Kids' Bibliotheque

I've Got the Moves...

2012-02-05T15:48:00.004-06:00

I started my new job last week! All is going well so far, and I have a Cute Kid story to share already!

As part of my orientation I went to shadow my new supervisor as she did an outreach storytime at a local school. While we waited for the kids to assemble, I observed a boy (about 4 years old) playing in the back of the room. He was singing to himself as he played:

"I've got the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger. I've got the moves like Jagger..."

ROFL

2012 ALA Youth Media Awards

2012-01-23T10:01:00.009-06:00

It's that time of year again! Earlier today the winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards were announced. These awards are given annually to the best of the best in children's literature in a variety of categories. On this blog I'll focus my efforts on the oldest and arguably most prestigious of these awards: The Caldecott and Newbery Medals. A full list of winners and honor books for all awards, however, can be found here.

Caldecott Medal

The Caldecott Medal is awarded each year to, "the most distinguished American picture book for children." This year's winner is A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. In this wordless picture book, Daisy is a sweet little dog who just loves her ball. She loves to play with it and chase it and fetch it, and even loves to curl up for a nap with it. One day Daisy's owner takes her to the park to play and tragically her ball is popped by another dog. Poor Daisy! She is so saddened by the loss of her favorite toy. But the next day when Daisy and her owner return to the park, the strange dog and his owner are also there, this time with a gift: A new ball for Daisy. All is well in the world again. What impresses me most about Raschka's illustrations is the way he is able to blend simplicity and unevenness to tell Daisy's story. I especially love the images of Daisy sleeping on the couch. Raschka paints a striped couch, but leaves out the lines that specifically detail the arms, cushins, ect. Only Daisy's presence on the sofa indicates where these dimension lines should be. The result is a cozy feeling that seems to reflect Daisy's mood perfectly.

Three Caldecott Honor books were also named:
-Blackout written and illustrated by John Rocca
-Grandpa Green written and illustrated by Lane Smith
-Me, Jane written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell

Newbery Medal

The Newbery Medal is given every year to, "the most outstanding contribution to children's literature." This year's award was given to Jack Gantos for his novel Dead End in Norvelt. A description of the book, taken from Gantos' website, follows: "Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is the story of an incredible two months for a boy named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation adventure are suddenly ruined when he is grounded by his feuding parents for what seems like forever. But escape comes where Jack least expects it, once he begins helping an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore—a chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, obituaries, Hells Angels, and countless bloody noses. Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers crack up at the most shocking things in a depiction of growing up in an off-kilter world where the characters are as unpredictable and over-the-top as they come."

Two Newbery Honor books were also named:
-Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
-Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

My Thoughts

Predicting who will win the Caldecott Medal is, in my opinion, incredibly difficult given the number of beautiful picture books published every year. A Ball for Daisy is truly a worthy winner. I have a very soft place in my heart for wordless picture books so I was especially pleased to see this book take home the big prize. Quiet, sweet books that tug at your heartstrings, just as Daisy and the other Honor books do, have also been popular in recent years and it was interesting to see this trend continue.

Recent trends also continued to be seen in this year's Newbery award. Historical fiction remains popular, and every book granted a Newbery Medal or Honor this year was a work of this genre. Other Newbery surpises did make an appearance as well. Though I wasn't too incredibly shocked to see the big medal awarded to Gantos for Dead End in Norvelt (there had been plenty of buzz), I was rather surprised at the omission of Gary Schmidt's book Okay for Now from any kind of award. Breaking Stalin's Nose also blindsided this reader - this book wasn't even on my radar. Fortunately, the book sounds like an interesting read and I'm eager to get my hands on it.

Anna and the French Kiss

2012-01-20T12:39:00.009-06:00

Take a look at the Teen / Young Adult section at your local library. You know what kinds of books you'll find? Honestly, a lot of depressing stuff. You'll find no shortage of heartwrenching, issues-driven dramas, bleak dystopias, and angsty supernatural stories. But what if you're in the mood for something on the light side? Stephanie Perkins has recently become one of my new favorite YA authors by virtue of her refreshingly light romances. Because sometimes you just need something happy.

Anna and the French Kiss is exactly my kind of escapist fiction. Anna has been sent to a boarding school for American teens in Paris, France. Despite the glamorous European setting, she isn't exactly thrilled to be leaving her home, friends, and almost-boyfriend behind. But things start to look up when Anna starts making friends in the dorms, including the charismatic Etienne St. Clair. The two instantly hit it off, but he is in a relationship and Anna still holds out hope that something will happen with the boy from home. As the year progresses Anna and St. Clair become friends but the timing for anything more is never right. Can a series of near-misses finally lead to romance?

Okay, Anna and the French Kiss isn't brilliant literature. But it's a light, pleasant read. Perkins does a good job of creating interesting characters and using the setting to her advantage. Reading Anna and the French Kiss is kind of like watching a romantic comedy - the story is somewhat unlikely, but it's probably going to make you smile.

Overall Grade: A-

Perkins' follow-up, Lola and the Boy Next Door shares many of the features that made Anna so much fun to read. Lola has only three wishes: To go to Winter Formal in an elaborate Marie Antoinette-style ball gown, for her parents to like her 22-year-old rocker boyfriend, and to never see Cricket Bell again. Unfortunately it doesn't seem that she is likely to get her last two wishes. Cricket grew up next door and broke Lola's heart before moving away two years ago. But when the Bell family returns Cricket is quickly thrust back in Lola's life. Now everything - Lola's relationship with her boyfriend, her home life, and even the Winter Formal - are all much more complicated than they used to be.

Just as with Anna, Lola and the Boy Next Door is guaranteed to give you the same fluttery, swoony feeling as a good romantic comedy. Lola gets bonus points, however, for a few interesting details. Most significant is the role that Lola's parents play in the story - not only are they a pair of gay men free from bad stereotypes, but they're also actively involved in Lola's life. The norm is generally to minimize or eliminate the role of parents in books for teens, it's refreshing to see some parental influence.

Overall Grade: A-

Desperate for more Stephanie Perkins? A third companion novel, Isla and the Happily Ever After is set to be published Fall 2012.

New Job!

2012-01-12T15:30:00.002-06:00

Hello, denizens of the Internet!

I have a bit of exciting news to share (well, exciting for me anyway). I've recently accepted a new job! I'm so excited about the prospect. This is still a youth services position, but I'll be working in a slightly larger library with a small youth services staff. I'm so anxious to be working in a department with other people who care passionately about working with young people.

The new job, of course, means that I'm probably going to be moving sometime in the near future. I'm not planning to disappear completely from this blog during the transition, but if things seem slightly sporadic then that is probably why.

Wish me luck!

Neat Shelves

2012-01-10T11:46:00.000-06:00

Just last week I blogged about how important it is for librarians to weed their collections, thereby ensuring that the shelves are full of attractive, generally newer books in good condition.

But there's more to having attractive library shelves than just having a current collection. It's also important these books be displayed in a pleasing manner.

For example - which of the two shelves below would you rather browse if you were a library patron?

The truth is, no patron wants to walk into a library and be forced to search though the sloppy, disorganized mess that embodies the first shelf. The second shelf, however, is much more pleasing. The books are all supported in an upright position and all books are pulled evenly to the front of the shelf. This makes it much easier for patrons to browse. And as we all know, the easier it is for patrons the browse, the more likely they are to find what they need and check out more books.

Now I just need to convince the rest of my staff of how important it is to keep the shelves neat...

Hugo

2012-01-06T15:46:00.003-06:00

Not too long ago, I was given a copy of Brian Selznick's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret for Christmas. This coincided brilliantly with the release (and my subsequent viewing) of the movie "Hugo," based on this Caldecott Medal-winning book.

For those of you not familiar with the book that this movie is based on, please do yourselves a favor and track down a copy today. At 533 pages long, the books is certainly thick and heavy and may seem intimidating at first. But when you open up the book, you will quickly discover that more than half of the pages feature stunning pencil illustrations! Despite its heft, The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a fairly quick read that will keep readers turning the pages.

Hugo is a young boy living in the walls of a Paris train station in 1931. An orphan, his survival relies on his ability to remain hidden and keep the station's clocks in order. But soon Hugo crosses paths with an old toy seller and his secrets are slowly revealed. What follows is a fascinating mystery connecting Hugo's dead father, a mechanical man, a key, and silent movies.

Brian Selznick's acclaimed book is a fascinating piece of storytelling. The way that words and pictures are combined to create a sort of movie in book form is absolutely inspired. I was a tad anxious about the movie version as I feared that some of the magic would be lost on the big screen. Fortunately, in the end the movie did not disappoint.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, "Hugo" manages to capture all of the brilliance of the book. The cinematography is very well done and helps to set the tone and feel of the movie in the same way that the pictures did for the book. It is also worth noting that very little in the movie seemed to be obviously computer generated. This tone of realism is necessary for a film set in this time period and is especially important given its focus on early silent films - early filmmakers didn't have access to computer graphics, so it is fitting that "Hugo" uses such graphics very little and integrates what they do use seamlessly.

The film generally stays very true to the book in terms of story, the greatest notable change being the development of the station inspector's character. Hugo's interest in magic is also greatly glossed over, allowing the movie to focus more on his relationship to his father. Even with these alterations, the story is still completely absorbing and the setting atmospheric. I highly recommend the film to all fans of the book, as well as to anyone who is a fan of movies.

Overall Grade (Book): A+
Overall Quality of the Film: A
Overall Faithfullness to the Book: A-

*disclaimer* I saw this movie in 2D, not 3D. I debate if 3D would detract from the old-fashioned, magical tone of the film. Then again, what do I know?

Weeding

2012-01-03T13:10:00.002-06:00

Last week was, as you know, the last week before the new year. In library land, this means that it was also my last chance to do any weeding before my year-to-date circulation statistics reset themselves. Unfortunately, I still had to weed the entire picture book collection - one of the largest collections down here in the children's department.

Fortunately, thanks to my Uber Librarian Skills, I got it all done just in time. And look at all of the picture books I was able to discard!:

Non-librarians might be asking: What is weeding? Why is it important?

Well, weeding is when a librarian goes through the collection and removes any materials that the library no longer needs. Believe it or not, libraries cannot keep every single item they purchase forever, and eventually some items need to be let go.

A book, for example, might be weeded for a number of reasons. Maybe the book is damaged beyond repair. Maybe it hasn't been circulating. Or maybe it's just old and out of date. Whatever the reason, it's a good idea for libraries to discard items like this so that there is plenty of room on the shelves for new books to be added while still leaving enough empty space to make for easy browsing. Patrons are more likely to find what they need - and more likely to check out more books - if the shelves are neat, have some empty space, and are filled with clean/attractive books. Weeding helps librarians to create this kind of space.

Needless to say, my picture book collection is looking mighty attractive after all of that weeding.

Sandy's Picks 2011 - Teen Reads

2011-12-31T15:14:00.001-06:00

With 2011 quickly drawing to a close, it's time once again for this librarian to share her favorite reads of the year!

According to my Goodreads.com account, I have read a grand total of 130 books this year. I also currently have two more in progress and reserve the right to finish them before the clock strikes midnight on December 31. Almost all of these books were written for children or teens, and most were written in 2011 (though several were published in late 2010, and a few were even older). But which of these books were my favorites?

In today's post we're going to take a look at books for the ever-elusive Teen.

Looking at the list of teen reads on my Goodreads account from this year, I really didn't read as much as I'd hoped. There are a number of titles that I've heard nothing but good things about that are still on my "to-read" list. However, I think I can safely say that this year the quality more than made up for the quantity.

Chime by Franny Billingsly
This book is simply brilliant. The eclectic writing style alone makes me love it to pieces. Briony knows that she is responsible for her family's misfortunes, but when Eldric comes to Swampsea she begins to see that maybe things aren't always what they seem. Some other readers that I know had trouble with Briony's self-loathing tendencies, but the beautiful storytelling made it easy for me to get through it. This is my top pick for the Printz Award when winners are announced next month.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Ah, satire. In this book Bray manages to pick apart everything related to pop culture with her funny, poignant writing. We also get a good look at what is expected of girls today through the lens of a beauty pageant gone wrong. Bray is a smart writer and this book is lots of fun to read while also making readers think. Action, romance, and humor abound.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
I'm a big science fiction fan, and in my opinion this book was the best of the bunch this year in the budding genre. Amy is cryogenically frozen and sent on a space ship to colonize a new planet. But when she is woken up 50 years early, she and Elder, who in in training to become the leader of the ship's crew, uncover the lies that surround the ship's society.

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
I didn't quite realize just how much I loved Stiefvater's Shiver trilogy until I read the concluding chapter. In this installment the story really was about something more than young love, and I really appreciated this new direction. And as with the previous volumes, the writing is lovely and atmospheric.

What were your favorite teen reads of 2011? Discuss in the comments.

Sandy's Picks 2011 - Chapter Books

2011-12-30T14:06:00.007-06:00

With 2011 quickly drawing to a close, it's time once again for this librarian to share her favorite reads of the year!

According to my Goodreads.com account, I have read a grand total of 130 books this year. I also currently have two more in progress and reserve the right to finish them before the clock strikes midnight on December 31. Almost all of these books were written for children or teens, and most were written in 2011 (though several were published in late 2010, and a few were even older). But which of these books were my favorites?

In today's post we're going to take a look at my favorite kind of books to read: Chapter Books.

Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
This piece of historical fiction tells the story of three slaves owned by Thomas Jefferson - two of whom are his sons by Sally Hemings, and another young boy who works at Monticello. Bradley asks some challenging questions about morality and identity over the course of this story and these discussions will certainly get reader's thinking. The ending is especially powerful.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, but in the end it really was a funny, clever story about a kid's desperate attempts to avoid reading.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Told in verse, this book documents a young girl's immigration from war-torn Vietnam to the United States. It was interesting to see how in many ways, Hà's life in the States was just as difficult as it was in Vietnam.

Marty McGuire by Kate Messner, illustrated by Brian Flocca
In this easy chapter book, the title character is a precocious tomboy who is cast as the princess in her class' performance of The Frog Princess. Antics ensue. All in all, it's great fun.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
A heartfelt story of a boy growing up in the 1960s who learns to find beauty in the world despite his troubling home life. The narrative style in the book is noteworthy as it is told in a conversational, yet incredibly polished style. This book is my top pick to win the Newbery Medal next month.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Told in the same brilliant combination of words and stunning pencil drawings as his Caldecott Medal-winning book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick really outdid himself in this book. This time Selznick explores Deaf culture as he follows two characters - a young deaf girl in the early 20th century, and a partially deaf boy who has recently lost his mother in the 1970s - who are each searching for something.

Warp Speed by Lisa Yee
Bullying is a popular topic to write about these days, but I was especially pleased to see the way it was handled in this book. There are no picture-perfect solutions in this story, but there are lots of funny moments too complete with first crushes, Marley's loving family, and plenty of geekery for the nerd in us all.

What were your favorite chapter books of 2011? Discuss in the comments.

Edit 1/23/12: Maybe I didn't call the big winner, but congratulations to Thanhha Lai for winning a 2012 Newbery Honor for Inside Out and Back Again. Lai also was awarded the National Book Award for Young People's Literature for this lovely book.

Sandy's Favorites 2011 - Picture Books

2011-12-29T12:28:00.009-06:00

With 2011 quickly drawing to a close, it's time once again for this librarian to share her favorite reads of the year!

According to my Goodreads.com account, I have read a grand total of 130 books this year. I also currently have two more in progress and reserve the right to finish them before the clock strikes midnight on December 31. Almost all of these books were written for children or teens, and most were written in 2011 (though several were published in late 2010, and a few were even older). But which of these books were my favorites?

In today's post we're going to take a look at books generally written for our youngest readers: Picture Books!

Though I did a better job of tracking the picture books I had read than in years past, only a fraction of the picture books that I read (generally the ones I loved) made it onto my Goodreads account. C'est la vie. But still, I'm confident enough to share what I think were the best of the best this year.

The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Poly Bernatene
Such a clever story, and one that I'd give to my princess-loving preschoolers without any hesitation at all. Emmett does such a good job of incorporating little details from well-known fairy tales into the story, and the illustrations are just a lot of fun to look at.

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
Raschka's style is always fun to look at, and this wordless picture book about a dog and her favorite toy tugs at your heartstrings just enough. This is my hopeful pick for a Caldecott Medal next month.

Blackout by John Rocco
The stylized artwork found in this book really cool. Rocco does a pretty good job of playing with light in his illustrations and the book's message about making time for your family is sweet.

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
I have a complicated relationship with haiku. Sometimes it's amazing, and other times I just think it's silly. Fortunately, the poetry in this particular book is just perfect. It seems to be the perfect way to give voice to a cat - brief, just a little snobby, but also regal and lovely.

Horray for Amanda and her Alligator by Mo Willems
I don't know how Mo Willems manages to be so brilliant, but he really did an amazing job with his latest picture book. One part picture book and one part easy reader, this book will be accessable to a lot of different kinds of readers. And we just haven't been able to keep it on the shelf here at the library!

What were your favorite picture books this year? Discuss in the comments.

Edit 1/23/12: I was right - congratulations to Chris Raschka for winning the 2012 Caldecott Medal for A Ball for Daisy! Further congratulations to John Rocco for winning a 2012 Caldecott Honor Medal for Blackout.

Okay for Now

2011-12-22T15:05:00.004-06:00

Doug knows that as soon as something good happens to him, something bad will happen to take it away. Just before school begins in 1968, Doug and his family move to the small town of Marysville so his father can start work at the town's paper mill. Doug hates everything about their new living situation and tensions rise between him, his troublemaking brother, and his mean and abusive father. When school starts no one really expects anything but problems from Doug given his family background. But even though all of these problems, a few good things happen too. He gets a job as a delivery boy at the local deli and becomes unlikely friends with the owner's daughter. At the public library he discovers a book of lovely bird drawings created by John James Audubon and learns to draw from the head librarian. But when he discovers that the city council has been selling the beautiful pictures to generate money for the town, Doug is furious. How can even his birds be taken away from their home? Soon it becomes his mission to return all of the pictures back to their rightful place.

