Nonfiction Monday: Welcome to the Museum: Animalium by Katie Scott and Jenny Broom

Oh, did this book bring back memories. When I was a kid, we loved perusing animal encyclopedias. All that knowledge! The pictures!

This is that same experience, updated for the modern child. The book is supposed to be like visiting a museum - but it's waaay more interesting (sorry all my museum friends).

The preface gives a brief explanation of biodiversity and then after the table of contents (or "galleries") you are welcomed to the animalium and invited to browse this museum in a book. An elaborate family tree shows all the animals and more that are covered in the book and is followed by a brief explanation of evolution.

Then, it's time to enter the galleries. Each gallery focuses on a different type of animal; invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The opening spread features a sepia-toned illustration of various creatures on the left and the title page with a list of the gallery contents on the right. The gallery itself introduces the animal family, then features various creatures with detailed, vividly illustrated plates. It ends by introducing a habitat.

The book ends with an extensive index and a list of generic online sources to learn more about the creatures introduced. Physically, be aware that this is a large book. It's 15 inches high and almost a foot wide. The binding appears sturdy, but if you don't have a good shelving solution for oversized titles that might not last long.

The illustrations look exactly like the encyclopedic plates I remember from my childhood with an old-fashioned, static feel and yet they are vividly life-like and exquisitely detailed. However, the real contemporary feel comes from the text. In a bold, readable font and cut into friendly, bite-sized chunks, it informs and guides without overwhelming the reader.

Verdict: This is an intriguing start to what promises to be a beautiful and fascinating series. This will capture the attention of children old enough to read and absorb the text and young enough to enjoy the pictures. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780763675080; Published 2014 by Big Picture Press/Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to the nonfiction backlist to order

Budget Numbers, Circulation Numbers, Programming Numbers, I Haz Them ALL (part 2)

The Statistics Octopus
It's a thing

Budget numbers! Last year I tried ordering all the supplies for the year at once. This was easier than ordering in bits and pieces, but it was too much at once. I also made a budget error with my spreadsheets that ended up making me go about $600 over in my book budget. AUGH! So, I am planning new, better budget spreadsheets for next year. I have also set them up so I will be comparing invoices and not just expenditures, which is where part of the problem happened. I've added my book budget to this year's numbers. All numbers are estimates, performer costs including discounts by collaborating with other libraries. Highlighted items are those I still have a significant amount of, and I compiled these numbers whilst fighting a stomach bug.

Program supplies: $1728
SRP: $1213
Performers: $1295
Other: $494
Teen programs (including summer reading): $200

Books: $16,669
AV (dvds, games, audiobooks, cds): $6,070

General Program Supplies

• Construction paper (8x12): $40
• Construction paper (9x12): $20
• Jumbo craft sticks: $26
• Satin ribbon: $17
• Paper heart doilies: $6
• Cardboard wings: $150
• Tacky glue: $20
• Glitter glue (small bottles): $30
• Glitter glue pens: $18
• Pipe cleaners (striped): $18
• Pipe cleaners: $18
• Metallic pony beads: $12
• Glue dots: $43
• Colored masking tape (and dispenser): $67
• Glue: $28
• Pompoms: $8
• Sticker shapes: $27 
• Rhinestones: $20
• Sequins and spangles: $13
• Paint brushes: $14
• Popsicle sticks: $12
• Paper plates, styrofoam plates: $20
• Paper towels, wipes, brown paper lunch bags, and misc., etc.: $100
• Beans/seeds: $20
• Dinosaur foam stickers: $8
• Feathers: $12
• Acrylic paint: $15
• Stencils (not consumable): $16
• Duct tape: $30
• Cotton balls: $6
• Balloons: $15
• magnets: $20
• Mad Scientists Club mixing magic supplies: $40
• craft (washi) tape: $32
• colored sand: $28
• Clay pots and dirt: $25
• Messy Art Club: snap ornaments: $100
• Messy Art Club: ceramic ornaments: $20

Specific Program Supplies

• Annual Spring Break T-Shirt Party: $120
• fabric crayons: $15
• permanent markers: $35
• fabric paint: $70
• Santa's Kitchen: $90
• cookies and frosting: 90
• Dr. Seuss Celebration: $46
• pompoms: $10
• cupcake mix: $10
• decorations/misc.: $26
• We Explore Science: $96
• We Explore art and stories: $60
• snacks: $45
• watercolor pencils: $15
• Fairy party: $65
• Decorations and ribbon: $45
• Misc. tablecloths, food, etc.: $20
• Muffins for mom: $17
• Muffins: $12
• Scrapbook paper: $5
• Wimpy kid party: $50
• I have a LOT of toilet paper left
• 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten (stickers): $70
• Summer reading program: $1213
• CSLP marketing materials and prizes: $165
• S&S Worldwide prizes: $965
• Discount School Supply prizes: $83

Other Supplies and Expenditures

• Scholastic Warehouse Sale (books for prizes and the collection): $200
• Library hamster: $80
• Marketing: $13
• posterboard: $3
• desk candy: $10
• Birdwatching station: $10
• Family garden: $15
• Toys for baby lapsit: $223
• Circulating toy bags and maker kits: $25
• plastic tubs: $10
• caterpillar to butterfly: $7
• magnet kit: $8

Performers

• Smitty and Mary G.: $100
• Welty Environmental Center (2 programs): $220
• Great Scott (2 programs): $475
• Nature's Niche: $300
• TG Magic: $150
• Ice Age Trail Alliance (this is a donation): $50

Book Budget

• Junior Library Guild (teen): $700
• Teen fiction (which I messed up): $800
• Nonfiction and comic sets: $1074
• Replacements and additions to fairy tales for Neighborhoods (used grant money): $500
• Replacements and additions to transportation for Neighborhoods: $1600
• Tub books (I don't replace specific titles since they go in and out of print too fast): $50
• Replacements for missing/stolen items: $400
• Replacements for lost/claimed return items: $150
• General replacements: $925
• General orders: $10,500

AV Budget
I did order a couple cds, but they were as part of other orders. Midway through this year I got a new location for juvenile cds so I could actually tell how much they were circulating. I also weeded them. On the positive side, they circulate a lot more than I thought they did - however, on the negative side, I have absolutely no space for new cds. I added PS3 and XBOX360 to our Wii and small number of WiiU games.

• DVDs: $3,380
• Video Games (some dvds mixed in those orders): $1284
• Replacements: $1,006
• Audiobooks: $400

This week at the library; or, New year - meh

What's going on in my head and at the library

• Well, this is a salubrious start to the new year. I am miserably sick. It's not all bad however, as when I get sick I tend to range from depressed I-will-never-get-better misery to stoic if-I'm-sick-I-might-as-well-be-productive-damnit and I get a ton of work done. Over the weekend (and last Friday I went home sick) I managed to get all my reports and statistics done, except one that I need another report from circ to finish, and I got the programs laid out in my programming blog, In Short, I'm Busy, so that I could put together my supply lists for the winter/spring. I still have to actually write up the programs and choose books etc. but the supply lists are the first thing.
• Monday - staff meeting. I filled in all the activity stations and stealth programs that were emptied over the holidays. Displays, cleaning off desk, all the misc. stuff. I also worked on getting all my stealth programs up so I can link to them and track them as I change stuff.
• Tuesday: Ordering supplies. This ended up involving phone calls and lots of sturm und drang. However, thanks to some helpful customer service representatives, I now have ordered all the program supplies through May, including an incubator, microscope, blocks, bubble blowers, and musical instruments. I also got to try to explain to a disbelieving and bored credit card customer service person why I was trying to use the city credit card at Gymboree (bubble blowers and musical shakers). I'm just glad I didn't have to explain the incubator to them...I also did a little work on programs and Neighborhoods.
• Wednesday: Neighborhoods and AV orders which means I OFFICIALLY STARTED OUR ANIME COLLECTION!! I could never do this before because I didn't have the budget and we didn't have security - I lost so much in teen to theft I was leary of doing anime. However, we are in the midst of installing RFID (the tagging continues...) and I got a larger AV budget this year, so YES!!
• Thursday - Neighborhoods. Programming planning.
• Friday - worked on Neighborhoods in the morning, then ran errands. THREE HOURS AT WALMART HOLY HEDGEHOGS.
• Saturday -  Came in at 9 to start setup for the Butterfly Celebration, which went well, and then I stayed to clean out the storyroom and put away all the supplies and finish enough of the Neighborhoods that there were no bookstacks in the storyroom, since programs begin Monday morning! I finally left close to 2.

