Saturday, November 30, 2019

This week at the library; or, Holiday

Happening this week
  • Monday
    • Open Storyroom
    • Paws to Read
    • Girl Scouts
    • D&D
    • Youth Services Staff Meeting
  • Tuesday
    • Open Storyroom
  • Wednesday
    • Open Storyroom
    • Library closes at 5:30
  • Thursday - Friday: Library closed
  • Worked 25 hours; 11 hours on desk
  • 16 hours holiday
Notes
  • I am so tired of viewing security cameras.
  • I weeded through the 600s and got about halfway through the 700s, got as caught up on the cataloging as possible, started planning for next year, and was notified that I won a grant!

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Collectors by Jacqueline West

I loved West's Books of Elsewhere, but they've never circulated as much as I've wanted them to. Most of the kids I've tried them on have told me they're too scary! Still, the description of this book lured me in and I decided to enjoy it myself, even if the kids don't appreciate it.

Van is the new kid, the small kid, easy to overlook - but he sees things nobody else sees. Usually these are small treasures he carries back to his toy theater, wherever he and his opera-singer mother are currently living. But one day he sees - and hears - something different. He sees a strange girl and he hears a talking squirrel. This is unusual not only because, well, talking animals but also because Van can't hear too well anyways. But he doesn't have adjust his hearing aids or make any effort, he just... hears a squirrel.

The mystery deepens as Van pursues the Pebble, the girl, and Barnavelt, the squirrel, and discovers a hidden world of captured wishes and strange collectors, mysterious animals and magic both glorious and terrifying. Eventually, he will be torn between his new friends and his own wishes, trying to find the right path when everyone seems to be lying to him.

This fantasy builds slowly, but when it finally gets going it's a powerful book. Van encounters the power of wishes and also how that power corrupts. He meets friends who turn out to be enemies, and learns that not everything is black and white. West handles Van's hearing loss carefully, weaving its effects into the narrative of his everyday life and building it into the climactic final as Van makes his own choices about his destiny, reminding those who try to change his life that can make his own decisions.

This reminded me of the film Nocturna, with the blend of magic and the strange creatures flitting through the night. It has an open ending, leaving room for a sequel, but not ending on a cliffhanger (the second and last title came out in October 2019, A storm of wishes)

Verdict: I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written and gorgeously imagined magical world, and the smooth integration of Van's impaired hearing was extremely well done. However, its length (almost 400 pages) and the slow, reflective beginning, as well as the emphasis on the urban setting and the opera world, make this something unlikely to check out in my library. Happily, there are several copies available in my consortium and I plan to use it in forthcoming book clubs and see if there is enough interest to justify the purchase.

ISBN: 9780062691699; Published 2018 by Greenwillow; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Small Readers: Tails from History: A Sea Otter to the Rescue by Thea Feldman, illustrated by Rachel Sanson

This quartet of easy readers all features animals from history, with varying success. Some of them are just sort of random sentimentalized stories, but this one is a really nice blend of animal rescue and science.

This is the true story of a sea otter in an aquarium in 2001. Toola was a wild sea otter who had become chronically ill due to pollution in the water and could not be released. When a rescued sea otter pup was later brought into the aquarium, the staff debated what to do with him. In the past, staff had raised orphaned otter pups, but they rarely survived long when returned to the wild. They decided to try to give him to Toola and she quickly adopted him. Toola was an excellent foster mother and became the first in this program to raise pups that could be rehabilitated, as her foster son was. The publicity around Toola also inspired legislation to protect and study sea otters.

Back matter is a page of facts about sea otters and ways to help endangered sea otters. Incidentally, I think their first fact is wrong or at least questionable - while the sea otter may be the heaviest of the mustelidae or weasel family, the giant river otter is almost twice as long, so would be, in my opinion, the "largest."

The staff featured show a variety of races and genders, primarily female. The pictures show lots of cute sea otters and people in various settings. The text is in a large, easy-to-read font, set in paragraphs. It's for an intermediate reader, probably about 2nd grade.

Verdict: The subject of this was fun and it has a nice selection of true facts and cute sea otters. Of the set, this is the one I'd purchase first if budget is limited.

ISBN: 9781534443389; Published June 2019 by Simon Spotlight; Purchased for the library

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka

I'm always a little suspicious of books that everyone is promoting - I find popularity suspect I guess. But this one thoroughly deserves all the buzz!

