Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Dead end in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Jack's life has gone down the drain. Everything seemed like it was going great - school was out, his dad wasn't there to see Jack sneak his Japanese war souvenirs, and he's all set for a summer of playing baseball with Bunny, the closest thing he has to a friend. The only drawback is his constant nosebleeds.

Then his mom hires him out to assist the elderly Miss Volker, his dad comes back with some crazy ideas and everything is out of control. Before Jack knows it, he's mixed up with dead bodies, melting wax, airplanes, and he's gotten grounded for the whole summer.

Filled with people that range from the mildly eccentric to the completely insane, Jack Gantos' newest novel is packed with strange characters, odd reflections, and throughout the whole story runs the theme of history and how it affects us and we affect it. By the end of the story, Jack may not be much better off or even sadder but wiser although he's learned a few lessons, but he's had one unbelievable summer.

I was feeling a little doubtful about reading this book because Jack Gantos leans heavily on the "quirky and not in a good way" type of characters, but I found myself snickering throughout most of the first half of the book. Then staring at the pages in disbelief, then reading insanely, unable to stop until I found out What Happened Next.

Now, I'm not sure how I feel about this title. Is it well-written? Yes. The characters are consistent, the prose is addictive, the historical sections are seamlessly blended into the plot and dialogue. Is it interesting? Well, it definitely held my attention throughout. Does it have kid-appeal? I don't know. I can certainly see myself booktalking it "Jack has a whole summer ahead of him...unfortunately, his mom has volunteered him to write obituaries, the town is dying - literally - and his dad is hatching one crazy scheme after another." Or, "This book is about melting wax, blood, death, and history." But will kids read past the first couple chapters and get involved in the quirky characters, historical meanderings, and oddly depressing atmosphere of life in a dying small town in the 1960s?

I'm not sure how I feel about the cover. It certainly represents the book well, but will kids pick it up? Gantos' other works aren't hugely popular at our library, although I've had one or two kids ask for Joey Pigza. I can see this title winning awards - historical fiction always seems popular with the committees, but I don't see it becoming a popular favorite.

Verdict: If you have enough budget to speculate, purchase it. I don't, so I'll wait to see if any kids ask for it or if it wins an award. Meanwhile, I'll pass out the arc to some selected test subjects and see what they think.

ISBN: 9780374379933; Published September 2011 by Farrar Straus Giroux; ARC provided by publisher

Monday, November 28, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: Off to Class by Susan Hughes

Hughes explores schools around the world from a green school in Canada to an orphanage for street children in Honduras, from schools in caves to schools on water. Every school has one thing in common; working to help children grow, learn, and have a better life.

Teachers and students at these schools often face incredible challenges; poverty, weather, culture, and funding. The schools in this book are divided into three chapters, "Working with the environment" which showcases schools that face environmental challenges or focus on environmental concerns, "No school? No way!" which talks about schools that serve children who didn't previously have a school or are disadvantaged by poverty, gender, or tradition and "One size doesn't fit all" showing alternative schools that adapt to non-Western cultures, or unconventional philosophies.

Some of the interesting schools show in this book include:

Boat schools in Bangladesh that bring education to children in areas with frequent flooding.

Arthur Ashe charter school in New Orleans, which offers an edible schoolyard, and environmental education on caring for wetlands.

The Stung Mean Chey Center in Cambodia, which offers free schooling, school supplies, and a small amount of money and rice to the children who live in the slums around the dump, Stung Mean Chey.

The Dongzhong Primary School, serving some of the Miao people in China - and housed in a cave!

A school in Siberia that follows the nomadic Evenk people and teaches children to deal with the modern world as well as retain their heritage.

An unschooling family in the US who has school in a treehouse.

A specially designed school for the children with sensory impairments in Hazelwood, Scotland.

The text is written clearly and in short, readable sections with plenty of photographs and interesting facts. This is a great look at how children go to school around the world and well worth adding to your nonfiction collection.

Verdict: It's easy to be fascinated by other children's lives when they're as interesting as this book! Kids and parents will enjoy reading about the variety of school around the world and the excellent layout of the book makes it accessible and intruiging. Recommended.


ISBN: 978-1-9268863; Published August 2011 by OwlKids; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Saturday, November 26, 2011

This week at the library; or, how could a 3 day week have so much aggravation?

No programs this week, instead we are interviewing for our cataloguer position and I am desperately searching for a car, since I have no transportation and need something by Dec. 1 when I have outreach visits...also had a committee meeting and a scheduling meeting with Miss Pattie.