Programs

• Stealth: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
• Stealth: Paws to Read (winter reading program)
• Stealth: I Spy Aquarium
• Stealth: Birdwatching station
• Stealth: Take home storytime: Let it snow
• Butterfly Celebration

What the kids are reading

• Someone asked where the Chico Bon Bon books moved! So now Chico obviously needs his own character sticker on the shelf edges. Yes!
• Is Derek Benz' Revenge of the Shadow King appropriate for a younger middle grade - more investigation turns out they've read Spiderwick and Percy Jackson, so yes. This was a bit of a guess on my part, as I haven't read it myself, but I feel pretty confident. I think the creepy skeleton-like picture on the cover threw them off a little.
• Yoga for kids

The Yeti Files: Meet the Bigfeet by Kevin Sherry

This is, I believe, Sherry's first venture out of the world of picture books and it's a really funny debut.

Blizz Richards, a yeti, is excited to attend a family reunion with lots of other bigfeet. But oh no! Will nasty cryptozoologist and publicity hound George Vanquist ruin everything? He's already sent Bigfoot Brian into hiding - Can Blizz and his friends coax Brian out and have a fun time despite Vanquist's sneaky ways?

The book is laid out in a blended graphic novel/beginning chapter book style similar to Bad Kitty or some of the new Branches series. Each page is crammed with black and white illustrations, labelled diagrams, maps of caves, and more, while the light plot is popped in almost as an afterthought, holding the pictures together.

The pictures and story are funny, and together they're hilarious, as a couple unexpected players solve the mystery and thwart Dr. Vanquist, making sure the Bigfeet have an awesome vacation.

Verdict: Full of jokes, puns, quirky cryptids, and more, this will appeal to a wide range of readers, not just the beginning chapter book set. It's blurbed by Dav Pilkey and this is one of the few times I'd definitely go on that for a recommendation - Pilkey fans will love this, as will readers of Dragonbreath, Bad Kitty, and and cartoon aficionados. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780545556170; Published 2014 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library

Read, Read, Read said the Baby: Daddies and their babies by Guide van Genechten

This review was previously published. I have rewritten and edited it.

This is a book for the very youngest of the board book audiences. The text is simple, on each spread it identifies the animals "the bird daddy with his baby chick." There were a few inaccuracies. "baby frog" should be tadpole and "caterpillar daddy" should have been butterfly. This is disconcerting because all the other pictures are accurately labeled.

The pictures are shades of black, white, gray, and brown. They're very cute, showing the various father/child pairs posed to smile at each other happily. However, the black and white pictures, sometimes on white backgrounds, sometimes on black, don't always have a high definition. They look sort of stamped or maybe collage and can be sort of muddy at the edges in places.

Verdict: I went back and forth on this one, but the inaccurate vocabulary and indistinct pictures put me in the pass camp.

ISBN: 9781605371108; Published 2012 by Clavis; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: Ida M. Tarbell by Emily Arnold McCully

I had only a vague idea of who Ida Tarbell was before I read this book. I knew she was a journalist and influential in the early 1900s....and that was about it.

This book starts with her childhood in the oil boom in Pennsylvania and traces her complicated, controversial life until her death in 1944. During her lifetime she met presidents, was friends with Jane Addams, influenced anti-trust legislature, and changed the world. She also opposed women's suffrage, advocated that women stay home and not go out to work, and struggled with a world that was changing around her and, as she saw it, attacking the values of home and family she so deeply valued despite never marrying herself.

This is a compassionate and beautifully written biography of a complex figure. McCully doesn't attempt to excuse Tarbell's life but presents it from a sympathetic perspective, inviting the reader to be inspired by her contributions and understand the very human figure behind them.