The book opens vertically, rather than from the side, and on the first "page" the reader sees a plain white background, stolid green frog, and the words, "A frog jumps." The next page shows the frog splayed out, white belly on display, and an exuberant BOING! accompanied by zippy blue lines. This pattern repeats itself with a kitten, dog, grasshopper, and other creatures, and with ever more exuberant "boings." Along the way, there are amusing digressions (the snail - not so good at jumping) a tandem jump, and the finishing touch of a little girl making the leap.

The pages are thinner cardboard than is usual in a board book, and the cover is a cheerful orange. Part of the humor comes from the tiny variations in expression on the animals' faces, from their completely blank stares in sitting position.

Verdict: Fun! Use in storytime to get kids jumping and caregivers giggling.

ISBN: 9781776572311; Published August 2019 by Gecko Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

All around Bustletown: Winter by Rotraut Susanne Berner

Way back in 2009, I first discovered Berner's work with the classic In the town all year 'round. Berner was lauded as the German Richard Scarry and much love and enjoyment followed. As the years flew by, I frequently replaced this delightful book, since it's large size and popularity caused a lot of wear and tear. Earlier this year, I went online to get a new copy and discovered... it was OUT OF PRINT. How could this happen? WHY???

Fortunately for me, and my little patrons, Prestel is republishing this wonderful book in individual sections and in board book format. So, yes, technically this is a board book, but since it's the size of the original picture book and that's where I'm going to put it, I'm counting it as a picture book!

The art is the same, a little dimmer perhaps in the board book edition, but I am so happy to have it I don't care! The only changes are minor adjustments to the few words in the books, the descriptions of the people to look for and the signs on shops. I have to admit I don't really get this - why does it matter if it says "Deli" or "Snacks"? But it doesn't really materially change the book. The way it works, there's a page of people to follow throughout the book - a woman reading, a father and daughter chasing a parrot, a cat who appears on each page, etc. In the board book edition, this is on the back cover. Some of the text changes here are a little puzzling - it no longer tells you to find the cat on each page, just that she's taking a tour through town. Some are a disappointing change. In the original, a busker in patterned sweater and scarf is labeled "Pedro" who loves to sing and play his guitar. In the board book, he is still Pedro, but he's cold because he's from South America. Clearly, the editors have never looked at a map...

Once you've looked at the back page and figured out the people, you follow them through each scene. There's a country spread, with a garage and mechanic, a train station, construction site, and busy downtown scene. Each has numerous small stories to follow and fun details to find. The scenes are repeated in the following seasons, for which I hope they will release additional board books so kids can check out the whole set!

Some reviews mention that it is disappointingly homogeneous - there are a few characters with darker skin pictured, as well as some women wearing hijab, but the majority are white. I don't have a problem with that - this is picturing a small German town where the majority are white. From what I've looked at briefly, ethnic minorities in Germany are mainly Turkish, Russian, and Eastern European, most of whom would appear white as well. You can't complain about the stereotyped dress of "Pedro the South American" (which I don't think was a good addition) and then be upset that you can't pick out the people who are Turkish or whatever. I think it would be cool to have a version of this set in numerous countries around the world, each showing people and settings typical to their small cities.

Verdict: I'm delighted to have be able to offer this favorite to patrons once again in a new, sturdy format and am looking forward to adding the rest of the set.

ISBN: 9783791374154; This edition published October 2019 by Prestel; Review copy provided by publicist; Donated to the library

Monday, November 25, 2019

Adventures on Earth by Simon Tyler

I was interested in this because it is supposed to be about the extremes of the planet and the people who have explored them. Unfortunately, it turned out to just reiterate a lot of Western men and colonial expeditions. There were some interesting points, but on the whole I can't recommend it.

The book is arranged by regions, polar, mountains (there is a LOT about mountain-climbing), volcanoes, oceans, deserts, rivers, jungles and forests, and caves and chasms. Each section includes nonfiction facts about things like local animals or conservation. The introductions pay lip service to the destruction, misery, and horrors brought by early explorers and colonists, but this isn't really acknowledged in the choices of explorers to profile.

The polar regions revisit the "classic" explorers, Amundsen, Scott, as well as some more modern scientific expeditions. Reasonable, considering the book is written in Britain, to focus on explorers connected with that country. Then there is a lengthy section on mountains. So, I personally don't get the whole mountain-climbing thing. But I have a hard time seeing them as scientific exploration, since mostly the people just seem to climb them and also I think it's ridiculous to laud "mountain climbers" when it's actually the indigenous people hauling everything up the mountain half the time. The book does briefly mention some female mountain climbers and gives a nod to the environmental destruction some climbers have caused.

There are two spreads devoted to volcanoes, focusing on Katia Krafft, and one page on scientific research into underwater volcanoes. Another large chunk of the book is devoted to ocean exploration and here is where I really did not like the tenor of the book. It starts with early exploration, the Polynesians and Vikings, then goes into the Age of Exploration. Again, there is a brief paragraph saying "some were also responsible for tyrannical colonization, the emergence of the slave trade, and great acts of cruelty." Hard to take that seriously when they are lauding the explorers in the previous paragraph for "great displays of bravery, skill, and conquest." Apart from anything else, these expeditions were purely for wealth and glory - science wasn't even a blip on the radar at the time. They didn't really learn much about geography because they were interested in basically looting new lands. Then there's a page on the British Challenger expedition of the 1800s, then the book moves into modern oceanography and undersea exploration, which gets one page.

Deserts completely ignores the actual indigenous people who live there and early expeditions by Arab people in favor of "The first European" explorers. Excuse me? People LIVED there, how does that make you a pioneering explorer? There is a page on a Polish adventurer who crossed part of the Gobi desert on foot. Why? Just to do it? Sigh. Moving on to rivers, we get more British explorers of the White Nile, British explorers of the Amazon, and a Canadian expedition, which cheerfully explains how the indigenous people's territory was renamed after the explorers.

The last pages are on forests, mostly talking about conservation, and caves with a variety of explorers mentioned briefly. There is a glossary, but no other sources or back matter.

Let's talk about layout. It's... unfortunate. The text is a very small font and difficult to read, often being set against dark blue, green, and gray backgrounds. This is a major flaw in a children's book, since kids are often reluctant to read small, dense text that is difficult to decipher. The art is bland, showing silhouettes and swathes of color and form with no real detail or differentiation between landscapes.

Verdict: This book could have been pretty awesome, but the focus on European explorers, poor layout, and a generally confusing mix of information are disappointing to say the least. Not recommended.

ISBN: 9781843654278; Published October 2019 by Pavilion; Review copy provided by publicist

Saturday, November 23, 2019

This week at the library; or, I just want to go back to bed

Happening this week
  • Monday
    • Open Storyroom
    • Managers' Meeting
  • Tuesday
    • Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions)
    • 7th grade outreach visits (5 sessions)
    • VIP volunteers
    • Girl Scouts
  • Wednesday
    • Wonderful Wednesday
    • Fandom committee meeting
  • Thursday
    • Books 'n' Babies
    • Maker Workshop: Candlemaking
    • Grandparents support group
  • Friday
    • Free Lego Build
  • Saturday
    • GLAS star party
  • Worked 41ish hours; 3 hours on desk; 6 programs
  • Worked a couple hours at home on budgeting and collection development
Notes
  • Everyone but me is feeling better. Nope, take that back, somebody else is getting the respiratory thing.
  • I finished weeding through the 500s (all the animal books!) did another candlemaking workshop for the people who I couldn't fit in the first time, booktalked to another 135 seventh graders, and am getting ready for some serious Planning and Budgeting.
Collection development notes
  • I seemed to have fewer graphic novel fans in this set of 7th graders, although a couple kids said they liked Deadpool (I didn't take Deadpool to the school. I have some common sense.). Lots of history buffs in a couple classes and fantasy fans. One strong request for April Henry read-alikes.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The startup squad by Brian Weisfeld, illustrated by Nicole C. Kear

This is the first book in a new series featuring an entrepreneurial team of girls. Teresa, "Resa" wants to be a leader and has lots of ideas and interests. Unfortunately, she tends to not listen to other people, including her quieter, shy friend Didi. When their teacher assigns them - and all the other kids in class - to run competing lemonade stands as a fundraiser, with the winner getting special tickets to the amusement park, Resa is absolutely determined to win. But then the teacher pairs her up not only with Didi, but also with bouncy, excitable Harriet and the snobby new girl, Amelia.