Also planning next year's programs and sorting summer reading books and walking back and forth across town looking for a car...

No car! No internet! Argh!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Anna Hibiscus' Song by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Anna Hibiscus stars in her own picture book! After several great beginning chapter books, the team of Atinuke and Lauren Tobia have created a lovely and joyous picture book.

Anna Hibiscus is happy, so so happy! She goes to each member of her family in turn, asking what they do when they are happy and is invited to join in squeezing hands, pounding yams, turning somersaults, dancing and more. Anna Hibiscus' joy grows until she finds her own special happiness activity - singing!

The simple, joyful text celebrates the everyday happiness of life, while Lauren Tobia's illustrations show an exciting world very different from that of American children, but still full of special places to go and things to do, and loving families.

Children and parents will want to think about their own happy things to do and explore the simple, uncomplicated happy things in life like spending time with family, singing and dancing, after reading this exuberant tribute to family.

Verdict: This picture book is a great introduction to the wonderful world of Anna Hisbiscus. Kane Miller is now a subsidiary of Usborne, so librarians and parents will want to either order direct from Usborne or Kane Miller, or purchase a like-new copy on Amazon, since this book may not be available through your usual vendor. Definitely worth a little extra effort though!

ISBN: 9781610670401; Published August 2011 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by publisher

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jim LaMarche

Tiger Rose loves her happy, peaceful home. She loves all the beautiful things in her world. But she's old and tired and her body hurts. She says goodbye to the animals that have been her friends, and the animals she has chased, to the parents who have fed her and the children who have loved her. She says goodbye to everything and then curls up to sleep and in her sleep makes one last jump into the sky and becomes part of everything around her.

Jane Yolen has written a beautiful, poetic text which is joined by Jim LaMarche's soft pastel illustrations to create a comforting story about the natural cycle of life and death. Depending on your beliefs about death, for humans and/or animals, this is a gentle and reassuring story for children dealing with the death of a pet.

I wouldn't recommend putting this into the general picture book collection, since most parents will want to review it before reading it to their children, but it's a good addition to your parenting or tough topics collection.

Verdict: This is one of the better children's books about death, especially of a pet, and if you have a suitable place for it in your collection, I recommend purchasing it for parents looking for a general "it's all natural" approach to death and grieving.


ISBN: 9780375866630; Published May 2011 by Random House; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates

Monday, November 21, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: Arcadia Kids city/state guides by Kate Boehm Jerome

 This series is a nice mixture of local history and tourist destinations kids will find fun as well as educational. I even learned a few things about my own hometown, Austin!

Each book starts out with a spotlight on the city, including population, sports teams, and one interesting fact about the city. More fun numbers follow, then an overview of the city through the senses; sound, smell, sight, and more. Other sections include Strange but True, Marvelous Monikers (interesting names and the places they represent), past historical events. The second half of the book is an exploration of the whole state by geographical features, then by historical events, and finally through the people, environment, and local features like celebrations and jobs. The book ends with more facts and photographs and further resources.

This won't be useful for parents looking for a travel guide to a specific city, but it's great for a family planning to visit a city in a new state and wanting an overview. It's easy to pick out interesting destinations from the facts and stories offered throughout the books as well. The set I was given to review included:

Austin:  I completely missed the renaming of Town Lake; it's now Lady Bird Lake, but everybody I know still calls it Town Lake, so it's doesn't really seem to have "taken." The other facts and highlights are accurate, although I wouldn't have highlighted Keep Austin Weird Fest instead of Austin City Limits or SXSW. The book does a good job of including a little bit of everything about a state with a lot of variety.

Philadelphia: I don't know that I would have included coal mining in the "Creating Jobs" section. Right after the protecting the environment section and right before local celebrations. Of course, not living in PA, all I see are the news stories about the coal industries effect on the environment, school propaganda, and coal miners trapped and dying. Is PA really a huge agriculture state? I've just been reading some statistics on the history of agriculture in the United States and it doesn't seem like enough people are actually still employed on farms to merit it being included as a major part of workforce economy.

I also looked at Boston and Richmond. All of the titles claim that people of the state love to be outdoors...well, I guess it could be true. They also each have a note in the jobs section "Pennsylvanians have a great respect for all the brave men and women who serve our country." Or Texans, or whatever...Reading a large stack of series nonfiction simultaneously may be a bad idea, huh? By about the third book it all kind of sounds the same.


