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I greatly enjoyed the book True Confessions Of A Hollywood Starlet.

And I am looking forward to watching the movie tonight at 9 on Lifetime.

And, if the Internet gods smile upon me, I will be live Twittering it with Carlie.

Meanwhile, a must-read is the story behind the story.

Author: Laura Nyman Montenegro
Illustrator: Laura Nyman Montenegro
Published: 2003 Houghton Mifflin (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0618188657 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Dancing, character-filled artwork in rich apricots and olives complements honest first-person expression to buoy us through the crests and troughs of a young artist’s big day in this inspiring story of confidence, creativity and acceptance.

Other books mentioned:

• A Poet’s Bird Garden
• Emily

The quote from Emily (Micahel Bedard and Barbara Cooney) referred to in this episode:

“What is poetry?” I asked.

… “Listen to Mother play. She practices and practices a piece, and sometimes a magic happens and it seems the music starts to breathe. It sends a shiver through you. You can’t explain it, really; it’s a mystery. Well, when words do that, we call it poetry.”

I have discovered the joys of Netflix; so much so that I have a full queue. I know! I cannot add more until I delete some. Or maybe I should increase from two at a time....

Anyway; I am almost done watching the first season of Dexter, as originally shown on Showtime. CBS will be showing season one starting Sunday February 17 at 10 p.m.


The Plot: Dexter is a blood splatter expert for the Miami Police Department. He is also a serial killer.


The Good: I adore Dexter; both the show and the character study.


Dexter's adoptive parent, Harry, was a cop who recognized that young Dexter was showing all the signs of a sociopath (or is it psychopath? or both?). Anyway, long story short, instead of locking young Dexter up, Harry tries to teach Dexter to, well, be more human; to fake the emotions he does not feel; and to not kill people. As Harry realizes that young Dexter and later teenage Dexter cannot be stopped, Harry instructs Dexter to channel his impulses for the greater good: to kill only those criminals that the law cannot convict. Flashback theatre, starring a brilliant James Remar as Harry, is featured in each episode.


So that is what grown up Dexter does. The child-killing pedophile? Dexter gets him. The drug dealer who escapes conviction again and again? Does not escape Dexter.


So you cheer Dexter -- but only up to a point. Because Dexter is a killer; and the questions that haunt the show include, whether Dexter will "break" and kill outside of Harry's rules; or whether Dexter will make a mistake and kill an innocent; or whether Dexter will be caught. And the show graphically reminds you that Dexter kills. Again and again.


I think part of the fascination, for me at least (and others) is the whole idea of guilt and innocence, good and evil, as well as whether a killer can indeed by "redeemed" the way Dexter appears to be. Are serial killers born, or made? Can a serial killer be "cured"? If Dexter is so cut off from his emotions, how to explain the attachment to and respect for his adoptive father, Harry -- to the point where years after Harry's death, Dexter still follows his father's rules of killing?


Plus, hey, crime show and I love my crime shows. Even if the hero is a bit, er, unconventional.


Oh, and for the record? No way in Hell would I want Dexter as a TV boyfriend. But you know whose boyfriend he is? Darla!


Also, this is based on a series of books by Jeff Lindsay.


Switch from Showtime to CBS: I imagine that some of the murders (both the ones that Dexter commits as well as the ones he investigates) will be toned down for TV. Also, the language can be a bit much; Dex's sister, especially, is given to spouting the f word every third sentence. (I think she thinks it makes her look tough; actually, I found her rather annoying.) But that can be dubbed.

Author: Dorothy Joan Harris
Illustrator: Kim LaFave (on JOMB)
Published: 2004 Scholastic Canada (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0439937183 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Hazy, gold and red, retro artwork and snappy, all-too-familiar bickering make this simple yet surprisingly stirring tale of rivalry and resilience a memorable reminder of a decided route to happiness.

Other books mentioned:

• Suki’s Kimono

More Dogs on JOMB:

• Good Dog
• “Let’s Get a Pup!” said Kate
• The Pound from the Hound
• Poodlena
• The Trouble with Tilly Trumble
• The Outside Dog
• Dogs’ Night
• I Want A Dog

Author: Deborah Blumenthal
Illustrator: Mary GrandPre
Published: 2007 Pelican Publishing Company (on JOMB)
ISBN: 1589804910 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Warmth, humour and fond remembrance waft through this beautifully worded and evocatively illustrated exploration of a young girl’s family tree — and the traits, trinkets and togetherness that sustain it.

Other books mentioned:

• Seven Brave Women

More family fondness on JOMB:

• My Great Aunt Arizona
• Grandma’s Feather Bed
• Too Many Tamales
• Mama’s Saris

Author: Maya Gottfried
Illustrator: Robert Rahway Zakanitch
Published: 2005 Dragonfly Books (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0553113836 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Full page, personality-packed portraits, deceptively adorable sketched studies and frank, enthusiastic poems reveal the charm and distinct characters of sixteen beguiling breeds in this irresistible celebration of spunky, demanding, affectionate, rambunctious, cantankerous, lovable dogs.

Poetry Fridays are brought to us by Kelly Herold of Big A, Little A.

Author: Michael Bedard
Illustrator: Barbara Cooney
Published: 1992 Dell Dragonfly Books (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0440417406 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Warm, evocative illustrations and beautifully worded, thought provoking narration make this fictional encounter with poet Emily Dickenson a stirring introduction to poetry, eccentricity and the power of understanding.

You can read more about social anxiety in children’s book here.

Author: Carol Heyer
Illustrator: Carol Heyer
Published: 2007 Ideals Publications
ISBN: 0824955595 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Relayed with the pomp of an indignant camel and replete with starlit sandscapes, stunning, sometimes comical close-ups and loads of understated melodrama, this twist on the Christmas story is as hilarious as it is endearing.

Other books mentioned:

• The Grandmother Doll

You can view some fabulous illustrations from this book here.

Author: Rachna Gilmore (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Renne Benoit
Published: 2006 Second Story Press
ISBN: 1897187122 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

They say comparison is the source of all suffering. Yet, while we can usually resist comparing one child to another, most of us are guilty of the occasional contrast between our children and our former — possibly imagined — selves. This hilarious and delightfully ambiguous book allows us to chew on and chuckle at this perennial parental ploy.

Author: Carolyn Crimi
Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Published: 1999 Random House (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0440415322 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Scowls, howls and insults abound in this heartwarming story of friendship lost and the slow, solitary struggle to disarm, soften and befriend again.

Author: Sam Swope
Illustrator: Barry Root
Published: 2001 Farrar, Straus & Giroux (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0374303908 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Stagnant submissiveness meets infectious effervescence in this rousing exploration of supremacy, perspective and the power of partnership.

Other books mentioned:

• The Swine Snafu

Author: Frank Remkiewicz
Illustrator: Frank Remkiewicz
Published: Lothrop, Lee & Shephard Books
ISBN: 0688102956 Alibris.com

Full of understated humour and told from the perspective of a disgruntled older brother, this hilarious tale of family forbearance gives fresh meaning to the “It’s just a phase” refrain.

Sadly, this is another wonderful book which has fallen out of print. I hope your library has a copy.

You can read about the quote “Let them eat cake!” here.

Author: Campbell Geeslin
Illustrator: Ryan Sanchez
Published: Schwartz & Wade (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0375836136 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Luminous with colour, character and unusual details, this simple story of step family shuffling reminds us that working to understand another can sometimes help us understand ourselves.

More art and artists on JOMB:

• Emma’s Rug
• Victor and Christabel
• I Want A Dog

Author: Patti Beling Murphy
Illustrator: Patti Beling Murphy
Published: 2001 Little, Brown and Company (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0316910880 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

The only thing more titillating than a relatively good chicken sneakily undertaking pathetically mild misbehavior is an obnoxiously bad chicken brashly executing blatlantly bigtime misbehavior. This terrific book boasts both!

Author: Allen Say
Illustrator: Allen Say
Published: 2003 Houghton Mifflin (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0618335234 Chapters.ca Amazon.com

This thought-provoking tale of talent and torment invites us to ponder the source of creativity and offers a rare and respectful glimpse into the depths of the gifted child.

For more books about art, artists and imagination,
check out Deborah Freedman’s webpage.

You can learn about the unique social and emotional needs of gifted children here.

Author: Karla Kuskin
Illustrator: Marc Simont (on JOMB)
Published: Harper Collins (on JOMB)
ISBN: 006443124X Chapters.ca Amazon.com

Peppered with humour and interesting details, 105 parallel melodies of quiet, private bustling sweep us from the calm of a chilly dusk to the resounding beauty of a symphony’s first notes in this inspiring peek at the talented, not-so-unlike-us individuals whose work is to play — beautifully.