The girls fumble their way through plans and projects, but their personalities get in the way of success at first. Resa refuses to listen to anyone else and her assumptions and bullying of Amelia, disdain for Harriet, and bulldozing over Didi, end up splitting the group. After some hard self-reflection, Resa stops fighting so hard to get her own way. She listens to Amelia's ideas, to Didi's reminders to be kind, and learns to use Harriet's enthusiasm.

The oddball group of girls includes Teresa Lopez (Afro-Latina), Harriet Nguyen, Indira (Didi) Singh, and Amelia Grant. Amelia is the only white girl. They're going up against the stereotypically popular and wealthy kids, who are involved in sports and have plenty of parental back-up. Weisfeld is a successful businessman, specializing in entrepreneurship, and founder of the girl-empowerment group The Startup Squad. Not a typical choice for a middle grade author.

But, sometimes it just works! This definitely works. It's realistic and honest, the writing is brisk and funny, and the diversity feels natural. What really sets this apart from other books featuring girls coding or involved in group activities is Teresa's flaws. She's shown as a normal sixth grader, struggling with friend drama and bad decisions. She makes snap judgments about the other girls but when everything falls apart she is forced to re-evaluate her own behavior with some gentle advice from adults. All the girls have supportive families who are there when they need them but also willing to let them try and fail. Although they finally get their act together and run a successful lemonade stand, they don't win the competition and there are consequences to the bickering and arguments. Not all their ideas work out, but they keep trying.

Verdict: This stands out in the field with its diverse protagonists and realistic depiction of character flaws, mistakes, and successes. The girls are sixth graders and the book comes in under 200 pages, making it even more stand-out in the field of massive middle grade tomes. An excellent series starter and one that is sure to attract readers who enjoy realistic fiction.

ISBN: 9781250180407; Published May 2019 by Imprint; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Thursday, November 21, 2019

My furry foster family: Truman the dog by Debbi Michiko Florence, illustrated by Melanie Demmer

I first heard about this planned new beginning chapter series at the kidlit conference in Rhode Island, earlier this year. I was very excited because it combines so many things I'm looking for - the popularity of animal rescue series, chapter books that are short and simple, under 100 pages, and a diverse cast of characters.

Eight-year old Kaita Takano and her family have a beloved dog, Ollie, that they rescued and have carefully trained. But now they're planning to start taking in foster animals and their first foster is a lab mix named Truman. He's a sweet dog and quickly makes friends with Ollie and the kids, but Truman keeps getting in trouble! He rips things up, gets in the trash, and hates to take baths. With lots of patience and love, the Takano family helps him adjust to living with a family, but when it's time for him to meet his forever friend, Kaita isn't sure she can let him go. In the end, although she's sad she realizes he's a perfect fit for the Garcia's and their son Ben, and waits happily for their next foster animal.

There is a brief glossary, picture gallery comparing fictional Kaita with the "real-life" Kaita, and some discussion questions and writing prompts. The pictures are cheerful and colorful and show Kiata and her Japanese-American family, the dark-skinned Garcia's, and Joss, the head of the animal rescue, who has dark hair and curly skin.

Verdict: These are just the right length, not too hard, not too easy, with a popular subject and a nice variety of characters. My only complaint is that I added these to the series section hoping/expecting a long run and there's only four! More please!

ISBN: 9781515844754; Published September 2019 by Picture Window/Capstone; Review copy provided by publisher; Series purchased in paperback for the library

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Jamberry by Bruce Degen

I'm going back to a beloved childhood classic today, with Jamberry. Originally published in 1983 as a picture book, the first board book edition was created in 1995 and it has been continuously in print since then.

Degen's cheerful pictures show a white boy with striped blue shirt, brown trousers, and suspenders, his reddish-brown hair sticking out every which way, cavorting through the pages. The boy is accompanied by a friendly brown bear, sporting a stylish purple top hat. There's no particular plot, just explosions of berries everywhere! The endpages start with the barefoot boy, wandering among the berry bushes and sampling sweet treats. He encounters the bear in a canoe, hat full of berries, and the two set off together.

They travel past marshmallow meadows, encounter frolicking ponies and lambs with baskets of strawberries, cart off a trainful of blackberries, and float into the sky in a balloon that's a giant pink berry, with explosions of berries all around them, ending in a flood of berries and sweet stickiness.