Gary Schmidt (author of Newbery honor books Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy and The Wednesday Wars) has once again crafted a thoughtful, insightful novel for young readers. There's a lot going on in Okay for Now as numerous plot threads intertwine to give a complete picture of Doug's 8th grade year. The story is highly complex, and as a reader you really get pulled inside Doug's head as he deals with a lot of different - and many of them extremely difficult - issues. I don't know how Schmidt did it, but he somehow managed to write a book that is heartbreaking and incredibly moving without being depressing.

The narration style in this book is particularly noteworthy. Told in the first person, Doug only shares information with readers when his character is good and ready to do so. There are plenty of times when it is clear that Doug is hiding something uncomfortable, especially when he refers to his home life, so immediately readers are lead to question just how reliable of a narrator Doug can be. Clever readers, however, can learn just as much from what Doug refuses to say as they can from what he actually tells us. The narrative style is incredibly conversational - you can really imagine this kid relating his story - but it's also impressibly polished. The writing is clearly well-edited and every word has been deliberately selected to tell this powerful, personal story.

Overall Grade: A

Warm Winter Reads

2011-12-18T09:13:00.001-06:00

Once there was a librarian who refused to go overboard with the Christmas decorations. But when her supervisor hinted that maybe she should do something festive with the bulletin boards, the librarian decided that she should probably come up with a new idea - and fast!

Thus the Warm Winter Reads display was born:

With less than two weeks remaining until Christmas it seemed kind of silly to do something holiday themed. So I went with a broader winter theme instead, which I could in theory leave up through February if desired. Much in the spirit of the mystery bulletin board I did this fall, I pulled nearly every book (both picture books and chapter books) I could think of that had a story tied up in the winter season and/or that had a cover featuring snow. I made color copies of the covers and mounted them on colored paper. Blue paper snowflakes were cut out and added some visual interest. The tagline at the top reads, "Curl up with a warm winter read." No printed reading list this time since, honestly, I just didn't have time to put one together.

Santa Night Crafts

2011-12-15T12:33:00.004-06:00

Our annual Santa Night event at the library took place earlier this week and was a great success. The general format was the same as last year's event, but we had two new craft projects for the kids to try:

Clothspin Rudolph

Glue two clothespins (the solid kind, not the kind with springs) together using wood or Tacky glue. Glue on two small googly eyes and a red puff ball to make Rudolph's face. Voila! This project makes a great ornament as Rudolph's legs fit nicely over the branches of your Christmas tree.

Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes

We cut our pipe cleaners in half to make smaller 3-inch projects, but you can also make larger candy canes with whole pipe cleaners. Twist a red and white pipe cleaner together. When twisting your pipe cleaners together, try your best to twist them evenly so that your candy cane looks neat. Curve the twisted pipe cleaners into a candy cane shape. Tie a length of skinny, fancy ribbon around the stem to make it festive. We also threded our ribbons with a small bell for extra pizzaz. Hang on your Christmas tree, or get creative with other holiday decorating ideas.

Just like last year, we also had lots of coloring sheets available for an easy art project. One little girl even gave one of her finished pictures to Santa to take home to his workshop!

Lexile

2011-12-10T17:12:00.004-06:00

I do not like Lexile reading levels. As a librarian they do nothing but frustrate me. Why? Because I feel that a focus on a tested reading level inhibits, rather than helps, the reading process for kids.

The Lexile is a magical number that is supposed to help kids with books that are at exactly the right reading level for them. If, for example, your child has a Lexile rating of 800 you can take comfort that any book with a Lexile rating of 800 will be "just right" for him/her. However, Lexile ratings need to be taken with a very sizable grain of salt.

The most important thing to consider is that Lexile ratings for books do not take into account the content of a book, its style, or its format. Instead, Lexile considers other factors when determining how difficult a book is to read: Sentence length and word frequency. While I think we can all agree that these two factors are important things to consider when searching for the perfect book, they're not the only things that matter.

Let's look at a couple of examples of deceptive Lexile ratings:

Consider these two books: Changes for Addy (an American Girl book - I usually give these to kids in grades 2-5) and The Lightning Thief (a Percy Jackson book - I usually give this series to kids in grades 5-10). Which would you guess is the more challenging book? If you were to guess The Lightning Thief, you'd be wrong. While this book has a Lexile rating of 740L, Changes for Addy has a Lexile of 760L. Not a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, but it's significant when you consider the age of the child that each of these books targets.

Interestingly enough: May of the other books in the Percy Jackson series have significantly lower Lexile ratings than The Lightning Thief. So am I supposed to tell a 12-year-old coming to the library that his Lexile matches up with The Lightning Thief and that it's such a great book and he'd really like it...but uh oh! His teacher won't want him to read the sequels because they're way below his Lexile level and are therefore "too easy."

What about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series? Heavy with cartoon illustrations, this has been the go-to series for reluctant readers everywhere since it was first published in 2007. You'd think that these books would be fairly easy to read, given how quickly most kids tear through them. But a look at the Lexile ratings for the series shows that these books are - in theory - quite challenging with Lexile ratings ranging from 950L-1060L!

As a librarian, it is very painful for me to watch some children and parents struggle with Lexile. Though the Lexile website includes lots of information on how to use Lexile ratings and specifically encourages users to take other factors into consideration, the fact is that all of this is forgotten by the time infomation on this system is passed down from the Lexile company to the teachers to the students to their parents. In the end what most kids/parents hear when their teachers talk about Lexile is that, "I have to read books in this Lexile range or they're not good books for me." And that's just not true! It's hard to watch kids struggle to fine the perfect book under a system that doesn't take their interests or maturity level into consideration.

So parents, if your child comes home from school with a Lexile rating, please don't take it too seriously. Your child did not become a good reader by reading really hard books. He will not become a better reader by reading books with a magical Lexile number. The fact is that kids become good readers by reading a lot, no matter what kind of reading it is. Kids read a lot when they learn that reading can be fun, and it's very hard to develop a love of reading when your teachers put all of these restrictions on the books that you select. There is so much more to finding the perfect book than a number that evaluates word usage. So please, let the Lexile go and help your child find books that he will enjoy so that reading becomes a pleasure rather than a chore.

Do Not Touch

2011-12-05T11:16:00.001-06:00

Not too long ago I was doing my rounds at closing time to make sure everything in the children's area was where it should be. When I came to our Duplo table I was greeted with an interesting sight:

The tower itself was pretty impressive in terms of its height, but it was the sign that really made me smile. I decided to half-comply with the request: I left the tower standing, but removed the sign.

Cookie Storytime

2011-11-29T12:50:00.001-06:00

This week our preschool storytime was all about every kid's favorite snack: Cookies! This was an action-packed storytime filled with activities to make this theme extra special.

We read:

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
A classic book! The story covers a circle of cause and effect, beginning and ending with a cookie.

Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington
A baker goes into his shop, makes and decorates cookies, and then sells them to happy children. I used this book as a way of talking about the cookie baking process.

The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins
Two children have twelve cookies to share between the two of them. But then the doorbell rings and two more friends arrive and the cookies must be shared. Then it rings again and again, and soon there are barely enough cookies to go around.

During storytime we went on a cookie hunt. To prepare for this activity, I printed, cut out, and laminated a few dozen pictures of gingerbread men. After storytime began an aid hid them in the children's area, hiding enough so that each child could find 2-5 (depending on group size). They could be found sticking out of picture books or sitting on tables so they were fairly easy to find. When it was time I briefly told the story of the gingerbread man up to the part where he runs away. I then sent the kids into the library to see if they could find all of the runaway gingerbread men. The kids then returned to the storytime area with their cookies, stuck them on my felt board, and we all sat down and counted the cookies.

We also did another action rhyme all about baking cookies:

Gingerbread

Stir a bowl of gingerbread,
Smooth and spicy brown.
(stir)
Roll it with a rolling pin,
Up and up and down.
(roll out dough)
With a cookie cutter,
Make some little men,
(cut out cookies)
Put them in the oven,
Until half past ten.
(put in oven)

To cap off this special storytime, each child was given a cookie to decorate with frosting and sprinkles (with a grown-up's help, of course). The kids were welcome to eat their treat in the storytime room, or they could get a plastic bag to take their cookie home in.

This is an activity that I can get away with only because I have fairly small storytimes - I imagine that this activity would get a bit more complicated and expensive with large groups.

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading

2011-11-21T12:20:00.008-06:00

Of all of the awful, not-fun things in the world, Charlie Joe Jackson hates reading more than anything. He thinks it's a miserable activity and can think of plenty of other things that he'd rather be doing than sitting down with a book. He has managed to get through his entire school career without ever reading a whole book thanks to a deal he has with his friend Timmy, who reads the book and then tells Charlie all about it in exchange for snacks in the lunchroom. But when the deal is uncovered by parents and teachers, Charlie finds himself in trouble. If he can't bribe Timmy to do his reading for him, then how will he get through the school year? Because Charlie has gone this long without reading a book - he's certainly not going to start now.

I wasn't exactly expecting to like Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading very much. After all, I'm a librarian. I love reading, and it's kind of my job to help other kids learn to love reading too. The premise of this book seems to go completely against this ideal. However, I have to admit that author Tommy Greenwald has a little gem on his hands in the form of this book. It was a lot of fun watching Charlie go through such extreme lengths to avoid reading. When it comes down to it Charlie is a smart, likable character. Pair him up with a fun supporting cast of characters and some solid, funny writing and you really do have the makings of a great story.

This is a book that I would highly recommend to all kinds of readers, but especially to reluctant readers. The book's subject matter has surprisingly little to do with this recommendation. Short chapters, supporting illustrations, and a fairly fast pace make this book great for any kid who, like Charlie, just doesn't care for books. Fans of books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, and Big Nate will also be pleased.

Overall Grade: A-

If you need further enticing, check out the official book trailer:

Fans will also be pleased to know that a sequel, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Extra Credit will be available in 2012.

Hunger Games Trailer

2011-11-15T21:35:00.002-06:00

For your viewing pleasure:

I'm more and more excited about this movie as we get closer to its release!

Lots of Toys

2011-11-14T11:06:00.000-06:00

Said by a three-year-old girl after storytime (edited to remove the adorable "umms"):

"I have lots of toys at home. When you're done at the library, you can come over and play at my house."

Aww, that's very nice of you to invite me!

Monkey Storytime

2011-11-10T11:14:00.000-06:00

This week we're having lots of fun with monkey storytime. This is one of my favorites, heavily inspired by my former supervisor's version of the theme.

To start off this storytime we met a monkey puppet and talked about what monkeys like to do. We also learned a big word that really describes silly monkeys: Mischievous. Our first two books and many of our activities really showed us monkeys who like to be silly and get into trouble:

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow
Five little monkeys go on a picnic with their mama and decide to spend some time teasing Mr. Crocodile. SNAP!

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
A peddler who sells caps walks with his wares stacked on top of his head. But when he falls asleep, some silly little monkeys take his caps away!

Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein
Everyone in the jungle loves Little Gorilla. But then Little Gorilla grows up! Will everyone still love him?

Together we also learned the fingerplay "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed":

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Four little monkeys...
Three little monkeys...
Two little monkeys...
One little monkey...

We played another game as well where all of the kids pretended to be monkeys that copied my actions - running, jumping, skipping, etc. This got us good and warmed up for a fun activity corresponding with the book Caps for Sale where we really put those copying skills to work!

First, we read the story. After we finished we acted the story out. I played the role of the peddler and everyone in the audience got to be a mischievous little monkey. I made lots of cone-shaped caps out of construction paper which sat on my head until it was time for the peddler to fall asleep. Then the little "monkeys" came and stole my caps! The monkeys then copied all of the peddler's actions as they shook their fists, stamped their feet, and finally threw their caps to the ground.

These are the caps we used: The peddler's checked cap (I drew black lines on white paper), brown caps, blue caps, and red caps. I didn't have any grey construction paper, so we left this color out of our retelling.

This activity was not only a ton of fun, but it also gave us a chance to practice the important narration pre-literacy skill.

Thank You

2011-11-07T14:09:00.005-06:00

Last week a class of 2nd graders came the library for a tour. We spent some time talking about library cards and what kinds of things there are to do at the library. I then read the class a story and concluded the visit with a tour of the children's area.

Today the teacher came to the library and dropped off a lovely thank-you card that the class had made:

Isn't this card awesome? I love the illustration. Escpecially fascinating is the way that everything is labeled. The word "book" appears 33 times in this drawing! There are signs featured for the "fishin" and "non fishin" books. (For the record that's "fiction" and "non-fiction," not books about going fishing! Also, these signs don't actually exist at my library, but I'm glad they were paying attention to that part of the presentation.) Even the story I read them is labeled as a "zoo book" (it was Wild About Books by Judy Sierra).

Thank-yous like this really make me feel like I'm doing a good thing for these kids as a librarian. It also makes me feel like a rock star. Both feelings are pretty awesome.

Let's Do a Rhyme

2011-10-31T10:50:00.005-05:00

Said by a 2-year-old girl, one of my regulars, during Baby and Toddler Storytime:

"Let's do a rhyme now!"

Apparently this girl has really been paying attention during storytime and has picked up on the phrases I often use to transition between activities. Mom told me afterwards that at home she pretends to be me and teaches her dolls all of the rhymes. Apparently "let's do a bouncing rhyme," and "let's sing a song" are fairly common phrases at home!

Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. I feel kind of like a rock star.

Be My Friend

2011-10-28T12:22:00.000-05:00

Said to me by a six-year-old just the other day:

"Hello. Would you like to be my friend?"

Awwww... Of course I would! We shook hands and traded names, and *bam!* we were friends. I love how a simple question is all it takes for young children.

Best Reads of 2011 - As Voted by Teens

2011-10-25T11:22:00.001-05:00

During Teen Read Week we had a passive program taking place in the Young Adult area. We set up a raffle for teens to enter during this week. Two winners would be selected and would win a book of their choice off of my prize cart. All they had to do was tell me what the best book that they read this year was and why it was so good.

I had a secret ulterior motive with this program - I just wanted to get an idea of what my teens were reading! It was also nice to offer at least one program that brought the focus of Teen Read Week back to reading.

My teens really impressed me with some very thoughtful responses to the "why did you like this book" question. Here are just a few of the books mentioned in this year's raffle entries:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Flygirl by Sherrie L. Smith
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Pies and Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick

For the purposes of this raffle I did not require that the book be published in 2011, though I did ask that teens list a book that they read for the first time during this year.

Minute to Win It

2011-10-23T14:56:00.000-05:00

Teen Read Week took place October 16-22, and to celebrate we had quite a bit going on at the library. One of my favorite programs from this week was the Minute to Win it event.

Have you ever seen this show? The idea is to challenge people to complete a series of seemingly simple tasks in less than 60 seconds. But it's a lot harder than it sounds! Even though it might seem easy to keep three balloons in the air at once or move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands, these tasks all proved to be much more difficult than they first appeared.

Planning this program was surprisingly easy. I talked to a few librarian friends who had dome similar programs before to get ideas, which helped a lot. The official Minute to Win It website has a list of the challenges featured on the show, complete with rules, a list of what supplies would be needed, and video of the task. Then it was simply a matter of selecting eight games to try! There are lots of good choices, but in the end we selected:

A Bit Dicey
Bobblehead
Defying Gravity
Egg Tower
Face the Cookie
Hang Over
Spin Doctor
Stack Attack

Attendance was kind of low (we're still working on building a solid teen base group at my library) so I was able to run the entire program on my own. But with more than four teens I would definitely suggest having another staff person or volunteer help out so that the teens can split into groups, allowing more teens can play at once. I kept the time for each challenge with a stop watch while the teens tried each task - sometimes more than once. We tracked who was able to successfully able to complete each task, and awarded the two most successful teens small prizes.

There were actually several games that the teens were not able to complete at all, but they still had a lot of fun trying and laughing at each other's attempts. Since we had a fairly small, casual group we tried each challenge multiple times and found that some of the games - like Stack Attack, shown below - were a bit easier with a little team work.

All in all I think I spent about 8 dollars on this program, including snacks. We had quite a few of the supplies needed for each game already on hand at the library, and the Dollar Store provided what we didn't have.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

2011-10-20T12:53:00.004-05:00

Sam isn't anything terribly special. Just your average 19-year-old college dropout stuck in the fast food business. But one night Douglas Montgomery walks into Plumpy's and develops a keen interest in Sam. Douglas recognizes Sam for what he really is: a necromancer with the latent, untapped power to control the dead. The whole situation is a bit of a shock to Sam, but seen he begins seeing the supernatural all around his hometown of Seattle. But Douglas, an incredibly powerful and sinister necromancer himself, isn't content to just let Sam be. He insists that Sam join forces with him, threatening to harm his friends and family if he does not comply. Soon Sam finds himself in way over his head. How the heck is he going to get out of this one alive?

There's a lot to like about Lish McBride's debut novel, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Perhaps most intriguing to me is the age of the main character. Off the top of my head I can't think of a lot of books about young adults between the ages of 18-24, and it was nice to see a book focused on this seldom-featured age group. To make things better, this book was really compelling. This is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously as the narration is laced with all kinds of snarky comments. The lightness of the book makes the pages turn quickly, but at the same time there are plenty of moments that are very intense. Who knew that humor and gore could work so well together? This book has a little something for everyone and will appeal to those looking for humor, scary stories, or the supernatural.

There is also a sequel in the works, expected to be out sometime in 2012. Personally, I can't wait.

Overall Grade: A

Check out the book trailer! I think it pretty well sums up the tone of this book.

Sheboygan Children's Book Festival - M.T. Anderson

2011-10-17T15:20:00.005-05:00

This past weekend I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Sheboygan Children's Book Festival. This wonderful festival is in its second year, and I was quite happy with this year's programs. A number of authors and illustrators are invited to attend the event where they give a series of special presentations to anyone interested in hearing about these authors' books, lives, and influences. Younger children are also invited to interact with illustrators, creating world of art in studio workshops. Best of all, these wonderful authors all took the time to meet individually with those attending the festival to sign autographs.

There were a number of really wonderful moments that I was able to experience this weekend. But one of my favorite moments came from a presentation by M.T. Anderson, author of such books as Whales on Stilts, Feed, and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing.

First of all, you have to understand that M.T. Anderson is really, really funny. Admittedly not all of Anderson's books are funny. But now I can see exactly where a book like Whales on Stilts gets its absurd humor. The presentation I attended was all about how Anderson once wanted to write books about exotic locations, having been influenced by such books as a child. In particular he referenced the old comic Conan the Barbarian as one of his influences.

