This week at the library; or, Chick Drama!

Monday  - morning on the desk, lots of work, afternoon staff meeting. We spent about half of it deciding on signage and rules for the chicks we're hatching. Touching vs. no touching vs. supervised touching and/or scheduled touching with or without local experts. These are the signs I ended up making (and the verdict is no touching. Officially. Unofficially, there will probably be touching...)

Tuesday - morning on the desk. our teen furniture arrived and I got the teens to help me carry it upstairs, unbox it, screw the legs in, and arrange it. Planning programs. Ordering summer materials.

Wednesday - extra big group (somewhere over 50) for Preschool Interactive! the entire preschool from the Catholic school (all 7 of them!) plus lots of out of towners on spring break (I don't know about other counties, but our towns have spring break when they feel like it) and a lot of people who just decided today was a good day for storytime. It was indeed, a very good day. For Messy Art Club in the afternoon we painted eggs. This went really well. I purchased styrofoam eggs from School Discount Supply and skewered them on wooden shishkebab sticks a staff member donated. The kids (and some parents!) painted them with acrylic paint and stuck them to dry in a box and egg cartons. I also had new books out for checking out. I'm not really sure how many people came. I had 72 eggs and we used all of them. Some kids made 1, some made 2, and some made 3 eggs. So at a conservative estimate we had at least 30 kids. Plus parents. I'm going with 45 people. Things I will change next year:

• Remember that I'm using egg cartons and start with them, instead of racing out to grab them 3/4 of the way through the program.
• Pre-punch the holes in the egg carton so I can stick the eggs on the ends of the sticks, rather than the middle, thus lessening the chances of kids getting their eyes poked out.
• Have little sticky labels the kids can write their name on and stick to the skewer.
• Buy more eggs.
• Ideally, I'd have a second person the whole time, giving out paint and emptying and refilling dirty water cups, but that's just a beautiful dream. I did pull in my aide, who really should have been shelving the overflowing carts of picture books, to help some.

Thursday - I went to our local comics shop to pick up this month's magazines, then drove out to Janesville to get our incubator, stopped at Michaels for fabric paint and twigs and floral foam (more on that later), then to Walmart for the rest of the t-shirts for next week's programs. This sentence does not convey the frustration and endless annoyances of the day. ARGH.

Friday - Yawn. So sleepy. The library is, as it was yesterday, very, very hot. Sooooo sleepy.

The Lobster Chronicles: Lower the Trap by Jessica Scott Kerrin

Graeme wishes he could escape from his boring small fishing town, Lower Narrow Spit. After all, he's going to be a marine biologist and he knows everything there is to know about the town and marine life there already.

But then Graeme's dad catches a huge lobster and suddenly Graeme realizes he doesn't know so much about his town after all. Why is the school bully, Norris, whose wealthy and nasty dad owns the cannery, so eager for Graeme to solve the mystery of who broke their teacher's beloved cactus? Is the giant lobster the same one three elderly men caught years before? Graeme desperately wants a trip to the Big Fish Aquarium and the lobster seems like his ticket to get there, but is it worth all the trouble he's getting into?

I'm in two minds about this book. On the one hand, it has a lot of things going for it that really make me want to like it. It's a realistic story about boys - Graeme has that consuming interest in a subject that so many elementary and young middle school boys have. He's so dead set on his dream, visiting the aquarium, that he doesn't stop to think how his actions are affecting the other people in town. There's interesting tidbits about fishing and marine life thrown in as well as a mystery. It's also short, only 125 pages, and I'm so tired of massive 300-400 page middle grade novels that most middle grade readers can't lift, let alone read. It's focused on something other than school and emotional relationships (have you noticed how many middle grade realistic fiction books featuring boys are focused on school and the boys' emotional responses?)

