Monthly Archives: September 2010

National Dog Week: A Keiki Reading List

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Happy National Dog Week everybody!!  That’s what I would be saying if National Dog Week was actually this week instead of last week.  Unfortunately due to a calendar mixup, I am one week late with my post!   The previous week marked the 82nd observance of National Dog Week!

Here is a brief description of the origins and purpose of Dog Week:

National Dog Week was founded in 1928 by Captain Will Judy, a noted dog judge and former publisher of Dog World Magazine. The purpose of National Dog Week is to educate all dog owners in their responsibilities to their pets and to their communities, particularly those organizations dedicated to caring for unwanted or lost dogs.  (source)

There is also an interesting blog from a woman who is writing a book about National Dog Week.  Check it out at http://nationaldogweekbook.wordpress.com/

Anyway, when I first learned that National Dog Week was coming toward the end of September, I thought it’d be a great idea to highlight a number of Hawaii dog-related books, particularly keiki books.  Most, if not all of these books are available at your local bookstore (I know, I did my research there!)  So, if you’re a dog lover or just want a cute dog book to share with your child, check these out:

The Adventures of Popo the Hawaiian Surf Dog:  The Lost Surfboard (Kana’i Records, 2004) and The Sleeping Giant of Waimea (2008) by Butch Helemano

  • Two books in this series, featuring a surfing dog.  Who doesn’t love dogs that surf?  Check out a brief review of the book here.

Daphne Moves to Hawaii by Alison Berka, Illustrated by Susan Brandt (Mutual Publishing, 2004)

  • This is your typical culture shock story featuring Daphne, a dog whose family moves to Hawaii.  Daphne feels terribly out of place and runs away to find her old home.  Along the way she meets an assortment of Hawaiian characters and learns the meaning of Aloha.  Awww.

Pono the Dog that Dreams by Jocelyn Fujii, Illustrated by Donna Burns (Hula Moon Press, 2008)

Forever Buster by Martin Rabbett, Illustrated by Donna Burns (Hula Moon Press, 2007)

  • Another great keiki dog book from Hula Moon Press!  Once again featuring Donna Burns’ distinctive style, this is a poignant tale about the powerful bonds between a man and his dog.

Calvin Coconut:  Dog Heaven by Graham Salisbury, Illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers (Wendy Lamb Books, 2010)

  • The third in the excellent Calvin Coconut series sees our protagonist trying to convince his mother that having a dog around the house would be beneficial to everyone.  Very fun keiki chapter book.

Ho’omālamalama:  A Hawaiian Language Primer by Kimo Armitage and Keli’i Ki’ilehua, Illustrated by Michael Furuya (Island Heritage, 2002)

  • Furuya is one of the best illustrators in the game and this is no exception.  An exciting farm-yard tale featuring a plethora of characters including a dog named Nihonui.  Features lots of Hawaiian vocabulary and pronunciations to help educate your child.

Where’s Snowy…in O’ahu? by Paul Javier (Craftprint, 2009)

  • This is a photographic book featuring a dog named Snowy.  It’s really a Where’s Waldo? type of book as you have to locate Snowy in the midst of a busy two-page photographic Hawaii scene.  Snowy even has a Facebook page!

Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, Illustrated by Ho Baek Lee (Sandpiper, 2005)

  • While it’s not exactly a dog book (at all) there is a cute family dog as part of Ho Baek Lee’s illustrations on nearly every page of this adorable keiki picture book.  Even if your dog isn’t always featured, you know he or she is always there as a part of the family.

So what are your favorite dog books, Hawaii or otherwise?  Did I miss anything?  Let me know!

Just for fun, I thought I’d share with you my favorite Hawaii dog.  While I’m not sure what breed he is, he looks like this:

Happy National Dog Week!

Keiki book review: Plenty Saimin

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This past weekend, Alex and I were lucky enough to visit the Waipahu Plantation Village for the launch of a new keiki book Plenty Saimin (Island Paradise Publishing, 2010).  With original and replica buildings from the plantation era,  it was the perfect setting to promote this delightful book about sharing food and aloha.

Saimin was inspired by Japanese ramen, Chinese mein, and Filipino pancit, and developed during Hawaii’s plantation era.

After a hard day’s work, sugarcane and pineapple laborers returned to their homes to prepare dinner. To save money, each family would bring an ingredient they could spare. They would throw all the ingredients into a pot and share the dish.

