Panda Camp by Catherine Thimmesh

Finally, a new panda book! It's a bittersweet addition to my library collection though. I remember as a child the excitement and interest in endangered pandas and how cute and exotic they seemed, how we watched videos of newborn cubs, and how they were almost like celebrities! Fast-forward through the years, and panda-fever has caught on again. Elementary school kids beg me for panda books, kids make panda pillows in sewing class and panda designs in perler beads. But are pandas in any better state, twenty years (ok, maybe closer to thirty) down the road? Sadly, it seems not. Is this a species that will ever exist successfully in the wild? Will they even survive in captive breeding populations? For that matter, should scientists devote time, effort, and money towards saving this rare and endangered species when there are so many other urgent crises at hand?

Thimmesh addresses these and other concerns, while still supplying plenty of cute panda pictures. She focuses on a specific program in China which is focusing on reintroducing giant pandas to the wild. This program includes a careful isolation of pandas from human (and shots of humans dressed in giant panda costumes) as well as a summary of the challenges and difficulties faced in the breeding of giant pandas. A chapter is included on the difficulty and controversies around saving large animals like the pandas, tigers, or polar bears whose habitat may no longer exist.

The narrative ends with the "success" of the panda breeding program - in 2016 pandas were removed from the threatened species list and reclassified as "vulnerable." However with less than 2,000 pandas left in the wild, how long will that continue? Will the reintroduction of pandas continue to change the ecosystem or will their habitat loss continue? Thimmesh concludes with the often-familiar list of "what you can do", a glossary, sources, and index.

While this narrative touches only briefly on larger concerns of conservation, ecology, and environmental concerns, it's also the first narrative nonfiction book on giant pandas I've seen in quite a few years and will fill a gap in library collections. It's aimed at a younger audience who may not be ready to think critically about environmental concerns but are at a point where they are gathering knowledge and thinking about how they can affect their communities on a smaller scale.

Verdict: Well-researched and written in an accessible style, this is sure to fly off your shelves to panda fans as well as providing a starting point for students wanting to do more in-depth research.

ISBN: 9780544818910; Published 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Purchased for the library

Inside the mystery package....

It's the complete collection of Brambly Hedge! It's being published in October! I'm so EXCITED! It will take all my willpower not to keep this for myself, but I will have to remind myself that I have the original miniature books in my collection plus this is a much better format for library circulation. And I think I need to watch all the movies again... (they're only on region 2, sorry!)

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Ciao, Baby! In the park by Carola Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Told from the perspective of an adorable baby with brown skin and slightly curling hair, this is a sweet adventure in the park. Nonna says “ciao!” and Baby gets packed into the back seat of a bike and they’re off. They settle onto the grass on the park - it appears to be early spring, based on the flowers, dandelion clocks, and grass but still chilly as Baby and Nonna are wearing sweaters and boots. They see a squirrel and Baby goes to meet it, “Scrunch, push. Scrunch, scoot.” but the squirrel takes off. Baby waves, “Ciao squirrel!” This doesn’t discourage Baby, who repeats their actions with a grasshopper and pigeon before it’s time to go home

Tobia’s illustrations are charming, showing a green oasis in the grey city and softly realistic drawings of the creatures Baby meets in the park. This has a little more of an urban feel than I usually purchase for my board books, but I love the idea of encouraging caregivers to take their babies outside and it’s nice to have a book with a darker-skinned baby who could easily be Hispanic (I’m guessing not because of the ciao, which I believe is Italian?).

Verdict: A sweet, sturdy board book which would make a good addition to your collection if you want more outdoor board books.
ISBN: 9780763683986; Published 2018 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Mystery package!

I got a special package today. What could be inside?

Bubbles by Kit Chase

Kit Chase writes sweet and friendly books about a group of little animals who have everyday adventures, squabbles, and joys.

In this latest book, a sweet little kangaroo and a shy koala bond over the simple delights of bubbles. The friendly yellow kangaroo, with soft red cheeks, is blowing blue bubbles. When she sees some yellow bubbles, she follows the trail to discover another creature blowing bubbles - a koala!

But when Kangaroo tries to talk to Koala, Koala hides in the tree. Kangaroo starts to leave, but then the bubbles start again. The yellow and blue bubbles join into a delightful green bubble party. But then the green bubbles make a monster! Will Koala come down from the tree to help their new friend?

Chase's soft watercolors make these cozy stories come to life with red-cheeked little animals and light touches of pastels against a white background. Friendly little Kangaroo, bouncing up and down in her eagerness to make a new friend, and shy little Koala, nervous around this new bouncy person, are adorable. It's nice that the characters didn't default to male pronouns, as usually seems to happen. I was a little disappointed that Koala ended up talking - it would have been a nice, unique ending for them to continue their non-verbal communication, and would have definitely added to my audience as I have a large population of special needs kids and would love to read a book about how you don't have to be verbal to be friends.

Verdict: A sweet little story about friendship. An additional purchase, especially if you have fans of Kit Chase.

ISBN: 9780399545740; Published 2018 by Dial/Penguin; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library

Titanic's passengers and crew by Alex Giannini

This is part of a recent series from Bearport called Titanica. Each book covers a different aspect of the Titanic, its construction, the great tragedy, and its rediscovery. This particular title is an overview of the passengers and crew.

The book begins dramatically, with a young man, Jack Thayer, leaping into the water as the Titanic sinks. He was one of the few survivors. The story then turns to the beginning of the fated voyage; the luxurious cabins and wealthy passengers of 1st and 2nd class and the more cramped quarters of 3rd class. There are statistics on the origins of the passengers and crews and brief biographies of famous passengers, from John Jacob Astor to Millvina Dean, the youngest passenger (and survivor) on the ship.

As well as dramatic stories of survivors and those who perished, the book also includes graphs and statistics on survivors, showing in bold detail the huge loss of life among the crew and 3rd class, as opposed to the 2nd and 1st class. It touches briefly on the aftermath of the disaster and some of the future lives of the survivors. Back matter includes a glossary, brief bibliography, and links for further information.

Verdict: The Titanic is always a popular topic and this is a great introduction for younger or struggling readers who aren't able or ready to read the many award-winning titles on the subject. As soon as I saw it I was sure it would be popular; we put them straight up onto a display with a model Titanic, along with the poster that came with them and they have been checking out regularly ever since. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781684024315; Published 2018 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library; Purchased additional copy for the library

It's Cybils Season! I suggest you consider applying to be a judge, preferably in my category.

Once the excitement of summer reading is over, it's Cybils season! If you have been living in a hole without internet, you may not be familiar with Cybils. It's the thirteenth year of the Children's and Young Adult Literary Bloggers' Award (I think - I am not good at time math) and it's awesome.

There are a lot of children's book awards out there. They recognize literary quality, contribution to the genre and canon, and much more. Cybils is different. It's the only award that recognizes both child appeal and literary quality and the process is very transparent. You, the public, nominate books. Parents, teachers, librarians, and authors with public review platforms (aka bloggers) choose the best. Along the way, we review, discuss, and promote children's literature.

How can you get involved? At the least, you can nominate! Nominations will open October 1. However, if you'd like to dip your toes into the water of judging, now is the time to apply to be a judge! You can see the call for judges here. How to decide what category to apply in? As a general rule of thumb:

• The most time-intensive categories are those with high numbers of nominations, first-round panelists. You'll be reading and discussing a LOT of books. Middle Grade Fiction, Speculative Fiction Elementary/Middle Grade, Speculative Fiction YA, and YA Fiction tend to have the highest number of nominations.
• Categories for younger genres and more specific fields tend to have fewer nominations, but can require different approaches; fact-checking for nonfiction, early literacy for easy readers, discussing both art and text for graphic novels, etc. Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction, Poetry, Junior/Senior High Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, and Easy Readers/Early Chapters. It helps to know about the genre and audience for these categories but they also tend to have about 100 or fewer nominations.
• Finally, there are a couple categories that defy categorization - Picture Books/Board Books has a ton of nominations and you'd think you could zip through them, but no! We are an award with professionalism! Think of all the careful consideration of art, text, and audience! Poetry is another outlier.

If you don't have the time to read through a ton of books, second-round judge may be for you. These people take our finalists, announced at the end of the year, and choose the best of the best. There's less reading - but more intensive discussion.

Finally, I suggest you consider my category - Elementary and Middle Grade Nonfiction. We create  a finalist list for both age groups and then choose the best for each category in the second round. Nonfiction is on the rise with a ton of amazing books coming out, an emphasis on nonfiction in schools and libraries, and recognition that nonfiction is an amazing reading experience that goes beyond just learning facts. Join me in my quest for world domination through nonfiction...er, ahem, I mean, it's really awesome to discuss nonfiction with a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds and perspectives. I guarantee you (and the children you teach, parent, or write for) will be all the better for the experience.

