Nonfiction Monday: How to swallow a pig: Step-by-step advice from the animal kingdom by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Steve Jenkins is one of those prolific authors whose offerings seem to blend together after a while. However, he and Robin Page do have some stand-out titles and I think this new offering is one of them.

While the book keeps the usual format of a Jenkins/Page offering - paper collage animals against a white background with small chunks of information - if offers a unique and humorous approach to how animals behave. After the introductory spread, each page details step-by-step information. Want to hunt like a reddish egret? There are three steps and one cool trick to know. Need to know how to defend yourself like an armadillo? It will take some practice, but you have six options to try, depending on what's coming after you. And if you want to swallow a pig like a python, as shown on the front cover, don't forget step six - "Rest. Once the pig is completely swallowed, take a nap. You won't have to eat again for several months." This will give you plenty of time to decide on your next animal to imitate!

There is a lengthy follow-up section in the back with further information about the animals along with thumbnail pictures of each one. A brief bibliography is also appended. You can also go to the authors' website to learn about how the book was made.

Although this book isn't quite as good as some of Jenkins' and Page's other titles for storytime, it would make a great subject for a book club, program, or classroom. After you've studied some of the animals, come up with instructions for other animals not included - or even for human behaviors!

Verdict: A stand-out in the many titles created by Jenkins and Page, this is one you'll definitely want to add to your collection.

ISBN: 9780544313651; Published 2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

This week at the library; or, Vacation all gone

I have no idea if these ever dried, but the teens had
fun - this is at my outreach site for middle school.

What's Happening in my Head and at the Library

• Monday
• Last day of vacation. I was going to do things and I mostly slept all day instead. Jess got the fun of a Monday night during the full moon and with a cancelled storytime because Pattie was out of town.
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions) (sub for Pattie)
• Middle School Madness (off-site)
• I just borrowed my outreach storytime for toddlers, then belatedly remembered I needed a craft. I had the kids glue a die cut frog to a stick then poke it up a hole in a plate - hoppy frog on a lily pad. Then I spent a couple hours painting with the middle schoolers. There were over 30, all voicing their delight at being liberated from school at the top of their lungs. Literally, at least half of them screamed and yelled nonstop for over an hour. How do they have the lung power? I was hoarse after storytime this morning!
• Wednesday
• Winter Wigglers (Jess)
• February Outreach: Let's Move it (5 sessions)
• I had Jess just do a block party with everything that's going on. I hope I haven't caught anything from the kids, but I am not optimistic. Even more hoarse, but we had fun. One of my aides is down with suspected pinkeye. We refused to let her enter the workroom.
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies (Pattie)
• Messy Art Club: Paint
• It's definitely pinkeye. I don't know what happened today but there was an insane number of people in the library. Oddly, that did not translate to people at Messy Art Club, which was relatively small and relaxed (except for several kids who broke down in hysterical tears and others who decided to turn it into paper airplane club and test-the-librarian's-patience club). Then I remembered that I told a teacher she could bring her high school class tomorrow morning so I better be at work on time. My feet hurt.
• Friday
• Never have I been so grateful for the end of a week. Ok, that may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but I really need to start getting more sleep. I'm really bad about proper eating and sleeping, especially on vacation, which doesn't make coming back to a huge workload any easier.

Projects in Progress or Completed

• Survival
• Cleaning out email, sorting through all the new display things I got and updating displays and magazines, cleaning off desk, etc.
• Newsletter and calendar

What the kids are reading: A selection

• Asch birthday for moon (it's back in print so I can get it)
• Losing teeth
• Easy readers
• Wimpy Kid is suddenly insanely popular and we're hauling all the extra summer copies out of storage.
• High school students looking at picture books for a project
• Someone saw our facebook page and came in to look at the toy bags!
• Bone
• More Bone.
• I think Bone and Wimpy Kid must have been in the Scholastic book order or something.

Small Readers: Stanley and Me: Misty by Christine Dencer, illustrated by Jessica Meserve

The description of this title sounded rather ho-hum, but I love Jessica Meserve's illustrations and was interested enough to read it to go to a little extra effort.

Sophie and Stanley are best friends. They do everything together and take turns playing in their yards. Until Stanley gets a dog. A big dog. Her name is Misty and Sophie is scared of her. Sophie stays away from Misty until she has to face her fears in order to help her friend. Will Misty be as scary as she looks?

Meserve's illustrations are simple but heartfelt. Soft colors and expressive faces fill out the simple story and blend smoothly with the gentle plot.

This is an intermediate easy reader - not quite a beginning chapter book, but definitely for a more advanced reader. It's slightly larger than a traditional easy reader and has a smooth layout that's very appealing and engages the hands and eyes as well as the mind. It's similar to the early chapter books that have been increasingly popular in the past year, like the easy versions of Judy Moody and Hank Zipzer or DiCamillo's Tales of Deckawoo Drive.

Verdict: It looks like the beginning of a series, but I don't see any additional information on future titles. While it's not a really stunning stand-out, it's a sweet, simple story that will engage readers and make an excellent addition to your easy reader section.

ISBN: 9781927018590; Published 2014 by Simply Read Press; Borrowed via inter-library loan

Crimebiters: My dog is better than your dog by Tommy Greenwald, illustrated by Adam Stower

This is one of those titles that really didn't grab me but which my younger patrons love.

Eleven-year-old Jimmy has a boring life. It's true. His mom works all the time, his dad is looking for a job so he can work all the time, he's too shy to talk to girls, especially sweet Daisy Flowers, and all he and his best friend do is argue about Jimmy's favorite mystery tv show and vampire books. He's a dweeb and he knows it. But all that is about to change when he gets The Blotch on his face and guilts his dad into getting him a dog from the shelter. Soon there are mysteries, bullies, and drama galore and he's wondering if his new pet Abby is a little more than she seems...or has he really watched too much tv?

This is a light and funny mystery plenty of younger humor and trials and tribulations - talking to girls, dealing with parents, and struggling with changing friendships. The art added an additional humorous dimension. I did feel that the characters, family dynamics, and situation were not as fully developed as they could have been. How does Jimmy's family have no financial difficulties with only one working adult? Their acceptance of the babysitter felt a little hasty to me as well and the mystery felt rushed and thrown in at the end. However, the point of the book is the humor and Jimmy's viewpoint, which is naturally stuck on what affects him personally. The hardest part for me to buy was the resolution with the stereotypical bully, where he admits he was taking his anger on his family situation out on Jimmy.

Verdict: This isn't an award-winning and deeply meaningful piece of writing, but it's a fun, relaxing read and has been consistently checked out at my library. Fans of Bunnicula and Greenwald's other titles will enjoy it.

ISBN: 9780545773324; Published 2015 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library

Goodnight, Good Dog by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Rebecca Malone

It can be difficult to find picture books that are suitable for very young, toddler audiences. However, although I originally passed this one over because the cover didn't grab me, upon closer inspection it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

Dog prepares for bed as he listens to the sounds of the evening and remembers his day. He remembers the words he knows, the games and fun of the day. Now the day is over and dog takes one last walk through the house, checks his people, and goes to sleep.

The simple, lulling text is complemented by Malone's blocky, simple illustrations. The only face is of dog's girl, mostly shown sleeping or pressed tightly against his fur. The illustrations remind me of the broad outlines and simple colors of Laura Dronzek's work, although Malone's art is very much her own. The simplicity of the art makes it perfect for small children both one-on-one and in a group to follow along the story and share their own experiences of the day, words they know, and bedtime routines.

Verdict: Use this at bedtime with your little one or in a bedtime or dog-themed toddler storytime. The slow pace of the story may lose listeners, but if you make it interactive - finding things in the picture, asking about their day to compare, you'll quickly pull them back to the lilting rhythm of the story.

ISBN: 9780544286122; Published 2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America's First Private Eye by Samantha Seiple

I couldn't put this down. Well, I mean I could - I had to because I was reading it during my lunch minutes, but I zipped through it as fast as possible and can't wait to recommend it to absolutely everyone.

Starting with his humble origins as a cooper, Seiple tells the story of Pinkerton's rise to fame as America's first private detective, including his work as the head of a network of spies during the Civil War and his last battle with the James outlaws.

The book opens with a helpful list of characters, including the Pinkerton agency and their rogues' gallery. An epilogue explains the changes in the Pinkerton agency after Pinkerton's death and how it became a well-known security agency after ups and downs over the years. Source notes and an index are also included, as are black and white photographs throughout the book.

This was absolutely riveting. Seiple doesn't exaggerate or dramatize Pinkerton's life, but she writes a fast-paced narrative that grabs the reader from beginning to end, encapsulating the different major cases of Pinkerton's life and adding insights into his character, operatives, and the historical context. There is a certain amount of death and violence but it's presented truthfully without gratuitous graphic details. Seiple includes Pinkerton's female operatives, another first, and gives generous page-time to these overlooked historical figures. Readers will breathlessly follow Pinkerton's exploits as he protects Lincoln from potential assassination, his operatives track down spies and information during the Civil War, sometimes with tragic results, and Pinkerton's sons attempt to track down the James band of outlaws.

I have to wonder if other reviewers actually read the book. Usually, I skim other reviews to see what others thought and while I could see disagreement in Seiple's prose (some reviewers find her bland while my patrons and I love her matter-of-fact and brisk delivery) some things mentioned in the reviews are just....wrong. One says there is no index. Uh, yeah, there is, it's five pages long! Another says it's classified as a fiction novel. Um....where is it classified as that? It's definitely nonfiction, with plenty of original sources and notes. This annoyed me.

Verdict: I can definitely sell this to kids on its own; read about the first private detective in America, his network of spies, and how they saved Lincoln's life! Even better, it's a great tie-in to Kate Hannigan's novel, The Detective's Assistant, which focuses on Pinkerton's first female operative. I have lots of fans of Hannigan's zippy prose, breathtaking adventure, and extras and they will be thrilled to read the real story behind the story. I Survived fans ready to move on to more challenging titles would be a good audience for this as well. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780545708975; Published 2015 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library

This week at the library; or, Things Calm Down (that was an order!)

Before and after: The hair

What's happening in my head and at the library

• Monday
• No programs today, just a support group in the morning. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell my associate (or her kids) that Things Were Going To Be Calm this week and one of them got sick. Oh well. I did get the glitter glue off the floor (which I am not actually admitting was ever there in the first place)
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions) (Pattie)
• February Outreach: Let's Move it! (3 sessions)
• I had a board meeting in the afternoon. It is snowing.
• Wednesday
• We Explore Science: Hibernation (Jess)
• Unfortunately, Jess is still in a House of Sickness, but she set everything up and it was pretty awesome. About 20 kids and parents came and really enjoyed the different activities.
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies (Pattie)
• Lakeland School Outreach (Jess)
• Lego Club (Jess)
• I took the day off. Unfortunately, Jess is still in a House of Sickness, so I called in other staff to back up the backup and cover things. I was going to come in but they assured me they could cover it and I had Important Things to do on my vacation (namely dyeing my hair and writing and doing dishes and buying chocolate)
• Friday
• Day off! It's a nice day.

Projects in Progress or Completed

• Weeding 500s, ordering nonfiction replacements and sets
• Processing new books
• Budget and bills

What the kids are reading: A selection

• Recommendations for 13 yr old who likes Lauren Myracle and Maze Runner
• Post office (really, really need to get books on this!)
• King Bidgood's in the bathtub
• Biographies
• Nonfiction recommendations for high-level readers (BE STILL MY BEATING HEART)
• Return of girl who liked my recommendation of Leslie Margolis
• Dinosaurs by Yolen
• Plane movies and books
• Movie recommendations
• Courageous Princess
• El Deafo
• Fourteenth Goldfish
• Magic tricks

Small Readers: Aaron loves apples and pumpkins by P. D. Eastman

I threw this in the cart when I was buying new easy readers in a hurry last year and it's checked out quite a bit. I finally got around to reading it and, to be honest, I was less than impressed.