~ Feng Feng Hutchins (Author’s Note) ‘Plenty Saimin’

Plenty Saimin is the story of a little boy named Ah Kee whose mother is going to the market for flour to make noodles for his birthday. Eating long noodles on your birthday is what you do to wish for long life (it’s something Alex’s family and I also practice). On the way to the market Ah Kee invites many friends to join in the celebration and his mother worries that they will not have enough noodles for everyone. But everyone brings a little something to the party, a different ingredient that they could all spare and soon there’s more than enough noodles, now made into saimin, to go around.

This book, similar to the old ‘stone soup’ folktale, is completely heart warming. It is one of the best examples of “local” Hawaii living I have seen in a keiki book. Ah Kee doesn’t think twice in inviting his friends and neighbors over to celebrate—the more the merrier. Japanese, Hawaiian, Portuguese and Korean, everyone come eat noodles! In Hawaii there’s always more than enough food at a party as people usually bring something even when you tell them NOT to. Indeed, I cannot go to a party empty handed at all, it just feels strange. So you end up with a hodge-podge of all kinds of ono stuff— enough so that people can even take home leftovers.

I loved the honesty of this story, it’s very humble. Not only is it inspired by the author’s own practice of making long noodles in her family but it’s reflective of how we gather and share food here. Especially given that saimin was actually created in this way on plantations in Hawaii. Indeed many of our local favorite foods are combinations of flavors and cultures. The color-pencil illustrations by Nanakuli born artist Adriano Abatayo, are very detailed. He elegantly and respectfully captures island living in his backgrounds, character facial features, clothes and buildings. There is a simplicity about his style that adds a sense of ease to the story. The pictures are bright and engaging, and the food/ingredients look realistic, which is important since it’s a story about food! Plenty Saimin is highly recommended for sharing with your keiki and sending to relatives as gifts.

Feng Feng is one of the sweetest authors I’ve had the privilege to meet, she truly enjoys writing and even has her own blog where she talks about children’s books and interviews other authors. She especially likes to discover and share cultural picture books from her home country of Malaysia, and other Asian countries. Check it out here. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in finding new children’s books to read. We’ll be featuring Feng Feng in an author interview later this week so stay tuned for that!

*HBB received a review copy of Plenty Saimin from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

New Books This Fall from Bess Press

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Next month will be a great time for new and interesting Hawaii books!  Hawai’i publisher Bess Press (www.besspress.com) will be releasing six new books on October 1, 2010.  The books range from a keepsake journal featuring beautiful Hawaiian petroglyphs to a collection of real-life tales from the friends and family of the Queen of Makaha to a couple of comic book graphic novels.  One way or another you’re bound to find something interesting among these new releases.  Here’s a breakdown of each book straight from the publisher:

Stories of Rell Sunn:  Queen of Makaha

Author and surfer Greg Ambrose has collected a moving series of stories about the legendary water woman and pioneer of women’s professional surfing, Rell Kapolioka’ehukai Sunn.  Sunn was renowned throughout Hawaii and many parts of the world for her skills as a lifeguard, diver, spear-fisher, and, most of all, as a top female surfer.  At the heart of Rell Sunn were her spirited enthusiasm, her passion for life, and her extension of aloha to all she met.

This book is a real tribute to Duke Kahanamoku’s female counterpart, the “Queen of Makaha.”  Through these memoirs, readers can now journey with the water woman, and new generations can learn about her legend.

Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Stories of Rell Sunn at besspress.com

Arts and Crafts of Micronesia:  Trading with Tradition

Sometimes it takes an outsider to show the rest of the world the obvious.  For 35 years Barbara Wavell, author, researcher, cultural anthropologist, and lover of Micronesian Art, has collected material that offers a detailed window into the little known world of arts and crafts from some of the world’s most remote islands, those of Micronesia.

With over 130 photographs and other graphics, Arts and Crafts of Micronesia provides valuable information about the material culture and traditions of some of the Pacific’s oldest island nations and communities.  The book explores the hidden world of art in Micronesia and provides a wealthy resource for collectors, historians, researchers, and general-interest readers.

Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Arts and Crafts of Micronesia at besspress.com

Waikiki Tiki:  Art, History and Photographs

Bess Press introduces a stylish history of Waikiki tiki.  Featuring a collection of archived tiki ephemera, carvings, and photographs, author Phil Roberts gives an evocative pictorial documentation of the past and present Waikiki tiki and the new found popularity of its culture.  The collection presented throughout the pages of this book detail over three decades of research.

Beginning with an introduction by local Hawaii musician Henry Kapono, the book features original and rare photographs documenting tiki art and the burgeoning scene that blossomed after WWII.  As this pop-culture and art has evolved today, many images captured no longer exist.  Much of the ephemera and archival material displayed resides only in the author’s private collection.

Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Waikiki Tiki at besspress.com

Tropica

Tony Clapes has released the contemporary science-fiction graphic novel, Tropica.  Author Clapes and illustrator Li have created an intriguing and entertaining story about the mechanisms for change and the obstacles to economic development in an island society.

Readers will be amused by and local government officials possibly miffed at parallels drawn between the economic issues and problems in the fictional island of Tropica and those we face in Hawaii.

Uniquely presented in an action-oriented manga format,  Tropica has appeal for readers of all ages.  It pits good vs. evil in the format of young school kids battling against oppressive governing forces corrupting their lands.  Tropica also offers isle educators a student friendly economic learning tool.  It was accepted for publication after Clapes conducted a seminar for 5th and 6th graders which explored ways our island’s economic future could improve as a result of our own awareness and decisions.

Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Tropica at besspress.com

Hamakua Hero:  A True Plantation Story

Bess Press introduces the first historic graphic novel depicting the life and tragic murder of Katsu Goto, a Japanese immigrant and plantation worker who rose to prominence as a merchant on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Author Patsy Iwasaki writes and illustrator Avery Berido intricately draws a story that details the racial and cultural problems Japanese immigrants like Goto faced on the Hawaiian plantations.  The poignant biography is a powerful literary work that was originally printed in Japan in collaboration with The Hiroshima Society.  Hamakua Hero has since been translated into English and is a highly engaging read for both general interest and educational purposes.

Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Hamakua Hero at besspress.com

Petroglyphs from Hawai’i Journal

This interactive journal incorporates a series of petroglyph drawings from around the Hawaiian Islands, each accompanied by a brief description that details some aspect about the graphic. Its unlined pages encourage you to draw, write, and paste materials onto its pages, with the petroglyphs there to provide inspiration and insight to the art, culture and history of Hawaii.

Lynn Cook, the author, often covers stories that share the arts and culture of the Pacific with a global audience.  Her petroglyph research has taken her from Hawai’i to Tahiti and from the west coast of the U.S. to New Caledonia.

Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Petroglyphs from Hawaii Journal at besspress.com

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Look out in the next few weeks for reviews of all six of these new Bess Press releases here on Hawaii Book Blog!

Images and Summaries courtesy of Bess Press

Book Beginnings on Friday

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Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you’re reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence. (Thanks to Rose City Reader for inspiring this meme)

MISTY’S BOOK:

Nuffin’!

ALEX’S BOOK:

My first line is from a book I read years ago, but have recently began to re-read because a) I want to finish the series and b) it is currently being made into a series for HBO.  The book I am speaking about is A Game of Thrones, the first book of the “Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R.R. Martin.

“We should start back, ” Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them.  “The wildlings are dead.”

I loved this book the first time around and am still surprised with myself for never finishing the series.  The first line, to me, doesn’t really capture the essence of the book and its strong political story.  This is from the prologue, which brings an element of foreboding fantasy into the story that you don’t see for most of the book.  Anyway, I’m really enjoying re-reading this epic (it’s about 831 pages or so) and look forward to many future book beginnings with the rest of the series.

What are you all reading this month? Leave us a message with your own “book beginnings”.


Book End: Weekend of September 24, 2010

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It’s time…it’s time…it’s Book End Time!  Welcome to this week’s Book End, highlighting the weekend’s literary and library events here in Hawaii.

Briefs

Mafatu’s Hawaii Dive Log: Life With My Water Family by Bryan D. Enos is now available for purchase online at Amazon.com.  This is a title Misty read a few months ago about the deep sea diving adventures of a man who grew up in Hawai’i.

Don’t forget to check out the all-day, all-ages creative arts celebration at Fresh Cafe`.  “We Value Hawai’i:  Arts/Music/Dialogue” will feature all kinds of crafts, workshops, poetry slams and bands from 1pm to 1am.  Check out our post on this mega-event for more information.  Free until 8pm, 18+ and $5 cover after 8pm. 

Also, for you museum lovers out there—Misty and I love going to museums—tomorrow is Museum Day!  That means free admission to a number of museums across the state.  Some of them include the Bishop Museum, Iolani Palace, Pacific Aviation Museum, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Contemporary Museum and much more!  I think we’re leaning to Iolani Palace, so if you’re there you might just see us! 

