This week at the library; or, We Melt All The Crayons

My girls, the M-Team. When they were posing with
the fruits of their labors, our first patron saw the new
kitchen and gravitated to it immediately!

What's happening in my head and at the library

• Monday
• Playgroup with Pattie
• Read with Pearl (Jess)
• Tiny Tots (sub for Pattie)
• Emergency storytime in the evening - I basically just grabbed random books from the new ones I was checking in. Pearl came and was very white and fluffy. Felt vaguely disorganized but did plan department staff meeting and got through a bunch of misc. small stuff.
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions) (Pattie)
• Middle School Madness: Dangerous Art
• I worked on putting together toy bags whilst greeting toddlers in the morning, then I helped our charter school group create a Facebook group, then I went out to Sophos for middle school outreach. I'm only supposed to stay an hour, but the kids were so engrossed in melting crayons with my embossing tool that I stayed an extra 45 minutes!
• Wednesday
• Winter Wigglers: Obstacle Course (Jess)
• January Outreach: Under the Snow (5 sessions)
• My throat is sore. Had a big group of middle schoolers in the afternoon, they played board games and discovered the Osmo. More toy bags and weeding.
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies (Pattie)
• Lakeland Tour/Storytime (Jess)
• Lego Club
• Sent a short order for more Valentine's books. Trying to get together all the materials for the remote circulation bags next week and writing complicated emails about outreach and school performances in my head. Next, I will actually write them down and send them.
• Friday
• No programs. No school either. I went to a SRP workshop in the morning, had lunch with friends, and then came back and worked on reports, weeding, and toy bags in the afternoon. There may or may not have been an interval of cheese shopping in there.
• Saturday
• Pre-work breakfast involved tasty food and much discussion of book catalogs. Work was crazy busy, between people wanting in-depth reference and technology help (not on a Saturday!) tax appointments (next year adult services has promised we won't be doing this) and the local art association picking up their current pictures (I'm the only one tall enough to get the top row!) Phew.

Projects in Progress or Completed

• Weeding 500s
• Putting together toy bags
• CE and Meetings
• SRP Workshop

What the kids are reading

• Request for Minecraft games on PS3 and XBOX360
• Picture books on Washington and Lincoln (teacher saving me time!)
• Kindergartener who wanted to read a chapter book - Sophia Martinez
• Lego books, Star Wars
• Courageous Princess - checked out, ordered the third one
• Teen Titans Go - second time they've asked, encouraged them to place a hold
• Tinker Bell
• Dragonball Z
• Wall-E
• Tangled
• Descendants Isle of the Lost (glad I bought 3 copies)
• 
  

Shelter Pet Squad: Merlin by Cynthia Lord, illustrated by Erin McGuire

Usually, I read the first book in a series, but the first title in this series, Jellybean, has been consistently checked out and since I needed to read this for Cybils I decided to start with the second one.

I knew when I first read the description that kids would love this series and they certainly have. Suzannah loves animals but her apartment doesn't allow any pets so she gets involved with a local pet shelter. In this title, Suzannah and her friends encounter a ferret and learn about them and figure out the best way to get Merlin adopted to a happy home.

There are a couple things that set this series apart from the usual kids-involved-in-animal-shelter fare. First, Suzannah has to deal with being younger than all the other kids at the shelter. She's limited from participating in some activities and a major plotline in the book is how she tries to be seen as more mature in different ways, like choosing a longer book when they're learning about ferrets, but learns it's ok to ask for help.

I also liked that they showed the animals not just going to happy homes but all the work that went into caring for them and making sure the right people were adopting them. The art is fairly standard black and white pictures. It breaks the story up, but doesn't add a lot to the book in general.

Verdict: You can never have too many of this type of series and this is a popular one. A mildly diverse cast, plenty of helpful information, and a nice length between beginning chapter book and middle grade make this stand out a little from the rest. Definitely recommend this to your Critter Club, Puppy Place, Vet Volunteers, and Animal Ark fans.