Verdict: If you want an affordable series that combines state and tourist information, this would be a perfectly acceptable choice. It doesn't offer enough information to replace your State books, if you have a lot of school assignments calling for them, and they aren't designed to be travel guides (but there aren't many travel guides for kids, except for the Kidding Around series anyways). If there's not much call for these subjects, I'd recommend this series to efficiently do the job of two expensive nonfiction series. A bit repetitive, but what nonfiction series isn't?

ISBN: 9781439600887; Published May 2011 by Arcadia; Review copies provided by the publisher through Raab Associates.


Saturday, November 19, 2011

This week at the library; or, The secret to teen programming

Monday was Monday. I was happy Miss Pattie was able to do evening storytime after all, so I didn't have to come back tonight.

Tuesday. I have discovered the secret to teen programming - having someone other than me doing it. We had about 14 people at our Twilight party, evenly divided between adult and teen fans. Fun! And our Friend Katie did most of the work!

Wednesday. HUGE preschool interactive! I think at least 35 people, maybe 40! Small Lego Building Club.

Thursday. Came in late to work, spent the morning and early part of the afternoon getting my friend Sara The Librarian to drive me back and forth trying to junk my wrecked car. Ended up having to buy a replacement title because I couldn't find mine.

Friday. My internet provider goes out of business. Why can nobody offer simple, affordable internet service? This is my THIRD ip in three years.

Can I pleeeeease skip November next year?

Friday, November 18, 2011

Bloomswell Diaries by Louis Buitendag

Ben is a little worried about going to America to stay with his mysterious uncle, but it's more exciting than getting left behind by his parents yet again. But when Ben arrives something mysterious is happening and he makes a horrible discovery; his parents are missing, presumed dead.

Or are they? The newspaper accounts can't be right; they were alive and with him on the date they went missing. Then his uncle mysterious disappears and terrifying men take him prisoner, men who include one of the strange and frightening tinmen. Ben finds himself locked up in a Dickensian orphanage/school with cruel boys and a possibly insane headmaster.

Desperate to find out the truth about his parents and uncle, and even more worried about his sister, at a boarding school in Switzerland, Ben manages to escape with the help of another imprisoned boy named Mackenzie.

Will Ben make it to Switzerland before the mysterious criminals capture his sister? Where is the rest of his family? And who is the sinister figure following Ben everywhere he goes?

This is a fast-paced adventure story with a flavor of steampunk and a definite Dickensian touch a la Joan Aiken. I read it quite breathlessly, eager to find out what happened at the end - and was sadly disappointed that it is, of course, a series. However, when I thought about it some more afterwards, I wasn't quite as happy with the story. It's strung out unnecessarily in my opinion. I would have skipped the entire school sequence and a large number of the mysterious hints and packed the whole story into one volume instead of dragging it out into sequel(s). This is a first novel, so hopefully the author will tighten his plots a little more in future writings. Although the plot could have been refined and some of the plot points tightened, and a little less of the constant shifts in friends/enemies cleared up, this was overall a fun adventure story with exciting pace and interesting characters.

Verdict: An additional purchase if you have kids who are fans of Lemony Snicket and are willing to read more stories with the Dickensian flavor. Sadly, I haven't met any middle grade  fans of Joan Aiken or steampunk, but if you have them you'll want this fun adventure.


ISBN: 9781935279822; Published March 2011 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by the publisher

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Food Fight: A graphic guide adventure by Liam O’Donnell, illustrated by Mike Deas

This graphic novel didn’t really work for me. Just so you know.

Devin is stuck at a stupid summer camp for babies for two whole weeks. His mom has just gotten a special research grant; his sister is excited to be a counselor, so it’s just Devin who’s suffering. Reluctantly, he helps out with gardening and tries to get away as often as possible, until suddenly his own worries and resentment are forgotten; somebody is sabotaging his mom’s research project and he has to figure out who it is – or she could lose her grant and her job!

The art is attractive and cleanly drawn with a clear progression between the panels. There are some good moments of adventure and Devin is a realistic enough character to interest kids. However, I have two complaints about this book. First, the story will be popping along, and suddenly, wham, we stop for a page of information. Now some of the information is ok and kind of fits into the story, like the page and a half on how to plant beans in a garden. But…um...the whole page on how to properly wash your hands? Seriously? Then we’re suddenly reading food labels and discussing healthy eating. For two pages. Now, you can skip these sections; they don’t add anything to the story and that’s probably what most kids will do. But, they break the story up badly and they are extremely…juvenile. Exactly what age is this book intended for? It’s my understanding that Orca specializes in publishing for reluctant readers. This particular graphic novel appears to be recommended for ages 8 – 12. However, the type is extremely small, a perennial complaint of mine; kids will not read graphic novels with small type! and while the overall mystery is older, the sudden drops into lecturing on washing hands and proper nutrition are not something a tween is going to want to hear.

Finally, the story is just…too convoluted for the projected audience and all the other stuff that’s been dumped into it. Devin’s mom is involved in plant research and an Evil Corporation thinks that since they are funding the research they should get to test their Environmentally Damaging Pesticides. Various groups have been protesting this, as well as genetically altered foods. Devin’s mom’s lab gets broken into and her experiments damaged and she’s framed for the plot. Turns out, the Evil Corporation is going to force their own special fertilizer on farmers, a fertilizer which will make farmers dependent on the company for more fertilizer. But, they’re not the ones damaging the labs or experiments; that’s just a jealous colleague. The Evil Corporation is discredited on the internet and has to withdraw their fertilizer and Devin’s mom keeps her job and finishes her experiments (no information on where the money came from after their sponsor presumably withdrew).

Verdict: It was a good idea and there are some “educational” comics that are fun as well, but this is just too complicated and the info dumps are too jarring. I think some of the other titles in this series might be better, there are several sports ones and I think kids would like fact sections in those, so while I don’t recommend this specific book, the format might work well for some of the other titles.

ISBN: 9781554690671; Published April 2010 by Orca; Borrowed from the library

Monday, November 14, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: Build your own fort, igloo, and other hangouts by Tammy Enz

 This series, Build it yourself, seems like a great idea. I'm always looking for books that will inspire kids to DO SOMETHING other than just "hang out". Of course there was the required warning to have an adult help with "saws and sharp knives" but I was excited when I saw the "gather your gear" section that instructed readers to gather tools ranging from pencils and tape measures to drills, metal snips, sandpaper, and pliers.

Then I read the book. Oh, the disappointment. Duct tape is really the only tool used. Nothing, heaven forbid, "dangerous" is actually employed.

The projects are "soda box brick fort" which uses soda boxes and duct tape. Kids are instructed to wear rubber gloves for the Tie-dye tepee. You do get to pound in a couple nails for the edible garden fort, but readers are tipped to put an old rug inside the fort to keep their clothes clean. Umbrella tent? Ooo, scissors. Leafy hut? Well, it's not mentioned but I suppose you could cut the branches rather than just mysteriously find "6 straight, clean branches" but make sure you wear gloves to protect your hands from the wire. Colorful snow castle? Make sure adults help you lift the heavier buckets of snow. Glowing igloo? Don't forget that battery-powered candle. Fire is dangerous!

Of course I don't want kids to be hurt. But what's wrong with a little dirt or a few scratches? These books are recommended for ages 9-12; a nine year old should be able to get his or her clothes dirty, use a hammer, pound in nails, use a saw, pliers, drill...basically all those tools they gathered at the beginning and NEVER USED. There's really only two structures in this book anyways, the tee-pee and the block building. All can be built with some tape and string and are the kind of fort a six year old would think was cool.

When I was a tween, we built precarious forts in trees, that were basically planks across branches. We built forts out of old logs that creaked alarmingly when you walked on them. We cut down thorn vines to make play spaces. Without supervision. Hey, guess what? I'm still alive and so are all my siblings.

Verdict: As a sample of today's over-protective culture that bleeds the life out of children's play, this is a perfect book. I won't be buying it though; I'll be looking for a book that shows kids how to actually make something with real tools.

ISBN: 9781429654364; Published January 2011 by Capstone; Borrowed from the library

Saturday, November 12, 2011

This week at the library; or, recovering from last week

I finished off the Week From Hell by having a car accident, so... Yay.

No programs Monday. Went home early because I was miserably sick and had to call insurance people.

Tuesday, Make it and Take it - 5 kids came and painted butterflies. Yep, this program is dead.

Wednesday, Preschool Interactive - it's hard to do storytime when you can barely croak. I forgot about an expected school visit, but it was ok since it was just a small group - the local special education school - and we read some stories and made butterfly masks. Then I croaked my way through a few hours at the desk and Messy Art Club. Our Messy Art Club theme was "What can you do with a leaf?" I had bags of leaves (I paid our middle schoolers in candy to collect them for me), crayons, paper, sandpaper, scissors, and glue. I put out various books and print outs to spark ideas - Look what I did with a leaf! by Sohi, Leaf Man by Ehlert, and ideas from Pink and Green Mama and MaryAnn Kohl. We had a decent showing - about 25 - despite the sudden appearance of snow. Having music playing cheered things up a bit as well.