Now on to the events…

Saturday, September 25

  • 09:00am – Zen Pen: Writing as Spiritual Practice at the Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus (Big Island).  Popular, provocative writing workshop with Tom Peek, teaches you how to use writing to explore the human spirit, foster compassion, understand suffering and ease anger and conflict. All levels and genres, no writing experience necessary.
    Contact: Marsha Hee, 967-8222, classes@volcanoartcenter.org, – http://www.volcanoartcenter.org
  • 10:00am – Kealopiko SALE at Bess Press!  Come join Kealopiko and Bess Press for custom apparel, accessories and books! The open-to-public sale will be held inside the Bess Press warehouse in Kaimuki (3565 Harding Avenue) and is free for all. A perfect opportunity to grab some new clothes and books at discounted prices.  besspress.com for more info.
  • 10:00am – Children’s Storytime at Barnes & Noble Lahaina (Maui).  More info
  • 10:00am – BOOK SALE at Aiea Public Library!  From 10am – 3pm come and support your public library by coming to Aiea and buying the Books, DVDs, and CDs that will be on sale.  Proceeds will go to help Aiea Library.  If you have questions, they may call the library at 483-7333.
  • 10:00am – Storytime at Borders in Pearlridge Shopping Center (Aiea).  For kids of all ages.  More info here.
  • 10:30am – Book Launch Celebration and Book Signing at the Waipahu Plantation Village (94-695 Waipahu Street). Meet first time children’s picture book author Feng Feng Hutchins and illustrator Adriano F. Abatayo III. They will be signing their new children’s picture book titled Plenty Saimin. Fresh noodle packs of saimin from the Sun Noodle Company will be giving away with the first 25-signed copies.  More info
  • 10:30am – SAT 101 Test Strategies at Aina Haina Public Library.  This two-hour informational seminar will be conducted by a national education company and is designed for prospective college applicants who are interested in increasing their scores on the SAT exam.  For more information, call 377-2456.
  • 11:00am – Author Signing at Barnes & Noble Kahala!  Meet Senator Fred Rohlfing, author of Island Son: The Life and Times of Hawaii’s Republican Reformer.  More information here.
  • 11:00am – (MAUI) Waikapu author Victor Pellegrino will be signing copies of his book Uncle Kawaiola’s Dream: A Hawaiian Story from 11am – 2pm at Bailey House Museum.  Maui Historical Society/Bailey House Museum members receive a 10 percent discount on this and all books. Admission is waived from 10am – 4pm for Free Museum Day.  Source
  • 11:00am – (KAUAI) Mokichi Okada Association, Book signing with Keahi Felix and Living Treasure Uncle Larry Rivera at the Kauai Museum main gallery.  For more information visit http://www.kauaimuseum.org/
  • 11:00am – Meet Author Juliet Kono at Kapolei Public Library.  For more information click here.
  • 11:00am – Children’s Storytime at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana featuring the book Limu the Blue Turtle by Kimo Armitage.  Keiki will delight in this small collection of traditional Hawaiian riddles.  Details and contact info here.
  • 12:00pm – “Music for Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet” free concert at the Hawaii State Library’s Lobby.  The Oahu Civic Orchestra will perform classical music selections.  For more information, please call the Library’s Art, Music and Recreation Section reference desk at 586-3520.
  • 01:00pm – “How To Make Origami” Free Workshop from 1 – 3pm at Kailua Public Library.  Scott Macri of the Hawaii Origami Club will conduct the workshop for all origami enthusiasts, from beginning to advanced students.  Paper will be provided and participants can take home their origami models.  For more information, please call the Library at 266-9911 or email Scott Macri at HawaiiOrigamiClub@gmail.com.
  • 01:00pm – “We Value Hawaii: Arts/Music/Dialogue” creative arts event at Fresh Cafe in Honolulu from 1pm to 1am.  Free entry until 8pm, 18+ and $5 cover after 8pm.  Support local art and music with an all-day, all-ages celebration of the creative arts in Hawai’i, with hands-on printmaking and digital media workshops, multi-media art installations, slam poetry, bands, and more. Featuring The Jump Offs, Black Square, Youth Speaks Hawaii, Monkey Waterfall, and others.  More info here.
  • 02:00pm – Photo Solutions for Busy People at Aina Haina Public Library.  Ruth Pukahi will show participants how to take better pictures and share tips on how to effectively organize and display them. Participants are encouraged to bring their own cameras to try out the new tips! Program is suitable for ages 12 and older. For more information, call 377-2456.
  • 03:00pm – Author signing at Barnes & Noble Kahala.  See Captain Paul K. Chappell as he signs copies of his books The End of War: How Waging Peace Can Save Humanity, Our Planet and Our Future and Will War Ever End? Details and contact information here.

Sunday, September 26

  • 03:00pm – Book Launch Celebration at Native Books / Na Mea Hawai’i in Ward Warehouse!  Feng Feng Hutchins and Adriano P. Abatayo will be on hand to celebrate the release of their new children’s book Plenty Saimin.  Fresh packets of Saimin from the Sun Noodle Co. will be given away with the first 25 signed copies.  Light refreshments with yummy, hot saimin will also be served.  For details and contact info click here.

Remember, all events listed above may be subject to change.  Please contact the venue beforehand if you plan on attending.  More events can be found on our Hawaii Book Blog Events Calendar.

If you have an event you would like us to help promote, please leave us a comment here or e-mail me at aalba@hawaiibookblog[dot]com.  Replace the [dot] with a ‘.’ when you compose the message.  Mahalo and have a great weekend!

Ku: A stunning reunion at Bishop Museum, PLUS 4 books with Hawaii’s four major gods

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A couple friends of mine just returned from a trip to Greece. The pictures they brought back were beautiful with azure seas and aging columns. It seemed, even through the pictures, that the stories and myths of ancient Greece are ever present because there is so much evidence of its past—the Sanctuary of Athena in Delphi, Temple of Hephaestus in Athens. It’s wonderful how much has been preserved. I tried to imagine how sad it would be if it were all gone… and then I thought of the Hawaiians and how much is gone for them; how little there is left as testament to their ancient beliefs and their mythology. Greek mythology is alive because you can walk around in the temples, feel their energy and experience their atmosphere. Hawaiians don’t have that luxury.

Most of our heiaus, sacred places, were completely destroyed and the large statues, ki’i, symbols of culture and religion, were burned. What little survived has been scattered across the globe but through the hard work of the museum and Hawaiian cultural leaders the last of the large Ku images have been brought home, across thousands of miles, for a short period of reunification with the one left here.

If you haven’t yet been to the newly renovated Heritage Hall at Bishop Museum, Alex and I enthusiastically encourage you to go. Especially since the Ku Statue exhibit ends October 4th. There’s just this invigorating, positive energy that permeates the building now that the three Ku statues have been united, you can’t help but marvel at them. Despite some negative associations with war and sacrifice, Ku is actually a symbol of creation and renewal. It’s a miracle that they survived and truly a gift to have them brought together after nearly two centuries—to be witness to something that people thought would never happen again, and almost didn’t. To see how time has ravaged them, their battle scars, and yet how together they still stand strong and defiant but joyful. It’s very moving, or it was to me. Here’s a great article from the Honolulu Weekly on the different struggles and implications of having the Ku statues back home.

Although it is sad to think of all that has been lost, the unification of the Ku statues is a testament to what can be done and achieved in the future. And just because the evidence isn’t apparent around every corner, our people and our stories are very much alive. Go see the Ku statues before they leave, and before (or after) you do, check out a couple of these books.

In Hawaiian mythology there are four major gods: Ku, Kane, Kanaloa and Lono. Then there are lesser gods and demi gods etc. There are A LOT of great books out there to read regarding Hawaiian legend. Sadly, there are few books that actually focus solely on Ku. The books below are the ones I’ve found with a greater amount of content on these primary four.

A great starting point for anyone really interested in learning about Hawaiian mythology is Martha Beckwith’s Hawaiian Mythology,  along with Kalakaua’s The Legends and Myths of Hawai’i and any recorded version of the Kumulipo. You could probably check out any of Westervelt’s or Fornander’s books as well, but I don’t find their collections as memorable as the other two. The great thing about these authors is that their work is digitally readable in entirety via Google books, forgottenbooks.org or ulukau.org  the Hawaiian Electronic Library.

As amazing and comprehensive as Beckwith’s mammoth collection of stories and analysis is, it can be droll at times and reads a bit like a textbook in some areas. Don’t get me wrong, it’s brilliantly educational as far as the study of culture and folklore, but a bit long winded. Not exactly a casual book for someone looking for a short, entertaining read. For that, I would definitely check out The Water of Kane and other books of tales recorded by Mary Kawena Pukui and revised by Caroline Curtis (Kamehameha Publishing, 1994).

A newer book, and one especially for the keiki, is Caren Loebel-Fried’s Lono and the Magical Land Beneath the Sea (Bishop Museum Press, 2006). It’s a great story about Lono and how he brought food and agriculture to the islands from the sea. Coupled with Caren’s signature woodblock illustrations, this book is a wonderful addition to any collection.  I hope she does books dedicated to the other three major gods at some point as well, although she mentions Kane and Kanaloa a great deal in her other book Hawaiian Legends of Dreams (University of Hawaii Press, 2005).

We Value Hawai’i: Art/Music/Dialogue

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News Release via Aiko Yamashiro

click to enlarge click to enlarge

We Value Hawai’i: Art/Music/Dialogue
Saturday, Sept. 25, 1 pm–1 am
Fresh Café, 831 Queen Street, Honolulu
Free and all ages until 8 pm, 18+ and $5 cover after 8 pm.

Support local art and music with an all-day, all-ages celebration of the creative arts in Hawai’i, with hands-on printmaking and digital media workshops, multi-media art installations, slam poetry, bands, and more. Featuring The Jump Offs, Black Square, Youth Speaks Hawaii, Monkey Waterfall, and others.

Apply for the two $500 “If Not Now When” CMA grant awards for Hawai’i-based visual artists and musicians. Winners to be announced at the event.  http://thevalueofhawaii.com/stepup/awards/

At 6:00 pm, join scholars, activists, and politicians for an important discussion and re-visioning of the future of the arts in Hawai‘i. Ask any teacher or artist or writer–in Hawai’i, these days there is less and less support and money for the arts, both in public education and afterward. As a result, we are experiencing a mass migration of creative people, especially younger artists and musicians, who are leaving Hawai’i for better opportunities elsewhere.  As one young local visual artist puts it, *”I feel like I don’t have a future here, and my children don’t have a future here. What can I do?”*

For more information, visit http://thevalueofhawaii.com/events/wevaluehawaii and see the attached press release.

We value Hawai’i, and we’re not going anywhere.

Co-sponsored by The Hawai’i Council for the Humanities, The Center for Biographical Research, Creative Modern Activism Hawaii, Flux Hawaii, and Fresh Cafe.  In conjunction with The Value of Hawai’i: Knowing the Past, Shaping the Future published by UH Press.
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The Value of Hawai’i: Knowing the Past, Shaping the Future
Email: thevalueofhawaii@gmail.com
Website: http://thevalueofhawaii.com/
Facebook: “The Value of Hawai’i Discussion Group”
Twitter: @valuehawaii [#wevaluehi] <http://twitter.com/valuehawaii>
Buy the book: http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/shopcore/978-0-8248-3529-3/

BBAW 2010: Future Treasures

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Today’s Topic:

We want to hear all about your FUTURE treasures.  We’ve been visiting each other and getting to know each other better…now is your chance to share what you enjoyed about BBAW and also what your blogging goals are for the next year!

Alex:

What I enjoyed most about BBAW this year was getting to interact more with other book bloggers around the world.  Given our somewhat niche category (Hawaii books, authors, publishers), we don’t often get to involve ourselves in the hottest book discussions going on, nor do we see many of the books we read being reviewed or written about by our peers.  When it does happen, we’re ecstatic!  I’d love for us to get more involved with the book blog community in the coming year—whether through reading more books outside of our focus, or drawing in more readers to Hawaii books, that will definitely be one of our mission goals. 

As for the site itself, I have a lot of goals I’d love to see accomplished.  At some point I’d love to re-do the entire site.  I like where we are now, especially compared to last year, but I still feel it could be a LOT more intuitive and user-friendly.  So, look out for a possible redesign of the site in the next few months. 

I also want to create a better resource for Hawaii books, for both residents and visitors alike.  I’m currently re-doing the Book List to be much more sortable (complete with categories, publish date and more).  We’ll also include more of our own specific book lists as part of that page so if you feel like learning about one topic or another you’ll more easily find our reviews of those books.  All in all I have high hopes for Hawaii Book Blog and hope I have the time, patience, and knowledge to carry out all the lofty visions I have for this project. 

Misty:

Just as Alex mentioned, I enjoyed meeting new bloggers, but also participating in some of the judging was interesting, too. I’m excited to have made these connections because now it’ll be even more fun to do swaps and memes throughout the year… (like the Secret Blogger Gift Swap, etc). This next year I’d really like to interact regularly with comments and try to read from more genres. (Reading MORE is always a goal)

As far as HBB goes there is never a shortage of things Alex and I want to do. Hopefully in this next year we can host a meme or reading challenge of our own and have all our new book blogging friends participate. Lots of technical changes coming to the site in the coming months, but mostly I hope to just continue doing what we do, but better. I’d like to see more reader submissions for reviews, go to more literary events, and do more “creative writing-ish” things on the site. There’s so much to do, and we truly enjoy doing it. As long as I have Alex, a library card and a working keyboard, HBB will happily continue.

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~Mahalo to all the Hawaii Book Blog readers and supporters!  Even though we didn’t win the Cultural Book Blog award we’re so happy to have gotten as far as we did. HBB is still growing and we can only keep going up and improving from here. As always, feel free to tell us what works and doesn’t, what you’d like to see more of or less of, and any suggestions you might have.

