Arrrrr you ready for pirates?
September 19, 2023ARRR!! Avast! Scurvy! … ummm, bilge?
There is a scene in Disney’s 2003 blockbuster “The Curse of the Black Pearl '' in which an experienced pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, and a total novice, William Turner, commandeer a British warship. As they charge up to the British sailors, young William gets caught up in the moment and shouts, “Avast!” – at which everyone bursts into laughter. Clearly, in this cinematic universe, that is not how pirates talk. And perhaps you too have tried to talk like a pirate, only to stumble after a few words on the realization that you don’t actually know many “pirate words.” Apparently, real pirates didn’t either! As much fun as it is to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19th), the whole concept is based on, shall we say, revisionist history. Real pirates most likely just talked like everybody else. How boring!
Fortunately, the pirate genre in literature (and film) has never bothered much with historical accuracy, and far be it from us to break with tradition. And with that in mind: let's talk about our new pirate story!
Pirate Problems is our very first pirate story, written and narrated by Ryan Aoto. It centers on the short-tempered Captain Cross. Stranded on a deserted island with a broken boat and an incompetent crew, Captain Cross has sought solitude. He knows knows that blowing up at his crew could lead to mutiny. Yet, before long it becomes clear that without his guidance, they will never fix their ship and get off the island. Although irreverent and fun on a superficial level, the story addresses some serious topics: Teamwork. Sense of Duty. Selfishness. And of course Anger, and how to deal with it (or how not to).
Listen and share, Dial-A-Story mateys! Yo Ho Ho!
We won a Platinum Modern Library Award-- again!
January 25, 2023We are pleased to announce that LibraryCall has earned the distinguished Platinum Modern Library Award for the second year in a row. The Modern Library Awards (MLAs) recognize the top products and services in the library industry in the areas of product quality, functionality, value, customer service experience, and overall satisfaction by librarians using them.
Winter Promotion: 20% off sign-up discount
January 19, 2023Take advantage of our winter promotion. Receive 20% off when you sign up for a LibraryCall service by March 1, 2023.
3 ideas for promoting your Dial-A-Story service
January 12, 2023Quick ideas to make sure the fantastic stories you record and select make it to the ears of young people in your community.
Most popular stories of the year
January 12, 2023We're always interested to see what's resonating with our library partners, so we took a look at the stories you shared last year to see what we could learn.
Looking back, looking forward...
January 4, 2023Cheers to 2023! This post contains 2022 highlights, information about a new outreach resource, and Public Domain Day 2023 highlights.
Holiday greetings... with cute pet photos!
December 22, 2022Adorable animal photos and a holiday message from the LibraryCall team
Spread cheer with these winter stories
December 14, 2022LibraryCall stories to share with your community during this season of short days, colder weather, and celebration.
LibraryCall Welcomes Lorena Romero
December 9, 2022We are pleased to announce the hiring of Lorena Romero to LibraryCall's content development team!
With Gratitude
November 21, 2022We share our gratitude for our wonderful customers, and we highlight a new story about a boy who visits his family in Mexico for the first time and realizes he has more to be thankful for than he ever imagined.
A big Election Day THANK YOU, and some news!
November 8, 2022In this article we share our appreciation for the important work library workers do during election seasons. We also announce the hiring of Content Developer Molly Milazzo and share Storytime Commons highlights.