on Blu-ray from the Catalog
-- Request the soundtrack on CD from the Catalog
-- Request the original picture book by Tim Burton from the Catalog


-- Post by Ms. B

Holiday Crafts

Looking for some craft ideas for the upcoming holidays? Look no further than the library. We have plenty of craft books to choose from. Here are just a few of the titles available.

Halloween:

-- Artful Halloween: 31 Frightfully Elegant Projects by Susan Wasinger - These 30+ costume, pumpkin, and home-decorating ideas are not just beautiful--they are scary beautiful. From unique pumpkin decorations to a “blood”-splashed dinner-party centerpiece to a Yard Specter made from two poles, a string of lights, and torn, draped fabric, these creepy but stylish Halloween projects will give your home a spooky, sophisticated look . . . with gothic flair!

-- All You Frightfully Fun Halloween Handbook by Carole Nicksin - From adorable pumpkin families and classic jack-o-lanterns to down-right scary giant spiders (eek!), the All You Frightfully Fun Halloween Handbook packs in more cute and creepy crafts for tabletops, porches and yards than you'll have room to display. The best part? Every idea comes with simple instructions and a clear list of budget-friendly supplies you'll find online or at nearby stores.

-- Best of Halloween Tricks & Treats from Better Homes and Gardens - Cool ideas for a personalizing any Halloween party From spooky to whimsical and everything in between, this all-new edition of Best of Halloween Tricks & Treats is a treasure-trove of neat ideas and helpful how-tos for adding a personal touch to Halloween parties and celebrations.

Thanksgiving:

-- Thanksgiving Day Crafts by Arlene and Herbert Erlbach - Using these easy-to-follow directions and traceable patterns, readers can make their very own miniature pilgrims, a leaves-in-the-wind glitter globe to give to someone special, pumpkin napkin rings to help decorate the table for a Thanksgiving feast, and more!

-- Martha's Classic Thanksgiving by Martha Stewart - This DVD covers the traditional Thanksgiving basics plus offers more ideas for those interested in trying something new. Includes turkey, stuffing, side dish and dessert recipes, centerpiece, table setting and decorating ideas and Thanksgiving crafts for kids.

--Thanksgiving Crafts by Jean Eick - Through easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step illustrations, this book shows readers how to make Thanksgiving crafts and decorations using everyday objects and craft materials. Activities and games are also included, as well as a brief description of the holiday.

Hanukkah:

-- Hanukkah Crafts by Karen E. Bledsoe - Provides information about the origin and customs of Hanukkah, ideas for celebrating this holiday, and directions for making such crafts as a dreidel mobile, holiday cards, and candle candy holders.

-- Happening Hanukkah: Creative Ways To Celebrate by Debra Mostow Zakarin - Explains the history and customs connected with Hanukkah and provides ideas and instructions for making greeting cards, gift wrappings, presents, decorations, and holiday foods.

Christmas:

-- Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas: Crafts, Decorating Tips, and Recipes, 1920s-1960s by Susan Waggoner - Inspired by the most sought-after treasures from the 1920s through the 1960s, Waggoner recreates a tempting array of decorations and provides step-by-step instructions that allow anyone to deck their halls with cellophane wreaths, glittered glass ornament balls, beaded bell garlands, and whimsical, tinsel-bedecked treat cups.

-- Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ornaments to Make: 101 Sparkling Holiday Trims -The wondrous assortment of handcrafted trims in this book provides hundreds of ideas to spark your creativity. The step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and patterns ensure each beautiful Christmas ornament you make is filled with the beauty of the season.

-- Christmas Crafts by Fay Robinson - Using these easy-to-follow directions and traceable patterns, you can make a stuffed snowman to keep you company on cold nights, a photo frame to give to a friend, some evergreen boughs to decorate your home, and more!

Kwanzaa:

-- Kwanzaa Crafts by Judith Hoffman Corwin - Kwanzaa Crafts offers creative projects for making a Kwanzaa place mat and candle holder, and other Kwanzaa symbols, and for holiday decorations, gifts, games, and wonderful treats to eat.

-- Kwanzaa Karamu: Cooking and Crafts For a Kwanzaa Feast by April A. Brady - Kwanzaa Karamu is full of fabulous foods you can make for a Kwanzaa feast or for your dinner tonight. Its pages are packed with easy-to-make crafts for Kwanzaa time and for all the year-round.

--Post by Tracy