Book Beginnings on Friday

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Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you’re reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence. (Thanks to Rose City Reader for inspiring this meme)

MISTY’S BOOK:

My line is from the book If You Live in a Small House (Mutual Publishing, 2010) by Sandra Park.

According to the neighbors, Father was a difficult man.

The story is centered around an extended Korean-American family living in small house on the windward side of Oahu in the early 1950’s. The book so far is very subtle and tender with its characterizations, reflecting everyone’s deepest desires and unhappiness in a round-about way. The war has just ended and father has come home from the front lines, the windward side is starting to grow and there are details in the narrative about the community that I find interesting. For example:

Everybody at Piggly Wiggly Market knew father and son, their cart filled to the brim with loaves of the local brand, Love’s Bread, in red gingham plastic, the same crackly plastic that snugly fit over Lucky Strike cigarette packs…Ezra looked for the checkout lane with his Auntie Gloria, hers was usually the long, slow line because she chatted with the customers.

Or this one:

Coconut Grove in Kailua was an up and coming town, over the Pali, the steep cliffs of the windward side of Oahu. There wasn’t much there yet, but a star pattern of streets radiated from the town’s old banyan tree

Coupled with real photos from the era, Sandra’s novella is a real experience of post-war Hawai’i. I can’t wait to read more of it.

ALEX’S BOOK:

Nuffin’! 🙂

What are you all reading this month? Leave us a message with your “book beginnings”.


Book End: Weekend of September 18, 2010

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It’s time…it’s time…it’s Book End Time!  Welcome to this week’s Book End, highlighting the weekend’s literary and library events here in Hawaii.

A Whale of an Event!

This Saturday, September 18, I recommend you bring your kids to the Waikiki Aquarium as the Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium present Fish Tales: Chronicles, Critters and Crafts for Ocean Literacy Day.  From 10am – 1pm there will be all manner of food, events, crafts, and books! Some of the activities include:

  • Hawaiian keiki arts and crafts, storytelling, and more!
  • Celebrity storytellers reading books about the ocean and underwater creatures.
  • Entertainment by Ronald McDonald, mystical mermaids, O’opu and Sharky on the lawn.
  • Books from Bess Press, BeachHouse, Mutual Publishing, Watermark Publishing and Bishop Museum Press available to purchase at special prices.
  • Food and Drink for sale.
  • The Unveiling of Diamond Bakery mascots Kimo and Olina!
  • Parents will also have the opportunity to win an Apple iPad from sponsor Diamond Bakery!

Watermark Publishing was kind enough to give us a heads up on this event, so we thought we’d share some of what they’ll be contributing on Saturday:

  • Marion Lyman-Mersereau and the audio cast of Eddie Wen’ Go: The Story of the Upside-Down Canoe will be performing a reading at 10:30am.  Afterwards Marion will stick around to sign books.
  • Kai: Ocean Wisdom from Hawaii, All Those  Summers: Memories of Surfing’s Golden Age, The Little Lima Bean and Gecko & Mosquito will all be available for sale.

This is a great opportunity to have family fun, educate your children about our ocean environment and help promote literacy.  I ask that you try your best to check out Ocean Literacy Day at the Waikiki Aquarium as enough support on Saturday will help encourage them to make this an annual event.  I’m sure you’ll agree that any event that promotes literacy in such a fun way is something we want to keep around!  HBB will be present covering this event and we hope to see you there!

For more information please see the event poster or visit waquarium.org

Now on to the events…

Friday, September 17

  • 10:00am – Christmas in September Book Sale at Kailua Public Library from Sept. 17 – Oct. 2.  On Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 10am – 12pm, adult and children’s Christmas books will be sold at 50% off.  Call 392-1824 for more information.
  • 05:00pm – Petroglyphs of Hawaii Journal Author and Illustrator Lynn Cook is conducting a free Print Making class with artist Patrick Ching from 5p-9p.  Visit besspress.com for more info.