Andersen then proceeded to describe how he had mentioned this at a previous presentation and someone in the audience had misheard him, instead hearing "Conan the Librarian." He thought that was a great image - the butt-kicking librarian. And you all know how I feel about that idea.

Love it!

Honestly, the rest of M.T. Anderson's presentation was just as awesome, with stories about his hilariously failed attempts as speaking French and eating foreign food. This failure at world travel inspired Anderson to instead write stories about exotic places in the United States. Places like Delaware. Don't think that this petite state is really exotic? Check out Anderson's Tourist's Guide to Delaware to get the real story about this exciting state. Even better, check out his book Jasper Dash and the Flame Pits of Delaware (part of the Pals in Peril series).

Marty McGuire

2011-10-11T12:56:00.007-05:00

Marty was told that the third grade would be amazing. It was promised that in third grade you would get to read longer books and be in the school play. What Marty didn't anticipate, though, was loosing her best friend Annie to the princess-loving Veronica Grace. Now Marty, who just doesn't like all of this girly dress-up play, doesn't have anyone to hunt for frogs or pretend to be Jane Goodall with. Things get even stranger when Marty is cast as the princess her her class' performance of The Frog Prince. Marty is sure that there has been a huge mistake. But as practice for the play gets underway, she learns a little something about improvisation and develops an idea to make the play a little more interesting.

There are an awful lot of books out there that focus on princesses. And while it's true that many of these books feature strong, smart princesses, it was kind of nice to see a different kind of character in Kate Messner's Marty McGuire: the precocious tomboy. Marty really just doesn't like being prissy and girly. She doesn't go on to discover her "inner princess" or anything like that as the story progresses. Instead, what Marty learns is that it's good to try new things even if they make her a bit uncomfortable at first. What's especially interesting about this book's take on the issue is that there's not really a strong pro- or anti-princess message. Even though she is reluctant, Marty gives the role of princess a try. There are other characters like Annie who manage to straddle the two sides, and in the end even prissy Veronica Grace is set up to be Marty's friend as they go off to play Jane Goodall while wearing tiaras.

To be honest, the plot of this book was a tad predictable to me. I've been around the easy chapter book block a few times and could pretty much see where this book was headed from the beginning. But for the average kid reading this book (or even the average adult), the predictability will not be a problem. The writing is solid and the characters extremely likable. Illustrations by Brian Floca add the perfect level of detail. This book is great fun.

Overall Grade: A

Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy

2011-10-05T13:00:00.001-05:00

On this blog I make it a point to talk specifically about books and library issues to kids, teens, and the parents of said young people. But a friend of mine recently shared something so awesome that I have to blog about it here, even if it is slightly off-topic.

In August NPR released a list of the top 100 science fiction and fantasy titles, as voted on by the general public. How cool is that?

But it gets better. SF Signal, a blog about all things sci-fi related, decided to take NPR's list and turn it into something visual. The flowchart is also a little less daunting than a long, long list of books - it was easy and just plain fun to explore. It's also a decent way to try to decide what to read next if you're a fan of this genre.

The NPR list specifically includes only adult reading material, so you won't see Harry Potter, Narnia, or The Hunger Games anywhere on the list. But these are genres with such high appeal that I'm sure teens will be able to find something great to read off of this list.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2011-09-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

Last week I did a storytime for my preschoolers all about ABCs and 123s. One of the books that we read was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert. I used this story as the inspiration for a new bulletin board.

Using construction paper, I constructed a large coconut tree. Letters were also cut out of colored paper. As a craft for storytime, each child was given one or two letters to decorate. A few kids drew shapes, some just scribbled, and one kid just wanted to write his name - each letter was decorated differently. Once storytime finished for the week and all of the letters were decorated, I hung the letters on the bulletin board to create a scene in the spirit of the story.

The bulletin board was completed with a quote from the book and the first names of each child who helped with the letters.

I liked how creating this bulletin board really got the kids involved. It was a good way to tie this book into something happening at the library, as well as a good way to link this lesson in letters with art. This project was a win-win all around!

Baseball Storytime

2011-09-26T11:58:00.006-05:00

Here in Wisconsin we are all very excited about our Milwaukee Brewers. Last Friday the team managed to clinch a playoff berth as the NL Central Division champions for the first time since 1982. Huzzah! To celebrate I decided that my preschoolers should hear a few baseball tales in storytime this week.

Roasted Peanuts by Tim Egan
Sam and Jackson dream of becoming baseball legends together. Unfortunately, Jackson just isn't very good. When Sam makes the team and Jackson doesn't the two friends initially struggle with the situation...until Jackson gets a job selling peanuts at the stadium.

This was a longer story - the kids loved it, but make sure you have a group of good listeners when you read this one.

Curious George Plays Baseball by H.A. Rey
Everyone's favorite curious monkey is on his way to a baseball game to watch his friend Jimmy play. But George is curious and he wants to play too. What sort of mischief will George get into?

Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler
Dinosaurs gather to play baseball. Enough said.

Hit the Ball Duck by Jez Alborough
Duck and his friends go to play baseball, but Duck hits the ball into a tree. How will they get their ball back so that they can keep playing?

Before we read our first story I pulled out some baseball gear (bat, ball, glove, cap) and we talked about what happens at a baseball game. We also sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and did this action song:

This Is The Way You Hit The Ball

This is the way you hit the ball,
Hit the ball, hit the ball,
This is the way you hit the ball,
When you play baseball.

This is the way you throw the ball...
This is the way you catch the ball...
This is the way you run the bases...

Fire Department Visit

2011-09-21T15:08:00.005-05:00

Today the fire department came to the library to talk to families about fire safety and some of the work that they do. This was a very informative presentation and the kids all had a good time seeing our fire fighters in all of their special gear and checking out the fire truck.

According to one of the fire fighters visiting the library today, just before he explained his equipment and what it does:

"You guys aren't going to be afraid of firemen, are you? Because firemen are cool."

I got a massive kick out of that. Maybe you had to be there.

From a librarian standpoint, this was an awesome program to host. Fire fighting is an impressively popular subject so there was a lot of interest from the public. The presentation was very interesting and educational as well as entertaining. And the fire department agreed to come to the library for the low, low price of FREE! You can't beat that.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures from today's program:

Chime

2011-09-13T12:14:00.001-05:00

Briony knows that she is the cause of all of her family's troubles, including her sister's developmental problems as her stepmother's death. Of course it's her fault - she's a witch. Briony knows that she can never reveal what she has done to her family because being a witch is punishable by death, and despite everything she has done Briony fears being hung. So instead, she bottles up her self-loathing and instead focuses her efforts on protecting her twin sister, Rose. But things change with handsome bad boy Edric arrives in Swampsea. Soon Briony's life becomes a little more complicated as she fights her attraction to him, knowing that she does not deserve the pleasures that come with love. When Eldric's father's attempts to drain the swamp result in anger from swamp-spirit Boggy Mum, Briony knows that she'll have to do something drastic to save her sister from Boggy Mum's deadly revenge, the swamp cough. And in the meantime perhaps, with Eldric's help, she can make peace with her ugly past.

Franny Billingsly's novel Chime is extraordinary. The language is a bit eccentric as it darts from one vivid image to the next, but it is this very strangeness that makes it lovely and pulls readers in. Even though her shockingly staggering guilt, Briony's narration also somehow manages to be darkly funny and I enjoyed some of her snide remarks. If all of this somehow isn't enough to grab the average teen reader, the supernatural themes, early 20th Century setting, and a swoon-worthy love interest certainly will seal the deal. No wonder Chime received glowing starred reviews from nearly every major book review publication - I can't think of another book like it.

Overall Grade: A

Mystery Bulletin Board

2011-09-08T16:05:00.001-05:00

As a general rule, I do not like cutesy little slogans that tell you how wonderful reading is. I especially don't like seeing them at the public library. Because really, if you're inside the public library chances are that you already understand how much fun reading can be. Why belabor the point?

So when I started planning one of my new bulletin board displays for this fall, I knew that I wanted to highlight something a little more specific that the library had to offer. I decided to focus on a reading list that I had complied over the summer, highlighting various mysteries for school-age readers. My hope is that instead of preaching to the choir about the wonders of reading, perhaps a display like this will highlight an aspect of the library's collection that some kids have not yet explored.

This display was easy to make. The primary focus of the display is images of book covers backed by colorful paper. I also printed a few large mystery-themed images to fill in some space on this large bulletin board. One end of the display features a pocket holding the reading list itself. That way if the images have proven inspirational, kids and parents can help themselves to a copy of the mystery book list.

Sidekicks

2011-08-27T07:10:00.007-05:00

Captain Amazing is the greatest superhero around. Unfortunately, he is also starting to feel the weight of his age and decides to hold auditions for a new sidekick. Who better to take on the role than his beloved pets, who long to spend more time with their master and help him save Metro City from evildoers. But Roscoe the dog and Fluffy the hamster's dreams may be cut short - Captain Amazing hasn't been too keen on a pet sidekick ever since an unfortunate incident with his cat Manny. Still, Fluffy is determined to make a difference and recruits Manny to train him and the Captain's new chameleon in the art of being sidekicks. But there is also a supervillain at large with a personal vendetta against Captain Amazing. Can these four pets set aside their differences and save the day?

When it comes down to it, Sidekicks is a fairly typical superhero story. But even if the story itself isn't completely surprising, it's still a ton of fun to read and will surely appeal to fans of the genre. The pacing is very tight, giving this graphic novel a bit of intensity that will keep readers turning the pages. What really makes this graphic novel stand up above the rest is author/illustrator Dan Santat's brilliant artwork. The pictures are incredibly bold and vibrant with just the right amount of extra detail. Color is used to perfect effect and really helps to set the tone of each scene.

But don't just take my world for it. Let this lovely book trailer entice you to grab a copy today:

Overall Grade: A-

Hidden

2011-08-20T13:54:00.001-05:00

When she was eight years old, Darra's father stole a car. What he didn't know was that Wren, a girl Darra's age, was hiding in the back seat. Wren spent two days hiding in Darra's family's garage before she escaped, and Darra's father was taken to jail shortly afterward. Six years later, Wren and Darra meet again by chance at summer camp and neither girl is happy to be forced to confront their past. But slowly the girls begin to make peace with what happened as they share their stories and come to the realization that none of it was their fault.

From a narrative perspective, Hidden is a really fascinating book. The story is told not only from alternating perspectives, but also in verse using two different poetic forms. The style of poetry used really reflects on the background and mindset of these two very different characters. The first section of the book, told from Wren's perspective, is incredibly quick and intense as she describes her "kidnapping" and escape. The rest of the book is quieter and more psychological, but the complexity of Darra and Wren's emotions will keep readers engaged. Author Helen Frost does a great job of creating two characters that readers will connect with instantly, even when the two girls are at odds.

To Be a Good Reader

2011-08-16T12:24:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago a dad came in to the library looking for ideas on how to help his teenage daughter with her reading. He wanted books with ideas for parents and teachers to help him with the instruction he was planning on giving her; books that would tell him what kinds of flashcards to make and with worksheets for her to complete. And while I was able to help him find what he was looking for, I felt compelled to remind this well-intentioned father of what I think is the most important part of becoming a good reader:

Reading. Plain and simple. In order to be a good reader, you have to actually read.

It might not be enough to just do the reading assigned in school. To be a strong reader, kids need to read on their own too, just for fun. They need to find books that they enjoy so they learn that reading isn't a chore.

The more you read, the easier reading becomes. Make sure that there are books in your house available for your kids to enjoy at all times. If you don't want to buy books (and even if you do!) make sure that your children have library cards so that they have free access too all of the books on the library's shelves. And then be sure that you actually take your kids to the library, and let the librarian help them find great books to read.

The father in question here actually seemed surprised when I told him all of this. I told him to bring his daughter to the library soon, and that I would be happy to help her find something to read. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we see the two of them again soon.

*I just want to throw in a small disclaimer here. Reading exercises and formal instruction can also be a great help to struggling readers, and it's a whole different ball game when a learning disability is involved. I just think that you can't at all discount the importance of books and reading for fun as a part of a child's development as a reader.

Warp Speed

2011-08-10T13:02:00.003-05:00

As his 7th grade year begins, Marley knows where he stands in his school's social hierarchy. He's a geek who's obsessed with Star Trek and it feels as though he is invisible to everyone except for the school's bullies. Marley stoically prepares for a miserable year of being picked on - he's used to it by now. But as the year progresses Marley begins to attract more and more attention from bullies. Soon he's running for his life...until Marley's speed begins to attract some attention of its own.

My attempt at summarizing Lisa Yee's latest middle-grade novel really doesn't do the book justice. Warp Speed is a complex - but not complicated - story about one kid's middle school struggles. The characters, even the minor ones, are all very well developed. I really appreciate how characters from Yee's other books made their way into the story without ever stealing the spotlight from Marley. The bullying issue was handled very well, carefully balancing the poster-perfect "right thing to do" in this difficult situation with the reality of the bullies' harshness and their victims' helplessness. This book is honest and does not shy away from the realities of bullying, but somehow isn't completely depressing. Yee inserts plenty of happy moments too, including Marley's loving family, first crushes, and lots of nerdy Star Trek talk.

Overall Grade: A

Hidden Landmarks

2011-08-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

When it comes to special summer activities at the library, I come from a long and proud tradition of the, "find-this-picture/object/stuffed-animal-at-your-library" game. The idea is simple: Take an object. Any object will do, but it's more fun if it goes along with the summer's theme. Hide it somewhere in the library - not tucked away somewhere where you can't see it, but someplace where you have to be paying attention to notice it. Invite kids to search for this object. Change the hiding place periodically to keep things interesting (I like once each week, but I once worked at a library that came up with a new hiding spot every day). It's a fun activity especially for kids age 8 and younger who come to the library often - the hunt is one exciting things at the library that's always changing. Best of all, it requires relatively little staff effort.

To go along with this year's theme (One World, Many Stories), I decided to hide pictures of famous world landmarks. Many of the landmarks were easily recognizable even to very young children, like the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. Others were a little more obscure. I came up with a fun fact about each landmark, posted along with the photo, for extra educational bang.

Each week the kids could check in at one of the large bulletin boards in the children's area to see which landmark was hidden this week. The bulletin board also featured a large map of the world (I printed my large 57"x76" map in sheets from this website, and it worked great). As each landmark was hidden, I would add a dot to the map indicating where in the world it came from.

I don't give the kids any sort of prize other than my sincere congratulations when they find the hidden picture. I did, however, once work at a library that gave away stickers to successful searchers.

Too Hard?

2011-07-28T17:24:00.004-05:00

Just the other day I observed a young boy (about 6 or 7 years old) and his mother at the library. The boy came over to show his mom a book that he had selected about something military related. It was clearly a topic that he was excited about so he was eager to check the book out. But then his mother asked him to put the book back. Why? It was "too hard" of a read for her young son. She told her son that there were too many words on each page, certainly too many words that he didn't know, and not enough pictures to hold his interest.

Part of me thinks that this mom was doing her son a favor by encouraging him to select books that he could actually read himself and enjoy. It's definitely true that a book that is too challenging can be discouraging for readers. We really don't want kids to get so frustrated while reading that they stop enjoying books altogether.

But part of me wonders where telling kids, "no, that's too hard" stops being helpful and starts being harmful. We don't want to teach our children not to try something because it seems hard. Instead, we should be encouraging children to work hard to overcome the challenges set before them, especially when it involves a subject that they are passionate about.

So where should parents, teachers, and librarians draw the line? Are there appropriate times and places for both possible scenarios? Is there a way for them to meet somewhere in the middle? It's a tough call, and I unfortunately don't have any easy answers. If anyone out there has experience, education, or otherwise strong feelings on the subject I'd love to hear from you to discuss this topic.

Weird Kid

2011-07-21T21:01:00.001-05:00

There is a teen who comes to my library on a fairly regular basis. He's a good kid but he's...how shall I say this gently...just a little weird. He's always alone at the library, and he desperately clings to library staff for social time. And I don't know how exactly to describe it, but there's something about his mannerisms that just isn't quite mainstream. Despite any of this, he's still a good kid - you can do far worse than a little awkwardness. And I think even more highly of him after today.

You see, I've been trying for almost a year now to get some teen programs started at the library. Unfortunately, I was having a heck of a time getting the teens to actually come to the events I'd planned. So when today's Games for Teens program rolled around, I wasn't even sure if I should even bother setting up for the event.

But then, my Weird Kid arrived. And he brought a friend! And after a little bit, two more teens arrived. A fifth arrived a bit after that. And guess who had invited all of these teens to the library? Weird Kid.

The moral of the story: Never, ever underestimate Weird Kid. He's probably a lot more awesome than you first realized.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters

2011-07-20T15:51:00.006-05:00

At some point in their lives, most kids go through a picky eater phase. Maybe they'll only eat white foods, like chicken nuggets, noodles (no sauce), and mashed potatoes (no gravy). Maybe they seem to live on peanut butter sandwiches (no crust) and macaroni and cheese (only Kraft). Maybe they refuse to eat vegetables or try anything new. No matter how it manifests, everyone at some point gets a little weird about what they eat, and the boy found in Josh Schneider's book Tales for Very Picky Eaters is no exception. In each chapter of this easy reader, James' parents set a food before him that he refuses to eat. And each time, his dad uses a variety of clever tricks to convince James to give the food a chance. Tall tales, humor, and even logic are all employed to get James to try foods like broccoli and lumpy oatmeal. Fortunately for Dad these tactics seem to work and James consents to try - and sometimes even enjoy - the foods that he had previously insisted were repulsive.

This book is simply a lot of fun. Kids - picky eaters or not - will delight in the story's humor and strange scenarios. Parents will likely identify with James' father and appreciate his clever tactics. The colorful illustrations round out this beginner reader and bring to life James' father's tall tales. No matter who you are, there is something to appreciate in this story.

Overall Grade: A-/B+

Edit 1/23/12: Congratulations to Josh Schneider, who won the 2012 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for Tales for Very Picky Eaters.

Science Fiction

2011-07-11T12:08:00.011-05:00

Science fiction is one of my favorite genres. It's more than just space ships, robots, and aliens. The very best books in this genre really get its readers thinking as they ask some tough questions. What does it mean to be human? How does technology impact our lives, for better or for worse? What kind of society do we want to live in: One that is peaceful but restricting, or one that's a bit messier but with freedom?