No programs Thursday. Croaked and coughed my way through meetings and desk time.

No programs Friday. Cough.

(Ok, technically there are programs, but I'm not doing them so...)




Friday, November 11, 2011

President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston

Brianna has her life exactly planned out; she’s going to follow in the footsteps of her heroine, celebrity chef Miss Delicious by being president of her fifth grade class, then she’s going to become a famous cupcake chef and make millions! She and her friends are already super at saving money and they’re all set for a winning campaign.

But everything goes wrong. First, the school changes the rules and now she’s not just running for president of her class against Todd the Toad, she’s running against everyone to be president of ALL the fifth grade classes! Next, a new girl shows up. Jasmine Moon is mysterious, fascinating, and she’s running for president too! Then Brianna’s best friend Becks gets put onto Jasmine’s campaign and things go downhill from there.

Now, instead of running a successful campaign with her three best friends, Brianna is paired up with Raymond “the Weasel” who is encouraging her to cheat and reveal Jasmine Moon’s darkest secret – after all, she tried to do the same thing to Brianna! Her friends aren’t talking to her, she accidentally dyed her hair blue, and she embarrassed herself in front of the entire school. The only bright spot is her new job making cupcakes for the Weasel’s mom.

In the end, Brianna has to decide what’s most important; her friends or winning – and what being president of the whole fifth grade really means.

This is a story that 4th and 5th graders will eat up with glee. Interesting and realistic characters and a plot they can identify with as well as funny incidents, a little drama, and a lot of cupcakes will make this a favorite. I did find the character of Weasel a little unbelievable – not his exaggerated behavior, which I can completely see a 5th grade boy doing, but his ability to keep it up throughout the story. However, kids will probably find that hilarious. I also wondered why we never really see Brianna’s parents – she seems to stay with her narcoleptic grandfather every day after school, she gets advice from her aunt, and when things finally fall apart completely she confides to Weasel’s mom, in whose bakery she works. Where were her parents during all of this?

These were my few minor quibbles though and on the whole this is a fun, interesting story. And bonus points for a story about an African American girl who doesn’t live in the inner city AND is pictured on the cover! Now if we can just see a few more similar books about Latina/Latino boys and girls…

Verdict: A well-written and fun story both boys and girls will enjoy. Good messages that aren’t hammered home with a pickax and a diverse cast of characters. Recommended for both school and public libraries.

ISBN: 9780316114325; Published October 2010 by Little Brown; ARC provided by publisher

Monday, November 7, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: On Parade: The hidden world of animals in entertainment by Rob Laidlaw

Rob Laidlaw takes the stories he's heard and what's he's observed in twenty-five years of observing animals in entertainment and captivity and creates a strong case for animal-free entertainment. Laidlaw describes how animals have been exploited throughout history up to the current day, especially in circuses and in movies and television shows.

The efforts to move abused and exploited animals to sanctuaries and other safe places is detailed as well as changes in laws that have been slowly improving how animals are treated. Laidlaw looks at abuses around the world, especially in places that do not have laws to protect animals or are struggling to enforce those laws. He finishes the book with a discussion of ways to replace animals in entertainment, with CG images in television and movies, human actors in circuses, and people refuses to patronize shows that use live animals.

Some of Laidlaw's ideas and pronouncements seem a little unrealistic - he doesn't approve of keeping elephants captive for breeding, saying "It seems to me that breeding elephants may be good for circuses but not too helpful to conservation because it's unlikely any of these elephants will ever be returned to the wild. Besides, elephants have no problem breeding and producing calves in the wild. They just need to be kept safe from poachers and to have their remaining habitat protected." Oh, is that all? Now why didn't anybody think of that before? Some other pronouncements are also a bit simplified and there's not much information about how people in third world countries who depend on exploited animals and tourism for their livelihoods, should survive with the animals gone. He admits that the sanctuaries that take in exploited animals have limited space, but doesn't offer any other options - either for the animals whose survival in the wild would be doubtful, or for the people, especially in third world countries, who base their livelihood on these animals. I would also have liked more organized documentation of the Laidlaw's stories and observations.

