Monday, March 18, 2024

Browsing the beginning chapter books: The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Sink or Swim by Judy Katschke

Genre: STEM-themed fiction
Protagonists: Group
Reading Level: 500s
Series: 5 books, at least one is out of print
Originally reviewed in 2018

Review: Possibly because of my non-traditional upbringing, I never got into the whole Magic School Bus thing. However, I see a lot of nostalgia for it from parents, requests for the original books by teachers, and younger kids who have rediscovered it. So I was definitely interested when Branches offered a tie-in series and it turned out to be quite popular.

Arnold is suffering through yet another day of winter when Ms. Frizzle suggests they take a field trip to somewhere else - like Hawaii! Wanda is disappointed, since she wants to visit the Arctic and save a rare fern, but changes her mind when she finds a cute little fish in the ocean. As Wanda tries to protect the fish, she and her classmates learn about how fish (and friends) can work together.

The black and white illustrations are rather bland - I would venture that only kids who grew up on the movies and original books will recognize each kid, who has a distinctive personality. Ms. Frizzle has apparently straightened her hair, which even I noticed, and the cast is carefully diverse, although, at least in this adventure, the white kids take the main roles. A glossary, dialogue with Ms. Frizzle with additional information, and discussion questions are included at the end of the book.

Honestly, I wasn't particularly impressed with this. I felt that the text was flat and bland, as was the art. The theme of the book wasn't well-defined, which left me wondering why Wanda was trying to "save" a random fish, without even researching its status. The kids are stereotyped and there's a little too much teasing of the characters for their various quirks for my taste.

However, none of this bothers the kids who recognize familiar characters, enjoy the touch of science, and like the nature-themed adventures.

Verdict: If you purchase all the Branches series, I wouldn't leave this one out, but if you can only get a few focus on other, more popular and better-written titles.

Revisited: This series quickly lost momentum and Scholastic doesn't include it on their list of Branches titles. At least one title appears to be out of print and others are available only in specific formats (paperback, prebound, etc.). I still own all 5 and they check out regularly, but they're not a high request item and I won't be replacing them when they fall apart or are lost.

ISBN: 9781338194456; Published December 2017 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library

Sunday, March 17, 2024

This week at the library

This kid came to Project Explore and
made an octopus. You can't see it, 
but there are actual suckers on each
of the 8 legs. They were very
surprised but delighted when I
magically produced suction cups lol.

Programs
  • Paws to Read
  • Family storytime
  • Outreach storytimes (3-4 sessions)
  • Winter Wigglers
  • Project Explore
  • Family Storytime
  • Library on the Go, 1st grade (3 visits)
  • Sewing workshop
  • Volunteer fun
Meetings, outreach, etc.
  • Youth Services pre-summer consortium meeting
  • 4-H (hosting)
  • Youth services staff meeting
  • Autism parents support group (hosting)
  • Treehouse play therapy (hosting)
Notes
  • Our consortium doesn't really have a YS consultant right now, and some others asked me to set up a pre-summer meeting. I did so, and roped in another colleague to chair it while I took notes and my staff ran the virtual aspect. The next day, we had our own summer planning meeting, hoping to get the schedule hammered out although not everyone has their summer schedule ready yet.
  • Outreach storytimes
    • The popular favorite from last time was definitely Laurie Keller's Potato Pants, followed by Croc-a-doodle-doo by Huw Lewis Jones
    • The princess and the (greedy) pea by Leigh Hodgkinson was a universal favorite with kids and teachers alike. It even caught the attention of one student on the spectrum, who usually doesn't listen. One class was very invested in pointing out all the peeks at the cat.
    • Cone Cat by Sarah Howden - I had to remind the kids about Cone Dog from last time. They listened, but it wasn't really that interesting.
    • Mine! A story of not sharing by Klara Persson. Some kids REALLY got this and thought it was hilarious, some were kind of confused but listened closely. They all laughed when she put her mom in the wardrobe.
    • Down the hole by Scott Slater. I loved this one but the kids were kind of meh. Only a couple of them really "got" the humor, even when I walked them through it. I think it would be better for a slightly older audience.
    • Fish and Crab by Marianna Coppo. I don't think this one was supposed to be as funny as I thought it was - but the kids agreed with me! One bright spark even pointed out that the story was a loop. I don't know how much was my funny expressions, but they all loved it.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Down the hole by Scott Slater, illustrated by Adam Ming

 Adults are way more squeamish than kids. Kids LOVE books where things get eaten, be that the main character, side characters, animals, or other kids. Of course, with adults writing the books, they often chicken out at the last minute and end up with all the animal characters living together happily ever after. Wimps.