Ever since the publication of the widely-popular Hunger Games, quite a bit in this genre has been published specifically for teens. And I think that this is absolutely wonderful for the genre. So often in teen lit we see characters who come of age as they question the world around them, and the science fiction genre by its very nature provides the perfect platform for such storylines. Here are just a few more titles - some brand new, some just a bit older - that will make you wonder what the future really holds:

Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia has never questioned the choices that The Society makes for her, and she is thrilled when her best friend Xander is selected as her Match, the person she will marry. But another face also appears on her match disk, and Cassia starts to wonder if she should really be satisfied with The Society's choices.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas wakes up in an elevator with no memory of his past. He finds himself in an area known as The Glade with other boys who have been trying to survive and find a way out of the maze that surrounds them. Can Thomas find his way out of this experiment before it turns deadly?

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Matt seems to live a life of privilege as El Patron's young clone. But his real purpose for being created is actually quite sinister.

Unidentified by Rae Mariz
In this alternative future kids are constantly wired in and observed by corporate sponsors. Katy must decide which she values more: the perks that come with corporate sponsorship, or her privacy.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
An asteroid hits the moon and knocks it closer to the Earth, causing a series of natural catastrophes. As the world is left in shambles, 16-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Amy has been cryogenically frozen and sent aboard the spaceship Godspeed on a 300 year journey to another planet where the passengers will build a new colony. Elder is in training to be the future leader of the people who operate the ship on its generations-long voyage. But when Amy is woken up 50 years early, she and Elder uncover the lies that surround the ship's society.

And there's plenty more were that came from! Whether you're looking for a dystopia that looks at society's flaws, a space opera, or something dealing with technology, chances are that there's a teen novel out there somewhere for you thanks to the blossoming market for this age group.

Library Wars: Love and War

2011-07-06T11:54:00.005-05:00

I'm absolutely convinced that if I were to write a children's book, I'd write about libraries. Every library in the US would purchase a copy because we librarians have just as much vanity about the awesomeness of our jobs as the next person - perhaps more because our jobs actually are that awesome.

So needless to say, a book titled, Library Wars was certain to grab my attention. The premise of this graphic novel has been seen before: In Japan's not-to-distant future books are being censored and "inappropriate" titles are confiscated by a federal government task force. Not cool, say the librarians. They in turn form their own task force to oppose the censors and keep their materials safe for public use. What makes this rendition of the concept interesting is that many of the librarians on this task force are trained in combat along with librarianship. Sweet! These aren't your grandma's librarians. Members of the Library Defense Force are capable of finding whatever it is you need, but also kick butt on behalf of freedom of information.

Enter our main character, Iku Kasahara. She has dreamed of being part of the Library Defense Force ever since her teens when a gallant Defense Force member rescued a book for her when the government attempted to confiscate it. She looks up to this mysterious man as her hero, her idol, her knight in shining armor and dreams of meeting him again. Iku is actually very good at the combat training and has passion in spades for the cause, but lacks focus and has fallen behind on her library studies. She repeatedly butts heads with her superior officer (who she is convinced is out to get her) and one of the other new Defense Force recruits. Antics ensue.

Keeping the characters straight was kind of tricky in the beginning because several of the characters have fairly similar designs. But once you get it all straight and figure out each character's subtle quirks you see that the art is clean and interesting to look at. As is the case with almost all manga imported from Japan, this graphic novel reads "backwards" from right to left which may be tricky to those unused to the style, but is easy enough to get the hang of with a little patience. And not that this first volume wasn't a lot of fun, but I have a feeling that as the series progresses and characters become better developed the story quality will improve as well. All in all, it's a fun story and I will happily track down the rest of the series.

Overall Grade: A-

Luv Ya Bunches

2011-06-27T12:15:00.006-05:00

Katie-Rose, Violet, Camilla, and Yasaman don't seem to have much in common other than the fact that they all have flowers for names. The four girls all come from different social circles and no one would initially predict that they would become friends. But when their fifth grade year begins a series events bring the girls together as they deal with the snobby Modessa and her controlling ways. With the help of a chat room built just for them by computer-savvy Yasaman, these four girls learn to stand up for themselves and find true friendship in places they never expected.

I have to admit that the premise of this book is pretty cheesy. Four girls named after flowers? A girly cliche. Four girls who come from ethnically diverse backgrounds? Sounds like a bad joke waiting to happen. And they all come together against the queen bee of the class and become fast friends? It's been done. It's almost too perfect to work. But somehow author Lauren Myracle turns this cheesy idea into something that's actually a lot of fun without being overbearing. No lecture here about the importance of racial tolerance as the girls' diverse backgrounds act more as a backdrop than the center of the story. With the number of books out there that directly address racial and LGBT tolerance, it is refreshing to see these issues addressed in a more passive that's-just-the-way-it-is tone.

The narration in Luv Ya Bunches (first in a series about the flower girls) is peppered with IM chats and screenplays along with traditional narration from alternating perspectives, and the pages turn quickly. This book is just a bit of dramatic girly fun, plain and simple. And sometimes that's all you need.

Overall Grade: B+

But apparently not everyone was as happy as I was to see all of the diversity that this book offers. Here is an article from School Library Journal about how Scholastic decided not to include Luv Ya Bunches in its 2009/2010 book fair after Myracle refused to alter the storyline by removing Camilla's lesbian parents. Props to her for standing up to the censors.

LEGO Club: Vehicle Challenge

2011-06-26T15:56:00.005-05:00

Last fall I talked about about the LEGO Club that I inherited when I started this job. The club has been meeting once each month, and this summer I decided that it was time to shake things up a bit. Last week at the June meeting I challenged the kids to build objects that met a certain theme: Vehicles. The kids in attendance got pretty creative, building cars, helicopters, chariots, and more. Here are just a few of the finished objects:

Finished creation from this LEGO Club meeting are also on display in the library for everyone to see. This public recognition is a great reward to the kids, and also conveniently serves as advertising for the club.

The Economics of Using Your Library

2011-06-24T09:08:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine recently shared this article, posted yesterday on MSN Money. Take a couple of minutes to read though it, and think of the amount of money that can save each year by taking full advantage of what the library has to offer.

Here's another great way to calculate the value of your library. The Massachusetts Library Association has created what they call a Library Calculator, now hosted by the American Library Association (ALA). Plug in how many materials you borrow, how many programs you attend, or how much time you spend on a library's computer. It will then calculate exactly how much money you save by taking advantage of free library services.

Taking advantage of your public library isn't just about finding great books. It's also about finding movies, music and magazines. It's about computer usage and attending a variety of fun and/or informative programs. It's all about public education. And it's all free to the public - why wouldn't you take advantage of your library?

World Culture Fair

2011-06-15T16:29:00.002-05:00

This year the theme of the Summer Library Program is, "One World, Many Stories." Under this theme kids get to travel around the world by reading books set in exotic locales, learning about world landmarks and languages, and other similar sorts of activities. To kick things off I decided to host what I called a World Culture Fair at the library. At this program kids were invited to move from station to station at the library and try a number of cultural activities from around the globe. The program was a huge success! Here are a few pictures:

Did you know that you can make a sari out of only 3 1/2 yards of fabric? I purchased a length of costume satin - inexpensive, but bright and shiny. I trimmed all of the edges and treated it with some frey check to keep the fabric from unraveling. If I had wanted my makeshift sari to be a bit more professional I would have hemmed all of the edges, but I was all in favor of quick and easy.

To make these hats (called a Non La in Vietnam and usually woven out of straw), we cut out 9-inch circles of poster board and then cut a slit in each circle. The kids could decorate their circle before we helped them roll it into a cone shape. Tape was used to hold the ends down. We then cut a length of yarn and taped/stapled it to each side of the hat - this string goes under the chin and helps to hold the hat on.

At one station I had two bowls. On had a few cotton balls inside. Kids could then learn to use chopsticks (a diagram was provided to show you how to hold the chopsticks) and try to move the cotton balls from one bowl to the other.

One of our lovely volunteers had actually done quite a bit of missionary work in West Africa. She also has a music background, so she brought in drums, a xylophone, and a number of other cool instruments for the kids to try.

Other activities not pictured here included:

Snacks - I wanted to serve food that originated someplace other than the United States, but I didn't want to put out anything too exotic for fear that picky eaters wouldn't want to try it. In the end I settled on French bread with Nutella and a cheesy risotto. Both were a big hit and very easy to prepare.

Origami - I took the low-maintenance approach to this activity with mixed results. I put out several books with instructions for "easy" origami and the paper and let the kids go to town on their own. Some of the kids - younger ones especially - could have used a bit more guidance from a staff member (unfortunately there weren't enough to go around), but generally parents were able to decipher the instructions themselves and help their own children.

World Languages - I'm lucky enough to have a staff person who's a bit of a language guru. She's a former German teacher who's also dabbled a bit in French, Italian, and Japanese. She and a former student native to Germany introduced the kids to a few phrases in other tongues. We also had on loan a collection of various editions of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar in several other languages available for the kids to browse.

Scavenger Hunt - I hid photos of various world landmarks around the library and challenged the kids to find them. Everyone who found all of six photos was entered into a drawing for a free book!

Book Display - Naturally, I did a big display of books set in or about other places around the world.

We all had a blast at this program. There was quite a bit going on, but we tried to keep the activities as simple as possible so things ran very smoothly. Our estimated 100 guests all seemed to have fun exploring the myraid world activities, so we can definitely count this as a successful program!

Window Chalk

2011-06-01T19:38:00.009-05:00

When you were a kid, did you ever imagine that your handwriting would be on display for all to see as part of your job? I never did. But clearly I was mistaken in this childhood assumption - children's librarians find themselves showing off their penmanship skills all the time! With only one week remaining until my library's Summer Library Program begins, I flexed my handwriting muscles today to pull together a lovely window display.

My library is quite lucky to have such a large, lovely window to let in sunlight, while the large "pit" area in front of the window prevents our books from taking on any sun damage. It seemed a shame to not take advantage of the window as a display area to promote the Summer Library Program. The challenge? The sheer size of the window dwarfs normal posters. The solution? Window chalk!

Have you ever used window chalk before? It's awesome stuff. With this mostly-washable paint you can draw or write on glass surfaces. With a little water and a rag, the paint comes right off. You can also use window chalk on other surfaces for a permanent effect.

This was my first time using window chalk, and I'm very happy with the result. Since I have very little in the way of real artistic talent, I chose to do more writing than drawing. Simple wording and big, bold letters seemed ideal for this large space with just a few simple images to add some punch. I also displayed two of this summer's large posters for viewing to help promote this year's theme.

But in this case, pictures are way more fun than words. Take a look at my handiwork!

Apologies for the glare on these pictures. Very little to be done for it when photographing glass though. I'll edit this post if I'm able to get glare-free shots later.

School Visit

2011-05-25T19:27:00.003-05:00

To promote the summer library program, I am in the process of visiting each of the schools in my city to talk to all of the kids about all of the awesome stuff happening at the library this summer. The first set of presentations was today, and it was a great success! Everyone was very excited about this summer's activities.

When I asked if they had any questions, one boy (who I'm pretty sure was in the 4th grade) raised his hand. When I called on him he eagerly stated:

"I didn't know that reading could be so much fun!"

Why yes, young man, that's kind of the point. Score one for the library!

Reactions

2011-05-24T13:05:00.004-05:00

I generally pride myself on being up to date on online goodies. But last night I discovered something awesome: Blogger's "Stats" tab. It had been right under my nose for ages, yet I'd never given it much thought until now. I had no idea that Blogger kept such detailed statistics! I get very few comments on my individual blog posts, but all things considering this little thing gets a respectable amount of traffic. For example, did you know that my lovely little corner of the web has 126 total page views in Slovenia? And that 54 of these views are from this month alone? And that my most popular post was my review last summer of the awesome book, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda with 197 views? Yes, I know that this kind of traffic isn't amazing in the grand scheme of things, but it's still a lot more than I had imagined.

Despite the traffic, this blog gets very few comments. Ah well. Not everyone wants to put themselves out there on someone else's blog. And composing a comment does require a certain amount of effort. I totally get that; I do quite a bit of lurking myself. But a girl likes to have feedback, so I've added a little something to this blog: Reactions. This feature has been around Blogger for ages but I've never bothered with it until now. But at the bottom of each post you'll be able to click an appropriate response to whatever it was you were reading. Painless and anonymous for readers, gratifying for me. Everybody wins!

Another new feature can also be found at the bottom of each blog post. If you are so compelled to share something I've written here with a friend/colleagues/everyone you know, you can share a post on Twitter, Facebook, via e-mail and more with the click of a button .

To all of my readers, whether or not I know who you are: Thanks for stopping in.

The Chaos Before SLP

2011-05-23T10:10:00.010-05:00

Things are a bit crazy here in library-land. The month of May is quickly flying by, and the end of the school year isn't far behind. For children's librarians across the country, this means spending our working hours gearing up for the summer library program.

SLP is a big deal. This year will be the first time that I'm the person in charge of this massive 8-week program, so I'll admit that I'm a tad nervous. The children's department is also quite chaotic at the moment as dozens of small projects are strewn about (several only half finished) as they wait for the big day arrive so that all can be unveiled to the public. Don't even get me started on the state of my office, which is far too embarrassing to share.

Here are a few pictures of the back counter, where most of the summer paraphernalia are currently stored:

It's much more massive in person than the photos indicate.

And guess how many photocopies I've made so far. Just take a stab at it.

3,868! Plus, most of these copies were double-sided. That's a lot of paper and toner. It's also a lot of cutting, folding, and stapling. The scary thing is, this number reflects the fact that I work in a small-ish community. Imagine the amount of paper that a large library goes through during the summer!

I, for one, will be very glad when all of the planning is over and the fun of summer programs can begin.

The Hidden Gallery

2011-05-17T15:19:00.008-05:00

Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopia are unique children under the guardianship of Lord and Lady Ashton who are commonly referred to as the Incorrigibles. The three children seem to have been raised by wolves and sometimes have trouble adapting to polite British society. With the help and understanding of their governess, Penelope Lumley, the Incorrigibles have greatly improved themselves. Unfortunately, the disastrous Christmas ball has left their home at Ashton Place in shambles. While repais are being made, Lord and Lady Ashton have decided that the entire household should temporarily relocate to London. Miss Lumley is doubly thrilled at this prospect since not only will London provide the Incorrigibles with a number of unique educational opportunities, but Miss Lumley's old headmistress has also requested to meet her for lunch in London. But strange things are happening to Miss Lumley and the Incorrigibles. The guidebook that Penelope's headmistress sends does not seem to provide very useful information about London at all, and yet it is nearly stolen from her on the train. A gypsy gives the children a dire warning about an approaching hunt. Judge Quinzy seems as disconcerting as ever. But still, Penelope and the Incorrigibles are filled with enough pluck to weather any challenge.

The Hidden Gallery, written by Maryrose Wood is the sequel to last year's delight, The Mysterious Howling. When I read the first book in this series I was enchanted by the characters and the book's language, but wasn't entirely sure how well the series would hold up. Fortunately, the sequel is even more charming than the first volume. We still don't have a lot of answers to any of the questions raised, but we do have a lot more clues. As the mystery builds readers will continue to be delighted with the plucky cast of character and a whimsical writing style that will inevitably remind readers of Lemony Snicket. This book is a delightful romp, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Overall Grade: A

Inside Out & Back Again

2011-05-03T13:12:00.011-05:00

The year Hà turns ten turns out to be a tumultuous one. It is 1975 and the Vietnam War rages on. As the fighting draws closer to her home in Saigon, Hà's family must decide if they will stay in the home they have always known or attempt to flea to a safer location where Hà's missing father may never find them. In the end the family packs a few meager belongings and leaves everything they have ever known. The journey is long and difficult, but after several months of living on a cramped ship and in tent villages they finally are welcomed to the United States by an American sponsor from Alabama. Though no longer facing the violent dangers of war, Hà has a whole new set of challenges to tackle as she goes from being a very smart, happy girl to feeling stupid because she can't speak English. Her frustration builds as she endures relentless teasing from her American classmates. But with the help of her family and compassionate neighbor Mrs. Washington, Hà slowing begins to find joy in her new surroundings.

Inside Out and Back Again is a heartfelt story. Told in verse, the pages of this novel turn quickly while getting right to the heart of of Hà's experiences and giving them plenty of emotional power. Readers are invited to get inside Hà's head and experience all of her joy, sorrow and frustration with her. It is worth noting that author Thanhha Lai drew from many of her own childhood experiences to write this novel, and this authenticity certainly adds to the emotional impact of Hà's story. But this isn't your typical immigration story. Hà certainly goes through a number of trials, but she does so with plenty of spunk. This fiestiness adds depth to the story and keeps the concept fresh.

Overall Grade: A

Edit 1/23/12: Congratulations to Thanhha Lai for winning a 2012 Newbery Honor for Inside Out and Back Again. Lai also was awarded the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for this lovely book.

Sean Griswold's Head

2011-04-26T17:52:00.005-05:00

Payton Gritas thinks her life is fairly normal. She has two pesky older brothers, a crazy best friend, and gets good grades in school. But when she accidentally walks in on her father while he is in the process of taking the medication needed to treat his multiple sclerosis, Payton realizes that maybe things aren't as perfect as she once thought. Furious that her parents had been hiding her father's illness from her, she stops communicating with her family and lets her schoolwork fall by the wayside. But Payton's guidance councilor has an idea and she is assigned to select a "focus object": An inanimate object that she can study in-depth and focus all of her emotions on. After much deliberation she picks an object that has been in front of her all along - the back of Sean Griswold's head. Payton has been sitting behind Sean for most of her life since their names are so close to each other alphabetically but she doesn't really know him. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Payton begins stalking focusing on Sean's head, and soon she's pretty much focusing on all of Sean. Is first love just the thing to solve all of Payton's problems? Or will it create a whole slew of new ones?

Written by Lindsey Leavitt, Sean Griswold's Head is a sweet but surprisingly complicated story of first love. What really impressed me most about this book is the way that the lightheartedness of the Payton/Sean love story blended so well with the much meatier story of Payton's father's illness. The tone shifts smoothly when it needs to and there is plenty going on here for most readers to enjoy. I enjoyed getting inside Payton's head and seeing the complex and often irrational emotions that this teenage girl experiences when everything seems to go right and wrong all at once.

Overall Grade: B+

We Love Picture Books

2011-04-14T12:15:00.003-05:00

Back in October the New York Times published an article describing the recent decline of the picture book. Oh boy. This article made several good points about how parents are pushing their kids to read more challenging material. But they also make it sound like the picture book is a dying animal when, in fact, many outside the publishing world would say that the picture book is really thriving. In my library system, for example, many of the children's librarians stated that the picture book collection was the highest-circulating collection in their library. Don't even get me started on the benefits of picture books - including a wide and challenging vocabulary that greatly exceeds most early chapter books, as well as the way that picture books get readers to think critically as they examine both images and text.

But on to the good news. Yesterday the Times published something in their Opinion Pages that their editors had never seen before: A Scroll to the Editor. Sent by the teachers and students at an elementary school in California, this lovely banner declared the school's undying love for the picture book. Make sure you click on the link found on this page to read the full letter from the school's librarian, which describes how the school created their own Love a Picture Book Month.

How awesome is that?

Brian Jacques

2011-04-12T21:08:00.004-05:00

Everyone has a book that defines their childhood. Not just a favorite book, one that you really enjoyed. Instead, this is a book that sets the tone for the rest of your reading life, that influences you in some kind of profound way. Maybe you don't realize how much this book affects you at the time, but I have to believe that every child who reads encounters a book like this at least once in their lifetime.

For me, that book was Redwall by Brian Jacques. I first read this book when I was 12 years old after one of my cousins gave the book a glowing review. Now, I didn't exactly run straight to the library and search for this book. I didn't even have active intentions of finding the book at all. But on a later visit to the library I did happen to come across it and, remembering my cousin's love for the book and intrigued by the idea of warrior mice, decided to give it a shot.

Let me tell you, whatever whim of fancy convinced me to take Redwall home with me changed my reading life forever.

At 352 pages long this was at the time the longest book I had ever read. Yet I was not at all intimidated by the small-ish type of the book's thickness. I read the book with great relish as its vivid descriptions, harrowing adventures, and sharp characters sucked me into the story. I was hooked.

As soon as I was finished I immediately set out to track down the rest of the series. For a solid 2-3 year period Redwall books were just about all that I read as I dove into each novel over and over again, reliving the adventures of Mossflower's woodland creatures with as much enthusiasm as I had the first time around. In time I would branch out to other authors and genres, but my favorites are often books that remind me on some level of Redwall. More importantly, these books taught me how to appreciate good writing. No one can describe a scene, an action sequence, or a feast like Brian Jacques.

Fast forward to February 2011. I'm now an adult and working as a children's librarian. And sadly I learned that Brian Jacques had passed away thanks to a sudden heart attack. I mourned the passing of this beloved author. I also mourned a little bit for my childhood.

Fast forward again to early April 2011, when I had the most surreal experience. Before his death, Brian Jacques had finished work on the latest - and now final - book in the series. Titled The Rogue Crew, the premise of the book sounds somewhat familiar but promises to bring out all of the elements that Jacques' fans love:

Redwall Abbey has never seen a creature more evil or more hideous than Razzid Wearat. Captain of the Greenshroud, a ship with wheels that can sail through water as well as the forest, this beast is a terror of both land and sea, traveling Mossflower Country, killing nearly everything-and everyone- in his path. And his goal? To conquer Redwall Abbey.

From Salamandastron to the High North Coast, the brave hares of the Long Patrol team up with the fearless sea otters of the Rogue Crew to form a pack so tough, so rough, only they can defend the abbey and defeat Razzid Wearat once and for all.

So even though Redwall was first published in 1986, and even though I only started reading these books during the late 1990s, and even though the author died during my first year of librarianship I still got to order one of the Redwall books for the library's collection.

I kind of feel like I've come full circle.

For those interested, here is a link to Brian Jacques' website, full of more information about the author and his books. And here is another link to a lovely obituary published on School Library Journal's website.

Nice Lady

2011-04-08T20:28:00.002-05:00

Said to me just the other day while I was helping a girl clean up the toys in our play area:

"Sandy is a very nice lady."

Made my day.

Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom

2011-04-02T14:15:00.002-05:00

Violet's world was turned upside town two years ago when her parents divorced and her father moved to Los Angeles to marry a pretty young actress. Ever since then Violet's mother has dated a number of other men, all of whom turned out to be liars/loosers/jerks. Needless to say, Violet isn't happy with all of these changes and she constantly butts heads with her new step family and her mom's new status as a single woman. When her mom takes up with the unfortunately-named Dudly Wiener, Violet decides that her mom needs a little help finding the perfect man. And who would be a better boyfriend/husband/father than the handsome, suave George Clooney? Violet writes the actor an impassioned letter and meanwhile starts hatching some plans of her own to help her mom see the light.

Author Susin Nielsen really gets her middle-grade audience. She creates very well-developed characters and does a great job of helping readers experience the complicated emotions that her characters are feeling. Nielsen is also completely honest wither her audience, and this respect for her young readers is a rare treat. This book in particular is a solid look at divorce and the effect that it - and all of its messy fall out - can have on a child's life. Violet is a flawed character who acts out, makes rash judgements and takes her frustrations out on other people. But despite her pettiness (or perhaps because of it), readers will still care for Violet as they come to understand her pain and root for her to finally make peace with her parents' divorce. Parts of this book are funny while parts are sad, and in the end it all blends together to create a dynamic, engaging story.

Overall Grade: A

April Fool!

2011-04-01T13:52:00.003-05:00

Ah, April Fools Day. A day when you really can't take much of anything that anyone says too seriously. A day where you might need to spend some time looking over your shoulder. And more importantly, a day when Corporate America really flexes its design and marketing muscles as they spoof themselves and/or their industry in gag advertisements.

Today's favorite is from the lovely people at The Horn Book, noted for their bi-monthly journal of book reviews and interesting articles about children's literature. None of the books in this blog post are real, but you have to admit that they're pretty darn funny.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2011-03-23T12:49:00.007-05:00

I have a deep dark secret. It's so against "the way things should be" that sometimes I feel like I must be a bad children's librarian for feeling this way. But I think it's time to come clean with my readers.

I do not love Harry Potter.

You may be wondering: How on Earth can this be? It's fantasy, and you love fantasy! And for crying out loud, it's Harry Potter! Everyone loves Harry Potter!

Yes, all of that is true. And it's not that I hate Harry Potter. I read and enjoyed the entire series, and the first three books are actually quite brilliant. But somewhere along the way I feel like J.K. Rowling stopped putting together an awesome series and started writing her own fan fiction. I truly think that the latter books in the series could have been edited down to a solid 500 pages or less rather than the 800+ pages they currently require. And when the books stopped being about Quiddich and Harry's schoolwork and started focusing more on fighting Voldemort, well I really just started to miss the happy, magical haven that Hogwarts had been.

More specifically, I really actively dislike the fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This particular book has a few major problems of its own. In this volume we basically transition from the younger, happier Harry to the older, darker, and more dangerous version. And that's really all it is: 800+ pages of transition as Harry deals with his grief and frustration. Harry spends a lot of time whining about how everything is so awful and while his reaction is honestly very normal for someone in his situation it doesn't make for very interesting reading. And don't get me started on the obnoxious convention in YA lit used here to simply leave the main character in the dark about what is really going on. So annoying.

Because I hated this book so much I absolutely refused to see the 2007 film version when it was released. But this weekend it happened to be showing on cable and I didn't have anything better to do, so I finally caved and gave it a shot. And I have to say, I was much more impressed with the movie than I expected to be. A lot of the details from the book were glossed over due to time constraints, but in the case of a this sort of plot this was actually a good thing. I give actor Daniel Radcliffe and the movie's writing team a lot of credit for making Harry seem legitimately angry and confused rather than selfish and whiny. There is quite a bit going on visually in this movie, and the climatic scene in the Department of Mysteries was especially interesting to watch. The movie still isn't perfect and - let's face it - it's still all transitional material. But I can honestly say that this is one of the few cases I've seen where the movie was better than the book.

Overall Grade for the Book: C
Overall Grade for the Movie: B
Book-to-Movie Adaptation: B+

Beat the Band

2011-03-15T14:41:00.007-05:00

Cooper, Matt, and Sean are eager to start their sophomore year of high school with a bang. Well, Cooper is anyway. He's sure that he is going to be a big hit with the ladies. Unfortunately, the first day of health class changes everything when he is partnered with social outcast "Hot Dog" Helen for their semester-long project on safe sex. Cooper knows that he's going to have to do something big to overcome the stigma that comes from working with Helen - something like winning the school's Battle of the Bands with Matt and Sean. The only problem? Their band is really bad...

Beat the Band is the sequel to author Don Calame's 2009 gem Swim the Fly, and this follow-up is just as much fun as the first. This time we get the story from Cooper's perspective, which is actually a lot of fun. Cooper is the kind of wacky, irreverent character who usually makes an entertaining sidekick to the main attraction as we saw in Swim the Fly (which was narrated by Matt's character). With this book narrated from his point of view we really get inside his head with no apologies and no justification for his behavior. But what we do get is the opportunity to see his funny-man of the group really develop in to a fully three-dimensional character, and I give Calame a lot of credit for fleshing him out without loosing any of his ridiculous charm. Like its predecessor, Beat the Band is a light and funny but impressively complex story that is sure to please.

Overall Grade: A-

And further good news: Don Calame has plans to write a third chapter in this series, this time narrated from Sean's point of view. This installment is tentatively titled Call the Shots and will be out Fall 2012.

Wearing My Book

2011-03-08T12:19:00.000-06:00

I have one last moment from the Dr. Seuss party that must be shared.

Not too long ago, one of my dear friends and former co-workers gave me a delightful gift in the form of this t-shirt:

Isn't it awesome? I decided that the Dr. Seuss party was the perfect time to wear the shirt to work, so wear it I did. In the fifteen minutes before the party as families started to trickle in, one little girl - clearly very excited about the whole thing - came up to me and said the following:

"Hi!!! I'm Ellie! *big eyes* You're...you're wearing...you're wearing my book!!!!"

Too cute.

Dr. Seuss Party

2011-03-05T10:20:00.009-06:00

Dr. Seuss is one of the most recognizable names in the children's book world, even 40+ years after the publication of some of his best-known books. Schools and libraries across America celebrated this beloved author's birthday this week as a part of the NEA's Read Across America initiative.

We decided to throw a birthday party for Dr. Seuss at the library. We started off by watching the animated version of Dr. Seuss' environmental story, The Lorax. This film was about 25 minutes long and was a good way to occupy our party guests while staff set up the rest of the party. NOTE: My library has a movie license which allows us to show films like this to the public. Don't try this in your library without a license!

After the movie families were invited to participate in a number of fun activities. We had lot of birthday cake and juice to enjoy:

Doesn't it look yummy? And only two cake spills on the floor all night. Huzzah!

There was a craft project for kids to work on as well. We made clovers out of pom-poms and pipe cleaners with a speck for the Whos to live on, as seen in Horton Hears a Who. This was a fairly simple craft - no cutting, no drawing, just two drops of glue. We did use tacky glue for its extra strength which required some grown-up help to keep the glue under control. We also put out several coloring and activity sheets, all of which were found at the official Dr. Seuss website. Seussville.com is a great resource for anyone planning a special Dr. Seuss event, and has lots of online games and activities for anyone who simply wants to have fun exploring the world of Dr. Seuss.

We planned three party games for kids to enjoy too. First was a fishing game based on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I made eight fish out of paper, two each to represent the titular fish, and attached a magnet to each. We put the fish in a "pond" (in this case, a large plastic bin) and then let the kids go fishing. We made a pole out of a wooden dowel, duct tape for the handle, some yarn, and another magnet. One pleasant surprise of the evening came when one of the older kids, who was having a blast with the fishing game, took the time to teach one of the younger kids how to properly hold the fishing pole with the tip in the air so that the string would hang down. He was very patient and the whole incident was so sweet.

The next game was perfect for the youngest kids in attendance - the Yertle the Turtle stacking game! Based on the book of the same name, this game recreates the story of how Yertle forced all of the turtles to stand on each other's backs while he sat on top, king of all that he could see. We covered four boxes of different sizes in colored paper, and then attached images of the turtles from the story to each box. Kids could then try to stack all of the boxes on top of each other. They seemed to have a lot of fun making towers of turtles and then taking the tower apart again. Amazingly enough, we didn't have a single incident where the tower was knocked over in a violent fashion!

Our last game, which came from the Seussville website, was a big hit as well. We played a version of pin the tail on the donkey based on Green Eggs and Ham. We printed and enlarged the image of the platter with ham, and then laminated the poster. Next I made some green eggs out of construction paper. These were also laminated. We then blindfolded the kids, spun them around, and they tried to stick the green eggs on the platter. The laminate meant that would could keep putting reuse the eggs and the poster since the tape would easily peel off of the pieces without damaging them.

Of course, none of the fun and games happen if it weren't for Dr. Seuss' books. I set aside a few of his books just for this party and put them out on a table for everyone to enjoy.

All in all, the party was a great success! We had lots of activities for the kids to do, but none of them were terribly difficult to create. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, and I'd love to do a party like this again next year.

At the party there were several moments where I was reminded why we plan programs like this for families. There was the moment described above where the older child mentored a younger child at the fishing game. There were lots of sweet moments where parents had kids in their laps as they curled up with a Dr. Seuss book. (Book appreciation! A literacy skill!) And there was the time when I overheard a parent comment to another that they had never been to the library before and would maybe have to start coming back. There are so many good reasons to plan awesome program like this. There is only one question left to answer: What do I plan next?

Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems

2011-03-02T13:24:00.001-06:00

Jessica's little sister, Emma, is quite a handful. Sometimes she is sweet and caring, and sometimes she can be a royal pain the neck. Sometimes Jessica has lots of patience with Emma, and sometimes she looses her temper. In 34 powerful poems author Kristine O'Connell George presents sisterhood is all of its glory. Rivalry, compromise, privacy, love, and more are all presented as readers explore Jessica's complicated relationship with her little sister. The poems culminate at the end in an incident that, while difficult for both Jessica and Emma, will bring the two sisters together in a very touching way.

This is a very sweet book that really explores sisterhood from all angles - the good, the bad, and everything in the between. But no matter how bad things get, it is clear that these sisters will care about each other through thick and thin. The poems are simple yet surprisingly resonant and the story that connects the individual poems helps to make this poetry approachable and accessible to readers who didn't necessarily know that they were looking for poetry. Illustrator Nancy Carpenter's illustrations really brings the Jessica and Emma's story together, capturing the girls' expressions expertly with colors that perfectly suit the mood of this sweet book.

Overall Grade: A

MIA - Picture Books

2011-02-25T10:04:00.001-06:00

One of the hardest, yet one of the most fun things about starting a new job at a new library is getting to know the library's collection. Libraries can't buy every single book that's out there, so you really have to get to know what is available to patrons on your own shelves. Yes, we can place holds. But when a kid needs a book at the last minute for a school project, or a family is leaving that afternoon on vacation, or if the kid is just that darn impatient you don't have time to wait for a request to come in.

Since I'm still getting to know my collection, it has occasionally happened that I search for an old favorite only to discover that my library does not own a copy of the book. Remember my lament over the lack of Sandra Boynton books? Since then I've uncovered a few more gaps in the collection that have given me reason to pause and wonder what happened. Here are a few of the awesome picture books that I was shocked to see missing from the shelves:

I Am Number Four

2011-02-17T20:31:00.001-06:00

Fifteen-year-old John Smith isn't who you think he is. He is one of nine alien children from the planet Lorien who came to Earth as refugees. They have been hiding among normal humans, waiting for the day when they would be ready to fight back against the Mogadorians who destroyed their home planet. Before they left for earth, the children were protected by a special charm that would keep them safe by ensuring that they could only be killed in order. Unfortunately, three of the Loriens have already been tracked down. John Smith is Number Four - he is next. Fortunately, his legacies - super-powered special abilities unique to his people - have begun to develop. Maybe he has a fighting chance...if he can avoid becoming overly attached to his human friends.

While the book was only published last October, I Am Number Four has received quite a bit of hype due to the quick release of the upcoming movie (set to open tomorrow, February 18). It's not a brilliant piece of writing, but it does have everything that fans of the emerging YA sci-fi genre will love - lots of action, a bit of romance, mysterious worlds that are connected to our own, super powers, and a solid cast of interesting secondary characters. I Am Number Four is not nearly as stunning or thought-provoking as Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, but it will still satisfy those who have been drawn to the genre and are eager for more. The stage has been set for the expected six-book series, and I anticipate that the journey will be a wild ride.

Overall Grade: B+

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T10:47:00.005-06:00

Hooray for Valentine's Day! This is a holiday all about telling the people you care about that you love them - what could be better than that? To show my appreciation to my storytime kids, I made valentines for each of them to take home.

What to show the children in your life that you love them? Read them a story! If you're looking for some holiday inspiration, try one of these Valentine's Day stories:

Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie Friedman
Ruby Valentine's favorite holiday is - you guessed it - Valentine's Day, and she can't wait for the day to arrive so that she can tell everyone just how much they mean to her. But when her planning leaves Ruby exhausted she accidentally sleeps through the big day. Uh oh! Fortunately, Ruby learns that you don't need a special holiday to tell someone that you love them.

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
Hearts start falling from the sky just before Valentine's Day, and Cornelia Augusta decides that these hearts will make the perfect valentines to send. She decorates each heart differently and knows exactly who each special valentine will go to. This is the perfect story to include with a valentine-making activity as kids make their own special valentines to share.

Arthur's Valentine by Marc Brown
Everyone's favorite aardvark has a secret admirer! Who could it be?

Slugs in Love by Susan Pearson
Marylou and Herbie, two slugs, leave each other sweet love poems every day, but the two have never met. How will these star-crossed lovers find each other? OK, this book isn't exactly a Valentine's Day story, but every day is a good day for love, right?

Audience Participation

2011-02-11T15:17:00.001-06:00

During preschool storytimes, I like to select stories that invite some participation from the audience. I like to ask questions, or ask the kids to make animal noises, or leave the last word in a couplet hanging so the kids can fill it in. Inviting this kind of participation took a little bit of practice for me when I first started doing storytimes, but it really can make the time a lot more interesting when you have some generated feedback from your audience.

Sometimes books make generating this interaction very, very easy by asking questions themselves. Take a book I read this week during my dinosaur storytime: the much-beloved How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague. Each page asks a question about how a dinosaur acts at bedtime: "Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about?" As you read this story out loud it practically demands that that the kids answer the question with a firm "no!" as they pull together with Papa and Mama for very good dinosaur behavior.

But I have to admit that there is one story that has never gotten an audience to be excited about participating in all the times I have read it. What is this elusive book? Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems. A modern classic, and one that has been touted by reviewers and librarians for the very thing I cannot get it to do: get kids to participate. I don't know what it is, but I just cannot get the kids to work with me when I read this story. In this book a bus driver must step away from his vehicle and asks readers to keep the bus safe from the pigeon. Pigeon then spends the rest of the book begging the reader to please, please, please let me drive the bus anyway. Despite the fact that so many grown-ups who are supposedly very good at this sort of thing insist that kids will naturally want to say "no" to Pigeon, I just can't get my kids to do it. Most of the time they are silent, and occasionally they think it would be a great idea to disregard the bus driver and hand over the keys to Pigeon. I've tried this story with different audiences, I've tried adding some additional prompting as I read - nothing works!

What is the moral of this story? Not every book works for every librarian/teacher/parent, and not every trick works with every child. As a librarian I can't just take other people's word for it when I plan storytimes - I have to find books and activities that I'm comfortable with and make them my own. That, not books with great reviews, will make storytime special.

Winter Fun Storytime

2011-02-08T15:27:00.007-06:00

In my last post, I mentioned that Wisconsin has been dealing with quite a bit of winter weather lately. Schools, libraries, and many other businesses closed their doors as snow and heavy winds made doing much of anything outside miserable. It was a good day to stay home with a good book and some cocoa. Unfortunately, the bad weather also meant the my preschool storytimes for the week were also canceled.

Ironically enough, my planned storytime was all about Winter Fun - dressing warmly, building snowmen, sledding, etc. Even though I did not get to hold this storytime as planned at the library, I still think it's worth celebrating some great books about all of the good things winter brings! We planned to start off by looking at hats, mittens, boots, scarves, and jackets and I get dressed for some winter fun. Then we would move on to some stories:

Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin
A young girl shows off the many different layers and accessories that she must wear if she wants to go outside during the winter. In the end she reveals that with so many layers she must be careful not to fall, "because / I can't get up at all."

The Mitten: A Ukranian Folktale by Jan Brett
A boy looses his white knit mitten in the snow, where it is found by a mole who decides that the mitten would be a cozy place to rest. Soon he is joined by a host of other animals who all squeeze in together as the mitten stretches out.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
When snow falls, Peter goes outside and has a fun day playing in the snow. This beautiful book won the Caldecott Medal in 1963.

Red Sled by Patricia Thomas
A boy and his dad race through the winter snow on a red sled. This book is told in short two-word descriptions, with each of the paired words rhyming. A sweet story that would be perfect to share with both preschoolers and younger toddlers.

A number of other activities were also planned, including a song to the tune of "Frere Jacques" about falling snow and an action rhyme about building a snowman. My favorite activity, however, is The Winter Pokey! Just like the Hokey Pokey, but with the words customized for a dance full of winter fun:

You put your left mitten in, you put your left mitten out,
You put your left mitten in and you shake it all about.
You do the Winter Pokey and you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your right mitten in...
You put your left boot in...
You put your right boot in...
You put your hat in...
You put your snowsuit in...

With any luck the snow will hold out for a couple more weeks so that I'll have the chance to share this fun storytime with my preschoolers anyway. Wait, did I just wish for more winter?

Sledding Invitation

2011-01-31T10:02:00.003-06:00

A little girl comes in to the library every afternoon with her grandfather. Grandpa usually has holds to pick up, and the girl almost always picks out a movie. Since it has been snowing here in Wisconsin, the girl was very excited about playing outside. Barely able to contain her enthusiasm and looking like she might jump out of her skin she asked me:

"Sometime, when you're not working, do you want to go sledding with me and Grandpa?"

Too cute!

Ironically, Wisconsin's blizzard conditions just happened to coincide with my storytime all about playing in the snow. Hmmm. More on that storytime to come in a future post.

Because of Mr. Terupt

2011-01-25T18:09:00.005-06:00

The fifth graders at Snow Hill School know that they're in for a treat when they learn that they will have Mr. Terupt, a brand new teacher, as their instructor this year. Mr. Terupt is like no other teacher they have ever had and touches each of his students in different ways. He helps Jessica to feel welcome in her new school. He helps Anna crawl out of her shell and make some new friends. He lets his students make their own mistakes, even when it means that Luke's concoction in science class sets off the smoke alarm. And even though he encourages his students to solve their own problems, he's not afraid to tell them when they've crossed the line. But when something bad happens to Mr. Terrupt, his devoted class must use what they learned from him to cope with their own feelings of guilt and grief.

This book, written by Rob Buyea, is a bit of an emotional roller coaster. The story is narrated in a grand total of seven (!) different voices, each a different student in Mr. Terupt's class. While the style of writing does not change dramatically for the different voices it is still very easy to keep the narrators straight since Buyea does a brilliant job of developing the characters and investing the reader emotionally in each kid's situation. I'll admit that I teared up frequently while reading this story, which testifies to the amount of raw emotional power the writing has. The ending was perhaps just a little too tidy and perfect, but after such a journey the happy ending was welcome. Without question, this book will make you want to track down your favorite teacher ever and give him/her a big thank-you hug.

Overall Grade: A

The E-Book - Wave of the Future

2011-01-20T15:49:00.001-06:00

Ever since the Kindle made its grand appearance on Amazon.com back in 2007 much has been said about the future of the book. Some have speculated that books will eventually be completely replaced by electronic media. It's still a bit too early to tell if the book will go the way of the dodo (and I personally don't believe that this will happen within my lifetime), but no one can deny that e-books are a hot commodity right now. The viewing screens on e-readers are surprisingly easy on the eyes and there's something to be said about having a dozen books loaded onto a device the size of an easy reader.

I've played briefly with the Kindle and I-Pad, though admittedly not enough to properly critique them. And I've long said that as a general rule, I'd much rather have a physical book in my hands than a computer. But then something happened: I received an e-reader - a Cruz tablet, specifically - for Christmas.

I'll freely admit that I actually put the tablet on my Christmas list of my own accord. There was a very specific reason for this that had nothing to do with books: I wanted to be able to upload PDF files containing knitting patterns onto the tablet. Once I had the tablet in hand and downloaded my first knitting pattern I was thrilled. Mission accomplished! But of course, it was only a matter of time before I used the tablet as an e-reader. Wisconsin libraries (and many other libraries across the country, for that matter!) all have access to Overdrive, a database of downloadable e-books and digital audiobooks, so I got out my handy dandy library card and downloaded my first e-book.

Reading an e-book is definitely a different experience than reading a physical book. It's much more trouble than it's worth to flip ahead more than a few pages(great if you're the type of person who spoils a mystery by reading the last chapter first), but it can also be problematic if you need to page back for any reason to re-read or double check something. And even though the reader tells me how much I have read and how much is left to go, there's something nice about being able to physically see how close to the end of a book you are, or to flip ahead to see how long the next chapter is so you know if you have time to squeeze it in before the end of your lunch break. But if all you need to do is read a novel from start to finish, reading the electronic version should not pose any significant problems. E-books also have the great benefit of not taking up much physical space (great for bringing multiple books on vacation) and giving you the freedom to increase the size of the type to make it easy on the eyes.

I still don't think that we'll be saying good-bye to the physical book anytime soon. But if you're like the millions of other readers who are curious about this up and coming format, don't be afraid to give it a shot. You can download e-books onto your PC for a test run, and if your library has access to resources like Overdrive or NetLibrary (and it probably does!) you should be able to try your first e-book risk free at no charge. Even those like myself who prefer the feel of a book in their hands to the feel of a small computer can't deny that that are some benefits to the electronic format, or the fact that the e-book is here to stay.

I Like Big Books

2011-01-14T12:23:00.001-06:00

This video is too funny.

ALA Youth Media Awards

2011-01-11T13:39:00.010-06:00

It's that time of year again! On January 10, the eyes of readers, teachers, librarians, and the publishing world were turned toward the American Library Association (ALA) as they announced the winners of their coveted awards. Nineteen awards were given including the Coretta Scott King Awards (given to African-American authors and illustrators), the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award (given to the most distinguished books for early readers), and the Robert F. Siebert Medal (given to the most distinguished informational books for children). Congratulations to this year's award winners! For a full listing of the awards given and their recipients, click here.

But of course everyone especially wants to hear about the two oldest and most prestigious awards, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals. Let's take a moment to recognize the winners of these awards:

Newbery Medal

The Newbery Medal is given every year to, "the most outstanding contribution to children's literature." This year's winner was Moon over Manifest written by Clare Vanderpool. Set in 1936, Abilene feels somewhat abandoned as her father puts her on a train to his boyhood home of Manifest, Kansas while he goes off to work a railroad job. She quickly makes friends and the trio uncovers a mystery surrounding a spy named Rattler. Through they are warned to leave well enough alone, Abilene and her friends keep digging, hoping to uncover exactly what Abilene's father's role in the historic mystery is. Moon over Manifest was a bit of surprise to many. Published somewhat late in the year, the book had yet to be recognized by many Newbery predictors. Still, the book has been touted by reviewers for its colorful characters, historic details, and believable dialogue.

Four other books were recognized as Newbery Honor books:
-Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
-Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
-Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman
-One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Caldecott Medal

The Caldecott Medal is awarded each year to, "the most distinguished American picture book for children." This year's winner is A Sick Day for Amos McGee, written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead. In this quiet tale, zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time for his five animal friends the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl. But when he is sick and unable to come to work, the animals decide to visit their friend, taking the bus trip that distinctly mirrors Amos' daily ride. Amos is delighted when the animals arrive, and together the friends share a delightful day. This is a beautiful tale of kindness returned and the bond between Amos and his animal friends is simply lovely. Illustrations have been created using soft colors and woodblocking prints, which along with the story's themes give this book a timeless quality.

Two other books were recognized as Caldecott Honor books:
-Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, written by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier
-Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein

My Thoughts

This year's award winners include a number of lovely selections. Given the amount of hype that had surrounded One Crazy Summer I, like many other children's literature geeks, had expected this book to walk away with the top Newbery prize. I'm curious to see how the surprise Moon Over Manifest measures up. Dark Emperor's exciting Newbery Honor is also worth noting. The poetry in this book is lovely, and it isn't often that you see a picture book-style work given a Newbery award of any kind.

If you haven't checked out A Sick Day for Amos McGee, do yourself a favor and track it down. This is a picture book that is, I hope, destined to stay with us for quite some time. Some also complain about a lack of humor to be found in award-winning books, and it was very nice to see this rule overthrown with Interrupting Chicken's award.

I also think it's worth noting that one book from each of these two big awards was also recognized with a Coretta Scott King award. Such cross-overs have happened in the past, and it's nice to see so many high-quality multicultural books garnering the extra attention that comes from the Newbery and Caldecott Medals.

Zombies! Evacuate the School!

2011-01-07T12:23:00.010-06:00

School can be rough. Classes can be hard, the bus ride is bumpy, and somehow teachers always have the magical ability to hear every little sound in their classrooms. But there are also a lot of good things that come with school, like trying out for a sports team. In a new collection of poems, author Sara Holbrook captures all aspects of a normal school year: the good, the bad, and everything inbetween. Along the way Holbrook offers readers a few sidebars in which she talks about her writing process, giving you a good look and where she gets her ideas and how she goes about turning these ideas into poetry.

I have to say that about three pages into this book, I was a bit disappointed. Where were the zombies? The title is a bit decieving, as the undead do not appear at all until the final poem in the book. But I quickly got over this disappointment and saw this book the gem it is: One of the best books I've seen in recent memory (dare I say ever?) teaching poetry writing and appreciation. The sidebars offer great notations that encourage readers to really think about how a poem is constructed. Why did Holbrook choose the words that she did? Where did she get her ideas? How does she narrow down her words to keep the poem brief? Without even seeming to try, Holbrook gets her readers to think critically about her poetry while also encouraging readers to write their own poems through tips and writing prompts. For kids interested in learning more about poetry or who perhaps are looking to write their own, this book can be a fun tool to get them started. There is almost no discussion here about rhyme scheme or literary terms, but in this case I think that's a good thing. Keeps the poetry fun instead of oppressive.

Oh yeah, and the poems themselves are quite a lot of fun too. The sidebars can be a bit distracting if you're just looking for fun school poems, but if you can get past this then you're in for a real treat.

Overall Grade: B+/A-

Sandy's Picks - 2010

2010-12-29T12:30:00.008-06:00

2010 is quickly drawing to a close. It's definitely been a crazy year for me, especially here in Library Land. Fortunately I managed to read lots of really great books along the way! According to Goodreads.com I've managed to read 119 books this year - almost all of which are for children and teens. This number also does not include many picture books, so this number is really probably only half of what I really read. Instead of predicting award winners like I did last December, I'm going to instead highlight some of my personal favorites from 2010.

Juvenile Fiction

First, a disclaimer: I'm not going to talk about picture books today. Hundreds and hundreds to picture books are published every year, and I've seen so many that it's hard to keep track of them all. Perhaps I should start tracking them on Goodreads like I do the chapter books? I'll make it a goal to do better next year. But chapter books are a little easier to keep track of since one generally reads fewer of them due to their relative length. So here are my favorite chapter books of 2010!

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
One of the best examples I've ever seen of a books that really gets middle school. The kids in this book are varied and realistic, and the general premise of a geeky kid dispensing advice with an origami Yoda figure is too much fun. Go grab this one today.

Crunch by Leslie Connor
This book is definitely a product of our times. Kids can't help but hear about the rising gas prices, environmental issues, and economic constraints that all factor into the hypothetical situation presented in this novel. A gas shortage has left Dewey's parents stranded far from home, leaving him and his siblings to cope on their own. These kids are resourceful and it was great to see how the community banded together during the crisis.

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
An unusual story, but one that really made me think about the differences between childhood and adulthood. In this book, our main character is a boy stuck in the body of a grown man. Liam is constantly mistaken for an adult, which has its pros and cons. But when he decides to use his appearance to con his way onto a civilian space flight things get a little hairy.

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
This is perhaps the most unique book I've ever seen, blending sparse text and vibrant pictures with an impressive vocabulary and whimsical characters. Awesome.

Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale
This graphic novel is the sequel to 2008's delightful Rapunzel's Revenge, and it certainly did not disappoint! This time the story is told from the perspective of Jack, the boy of beanstalk fame. He tries to set things right with the giant back home, all the while desperate to hide his criminal past from Punzie. The steampunk setting makes this fractured fairy tale really stand out, and the illustrations grab you and pull you into the story. A fun adventure.

Teen Reads

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Probably the most anticipated book of the year, the conclusion to The Hunger Games Trilogy was a great success. Katniss becomes fully embroiled in the rebellion against the cruel Capitol, but quickly begins to wonder how far she's willing to go for the Districts' freedom. If you haven't read this book or its predecessors yet, do yourself a favor and track down a copy today - it's one of the most amazing series I've encountered.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
This story about two teens who share the same name is told in alternating voices. The authors' different styles blend together impressively and this quirky tale of love and friendship stands out for it's dynamic characters.

Unidentified by Rae Mariz
Another futuristic dystopia - clearly there are a number of good books being added to this genre. In this story corporate sponsorship mingles with education and social networking as teens earn prestige by impressing various businesses. Makes you think about all of the issues that social networking has brought to light in recent years.

Dirty Little Secrets by C. J. Omololu
Lucy has been keeping her mother's hording a secret for years, fearing the response that other people will have to her home situation. But when tragedy suddenly strikes, how will she clean up the mess? Lucy's emotional journey is powerful and her fears palpable.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
I'm a big sucker for fractured fairy tales and I especially love Little Red Riding Hood, so this book was pretty much a guaranteed hit for me. Even without my own biases, I really thought that this modern retelling put a very unique spin on the story and turned it into its own animal.

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
Alton has always been told by his parents that his great-uncle Lester Trapp is his favorite uncle as the grown-ups schmooze in the hopes of inheriting the man's fortune. But when Alton is forced to take Lester to his bridge club and act as the blind man's cardturner, he soon realizes that there's more to his uncle than meets the eye. Lots of bridge talk in this story, but you don't have to know anything about the game to appreciate the great characters and their circumstances.

What are your favorite books of 2010?

The Princess Thing

2010-12-21T15:21:00.014-06:00

A very interesting article came my way recently via my Facebook news feed thanks to the ever-glorious Teenreads.com The article is actually a blog post from author Meg Cabot's website, and it kind of rocked my world. Cabot (author of "The Princess Diaries" and "Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls" series) tackles an issue that I'm sure she's encountered before: The Princess Thing. Are princesses antiquated role models for girls, waiting to be rescued by the Handsome Prince? Or can they be empowered characters who write their own destinies? Using the lovely Rapunzel of the new Disney movie "Tangled" and our mutual hero Princess Leia as prime examples, Cabot shows us that "the princess thing" isn't something to be feared, but rather something to be embraced.

Click here to read her blog post. It's pretty awesome.

This article got me thinking about the princesses that we see in books. Which ones are strong, and which ones aren't? Here are a few strong, smart princesses that a girl can look up to:

Picture Books:
The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke
Princess Violetta is taught to be a mighty knight just like her brothers. But when she turns 16 her father holds a tournament with her hand in marriage as a prize. Will this independent princess stand for it? Not a chance!

A Brave Little Princess by Beatrice Masini
Teased for being so small, a princess goes on to save the day not once but three times.

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
In this fractured fairy tale the princess forgoes proper decorum and goes off to rescue the handsome prince from the fire-breathing dragon. She's feisty and smart and demands equal treatment.

Don't Kiss the Frog: Princess Stories with Attitude by Fiona Waters
The title says it all. These princesses are somewhat sassier, spunkier, and more independant than their classic fairy tale counterparts.

Chapter Books:
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
OK, so the title character in this book (and subsequent series) isn't a princess. He's not even a girl. But you can't deny that the fiery Luxa, an important secondary character, is kind of awesome. As she is being groomed for the throne she continually makes sacrifices and takes risks to help her people. She's flawed and she isn't always right, but she's got spunk and passion and she knows how to use a sword. I would also argue that she grows and changes more than any other character in the series.

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
After the events of the classic "Cinderella," the title princess becomes embroiled in the political games of the royal house. Soon she begins to realize that maybe she doesn't really want to marry the prince after all.

The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
When it it prophesied that the girl who will marry the prince will come from an impoverished mountain village, a Princess Academy is set up to teach the village girls everything they need to know about royal living. In the end the girls realize that they can use these skills to make their village safer and more prosperous.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
"Cinderella" is a favorite fairy tale to parody, and this Newbery Honor book proves why. Levine's version of the title character is cursed with obedience and is determine to protect herself and the people she loves from being manipulated. She's smart and has to use her wit to get out of a few sticky situations.

Teen Reads:
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
The series that made Meg Cabot famous! Mia thinks that she's pretty average, until she learns that her father is actually the prince of a small country. It's modern teen drama given the royal treatment.

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
This novel tells the story of Helen of Sparta, better known in mythology as Helen of Troy, the woman who started the Trojan War. Friesner's Helen isn't just a beauty though. She knows that if she's going to get by in the world she needs to have more than just a pretty face - she needs to know how to make people listen to her. She needs to be smart and strong, and she needs to learn to use a sword.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Cimorene is sick of having to behave like a proper princess, so she decides to run off and become the housekeeper for a dragon. Here she has the chance to learn some magic and fights back against trouble-making wizards. But can she keep the princes who keep trying to rescue her away?

Lulu and the Brontosaurus

2010-12-15T14:58:00.011-06:00

Lulu is, shall we say, a bit spoiled. What she wants she gets, and if her parents say no she throws a fit. Picture Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - selfish and shameless. With her birthday approaching, Lulu decides that what she would really like more than anything is a pet brontosaurus. But for the first time in memory Lulu's parents actually put their collective foot down and give her a firm no. After all brontosauruses are huge and wild and would certainly not make a good pet. Stubborn to the end, Lulu refuses to take no for an answer and storms off into the woods determined to bring home a brontosaurus. All the while she chants a rhyme to herself: "I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna gonna get / A bronto-bronto-bronto-brontosaurus for a pet!" But when she finally finds one, what will Lulu do when the dinosaur refuses to come home with her?

Author Judith Viorst is perhaps best knows for her classic picture book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Lulu and the Brontosaurus is her latest work, and I have to say that this short chapter book is quite clever. The narration is whimsical and clever and absolutely begs to be read aloud. The story's weird curveballs are very well paced and don't become overbearing - impressive considering the briefness of the text. Lulu is a character that will make readers smile even when she is acting like a total brat, and her growth over the course of the story adds a sweet, not-preachy moral to the tale. The award-winning Lane Smith rounds out this fun book with expressive illustrations.

This book does feature one very unique feature that you won't find in most books: Alternate endings! Who doesn't love that?

Overall Grade: A-

Santa Night

2010-12-10T12:15:00.007-06:00

Last night we had a very special visitor at the library - Santa Claus! This program has been held annually for the past ten years or so, and I was excited to keep the tradition going. This program was a great blend of general holiday fun, stories, and crafts. Here's how it worked:

One of the great features of my library is what we refer to as the Pit Area. Nestled in a nook along the front wall of the library (and surrounded by huge windows!) is a big open space. Normally this space is great for younger kids to play in or older kids to lounge around. The floor is lower down than the rest of the building, with a few steps leading down into the Pit. These steps make great seating while a presenter sits or stands in the big open space.

The kids and their parents gathered on and around the steps, eagerly awaiting the appearance of Santa himself. To start out the program I suggested that the kids all sing a Christmas song with me to call Santa out. And what better song than Jingle Bells! The kids sang, and after one round of the chorus Santa appeared, ringing his own set of magical bells. The kids were thrilled.

Then it was time for Santa to share his favorite story, The Polar Express. The kids listened, enraptured by Santa's stunning tale of Christmas magic.

As a side note, if you have never picked up The Polar Express, you need to do so now. It's really a magical story about the Christmas spirit. The pace of the text is perfect and it's such a good story to share aloud with family close by. Chris Van Allsburg's illustrations are absolutely stunning - it's no wonder that this book was the Caldecott Medal winner in 1986 when the book was published. Track down a copy of this book and share it today with someone that you love.

After the story we invited the kids to visit with Santa. A line quickly formed and most of the kids took the chance to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. We also had several craft projects available around the Children's Room for kids to work on, either while they waited for their turn to see Santa or after they finished sitting on his lap. We had plenty of coloring sheets, plus three other crafts available.

The first craft was a paper wreath:

For this craft, take one paper plate and cut out the center (we used small snack plates). Punch a hole in the top and tie on a piece of yarn for hanging. Then cut out one-inch squares of crepe paper or tissue paper. I personally prefer the tissue paper as it is a bit easier to manipulate. Crunch up each piece of crepe/tissue paper and glue it onto the plate. Then glue on three small red circles to act as holly berries - you'll probably want some sort of liquid/tacky glue for this. Take home and hang in a festive location.

We also had some festive ornaments:

These were super easy. We were able to cut out these ornament shapes in bulk using our die cut machine, but for home use I'm sure you can find templates with fun shapes. Punch a hole and thread with a small length of yarn for hanging. We gave the kids a few stickers (three stickers were plenty!) and some crayons to decorate the ornament. Perfect for your Christmas tree!

Our last project was a pair of mittens:

Just as with the ornament, we cut out the mittens using a die cut machine. Instead of paper, we used foam (available at your local craft store) for the shapes. We gave the kids each one festive foam shape with adhesive on the back to stick on one mitten. The other we decorated using glitter glue. In our sample we wrote the message "warm wishes," but I saw a lot of kids get creative with their glitter designs. Holes were punched in the mittens and the two were tied together with a length of yarn. I envision these mittens being hung over a doorknob or on a hook for some added fun.

All in all, our Santa Night was a great success! I'm definitely in the holiday spirit now.

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer

2010-12-03T12:27:00.008-06:00

John Grisham is one of the most recognizable names in the publishing world. He is famous for his legal thrillers for adults, with titles under his belt that include The Pelican Brief and The Client. But what happens when a prolific adult author decides to write a book for kids? The answer to that question is unpredictable. Some authors, such as environmental writer Carl Hiaasen, enjoy a great deal of success writing for this new audience. Others have a bit more trouble. John Grisham has stepped into the world of children's literature with his latest novel, Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer, and the result is ultimately a mixed bag.

Theo is not your typical 8th grade student. His parents are both lawyers, and as a result he is, shall we say, a bit obsessed with the law. He knows the ins and outs of the legal system better than many adults and offers advice to his friends free of charge. What legal problems can a bunch of kids possibly have? You'd be surprised. One friend has concerns about her parents' upcoming divorce hearing, another doesn't know what will happen when her dog is picked up by the pound, and another has a bother arrested for drug possession. Theo is glad to share his knowledge with his classmates, and when his government class decides to sit on on the first day of a major murder trial Theo gladly shows the class the ropes and explains the proceedings. The murder trial is the most exciting thing to happen in his small town in quite some time, and Theo is obsessed with following the trial's events as closely as he can. But when he stumbles across some information that could drastically alter the outcome of the trial, Theo isn't really sure what to do. Should he come forward with the identity of the surprise witness? Or should he protect the identity of his friend, an illegal immigrant?

A few things to note about this book: First of all, I can't think of a single other legal tale in the kids' lit world, which makes this book very unique. All in all, Grisham does a solid job of explaining the legal system in terms that kids can really understand. The legal thriller aspects of this novel, centered around a sensational courtroom trial, are spot on and really show off Grisham's expertise.

However, I really think that Grisham has some trouble adapting to his new audience. Theo doesn't ever really seem much like a kid - more like a mini lawyer who occasionally needs advice from the grown-ups. He's a bit too perfect for his own good - too smart, too charitable, to mature. As a result his character is never particularly interesting or three-dimensional, and come to think of it neither are the supporting characters. The dialogue is a tad stilted as Theo (you guessed it!) talks in a formalized, adult, professional tone that just isn't realistic for a 13-year-old boy. There are also sections of expository narration as Theo explains legal proceedings. These sections are actually useful and well explained, but they could have been inserted into the text more creatively.

John Grisham's latest thriller really shines when the author is able to do what he does best - write about an unusual legal battle. And while not a bad attempt, he just misses the mark when writing for this young audience. Still, kids looking for a different kind of mystery or who have an interest in such legal matters will probably be satisfied enough.

Overall Grade: B-

The Unidentified

2010-11-24T12:17:00.009-06:00

In the not-too-distant future, the federal government has proven unable to continue to put money into educating the nation's youth. Instead, school are taken over by corporate sponsors who provide the latest and greatest in technology and give students the freedom to choose their own activities and learn at their own pace. In exchange, the students are constantly monitored by where they swipe their ID cards and their activity on social networking sites for the purposes of market research. The best of the best are chosen by the sponsors to be "branded" and become spokespeople for their products. Education is driven by so much consumerism and virtual technology that they no longer call it school - it's just The Game.

Kid Dade is a mediocre student. She's smart but doesn't quite have the drive that other students do to become branded. She would rather confide in her two best friends than have a huge network of almost-friends and prefers to make music just for herself than for the masses. But after a strange prank catches her eye Kid becomes entangled with a group known as The Unidentified, a small group of students who value their privacy and refuse to be taken in by The Game's consumerism. But when Kid's interest in The Unidentified is picked up by the sponsors they decide to brand her, giving the sponsors the rights to all of Kid's ideas and creations in The Game and greater access to The Unidentified. How will this group rebel when their actions are simply spun into the latest trend?

This first novel by Rae Mariz takes a compelling look at social networking and consumerism in our society. The kids in The Game are constantly online and constantly connected via gadgets like smartphones and social networking similar to Twitter and Facebook. The scary part is that you can really see how this fictional world stems from our own. I really give this book credit for making readers think about issues like privacy in social networking and commercialism, and how challenging it can be to find our own truly unique identities in a consumer-driven society. I would have really liked to see the educational aspect of The Game a bit better developed as the characters seemed to nearly exclusively participate in extra-curriculars (or is this purpously done?), but this book still remains incredibly thought-provoking and absorbing.

Overall Grade: A-

Yippee!

2010-11-20T12:11:00.003-06:00

Today was another installment of LEGO Club, and once again I had a room full of school-age kids eagerly creating masterpieces out of colored bricks. At one point during the 1 1/2 hour Club time one of the boys asked me how much more time we had left. I reassured him that we had about 30 minutes left, so he had plenty of time to keep building. Pleased, the boy said, "Yippee!" and hurried off happily to have some more fun with the LEGOs.

I don't think I've ever heard the word "yippee" used in a sincere, non-sarcastic manner in my life. Hearing it come out of a 9-year-old's mouth was actually kind of awesome. Such honest jubilation, complete with an exclamation point or two tacked on the end, is actually a pretty challenging thing to vocalize. Phrases like "hooray" and "yippee" tend to sound a bit cheesy and, dare I say, a bit old fashioned when said out loud.

We have other words in the English language that accomplish the same thing as "yippee" that are used much more frequently in our society. "Awesome!" "Yeah!" "Cool!" "Woot!" "Gnarly, dude!" (I may be being a tad facetious on that last one.) But I'll be honest, it totally made me smile in a completely happy, non-sarcastic way to hear a good old-fashioned "Yippee!" here in the library.

Subscribe!

2010-11-18T12:21:00.002-06:00

Did you know that you can subscribe to my blog and be notified every time a new post is published? It's pretty easy. At the bottom of the sidebar you will see that I have set up both an RSS feed and e-mail notifications. Pick your poison and never miss one of my awesome library-themed ramblings.

Bulletin Board - Non-Fiction

2010-11-16T19:48:00.005-06:00

In my library, the children's non-fiction is set up in a pretty interesting way. Instead of rows and aisles of books, our non-fiction collection wraps around the room, covering two whole walls. Above these shelves I have a good amount of bulletin board space to play with. But what should I do with this space?

Remember, I personally believe that library bulletin boards should be both useful and decorative. And what better use of this unique space than to highlight the non-fiction collection below! I decided to think about the questions that we get fairly regularly from kids seeking materials. Where are the dinosaur books? The sports books? What about joke books? I selected 24 different subjects and made simple signs with the appropriate Dewey call number and the subject name.

Next came the fun part. I went through the non-fiction section and selected 2-3 books from each of these subject areas. I made color copies of the covers of each book, shrunk down in many cases to the appropriate size. A ladder and several dozen pins later and voila! A lovely bulletin board that is both attractive and useful to patrons. Now when they ask us where they can find books about animals (or pirates, or fairy tales, or the weather...) we can use these signs to guide them to the materials they need.

Livvie Owen Lived Here

2010-11-11T14:51:00.004-06:00

Things haven't been easy for 14-year-old Livvie Owen. Her parents lost their jobs at the local mill when it closed down and since then have had to commute to the nearby city of Neighbor to work. They have spent the past several years renting homes and trailers, but they can't stay in one place for too long. A big part of this is because Livvie has autism, and occasionally she throws violent fits that damage the property. Livvie is obsessed with finding the perfect home for her family - one with four bedrooms so that her sister don't have to share, one that is pet-friendly so she can keep her cat, and one that just makes Livvie and her family feel at peace. On top of it all, Livvie has started hearing the sound of the whistle that once called and dismissed workers at the mill from their day at work. Most chalk it up as a figment of Livvie's imagination created by her autism. But will anyone - her teachers, her sisters, or her parents - be able to understand how important it is that she get to the bottom of this?

There are a lot of great books out there about kids with autism - Marcello in the Real World, Rules, and Anything But Typical immediately come to mind. Author Sarah Dooley did a great job of getting inside the head of a kid with autism, and Livvie's existence is in do doubt inspired by Dooley's own experiences as a special ed teacher. The narration is lyrical and beautiful - perhaps a tad too elegant and refined for someone with autism, but nevertheless it is a joy to read. Perhaps most remarkable about this story is the relationship that Livvie has with her family, especially her sisters, which is honest in both its struggles and its joys. I'll admit that I teared up a bit at the end of this book with happiness as things finally started to come together for Livvie and her family.

Overall Grade: B+

Halloween Storytime

2010-10-26T16:17:00.007-05:00

To gear up for Halloween, I decided to do a storytime all about this holiday. The week prior I asked all of the kids to wear their costumes to storytime, and many did so with excitement. I brought along a costume of my own to share - my Little Red Riding Hood cape. We talked about how much fun it was to dress up before moving on to some "scary" stories.

Spooky Hour by Tony Mitton
This backwards counting book introduces a lot of scary or spooky creatures, but the bright, bubbly illustrations and whimsical rhymes keep the tone light.

Moonlight the Halloween Cat by Cynthia Rylant
This is a quiet story. Only a sentence or two on each two-page spread, but the pictures work well to set the mood. The Halloween references in this book are a tad subtle, but it was nice to break up my storytime with something not so incredibly saturated with the holiday.

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman
My favorite Halloween story ever! This story lends itself really well to dramatizing to make it exciting for the kids. Just find a large pumpkin, tape the vine to the wall, and play the part of the witch while the kids take on the other roles.

We did a number of other activities, including a flannelboard story about Five Little Pumpkins and a draw-and-tell story about a witch and her cat. We also sang a song about Halloween creatures to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It."

If you're a ghost and you know it just say "boo!"
If you're a vampire and you know it show your fangs...
If you're a bat and you know it flap your wings....
If you're a werewolf and you know it give a howl....
If you're a skeleton and you know it shake your bones....

At the end, I also gave out a few treats. AAA had given the library a bunch of glow-in-the-dark Halloween bags perfect for trick-or-treating along with bookmarks outlining Halloween safety. The kiddos also received mellocream pumpkins as a fun candy treat

Crisis Averted! Sandra Boynton

2010-10-14T17:26:00.008-05:00

When I started planning my Baby and Toddler storytimes, I wanted to incorporate an activity that I had seen done during one of my library school practicums. I picked out two board books (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton) and ordered 15 copies of each. My plan was to pass out one book to each parent and have them all read together as a group. It's a great activity to use with this age group because it really models how to read with young children. It's amazing how many parents are nervous about doing such a thing, so having practice during storytime is wonderful.

Well, my books finally arrived today. I was so excited! And then I got a phone call from my library director as she was cataloging the new books. "Sandy, did you know that we don't have copies of either of these books in the circulating collection?" What!?!? I was shocked. These are fairly prolific titles! So I wrote out cards to order these two titles. But then I got curious. Did we have other board books by these authors? We seemed OK with the Bill Martin books, but a search for books by Sandra Boynton revealed that we had only one of her board books.

Oh no! This shocked me. Sandra Boynton is one of the biggest names in the board book industry, and with good reason. There are several things that a good board book needs to be successful: 1) Quality, but simple illustrations, 2) Brief text, preferably with a good rhythm, and 3) Appeal to the sensibilities of both toddlers and adults. I have yet to see an author/illustrator achieve these goals with such flair as Sandra Boynton.

If you haven't had the opportunity to take a look at one of Sandra Boynton's books, I highly recommend that you do so now. In fact, look at several. Don't worry, I'll wait for you to finish. :) Your local public library will hopefully have copies, and even stores like Target and Wal-Mart usually have a few in stock in their book sections. Boynton's illustrations are distinctive - her characters' faces are so expressive, and the soft lines of her drawings are whimsical.

The text of her books is just about pitch perfect too. Boynton has an excellent sense of rhythm and all of her books have a good beat to them - not surprising when you remember that she has put together several collections of silly songs, several of which have been turned into board books. The sing-songy rhythm is great for babies and toddlers, who find the rhythm comforting and likewise use it to hear the distinct sounds in the words. There's just enough silliness to leave children and grown-ups alike with big grins on their faces when they are finished reading.

Sandra Boynton is the best of the best as what she does. The only good news about discovering my library's distinct lack of books penned by her? I got to spend the afternoon browsing around her website, looking at all of the wonderful books that I plan to order for the library. I can only imagine how giddy I'm going to be when the order arrives and I get to put the books on the shelves!

Overall Grade: A+

Here is just a sampling of my favorite Sandra Boynton titles. Check out her website for a complete listing of her books!