However, for the most part the book is well-documented and reasonably objective. There are plenty of resources for kids who want to get involved and the descriptions of abuse are realistic but not overly graphic. The book is written in a lively and fast-paced style with plenty of photographs and additional information.

Verdict: Recommended for kids interested in animals and/or getting involved in a good cause. Definitely something to think about when booking summer performers.

ISBN: 9781554551439; Published November 2010 by Fitzhenry and Whiteside; Borrowed from the library

Saturday, November 5, 2011

This week at the library; or, The week from hell

We officially dubbed this the week from hell last month, when we realized that half our staff would be on vacation or at the Wisconsin Library Association for most of the week, I have 100 first graders in addition to our regularly scheduled programs, and we're finishing the week with our big craft fair fundraiser.

In more philosophical news, I just finished reading Last child in the woods by Richard Louv and am thinking of ways I can incorporate more nature into programming and collection development. I'm thinking a snowman building program in January, more outdoor programming in the summer, and looking for more books on local flora and fauna, rather than more exotic creatures and locations.

Monday - Actually pretty quiet morning. Didn't even have any computer problems, other than the recurring issue of our website refusing to load on the reference desk computer, a patron who couldn't access her internet provider's email, someone who didn't know how to use the scanner, three printing issues, a sudden influx of a bunch of older teens requesting guest passes. Also the pacs all died as I went off the desk.

Afternoon - Working through displays, checking the new stuff  for old stuff, resetting the storytime room, scheduling groups and filling out paperwork for our Kohl's Wild Theater program. Belatedly remembered that A. I have a volunteer coming tomorrow while I'm gone, B. I have to sew 30 fingerpuppets before Wednesday morning and C. I forgot to write press releases for all the November/December publicity. Words inappropriate for a children's librarian were said. Random thought - I wonder if the constant headache I've been having at work is due to my sinuses or the stifling heat? I'm going with heat because I felt better as soon as I got outside and could breathe again (also, it was about 20 degrees cooler outside).

Evening (at home) - Five more Cybils reviews, drafted out a two-volume review for No Flying No Tights (it's a new edition of a classic comic, so I spent a long time carefully comparing it, panel by panel, to two previous editions to see if there were any changes), cut out 30 felt finger puppets, a little comfort reading, a few dishes (if the mold's not actually moving, it's not urgent) made arrangements for driving to my conference tomorrow.

Tuesday - Came in at 8:30, set up for my school visit, started working on more publicity. 40 1st graders at 9am prompt, I did a tour and long storytime, then gave the teachers library cards to hand out when they got back. Helped set up for toddler storytime for Ms. P. then worked on publicity then discussed picture books - I give Ms. P new ones to test out and we picked what I should order later. Checked order list to make sure it was ready to send next week and made supply lists for the rest of the year, mostly for our Twilight party and a few other things. Left at 11:30 with Sara The Librarian for our summer reading conference in Milwaukee at the Planetarium/Museum. I was kind of disappointed - we had a session with lots of facts about stars and various activities, but nothing I couldn't have picked up off the internet (and while the rockets looked cool, I am still working my way up to letting the kids use a hot glue gun!). Watched the new IMAX of Cleopatra - I've never seen IMAX before. Conclusion: I'm glad I didn't have anything but a cheesestick for lunch. IMAX is NOT for me! Then had a session about all the things the museum offered...for students and teachers in the vicinity of Milwaukee. Stopped for dinner with Sara The Librarian on the way back and at the fancy grocery store for cheese, artichokes, and special mangoes (I dunno what they're called, I just call them the curvy little yellow ones). Discussed collection development, teen programming, summer programs, and religion (we cover the ground). Got back to the library around 7pm, sent supply order, answered some emails, looked over some plans for Twilight party left by the Friend I'm collaborating with. Got home around 7:20. Sewed 30 finger puppets.

Wednesday - Came in around 8:20. Set up for school visit and storytime. 40 1st graders at 9am, our books for the two 1st grade visits were:

  • The book that eats people by John Perry (will have to retire this one as they've all heard it by now. Sigh.)
  • Happy pig day by Mo Willems
  • Leonardo the terrible monster by Mo Willems
  • Prudence wants a pet by Cathleen Daly
  • Pete the cat I love my white shoes by Eric Litwin (I didn't like this one at first, but the kids adore it and it's growing on me. Probably on others as well, since I have now taught approximately 300 kindergarten, 1st graders, 2nd graders, and preschoolers the "shoe song")
Immedately afterwards, preschool storytime. Extra big group! Then I raced through misc. emails and notes on my desk and put together various packages, took package to the school, book basket to preschool (missed them - will have to go tomorrow) and then a lightning visit to Walmart to buy programs stuff, and I managed lunch!
Desk from 1-4. Very quiet, which was good, as I had publicity and various planning things to get through, plus setting up for Lego club whilst leaping for the phone.
Lego club from 4-5. Our numbers are up again! Clean up. Get home around 5:30.

