This week at the library; or, Guess whose turn it is to work Thanksgiving weekend?

Paws to Read, ready to go

What's going on: In my head and at the library

• Not that I'm complaining - we all share the holiday weekends pretty equally. I'm just kind of tired right now. No programs this week - we had a staff meeting and then I had another meeting with Pattie and my director to finalize the schedule for next year. I spent most of the time I was here cleaning off my desk, working on neighborhoods, and working on the schedule.
• We close at 5:30 on Wednesday (I came in late because I bought a freezer! but then Best Buy's weird insanities made it impossible to get it delivered, so one of the library staff really nicely came over to help me get it home. I left early because I was working Saturday) and are closed Thursday and Friday. Some libraries around here are open Friday, so we're lucky!
• I did have reader's advisory questions, but I was too busy to remember what they were...

The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale; Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

I was excited when I heard about Shannon Hale's new series, mostly because I mainly heard it described as a graphic novel. Dear people; please note that a book containing illustrations is not automatically a graphic novel.

However, even though it turned out to be an illustrated beginning chapter book, I fell in love with plump and energetic Princess Magnolia.

The story opens with what appears to be a typical princess setting; dressed in frilly pink, Princess Magnolia is having tea with the Duchess Wigtower. Everything is absolutely perfect. But wait! Princess Magnolia has a secret - when the monster alarm sounds she turns into...the Princess in Black and defends her country from monsters! Can she keep her secret from the nosy Duchess Wigtower and Duff the goat boy?

LeUyen Pham pictures a princess who is perfect - perfectly awesome that is! Whether dressed in her fancy princess gowns or sporting svelte black and a sparkly crown, Magnolia's exuberant personality, smarts, and self-confidence shine through every page. She looks like an adorable and very real little girl with chubby cheeks, and not a hyper-sexualized doll. Pham's bright colors and cute characters are a sweet match for this story; like the text, they just sparkle with personality.

Verdict: This is a delightful new beginning chapter series, from the perfect blend of sparkly princess and action heroine, the dark-skinned goat boy, a personality in his own right (coming soon - the Goat Avenger!) and the silly monsters. I can't recommend this enough; it's got something for everyone and I think it will find immediate fans in your library.

ISBN: 9780763665104; Published 2014 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by LT Early Reviewers; Purchased for the library

Read, Read, Read said the Baby: One Windy Day by Tammi Salzano, illustrated by Hannah Wood

This review was previously published. I rewrote and edited it.

A brief introductory sentence explains that Fox usually loves the wind but not today. The rest of the story is told through the pictures with the only text being opposites - "far, near", "left, right" etc. At the end, another sentence explains that Fox really does love windy days. The story told through the pictures shows Fox, a mail carrier, and all his letters being blown about by the wind, then collected with help from his friends.

This is a Tiger Tales book, so the art is very cute with lots of fuzzy animals. Some of the leaves are sparkly foil and slightly indented on the page. The cover is padded and the book is about 7x7 inches. The pictures are cute, as I said, but somehow out of focus and blurred, as though they were made with poor image resolution.

Verdict: Cute, but not enough that I feel we really need it. Plus, I always feel that padded board books are not the best choice for libraries - I don't think they're as sturdy. An additional purchase.

ISBN: 9781589258754; Published 2012 by Tiger Tales; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: Secrets of the Sky Caves by Sandra Athans

This book is a sort of Scientists in the Field for younger readers (and from a different publisher).

This book is about several archaeological expeditions to Mustang, in Nepal, and the investigations into the caves there. The book introduces historical and cultural information about Nepal and the history of the area under investigation, then details several expeditions that first photographed and then excavated the caves and what they found there.

Sidebars and sections detail historical information, legends, religious and cultural facts, and archaeological information. The book is filled with photographs of the mummies, cave paintings, and other artifacts discovered. Back matter includes a Who's Who of people involved in the expedition, a timeline, source notes, glossary, bibliography, and further information. There is also an index.

I just couldn't get into it. I finally forced myself to read it because it had to be returned to the library, but I just couldn't get interested. Part of the reason was I felt...uncomfortable with the whole expedition. Only on the third expedition is anyone even remotely local involved in the actual investigation. There are only brief mentions of interactions with the local people and all the experts are from overseas, except one archaeologist in the third expedition. One of the things I like about the Scientists in the Field series is that they give almost equal face time to local interactions, even if the local people aren't "experts" in the field, they talk about their knowledge and how they contribute to the investigation. I didn't see that here. Another reason I had trouble getting into this was it felt like a lot of information crammed into a small space. I think it would have been more interesting if it had focused on just one expedition instead of trying to pack the entire history of Nepal and an series of investigations spanning two decades into a 60 page book.