Aaron the alligator plays with his friends, three stick figures in red smocks. They watch football on tv and play together. They get dressed for Halloween. They pick apples.

Eastman's classic art is recognizable but not particularly outstanding. The whole book has an odd, chopped-up feeling. This is explained when you realize that the book is a reissue of a 1967 title with illustrations taken from The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary.

It's an easy read and the illustrations have a classic look to them. Fall-themed books are always popular and the alligator hints at silly antics. It's checked out quite frequently, but I think readers might be disappointed when it turns out to not be as funny as it seems.

Verdict: While this isn't anything too exciting, it's good enough for a fill-in title. Beginning readers need a lot of titles to go through and this is fine for that, although it's not something I'd recommend if you have a limited budget or space.

ISBN: 9780553512359; This edition published 2015 by Random House; Purchased for the library

Dragonbreath: The Frozen Menace by Ursula Vernon

It's the last Dragonbreath. Sniff. Wiping away a tear...

Danny wakes up one morning feeling cold. Not just normal cold, but weird cold. Unfortunately, his mom is out of town and his dad isn't so good on the "diagnosing weird cold feelings" front. Fortunately, his friends Wendell and Christiana suggest calling his great-grandfather who lives in mythical Japan. One bus ride later, Danny finds out that his fire has gone out! The only way to relight it is to eat a phoenix shell (but not the baby phoenix of course, because that would be Not Cool) and the only way to find one of those is to go on a quest to the Farthest North.

Ursula Vernon's trademark humor shines through in this last adventure. There's a deeply satisfying ending, which is not in the least saccharine or didactic but leaves the reader with the feeling that her characters will live on, even if we no longer hear about their adventures. Danny's enthusiasm is undimmed, even when he's feeling the worst. Wendell continues to overcome his cynicism and anxiety to come through for his friends, old and new. Christiana has abandoned none of her scientific curiosity and devotion to logic, but she's learned to roll with Danny's weird world and just examine the science behind it later.

Verdict: It's been a long, funny, and thoroughly enjoyable journey. Buy an extra copy of the first Dragonbreath book to celebrate and don't forget to continue to promote the series even though it's over and Vernon is moving on to another exciting and unique offering!

ISBN: 9780803739864; Published 2016 by Dial; Purchased for the library

Small Readers: Countries we come from: El Salvador by Joyce Markovics

This is a new series in the Little Bits imprint of Bearport, which publishes easy readers. It features a number of South and Central American countries and several Asian countries as well.

This particular volume presents some simple facts about El Salvador. It talks about the country's geography, including volcanoes, the cloud forest, and agriculture. A simple history of the country and culture includes some basic Spanish and a few facts about the native Indians. There is mention of some of the culture - the flower festival and Quinceaneras, food and soccer.

Back matter includes a list of basic facts about the country, glossary, index, and a few titles for learning more.

I'm in two minds about this one and the photographs are part of that. They show a pristine wilderness, dramatic volcanoes, and happy, smiling children and adults. But...El Salvador has serious issues, especially with children in poverty. On the other hand, this is a simple easy reader and you don't necessarily want or need to introduce serious issues into a book that's supposed to convey basic information while allowing children to practice their reading skills.

Verdict: On the whole, I think I'd say yes to this one although it's not what I'd choose to fill in a juvenile nonfiction collection on countries. As an introduction to other countries, especially ones kids are likely to have a connection to, either personally or through other kids they've met, it adds some diversity to an easy reader collection.

ISBN: 9781627248594; Published 2016 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher