The summer Nick taught his cats to read by Curtis Manley and Kate Berube

Nick does everything with his cats, Verne and Stevenson, except read. The cats are really not into the whole reading thing. Nick just can't fathom not sharing one of his favorite activities with his best buds, so he decides to teach them to read. At first, it doesn't go so well, but then Verne gets interested.

But not Stevenson. No matter how much fun Verne and Nick have reading together, Stevenson remains obdurate. But then they discover that it just takes a little searching to find the right book - and Stevenson becomes a reader. The rest of the summer is an exciting journey through books as Nick reads and adventures with his favorite friends.

Berube is a bright new talent in the picture book world and her watercolors are just perfect, showing the cats' opinion of being taught to read, from grumpy face to snarly whiskers, as well as Nick, a cheerful boy with a swirl of curls and an imagination that just doesn't stop.

While I'm usually not a fan of library or book-themed books - I feel like it's preaching to the choir and a bit self-indulgent - I can really get behind this one. It has a strong, humorous plot besides the "love reading" message and even sneaks in a subtle hint; Stevenson gets into reading after drawing and being allowed to choose his own books.

Verdict: A perfect summer read. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781481435697; Published 2016 by Paula Wiseman/Simon and Schuster; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating, illustrated by David DeGrand

I finally got my hands on a copy of this unique new nonfiction title. It's a concept book, an animal book, a fact book - it's just fun! It's also, hopefully, the beginning of a new nonfiction series - The World of Weird Animals.

Keating, author of quirky middle grade novels like How to outrun a crocodile when your shoes are untied, uses her zoology background to introduce readers to pink like they've never seen it before. From blobfish to pink fairy armadillos to pink land iguanas, pink is everywhere in the natural world. But there's more to these animals than just their color. Interesting history and quirky facts are included as well as basic stats about each animal. So, for the spread featuring roseate spoonbills we not only get a lovely photograph of this stunning bird, we also see some silly cartoons, learn what makes their feathers pink, and their history of near extinction and conservation. There's also a column of facts from their species name, size and physical description, to habitat and predators and threats. Back matter includes a map showing pink animals around the world, a glossary, and further information.

Verdict: This is a great gateway title to get kids who are past the typical "animal fact" fare but not ready for more challenging series like Scientists in the Field engaged in nonfiction. I'm looking forward to more titles in the series. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780553512274; Published 2016 by Alfred A. Knopf; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Cybils 2016 Nomination Suggestions

I started my list of Cybils nominations even earlier this year, hoping to inspire everyone to get some great nominations in this year. You can tell what I read most of... So, go forth and nominate!

I also keep records of all the materials I purchase for my library on Pinterest here, which can be handy to look at.

Elementary Nonfiction (picture books, easy readers, early chapters)

• Bears by Elizabeth Carney, ISBN: 9781426324451
• Bees by Laura Marsh, ISBN: 9781426322822
• Beetle is shy by Dianna Aston, ISBN: 9781452127125
• Build, Beaver, Build! by Sandra Markle, ISBN: 9781467749008
• Feathered dinosaurs by Brenda Z. Guiberson, ISBN: 9780805098290
• George Washington Carver by Kitson Jazynka, ISBN: 9781426322860
• Ibn Al-Haytham by Libby Romero, ISBN: 9781426325014
• Living in China by Chloe Perkins, ISBN: 9781481460484
• Living in Mexico by Chloe Perkins, ISBN: 9781481460514
• **Otters love to play by Jonathan London, ISBN: 9780763669133
• Owls by Laurence Pringle, ISBN: 9781620916513
• Sonia Sotomayer by Barbara Kramer, ISBN: 978142632290
• Turtles by Laura Marsh, ISBN: 9781426322945
• Who was Maya Angelou? by Labrecque, ISBN: 9780448488530

Juvenile Nonfiction (Upper elementary, up through fifth grade)

• Abracadabra: The story of magic through the ages by HP Newqist
• Human Body by HP Newquist, ISBN: 9780451476432

Easy Readers

• Lily's new home: 9781620142493
• Pug by Ethan Long: 9780823436453

Early Chapters

• Amy is a little bit chicken by Callie Barkley, ISBN: 9781481451741
• Bad kitty goes to the vet by Nick Bruel, ISBN: 9781596439771
• Heidi Heckelbeck is the bestest babysitter by Wanda Coven, ISBN: 9781481446303
• Princess Posey and the crazy lazy vacation by Stephanie Greene, ISBN: 9780147512932
• Race the wild: Savanna showdown by Kristin Earhart, ISBN: 9780545773560
• Rider Woofson: The case of the missing tiger's eye by Walker Styles, ISBN: 9781481457392
• Sophie Mouse: Winter's no time to sleep by Poppy Green, ISBN: 9781481441995
• March of the mini beasts: 9781481457286