On the other hand...it's just not very well-written. The dialogue is clunky and awkward (how many kids even know what "audacious" means?), the characters' behavior isn't explained well, and the plot doesn't hang together well. Graeme's detective ability isn't supported by the story and the characters don't change or grow by the end of the story, staying static and one-dimensional to the end of the book. The giant lobster and fishing themes were interesting, but not well-fleshed out with lots of time given to the convoluted plot of the missing cactus which turns out to be mostly irrelevant, as is the plot thread with Graeme's sister. Because we never really learn anything about the other characters, their mass outrage when they discover what Graeme is doing doesn't ring true.

Verdict: I think this writer - and the series - shows promise but needs some work. If you have the budget, make this an additional purchase. Otherwise keep an eye on the author for and possible purchase later on.

ISBN: 97855453; Published March 2012 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by the publisher through Raab Associates

Shark King by R. Kikuo Johnson

Johnson combines and retells the legends of the Shark King for young readers in the newest graphic novel easy reader from Toon Books.

A young woman named Kalei goes down to a deserted spot on the beach to search for opihi...and narrowly escapes a huge shark when a strange man rescues her. They fall in love and are married and shortly before Kalei's baby, Nanaue, is born she realizes the truth - it is the Shark King himself who saved her! Nanaue is always hungry and has a strange mark on his back...which turns into snapping shark jaws! He steals food from the villagers until they learn his secret and he flees, discovering the place his father made for him and his father. They leave a gift for Kalei and she knows her Shark Kings are always with her.

The story is strange enough (or will be to my small-town Midwest patrons) to intrigue while the other has removed some of the violence and weirder elements of the original tales and smoothed the whole into a seamless plot. There's certainly still a creepy element to the story, which will delight young readers who like a little shiver in their story.

My favorite part of this book is the illustrations, bold and colorful, with sharp lines and a great font that fits perfectly with the design of the story and is still super-easy to read. Kalei's reactions to her husband and son are hilarious, especially in the spread with Nanaue's first steps - Kalei moves rapidly from delighted mother "you're walking!" to horrified resignation when Nanaue devours every speck of the huge heaps of food and asks for more "you're talking!" a few simple lines and shifts in body language will make parents snicker. Even though their kids aren't half-shark deities that devour everything in sight they can certainly sympathize with Nanaue's insatiable appetite and rapid growth! Pronunciation and explanations of unfamiliar terms and names are integrated into the story.

Verdict: Johnson perfectly hits the spot with this new title and I'm hopeful of more Toon Books from this author. This will be a hit with kids who like larger-than-life stories, a little bit of creepiness, and funny moments. Toon Books has had some very good titles since they began, but this is the first one I feel really measures up to the groundbreaking Stinky by Eleanor Davis. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781935179160; Published April 2012 by Toon Books (Candlewick); Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

North: The Amazing story of Arctic Migration by Nick Dowson, illustrated by Patrick Benson

It's difficult to find really good easy nonfiction, suitable for reading aloud. Ever since I started including at least one nonfiction title in my Preschool Interactive programs, I have been on a quest to find these elusive titles.

This makes it all the more exciting when I find a really amazing one like North! Simple, lyrical prose tells the story of the animals who migrate from across the world to the Arctic tundra as it slowly comes to life and blooms in the spring and summer.

The text is the perfect length to hold the attention of readers as young as preschool. The longest sections of text are still brief enough to read aloud easily,
     "Some of the first to leave on their journey are gray whales. This one is young. Water slides over her barnacled head as she glides through the blue of a Mexican lagoon--over crabs and sand, past boats and other whales, and out into the cold roll of the Pacific Ocean. For eight long weeks, she'll swim north without feeding..."
These longer sections of text are broken up by spreads with only a few words, or no words at all.

The art and design of the book is also amazing. Benson's pen, pencil and watercolor artwork brings out the details of the various animals and the homes they migrate from. The artwork and text builds together to a triumphant conclusion, showing the teeming life at the height of summer in a place many people think of as cold and dead. The overall design begins with a grey and stark view of the planet from outer space, then the swirling snow and barren landscape. At the end of the story, as the migrating animals leave, the landscape fades again to greys and whites and then returns to the view from outer space.

The book includes an afterword with more information about the Arctic, some websites, a glossary, and index.

Verdict: This book is amazing on so many levels; stunning artwork and exquisite text make it a book that parents and librarians will enjoy reading aloud and kids will relish hearing and seeing. Highly recommended.


ISBN: 9780763652715; Published November 2011 by Candlewick; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

This week at the library; or, the Burgeoning of Storytime

Monday - rather to my surprise, despite it being a no-school day, I actually managed to finish the April publicity while on the desk this morning. Then I drove out to our systems office to discuss grants and other stuff with our ys consultant. Devoted some time to pondering my egg craft - I bought styrofoam eggs and we're going to paint them, but I want to string them on fishing line or something first so the kids don't get paint all over their hands. I don't have a needle long enough...I could make the hole with a hat pin (yes, I own several hatpins. I'm just waiting for the right hat. I have yet to find somewhere that makes them to fit over a thick bun) but then how to thread the line through?

Tuesday - Our storytimes are overflowing and we have to do something about it! I am collecting gazillions of thoughts and ideas and we'll have a meeting and start implementing changes in the summer. Things were especially crazy this morning because there was election training in the community center, which meant no parking. Lots of hot and tired moms and kids trekking over from several blocks. At least the weather was nice. Then I realized that the circle die cut I had bought specifically for tomorrow's storytime hadn't even shipped yet, so I'd have to cut them by hand. Sigh. Ha, used our O die cut instead - it cuts a circle and a smaller circle within. Kind of a waste, but whatever. Webinar with other ys librarians talking about summer. Put out publicity in library. Stared at massive amount of stuff on desk. Suddenly remembered I told the 2nd graders coming tomorrow we would be doing ducks. Cut out a gazillion ducks.

Wednesday - Soon, please, I will have no more 3-program days! Preschool Interactive in the morning, smaller group of about 25 people. PI is really up and down as the weather gets nicer. Some days we have 45, some days 25. So far I have always had at least 10 kids which is kind of the "ideal number" we decided on. I am concerned though about the overcrowding of our toddler storytimes - many of the 3 year olds could really attend preschool interactive. But how to convince the parents to move to a different storytime? Looks like it's time for another campaign. I did this last summer and it was exhausting but it paid off. *girds loins*
Second grade class came at 1 - enthusiastic, excited, and hot! I talked to them about how we arrange books by Dewey Decimal and in fiction, they picked two books, and then they decorated ducks (and we discussed the meaning of the word "flock")
Then Lego Club. It was hot. No more need be said.
Ooooh, I could do the eggs on skewers!

Thursday I would like to get my hands on the kid who returned the middle school's copy of Harry Potter to us. I had to lug that sucker all the way over to the school's office and it was HOT. Elephant and Piggie Kids' Club. I am basically just grabbing stacks of books to read -  most of the kids don't show up until it's craft time anyways. We:

• read Listen to my trumpet! by Mo Willems
• read Easter Egg by Jan Brett (fell rather flat, as holiday books tend to imo)
• read Senorita Gordita by Helen Ketteman (loved it!)
• read The loopy coop hens by Janet Stoeke
• read North: the amazing story of Arctic migration by Nick Dowson (they were wiggly by that point)
• I don't know how I could have less than 10 kids but use up 11 snakes to paint. I told them to only do one, but I'm betting some couldn't resist
• and played in the puppet theater

It was a long evening, esp. since I had nothing to eat but a late breakfast and some crackers today.

Friday Pretty slow day, drizzly and cool.

My boyfriend is a monster: I date dead people by Ann Kerns, illustrated by Janina Gorrissen

Yes, I am actually reviewing a young adult title! Although I'd give these to middle-schoolers - they're perfectly appropriate for 6th grade and up.


