This week at the library; or, I am scary busy

The middle schoolers joined in and made monster boxes

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

• As I'm planning next year, I think I need to really cut back on programs in October, even more than I did this year. It's just not realistic to run a lot of small programs when I'm doing all these extra school visits.
• Monday: Meetings. Staff meeting. Mid-year evaluations. Program meeting. Meeting to plan outdoor gardens/learning space. Busy evening on the information desk.
• Tuesday: I worked on planning stuff in-between floods of toddlers and other stuff. I also went out to Sophos for an hourish in the afternoon. There were more than 30 kids there, I checked out several books, took some for return, and also took a lot of supplies for them to decorate t-shirts the volunteers had provided. I ended up leaving the t-shirt supplies to pick up later b/c they were still doing stuff with them. They were sad that I took the Osmo back with me though!
• Wednesday was outreach and meetings. 3 outreach storytimes in the morning, then back to work, then to a meeting with a reading teacher at school, then back to work for lunch, then back for one more afternoon outreach visit, then back to the school for a board meeting, then I left. No knitting for me tonight. Bed instead.
• Thursday, DO ALL THE THINGS. Well, try anyways.
• Friday, I had hoped to have all my staff but due to various things it was just me and some of them some of the time. Then we ended up having an extra training and....anyways, I felt like not much got done but maybe that was because the day was scattered. Some shifting and shelving and a lot of stuff for the fairy tale adventure did get finished. Then I went to Walmart for supplies.

Programs

• Monday
• Tiny Tots (Ms. Pattie)
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions) (Ms. Pattie)
• Wednesday
• October Outreach: Autumnal Animalia (4 sessions)
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies (Ms. Pattie)
• Messy Art Club: Monster Boxes

Some projects completed/in progress this week

• Still working on weeding biographies, planning/scheduling next year and the fairy tale adventure
• 2 staff meetings, evaluations, program meeting, meeting with reading teacher, charter school board.
• Library work day (Friday)

Stealth Programs and Displays

• I Spy Aquarium

What the kids are reading; A Selection

• I didn't take notes this week and completely lost track. I was out at a lot of schools and crazy busy so I didn't do a lot of reader's advisory anyways.

The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: A New Friend by Poppy Green, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell

I originally resisted checking this out because it looked too "cute" but it turned out to be rather irresistible.

Sophie is a dreamer and loves to paint. She's excited about going back to school and seeing all her old friends. But when a new pupil shows up she gets a shock - it's a snake! Are they safe to be around? Can he play with them? The other kids think snakes are scary, is Sophie brave enough to ask him to play with them? After some wise advice from her parents and some fortunate meetings with new neighbors, Sophie finds the answer to all her questions and gets a new friend!

Bell's illustrations show an adorable cast of anthropomorphic small creatures with the tiny details that will definitely intrigue readers; little baskets, plentiful use of acorns, and large flowers.

There are lots of cute names, adorable food (nutmeg popovers) and a simple but sweet message about giving new/different kids a chance to be friends. The text would be great for a beginning chapter reader with the illustrations keeping it from being overwhelming and the slightly larger text is reader-friendly.

Verdict: If cute puts you off, you might still want to give this a chance. It's adorable but never quite twee and a solid addition to a beginning chapter series. Fans of Daisy Dawson, Critter Club, and some of the cuter Branches series will enjoy this cozy tale.

ISBN: 9781481428330; Published 2015 by Little Simon/Simon and Schuster; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Georgia the Guinea Pig Fairy by Daisy Meadows

The Rainbow Magic series is divided into sets of themed fairies - the weather fairies, the sports fairies, the jewel fairies, etc. This title is from the pet fairies series. Each follows a similar theme - the naughty ice goblins make trouble and a group of mortal girls get to help the fairies put things right.

In this case, the ice goblins have stolen the magical pets. The story in the third volume starts out with Kristy and Rachel visiting Strawberry Farm and thinking about the magical pets they've already helped rescue. When a guinea pig escapes from the Pet Corner, they are chasing him when he....flies? It's one of the magical pets! Georgia the guinea pig fairy appears and together the three of them try to get Sparky back. It's not so easy when the ice goblins appear though! Can they outwit the mean goblins?