The author's note explains how she came to write this biography; "Ida can still be admired, but she also has to be explained." Photographs and ephemera - newspaper cartoons, etc. fill the book. Back matter includes sources, bibliography, and index.

Verdict: This is an amazing book, well-deserving of an award. However, it's most definitely not for a middle grade audience. The complex person represented, including frank discussions of historical events and attitudes, is aimed at a young adult audience. That's a drawback for me, since the only young adult biographies that circulate for me are more inspirational/memoir type things. I can't justify purchasing this for my library, but it would be a must for a larger library with a more diverse audience.

ISBN: 9780547290928; Published 2013 by Clarion; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Budget Numbers, Circulation Numbers, Programming Numbers, I Haz Them ALL (part 1)

The Statistics Octopus
It's a thing

I really love numbers. Last year I did a series of posts on yearly numbers and it was very useful in my planning process, plus fun! so I'm doing it again this year. Programming numbers were kind of weird this year. Some regular programs were cancelled for part of the year, some had unexpected large attendance, some smaller programs we kept for reasons other than statistics. I had a lot more outreach, which cancelled out the cancelled programs. All these numbers are for our children's programs; I didn't even bother to include teen programs/numbers because they were minimal and we're completely overhauling the teen offerings (such as they are) this year.

Total Programs (including outreach): 364

Total Attendance (including outreach): 12,282

Average individual program attendance: 34

This was an increase of 6 programs and 723 attendance from 2013. I feel confident that my position at the top rung of the programming and attendance stats in our consortium is secure. Not that it is a competition. At all. Really.

Regular programs

These programs are run on a regular basis, weekly or monthly, except over breaks and holidays.

• Storytimes and Early Literacy Programs for ages 5 and under (*facilitated or offered by my partner through the school district)
• *Toddlers 'n' Books (10am): 37 programs, 1,068 attendance, average 29
• *Toddlers 'n' Books (11am): 37 programs, 938 attendance, average 25
• *Books 'n' Babies: 44 programs, 1,080 attendance, average 25
• Preschool Interactive (winter/spring/summer): 22 programs, 466 attendance, average 21
• *We Explore Science: 7 programs, 416 attendance, average 59
• We Explore Favorite Artists: 8 programs, 197 attendance, average 25
• We Explore Nature (fall): 3 programs, 44 attendance, average 15
• *Pattie's Playgroup, Pattie's CAFE, Moms with Multiples: 21 programs, 603 attendance, 29 average
• *Tiny Tots, Family Game Night: 25 programs, 372 attendance, average 15
• Family and School Age Programs
• Lego Club: 13 programs, 525 attendance, average 40
• Messy Art Club: 11 programs, 603 attendance, average 55
• Mad Scientists Club: 6 programs, 234 attendance, 39 average

Other (special) programs

These are one-time or infrequent programs. Some of them are annual, some of them are things we tried for the first time and did not continue.

• Defunct Programs
• Tail Waggin' Tutors: 3 programs, 24 attendance, 8 average
• We Explore playgroups: 3 programs, 69 attendance, 23 average
• Special Programs
• *Be My Valentine: 111
• Dr. Seuss Celebration: 67
• Annual Spring Break T-Shirt Party: 44
• *Circus party: 300
• Muffins with Mom: 25
• Very Fairy Flower Party: 52
• Angry Birds: It's science!: 60
• Toddler Drive-In: 20
• The Big Splash: 80
• The Book Experience: 52
• Fall Festival: 50
• Wimpy Kid party: 25
• Santa's Kitchen: 70
• *Toddler Cookie Party: 89
• Gingerbread storytime: 30

Performers

• Smitty and Mary G.: 83
• Musical performance for West Side kindergarten
• Welty Environmental Center: 2 performances, 50 and 35 attendance
• Summer kick-off and fall program on a no-school day (which was a scheduling snafu I made)
• Storywagon: Glen Gerard: 187
• Storywagon: Duke Otherwise: 175
• Storywagon: Wayne and Wingnut: 180
• Storywagon: Science Alliance: 138
• Nature's Niche: Weird Science: 105
• Ice Age Trail: Going on a mammoth hunt: 45
• Kohls Wild Theater: 123
• This performance is primarily for our biggest 4K school, but I usually get around 50 parents and toddlers showing up as well.