ISBN: 9780545635998; Published 2015 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library

Petlandia by Peter Hannan

Madame Wigglesworth manages to tolerate the humans who worship her until they turn their attention to a new object of adoration: A pup named Grub. She can't take it any more! A few evil schemes later and the human Finkleblurts are out of the house for good and Madame Wigglesworth has founded Petlandia. Naturally, she will be the first dictator, ahem, president that is. But she didn't count on lovestruck Honeybaked Hamster voting for....Grub?? Things escalate quickly to all-out civil war. Will peace ever return to Petlandia?

Hannan's scratchy black and white cartoons are an excellent fit for the story. Madame Wigglesworth's vampire-like fangs, the teeny-bopper Honeybaked, nasty rats, and droolingly ridiculous Grub snarl and fight their way through an increasingly untidy background, ending with a stomach-turning scene with worms.

On the one hand, I read this and thought "Bad Kitty for kids who like Cartoon Network". On the other hand, I read this and thought "this has no redeeming qualities other than being grossly funny". The characters are stupid and/or nasty, and the ending is ridiculous.

Verdict: Not surprisingly, the author has done a lot of work on Nickelodeon and fans of that brand of humor will eat this up. It's a graphic blend - primarily text with spot illustrations - so a nice compromise for parents who don't want their kids reading graphic novels. It's not over the top gross or crude, just has a rather icky feel to it. It reminded me of Apocalypse Bow-Wow only with an actual plot. I'm not exactly going to recommend it, but it will certainly circulate.

ISBN: 9780545162111; Published 2015 by Scholastic; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Small Readers: Katie Fry, Private Eye: The Lost Kitten by Katherine Cox, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

Although I'm mostly looking for very beginning easy readers these days, I do occasionally pick up a fun new series for more intermediate beginning readers.

Katie Fry is small but smart. She uses the clues she finds to solve mysteries. When she hears about a lost kitten, she knows it's a mystery she can solve. Sherlock the kitten gives her some clues and she follows them back to find his lost home - and even comes up with an idea so she and Sherlock don't have to part ways at the end of the story.

Vanessa Brantley Newton's art is bright and cheerful with lots of details, unusual for an easy reader. I've enjoyed her art in other books but felt like her art was more fun than the books themselves. Katie Fry is a good match for her peppy, colorful pictures though.

Katie is an upbeat, smart character who's clever without being snarky or annoying. I was a little thrown off by the switch from the everyday mysteries she's solved at the beginning to the talking kitten, but I don't think kids will care.

Verdict: Give this one to kids who aren't quite ready for Critter Club but like mysteries with animals and cute pictures.

ISBN: 9780545666725; Published 2015 by Scholastic; Review copy provided by publisher for Cybils; Donated to the library

Land Shark by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Ben Mantle

Beth Ferry, author of the quirky Stick and Stone, returns with another kooky story that's sure to grab readers' attention and tickle their funny bone.

Bobby loves sharks and he has a plan to get one of his very own. Everything seems to be going well and he has high hopes when he enters the garage to see his birthday present, which his parents assure him is just what he wanted...a puppy! WHAT??!! Bobby is disappointed, disgusted, and utterly upset. There is no way he will ever be a dog lover. He's a shark lover and nothing but a shark will do! Sharks are not cute and cuddly. Sharks are destructive forces of nature with a keen sense of smell and awesome biting abilities. Hmmm.....maybe, just maybe, Bobby can love something that's not a shark...

Mantle's colorful art shows determined, delightfully quirky Bobby in all his moods from planning to struggling not to cry (shark lovers don't cry) to finally happy and back to planning again. The pictures are gloriously goofy as Bobby slowly changes his mind and comes to like his new pet, even if it's not what he expected.

Verdict: For every kid who's ever wanted a pet or been disappointed by the "wrong" present and for shark lovers everywhere. Perfect for a dramatic read-aloud to kindergarteners. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781452124582; Published 2015 by Chronicle; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: The Human Body: The story of how we protect, repair, and make ourselves stronger by HP Newquist

When I first briefly glanced at this, I assumed it was just another book on the human body. However, when I finally cleaned out my tbr shelf and delved in more deeply I discovered a unique and fascinating combination of technology and anatomy.

This is the first book in a series called Invention & Impact and it not only covers the basic functions of the human body but, as the subtitle says, explains the inventions that have been used throughout history to repair and improve the human body.