This hilarious story of a sly fox and some clever rabbits does NOT chicken out and has an extremely satisfying ending! Fox, with deliciously wicked eyebrows and a jaunty scarf, settles down by a rabbit burrow. Down in the burrow, Rabbit, a fluffy white bunny with collar and tie, waits, accompanied by the other bunnies busy with blueprints and construction tools. A cat and mouse game begins with Fox trying to coax Rabbit up from the burrow and Rabbit innocently putting him off while the other bunnies make their preparations.

In the end, it's Fox who gets trapped - and eaten - by an unexpected in habitant of the underground tunnels and the rabbits cheerfully celebrate with cake and dancing in the spring sunshine. Ming's swashy illustrations are delightful and kids will giggle along with the different perspectives shown above and below ground, as well as cheering on Rabbit as he outwits Fox.

Verdict: This is a little long for a toddler or preschool storytime, but I can't wait to try it out on my 1st graders and see them savor Fox getting his comeuppance. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780358683346; Published October 2023 by Clarion; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to my library order list

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

There's no such thing as vegetables by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

 This book is hilarious and also warms the cockles of my fact-checking librarian heart.

Chester, a light-skinned Asian child, pops out to the garden with a basket to pick some vegetables. There's just one problem... well, two. First, the vegetables are talking! Secondly, they say they aren't vegetables! When he tries to investigate further, the broccoli tells him their name is Juanita, and they're a flower, not a vegetable. Potato is a root named Pietro, kale is a leaf named Beatrice, and everything else is a fruit. 

This can't be right. Chester knows what a vegetable is! But the more he tries to define it, the more confused he gets. The non-vegetables point out that there are lots of things humans define that are just made up, like money or countries. Finally, Chester gives up and sets off to have a sandwich. A follow-up by the author talks about social constructs and why we put things into categories.

Tsurumi's slyly humorous illustrations are the perfect fit for Lukoff's tongue-in-cheek prose. The innocent-looking vegetables slyly avoid chomping with their semantic arguments all whilst rolling their eyes and stubbornly refusing to give in to Chester's attempts to make them conform to vegetable-ness.

This book is funny and delightfully subversive on so many levels. It's got science and semantics, plant biology and debate. Enjoy arguing with kids as to whether or not vegetables are actually real and seeing the tipping point as they start to wonder what other things are "real" and what are just things grown-ups made up. Heh heh heh.

Verdict: A must-have for every library and a sure-fire hit in storytimes, especially with elementary-age kids on up through middle schoolers who love to argue.

ISBN: 9781250867841; Published February 2024 by Henry Holt; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Monday, March 11, 2024

Browsing the beginning chapter books: Owl Diaries: Eva's big sleepover by Rebecca Elliott

Genre: Fiction, Anthropomorphic animals
Protagonists: Primarily female; Animals
Reading level: 500-600s; M
Series: Currently at 19 books with a 20th to be released fall 2024
Originally reviewed in 2018

Review: 
I am not an infallible judge of books. Evidence of this is my review of Owl Diaries when it first came out, back in 2015. I felt pretty "meh" about the first book, Eva's Treetop Festival. I'm here with the ninth book in the series and I freely admit that I was wrong.

In Eva's latest adventure, she is excited about her first sleepover. But when she takes her hatch-day shell to school for show and tell, she's upset by a careless comment from another owlet. Now she wishes she didn't have to invite Sue - but when Sue turns down her invitation she feels differently. With the help of her friends and family, will she be friends again with Sue and will they all have fun at her sleepover?

The story is in diary format on lined pages with a plethora of brightly colored illustrations. I'm sure all the kids have memorized which owl is which, but other than trying to remember that Eva is the one with the pink head and big blue circles around her eyes, I can't keep them straight. It's not as challenging as the more substantive Branches titles like Dragon Masters or Eerie Elementary, but it's a little more challenging than Boris. It is easy to follow the text and speech bubbles and the text is bold, if not large.

