Review of Falling Upward, by Richard Rohr

Christian, Musings, Nonfiction Review 0

Falling Upward

A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

by Richard Rohr

Jossey-Bass (Wiley), 2011. 198 pages.

This is a book about spirituality by a Franciscan teacher, and about how our focus changes in the second half of life.

I’d like to think that I’m young for this book, but I also think that my divorce was a huge crisis right at midlife, so in some aspects, I’m on the other side, and it’s fitting for me to read about the “second journey.”

Here’s what Richard Rohr has to say in his “Invitation to a Further Journey”:

A journey into the second half of our own lives awaits us all. Not everybody goes there, even though all of us get older, and some of us get older than others. A “further journey” is a well-kept secret, for some reason. Many people do not even know there is one. There are too few who are aware of it, tell us about it, or know that it is different from the journey of the first half of life. . . .

I find that many, if not most, people and institutions remain stymied in the preoccupations of the first half of life. By that I mean that most people’s concerns remain those of establishing their personal (or superior) identity, creating various boundary markers for themselves, seeking security, and perhaps linking to what seem like significant people or projects. These tasks are good to some degree and even necessary. . . .

But, in my opinion, this first-half-of-life task is no more than finding the starting gate. It is merely the warm-up act, not the full journey. It is the raft but not the shore. If you realize that there is a further journey, you might do the warm-up act quite differently, which would better prepare you for what follows. People at any age must know about the whole arc of their life and where it is tending and leading.

We know about this further journey from the clear and inviting voices of others who have been there, from the sacred and secular texts that invite us there, from our own observations of people who have entered this new territory, and also, sadly, from those who never seem to move on. The further journey usually appears like a seductive invitation and a kind of promise or hope. We are summoned to it, not commanded to go, perhaps because each of us has to go on this path freely, with all the messy and raw material of our own unique lives. But we don’t have to do it, nor do we have to do it alone. There are guideposts, some common patterns, utterly new kinds of goals, a few warnings, and even personal guides on this further journey. I hope I can serve you in offering a bit of each of these in this book.

There’s a lot of wisdom in this book. A lot of it doesn’t exactly fit the doctrine I was taught growing up. I’d like to think that the fact that doesn’t bother me, that I can see the wisdom, might be a sign I’m beginning the path of the further journey.

I did pull out many quotations from this book at Sonderquotes, which will give you an sampling of some of the writer’s wisdom.

Here’s how he finishes his “Invitation to a Further Journey”:

So get ready for a great adventure, the one you were really born for. If we never get to our little bit of heaven, our life does not make much sense, and we have created our own “hell.” So get ready for some new freedom, some dangerous permission, some hope from nowhere, some unexpected happiness, some stumbling stones, some radical grace, and some new and pressing responsibility for yourself and for our suffering world.

josseybass.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Nonfiction/falling_upward.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Review of Tua and the Elephant, by R. P. Harris

Beginning Chapter Books, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 0

Tua and the Elephant

by R. P. Harris
illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2012. 202 pages.

Tua and the Elephant is a sweet book about a little girl in Thailand who finds a young elephant who is being abused and rescues her from the bad guys. The story is not, perhaps, absolutely believable, but it is wondrously detailed with the sounds and sights and tastes of Thailand, and definitely a heart-warming tale of a small child helping a creature who needs it and with a happy ending for everyone.

Tua doesn’t think hard when she feels the elephant beckoning her to rescue it from the cruel mahouts. But after she walks away with it, her thoughts catch up with her:

Where does one take an elephant — a fugitive elephant, at that — in the city of Chiang Mai? How does one hide an elephant? Elephants don’t fit into closets, boxes, or drawers. One can’t simply toss a blanket over an elephant and call it a job well done. Someone is bound to notice. Elephants, for better or for worse, draw attention to themselves. . . .

The very next thought that stumbled into Tua’s mind was: What am I going to tell my mother?

She imagined herself saying, “Mama, guess what I found?”

That might work with a kitten or a puppy, but it wasn’t going to work with an elephant. And how would she get it up the apartment stairs? Where would it sleep? What does an elephant eat?

Taking the elephant home was definitely out of the question.