Picture Books

• Alan's Big Scary Teeth by Jarvis, ISBN: 9780763681203
• Duck Duck Dinosaur by Kallie George, ISBN: 9780062353085
• **Honk, Honk by Jessica Souhami, ISBN: 9781847805409
• How to find gold by Viviane Schwarz, ISBN: 9780763681043
• Importance of being three by Lindsay Ward, ISBN: 9780525428695
• **Into the snow by Yuki Kaneko, ISBN: 9781592701889
• My wild family by Laurent Moreau, ISBN: 9781452144238
• Opposite Zoo by Il Sung Na, ISBN: 9780553511277
• Super Jumbo by Fred Koehler, ISBN: 9780803739239
• **Swatch by Julia Denos, ISBN: 9780062366382
• When spring comes by Kevin Henkes, ISBN: 9780062331397
• Tree: 9781101932421

Board Books

• Cars go by Steve Light, ISBN: 9781452150673
• Duck & Goose Let's Dance by Tad Hills, ISBN: 9780385372459
• Stanley's shapes: 9781561459490
• **Stanley's colors: 9781561459483
• Things that go vroom: 9781411475892
• Trucks haul: 9781681521244
• Old Macdonald had a farm: 9780763686529
• Meow Moo Cock-a-doodle-doo: 9781411475861

Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

• Curse of the chocolate phoenix by Kate Saunders, ISBN: 9780385744720
• Sticks & Stones: 9780545800495
• Rise of the Titans: 9781481447140
• Wishing day by Lauren Myracle, ISBN: 9780062342065
• Return Fire by Christina Gonzalez: 9780545773225

Middle Grade Fiction

• Zoe in wonderland: 9780399170973
• Cupcake cousins: Winter wonders

Elementary/Middle Grade Graphics

• Batman '66 meets the Green Hornet by Templeton etc., ISBN: 9781401257996
• Batman '66 vol. 3 by Parker etc., ISBN: 9781401257507
• Batman Adventures vol. 3 by Dini etc., ISBN: 9781401258726
• **Fluffy strikes back by Ashley Spires, ISBN: 9781771381277
• FukuFuku Kitten Tales by Konami Kanata, ISBN: 9781942993438
• Hotel Strange: On the Sapphire's Trail by Katherine Ferrier, ISBN: 9781467795739
• Pokemon X-Y 5 by Hidenori Kusaka, ISBN: 9781421582504
• **Stinky Cecil in Terrarium Terror by Paige Braddock, ISBN: 9781449471866
• Crystal cadets: 9781631404627

This Week at the Library; or, Cough Cough

What's happening at the library and in my head

• Monday
• 1st grade class visits (2 visits)
• Read with Pearl
• Autism Support Group
• Oy. What a day. I still have a cough from my sinus infection, which is annoying. Sick staff, schedule changes, staff meeting, phone calls, emails, working on reports, packing outreach baskets, and on and on. I am thankful to the fate which determined this would be the one time I have my phone by my bed (something I normally never do) and so was able to come in and meet the 1st graders! Two very sweet classes - especially loved the kids who helpfully translated their classmate's remarks for me, when I couldn't understand him. We read Eat Like a Bear and talked about omnivores and what bears do to get ready for winter, Round Robin and talked about birds flying south and Tap the Magic Tree and talked about how leaves change (which I may have made up - I should check that) and how important bees are. Phew! I'm also grateful for our awesome reading dog and her mom, who can handle things without me!
• Tuesday
• Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions) (Pattie)
• Bookaneers
• Pattie made glittery pumpkins with the toddlers and they were many happy faces meandering around the library. Happy babies always makes the morning more cheerful. I worked on this week's programs, av orders, and some possible grant stuff. We had a very loud and enthusiastic book club. We were so chatty we barely had time to pick our next books! Making our own escape plans a la The Great Pet Escape was a favorite activity. Some of us wanted to talk about Rosa Parks, but things were a bit too loud and raucous for serious conversation at that point. Some important things I couldn't leave until later so I finally left well after six. I'm tired.
• Wednesday
• 2nd grade community walk (2 sessions) (Jess)
• Outreach Storytime: Autumn (4 sessions)
• Youth Center: Oven-Bake Clay
• Jess covered the 2nd grade community walks while I did outreach storytimes in the morning and afternoon. Then I worked again on reports, then I went out to the youth center. Although the kids had really, really wanted clay again they were more meh this time. Still, about 10 participated. They are very worried about Killer Clowns (and Trump). Then I finally finished my reports.
• Thursday
• Books 'n' Babies
• Messy Art Club: Leaf Art
• Sara the Librarian came to my rescue with leaves! Most of the morning was taken up with the latest news: Trump is definitely coming to town this Saturday (the middle schoolers were correct on this one, but I am not taking their word for the killer clowns). The fair grounds are up the street from the library so we need to be prepared. At Messy Art Club I had a huge group at the beginning and then suddenly everyone left! But many leaves were used.
• Friday
• Outreach Storytime: The library is fun! (5 sessions)
• Phew. I love all my four year old and five year old kindergarteners but that was a marathon, especially since I still have a miserable cough. I did three back to back morning storytimes at once school, raced across town to do another, then back to the library to grab some lunch and then an afternoon storytime. I spent the afternoon working on scheduling staff and programs for the next couple months. I have some shopping for work to do this weekend, but other than that the week is over!

Projects in progress or completed this week

• Monthly outreach baskets to 4K packed and sent
• Updating schedules through December. This was very complicated and involved Math.
• Monthly report

What the kids are reading: A selection

• books about solar energy for younger kids (teacher request) - gap in collection.
• level 1 readers for school visit - kids really wanted Scooby-Doo but I don't have any readers
• wimpy kid
• talked to several fans about new manga coming (as soon as I finish reviewing it)
• fall, apples, pumpkins. will I ever have enough?
• Open Up, Please! and Shapes, Reshape! were both super popular at storytime

The Ballpark Mysteries 6: The Wrigley Riddle by David A. Kelly, illustrated by Mark Meyers

[Digging through the archives]

This is a new (to me at least) beginning chapter series that was completely off my radar until the publisher sent me some review copies.

It's a pretty typical beginning chapter series - some nondescript kids, simple mysteries, and a quirk that defines the series. The quirk for this series is that all the mysteries are set in famous ballparks. Cousins Mike and Kate are the detectives and Kate's mom is a sports reporter, which provides the backstory for them having access to so many famous ballparks. In this particular mystery, someone is cutting the historic ivy in Wrigley Field and the kids have to decide who's a suspect, look for clues, and set a trap to catch the culprit.

Along the way there's lots of history about the ballpark and the teams who have played there as well as the fans. The "Dugout Notes" at the back add even more details and context for the various events and traditions referenced in the book.

Verdict: This is a nice idea - mysteries with a baseball theme - and while there's nothing outstanding about it, it's a perfectly serviceable series. It's a nice touch to make the mom a sports reporter; I have a lot of girls ask for sports books and this does a good job of having a female detective and showing a nice balance of male and female fans. If you have space for another beginning chapter mystery series, this is a good choice.

[Revisited: This series is up to 12 with more titles coming in 2017 as well as some super specials. Kelly has also started a second sports-themed mystery series, MVP, Most Valuable Players. This series has grown in popularity and is definitely a good choice to add to your beginning chapter mystery series. It may eventually replace older staples like A to Z mysteries and Cam Jansen.]

ISBN: 9780307977762; Published 2013 by Stepping Stone/Random House; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library and the rest of the volumes in the series purchased.

Weekends with Max and his Dad by Linda Urban, illustrated by Katie Kath

Max is nervous about spending his weekends with Dad, now that his parents are divorced. It seems like his dad doesn't know him well at all - he's not into football anymore! The apartment is bare and lonely too. Fortunately, both Dad and Max are willing to compromise and talk things out. Each weekend they have a new adventure, from being spies to taking out a neighbor's dog, to a school emergency. Finally, Max feels at home in both his homes - his house and his apartment.

Black and white illustrations dot the story, showing quirky Max, his nerdy Dad, and their gentle adventures.

I am very much torn about this book. On the one hand, there are very few titles for younger readers that portray divorce. This is matter-of-fact, without angst, and shows Max dealing with changes in his family in a gentle, friendly way. It also portrays a fun sense of imagination and exploring the city. On the other hand, Max feels very young for a third grader. I have a hard time seeing any third graders I know wanting to go out and play through a complicated spy scenario to the extent of dressing up. There's also little to no mention of electronics, a big part of life for most kids this age. At 150 pages, it's too long for the younger audience and the general tone of the characters and "adventures" is too young for kids who could handle that length.

Finally, the whole divorce scenario just didn't match with the real-life experience of most kids in my community. I generally see parents racing around to get kids to all their scheduled activities, handle a complicated schedule of handing the kids back and forth, and basically just getting on with life. The slow, relaxed pace of the story just dragged after a while. Max's dad's ignorance about his changing tastes was odd - was he absent from Max's life for a long time? Why is he such a stranger to Max? For a dad who is planning to be this involved in his child's life, his uncertainty doesn't ring true.

Verdict: While this will be perfect for some communities - I'm thinking higher income, urban scenarios - it doesn't fit my community. The childishness of the characters and length of the book make it difficult to find an audience as well.

ISBN: 9780544598171; Published 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Small Readers: Pug by Ethan Long

I have to admit that, in general, I do not share the public's adoration of pugs. I am really not a fan of small dogs in general. However, I am a fan of Ethan Long and he rocks the easy reader format in this entry in Holiday House's I Like to Read series.