Do I still think that it's pretty stereotyped and formulaic? Yes. Does the endless drama give me a headache? Absolutely. Do kids love this to the point of literally fighting each other for copies? Oh yeah.

Verdict: I am now buying at least 4 copies of each new title and separating students (and siblings) as they each want their own copy! It seems to exactly hit the sweet spot for 2nd grade girls (I haven't run into any boys willing to read them) and they eagerly await each installment.

Revisited: Now an apple tv show, the kids, still primarily girls, still eagerly await each new title although I now only buy two copies. With more kids struggling to read, I have more 3rd and 4th graders reading the series now.

ISBN: 9781338163070; Published 2018 by Scholastic; Purchased 4 copies (paperback) for the library

Sunday, March 10, 2024

This week at the library

After a lot of very quiet programs, I had almost
20 at Project Explore this week!
Programs

  • Itty Bitty Bopping Bakers
  • Paws to Read
  • Family Storytime
  • Pokemon Club
  • Outreach storytimes at preschool/4K (approx. 6 sessions)
  • Winter Wigglers
  • Library on the Go at 1st grade (3 classes)
  • Project Explore
  • Family Storytime
  • Fact Finders
  • Outreach storytimes at 5K (3 classes)
  • Young Fiber Artists

    Meetings, Outreach, etc.
    • Managers' meeting
    • Girl Scouts (hosting)
    • Treehouse Play Therapy (hosting)
    Notes
    • I got a good start on relabeling our board books and my big nonfiction orders with Capstone and Lerner finalized. There's still plenty to do, but I'm done for the week! Oh, and Paws to Read was cancelled on Monday, but it was just as well b/c we spent that time in the basement and have been trickier with puppies. Although possibly more fun. Also finished the February new book spotlight.

    Friday, March 8, 2024

    This little kitty; This little kitty in the garden by Karen Obuhanych

    This little kitty is a fairly typical cute cat, rhyming story with charming illustrations mimic a variety of textures. A brown-footed person wakes up as do a group of cats - a yellow-eyed black cat, grey cat with flattened ears, stripy orange cat, fluffy calico, and a black and white kitten. They go through the day eating, playing, and causing havoc. "Rested and ready to/cause a bit of trouble,/this little kitty/bats at the bubbles." The story ends with brown and white hands petting (and getting bitten) by the cats, then the lights go out and it's time for bed... but not for the black kitty, who is just two shining (and very awake) yellow eyes in the darkness. The illustrations are charming although the rhymes are a little shaky.

    In the second book, This little kitty in the garden, the five cats return for a fun day outdoors. They chase bugs, sneeze at flowers, dig up the dirt, and splash in the water. The anonymous brown and white hands of the first book are revealed as two adults, dressed in pink and blue overalls, their faces still not shown. This book shows the improvement in Obuhanych's technique, with smoother rhymes "Leafy greens prefer some shade./The peppers like it hotter./Gently tuck the seedlings in/and sprinkle them with water." There's also more subtlety in the art, with each of the cats having a more defined image and personality.

    However, from a factual point of view, the second book really didn't work for me. Cats shouldn't be let loose outdoors - they kill large numbers of wildlife. Even if one can argue for the occasional outdoor presence of cats, carefully watched, cats are... not really an asset to gardening. Digging up a garden bed that cats have been in is... not a fun experience. Many plants are poisonous to cats as well, like the pepper plants the cats are shown lounging among.

    Verdict: The first book is a light-hearted celebration of cats while the second book is an improvement from a literary perspective, but not from a factual perspective. I'd like to say that most people would realize it's just for fun and cats are not really ideal gardening companions, but I've worked with the public for most of my life. However, if they're going to do something stupid, they'll probably do it regardless of whether or not it's pictured in a kids' book, so you might as well get this one and have fun reading it (with perhaps a reminder that cats are not ideal gardening companions.)

    This little kitty
    ISBN: 9780593435144; Published January 2023 by Alfred A. Knopf; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

    This little kitty in the garden
    ISBN: 9780593435175; Published January 2024 by Alfred A. Knopf; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

    Wednesday, March 6, 2024

    What's a germ, Joseph Lister? The medical mystery that forever changed the way we heal by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Daniel Duncan

     In some ways, it's hard to imagine a past when doctors and hospitals were filthy, disease-ridden places. On the other hand, with the prevalence of misinformation and conspiracy theories swirling around the medical field, many aspects of this narrative sound all too sadly familiar.

    Alexander takes the reader back barely 150 years into the past in the busy (and dirty) industrial town of Glasgow where a boy breaks his leg in a street accident. Even more horrifying, he's going to have to go to... a hospital! In brisk narrative style, punctuated with somewhat gruesome cartoons, the author takes the reader into the hospitals of the 1800s, where you were more likely to die of dirt and disease than whatever took you to the hospital in the first place. She intersperses stories of contemporary physicians and nurses, those who made medical advances and those who held medicine back, with the life of Joseph Lister. Building on the research of others and fighting against a resistant medical establishment, especially in America, Lister pioneered the concept of disinfecting before, during, and after surgeries, as well as the overall theory of germs causing illness. His work was the building block of modern, antiseptic surgeries and hospitals, as well as what are now considered the simple preventatives of washing your hands and other basic principles of cleanliness.

    Alexander includes sufficient back matter to further advance concepts and pique readers' interest into further research. She emphasizes Lister's willingness not only to pioneer new methods, but to update and improve as science moved forward, and touches on the new discoveries in the science of microbiology that have been made since Lister's time.

    Verdict: A readable and interesting exploration of a pivotal moment in Western medical history. Recommended.

    ISBN: 9780358538172; Published October 2023 by Clarion; Borrowed from another library in another consortium; Purchased for the library

    Monday, March 4, 2024

    Trim helps out by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Kristy Caldwell

     Trim, a snazzy little black cat with a white cross, is excited to be on his first voyage as ship's cat. He's not sure what his job is and checks in with the other animals on board, who tell him to go patrol the ship's hold and look for rats.

    The hold is dark and scary, but Trim bravely starts patrolling and even meets a new friend! Unfortunately, the friend tells him it's HER job to patrol the hold! When a "creepy, scary-looking" "rat" shows up, Trim is on the job, but makes a surprising discovery about what a rat really is. It turns out his new friend is a rat and he's successfully defended his friends from a scorpion that escaped from the ship's specimens.

    Happily, the new friends are ready to cooperate together and Trim looks forward to being the best ship's cat every. Hopkinson explains, in an author's note, a little about what historical fiction is and how Trim's story is based on a real-life scientific expedition that included a ship's cat. The book includes five short chapters and is similar in level to classic, longer easy readers like Houndsley and Catina, Mr. Putter and Tabby, or Cork & Fuzz.

    Caldwell's pictures are cute and friendly, showing a perky black cat, scuttling scorpion, and friendly rat with a cloak. Images of the various scientists and artists on board, drawing a rare flower and sorting specimens are shown mostly as legs and hands. Some liberties are taken with the real story, like portraying the artist, "Will" as a young boy with dark skin (he was actually 19 and white). There are lots of pictures of Trim running, pouncing, and exploring and some pretty vistas of the sea and sailing ship.

    Verdict: While not particularly historically accurate, this is a sweet and gentle series that will please young readers who like similar stories. I have a wide audience for Cynthia Rylant-type gentle readers and this will definitely find a place in my transitional chapters.

    ISBN: 9781682632918; Published October 2023 by Peachtree; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

    Sunday, March 3, 2024

    This week at the library

    My staff shifting board books, 
    after I got the first section set up.
    People are already pretty happy
    with the new arrangement - I just have
    to relabel everything now!

    Programs
    • Homeschool hangout
    • Paws to Read
    • Family Storytime
    • Winter Wigglers
    • Bookaneers
    • Family Storytime
    • TAB
    Meetings, Outreach, Etc.
    • Friends of the library meeting
    • School art show opening
    • Treehouse play therapy (hosting)
    • Book cafe materials for schools
    • Shifting board books into new shelving
    Notes
    • Don't hate me, but my teachers usually ask at least several weeks ahead for large projects and this one in particular they sent in almost a month ago for an event in March. I am delighted that all our elementary schools are getting on the book tasting/book cafe train, as the first school to do it has been very successful.