Barnyard Dance
Moo, Baa, La La La!
What's Wrong, Little Pookie?
Blue Hat, Green Hat

100th Post! Featuring a Funny Story

2010-10-12T14:03:00.006-05:00

Today I am pleased to present this blog's 100th post! To celebrate, I'd like to share a story from my day yesterday.

Preschool storytime was all about the letter B. As a craft, we made birds by tracing our hands and then gluing the thumbs and palms together. You then fold down the finger to make wings and VOILA! A bird!

One little boy in my storytime got really excited about this craft. He even got creative with the paper scraps and constructed feet for his bird. After storytime cleared out the boy and his mother headed to the children's area to play and look at books. Awhile later I saw the boy run around the corner, ducking and weaving and making "Pshew! Pshew!" noises as he went with mom in tow. Mom called over her shoulder as they left the children's area that they were running from the bad guys and that his bird had laser eyes to protect them.

I was laughing too hard to tell the boy to stop running. And man, who am I to stop creative play like that? I'm actually kind of proud that my craft got this kid excited enough to imagine something crazy like that.

Moments like this really make me love the library.

Sisters Red

2010-10-06T15:51:00.005-05:00

I have a confession. While I ended up going to library school and becoming a children's librarian, I almost went to grad school to study English Lit. Specifically, I wanted to look at fairy tales and the way that they have grown and changed over time. I really love fairy tales in all of its forms. The oldest versions of the tales we know today are fairly dark, and Little Red Riding Hood and among most perverse of the bunch. It's also one of my favorite tales, and I've always thought that this fairy tale would lend itself well to a modern retelling.

Good news: Jackson Pearce's version, Sisters Red, has proven my theory correct.

In this modern version of Little Red Riding Hood, there are actually two girls who fill the title role. The two sisters witnessed the murder of their beloved grandmother by a vicious Fenris as young children, and in the attack the oldest sister, Scarlett, was injured and lost an eye. Since that day Scarlett has devoted her life to hunting down and killing the Fenris, one werewolf at a time. Her younger sister, Rosie, is just as strong as Scarlett, but seems to long for something other than the hunt. When the two girls find themselves caught in the Fenris' search for a new potential wolf, how will the two girls reconcile their desires? And how will Silas, the son of their old woodsman friend, play into the mix?

This book really pleased me. This version of the story takes all of the classic themes that make Little Red Riding Hood interesting and molds them into something unique. Scarlett and Rosie are both strong characters and their alternating voices are smooth and distinct. It was also refreshing to see a supernatural story where a romantic relationship plays second fiddle to another relationship (in this case, the sisters') while still containing plenty of spark. The book has a few minor flaws (How many times can one really use the word "dilapidated" over the course of 100 pages?) and you have to let a couple of things go (What exactly does the modern woodsman do for a living?), but this book is a real satisfying page-turner.

Overall Grade: A

LEGO Club

2010-09-26T21:05:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday I had the privilege of holding my first LEGO Club meeting at the library!

The LEGO Club was actually started last spring by my predecessor. The club took a hiatus for the summer and met again for the first time a few days ago. The club is actually very informal. Basically I put out several buckets of LEGOs and let the kids go nuts. It's open to kids between the ages of 6-12, which is a pretty wide range but actually works pretty well for this event. We had several sibling pairs in attendance for our first meeting of the fall season. The kids started out working with their sibling(s), who they were the most comfortable with, and over the course of the hour slowly started intermingling and working with the other kids. That's one of the great things about this program: It really gives kids the chance to be creative and be social in a non-competitive environment. I didn't even really do anything to guide them - I just let the kids go to town and stood back to watch them have fun.

One thing I am going to change for next time is the length of the club's meeting. Past meetings were always an hour long, but I was met with loud groans when the hour was up. The kids were just getting into the swing of things! Next time we'll keep the doors open for a full hour and a half to give them some extra build time. I also need to see if I can buy a few extra pieces - big green boards are a must, as are more LEGO people.

This was such a great program and I'm excited to keep it going. I'm hoping that these kids will remain as enthusiastic about this even as I am!

Bink and Gollie

2010-09-21T11:39:00.007-05:00

Bink and Gollie are great friends. The best of friends. Marvelous companions to the end, using their remarkable treehouse as a base for their adventures. But these two girls are vastly different too. Bink is short, impetuous and loves her brightly colored socks. Gollie is tall and a bit more serious but nonetheless has a flair for adventure. Though they do not always agree, the two girls share three delightful adventures - one involving Bink's socks, one with an adventure in the Andes, and another featuring a third marvelous companion - in this brilliant new book, Bink and Gollie, written by aclaimed authors Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee.

I have to say that this is one of the most brilliant books that I've seen this year. Not quite a picture book, not quite an easy reader, and not quite a chapter book, this is a piece of work that truly stands on its own and could appeal to a wide range of readers. The illustrations by Tony Fucile are vibrant and fun, with soft lines for the background and bright colors for the two girls. There are only a few sentences on each page, but the vocabulary features delightfully big words (including "spectacular" and "baffled") and a formalized tone that will make readers smile. This is a book that I truly envision being shared - parents reading with their children, and kids sharing with their friends. This deceptively and elegantly simple book begs to be read aloud and the characters beg to be loved - and with spunky and imaginative girls like Bink and Gollie readers will find both tasks easy.

Overall Grade: A+

Bulletin Boards

2010-09-14T20:31:00.008-05:00

One of my responsibilities at my new job is to decorate the children's area. Spruce it up; make it special. One easy way to to that on on the two large bulletin boards in the hall that leads from the children's area to our meeting/programming room.

I have a few opinions about what makes a good bulletin board in the library. It should be fun. It should capture your attention. Color is a must. But I also really think that it should have something to do with the library itself. Somehow these spaces should promote what the library has to offer - a part of the collection, programs, or even reading/literacy as a whole. After all, I didn't get my MLS so that I could work as an interior decorator, so any decorating that I do is going to (generally) accomplish something.

Here's my first board, the larger of the two:

To help get geared up for fall I decided to do something seasonal. I immediately thought of trees and colorful leaves. The tree is pieced together from about 20 pieces of brown construction paper. I pinned the paper up to the board and then used a box cutter to trim the paper to the shape I wanted. Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself! The smaller leaves which fill in the space were left over from a past display and were done on a die-cut machine. For the larger leaves, the acorns, and the squirrels I actually found a box full of large outlined images (aprox. 9"x6") that seemed designed to be copied and used for classroom activities. I made photocopies of the shapes on colored paper, cut them out, and pinned them up.

This season also lends itself to a delightfully cheesy catch phrase: "Fall into a good book." I had hoped to actually print off cover art of several different books to put onto the falling leaves to go with this theme and promote these titles, but unfortunately the library does not have a color printer! Black and white images would not do. Perhaps in the coming days I'll make color copies of actual book jackets shrunk down to the appropriate size to suit this purpose.

Here is my second bulletin board:

This board is definitely more geared for parents, featuring descriptions of the six early literacy skills that experts believe that children need to master before they can become good readers (more on this later). Each sheet describes one skill and tells parents ways that they can help to encourage this skill at home. The building blocks along the bottom are there for visual interest and support the idea that these skills are, "the building blocks of reading." I like to talk about these skills during storytime whenever possible and having this information posted for parents to explore on their own - especially so near the room where storytime takes place - can only help to promote these ideas.

Another bonus - because this board isn't seasonal, I can leave it up as long as I need to!

Mockingjay

2010-09-02T18:15:00.008-05:00

Good news: I'm safely moved and have survived the first two weeks at my new job! I'd say things are going well. My Internet access is still a tad shaky (trouble with wireless = not able to use laptop), but hopefully that'll be cleared up soon-ish so that I can get this blog rolling again.

Amidst all of this month's chaos, however, I did manage to read the book that I've been most looking forward to all year: Mockingjay!

As the final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy opens, Katniss finds herself in a difficult position. District 12 has been completely destroyed. Peeta is being held captive by the Capitol and is certain to face nothing but torture and death. And the rebels who lifted her from the arena desperately want Katniss to pose as a figurehead for the rebellion - their Mockingjay. Distraught by the violence around her but desperate for revenge, Katniss agrees. But will she simply become a pawn in another game - one perhaps even more dangerous than the Hunger Games?

Suzanne Collins has once again done what she is so great at: She has taken a piece of very challenging subject matter and tackled it from all sides. She has created dynamic and interesting characters who crawl under your skin and make you eager for more. The world building as readers explore the underground District 13 is superb. The writing continues to leave you breathless. In these respects, Collins is a crafter of stories like no other.

This book did not go the way I had expected. Mostly I actually think that this was a good thing as the surprises kept me on my toes. And just as in the final volumes of The Underland Chronicles, Mockingjay's exploration of war and violence leaves readers with much to think about as all sides of the argument are explored. Overall, this book is superb. But I can't help thinking of what I had hoped for that we didn't see. I had hoped for a tad more spark from Katniss. Not much, just a little. While Collins does not pull any punches in this action-packed volume, it seemed to me that the ending was a bit rushed. And I do kind of feel that Collins took the easy way out in regards to her expertly-created love triangle. Does it work? Absolutely. Is it great? Certainly. Was it perfect? Maybe, maybe not. Personally, this reader wants to tackle the book a second time to see how it resonates upon a slower, less ravenous reading.

Overall Grade: A-

SLP Challenges

2010-08-09T14:09:00.004-05:00

I don't know that I spoken yet about the interesting predicament that my library found itself in this summer. On top of the usual chaos that comes with the Summer Reading Program, our Head of Youth Services gave birth to her first baby in early June - right before the chaos began. While we were all thrilled about the baby, the rest of us had to scramble a bit to figure out how summer was going to work. After all, it is our busiest time of year and we would be without the person in charge. What's a library to do?

Well, we all had to step it up a bit. The library director took responsibility for managing the children's department and making the big executive decisions. Myself and the other assistant kept most of the day-to-day stuff rolling along. Thankfully we've both been through SLP a few times so we knew pretty much what to expect. Programming was unfortunately cut back a little because we just didn't have the man-power to have so many events. We did hire some extra LTE (limited term employee) help, but given their position and lack of training they were mostly there to help with SLP check in and keeping the area clean. Mostly we learned flexibility and how to tackle problems as they come.

This summer was certainly challenging and contained some high and low points. Even though we had some leadership from the director, she also had her regular job duties and the rest of the library to worry about so she wasn't physically there to help at every moment when we would have liked. The LTEs proved to be more helpful than expected given their training and expectations. Our total number of participants was sadly down just a little bit from last summer, which we attribute to the fact that our HoYS was unable to do school visits. While some programs were cut from the summer schedule, the ones that were held proved to be huge hits. Our HoYS had this grandiose plan where she'd come to work a few hours each week with the baby in tow, but that certainly didn't go as planned as the newborn proved to be more demanding than she expected.

One big lesson that I take from this experience is that it's so important to make sure that more than one person can do a given job. Under my library's current union contract, myself and the other assistant can only be given so much responsibility, so we weren't aloud to take on all of the HoYS' responsibilities when she was gone. If we had been able to take on some additional responsibilities (programming, decision making, etc.) then things might have been a lot easier. I also think that it's huge to have the entire staff involved at least in some aspect with planning. Because of the responsibility structure, the HoYS did all of the planning for SLP...and then wasn't there to see it though. Those of us who were there to implement the program weren't involved in the planning so there were a few holes in our understanding of how things were supposed to work. If everyone works together on all stages though, then it's easier for things to flow smoothly when something goes wrong.

Despite the challenges, SLP proved to be a major success. The kids all had a great time and it was fun to see so many faces at the library. Even if there were a few bumps along the way, nothing burned down so it couldn't have been that bad...right? ;)

New Blog Design!

2010-07-29T01:36:00.003-05:00

I decided that this blog needed a bit of a face lift. Sort of a "new job, new color scheme" sort of thing. After all, the design templates on Blogger have grown to include a lot more designs and customization is easier than ever. What do you think?

I'd also like this opportunity to ask my readers (small in number though you may be) if there's anything in particular you'd like me to post about - a book, a particular library or literacy issue - whatever you're interested in along this general theme. Suggestions might keep me a bit more active during the coming weeks of madness.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

2010-07-27T17:56:00.001-05:00

Tommy is a kid with a problem. He needs to find out if his super-freak classmate, Dwight's, origami Yoda can really predict the future. He seems to have given excellent advice to other kids, but Tommy's friend Harvy insists that Yoda's wise powers can all be explained away. After all, it's Dwight who controls Yoda - what can this kid possibly know? But part of Tommy wonders - could origami Yoda be for real? He needs to know the answer ASAP because Yoda has given him some advice that he's terrified to follow. If Yoda is right, then everything will be perfect. But if he's wrong it will mean certain humiliation. What's a kid to do?

I have to say, this was one awesome little book. Middle-schoolers are a real challenge to capture correctly in books, and author Tom Angleberger does a great job of creating interesting, believable characters. Dwight, the dopy kid who creats Yoda, is especially well-drawn. He's a kid who's truly strange. Everyone knows it, everyone makes fun of it, and there's no denying even to the adult reader that this kid is weird. But you can't help but love him anyway, especially as the book goes on and you realize that not everyone will just write him off because of his eccentricities.

The hardest part of creating a great middle-grade novel is capturing the "in between-ness" of the middle-school mind. Some kids at this age think that they're on top of the world, while some are struggling to get by. Some are huge and/or hugely popular, and some flounder along at these other kids' mercy. It's sometimes tempting for authors to generalize and age middle-school kids either too much or too little - as either full-fledged grown-up teens or still little kids - but Angleberger has done a good job of finding the right balance between the two.

But enough critique. This book is a ton of fun to read. It's funny and it makes you think. It'll definitely put a smile on your face. Besides, who doesn't love Yoda? And who doesn't love a book about a good weird kid? After all Diary of a Wimpy Kid proved that millions of middle-grade readers love weird kids. Just like DoaWK, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda will find a readership with kids of various ages and genders who just want a good, fun story - no fuss, no muss - and it will keep readership because of it's awesome quality of writing and characterization.

Overall Grade: A+

Exciting Announcement!

2010-07-24T12:19:00.015-05:00

It's been nearly two weeks since my last post and things are likely to be just as sporadic over the next month or so. Why? I got a new job! I've now officially graduated from Overqualified-Library-Assistant-Who-Nonetheless-Mostly-Loves-Her-Job to Full-Fledged Youth Services Librarian. Huzzah! I'm really excited about the new job. It seems like it will be a great opportunity and I'm totally excited to plan programs and order books for the kids and teens in my charming new community. While I don't start the new job until the end of August I am a bit distracted with trying to pack up my life and move to this new town, so my reading and blogging time may be cut short. But I'll do my best to keep you all entertained.

Meanwhile, Summer Reading Program is in full swing. I've talked to a couple hundred kids this summer about all of the books they've been working on. My favorite conversation thus far was with an eight-year-old boy who's been working his way through a series of biographies about all of the presidents. Wow! Here are just a few other books that I've seen pop up this summer:

What else have you all been reading this summer?

The Mysterious Howling

2010-07-12T18:28:00.005-05:00

Penelope Lumbly is a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females seeking a position as a governess. After all, what else is there for a Poor Bright Female to do? Penny is lucky enough to get a job working at the Ashton household, but quickly discovers that her charges are far from ordinary. The three children, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia were all found living together in the woods, and they seem to have been raised by wolves. Instead of teaching them French and Latin, Penny quickly finds herself needing to teach the children to not chase squirrels and how to eat with a knife and fork. Things being even more complicated when Lady Constance Ashton announces that she will be holding a grand Christmas party that the children must attend. Will they be ready in time, or will they humiliate Lady Constance? Where did these children come from in the first place? And why does Penny keep hearing talk of a hunting party on Christmas?

The Mysterious Howling is the first in an expected series by author Maryrose Wood. In her first novel for younger readers (her previous books have been for teens) she brilliantly blends and old-fashioned type of story with perfectly paced humor that kept me laughing. Describing the style of this book is a challenge - the best I can do is to say that it's kind of like a bizarre blend of Jane Eyre, Mary Poppins, and Lemony Snicket. It all works very well. Very few of the questions and mysteries set up in this first volume are fully solved which will make readers eager to pick up the next volume, expected to be published in 2011. Some might find this wait frustrating, but the book is a light enough romp and the kids are such delightful characters that many will probably not mind the lack of true resolution. It's hard to say if this series is destined to be a favorite just yet, but I have a gut feeling that if the next book in the series is as fun and as funny as its predecessor then readers will be in for a real treat.

Overall Grade: A-/B+

The Cardturner

2010-06-30T18:30:00.004-05:00

Alton's summer doesn't look exciting at first. His girlfriend dumped him for his best friend and his parents are forcing him to spend time with his elderly great-uncle at a bridge club acting as the blind man's cardturner. His whole life Alton's parents have forced him to kiss up to his "favorite uncle Lester" in the hopes of securing a significant inheritance, and they're sure that this quality time will secure their fortune. But things become much more interesting than Alton could have imagined. First off, he discovers that the game of bridge is much more interesting than he first thought, full of strategy and dynamic team play. He slowly begins to understand the great amount of skill that the game requires, especially for his uncle who can't see the cards and has to memorize his hand. And who knew that Uncle Lester, better known to his bridge club as simply Trap, was actually a nationally renowned bridge player? The only thing that Trap has yet to achieve is a national championship, something he hasn't even attempted in over thirty years. Slowly Alton uncovers the story of Trap's early bridge-playing days and the brilliantly human story of his former partner, Annabelle. The summer shapes up to be even more interesting when Alton begins to spend more time with Toni, Annabelle's pretty granddaughter, and the two find themselves trying to help Trap on the long road to the nationals.

Author Louis Sachar has created another brilliant gem for readers to enjoy. This is a book about the game of bridge, but it's about a lot more than that. It's about learning to not be manipulated and how to take chances. It's about starting over fresh. And I loved it. The characters are strong, expertly built and easy to love (or, in the case of Alton's parents, fun to dislike). They make it easy for readers to enjoy a book so wrapped around a game that most of them have likely never played. If you hesitate to grab this one because of the bridge stuff though, fear not - Sachar does a great job of explaining what you need to know about the game as you go. Older readers who loved Holes will likely enjoy Louis Sachar's newest book for its tone, its endearing characters, and bits of magical realism that make the story come full circle.

Overall Grade: A