Pug looks out the window and sees his friend Peg going on a walk, in the snow. He tries to coax each member of the family into taking him out but to no avail until he threatens Tad with a leg lift. But is he too late? Will he find Peg?

Long's cartoon art has been compared to Mo Willems but he has a style that is very much his own, Sleek, clean lines blend with solid blocks of color to create pictures that are funny without too many intricate details distracting from the text. The text itself is one of the rare titles that is truly an emergent reader with simple, repeating words and phrases.

The only drawback is the format of the book, which for this series is in picture book size, and the lighter color of the font - I prefer a darker, more contrasting font myself.

Verdict: Although I have some issues with this series, this book is almost perfect and I strongly recommend adding it to your easy reader sections. I usually request multiple titles from this series for use in early literacy classes and this one is definitely going on the list.

ISBN: 9780823436453; Published 2016 by Holiday House; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nobody likes a goblin by Ben Hatke

There aren't a lot of truly magical, as in fantasy, picture books out there but Ben Hatke seems to have caught the knack. Fun for younger kids, full of sly humor for older kids, and even more subtle jokes for the adults.

Nobody likes a goblin. But he has his friends, like Skeleton, and plenty to do in the caves. But what's a goblin to do when his best friend gets stolen? A determined goblin puts on a crown and marches out into the sunlit world to find his friend.

Unfortunately, nobody likes a goblin. He gets chased, yelled at, threatened, and finally he's trapped. Or is he? Turns out, there might be someone out there who does like a goblin after all...

Hatke's cinematic art is the perfect match for this story, which both incorporates and flips fantasy tropes. Shaded caverns, recognizable adventurers, and an adorable pop-eyed goblin, determined to save his friend, ramp through the pages. I especially liked the surprise of the fate of the girl at the end...

Verdict: A unique and delightful story, perfect to fill gaps in your collection and enjoyable for all ages.

ISBN: 9781626720817; Published June 2016 by First Second; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Nonfiction Monday: Last of the Giants by Jeff Campbell, illustrated by Adam Grano

I have mixed feelings about this new teen nonfiction title. I read it as my lunch nonfiction and, while it grabbed me and I devoured the whole thing in a few days, I am uncertain about its teen appeal.

So, this is a look at evolution, history, and the effect humans have had on the environment as seen through the extinction (and endangerment) of mega-fauna. Each chapter addresses the rise - and fall - of a once-dominant species. These include the moa, aurochs, elephant bird, Steller's sea cow, Indian Ocean giant tortoises, passenger pigeon, California grizzly, Thylacine, lions, red wolf, tigers, baiji, and rhinoceroses. Each chapter discusses the effect these creatures had on their environment and the causes and contributing factors in their extinction or endangerment. The conclusion discusses the sixth extinction and anthropocene, which we are now living in, and talks about changes that humans can make.

I personally found this fascinating. It's packed with history, science, and a dry humor that I appreciated. Campbell draws a clear line between fact and speculation and offers practical advice and talking points for further discussion and action. But....will teens pick this up? I'm not sure. It does have an eye-catching cover, but the text is dense and will require a decent reader to work their way through it. My teen nonfiction collection is primarily browsing materials and heavy on the misery memoirs, minecraft, and diy books so this is a bit of an odd choice.

Verdict: You'll have to decide for yourself if this is right for your library. Since I'm currently interested in diversifying my teen nonfiction and, having enjoyed the book myself, am confident of booktalking it to readers interested in science and history I am happy to have added it to the collection.

ISBN: 9781942186045; Published 2016 by Zest; Purchased for the library

This week at the library; or, I'm not at the library

Vacation! I was off Monday - Thursday and came in on Friday and Saturday. I had Craft-o-Rama on Friday, which is basically the Storyroom open with crafts all day long, 10-5pm. On Saturday, I worked the information desk and Pattie ran "It's Great to be Three" a program for three year olds.

During vacation I reviewed books, cleaned my apartment, gardened, had a sinus infection, put together a new chair (old one broke), worked on Cybils, went out to eat with Sara the Librarian, cataloged my trashy romance ebooks, worked on the brick walls around my garden, read books, did paperwork, cleaned the kitchen, and went on walks. I felt miserable for most of it, but at least I was productive, even though I didn't feel particularly productive.

In the day and a half back at work and in between desk shifts, I tackled updating the outreach plans (needed for next week), cleaned off my desk, wrote reports and processed statistics, started prep for book club on Tuesday, updated outreach schedules, answered emails, refilled displays, tackled more of the toys waiting to be updated, worked on Facebook posts, and worked on planning the fairy tale adventure.

I'm not sure if I'm rested or not.

I went to a wedding. It was lovely - the bride was a fairy princess! I have never been interested in having a wedding, but after seeing that dress....