pamie.com's 2004 Cool Kids Club

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 01:24:00 +0000

Hi Pam, just wanted to let you know that I donated 5 books to the Lemon Grove Branch library. They are:

* The Very Hungry Caterpillar Board Book
* Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
* Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women
* 1 of: Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You : Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises (Bright and Early Board Books)
* 1 of: The Horse and His Boy (Narnia)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar wasn't on their list, nor was Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can you, but those were two of my very favorites as a kid. Also, in honor of my mother's birthday two days ago I got them a new copy of The Horse and His Boy because the site said their copy was falling apart, and it was my mom's favorite in the Chronicles of Narnia.

Thanks Pam, for doing so much for those around you. I may be a totally broke college student, but this is something I can afford.

Sincerely,

Kristin

I've never been called "Wicked" before...

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 01:18:00 +0000

Hi Pamie -- Blogger Extraordinaire!

Gretchen just reminded me that you are interested in seeing Peter Kaye's article about you and your wonderful program to get more books into San Diego libraries. Here's the PDF file for the six-page newsletter I edit. It was just mailed to about 1,000 households in Del Mar. Please feel free to post it (or any part) on your WebPages.

Deep in the heart of Blogland dwells a mysterious messenger. Some say her X-rated ravings make her the Wicked Webmaster of the West. Others say she’s a clown because of her book, “Why Girls Are Weird,” and because of her irreverent screenplays. But librarians from Del Mar to Oakland see Pamela Ribon in a different light -- as a fairy godmother who has filled their shelves with hundreds of books...

Thanks for coming up with this terrific program!

Linda Martin

friends Editor

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Sun, 05 Sep 2004 21:20:00 +0000

Hi Pamie,

I just wanted to let you know that I've donated three books to the San Marcos Branch Library.

Esperanza Rising: Esperanza Renace by Pam Munoz Ryan, Nuria Molinero and
If You Take a Mouse to School (Spanish edition): Si llevas un raton a la escuela by Laura Numeroff

because they were must haves. I picked

Agu Trot [spanish edition] by Roald Dahl

because as a kid reader, discovering Dahl was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. He's still one of my very favorite authors.

I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but these book drives are great. I just discovered your site this year and was really happy to hear about the Oakland book drive because I'm from Oakland. For a city that seems to often be the focus of unfortunate events, it was nice to hear about people doing something nice and improving things. I especially love this because as a kid, I was fortunate enough to live two blocks from a library. My mom took my siblings and me there every two weeks and I would check out 17 books that I'd finish in a week and beg to go back. I'm convinced that had a huge impact on how well I've been able to do and a lot of my choices as an adult. And it's neat because I've had conversations with many of my closest friends where we realized each of us was the girl or boy who checked out a gazillion books.

This is awesome and you are awesome.

Cecilia

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Sun, 05 Sep 2004 16:28:00 +0000

I wanted to let you know that I just ordered some books for San Diego -- I've felt guilty all year that I didn't buy any books for the Oakland (my hometown!) library bookdrive, so I decided to buy some for San Diego this year. I got, for the San Marcos Library:

El Capitan Calzoncillos Y LA Furia De LA Supermujer Macroelastica (Captain Underpants (Spanish)), by Dav Pilkey, Miguel Azaola

Las Aventuras Del Capitan Calzoncillos (Captain Underpants (Spanish)), by Dav Pilkey

The Witches, by Roald Dahl

Captain Underpants And The Perilous Plot Of Professor Poopypants: El Capitan Calzoncillos Y El Perverso Plan Del Profesor Pipcac, by Dav Pilkey, Miguel Azaola

I bought Captain Underpants for one of my cousins recently, and I loved that they had the spanish versions on their wishlist.

After typing the above (about not giving to Oakland last year) I realized that there's no reason why I can't still give to them. So I just ordered, for the Lakeview Branch,

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares, and
How to Write it: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write, by Sandra E. Lamb.

-Jasmine

[Jasmine's donations put Oakland's book drive donations at 602 -p]

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Sun, 05 Sep 2004 16:25:00 +0000

Hi Pam,

In appreciation of you posting the old archives, I decided to donate another set of books to San Diego.

So Rancho San Diego Branch Youth Services Division will be receiving:

"Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See" by Bill Martin Jr

"Linnea in Monet's Garden" by Christina Bjork

"Body Talk: The Straight Facts on Fitness, Nutrition, and Feeling Great About Yourself (Girl Zone) by Ann Douglas

I tried to pick high-priority and new books on their list to cover a wide age range of kids.

- anonymous.

Letter From Winner Emily

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 17:57:00 +0000

Pam,

Thanks so much! I am very excited; it’s such a dreary day in Toronto today, and I was getting annoyed by people at work, but this news has made the day much better. I thought I’d gotten my good karma in the form of a small raise at work, but apparently it hasn’t ended. If I donated three books, does that mean I get three good things happening to me? That’d be nice; there’s an internal position at work I’m applying for that I would love to get, so if that could be my third bit of good karma, I’d be a very happy camper. Feel free to cross your fingers for me!

It’ll be great to have another copy of your book, let alone an autographed one. I lent my copy to a friend at work, and she loved it so much that she’s getting her sister and some other people to read it, too. With the extra copy, I can still read your book whenever I feel like it.

Again, thanks so much for organizing the book drives (extra loud cheers for everyone who donated!), and continuing to entertain people with your writing. You are an amazing person, and I know that all your hard work and dedication will pay off in spades.

Regards,
Emily

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 17:48:00 +0000

Hi Pamie,

First off, thanks for linking to me in the blog.

I have decided to donate $100 to the San Diego Public Library Foundation to be used for books and materials. I was going to split it amongst the different libraries you hvae listed, but found it too difficult to pick and choose. This way, they can choose how to spend it, and i'm sure that a diverse mix of people will benefit from my small donation.

Thanks for such a spectacular idea,

Arianne

Letter From Campo-Morena Librarian Vickie

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 17:40:00 +0000

Hi Pam! Hope you're doing better and the nasties are under control. If all the goodness that you started with this library program could be bottled, I'm sure you should be back in good health soon. Your readers definitely want you feeling strong again.

Well...I had to write and let you know, once again, just how overwhelming your readers have been to our little branch in Campo-Morena Village. We have received '62' books and '6' audiocassette books so far, and there are another 3 books that we haven't received yet, but they've been purchased.

We feel truly blessed by your generosity and that of your readers. You have all been such an inspiration to our community. I have appointments to speak at several of our local groups, to request financial support for books. Everyone can't believe that there are people out there who are willing to donate to a community they've never heard of. We are very thankful for all you've done for us and wish you and your readers many blessings for their kindness and generosity.

I believe it's important that you have accurate figures for your program, and haven't seen quite a few titles listed in the Blog, so I've decided that I'd share them here. I hope this helps with your final tally.

Thank you again for allowing us to be a part of this!

Respectfully,
Vickie Mulrean
Campo-Morena Village Branch Operations Manager

To Kill a Mockingbird [sent by Kate]
Keeping Livestock Healthy [sent by Sophie]
Coaching Fastpitch Softball Succescfully [sent by Tamara]
Fences, Wall & Gates [sent by Tamara]
Otho's All About Fences & Gates [sent by Tamara]
Chess For Juniors [sent by M.S.]
Little League Drills and Strategies: [sent by M.S.]
Daughter of Venice [sent by Sophie]
The Princess Diaries v.#1 [sent by Tamara]
A Series of Unfortunate Events:
The Bad Beginning, v.1 [sent by M.S.]
The Reptile Room, v.2 [sent by M.S.]
The Wide Window, v.3 [sent by M.S.]
The Miserable Mill, v.4 [sent by M.S.]
The Austere Academy, v.5 [sent by M.S.]
The Ersatz Elevator, v.6 [sent by M.S.]
The Vile Village, v.7 [sent by M.S.]
The Hostile Hospital, v.8 [sent by M.S.]
The Carnivorous Carnival, v.9 [sent by M.S.]
The Slippery Slope, v.10 [sent by M.S.]

Thanks again, Pam!