Thursday - left home early around 10:30 to take books to the preschool. Got the books in, but they were in the middle of storytime so I wasn't able to pick up last month's books. Will have to make a third visit. Do you see how this week is going? The rest of the afternoon was cleaning piles of repair books etc. off my desk, mailing stuff, meeting the Friend about the Twilight party (had to clean my desk off so I could lay out the stuff), updating displays, cleaning out the Storyroom, planning the crafts for Saturday, etc. etc. Evening on the desk was crazy busy and just plain crazy (weird racist outburst? creepy guy? annoying security cases that will not lock? library website still refuses to load on, and only on, reference computer? lights went out? large group of middle schoolers suddenly decide to tell me everything they don't like about the teen room, from the "boring" paint to the "naughty" books? yep, all of the above). I develop hamster brain and thankfully go home to bed (or rather to read romantic suspense b/c, you know, hamster brain!)

Friday - Almost to the end...came in at 8:30 to open, 9-12 on the desk; it's the first Friday of the month so most of the morning was toddlers and parents coming to storytime and stopping to complain about parking (first Friday of the month is when the Senior Travel Club meets in our community room, which is controlled by Parks and Recreation. They use up 90% of the parking and they get here early)
Stopped by the preschool (third visit this week!) to pick up our Halloween books
Went home, washed my hair, grabbed some lunch, read some E. Nesbit, wrote more Cybils reviews, had a Skype interview
Went back to the library, got one of the middle schoolers hanging around to help me carry the baskets and boxes in, picked up publicity, returned books from preschool, went back out to my car, yelled at the middle schoolers (it's a parking lot not a playground!)
Took publicity to two other libraries
Went back to library
Yelled at middle schoolers again
Started set up for tomorrow's programs
Got home around 5:45pm

Saturday - the final day! Got to work around 8:15 (remembered to walk at the last minute so I was a little late). Set up the storyroom for crafts, set up the children's area for the clown, discovered the computers weren't working, went over my November order lists, fiddled with the computers, filled in the displays, made more bookmarks (a horrendous process b/c our copier is insane), worked more with the computers...gave up on the pacs, as long as we have the internet computers up people will be happy.
Then it was 10 and time to open (although we'd been shooing people out for the last hour, since we have our silent auction items inside the library, but the craft fair is outside and opens at 9, but we don't open until 10...anyways, me and my sore throat were ready for business.
I had four tables of crafts in the storyroom - leaf streamers, feather masks, and two tables of beading. We had at least 50 people in and out during the day - Open Storyroom was very successful and I'll be trying that again in January I think.
Whistles the Clown, who did balloon animals was a big hit and about 30 kids got really cute balloons.
Whilst all this was happening, I was dealing with an endless stream of people, including genealogical questions (why today?) some of our...less pleasant...patrons, and dying computers, as the internet computers went dead one by one to join the pacs. It slowed down a little by 12:30, leaving me and my sore throat and headache in relative peace.
We closed at 2, I helped clean up from the craft fair, and arrived home around 3pm.

Finally over. I don't want weeks like this again please! (except in the summer, when every day is like this, but you expect that, so that's different)

Friday, November 4, 2011

Aliens on Vacation by Clete Smith

Somehow, I had thought this was a beginning chapter book, something along the lines of Pamela Service's Alien Agent series. This often happens to me. I have bought picture books thinking they were chapter books and vice versa...

David, aka "Scrub" has been sent to spend the summer with his grandmother, who he's never met. His first thought is she's a scifi geek...his second thought is she runs a bed and breakfast for geeks...and then he finds out that the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast is exactly that; a vacation spot on a "primitive" world for aliens. David adapts to his new job, helping the aliens blend in, running errands for Grandma, and waiting for the summer to end so he can get back to his normal life of basketball, television, and cellphones. But there's a suspicious sheriff, some mean teenagers, and a girl named Amy who's really into UFOs and the summer gets a lot more excited than David had expected.