As you can see from the cover, this series does include a wide variety of skin colors in the fairies. The interior art is simple black and white drawings, with no skin color for any of the characters so it's not possible to tell if the girls are diverse, although they have what appears to be blond and black hair, respectively. The art is very cute and has a distinct British feel, with its blend of cozy and sparkly.

Has any adult actually read these? Well, one has now. Rainbow Magic is one of those paperback series that are pumped out for beginning readers. Most people just assume they're trite and light reading, suitable for kids who need the continuity of a familiar series to improve their reading abilities. Well, they're pretty much...right on the nose for that one. That doesn't mean it's a bad book though - it does exactly what it sets out to do. I have both boys and girls who enjoy reading these; the simple plots, engaging characters (fairies! goblins! girls helping fairies!) and cute artwork make these an easy series to encourage kids to jump into reading.

Verdict: You must have at least a couple of these series in your library, if not all of them (I'm not sure anyone could keep up with all of them). I recommend the classic weather, jewel, and pet fairies to start with.

ISBN: 9780545133227; Published 2006 by Scholastic; From my personal collection; Owned by the library

Small Readers: Out of this world: Jupiter, the biggest planet by Chaya Glaser

Bearport has been expanding into the easy reader market over the past few years. It's a natural fit, since they specialize in high-interest nonfiction with a range of reading levels. This title is part of a new series, "Out of this World" which covers the planets and also of the "Little Bits First Readers" imprint.

Each page features one to two simple sentences and some captions for the photographs. The reader will learn some basic facts about Jupiter, including size, composition, and recent discoveries.

The background of the pages is a starry sky. Various photographs of Jupiter and other plants float across it with text highlighted on bold red shapes or on the night sky background. The photographs are clearly labeled with arrows as needed pointing to specific aspects of the planet.

Back matter has a simple chart comparing Jupiter to the earth, four words in the glossary, a simple index, two recommended books, and a link to Bearport's online content and a brief bio of the author. Like most of Bearport's nonfiction easy readers, it's a square shape, about 8x8.

Verdict: While my obsessive side would like all easy readers to look alike forever and ever no exceptions amen, I can see that this larger format is a nice layout for the nonfiction content, especially when it's big round planets. The font is large and readable, the information simple but interesting, and this would be a good addition to your easy nonfiction as kids enjoy learning about space at this stage. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781627245654; Published 2015 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Read Scary: The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara

Kazuno Kohara does the most adorable, simple picture books - but with substance! They're not just fluff.

Last year I added this book to my 1st Grade Library Visit program and it was a huge hit with the kids. Appropriately, my 1st grade visits are always the end of October.

The story begins with a special library that opens only at night. The little librarian and her assistant owls are having a peaceful, if busy, evening when the rush begins - squirrels looking for somewhere to practice their band concert, a wolf crying because her story is unhappy, and finally a turtle who doesn't want to leave until he finishes his story. Finally, the animals are gone and it only remains for the librarian to pick out a special bedtime book for the owls.

Kohara's distinctive illustrations are two-color creations with thick, black lines. They're almost like woodcuts, but for younger kids. This book is told in yellow and blue, which is perfect for that just slightly shivery feeling of scary for the really little kids without being really frightening. Cute animals, towering bookshelves, and trees give the library a welcoming, exuberant feeling.

One of the things I love most about this book, and what makes it perfect for my library visit tours, is what an excellent job Kohara does of capturing a modern library with space for everyone. First, there's the fact that it's open at night to accommodate the animals who can't come during the day. When the squirrels are noisy they aren't asked to leave - they're shown to an activity room where they can practice. The little librarian always has a helpful response to whatever questions are thrown at her and she stays cheerful and friendly throughout her busy night.