The first section covers parts of the body; eyes, ears, teeth, heart, blood, limbs, and finally the body of the future. It not only explains how things like blood work, but also the way people throughout history have tried to substitute, improve, and repair damages and what inventions are currently focused in this area. For example, did you know that there is still no artificial blood? It's simply too complex to be cloned. Did you know that false teeth were once made from the teeth of corpses? That glass eyes would crack if subjected to extreme temperatures? That prosthetics can be made using a 3-D printer?

The next section talks about three basic medicines; soap, aspirin and antibiotics, their creation, use and the way they've changed the world. The final section discusses medical tools and treatments; surgery, the microscope, the stethoscope, x-ray and similar machines and vaccines. These sections are completely fascinating, discussing how soap was marketed to become a normal part of life, the dangers and difficulties of finding vaccines and some of the horrific diseases they have all but eradicated, and the truly gory early surgeries before anaesthetic.

Back matter includes websites and limited print resources, acknowledgements, and a detailed index.

I wish they wouldn't make these picture-book style layouts for middle grade nonfiction - it's difficult to get older kids to pick up something that "looks like a baby book" but this isn't as big as it could be and it's a decent length. It's not going to grab the average reluctant reader; it's a very dense title with a lot of information packed into it, but kids who are into science, medicine, history and inventions may be inspired to pick it up with some judicious booktalking.

Verdict: This is definitely going into my summer booktalks for upper grades and when I get my 5th/6th book club going (the current plan is for 2018) it will definitely be a top pick. It's one that will appeal to strong nonfiction readers and should be an excellent addition to libraries looking to encourage STEM.

ISBN: 9780451476432; Published 2015 by Smithsonian/Viking; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

This week at the library; or, Excitement abounds!

What's Happening in My Head and at the Library
The most exciting thing this week is that my first nonfiction column for School Library Journal's new newsletter, is live and online! "Selecting and Promoting Nonfiction in Your Library"

• Monday
• Read With Pearl (Jess) (cancelled due to weather)
• We had a staff meeting. I did things.
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions) (Pattie)
• January Outreach: Under the Snow (3 sessions)
• I accidentally showed up half an hour early for outreach, but I was on time for the board meeting! Trying to weed the dinosaurs and schedule performers. With great dexterity I missed the "poop incident" by about five minutes. I did not inquire for further details.
• Wednesday
• We Explore Science (Jess)
• This program was a great success! Jess had stations out for the kids to investigate evergreens - painting with branches, a matching game, investigating evergreens with magnifying glasses and water, etc.
• Another webinar, good thoughts on communication and management from Marge.
• Outreach tour with middle school kids from the special education school. They mostly wanted to look around and chat - some had cards and were regular users, some were very interested in getting cards. The video games got a lot of love.
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies (Pattie)
• Mad Scientists Club: Science of Snow
• Luckily we had a small group for Mad Science - this is not a project that lends itself to large crowds!
• I had Friday off, in lieu of working several Friday and Saturdays recently.

Projects in Progress or Completed

• Weeding 500s and board books
• Scheduling performers
• Webinars and meetings
• Staff meeting
• Options board meeting
• (webinar) Managing Children's Services: Communication in the Youth Services Department
• Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference: My 10 biggest mistakes and how to avoid them with Marge Loch-Wouters

What the kids are reading

• Recommendations for fan of Naylor's Alice - Lauren Myracle. Might do Tara Altebrando next. 
• award-winners for a battle of the books for an outside school
• books about Wisconsin
• ballet book
• Cam Jansen
• Muddy Max - wanted more, recommended Summer camp science mysteries
• movies and books about hamsters (only came up with chipmunk movies - hidden kingdoms)
• swiss family robinson
• struggling/reluctant 1st grade reader

Rider Woofson: The Case of the Missing Tiger's Eye by Walker Styles, illustrated by Ben Whitehouse

A new detective is on the scene, tirelessly working to keep the citizens of Pawston safe, it's...Rider Woofson!

In his first case, we meet Rider Woofson and his friends and assistants in the Pup Investigators Pack. With the gadgets of Westie Barker, smart and pretty investigator Rora Gooddog, and young Ziggy Fluffenscruff's nose, they solve crimes and keep citizens safe. When a valuable gem goes missing, it takes all of their talents and skills working together to solve the mystery...but have they found the real criminal behind the scenes?

