Thursday, February 05, 2004

HarperCollins are using this free game to promote Dr Seuss in the run up to the release of the film The Cat in the Hat in April 2004.
On 2 March 2004 it will be 100 years since the birth of Theodor (“Ted”) Seuss Geisel, aka Dr Seuss. Random House's Seusseville site has special pages celebrating the "Seussentennial" and is running the Seussentennial Imagination Tour across the United States.

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

The ultimate in busman's holidays would be to stay in the Library Hotel, whose every floor represents a different part of the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme. There's a virtual tour on their web-site and the whole place looks amazing. At the end of last year the Hotel agreed with OCLC to give a donation to a children's literacy scheme in exchange for the right to use the DDC concept. See the OCLC's press release for more details.

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

According to Overlawyered.com there is less than a week now until the trial of the Escondido Library cat. Library user Richard Espinosa is suing for $1.5 million in compensation for the distress he suffered when L.C. (Library Cat) attacked his assistance dog. There has been a mini-furore about this in the American national press.

"Library Cat" trial set to begin soon' by Walter Olson. Overlawyered: chronicling the high cost of our legal system, January 18, 2004.

Saturday, January 17, 2004

The Department of Classics and Ancient History of the University of Manchester Faculty of Arts has posted a list of modern books translated into Latin on its web-site.

The Hellenic Bookservice has a section called 'A bit of fun' that features English-Latin translations of chidren's books as well as other attempts to make Latin fun, although Minimus (the mouse) by Barbara Bell has his own section on the Hellenic site.

There are also lists on Amazon's Listmania, including 'Books that Latin students will actually enjoy' and 'Fun literature in Latin (and for kids).'
Peter Needham was responsible for translating into Latin my favourite children's book, A bear called Paddington. I love the way he has rendered totally modern English names into Latin, as in this passage from chapter 3, 'Paddington sub terram it,' where a London Underground ticket inspector is questioning him about his name:"Paddington!" inquit inspector incredulus. "non potest esse. id est nomen stationis. nunquam prius novi ursum Paddington appellatum.""insolentissimum est nomen," inquit Paddington. "sed est Paddington Brunnus, et domicilium habeo aedes in Hortis Vindesilorensibus collocatas ac numero XXXII signatas. et Dominam Brunnam et Judy amisi."(p.48).

Ursus nomine Paddington by Michael Bond, translated by Peter Needham. Duckworth, 1999. ISBN 0715629263
A bear called Paddington by Michael Bond. Collins, 1958.
George Mason University has put Alicia in terra mirabili on their Contemporary Latin web-page alongside Carroll's famous poem, JABBERWOCKY and other texts including the American Bill of Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Man.Alicia in terra mirabili. by Ludovici Carroll, translated by Clive Harcourt Carruthers. London: MacMillan, 1964.