The Reference Desk

In Part Two of the Bly Balloon Bomb Tragedy, we learn about the manufacturing of the Japanese Balloon Bombs by young Japanese schoolgirls in terrible working conditions. We also learn about the terrible loyalty questionnaire given to incarcerated Japanese Americans, which, when answered “incorrectly” sent hundreds of families to a maximum security incarceration camp. And, we will learn about the only civilian casualties on mainland American soil during the war. 

Staff Picks

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• Peace is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone

Recommendations
Movies

• On Paper Wings

Non-Fiction

• Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Patridge 
• Fu-go: The Curious History of Japan's Balloon Bomb Attack on America by Ross Coen
• They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Fiction

• We Are Not Freeby Traci Chee
• Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey
• When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
• Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
• Displacement by Kiku Huges

If you are interested in any of the books we talk about in this episode, please consider purchasing them through our affiliate link with Bookshop.org. 

• Bombs Fall on Oregon: Japanese Attacks on the State
• Mitchell Monument
• Beware Of Japanese Balloon Bombs
• On Paper Wings - Documentary
• From Engagement to Peace
• Pearl Harbor, History.org
• Japanese-American Incarceration During World War II
• Japan’s World War II Balloon Bomb Attacks on North America
• Author Maggie Tokuda-Hall Takes a Stand Against Censorship and the “Deeply American Tradition of Racism”
• Topaz History: Topaz Museum
• The “Loyalty Questionnaire” of 1943 Opened a Wound that has Yet to Heal
• Densho

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In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by the Bly Balloon Bomb Tragedy of WWII. 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States officially entered WWII. Immediately, Americans began interrogating and then incarcerating Japanese Americans, many of them citizens, along the west coast. After America responded to the Pearl Harbor attack by bombing Tokoyo, Japan was infuriated that America remained relatively untouched by warfare. So, they tasked scientists with creating a weapon that would reach American soil. They came up with a balloon capable of using the recently discovered Jet Stream to carry bombs across the Pacific. The balloons were manufactured by children and were responsible for the only civilian casualty on United States mainland during the war. 

Staff Picks

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• Peace is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone

Recommendations

Movies

• On Paper Wings

Non-Fiction

• Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Patridge 
• Fu-go: The Curious History of Japan's Balloon Bomb Attack on America by Ross Coen
• They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Fiction

• We Are Not Freeby Traci Chee
• Beneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye Huey
• When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
• Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
• Displacement by Kiku Huges

If you are interested in any of the books we talk about in this episode, please consider purchasing them through our affiliate link with Bookshop.org. 

• Bombs Fall on Oregon: Japanese Attacks on the State
• Mitchell Monument
• Beware Of Japanese Balloon Bombs
• On Paper Wings - Documentary
• From Engagement to Peace
• Pearl Harbor, History.org
• Japanese-American Incarceration During World War II
• Japan’s World War II Balloon Bomb Attacks on North America
• Author Maggie Tokuda-Hall Takes a Stand Against Censorship and the “Deeply American Tradition of Racism”
• Topaz History: Topaz Museum
• The “Loyalty Questionnaire” of 1943 Opened a Wound that has Yet to Heal

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Call me now for your free reading!

In this episode, Katie is bewitched by Miss Cleo and the Psychic Readers Network.

Late-night advertising in the 1990s and early 2000s was full of 900-number hotlines promising everything from video game tips to proof that Elvis was still alive. But the most pervasive and perhaps harmful were hotlines promising to connect you with a psychic reader.

Miss Cleo became a pop culture icon in this space with her sassy tarot readings, no-nonsense advice, and signature Jamaican patois. But a string of lawsuits exposed the dark side of the "for entertainment purposes only" psychic hotline. Who should be held responsible for the harm caused by this sinister business model- the woman who inspired millions to call in or the men behind the curtain?