Verdict: I just couldn't get into this and I have a hard time thinking of any kids who will appreciate it. For a bigger collection, or if you have archeology fans or a Nepalese population, it would probably be useful.

ISBN: 9781467700160; Published 2014 by Milbrook/Lerner; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This week at the library; or, My extra week!

I hate taking my picture, but I
needed it for the Paws to Read
staff picks display

What's Happening: In my head and at the library

• Somehow I thought this week was Thanksgiving. It was nice to discover there was an extra week in here, because I had a ton of work to do!

Programs

• Playgroup with Pattie
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions)
• November Outreach: Tales and Tails (6 sessions)
• We Explore Favorite Artist Ed Emberley
• Books 'n' Babies
• Messy Art Club: Mini Art
• We Explore Science: Kitchen Science

What the kids are reading:

• Beginning chapters for a Captain Awesome fan - I gave them Hooey Higgins, Jo Schmo, and Down Girl and Sit.
• The dreaded 1000 lexiles strike again - and half of what I looked at was checked out. They went with Blizzard of Glass (which the mom said sounded like an I Survived book and I was like Yes!) and Catherine Called Birdy.
• And again - went with Savvy and Phantom Tollbooth this time.

The Little Rabbit; The Little Lamb; The Little Duck by Phoebe and Judy Dunn

 There are the classics that you know why they're classics, be it clever marketing, perfect grasp of the audience, sheer literary and artistic merit, etc. Then there are the books you remember from your childhood; they may be utterly weird and completely outdated, but they are a part of you. Then there are the books that fall somewhere in between. The ones that you loved as a child, that have some outdated aspects to them, but somehow hang on, year after year after year.

Phoebe and Judy Dunn's photographed stories of farm animals fall into this last category. When I first realized they were still in print, I was thrilled and decided to treat myself (and my library) to a collection. To my delighted surprise, it became one of our most popular titles.

My personal copies from my childhood have long disappeared, but I found the originals were easy to replace and just as lovable as ever. In The Little Rabbit, Sarah finds a white baby bunny in her Easter basket. Sarah is an adorable girl with freckles and a gap-toothed grin, just as sweet as her fluffy new pet, Buttercup. The simple story talks about Buttercup growing up and their little adventures, including information on pet care in a natural and interesting way. Buttercup meets Sarah's friends, gets lost, and goes on picnics. Eventually, she gets big enough to have babies of her own (no male bunny is pictured or mentioned though) and she has seven babies who get into lots of trouble! Finally, it's just Sarah and Buttercup again, the way they like it.

The Little Lamb features Emmy, a pig-tailed little girl in sturdy jeans and sweater, who adopts an orphaned lamb, Timothy. He grows fast as she cares for him and introduces him to other animals and places on the farm. But eventually Timothy gets too big - and causes too much trouble - and goes back to the farm, where he happily joins in with the other half-grown lambs.

The Little Duck, Henry, is found by an unnamed boy as an egg by the pond. This book follows most closely the duck's life cycle from hatching to changing from a fluffy chick to a beautiful white duck. Eventually, he wants more than his little blue pool and finds his way back to the pond and a beautiful girl duck.

Verdict: There are plenty of farm animal books out there, but these photographs just seem to really strike a chord with parents and children alike. I recommend taking a look to see what's currently in print and trying out a few, be they paperback, prebound, or board books.

These are reprinted so constantly that I'm not going to list a specific ISBN. Most of them are still in print, either in paperback or prebound, or are soon to be republished as board books. They're the books that just keep going! Just search for Judy and Phoebe Dunn. The copies pictured are the latest paperback versions in print, but I personally own older paperbacks.

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Grumpy Cat by Britta Teckentrup

[This review has been edited and republished]

This is a board book version of the original, oversized picture book. I really liked some of the other things Britta Teckentrup has done, but this one was disappointing.

It's an annoying cliche that I detest - grumpy adult cat, appears to want to be alone but is really lonely alone, meets a friendly kitten who shows him how to be friends.

Because nobody could possibly ever want to be alone and if you're not smiling all the time there's something wrong with you.

Not that I'm biased. At all.

Teckentrup's illustrations are still fun, with broad, bold strokes of color and shapes and delightfully fuzzy details. However, the story has not been cut down much and especially for this small board book (7x5 inches) there is way too much text. Also, the storyline itself is not developmentally appropriate for a toddler.

Verdict: Teckentrup has done some really good board books for the toddler crowd, like My Book of Opposites, and I strongly recommend those. If you absolutely must have this book, purchase it as a picture book. Also, we are no longer friends, you anti-introvert person!

ISBN: 9781907967481; Published 2013 by Boxer Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Emily Sutton

Nicola Davies is one of my absolute favorite authors of nonfiction for young children (the others are basically all Peachtree authors, in case you're wondering). She doesn't disappoint in this new book tackling a unique subject: microbes!

The book starts out by giving some scales of the size and number of microbes, then talks about how they are everywhere. There are comparative images of large and small microbes, and then my favorite spread which shows lots of different kinds of microbes so you can see all the unique shapes and patterns.

The book then explains how microbes can eat anything and that they transform things into something else, like milk into yoghurt! Davies attempts to explain how rapidly they split and increase with a stunning visual across two pages.

The story finishes with talking about how "the wrong kind of microbes" can make you sick and some simple precautions (like washing your hands) but reassures readers that there are very few microbes that will make you sick. The book ends with two gorgeous spreads showing the amazing BIG things that tiny microbes can do. "They are the invisible transformers of our world."

Sutton's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to Davies' simple but beautiful text. She draws both cozy, cheerful pictures relating the abstract idea of something so tiny you can't see to the things you can see, and also stunning, delicate illustrations of microbes themselves.

Verdict: This will work in a storytime with an older audience; probably four and up. It will also be a great book for teachers and families to enjoy in smaller groups to pique children's curiosity about the world around them. Highly recommend.

ISBN: 9780763673154; Published 2014 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to the library's order list

RA RA READ: Teens Who Need a Laugh

Humor is really subjective and seems to get more so the older you get. These are books I found hilarious, bearing in mind I rarely read teen books and have, according to my friends, the sense of humor of an eleven year old.

• Into the wild nerd yonder by Julie Halpern
• Jessie is ready to join a new group of friends. The band geeks? The nerds? The punks? THE NERDS? I reviewed this one a long time ago.
• Skulduggery Pleasant (series) by Derek Landy

• He's a living, breathing, fire-throwing skeleton...and he's got a sense of humor, even if the world IS coming to an end. (After the first couple books the series gets more intense and not as funny)
• Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
• A young witch-to-be named Tiffany teams up with the Wee Free Men, a clan of six-inch-high blue men, to rescue her baby brother and ward off a sinister invasion from Fairyland. 
• A bad day for Voodoo and I have a bad feeling about this by Jeff Strand
• A bad day for Voodoo is my favorite, but I liked I have a bad feeling about this too. I reviewed both, a rarity for me in teen books.
• Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
• Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom. 

These are what reviewers and teens have told me are funny.

• Does my head look big in this? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
• Squashed by Joan Bauer
• All-American Girl (series) by Meg Cabot
• Oh. My. Gods (series) by Tera Lynn Childs
• Happyface by Stephen Emond
• Two parties, one tux, and a very short film about the Grapes of Wrath by Steven Goldman
• Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger
• My most excellent year by Steve Kluger
• Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler 
• Dairy Queen (trilogy) by Catherine Murdock
• How to get suspended and influence people by Adam Selzer
• Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
• Spud (series) by John Van de Ruit

This week at the library; or, So much for all my planning time

What's happening: In my head and at the library

• I turned my goals and program planning in to my director; now I just have to wait for her feedback, put them into the actual calendar, give it to my school colleague, and then meet to discuss and finalize next year. And, of course, actually plan the programs...
• Still working on NEIGHBORHOODS, piles of stuff on my desk, Cybils, planning the last bits of programs for this year.
• The homeschool thing went well - I basically just pulled together bits of all my regular school tours and then had some crafts. The kids really loved the scavenger hunts. There were about 25 people - some of them were just random people with toddlers and preschoolers who happened to be there and tagged along.
• 74 people came to Lego Club. Then the next morning I had to take down all the tables and run back to back tours with my director for 70 four year olds. THIS is why I never have planning time!
• I am trying desperately to keep my mind off next summer. You are planning WINTER and SPRING mind, not summer! Not yet! But I do have to at least briefly think about it because, if I'm going to step away from the CSLP theme which I definitely plan to do, I have to convince my director now because of the crazy ordering schedule of CSLP promotional material.
• And then I realized I'd had an error in my formula in my budget spreadsheet and every time our cataloger had ordered teen fiction it had flipped over and back into the budget so I overspent my budget by $600. This was a rather fraught week.

Programs

• Moms with multiples
• Tiny Tots
• Toddlers 'n' Books
• Homeschool tour/library visit/scavenger hunts
• November Outreach: Tales and Tails (1 visit)
• Middle School Madness
• Books 'n' Babies
• Lego Club
• Family Game Night
• Kohls Wild Theater (including tour)

What the kids are reading

• I spy/Look inside
• Books about sentence structure/writing (tutor)
• Alexander and the no good etc. (was in the back)
• historical fiction at least 120 pages (school assignment)
• ocean animals (this turned out to be dolphins and whales of course)
• 800 lexile books - she wanted Jigsaw Jones, but it wasn't the right lexile. We went through the list and she ended up taking Allie Finkle and an Andrew Clements book.
• Lego books
• Dogs of War by Sheila Keenan