Verdict: This is a perfect book for a toddler Halloween storytime or to welcome new friends to the library, assuring them there is room for everyone! Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781596439856; Published 2014 by Roaring Brook Press; Purchased for the library

Nonfiction Monday: Robot World: Robots in the Factory by Jenny Fretland VanVoorst

This title is from the new imprint, Pogo, from fairly new publisher Jump! My preference is for their younger imprint, Bullfrog. I have a lot of very enthusiastic fans of those titles. The Pogo titles are ok, but they don't really stand out from the crowd of series nonfiction in my opinion.

Honestly, this is the title I liked the least and some of that is from an adult perspective. Are there topics that don't work well for young children? I think there are and they should either be tackled with more nuances or left until the kids are older.

Robots in the factory is one of a four title series, "Robot World". The book starts with several statements about how robots are better than people, never make mistakes, and do work that people can't or don't want to do. The book explains how robots are programmed to do different jobs, that programming is a set of instructions which are so detailed "there is no room for error." Different aspects and tools of a robot like wheels, sensors and "arms" are then described. In the final chapter we "meet the robots" and see the different types used in a car factory.

The attached activity is to make a robot by "programming" a friend. There is a glossary, index, and link to the publisher's website.

My main caveat with this book is that there is enough text and complexity, in my opinion, to introduce critical thinking skills. I don't know much of anything about robotics but even I can reason from point A to point B and if a human is programming the robot there certainly is "room for error". I don't like the "robots are perfect and wonderful!" without even a page mentioning the possible disadvantages. If the book had simple been explaining how robots work, I wouldn't have expected more a more even-handed approach, but when there were so many statements made about the benefits of robots aside from the simple "how they work and how they're used" facts, I expect more pros and cons.

Verdict: I'd pass on this one. Even young kids need to learn some critical thinking skills and while robots are popular, I want kids to think about what they're reading and not just swallow statements whole.

ISBN: 9781620312186; Published 2015 by Pogo/Jump!; Review copy provided by the publisher

Nonfiction Monday: Disaster Zone: Hurricanes by Cari Meister

This is another new series from Jump's Pogo imprint, nonfiction titles that are leveled for early readers.

It was kind of a weird reading experience for me because I had just read Don Brown's Drowned City and so it was surreal reading this rather bland discussion of hurricanes after the powerful emotional punch of Brown's work for a much older audience.

This book briefly reviews what a hurricane is, explains how it forms, and then talks about some of the devastation they cause and some famous hurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina.

Back matter includes a section on being prepared for hurricanes and the reassurance that hurricanes are rarely a surprise and if you are prepared you'll be fine. There is a science activity creating a hurricane in a bottle, an index, glossary, and link to the publisher's website for more resources. Other titles in the series include Blizzards, Droughts, Earthquakes, Landslides, Tornadoes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes.

Verdict: This is a serviceable, if not particularly memorable, addition to disaster series for younger readers. There are plenty of disaster series out there, even for younger readers, and if you're updating your collection this would be a choice to look at it but it's not a must-have for a public library. School libraries may be more interested due to the leveled text.

ISBN: 978162012216; Published July 2015 by Pogo/Jump; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

Nonfiction Monday: Way to grow! Gardening: Composting and Planting by Rebecca Pettiford

 These two titles are from a new imprint, Pogo, produced by Jump! It's for an older audience than their Bullfrog imprint, and contains leveled text for beginning readers.

Composting explains how compost works, how gardens need organic matter in their soil, and how to make your own compost. There are helpful facts in "Did you know?" sections and clear directions for creating your compost pile from what to put in it to how to layer it. There is a science experiment to compare soil at the end and see if compost really makes a difference. There is also an index, glossary, and link to the publisher's website to learn more.

The book has a nice, clean layout and is illustrated with photographs that show a fairly diverse group of kids (two black, two white, one photograph of hands that all appear to be white)

Planting is also in this series and starts out with some general tips on planting. Find a sunny spot, sow seeds depending on where you live. It talks a little about germination, then caring for plants with watering, mulching, and fertilizing. The activity is comparing soil. There is a glossary, index, and link to the publisher's website.

I was disappointed by this title. The information seemed very random. It talked about specific fertilizer (mineral fertilizers) but not about weeding or garden pests. I didn't like the assumptions that everyone would have a yard or access to a community garden - it would have been nice if it had suggested container gardens that almost everyone can make. The comparing soil activity was very similar to the activity in Composting. The photographs show three white kids, a grandparent and child who appear to be Asian, a dark-skinned girl, and a girl with darker skin and a bindi? although it looked oddly fake, as though it was applied to the photograph afterwards.

I think this too broad a topic for the length of the book and the leveled text. There are a lot of better nonfiction planting books out there.

Verdict: If you are buying individual titles, I recommend Composting as it's a decent overview and there aren't a lot of books on this subject. If you're looking for whole series on growing, I'd pass on this one as all the titles don't seem to be of the same quality.

Published July 2015 by Jump; Review copies provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Composting
ISBN: 9781620312292

Planting
ISBN: 9781620312285

Nonfiction Monday: Amazing Structures: Skyscrapers and Dams by Rebecca Pettiford

 These two titles are part of Pogo, new imprint from Jump! They're intended for beginning readers and cover many different subjects. These two titles are from the Amazing Structures series.

Skyscrapers starts with a relatable example - skyscrapers are like really, really tall towers of blocks. It briefly explains the history of skyscrapers, the inventions that made the first skyscrapers possible, and how they are built. Cool skyscrapers are profiled throughout the book and it ends with an inspirational suggestion about building skyscrapers in the future.

Activities give instructions for building a skyscraper out of cardboard blocks, a glossary, index, and directions to the publisher's website.

The book also includes plentiful pictures of the different workers needed to make a skyscraper and there is a good diversity displayed, including people of color and women, in the different jobs.

Dams begins with a basic definition of dams and explains why there are important. It talks about how different dams are made and what they are used for. There is a simple explanation of hydroelectricity and the use of locks and spillways. The book also mentions civil engineers, who build dams, picturing a woman in the photograph. There is an activity to build a dam, glossary, index, and link to the publisher's website.

These are both serviceable titles and appear to be accurate and researched. I especially liked the diversity of workers pictured. If you have kids interested in how structures work (and I really wish I'd had these when that four year old wanted them) they will make a good addition to your collection.

Verdict: This isn't a must-have series, but if you are looking to update this subject, it's a good choice.

Published July 2015 by Pogo/Jump!; Review copies provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

Skyscrapers
ISBN: 9781620312100

Dams
ISBN: 9781620312131

Nonfiction Monday: The World's Biggest Mammals by Mari Schuh

Jump's Bullfrog imprint has been hugely popular at my library; only a few weeks ago a mom stopped by my desk to mention how much her son loved "all the little white books" and ask if there were any more (I assured her I'd be adding more next year!). I was interested to see a number of samples from different series from their new Pogo imprint. Unlike Bullfrog, it is aimed at older readers and offers more information and leveled text for kids starting to read. To be honest, most of the series didn't impress me much; it felt very similar to a lot of other nonfiction series out there with generic text on generic topics.

However, this series is the closest to the Bullfrog titles and one that I thoroughly enjoyed and will be buying the rest of for my patrons to enjoy.

The World's Biggest series includes amphibians, birds, fish, insects and reptiles and I was given a sample of Mammals. Each chapter is only a few pages long, but nicely packs a succinct explanation of the topic into a few pages. It explains what a mammal is, describes the largest land mammal (elephants) in detail from their habitat to habits with several comparative facts showing just how large they are. Blue whales, the largest mammal that ever lived have a few pages of description of their habitats and size. The last spread describes the distribution of elephants and blue whales and offers a neat summing up of the topic. There is a final comparison of weight of these two massive animals, an activity (weighing things), a glossary, and an index.

Although the end of the book is a little jumbled, the information is for the most part presented well and in a layout with plenty of interest for readers. The book focuses not just on a familiar animal but on a specific aspect (their size) that keeps the range of information brief enough to cover in detail in this short book. The photographs are interesting and matched well to the text.

Verdict: Animal series are always popular and this one stands out enough from the usual fare to make it definitely worth adding to your collection.

ISBN: 9781520312049; Published July 2015 by Pogo/Jump; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library