This is a great choice for children around middle elementary school who have started reading chapter books. The book has twenty-nine short chapters, plenty of illustrations, and a definitely compelling story in a setting not often read about in children’s books. A lovely addition to our library’s shelves.

chroniclekids.com

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Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/tua_and_the_elephant.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of Dark Triumph, by Robin LaFevers

Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Dark Triumph

His Fair Assassin, Book II

by Robin LaFevers

Houghton Mifflin, 2013. 387 pages.
Starred Review

When this book came in, it gave me the obvious excuse to reread Grave Mercy, which I loved as much the second time, appreciating some of the intricacies of the plot even more this time around. The second book, Dark Triumph, contained more detailed history you never knew and sinister political intrigue of medieval Brittany, with the same light touch of mystical gifts from the god of Death himself.

I do recommend reading these books in order. Technically, you could follow this book without reading the first, but you understand the political situation much better having read the first book, and it’s much easier to keep the characters straight. Once you’ve read the first one, it’s hard for me to imagine not wanting to read the second.

In Dark Triumph we find out what Sybella, the second novice from the convent devoted to Saint Mortain has been doing. Like Ismae, she’s been trained as an assassin, but her assignment is even more difficult than Ismae’s, as Sybella has to infiltrate a place where evil reigns. We learn more about Sybella’s background, which drove her to the edge of madness.

I don’t want to say a lot about the plot. It’s set in 15th Century medieval Brittany, with a young duchess who needs to form an alliance to hold back the French prowling on her borders. The main events are based on actual historical events I knew nothing about — with the insertion of the Daughters of Death going out to do political assassinations. The second book wasn’t quite as heavy on the political intrigue, but there was plenty of action and psychological intrigue to keep the reader anxious.

I love how Robin LaFevers puts it on her website, talking about Anne of Brittany, an actual historical figure:

Her substantial inheritance was complicated by two things. One, she was a woman at a time when traditionally women did not inherit kingdoms. Since the time of Charlemagne, Salic Law had been invoked to prevent women from becoming rulers. When Anne became Duchess of Brittany, it defied all the conventions of that time. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, not only was she unmarried, but her father had promised her hand in marriage to at least half a dozen European nobles, if not more. As he plotted and strategized, trying to keep his lands and title safe from the French Crown, he dangled his daughter (and her substantial dowry) as bait for the aid he needed from other princes and dukes. Consequently, when he died, she had been promised to more than one suitor.

To say that this created problems for her in keeping her duchy independent is an understatement. Which is why she needed the help of assassin nuns. What? Doesn’t everybody call for assassin nuns when they’re having political difficulty? If not, they should….

There’s romance in this book, just as in the first one. But the romance is a wholly different story, fitting with Sybella’s wholly different character. The two girls’ gifts from Death are different as well. The author builds character beautifully, as they act and think and love consistently with who she’s shown us they are inside.

The romance in this book is beautiful. Sybella’s deeply damaged, so we’re not surprised when she doesn’t easily trust love. But she’s still a strong character, able to easily kill a man. The man she falls in love with has his own amazing strengths, and they fit to help Sybella exactly where she’s damaged. We can believe in their love, and I found myself fully happy for Sybella. Yes.

I also loved the scene in both books where each girl meets Saint Mortain, their father, Death himself. I love his portrayal, not as a god who demands their dutiful, exacting service, but as a father who loves them no matter what. I didn’t expect to find such a beautiful portrayal of God in a description of the god of Death. I love the way each girl comes to understand and serve a different aspect of Death, even realizing he’s the same god.

It’s also well done in each book how the girls come to understand the gifts they have as Death’s daughters and how that doesn’t necessarily fit what they were taught at the convent.

There’s some ugliness in this book. Sybella’s past isn’t pretty, and she’s been sent to an evil place. But the story is rich and deep and I’m so glad at least one more book is promised, telling about the third fair assassin from the convent of Saint Mortain.

This series is another example of books written in present tense that I loved anyway. I noticed the present tense (in a negative way) occasionally, but only very rarely. The gripping story far outweighed that little annoyance, and I might grudgingly be convinced this was the best way to tell the tale. I am already certain this book, like its predecessor, will be a Sonderbooks Stand-out.

Here’s how the book begins:

I did not arrive at the convent of Saint Mortain some green stripling. By the time I was sent there, my death count numbered three, and I had had two lovers besides. Even so, there were some things they were able to teach me: Sister Serafina, the art of poison; Sister Thornine, how to wield a blade; and Sister Arnette, where best to strike with it, laying out all the vulnerable points on a man’s body like an astronomer charting the stars.

If only they had taught me how to watch innocents die as well as they taught me how to kill, I would be far better prepared for this nightmare into which I’ve been thrust.

robinlafevers.com
hmhbooks.com

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Teens/dark_triumph.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

I’m Back!

General 0

I haven’t been posting for awhile because I bought a home! My first home purchase, in fact!

It’s a two-bedroom condo and the really good part is the lake view!

That’s the view from my bedroom window.

I also love that it’s very close to my church. I hope people will start making a habit of stopping by after church on Sunday.

So on Friday, April 19, I became a homeowner, and on April 20, 24 people from church came to help me move! I felt so loved and cared for. They moved all the big stuff for me, and it was so nice to get moved in.

But it still took a week to finish moving out. I worked four days the following week, and spent all my spare time cleaning out the old place. According to the contract, I had to have the gutters cleaned, the chimney cleaned, and the carpets cleaned, and I decided to hire a maid service to do the scrubbing. My friends hadn’t moved much of the kitchen stuff, since that wasn’t in large pieces of furniture, so I still had to clean out all the cupboards and move that stuff over, which took several trips. Anyway, I finished moving out on Friday, April 26. I got internet hooked up in my new home on Sunday, April 28.

So I should be all set to post Sonderbooks again, right?

Well, here’s an idea of what I’m up against:

I’m currently most obsessed with clearing my garage so I can actually park there:

But then I’ll need to tackle unpacking.

Anyway, the nice thing about moving in is there’s no deadline. There are various little items I very much want to find (without my remote, I can’t watch Episode 2 of season 3 of Downton Abbey unless I let Episode 1 play through all the way!), but they aren’t actually desperate. So far, I’m mostly eating out, for example. But I’ll unbox my cooking utensils soon.

And I’ve been *tired*. Probably from all the toting boxes, but possibly from the latest migraine preventative I’m trying, verapamil. It seems to have worked well during the moving process, but I’m awfully tired. So we’ll see as life settles down if it gets better.

All that is to say, I’m going to try to get back to posting reviews soon! It is less physical work than carrying boxes up from the garage to the condo, and even less physical work than unpacking boxes, so I’m telling myself to get busy, if only for the break!

Review of Chomp, by Carl Hiaasen

Adventure, Audiobooks, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 0

Chomp

by Carl Hiaasen
read by James Van Der Beek

Listening Library, 2012. 6 hours on 5 CDs.

This audiobook is a wonderful choice for family listening. Wahoo Cray (He was named after a wrestler) has always lived with animals. His dad’s an animal wrangler, dealing with exotic animals for TV shows or movies. Unfortunately, his dad recently had a head injury when a frozen iguana fell out of a tree and landed on his head. He gets headaches and double vision and hasn’t gotten many jobs lately.

So when the biggest reality survival show on TV wants to hire Mickey Cray, Wahoo has to make sure it works. Even though the star of the show, Derek Badger, is all too likely to get himself killed — either by their alligator or by Mickey himself.

When Derek Badger decides to take the show into the “real” wild Everglades, he insists that Mickey and Wahoo go with him. But then Wahoo runs into Tuna, a girl from school who needs to hide from her drunk dad, so they bring her along. And things rapidly get out of control.

Even though this book does skirt some heavy issues with Tuna and her Dad, the mood stays very funny and has eye-opening facts about animals and the environment and supposed “reality” shows. As it goes on, Derek Badger’s ineptitude went beyond funny to me into the range of downright unrealistic, but it’s all in good fun.