This week at the library; or, and now I'm sick

Happenings

• Monday
• Management meeting happened without me. I worked from home on reports and went in about 2 hours late, got through some of the piles on my desk, covered the info desk 5-8pm.
• Tuesday
• Craft-o-rama
• I was supposed to have an outreach today but thankfully it was cancelled.
• I took the pee-soaked cushion cover to the dry cleaners and went in to work around 10. I had a project to finish, but my head was hurting so bad I went home a bit after five and finished it at home.
• Wednesday
• Library on the Go: TLC
• Worked 9-5
• Thursday
• Worked 11-7. ish.
• Friday
• Worked 2-5. ish.
• Saturday
• Library on the Go: Open Arms
• Worked 7-12:30

I developed a lovely sinus infection over the weekend, which just tells me I should never take any time off. My temp staff are leaving this week, and I am very grateful the outreach I was going to do on Tuesday didn't pan out because I was not up to it. Also placed approximately 400 books on hold and I really, really, really wish the blanket hold option worked in our OPAC! (I'm not exaggerating. 250 for an outreach coming up in September, 100 for a book club, and 50 misc.)

I haven't updated my Storytime Extras blog in, well, years since I use a pretty small selection of rhymes etc. However, I'm now training my associate to take over some outreach so I have been updating!

Years ago I saw a library that had a "menu of services." I think it might have been Abby the Librarian? Anyways, I wanted it. After much labor, I have my own quarterly newsletter, complete with sections on our services etc. I am very proud of it!

I also completed the preschool STEM calendar through December. If you want a publisher document you can adapt, email me at jwharton(at)elkhorn.lib.wi.us.

Now I have a WHOLE WEEK with no programs! Then school starts the first week of September and I have two outreach visits and book club.

Crash: The great depression and the fall and rise of America by Marc Favreau

This comprehensive look at the history of the Great Depression is a great way to introduce young readers to this period in US history.

A prologue briefly reviews the catastrophic effects of the Great Depression and then the story plunges into the state of the US in 1931, when the Great Depression struck. The book continues through the causes, analyzing Hoover's policies, the worsening economic and political situation, and the advent of FDR. Chapters are devoted to the powerful influence of Eleanor Roosevelt and the changes in policy organized by ground-breaking Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins. The book seems to be rising to an optimistic high, with the successful policies of the New Deal and increasing confidence and economic stability.

But the downside is quickly shown in the onset of the environmental catastrophe of the dust storms, and the even more tragic effect of the Great Depression on the already oppressed African-American and Hispanic populations. Favreau speaks bluntly but sensitively about lynching and the deportation of Mexican workers, many of whom were American citizens. The rise of prejudice and anti-immigrant prejudice continues into the opening salvos of the United State's involvement in World War II and the end of the Great Depression.

Favreau reflects on the effects of the Great Depression and the delayed, but not forgotten, efforts by African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and women to achieve the safety and prosperity sought for by all Americans. The book is full of many firsthand accounts, personal recollections, and original documents. Back matter includes source notes, bibliography, timeline, index, and primary sources.

This is Favreau's first book for young readers and he does an excellent job of explaining a complex time period in history. Many of the darker aspects, riots, oppression, lynching, and prejudice are included to give a full picture, but in a way that is appropriate for young readers. There are a couple omissions; although Favreau gives a very balanced view of Hoover's administration, Roosevelt's seems to be presented through rose-colored glasses, with no mentions of any controversy beyond some acknowledgements of his lack of support for equality for minorities and women. The section on the dustbowl is also very brief, making it sound like the drought was the sole cause of the disaster, rather than years of damaging farming practices.

Verdict: A readable, compelling, and well-written overview; an excellent choice to introduce this time period to young readers and serve as a starting point for further research. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780316545860; Published April 2018 by Little, Brown; Purchased for the library

Small Readers: Meet Woof & Quack by Jamie A. Swenson, illustrated by Ryan Sias

Picture book author Jamie Swenson branches out into easy readers in this sweet new series about two oddball friends. Woof, a curly brown dog, and Quack, a green-headed duck, are looking for something to do. Quack has a great suggestion; they should play fetch! There’s just one problem: Woof doesn’t like to fetch. What kind of dog is he anyways? It’s a good thing Quack is just as quirky a duck as Woof is a dog and loves to fetch. The two have a great time playing their own version of the game and ending in the most tasty way, with cake everywhere!

Sias’ fuzzy illustrations show a cheerfully smiling pair, with brushed charcoal outlines and bold, colored backgrounds. There’s no indication in the text of gender, but the brief publisher’s description on the back notes Woof as male, saying “his new friend”. No gender is given for Quack.

This is a level H title, which is on the more difficult side of the emergent readers I collect; the text is not as simple as an Elephant and Piggie comic, although it follows a similar format with two quirky friends and the text all contained in speech balloons. It includes more challenging vocabulary like interesting, would, and fetch. It would be suitable for a reader ready to start moving along from emergent-level titles to more challenging easy readers.

Verdict: Cute and funny, although this isn’t likely to have hordes of specific fans like Pete the Cat, Elephant and Piggie, or Fly Guy, it’s a perfectly solid choice to fill the voracious need for easy reader comics. Recommended.
ISBN: 9780544959514; Published 2017 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium