Sidekicks

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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-