Letter From Winner Jen

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 17:39:00 +0000

I'm thrilled to be the winner of an autographed copy of your book...all of my friends will be so jealous! This annual book drive is great on so many levels. I felt wonderful donating a few books. I love reading the letters from the librarians... I can imagine how much fun they're having waiting for the mailman's arrival. And now this! Thank you for the book and, more importantly, for all of your hard work organizing these book drives...I did the easy part.

Have a great day...I already have!

Jen

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 16:35:00 +0000

Pamie,

I never got around to donating to the Oakland Public Library last year, so I made sure to donate to the San Diego County Library Book Drive. I chose the Borrego Springs Branch because my family used to camp at Borrego Springs regularly. I sent:

The 1900 House [DVD]
Frontier House [DVD]
Brimstone by: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Yay! I did it this time! I donated!

I love libraries and our library system's been hit by cutbacks too. The small branches are only open a few hours a week and none of them, not even the main branch, is open on Sunday.

This is a great thing you are doing. I'm really impressed by how many donations have been made in just one month. Now I'm on the list too! Wheee!

Melissa

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 16:18:00 +0000

The Santee Branch Library just received three books from Chandra of Los Angeles. She gifted the library with

Anna Karenina (Oprah's Book Club edition),
No, David! and
Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler.

What a nice nice thing to do! Thank you to Chandra!

Jo Routhier
Santee Branch Library

Letter from Winner Janice:

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 16:18:00 +0000

I can always count on Pamie.com to renew my faith in the goodness of people. Pamie and her readers are always thinking of others, and inspire me to do the same every day. It feels awesome to be a member of the "Cool Kid Club", and getting a free book is the icing on the cake. I'll be sure to give my bought copy of Why Girls are Weird to a local library where many readers can enjoy it. My autographed copy will be kept in a special place!

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 16:15:00 +0000

The temperature may be over 100 outside but I'm pleased to tell you that this last week of July has been like Christmas in our little library. The Ramona community is better known for rodeos than for reading. So I have a special thank you for people across the USA-- Michael, Denise, Brenda and Erica (a fellow coffee guzzler)-- for the items that came this week from our Amazon wish list. This is so very, very cool.

--Merry (July) Christmas and thank you all
Margaret Esther, Children's Librarian
Ramona Branch
San Diego County Library

Book Drive Contest Winners

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 17:13:00 +0000

Due to the amazing response of over 450 donations in just one month, I added a bonus winner to the contest. The four winners are:

lil d, who sent: Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir, by Azar Nafisi, Empress Orchid by Anchee Min, and The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975.

emily, who sent: My Not-So-Terrible Time at the Hippie Hotel, by Rosemary Graham, Keeping You a Secret, by Julie Anne Peters, and Freaky Green Eyes, by Joyce Carol Oates.

jennifer, a local who sent: A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly and The Fate of the Romanovs by Greg King.

and finally:

Janice, who sent: Leonardo Da Vinci, by Sherwin B. Nuland, and Leonardo da Vinci (Masters of Art), by Jack Wasserman

Congratulations to these four winners and thanks again for everybody who has helped the book drive so far this year. It's been an amazing experience.

Letter From a Rancho Librarian

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 17:12:00 +0000

Pamie -

As your book drive for San Diego County Library comes to a close, the community of Rancho San Diego wants to express its sincere thanks for your thoughtfulness and the generosity of your readers. The books we've been sent have built our collection up and provided more of what our customers want and need. If there is anyone still looking for the opportunity to contribute books to our library, the youth services list has been expanded to include several variations on Jack and the Beanstalk, as well as books on the Olympics, something we definitely need more of in this Olympics year!

We continue to be touched by the response to this drive. Thanks to everyone, far and wide!

Sincerely,
Barbara Sutton
Youth Services Librarian
San Diego County Library
Rancho San Diego Branch
11555 Via Rancho San Diego
El Cajon, CA 92019
619-660-6325
www.sdcl.org

We've Reached 451!

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 17:01:00 +0000

Dear Pamie,

I sent the San Marcos Youth Library 2 copies of "1000 Palabras en Inglés" (1000 words in English). They wanted 2, so that's what I sent them. You know, one for Spanish-to-English and one for English-to-Spanish. (Hee.)

1000 palabras en inglés (Berlitz Kids)
1000 palabras en inglés (Berlitz Kids)

This stuff is contagious.

Davida

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:58:00 +0000

Hi Pamie,

Just adding my voice to the masses--this book drive is awesome, as are your recaps on TWoP.

Anyway, I donated the The American History Cookbook to the el Cajon Branch library, because I love food with stories, and I definitely have used the library to get recipes and cookbooks.

Naomi

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:55:00 +0000

Hi Pamie-

I just sent the San Marcos Branch:

Matilda by Roald Dahl
The BFG by Roald Dahl (loved Roald Dahl growing up, and still do - these are two of my favorites though)
and
Así es Josefina, una niña americana (The American Girls Collection) by Valerie Tripp (I devoured the American Girls books when I was younger!)

I visit my local library about once a week, and have been doing so since I was very young- I can't imagine not being able to have free access to books!

Thank you for organizing this!
Stefany

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:53:00 +0000

Hiya Pamie,

I donated the following books to the Ramona Branch of the San Diego County Library system:

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

I'm off to guzzle coffee in a diner and read my own library books!

Erica

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:49:00 +0000

Pam,

I honestly thought I was done donating this year. However, I noticed today that in a thank-you note I received from a librarian that the plural of boy was spelled "boy's". Since I am currently reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss, I felt compelled to donate a copy. I searched for a branch that had this book on their wish list and found Santee. Since I refuse to pay for shipping, I also included a copy of the The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. Of course, this might have been a ploy to get me to donate again, similar to the shopkeeper described in the book who deliberately stuck ungrammatical signs in his window as a ruse to draw people into his shop.

I'd like this donation to be anonymous. I don't want any trail that might lead to the identification of the kind librarian who wrote the thank-you note (and I know my own writing is far from perfect). I'll leave it to your readers to point out all the mistakes I've made in this e-mail.

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:44:00 +0000

Hi Pamie,

Just writing to let you know that I sent hardcover (yay hardcover books!) copies of George's Marvelous Medicine and Tupac Shakur's The Rose That Grew from Concrete to the San Marcos Library.

Hope we break 400!

best,
m

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:39:00 +0000

Because of the last-minute request from you and from the Rancho San Diego Library, I've donated a couple more books to their Youth list:

DK Readers: Going for Gold (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
Ghost World
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1
and
Jack and the Beanstalk

I REALLY hope you reach your goal of 400 by the end of the weekend. But, if not, you have still made a huge difference.

Thanks for helping me feel SO good about myself (and letting people read in the process)!

DeAnn

Some of You Are Getting Addicted To This...

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:35:00 +0000

Hi Pamie,

I read the letter from the librarian at the El Cajon branch, and got inspired to donate yet again - third time this year.

I sent the following:

Prehistoric Art: The Symbolic Journey of Humankind - because I'm off to see some prehistoric art in about a month.

Elections A to Z (American Government S.)- because it sounded like the kind of book the librarian who wrote would find helpful.

I don't have my own web site, but if you could link to bpib.com for me, I would appreciate it.

A side benefit of this book drive is it got me into my OWN public library for the first time in quite a while.

Jeri

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:32:00 +0000

Pamie,

I had so much fun donating the first time, I decided to do it again. The Ramona Branch is getting:

Morality for Beautiful Girls (No.1 Ladies Detective Agency)
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Widescreen Edition)

This time I even managed to push the right button so they'll be shipped directly to the library.

Nysha

noreply@blogger.com (pamie) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:27:00 +0000

Hey Pamie --

In an attempt to make sure we reach the 400 mark, M. Giant and I are sending off a few more books. The San Marcos Branch Library will soon receive:

Tuck para siempre
The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 5)
Esperanza Rising: Esperanza Renace
The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 4)

I chose the San Marcos Branch because of Betty Waznis at the San Diego County Library. I picked these books because M. Giant LOVES Lemony Snicket, and the other two books were must-haves.

Thanks again for spearheading this.

-trash