Saturday, September 18

  • 09:00am – According to his Twitter account, Stuart H. Coleman will be on hand at the Hawaii Kai Farmers Market at Kaiser High School.  He’ll be signing copies of Fierce Heart and Eddie Would Go from 9am – 12pm.  Check it out!
  • 09:00am – Giant Used Book Sale at Revolution Books (2626 South King Street).  Giant used book sale to renovate Revolution Books. The staff has exciting plans to visually transform the appearance of Revolution Books. Help now by contributing used books anytime before September 18.  Call 808-944-3106 for more info or visit here.
  • 10:00am – It’s Ocean Literacy Day at the Waikiki Aquarium!  A great fun time will be had for kids and adults which will will include ocean related story telling, games, food, crafts, keiki games and more!  Local children’s book publishers will also be on hand with books for sale and special events.  923-9741, waquarium.org
  • 10:00am – Enjoy children’s storytime at Borders in Waikele!  Kids of all ages are invited.  Details here
  • 10:00am – It’s keiki storytime at Barnes & Noble Lahaina (Maui).  More info
  • 10:00am – Christmas in September Book Sale at Kailua Public Library from Sept. 17 – Oct. 2.  On Saturday from 10am – 2pm, adult and children’s Christmas books will be sold at 50% off.  Call 392-1824 for more information.
  • 10:15am – Learn “Vegetarian Cooking Made Easy” at Liliha Public Library.  Alyssa Moreau, a culinary instructor for Kapiolani Community College’s Continuing Education program and contributing author to A Dash of Aloha, will conduct a free cooking demonstration program for adults in the Library’s Meeting Room.  The Friends of Liliha Public Library is sponsoring this program which is limited to 20 participants. Registration is recommended; call the Library at 587-7577.
  • 10:30am – Renshi Reading at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i.  Bamboo Ridge Issue #96 is a special collection of 48 renshi (linked) poems by Jean Yamasaki Toyama, Juliet S. Kono, Ann Inoshita, and Christy Passion.  Event is free and open to the public.  $3 validated parking.  For more information click here.
  • 11:00am – Meet Author Joe Tsujimoto at Hawaii Kai Public Library.  Joe Tsujimoto will read from his short story collection, “Morningside Heights: New York Stories.” The stories follow the journey of Japanese American Kenji, from being kicked out of school in 1960s New York to teaching in Hawaii.  For more information, call 397-5833 or click here.
  • 11:00am – Some of the best storytimes involve Curious George books!  At Barnes & Noble Ala Moana, Curious George will be the book of choice for keiki storytime.  (Not a costume character event).  More info
  • 01:00pm – Poetry Slam and Peace Author Book Signing in Honoka’a (Big Island).  Poetry Slam and free Workshop with Youth Speaks Hawaii from 1-3pm at NHERC.  Later, take the mic at Feel My Bean for a Poetry Slam, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Plus, meet international author and peace advocate, Paul K. Chappell at booksigning.  Contact: Catherine Tarleton, 883-0669, catherinetarleton@gmail.com, http://www.peacedayparade.org
  • 03:00pm – There will be a very special storytime followed by a book signing at Barnes & Noble Kahala Mall.  Feng Feng Hutchins will be reading from her new children’s book Plenty Saimin.  Come and listen to her story, buy a book and get it signed!  More info

Remember, all events listed above may be subject to change.  Please contact the venue beforehand if you plan on attending.  More events can be found on our Hawaii Book Blog Events Calendar.

If you have an event you would like us to help promote, please leave us a comment here or e-mail me at aalba@hawaiibookblog[dot]com.  Replace the [dot] with a ‘.’ when you compose the message.  Mahalo and have a great weekend!

BBAW 2010: Forgotten Treasures

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Today’s Topic: Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction. This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book!

It’s still 8:30pm here in Hawai’i, which gives me plenty of time for our entry!  The topic focuses on books outside of the mainstream buzz received upon by the book blogging community.  In the case of Hawaii Book Blog, this is a little bit difficult (or easy depending on how you look at it).  Given the niche nature of the books we read, I could easily select most anything in our Book List that I would love to receive more attention from readers across the country.

I considered picking a book that might be more readily available on the mainland.  Fierce Heart is a fantastic book, with a great message detailing the history of a region with the universal appeal of surfing.  Facing Future is a part of a popular music series of books (33 1/3) which in this version highlights the world-renowned Hawaiian musician and iconic figure Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

Still, I wanted to take this a bit further and choose a book which I initially read without knowing very much about—especially because there was very little written about it on the Internet.  I picked up a copy of Written in the Sky by Matthew Kaopio from the Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale at McKinley High School because it was in good condition and the description on the back cover interested me.  I thought the premise of a homeless teenager living in Ala Moana Beach Park would prove intriguing.  I was right.  It may not be easily accessible, but if you get the chance, I would highly recommend it.  For more about Written in the Sky you can read my review of the book here.

As I stated before, I’d love for any book on our book list (and many more that we haven’t gotten to yet) to be read by other book blogs.  Our mission here has always been to spread the word about the great literature coming out of Hawai’i to not only people in the islands, but to everyone around the world.  In fact, a couple months ago I was excited to see that our friend Becky at One Literature Nut started getting into Hawaiiana this past summer.  Of course it helps that she appears to stay here every summer, but if you can get your hands on some Hawaii books, we’d be more than happy to hear from you.

Happy reading everyone.