Highly entertaining and family friendly listening, with plenty of laughs and plenty of excitement. The narrator does a great job of distinguishing between the characters, including Derek Badger’s fake Australian accent. He had me avidly listening all the way. In fact, the characters were in a pouring rainstorm right while I was driving in a torrential downpour, and I think the line between fantasy and reality began to blur for me! I listened to this while driving back from dropping my youngest son off his first time in the college dorm, and it was fantastic to have something to completely take my mind off his empty seat! But I do think if the seats in your car are full, this is one the whole family will enjoy.

listeninglibrary.com

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/chomp.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library audiobook from Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of “I Love You But I Don’t Trust You,” by Mira Kirshenbaum

Nonfiction Review, Personal Growth, Relationships 0

“I Love You But I Don’t Trust You”

The Complete Guide to Restoring Trust in Your Relationship

by Mira Kirshenbaum

Berkley Books, New York, 2012. 294 pages.

I hesitated before reviewing this book. After all, I am not in a relationship any more. But I’ve posted reviews of so many books to help when a marriage falls apart, I wanted to mention this one, that looks like it would be great help at putting a marriage back together. And if I ever get in a relationship again, I want to remember that it exists!

I began writing Sonderbooks in 2001. At the time, I described myself as very happily married. And I honestly thought I was. Now I’m divorced and I’ve come to the place where I’m enjoying my life now. But I don’t want to cut myself off from people because I don’t want to get hurt again. However, a major betrayal leaves scars, and this book shows how to work with them.

There are other books out there that take you through a breach in trust. For example, NOT “Just Friends” takes you through the trauma of an affair. One thing I like about “I Love You But I Don’t Trust You” is that the focus is on rebuilding trust. This book gives you hope that trusting again is possible.

Here are some sections from the author’s words in the first chapter:

Can love survive betrayal? I believe it can. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. Hell, if betrayal necessarily kills love, then love is too fragile to exist in the real world. Because the world is made up of imperfect people who make mistakes. Imperfect people — people we love — will too often hurt us and disappoint us and betray us, which will set up a chain reaction that too often destroys a relationship.

Well, if we can’t stop ourselves from hurting the people we love and being hurt by them, then we have only one choice: We have to find a way to repair the damage that’s done when there’s been a betrayal.

We need to restore the trust because I firmly believe that while you can’t have people without betrayals, if only little ones, you can’t have love without trust.

Having trust makes love come alive. Trust isn’t just the basis for a relationship; it’s the lifeblood that keeps a relationship healthy.

The biggest difference trust makes in any relationship — and not just an intimate one — is that you can relax, be open, be yourself. Just think about it: If you can’t be yourself because you’re not feeling safe, then even if the other person “loves you,” he’s really just loving a stranger, the person you’re projecting who’s not really you. And so how can you feel loved if it’s not the real you who’s being loved? And how can you keep on giving love if you’re not feeling loved?

But when you trust each other so that you can be yourself and be open, the roots of love grow very strong. They grow into your very being.

This book will help you evaluate whether to stick with the relationship where you were hurt, it will help you calm your natural crazy-person reactions to betrayal, and it will help you learn to trust again, whether the new trust is with the original person or someone else.

One thing I like about nonfiction books is that without guilt I can quote the end of the book:

The good news is that we can learn from experience.

For some of us, that learning is all about how we can be hurt. And that’s too bad. But we can also learn that these hurts can heal. We can learn that there are people out there who are far less likely to hurt us. We can learn about how resilient we are. We can learn that trust makes sense. We can learn how to create the solidly based trust we’re so hungry for.

MiraKirshenbaum.com
penguin.com

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Nonfiction/i_love_you_but_i_dont_trust_you.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Librarians Help! – Library Snapshot Day

Library Links 0

Yesterday was Library Snapshot Day in Virginia. Later, when they’ve compiled the data, they’ll post statistics like how many people were served. Last year, for example, 412,969 items were checked out from Virginia libraries in just one day.

We had a busy day, since of course it was tax day. On top of that, the kids in the public schools were off for the day for a teacher work day. We had a Puppet Workshop that was well-attended. Kids got to use art supplies to make puppets and then try out our puppet theater.

My co-worker Jackie Butler was the one who cleverly took these lovely pictures that didn’t show anyone’s face. Those who think libraries are dying or aren’t necessary to the community need to take a look at a typical day!

Yesterday, I also learned that ALA’s “The State of America’s Libraries 2013” has been published and is available on the internet. Click through! It’s fascinating! Again, libraries are alive and well and thriving. And librarians are still a valuable part of libraries. 53% of the Americans surveyed in this research project used a library in the last year, and 50% of those asked a librarian for help. I told you! Librarians Help!

And finally, I read a wonderful post by author Jo Knowles about why libraries are important. Who has a personal stake in the survival of libraries? We all do.

Librarians Help!

Review of The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee, by Tom Angleberger

Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary 1

The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee

by Tom Angleberger

Amulet Books, New York, 2012. 193 pages.

I love the Origami Yoda books, but I was a little disappointed in the latest installment. I think my main problem was that this is really only the beginning of a story. Many things are left unresolved, and there are fearsome administrative school changes looming. When I reflect that Tom Angleberger tied up his other two books incredibly well, and that I wasn’t as enamored of them when right in the middle, I suspect that I will have more enthusiasm for this book once the storyline is resolved.

During this book, there’s not as much of a unifying theme, though I think the announced changes coming up will give the next book some urgency. In this book, the main problem is that Dwight is acting normal instead of weird, and it’s a little hard to see that as a problem. Even the characters aren’t sure if they should see it as a problem.

Tom Angleberger again does a marvelous job of mocking wrong-headed authorities. There’s a return of Mr. Good Clean Fun. And the school Dwight is now attending is simply scary when they all treat Dwight as “special.”

In this book, while Dwight’s away, Sara claims to have a Fortune Wookiee from him — a folded fortuneteller decorated like Chewbacca. His grunts and groans are interpreted by Han Foldo. Though the advice mostly works out, it’s not as mysterious and magically appropriate as that given by Origami Yoda in the earlier books.

Mind you, my disappointment when the story didn’t finish was minor. I’m still a big fan of these books and am very glad the series isn’t over. I’m not quite as enamored as with the first book (That one was fantastic!), but was glad to read more about the characters.

This is still a very kid-friendly book, with lots of drawings (by Kellen) in the margins, and chapters written by the different characters, giving their perspectives. It still captures well the lives of middle school students. I think readers should definitely read this series in order, to truly appreciate what’s going on. And once they’ve read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, they will definitely be pleased with anything more about the characters. I’m looking forward to seeing how Tom Angleberger wraps up this tale.

origamiyoda.com
abramsbooks.com

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/fortune_wookiee.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Please use the comments if you’ve read the book and want to discuss spoilers!

Review of Stay: The True Story of Ten Dogs, by Michaela Muntean

Biography, Children's Nonfiction Review, Starred Review, True Stories 0

Stay

The True Story of Ten Dogs

by Michaela Muntean
photographs by K. C. Bailey and Stephen Kazmierski

Scholastic Press, New York, 2012. 40 pages.
Starred Review

Stay is a picture book biography of a circus performer and the ten dogs that changed his life. The pictures are photographs, and the story is told with economy of language, the flair of a performer, and using bright circus colors as backgrounds, making a complete package just right for its subject.

Luciano Anastasini grew up in the circus and performed in the circus from childhood. But one day in Chicago, he fell fifty feet from a high wire and was told his days as an acrobat and trapeze artist were over.

But the circus was Luciano’s home, and he wanted to stay. He sold tickets. He put up posters. He dreamed of the day he’d once again have an act of his own. Slowly, an idea began to take shape in his mind.

In the act he imagined, he would need partners — furry, four-legged partners.

Of course, he could have found dogs through a breeder. Or at a pet store. But if his idea worked, Luciano would be getting a second chance. Perhaps he could give some dogs a second chance, too. So Luciano went looking for the ones no one wanted.

The book introduces each dog like a star, explains why their owners gave up on them, and then how Luciano saw that their apparent flaws were actually their strengths.

While Bowser’s previous owners had seen a sneak and a thief, Luciano saw a clever dog with a good sense of balance. [The accompanying photo shows Bowser balancing on top of a tube rolling another dog inside.]

Cocoa wouldn’t stop digging. As Luciano filled in the holes she made, he thought about why she did it. He suspected she had so much energy, she didn’t know what to do with herself. Digging was her way of staying busy.

Stick was quick on his feet and enjoyed strutting about on his back legs. “Shall we dance?” Luciano would ask him, and they’d waltz around the circus grounds together.

Then the author explains how he combined all these strengths into an act that kept audiences laughing and entertained, how he built the act before audiences and went on to circuses across the country.

The story’s simple. It’s told at a kid’s level, with plenty of action-filled photographs and bright colors. But ultimately, it’s an inspiring story for both kids and adults.

People frequently say to Luciano, “You saved those dogs.” To that, Luciano shrugs and says maybe that’s true, maybe it’s not. What he knows for certain is this: They saved him.

After his accident, they helped him put his life back together, and he is grateful to each and every one of them. Dogs don’t care about yesterday; they don’t worry about tomorrow. They live for now — right now, and Luciano tries to do the same.

“We are lucky, my dogs and me,” he says. “We have a job we love, a job that makes people smile. But most of all, we have each other.”

I read this book because it’s a 2013 Fairfax County Public Library summer reading selection, and now I’m looking forward to booktalking it to kids in the schools to spark their interest in reading this summer. A hard-to-resist choice.

I’m posting this review today in honor of Nonfiction Monday, hosted today at NC Teacher Stuff.

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Nonfiction/stay.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.

Sonderling Sunday – Der Knappenkonferenz

Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, Sonderling Sunday 0

It’s time for Sonderling Sunday! That time of the week when I play with language by looking at the German translation of children’s books. Strictly speaking, I probably shouldn’t do Sonderling Sunday this week. I’m moving in less than a week, and I need to get packed. But who’s being strict? Sonderling Sunday is fun, doggone it, and I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to do it again after I move, since I haven’t worked out my internet service provider yet. What’s more, instead of alternating with other books, tonight I’m going back to good ol’ Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge, because I know I’ll find some delightful phrases I always wanted to hear translated into German, but just didn’t know it.

Der Orden der Seltsamen Sonderlinge is the German version of James Kennedy‘s The Order of Odd-fish, which is full of Odd-fish indeed, making it so much fun to explore in German.

Last time, we left off on page 161, Seite 204. You do not have to have read The Order of Odd-Fish to enjoy this series, though I keep hoping that the interesting phrases we find will intrigue people into picking up this book. I’m not even halfway, so I guess it’s too early to start being sad about the day when I finish the book. Tonight, I’m trying to limit my fun, so let’s dip right in and see what we can find:

“immediately knew” = wusste augenblicklich (“knew eyeblinkly”)

“below the floor” = unter den Bodenbrettern (“under the floorboards”)

This sounds better in German:
“Squires’ meeting” = Knappenkonferenz

“sheets” = Laken

“a tiny germ” = eine winzige Bakterie

“rotting wood” = verfaultem Holz

“mothballs” = Mottenkugeln

“bric-a-brac” = Nippes

“mildewed garbage” = schimmeligem Müll

“cobwebs” = Staubflocken (“dust flakes”)

“pile of pillows” = Kissenhaufen (“cushion heaps”)

“gavel” = Richterhammer

“gulp” = Schluck

“cough it up” = auszuspucken

“obvious” = offenkundig (“open knowledge”)

“behind Jo’s eyes” = hinter Jos Augäpfel (“behind Jo’s eye-apples”)

“A horrible tingle crawled up Jo’s body.” = Ein schreckliches Prickeln überlief Jos Körper.

“overgrown” = überdimensionierten (“over-dimensioned”)

“pile of pillows” (version two) = Kissenberge (“cushion mountains”)

“Advance copy” = Vorausexemplar

This makes me laugh because of how it sounds to English ears:
“jolted awake” = plötzlich hellwach (“suddenly bright-awake”)

“conspiracy theories” = Verschwörungstheorien

“the next episode” = der darauffolgenden Episode

That’s it for tonight! I don’t know when my darauffolgenden Episode will happen, but until then, may you avoid schimmeligem Müll and schreckliches Prickeln!