Cauli Le Chat

Cauli Le Chat
Cauli Le Chat, MPL Feline Roving Reporter

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Number Quatre, I'd Be

I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore, is the first in the Lorien Legacies series targeted toward young adult readers.  It's an exciting coming of age/love story/science fiction adventure.  It has extraterrestrials, after all.  Our book trailer borrowed heavily from the publisher's description, but, hey, the music's great.


MPL Book Trailer #201
I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore


The book and audiobook are available to check-out from our Evergreen Indiana online catalog.  You don't have to be a teen to check it out, though. Grown-ups are always welcome. Preteens should ask their parents or other caregivers.

Of course, for moi, the title would be number quatre, but that's just moi.




Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Terrific Tuesday Goes Crazy Science

Terrific Tuesday goes crazy science as Crafty Gal and Casey at the Bat explored combining colors, making bubbles, mixing different textures, and erupting volcanoes.  Photos, minions, if you please.  Click the pix to bigify.

Let's begin with Casey at the Bat's volcano roundtable discussion, sans table.

 Grade schoolers share some fun facts about volcanoes

 Crafty Gal finishes read-aloud with some colorful language
(about how colors are made)
to her kinder and pre-kinder kiddies

 That's one HUGE bubble, Crafty Gal

 Must be a magic bubble--that girl changed into a boy!
(Just kidding)

 Casey at the Bat shows her charges
some interesting websites about volcanoes

 The United States Geological Survey (USGS)
you updated about what's happening,
volcano-wise

 Crafty Gal's troops learn to mix primary colors
to create new, different colors

 Messy is right fine on Terrific Tuesdays

Frankly, I have no idea what those little dudes are mixing there.  Looks like macaroni and flour to moi.  All we need is Yankee Doodle and a feather in his cap.

 Whatever it is, it looks like fun

 Blowing bubbles

Meanwhile, back at the volcano lab, Casey at the Bat shows her young patrons how to mix vinegar and baking soda to simulate a volcanic eruption.

 Pound the plastic bag a few times
(to break the vinegar bag inside)
which then mixes with the baking soda

 Casey at the Bat provides some bonus pounding power

The result?  A fairly loud BANG!!! as carbon dioxide was released from the vinegar/baking soda mixture, expanding the outer plastic bag until it popped.  This was a real crowd-pleaser.

Check-out the Library's children's books about volcanoes


Science is pretty wild!  Another great Terrific Tuesday, C.A.T.B. & C.G.




Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat


P.S.  "Colours," by Donovan, was released as a single (1965) and was included on the album Fairytale (1965).

Friday, June 20, 2014

Another Great Teddy Bear Sleepover

Last night, Crafty Gal hosted another great teddy bear sleepover program in the Library's community room. Naturally, she took lots of photos, some of which I've borrowed from the MPL Facebook page.  As always, click the images to bigify.

 Thanks to Sugar Mamas for the terrific teddy bear cupcakes
(They were delicious!)

 Beds are all set for the stuffed critters

 Stuffed critter read-aloud was truly fun!

 N'yum n'yums, for sure

Lots of fun games were played

Stuffed critter caregivers enjoyed the cupcakes, too

Boogie down with those bears (and friends)!

Looks like everybody had tremendous fun, Crafty Gal, as always.



Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat


P.S.  In 2013 Salinas (California) Public Library hosted a stuffed animal sleepover, and SPL staff made this cute video.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Master of the Macabre

Daphne du Maurier wrote some of the 20th century's greatest tales of suspense and the macabre, including "The Birds," "The Blue Lenses," "Don't Look Now," and many others included in various anthologies.  Here's the one my Library has in its collection:

Click the book cover to see which
anthologies are available in Evergreen Indiana

Think you'd enjoy some creepy short stories by an adept of the craft?  Watch our book trailers to see if you'd be interested.

MPL Book Trailer #160
The Birds & Other Stories, by Daphne du Maurier


MPL Book Trailer #200A (Version #1)
The Blue Lenses & Other Stories, by Daphne du Maurier


MPL Book Trailer #200B (Version #2)
The Blue Lenses & Other Stories, by Daphne du Maurier

I couldn't decide which version of "The Blue Lenses" book trailer I liked best, so we made both.  Actually, we tried three, but we narrowed it down a bit.  Each version used a different movement from the original composition we included as the book trailer's music soundtracks. "Ms. Moonlight (Quartet)," by MPL composer Danny Buckley (whom I call the Music Man), is the music we selected.

Which do you like better?  Comments, please and thanks.

Daphne du Maurier was a master of the macabre and suspense, although she wrote in many other literary genres (historical, psychological, social commentary, among others).  I recommend reading these short stories, but perhaps not immediately before bedtime.  Bad dreams, I don't need.



Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat


P.S.  Looking for some dandy quotes from Daphne du Maurier?  Look no further!  This pawdy (or handy, for my human readers) YouTube video delivers some tasty tidbits.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Do That Retrograde Departure Thing For Moi

Fans of the television series Downton Abbey would probably enjoy reading about the real history of Highclere Castle, upon which the show is loosely based.  Watch our book trailer for details.

Two Books About Highclere Castle, by the Countess of Carnarvon
(MPL Book Trailer #182)

Evergreen Indiana cardholders may check-out these books from our online catalog.  You know where to click.

I could definitely see moiself living in a castle like that.  Felines are royalty, as everyone knows, so I could be a countess or duchess or marchioness or whatever.  I've even got the right duds for the job.


Queen Cauli has a nice ring to it

Remember as you exit the room to bow three times, facing moi as you walk backwards, and do that circular paw motion.  Well, the English monarchy no longer does the retrograde departure thing (due to safety concerns), but it still works for moi.



Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat


P.S.  Speaking of walking, we used to have a walking program at MPL.  Watch our program trailer for a laugh.

Monday, June 16, 2014

About a Month Away, I'll Venture

Given our typical viewership stats, we're about a month away from the MPL YouTube Channel topping half a million viewings.  You can help!

So Click It, Already

The Library currently has 477 videos from which to choose, so there are plenty of book trailers, promo trailers, program trailers, music videos, local history videos, and other such like available.  We're sure to have something you'll fancy!

There is, of course, my promo trailer, but my blog followers have already watched that.  If you haven't, get with the game plan.




How about one of our latest book trailers?



Thanks for helping us reach a half million viewings.  Stay tuned!



Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat


P.S.  I've been forbidden from embedding or hyperlinking the Lady With the Red Hair's promo trailer for Greenwood Public Library (GPL) Technical Services.  She threatened to withhold all future canned tuna-in-oil, so I'm taking it quite seriously.  So here's a promo trailer L.W.R.H. made for the GPL Butterfly Garden.

Meet Lady RaDA

I'm just getting up to speed with all the changes my Library has experienced during my six month absence.

Last January, Technigal left us to return to her homeland, and in March, we hired Lady RaDA.  Here's a blurb from the MPL Bookmark newsletter (May, 2014):

Lady RaDA is MPL Information/Technical Services Manager
(Click Image to Bigify)

All you non-cataloging librarians out there probably need some explanation behind Lady RaDA's nickname.

Everything in a library is cataloged so you can find it easily.  Catalogers used to follow AACR2 (the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition).  Now they use RDA (Resource Description and Access).  Since Lady RaDA is a Master of the Know, she knows all about RDA and AACR2 and MARC 21 and all the other stuff that cataloging librarians must be experts about.  So she is Lady RaDA.  It's simple when you know how the mind of moi operates.

Belated Cauli welcome, Lady RaDA!  Now get to work.


Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat


P.S.  "Librarians Do Gaga," by students, faculty, and staff of the University of Washington Information School, is a music parody video of a Lady Gaga song.  Too bad nobody has done a Lady RaDA video.  Scowl-Face, take note.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Too Wet & Wild For Moi

Last Thursday my Library's Youth Services Department hosted the Wet & Wild Water Show next to the MPL courtyard.  Over 160 humans (big and small) attended the event, so I stayed across the street, as I don't like crowds.  Luckily, Casey at the Bat and Crafty Gal were there to help out, and Scowl-Face took some photos.


We felines usually don't like getting wet, so this was WAAAY too much water for moi.  From the look of things, there was plenty of water for everybody.  Seems like they were all having a great time.  As always, click the images to bigify.

 Water balloon on the head--hard to carry,
Crafty Gal.  Just saying

Casey at the Bat gets drenched

 "You missed the hoop, Water Dude!"

Wet stuff is better inside the water balloon, I'd venture 

Water balloon in mid-flight

 Quiet in the back!

Crowd control?  Just asking

Grand Finale

Little folks seemed to REALLY enjoy getting wet.  Peeps are funny that way.  We kitties prefer drier quarters.  It was a terrific program, though. Glad the weather was fairly warm and dry, although I don't think rain would have been a problem.  What's a little more free water when you're already getting wet?


Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Friday, June 13, 2014

Return of the Native

My blog followers probably recall the tearful circumstances of my departure, as my humans moved over yonder hills and dales far, far away from my birthplace.  Owing to some good fortune (for moi, particularly), one of my humans found a better job close to Mooresville, Indiana, than the one that prompted us to move last December, and, so, we are back in town.

My humans asked me not to reveal all across the webernet where exactly we live, and so I'll just give you a general picture.

Home

Surely I can zoom in a bit closer, don'tcha think?

Winged Dinner's Eye View of Much of Mooresville, Indiana
(Mooresville Public Library--Lower Left)
(Click Image to Bigify)

I used to live on the same street as my Library, but now I'm living on the other side of the sky photo.  So I won't be able to visit MPL daily as I used to do, but I'll still come over when I can and hang around outside the building.  That means I won't be able to blog as often as I used to, but we'll still manage to highlight what's happening at the Library and around the big city.

I can't believe so much has changed in the six months I've been gone. Technigal and Ivy Technigal  have both moved on to greener pastures. Tom, our former facilities manager, who I don't recall if I gave an official "Cauli name," has also journeyed forth into the wider world.  You can see Tom and Ivy T. in our 2013 music video, which Scowl-Face just edited (earlier this week) because Broadway Gal said it was too long.  She knows about such things.  She told him over a year ago.  Ol' Scowlly is a tad slow getting through his work pile.


Libraries & Old Dewey, by Suzanne Walker & MPL Staff & Volunteers (2013)
(Music Video Parody of Rocky Top, by the Osborne Brothers)

Hey, here's a thought:  Since Tom appeared as a Melvil Dewey wannabe in the video, his "Cauli name" could be Tom Dewey, sort of like the subject of that folk song, Tom Dooley.  Only our Tom isn't from Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1866, as far as I can tell.

You can see Technigal is this promo trailer.  I bet she thought she was free from this sort of nonsense.  Think again!

MPL Technical Services Promo Trailer (2012)

So, Boss Lady, I presume you'll be giving moi back my job as the official MPL feline roving reporter.  Who else could do my job?  Certainly not Scowl-Face.

I've taken the liberty of secretly moving some of my stuff back into the Indiana Roving Reporter Room.  Staying ahead of the curve, as always.

Glad to be back!  Now, MPL staff, get moi some din-dins.  It was a long walk over here from my new home across town.



Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat