Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming by Lemony Snicket, ill. Lisa Brown
“It is very frustrating not to be understood in this world. If you say one thing and keep being told that you mean something else, it can make you want to scream.”
Understanding that this podcast is appearing a day after the last day of Hanukkah, that’s not Kate’s fault. That’s my own (darn 31 Days, 31 Lists series). And let me tell you, after doing Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins last year, I was having a devil of a time figuring out what another Hanukkah classic might be. After some serious consideration, I decided that this book would give us, as I say on the podcast, a little meat. A little fodder. Something to discuss. What I didn’t see coming was how timely this story truly was. We touch on it a bit, but the most interesting thing to me about this book is that at its core it’s about what it feels like to live in a society that is constantly pummeling you with religious messages that are not your own. Little wonder the latke screams.
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Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or your preferred method of podcast selection.
Show Notes:
– Gee! How crazy that I happened to mention Funny Girl on the show. Golly, that would make a swell gift for people to give to their 9-12 year old loved ones.
– Alert: Screaming Latke Crossing
– Cheeky squirrel.
-Cheeky squirrel redux.
– Kate was a bit disturbed by this final image.
Can’t imagine why.
– A Brown squirrel (forgive the pun). And a Snicket squirrel, fedora in place.
-What is “Baby Be of Use?”
Interested in getting your own full series of Baby Be of Use? I am pleased to announce that they are for sale on Lisa Brown’s website.
– All righty. A staged production of this book, eh? I feel infinitely sad that I never got to see this in person because as ads go, this is supremely good.
– And for those of you desiring an actual Christmas book, behold. The Lump of Coal.
– In case you missed it, you can see the NPR Book Concierge here.
Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate

About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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