Nora is settling in to her family's new house, a historic Victorian mansion once inhabited by a famous author, when she discovers the previous tenants haven't quite left...she's never been able to talk to boys, but Tom, the friendly ghost, isn't like anyone she's ever met and she's perfectly happy...until the other ghosts appear, and they're not so friendly. With the help of a psychic, Nora sends the evil and lost ghosts and the darkness they've brought away.

SPOILERS
I have several tween and teen girls at my library who adore this series - they're also manga fans. I admit that I like them too. It's a somewhat guilty pleasure, as I can clearly see the flaws after I read them...but they're so much fun in the reading! This one was mostly sweet and romantic and the art was much better than the fairy title Under His Spell (the zombie one, I Love Him to Pieces is still my all-time favorite though!). I did think the characters were a bit one-dimensional. The back says Nora is kind of living in the past, but we don't really see anything in the book that backs that up. Also, other than a rather dreamy attraction there doesn't seem to be a reason for Nora to fall in love with Tom. One minute she's shrieking in terror, the next she's calling him her boyfriend and the next they're kissing. However, I do really like that this series has a strong dose of reality. In previous books, the female lead does not go gaily waltzing off into the sunset with a paranormal creature because they are IN LOVE. In My Boyfriend Bites, the guy kindly but firmly points out that the girl needs to do some major growing up and he's got problems of his own, in Under His Spell the girl backs off from spending the rest of her life in a fairy kingdom. In this book, Nora does NOT end up with Tom, he moves on to his family in the afterlife and she finds a real, live boy who likes her.

Verdict: If you have tween or young teen girls who are looking for a gentle romance with humor and you would also like to subtly reinforce the idea that there's more to relationships than psychic tinglies, this is the series to get. This particular entry was more sweet than funny, but the art was strong and it's a strong entry in the series.


ISBN: 9780761385493; Published January 2012 by Lerner Graphic Universe; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

I've put off my review of this title several times because I'm so worried that I won't do it justice. It's always harder to write good reviews than negative (or critical, or bad, or whatever) reviews. It's easy to point at something and say "hey, this text is clunky, this artwork is pedestrian, and there's a TYPO!" but it's much harder (at least for me) to say exactly why something works, especially when it's a book as unique and beautiful as Virginia Wolf.

Virginia wakes up in a bad mood one day. She feels - and looks - quite wolfish. Nothing Vanessa does makes her feel better, until she coaxes her to tell her what would make the doldrums go away "If I were flying, I would travel to a perfect place. A place with frosted cakes and beautiful flowers and excellent trees to climb and absolutely no doldrums."

So Vanessa creates Bloomsberry, a magical garden that looks "just the way it sounded" and slowly Virginia is happy again.

There is, of course, inspiration here from the life of Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell. Not being much of a fan of Woolf, this aspect kind of passed over my head (most children won't pick it up either). But what did completely capture me about this story is that Maclear totally gets the doldrums, when everything is bleak and the mere presence of other humans is unbelievably annoying "Do not wear that cheerful yellow dress. Do not brush your teeth so loudly. Stop that racket!" and people trying to cheer you up just makes it worse. Any kid who's felt grumpy "just because" will sympathize.

Added to this is Arsenault's fascinating art, and here I wish I was really good about dissecting and talking about art so I could explain exactly what it is that makes me want to stare at this book for hours. There are so many ways this art is cool. The way Virginia is completely a wolf, but you can still see her girl-ness underneath. The shifts in color. The gray swashy bits that creep up and then are washed away by the most marvelous garden that Vanessa draws (and I will just add here that I looked up the art of the real Vanessa Bell and I much prefer Arsenault's pictures). Fortunately, Jules at Seven Impossible Things has done several features there and at Kirkus so you can read all about how amazing the art is from someone much art-articulate than I.

Verdict: This isn't one of those books that's going to instantly fly off the shelf - it's a little quirky, a little different. But once a few people discover it, Virginia Wolf will be one of those books that's passed from person to person and remembered and beloved by a few children. We need those special books in our libraries, as well as the super-popular and super-commercial titles. Squeeze it into your budget and watch children's faces bloom with delight as they are transported to Bloomsberry.

ISBN: 9781554536498; Published March 2012 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by the publisher through Raab Associates; Purchased for the library

Top 100 Picture Books and Chapter Books

Betsy Bird at Fuse8 is once again running her top 100 picture books and chapter books poll! I think I missed out on the picture books the first time around and found it insanely hard to choose - so I just meandered through my list of favorites for staff picks and my LibraryThing account and then looked at my shelves and...total luck of the draw, I just filled them in as I came.

1 Make way for ducklings by Robert McCloskey (charm, humor, and ducks. What more could a reader want?)

2 The Church Mouse by Graham Oakley (the original of course, not the new edition, which is ok but just isn't quite the same. Admittedly a little dated in the clothes and styles, but still as slyly funny and absorbing as ever)

3 Round Robin by Jack Kent (one of our library patrons has a tattoo of Round Robin. It's the only time in my life I've seriously considered getting a tattoo...Everything you need for a classic - bold, memorable pictures, a repetitive text full of child-like logic, and lots of hopping)

4 Corduroy by Don Freeman (A classic that never grows old)

5 There are cats in this book by Viviane Schwarz (I was completely bowled over the perfect combination of words, pictures, and movable parts in this book. Irresistible)

6 On our way home by Sebastien Braun (The exquisitely simple text is perfect for reading aloud to a very young child but what really makes this book stand out - and continually pops it on my librarian's favorites shelf - is the glowing, light-filled illustrations and the warmth shown between the parent and child bear.)

7 Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne (This was a discovery of mine last year and it deserves to be better-known. Counting, interesting fruits, animals to spy, and a cheerful, rollicking tale have made this a favorite at our storytimes!)

8 Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff (Pure, giggling, yelling, fun. No matter how many times I read it aloud, it always gets an enthusiastic and gleeful response)

9 Tiger who came to tea by Judith Kerr (Of course if a tiger came to tea he would eat everything. An extremely satisfying book that has stood the test of time)

10 Otto the book bear by Katie Cleminson (I know, it's only a few months old. And it's one of those adulating libraries books which I usually hate, since they always come off fake. But this story has held every group - including a group of esl families listening to a translator - spellbound. Cleminson's lovely watercolor and ink illustrations, paired with her simple but enticing plot move the reader from happiness to sorrow to the joy of finding one's true place and making friends. Sniff. So beautiful.)

I did do 100 chapter books last year and it was funny to see how my list was similar and different (no, I didn't peek!)

Fiction Middle Grade

1 The River at Green Knowe by L. M. Boston (To me, this is the most magical of all Boston's lovely stories. She perfectly captures the sense of amazement and awe of children exploring a fantastic world and the long, joyous days of summer exploration.)

2 Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue by Astrid Lindgren (Combines the best idyllic, small town adventures with a spice of true danger. The characters are real and funny and the action heart-stopping!)

3 Look through my window by Jean Little (The book that inspired the name of my blog and personal library. I love the excitement and trials of adapting to a new family dynamic and the gentle growth of friendship between Kate and Emily. Jean Little's ability to capture children's emotions and inner lives keeps her titles relevant no matter how old they are.)

4 Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum (This is my favorite of the Oz books. Dorothy's sturdy acceptance of her wild adventures, the strange creatures, and above all those marvelous dinner pail and lunch box trees never fail to capture the imagination)

5 Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald Sobol (Funny, clever, and addictingly devourable)

6 Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon (Expertly blended illustration, comic, and text, Vernon's wacky sense of humor makes this book laugh-out-loud funny for all ages, no matter how often you read it)

7 Lexie by Audrey Couloumbis (This is a fairly new title, but so funny, sweet, and wonderfully written that it bounced right onto my favorites list. I read the galley with my sister the night I picked it up at a conference and we both laughed, cried, and sighed with satisfaction. The author combines issues of a blended family with growing up and a classic beach vacation theme. Julia Denos' delicate illustrations are the icing on the cake, which is delicious all the way through.)

8 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (What can I say? It's a classic.)

9 Smarter than Squirrels by Lucy Nolan (This is a fairly new beginning chapter series, but it continues to grow in popularity. Clever enough to entertain both children and adults, painlessly teaches beginning readers about voice and narrative conventions, and will make the whole family giggle)

10 Small persons with wings by Ellen Booraem (Another modern classic! The author has created a truly unique voice in prickly Melly, a character whom both girls and boys can sympathize with as they go through the awkward transition from child to adult. Clever world-building, funny and poignant moments, and an engaging plot will make this a favorite for a long time to come.

Nonfiction Monday: Dolphins in the navy by Meish Goldish

It's not often I find a children's nonfiction book that offers completely new information to me, but I had never heard of dolphins in the Navy before and found it completely fascinating.

The story opens with the real-life work of a dolphin named K-Dog, who finds sea mines for the navy. Goldish then explains how dolphins use echolocation to locate people and mines underwater and how the Navy uses these skills and trains and cares for the dolphins. There is a section included on controversies about using dolphins in the military and the possibilities of someday replacing them with robots.

Further information gives facts about dolphins in the wild, a glossary, index, and bibliography as well as links to additional information on the publishers' website.

Verdict: This is a sample of what Bearport does best; high-interest subjects (animals and military) with a new twist, offering new angles or surprising facts. I can see this series, America's Animal Soldiers, being a big hit. Recommended!

ISBN: 9781617724510; Published January 2012 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

This week at the library; or, Getting ready for April

Monday Thanks to Daylight Savings and a rainy, rainy day, we had a pretty slow morning and I was able to get through a lot of collection development and other misc. things. Then I tackled the begging letters for summer reading prizes (the only thing I hate more than doing this is the follow-up calls. Sometimes my director has to give me chocolate afterwards) and April publicity, of which there is going to be a lot due to the many things going on. Didn't get everything done, but a large chunk of it.

Tuesday Hot. I love our huge windows in the children's area, but they do heat up the place like a sauna. Why did I wear my hair down? And, of course, I left my extra pins at home. Had a lengthy discussion with Miss Pattie about various issues we're dealing with in storytime. Met with a woman who is one of the volunteers running the library at the special education school - we spent a couple hours putting together a list of graphic novels for teens, discussing review sources, recommended publishers, etc. and then talking about working with special needs children in the library. Only got a little more done on April publicity.

Wednesday Only about 30 people for storytime, I'm guessing a lot of people were out enjoying the sunshine (or on spring break - I get a lot of people from neighboring towns at my storytime and everyone has a different spring break). Then I had our monthly visit from the primary class at the special needs school. They had to leave sooner than usual, so we only had 15 minutes. We...

• sang Elizabeth Mitchell's Sunny Day
• read Press Here by Herve Tullet (huge hit, as always)
• read The Easter Bunny's Assistant by Jan Thomas (not sure they quite got it, but they liked saying "stinky!"
• read I'm a shark by Bob Shea (they didn't really get this one and it was a little too wild for them)
• read Listen to my trumpet by Mo Willems (one kid was upset by the noise, but the others loved making trumpet sounds!

Then I did Messy Art Club. We made flip books, which I adapted from Abby the Librarian. We had a pretty normal group - about 30 - but it was a quick craft and most people only stayed for a little while, so we were done by about 4:45. Which was good, because a large number of sparkles had ended up on the floor. By the time I gave up trying to clean them up (sweeping, vacuuming, and picking them up one by one by hand were all employed) wrote up some notes and left, it was about 5:45. Loooong day. Apparently I'm not the only person who was hot - found someone's cut off jean legs in the children's area.

Thursday The pile on the desk was tackled, amongst other things. Overheard in the lobby "I'm NOT short, I'm fun-size!" Kept me giggling all night.


Friday Met with our adult services librarian to discuss the desk schedule. We are implementing a new information desk. I think we came up with something that everyone will be happy with. Realized that our manga collections are insanely out of control and put together a complex excel spreadsheet to control them. I ruthlessly implemented by new manga policy - we are only collecting THE FIRST FIVE VOLUMES of any series. I'll make an exception if it finishes at 6 or is really, really popular, but this is what I ended up with:

• 12 series we're currently adding to, or that I'll get sometime this year
• Bride's story (just ordered vol. 3)
• Cirque du freak (I think it might be finished at vol. 12, which I just ordered?)
• Dawn of the Arcana (We have vol. 1 and I will get 2-5)
• Fushigi Yugi, the mysterious play (this is a mess. I accidentally ordered the wrong omnibus, then somebody lost some but they did pay for it...I am trying to get numbers 1-5 and then we will also have 13-15 in the omnibus)
• Kamichama Karin Chu (promised a patron I'd get these - I will get all 6. We have 1 right now)
• Maximum Ride (was 5 the last? I have up to 5)
• Psyren (just ordered vol. 1, will order 2-5 later)
• Rosario+Vampire Season II (put the upcoming volumes in the appropriate order lists)
• Shugo Chara! (have 1, will get 2-5
• Tokyo Mew Mew (have the first two omnibuses, will get one more omnibus)
• Twin Spica (ordered 1, will get 2-5)
• Wallflower (I somehow missed that this was an endless series. I bought vol. 1, will get 2-5)
• 7 series with gaps, but I will fill them in as the budget allows
• Dragon Ball (have 1-9, will try to finish this as it has bursts of popularity and parents get annoyed that we don't have them all)
• Fairy Tale (bought the first 2, plan to get 3-5)
• Inu Yasha (we have 4-6, 9-11, 13-16 and 22. I am just going to try to get 1-3)
• Monkey High (someone stole vol. 1, otherwise we'd have all 8)
• Oh my goddess! (we have 1, 5-10, and 12. I want to get 2-4)
• Sailor Moon (I bought 1-2 and I want to get 3-5)
• Star Wars Legacy (somebody took some! so now I have 1, 3-5, 7-8, and 10
• New series I'm thinking about (will not collect more than the first five!)
• blue exorcist
• devil and her love song
• early and the fairy
• natsume's book of friends
• negima!
• puella magi madoka magica
• sakura hime
• saturn apartments
• shugo chara chan
• And everything else we have, which I am not doing anything else with, although donations are always welcome...
• aria 1-6 
• black cat 1-6 
• bleach 1-5, 10-11, 25 
• boys over flowers 30-33 
• crescent moon 6 
• dragon hunter 1-5 
• dragon eye 1-8 
• fruits basket 1-12, 15, 17-21 
• fullmetal alchemist 1-19 
• high school debut 5 
• kiss for my prince 1-2 
• love.com 1-10 
• Mamotte! Lollipop 1-7 
• Millennium Snow 1-2 
• Naruto 12 
• Nightschool 1-4 
• One 1-3 
• Panic X Panic 1-2 
• Papillion 1-6 
• Peach Girl, Sae's Story 1-3 
• Rebound 15 
• Redmoon 1-4 
• Rosario+Vampire 1-10 
• Runaways 1-10 
• St. Dragon Girl 1-8 
• Story of Saiunkoku 1-5 
• Tokyo Mew Mew a la mode 1 
• Toto! 1-5 
• Vampire Knight 1-13 
• Vampire Game 1 
• Yu-gi-oh 7