David's growing friendship with Amy is complicated by the need to hide Grandma's secret - on top of the normal 7th grade awkwardness. There's lots of silly moments in the story, but the tenor as a whole felt very serious, with David immediately falling into protection mode, trying to keep his grandmother's secret even when she didn't seem to care. The interactions between the characters were strong and realistic, but the more mature characters didn't really match the goofy plot.

[SPOILERS]

There were a lot of sudden resolutions in the plot. Within a couple pages, David has gone from meeting his first alien, to complete acceptance and resignation to his new summer job. One little mistake and he wakes up in the morning with howling mobs surrounding the house. In the end, the sudden appearance of a few aliens turns a guy from a stereotypical backwoods sheriff waving a gun and fomenting a mob to the new head of alien security at the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast.

Which leads me to something I found rather annoying. While the characteristics of the kids were strong - David's friend back home that he's grown away from, although he won't admit it, his relationship with Amy, the fight he gets into with some local teens, even the behavior of the alien kindergarteners felt realistic, the adults were much weaker.

Although David's distant relationship with his parents is mentioned a few times, there's no real reason for us to believe that David is suddenly going to be closer to his dad, thanks to a summer, a weird secret, and his dad saying they need to talk. David's grandmother is a weird mixture of hippie and town eccentric, spouting wise sayings and cooking organic vegan food. Amy's dad, the sheriff, is even worse. Near the end of the story, she tells us that law enforcement is his whole life, all he's ever wanted to do; but that doesn't stop him from forming a mob, dispensing with a search warrant, and he's about to lead his crazed riot into the Bed and Breakfast by faking a gun shot from the hotel when David's quick thinking stops him. Why, exactly, is this guy so suspicious, so aggressive towards the aliens? It feels forced, like something the author imagines would happen in a small town. Now, I've never lived in a really small town and the smaller towns I've lived in have all been in the vicinity of cities, but in my experience the only thing local law enforcement would do about something like this would be to roll their eyes and get on with their real jobs - or encourage it for a tourist attraction. If it wasn't for the cell phone and internet references, I would have assumed this was historical fiction.

Verdict: I enjoyed reading this, but the plot was a little too choppy and the stereotyped adult characters bothered me. However, there isn't a lot of middle grade science fiction and it was pretty funny with some good kid/teen characters. An additional purchase.

ISBN: 9781423133636; Published May 2011 by Disney-Hyperion; Egalley provided by the publisher through NetGalley

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley

I discovered this gem back in the early spring and immediately fell in love with it. I read it to my storytime...when I subbed at Tiny Tots...to my preschool visits...I lent it to Miss Pattie who read it to her toddlers...to her babies...It is Just That Good. I realized immediately we needed a copy and, in a stunning piece of providence, a copy was immediately donated!

There's no actual plot or definite narrative. The "story" is just a series of gaily dressed animals and children performing an unending series of delightful antics. The simple rhyming text encourages children to perform actions ranging from clapping their hands to performing somersaults.

This is my "review" of how best to use it in storytime! I start with the kids sitting on the floor, "Clap your hands," then we stand up and "stomp your feet./Shake your arms,/then take a seat." Which gets us all back to the floor. We do the next few couplets sitting on the floor, "Rub your tummy,/pat your head./Find something yellow,/find something red." For some reason, finding the colors gets more excitement than some of the later loud noises!

Some of the kids will stand up for "Reach for the sky" and so by the time we get to "Stick out your tongue/and touch your nose." it's pretty confused. I skip the couplet that calls for a kiss - some of the kids would just sit there, but a fairly large proportion of them would bury me in slobber. This works ok with babies or toddlers though, as the parents can kiss their kids who are usually more in their vicinity. I skip the tickle couplet too, for the same reason. After some rather dizzy episodes, I try to have the kids just turn around once for "Spin in a circle" and I only include the somersault if we have enough space - and if the kids are old enough for most of them to know how to do one! The excitement mounts with the animal actions and I had 20 kids yelling their names and ages simultaneously at me the last time I did it, so I would leave that one out, along with the telling a secret. Then things just go nuts with animal actions, jumping, crawling, flying, and finally waving good-bye.

I strongly recommend finishing storytime with this one; if you can get the kids calmed down and back in their places for another story after this, you're an amazing librarian and I will sit at your feet!

Verdict: A must have both for your general collection and professional collection. Happily, it's still in print! Go forth and purchase!

ISBN: 0-399-22118-2; Published January 1997 by Puffin; Borrowed from the library