Outreach

These are all my outreach visits, on and off-site. Some include remote collections.

• Monthly off-site visits (3 kindergarten classes, 3 4K classes, 1 3 yr old class)
• 117 programs, 945 children (I think. My math feels shaky on this)
• Fall outreach (organized by month)
• On-site outreach (visits, tours, etc.)
• Lakeland (special education school): 2 visits, 10 attendance at each
• Elementary School Art Show - 100 attended the open house at the library (estimated)
• First Lutheran brought their 20 1st and 2nd graders (including teachers, chaperones, etc.) for a tour.
• Step Ahead Preschool: 2/38
• Battle of the Books District Battle was held at the library with 108 kids in teams plus teachers, parents, volunteers, etc.
• 6th Grade gold team visited in 3 groups, 150 kids total
• 5th Grades visited in 2 groups, 220 total, for 2 magic shows before summer
• I tried two outreach programs with the homeschoolers - a summer preview (13) and a tour (25)
• Safety Town, summer kindergarten: 80
• 3 classes, total 75 1st graders visited the library for We Explore Favorite Artist Eric Carle
• Jackson 1st grade visited the library in two groups, total 90 for the First Grade library bingo tour
• Jackson 2nd grade visited the library in two groups, total 90 for the Second Grade Community Walk
• Off-site outreach (school visits for summer)
• 6th Grade purple team - 150 kids, booktalks and summer promotion
• 3 elementary schools visited, 15 presentations, total 1,183 (summer preview)
• 3 storytimes for summer school kindergarten (session 2), total of 45 kids.
• I participated in the school's Project R.E.A.D. and reached about 70 people.

Stealth Programming

This includes my reading programs and all other stealth programming.

• 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten: 106 new families joined and participants read 8,950 books
• Culver's coloring contest: 100
• Chick Central
• Birdwatching station: 188
• Stuffed animal sleepover: 47
• Activity Table: 4 activities, 107 participants
• Take home storytime: 5 themes, all 138 bags taken (they would have taken more if I'd made more!)
• Summer Reading: 56 Rubber Ducky Readers, 516 for the general program, 128 super readers, 60 daycare, and 56 middle school/teens
• Paws to Read (Dec. '13 to Feb. '14): 26 kids read 158 books
• Paws to Read (animal shelter visits): 4 visits, about 100 people involved
• I Spy Aquarium: 10 (this was all the check off sheets I started with)

This Week at the Library; or, Goodbye 2014, You were pretty nice overall

Another year gone. I have lots of posts on data, goals, Neighborhoods, and other exciting library stuff going up over the next month. But now....a reflection on the past year and, as Ms. Yingling says, personality leakage. Cuz why not?


Professionally, I will always have to remind myself not to over-plan and work myself into oblivion. The year had a rocky start with a lot of stressful things going on - lots of crazy at work, trying to get the Neighborhoods program going, and I was sick several times which was miserable and at least partly my own fault, for getting too caught up in work and not taking the time to exercise and de-stress. But I didn't just let myself sink under the weight of it all this time - I talked to my director about cutting back and she agreed. I successfully argued for an associate and I'm hiring right now! (please apply to work for me! It will be fun! Heh heh heh) I've almost finished my Neighborhoods project, which I'm really excited about. I got to take a class on youth services management with Marge Loch-Wouters, which really helped my planning and goal-setting processes and I went to ALSC Institute, which was awesome. Personally, I finally finished moving  in and organizing my apartment (after 3 years, I know) which makes me very happy as this space is now mine.

This year I'm going to continue to work on a better work-life-blogging balance. I have more vacation (yay seniority!) and I'm going to take it. I'm letting go of having every program every week and giving myself time to take a break, plan new things, and easing off regular programs when I have heavy outreach. I will be getting a youth services associate this year and I'm going to practice delegating. I cut back a little on blogging and I'm going to spend more time doing the things I haven't had time to do, like all my handcrafts. I'm going to connect a little more with some of the people I've met - I'm joining a book club and I'm going to make an effort to attend the knitting group at our library more often.

What's happening in my head and at the library

• Another interrupted week as we were closed for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. I only worked a couple hours on Friday before getting miserably sick and going home. Not a good omen for the new year.
• Cybils!! Cybils shortlists were announced on January 1. I am really happy with the list my team put together on Elementary and Middle Grade Nonfiction, and the shortlist produced by the panel I was on for fiction picture books. Check out all the lists on Cybils.com!

Programs

• Stealth: Paws to Read (winter reading program)
• Stealth: I Spy Aquarium

Fox's Garden by Princesse Camcam

Ever since I first saw some of the art from this book, I've been wanting to see the whole thing. I love foxes and it looks very magical. In general, I've really liked most of the titles in Enchanted Lion's Stories without words series. As you can see, they're all small, rectangular books and, of course, wordless.

This book tells the story of a fox seeking shelter on a winter's night, but turned away everywhere. When she takes shelter in an abandoned greenhouse, a small boy sees her and sneaks out a basket of food to her and her newly born kits. Later that night, she and her kits leave a magical surprise for the boy in his room before going back to the forest.

Of course, as a wordless book, the main thing is the art. And what lovely, lovely art it is! It reminded me of some of the Russian animation I love, or perhaps Isabelle Arsenault's work. However, it's quite unique. The opening scenes have a theatrical look, as though one is looking through a scenery of trees. As the story progresses, you can see that much of the art is actually paper cut-outs, like the boy and the magical garden. This adds to the fairy tale feeling, as though at any moment paper could come to life and move off the page. The fox is a sharp burst of color against the silent, snowy paper background.

Verdict: This is one of those magical books that may not appeal to a wide section of children, but will become a special treasure for a few. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781592701674; Published 2014 by Enchanted Lion; Review copy provided for Cybils

Cybils Awards; or, Putting my money where my mouth is, edition 2014

Cybils Finalists Are Here!

This is my "putting my money where my mouth is" post when I look at all the finalists and see which will work for my library and budget. It's a little convoluted this year, because my collection development last year and this year is weird. A large chunk of my budget is going towards replacements for the picture book collection, pursuant to my Neighborhoods project. More large chunks are going towards easy readers and nonfiction, since those are next on the list. New picture books and juvenile fiction are going to be a smaller portion this year, mostly just trying to keep up with series. I've left out the young adult fiction and speculative fiction and book apps because I don't purchase in those areas (I gave ya to our cataloger and we don't buy digital content).

I've marked the titles I've already purchased, have on a backlist and plan to purchase later, and passed on as not a good fit for our library. Some things I've put on my own To Read list to give a second look before deciding.

Fiction Picture Books
This is the category I was a first round panelist in. I think we ended up with a list with a lot of variety on it, something for everyone and every library!

• Brimsby's Hats by Andrew Prahin
• Backlist
• Here comes the Easter Cat
• Purchased
• The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
• Pass - I have some titles with similar storylines and I try not to purchase too many wordless books.
• Knock, Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me by Daniel Beaty
• Pass - this won't circulate well at my library
• Maple by Lori Nichols
• Purchased - very popular
• Shhh! We have a Plan by Chris Haughton
• On January order - I want to use this in storytime
• This is a Moose by Richard T. Morris
• Purchased. This was one of the most asked-for books of my pre-summer school visits. I still get kids coming in asking "do you have the funny moose book?"

Elementary and Middle Grade Nonfiction

This is the category that I organize and moderate. I really, really loved the shortlist my panel came up with this year.

• Angel Island by Russell Freedman
• Backlist - Freedman doesn't always circulate as well as I'd hope
• Chasing Cheetahs by Sy Montgomery
• Backlist. I loved this one, don't know how I missed it. Will definitely purchase.
• Feathers: Not just for flying by Melissa Stewart
• Purchased. Been using in storytimes. It's awesome.
• Handle with Care by Loree Griffin Burns
• Backlist. My problem with Milbrook is they are so darn expensive. But it's an awesome book. Will decide later.
• Separate is never equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
• Pass. This won't circulate.
• Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats by Sandra Markle
• Backlist. This is also Milbrook
• When Lunch Fights Back by Rebecca Johnson
• Purchased. This is Milbrook but definitely worth a little extra. Has been very popular.

Easy Readers/Early Chapters

This is the third category that is near and dear to my heart. I think Katie did an amazing job her first year as organizer and they turned out an awesome list.

• Clara and Clem under the sea by Ethan Long
• Backlist. I thought I'd bought this but it was a different Clara and Clem.
• Dory Fantasmagory
• On my TR list
• Extraordinary Warren by Sarah Dillard
• Purchased.
• Inch and Roly and the Sunny Day Scare by Melissa Wiley
• Backlist. I have others in the series.
• Like carrot juice on a cupcake by Julie Sternberg
• Purchased. I'm not really a fan myself, but the kids like them.
• Lulu and the rabbit next door by Hilary McKay
• Purchased, of course. We are big Lulu fans.
• Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst
• Pass. I don't have any in this series and don't think it will circulate well.
• My new friend is so fun by Mo Willems
• Purchased, of course.
• Okay Andy by Maxwell Eaton
• Purchased
• Pigsticks and Harold and the incredible Journey by Alex Milway
• Backlist
• Steve and Wessley: The Ice Cream Shop by Jennifer Morris
• Backlist
• Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure
• Purchased. Has circulated quite well.
• Lion who stole my arm
• On my TR list
• Violet Mackerel's possible friend
• Purchased. I discovered this series back when I was on this panel and it's been very popular.

Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels

This is the last category that I like to play in - I've only paneled on it once, but the graphic novel collections of my library are near and dear to my heart.

• Bad Machinery: The Case of the Good Boy by John Allison
• Pass. I buy these for myself but they're too quirky for my library (I'd call them teen myself)
• Ballad by Blexbolex
• On my TR list, but unlikely to work for my library.
• Bird and Squirrel on Ice
• Purchased. Love. I reviewed this for No Flying No Tights but had to buy a copy for the library because I refused to give up my review copy to the library.
• El Deafo by Cece Bell
• Purchased. It hasn't been as popular as Smile, but it's gone out well and I think it's an amazing book.
• Gaijin: American Prisoner of War
• Pass. I don't think this will circulate.
• Hidden: A child's story of the Holocaust
• Added to my TR list.
• The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley
• Pass. Amelia Rules! goes out when I push it, but it doesn't have "fans" in the sense that Bone or Amulet do who would look for something else by the author. Also, books about "how I came to make comics" don't circulate well for us.

Young Adult Graphic Novels

This and nonfiction are the only young adult categories I buy in. But the only things that really circulate beyond manga, superhero comics and Simpsons is Faith Erin Hicks and Courtney Crumrin, so I don't buy a lot here.

• Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks
• Added to my TR list but probably won't purchase.
• The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang
• Pass. I personally liked it, but Yang's last work, Boxers and Saints, is gathering dust and I don't think this will circulate either.
• Through the woods by Emily Carroll
• Has been on my TR list for a while - I will probably purchase.
• To this day: For the Bullied and the Beautiful by Shane Koyczan
• Pass. This won't circulate.
• In Real Life by Cory Doctorow
• On my TR list. I'll have to think about whether it will circ or not.
• Strange Fruit vol. 1: Uncelebrated narratives from Black History
• Pass. This won't circulate.

Middle Grade Fiction

This is the category that I've often looked at longingly...but I have to be honest and admit that I couldn't hack the amount of reading needed for it. I am in awe of the organizer and panelists! I'm really tight with my budget this year in this area though.

• Abby Spencer goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj
• Backlist. Albert Whitman has done some really good diverse titles that circulate.
• All Four Stars by Tara Dairman
• Pass.
• Death by toilet paper by Donna Gephart
• Purchased! Kids love this one - I want to read it sometime but haven't gotten around to it.
• Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson
• Purchased. Has been very popular.
• Nickel Bay Nick by Dean Pitchford
• Backlist. Can always use more mysteries.
• Crossover by Kwame Alexander
• Pass. Sports novels are actually not very popular around here and in verse really won't work for my readers. 
• Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern
• Purchased. Has circulated well.

Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

I've really slowed down my reading in this area over the past few years, so it's a good thing Cybils is around to keep me up to speed! Again though, this is an area that I'm not purchasing heavily in this year.

• Nuts to you by Lynne Rae Perkins
• Backlist but probably won't purchase - animal books have not gone well for us the last few years.
• Boys of Blur by N. D. Wilson
• Backlist - will probably order
• Castle behind thorns by Merrie Haskell
• Purchased
• Greenglass House by Kate Milford
• Just recently added to my TR list
• The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra by Jason Fry
• Backlist
• The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham
• Pass. I reviewed this a while ago and while I liked it, I didn't see it hitting that bar of popularity that I need for juvenile purchases while my budget is so tight in that area
• The Swallow: A ghost story by Charis Cotter
• Added to my TR list

Poetry

Poetry....really does not circulate well at our library. If it's something I can slip into the picture books, it has a much better chance of making a hit, but with my picture book budget mostly given to replacements I don't have as much room for trying new things.

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Wilson
• Purchased. This has done really well. I put it in fiction, although that's not strictly where it belongs, but I was pretty sure it would circulate better there and I was right.
• Dear Wandering Wildebeest by Irene Latham
• Pass. This could go into picture book, but is too expensive for the amount of circulate I expect.
• Firefly July by Paul Janeczko
• Pass
• Hi, Koo by Jon Muth
• Purchased - this is one that circulates quite well as a picture book
• Santa Clauses by Bob Raczka
• Pass. No more Christmas books for us right now.
• Voices from the March on Washington by J. Patrick Lewis
• Pass
• Water rolls, water rises by Pat Mora
• Backlist. Normally, we put all the bilingual in Spanish, but I'm toying with putting the bilingual in the regular collection with a Spanish sticker, since it doesn't circulate well. Maybe have a list too, since it's such a small collection anyways....hmm...

Young Adult Nonfiction

This is one of the areas I wanted to improve in this year. Our YA NF collection is just a couple shelves and it's primarily browsing material.

• Alice + Freda by Alexis Coe
• Pass. I went back and forth on this one - my teens do like their dramatic horrors, but this felt a little closer to adult or at least older teen. I have a LOT of middle schoolers that I don't think would really be mature enough to read this. So I think I will pass on this one.
• Be a changemaker by Laurie Ann Thompson
• Purchased (coming on our Junior Library Guild order) I'm looking forward to handing it to the teens who complain they have "nothing to do".
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out edited by Susan Kuklin
• Backlist. As I said, our collection is small - I have Queer: The Definitive GLBT guide for teens and I didn't think we needed another title. But Cybils had me take another look (and isn't that what Cybils is all about?) and I think this would be of interest to teens for the stories, as well as any personal interest they might have.
• Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a modern geek by Maya van Wagenen
• Pass. Sigh. I sometimes wonder where all these geeks that other teen librarians talk about are. I've never met one in my library. Maybe they will appear when we start doing teen programs seriously this year?
• Family Romanov by Candace Fleming
• Backlist, will probably purchase to replace an old Romanov book.
• ok, I have to admit I'm biased on this one. Fleming writes awesome nonfiction but I was reading a book about historical royalty and when I got the Romanovs I was just....SO ANGRY. Look, it's tragic that they died etc. but what about the millions and millions of innocent people that died during the Romanov's rule? Just because the Tsar was weak and stupid and possibly insane why should we have all this pity for them? Why should their story be more worthy of being told just because they had wealth and status? I can't explain why, but this really, really bugged me that people are so interested in this family of lunatics. Anyways, it's not a book that will circulate for teens, but I think it's fine to go into the juvenile biography section which needs to be updated. Maybe If I could bring myself to read it I would find it was more about the era and not so much celebrity oh-isn't-their-story-tragic, which it probably isn't, it being Candace Fleming, but I'm still MAD.
• Freedom summer murders by Don Mitchell
• Backlist. Civil rights and history in general don't circulate much in the teen area, but I think this could maybe go in juvenile nonfiction and if not might circulate enough to be worth it for YA.
• Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin
• Purchased. I don't expect it to circulate heavily, but this was one I felt we absolutely had to have.