I was looking at an ARC with unfinished art, but the black and white sketches seem light and funny, definitely adding humor and interest to the simple text.

This will definitely be a big hit with fans of the popular Paw Patrol tv series, both as a read-aloud and as a beginning chapter as they age up out of easy readers. It's an excellent transitional chapter book, with short paragraphs, a large font, and a mix of popular topics - dogs, mysteries, and jokes.

I was disappointed, but not surprised by the lack of gender diversity displayed. There's only one female member of the team, who is, of course, described as "pretty", makes stereotypical comments about wanting diamonds, and whose role seems to be mainly making smart comments and trying to get the male members of the team to behave. She takes no active part in solving the case other than getting buried under wigs at one point and yelling for help and pointing out some paw prints at the end.

It would be great if Little Simon could get on board and start diversifying their chapter book offerings - they have some great ideas for series, but I generally skip them because of the lack of diversity. However, hopefully Rora Gooddog will have a more active role in future titles and I'm willing to give this one a chance.

Verdict: The combination of popular themes - mysteries, jokes, and animals - should make this early chapter book popular with a wide range of children. I can't recommend it wholeheartedly because of the stereotyped representation of the one female character, but I'm hoping that will improve into the series and am willing to take a chance on it.

ISBN: 9781481460156; Published January 2016 by Little Simon; ARC provided by publisher

Space Dumplins by Craig Thompson

I was just thinking gloomily about the lack of good juvenile graphic novels in 2015 and then finally got around to reading this one.

It's different. Violet lives in a world where whales eat planets, but their poop powers everything. Her parents are struggling to deal with financial issues and the fallout from her father's past mistakes, and then her mom gets a chance at a "normal" life. When tragedy strikes, will Violet stick with her mom or her dad? Will she reunite her family and make new friends? Or will she and her friends get smothered by whale diarrhea.

So, first of all, this book is kinda gross. Whale poop, trash, etc. It's also weird. There's a Jewish chicken who journals his dreams, has seizures and visions, and interprets them with Biblical passages. There's a wild flock of aliens who are naturally very alien-looking. There's also mad (or at least irresponsible) scientists, all-powerful corporations, a ridiculous fashion industry, and lots of last-minute escapes from disaster.

I think the temptation is going to be to call it a read-alike for Zita the Spacegirl, but it's really not the same at all. Yes, Violet is spunky, has ideas, strikes out on her own, and makes new friends. But while Zita's whole story arc is working towards her dealing with her isolation and coming to know herself and build a new life, Violet is trying to put back together the life she used to have. She's at home in the galaxy, even if her "home" is a cruddy spaceship in a galactic trailer park. There are plenty of tense moments and excitement, but the quirky/funny elements outweigh the adventure. There's not a lot of resolution for the issues, no great victory over the unfeeling corporations and scientists. In the end, Violet settles down in her new school with  new friends and her family back together. Life is ok and better than before but there's no perfect ending.

Verdict: I think this will appeal most to graphic novel fans in that specific upper middle grade age range, say 10-12. Hand it to readers who don't mind gross, may or may not pick up all the allusions and commentary, but will certainly enjoy a funny, exciting, and ultimately uplifting story.

ISBN: 9780545565417; Published 2015 by Scholastic Graphix; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Hoot by Jonathan Litton, illustrated by Fhiona Galloway

I've been trying different books recently from the My Little World series and striking out. They're fun, but just not quite, exactly what I want.

This one starts out with Little Blue who is all alone. He goes looking for the other owlets and finds them one by one. Each is a different color and adds one number (Little Green is number two, etc.).

The pictures are bright and full of bold shapes and colors. There are graduated die cut holes for the owl's eyes that provide a sensory experience. The book is a sturdy square.

But...it's a little too busy. I can't get on board with some of the color choices, especially the one with a lavender background and Little Blue in shades of, well, blue. The many bright colors, the different shades, the numbers, the additional details on each page, it's just too much. I wanted to see more contrast - if they'd stuck with the background and colors of the cover and just focused on the numbers that would have been better.

Verdict: It's not a bad board book and I'm not sorry I bought it, but if your budget is limited it isn't the best of the series.

ISBN: 9781589255951; Published 2014 by Tiger Tales; Purchased for the library