Staff Picks:

Novel Effect interactive reading app

Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler

Recommended reading:

Affinity by Sarah Waters

Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud

Rosewater by Tade Thompson

Suddenly Psychic by Elizabeth Hunter

Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium by Mark Edwards

The Darkened Room by Alex Owen

Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions by James Randi

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe by Dr. Steven Novella

Recommended viewing:

Call Me Miss Cleo documentary (HBO max)

Sources:

"In The '90s, A Black Psychic Friend Fooled White America. Then They Were Pissed" by Candice Frederick

"A History of TV Psychics (and Why We Love Them So Much)" by Rae Alexandra

"Miss Cleo Left a Trail of Deception in Seattle" by D. Parvaz

"‘Grand Theft Auto’ Makers Sued by Psychic Readers Network Over Miss Cleo ‘Doppelganger’" by Tim Kenneally

"I Was a Hotline Psychic for Miss Cleo" by Bennett Madison

"Miss Cleo on her Allegedly Fake Patois and Getting Ripped Off by Her Old Bosses"  Vice

"Miss Cleo Comes Out" by Greg Hernandez

"Miss Cleo Still Knows" by Brandon Voss

FTC vs. Access Resource Services, Inc. et al

"Miss Cleo, Famed '90s TV Psychic, is Getting a Documentary" by Bria McNeal

"Steven Feder and Peter Stolz: Where Are PRN Co-Owners Now?" by Kumari Shreya

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In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by explores the life and impact of Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers. From his early days in television to his enduring legacy, we delve into the world of this beloved figure and examine the ways in which he touched the lives of countless people.

Staff Picks

• Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Turado

Recommendations

Movies and TV

• It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
• Won't You Be My Neighbor?
• Mister Rogers Neighborhood

Books

• Knitting in the Neighborhood
• The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King
• Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever by Gavin Edwards
• Mister Rogers' Gift of Music Donna Cangelosi
• Hello, Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers by Matthew Cordell
• Fred's Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers by Laura Renauld
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers

If you are interested in any of the books we talk about in this episode, please consider purchasing them through our affiliate link with Bookshop.org

Sources

About Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers Trail

Fred Rogers Took a Stand Against Racial Inequality When He Invited a Black Character to Join Him in a Pool

The Mister Rogers No One Saw

The King of Kindness

The Truth About Those Rumors Of Mr. Rogers’ Badass Military Career

Mr. Rogers a Navy SEAL?

Fred Rogers graduates from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

In the Land of Make Believe, The Real Mister Rogers

Forever Fred (full article accessed through my local library database)

Mister Rogers Pioneered Speaking to Kids About Gun Violence

When Fred Met Margaret

5 Lessons From Margaret McFarland, The Scientist Behind Mister Rogers

Before Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood came Misterogers on CBC

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This week, we get to share a super special crossover episode with Unsinkable: the Titanic Podcast! 

Join the Reference Desk, along with Unsinkable host L. A. Beadles as we look into the lives of some of the fortunate folks who were meant to be on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, but due to a plethora of circumstances, just missed the ship. From crew members to some very wealthy people. we will chat about their lives, why they ended up missing the boat, and what might have happened if they had gone down with the ship. 

Unsinkable is a Titanic podcast, but it is so muich ,more. It is a deep dive into the historical and cultural impact of every aspect of the ship that sank on April 15, 1912. It is full of exactly the kind of expertly researched rabbit holes that we love, and we know you will love it too! 

Check it out wherever you listen to your podcasts! 

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In this episode, Katie shares what America knew about the Holocaust as it was unfolding.

Recently, Katie volunteered as a docent for the ALA's traveling "Americans and the Holocaust" exhibition in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The exhibition explores how much Americans knew about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews in Europe and examines the U.S. response in a global, historical context. The exhibition also invites visitors to consider what more could have been done by Americans, a question we should continuously be asking ourselves as acts of persecution and genocide continues around the world to this day.

For more information about the "Americans and the Holocaust" exhibition:
Exhibit at the USHMM in Washington D.C.
Guided video tour with curator Dr. Daniel Greene
Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition 

Suggested reading:
 Selections to accompany the USHMM exhibit
Selections to accompany the ALA traveling exhibit
YA and Children's selections from the Teacher Fellows with the USHMM

PBS documentary: The U.S. and the Holocaust

Staff picks:

• One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
• The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston 

The Reference Desk's recommended Holocaust reads:

• Hitlerland by Andrew Nagorski
• The Unwanted by Michael Dobbs
• Why? Explaining the Holocaust by Peter Hayes
• The Book Smugglers by David E. Fishman
• The Nazi and the Barber by Edgar Hilsenrath
• Badenheim 1939  by Aharon Appelfeld
• This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski
• The Occupation Trilogy  by Patrick Modiano 

All suggested readings available in our bookshop 

References:

Materials provided by the ALA
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 

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In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by some unsung heroines of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. 

While we all know the name Rosa Parks and her rightful place in history, too few know the names Claudette Colvin, Georgia Gilmore, and Elizabeth Jennings. These brave women fought for transportation justice, helping in their own ways a century apart to end segregation on public transportation. Elizabeth Jennings sued the Third Avenue Railroad Company because of their discrimination of African-American people on city streetcars in NYC in the 1850s. Claudette Colvin refused her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus before Rosa Parks and before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Georgia Gilmore organized a group of women to sell their baked goods and cooked meals to raise money for the Boycott. 

Staff picks: 

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 

Related media recommendations: 

Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus by Mara Rockliff

The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South by John T. Edge

Feed the Resistance: Recipes + Ideas for Getting Involved by Julia Turshen

Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It: The Memoir of Jo Ann Gibson Robinson by Jo Ann Gibson

Street Car to Justice: How Elizabeth Jennings Won the Right to Ride in New York by Amy Hill Hearth

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen

Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues by Harriet Gillem Robinet

The last is a series of books: The Logan Family Saga by Mildred Taylor

If you are interested in any of the books we talk about in this episode, please consider purchasing them through our affiliate link with Bookshop.org

Sources:

Overlooked No More: Georgia Gilmore, Who Fed and Funded the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Meet The Fearless Cook Who Secretly Fed — And Funded — The Civil Rights Movement

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Before Rosa Parks, There Was Claudette Colvin

(Southern) Black Women’s Presence in Invisibility: Miss Georgia Gilmore & The Club from Nowhere

In the Montgomery bus boycott, Georgia Gilmore fed workers, MLK, and everyone in between

Overlooked: Elizabeth Jennings

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPOTLIGHT: ELIZABETH JENNINGS GRAHAM

Claudette Colvin: the woman who refused to give up her bus seat – nine months before Rosa Parks

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

Jo Ann Robinson: A Heroine of the Mon

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This week, Katie is bewitched by the incredible rescue of 13 people from the flooded Tham Luang cave in Thailand. 

In part 2 of this story, efforts at Tham Luang shift from search to rescue as the Thai government explores three possible options to save the Wild Boars: dive, drill, or delay. But when conditions in the cave begin to deteriorate rapidly, their options shrink, and expert cave divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton are tasked with planning the impossible. With the help of Australian cave-diving anesthesiologist Dr. Richard Harris and a team of divers from around the world, John and Rick lead the incredible rescue of all 13 Wild Boars. After 18 days in the dark, an international rescue effort involving over 10,000 volunteers ended in triumph. 

Recommended reading available in our bookshop: 

• Aquanut: A Life Beneath the Surface by Rick Stanton
• Against All Odds  by Richard Harris and Craig Challen
• All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontronvat
• Feral Youth by Shaun David Hutchinson et al. 
• The Descent by Jeff Long
• Lift Your Light a Little Higher: The Story of Stephen Bishop, Slave-Explorer by Heather Hensen

Recommended watching: 

• The Trapped 13: How we Survived the Thai Cave, available on Netflix
• The Rescue, available on Nat Geo/Disney+ 
• Drain the Oceans: Thai Cave Rescue (season 2, episode 9), available on Disney+
• Thai Cave Rescue: Limited Series, available on Netflix
• Thirteen Lives, available on Amazon Prime Video

Links:

Diving masks from San Marcos company helped rescue of Thai boys from cave
The Technology Behind the Thailand Cave Rescue
A summary of the Tham Luang Rescue
The full story of Thailand’s extraordinary cave rescue
Thailand's Tham Luang rescue cave has reopened to tourists. Here's what it's like
The untold story of the daring cave divers who saved the Thai soccer team
Where Are the Thai Cave Rescue Divers Now and What Happened to Them?
Wild Boar soccer team become millionaires after signing deal with Netflix for Tham Luang story
Whirlwind year for Wild Boars
Some of the boys rescued from a Thai cave are 'stateless.' What does that mean?

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This week, Katie is bewitched by the incredible rescue of the Wild Boars youth soccer team from Tham Luang cave. 

In June 2018, twelve boys and their soccer coach headed into a local cave system to celebrate a teammate's birthday. But what was a typical afternoon for kids in this rural northern Thailand town quickly became an unthinkable emergency when an unexpected rainstorm left their only exit underwater. Within days, the entire world watched with bated breath as expert cave divers fought against a raging subterranean river in an increasingly desperate bid to find the team. Then, nine days after their disappearance, divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen surfaced 2.5 miles from the cave entrance and found themselves face-to-face with thirteen survivors. 

In this first half of a two-part series, we explore the days leading up to the discovery of the Wild Boars team. In part 2, we'll cover the absolutely miraculous rescue of all thirteen boys. 

Staff picks: 

• Heartstopper: a Netflix series based on the graphic novels of the same name by Alice Oseman 
• Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell 

find these titles and more in our bookshop!

Links:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27723015/

http://www.swiss-cave-diving.org/PDF-dateien/Potts_30YearsUSACaveDiving.pdf

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-accident-cave-timeline/timeline-thai-cave-rescue-that-transfixed-the-world-for-17-days-idUSKCN1TP1GB

https://globalnews.ca/news/4322827/how-thai-soccer-team-became-trapped-in-thai-cave/#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20boys%20had,returning%20home%20on%20June%2023.

https://www.vox.com/2018/7/18/17585868/thai-cave-rescue-press-conference

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/13/uk/thai-cave-rescue-british-divers-intl/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/world/asia/thai-cave-rescue-tourism.html

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In 2014, the Broaddus family of New Jersey closed on their dream home in the beautiful town of Westfield. But before even moving in, their dream home turned into a nightmare. Just three days after closing, the family received a letter in a white, card-shaped envelope addressed to “the New Owners” in thick, chunky letters. This letter is the first of several frightening letters the family would receive.  Netflix recently released a show based on this mysterious case but here is the real story of what happened at 657 Boulevard. 

Recommendations

Movies and TV

• The Watcher (2022) - Netflix
• The Watcher (2016) - Lifetime

Books

• The Invited by Jennifer McMahon
• Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan
• The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
• Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

If you are interested in purchasing these, or any of the titles we discuss on the show, please use our affiliate link at bookshop.org! 

Sources

• The Watcher House Sold
• The Watcher
• The Watcher: Where is the Broaddus Family Now
• New Jersey Westfield Home
• Zillow House Listing
• Inside The Spooky ‘Watcher’ House That Terrorized A Wealthy New Jersey Family
• John List
• Current owners facing problems after Netflix show
• Judge Throws Out Westfield Watcher Lawsuit
• Why the Upscale Suburb of Westfield, NJ, May Be the Scariest Place to Live in the U.S.
• Taking Another Look at The Watcher What we know about the case four years later.

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