    Friday, March 1, 2024

    Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Where's the Bunny? by Ingela P. Arrhenius


     This is the latest entry in a long-running, popular board book series. The themes are generally focused on animals, although there are holiday and vehicle titles as well. This particular title includes various baby animals, although there aren't really any differences between them and adult animals.

    The covers are paper over board and the pages are thin cardboard. Each spread features a simple landscape with the text "Where's the ___?" and a felt flap to pull down showing the animal. This title includes a puppy, mouse, duckling, and bunny. The last spread asks "And where are you?" and the felt flap reveals a small mirror. The art includes simple patterns and bright colors.

    Verdict: There's nothing particularly stand-out about this particular volume, but it's worth noting when new titles in this series are released - they are not particularly sturdy, so need to frequently be replaced with new titles. However, they are so popular and suited to infants and toddlers that they are worth purchasing. Make sure to add this and other recent releases from the series to brighten your board book collection for spring.

    ISBN: 9781536232004; Published January 2024 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher

    Wednesday, February 28, 2024

    What a map can do by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated by Alberto Lot


     I'm always fascinated by picture books about maps, despite the fact that not only have I never really figured out how to read maps, I consistently get lost pretty much everywhere I go and have no sense of direction. Maybe it's just a dream of what could have been!

    This is a fun addition to the genre, featuring a smiling raccoon, who introduces the readers to the concept of maps. It starts with a map of a bedroom, then expands outwards to a neighborhood and city. Specific types of maps, like bus routes and museum guides are included here, before the journey widens once more to road maps, trail routes, weather maps, and star maps. The last few pages provide an index, with thumbnails, of all the different types of maps included in the book.

    The art is simple and cheerfully colored, with large, well-illustrated keys to the different maps. The explanatory text is fairly lengthy, but this is an informational, rather than read-aloud, book.

    Verdict: Pair this with other stories exploring maps like Mapping Sam by Joyce Hesselberth or Julie Dillemuth's titles to introduce young children to reading, understanding, and creating their own maps. This covers slightly different territory than the other titles so is worth purchasing for a complete introduction to the concept.

    ISBN: 9780593519981; Published July 2023 by Rise X Penguin Workshop; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

    Monday, February 26, 2024

    Browsing the beginning chapter books: Binder of Doom: Brute-Cake by Troy Cummings

    Genre: Humor; Creepy
    Protagonists: Male, Black
    Reading Level: 400s
    Series: Complete with 4 titles
    Originally reviewed in August, 2019

    Review: Long ago I read and reviewed the first book in the "Notebook of Doom" series, Rise of the balloon goons. Unlike some Branches series *cough* Owl Diaries *cough* where I was totally wrong that they would be popular, I knew right away that this one would fly off the shelf. This series has certainly followed through on its promise, producing book after book of mildly creepy, funny, and wacky monsters. The format and reading level have attracted readers of all ages - I even have middle schoolers who love to read it, as well as parents reading it with their kids!

    Naturally, when I saw the series was set to continue, I had to pick up the first book in the new series. The story opens with Alexander Bopp, (black) hero of the Super Secret Monster Patrol, feeling down in the dumps. They've fought off all the monsters (well, except for the members of the patrol themselves...) and now his friends are busy for the summer and he feels lonely. His dad signs him up for a summer class at the library and there he starts encountering strange occurrences which lead him to discover... a whole new set of monsters! He starts a new binder and gets back with his friends, but will they be able to defeat the Brute-Cake?

    I love that Alexander is still the leader, not the sidekick or the "friend" of the white kids. I love the positive image of the library - although I don't know of any libraries around here that offer "summer camp" type experiences where you can drop off your kids, there are many libraries that do this, so it's not unrealistic to include. The book is full of silly monsters, just the right amount of peril, and lots of black and white images. Of course, there are also the monster stat pages, goofy jokes, and clueless parents.

    Verdict: Sure to fly off the shelves just like the Notebook, make sure you've got plenty of copies of the Binder - and maybe think about trying some of those library activities!

    Revisited: I was disappointed that this series never went past four volumes, but it and the original series both continue to circulate briskly and are worth purchasing if you missed out on them when they were released.

    ISBN: 9781338314670; Published May 2019 by Scholastic; Borrowed from another library in my consortium (all my copies are checked out!); Purchased two copies for the library