The text is so much fun to read-aloud and repeat - who can ever forget, "Quickberry! Quackberry! Pick me a blackberry!" It's a tongue-twister of berries as the rhymes bounce along each page and become sillier and sillier, "Moonberry, starberry cloudberry sky/Boomberry zoomberry rockets shoot by."

Verdict: The book is still available as a hardcover picture book, as well as a board book, and I think the original version shows off the art better. In the board book it's a little squashed and fuzzy, and it's hard to pick out all the details. However, any way you can get it this is a sweet, berry-licious story that's a must-have for most library collections.

ISBN: 9780062643797; This edition published 2017 by HarperFestival; Two copies (board book) owned by the library

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The rhythm of the rain by Grahame Baker-Smith

This British import is stunning! The cover and endpages dazzle the reader with splashes and drips of water, foreshadowing the journey of water that is to come. The story begins with a small, dark-haired boy, scooping up fish into a jar of water by a stream on the mountain. As it begins to rain, he pours his jar into the pool and runs home, following the water in the stream down to a waterfall and imagining the journey of his little jar of water...

The river flows on and the boy now appears on it in a small sailboat, wearing an orange life jacket. He follows the river as it widens, through farmland and into the city, where pipes drip dark sludge, boats move cargo, and someone leans out a window to feed the ducks. The river ends in the ocean, where Issac's small jar of water becomes part of water swallowed and ejected by a whale (that's an error - whales don't eject water but air, with droplets of, well, snot). Eventually, somewhere near a golden jungle where toucans rest, the water evaporates into mist then pours down as rain in a small, dry village. It joins another waterfall and returns to the sea, then finally, once more in the form of rain, it returns to the boy catching fish by a stream.

The illustrations glow and sparkle, from the deep, mysterious depths of the ocean to the light-filled sunrise by the jungle. The tiny image of Issac in his boat, set against the powerful rush of water, then returning to his own small stream, emphasizes the changing perspectives as the water travels throughout the story.

Verdict: While this isn't factually accurate (another point is the use of the word "steam" for vapor), the general trend is clear enough and the gorgeous illustrations make it stand out. Pair with a more accurate description of the water cycle (Miranda Paul's Water is Water or George Ella Lyon's All the water in the world) for an exploration of where water goes.

ISBN: 9781536205756; Published August 2019 by Templar/Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Monday, November 18, 2019

Growing up Gorilla by Clare Hodgson Meeker

I never really got the love of primates - I usually skip them at the zoo, maybe because they look too human? But kids certainly do love stories about these fascinating and endangered animals and continuing interest in fiction like The One and Only Ivan makes these a popular reading choice.

Meeker presents the true story of a baby gorilla, interwoven with science and how zoos work to preserve species in as natural a habitat as possible. The story begins at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, when a new baby gorilla is born. But the mother, Nadiri, had been raised by humans for almost a year after her mother rejected her and then given to a surrogate. Would she know how to care for a baby? Slowly, patiently, Harmony Frazier works to help Nadiri adjust to her new baby. Frazier raised Nadiri until a surrogate could be found, but she wanted to end the cycle of human-raised gorillas, who didn't know how to care for their young.

Readers will follow the story of Nadiri and her baby, Yola, as she slowly becomes accustomed to her and finally, after months of work with the keepers, accepts and protects her. Frazier and the other keepers went to extraordinary lengths, even caring for Yola around the clock in the gorilla's dens, to keep her as close to her family as possible. Along the way, readers will learn about gorilla behavior and the specific behavior of Nadiri's family, which changed after the birth of her baby. The story ends with Yola at seven months, fully in the case of her mother and accepted into the gorilla troop.

Back matter includes a detailed comparison of gorillas and humans, a discussion of how gorillas are endangered, and author's note. There are also acknowledgements, a glossary, further resources, and an index.

While I felt the ending was somewhat abrupt, this is a fascinating look into the family life of gorillas in captivity as well as a thoughtful discussion of how zoos have changed the way they handle gorillas (and other infants) over the years.

Verdict: Hand this to middle grade readers who are fascinated by zoos and apes, and to anyone interested in how zoos raise baby animals. Recommended.

ISBN: 978154154240; Published September 2019 by Millbrook/Lerner; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Librarian's Picks: Some Awesome Maker Books I Bought This Year

I generally go very low-tech in our maker space (or STEAM lab) and in my selections for the collection. As I've said before (frequently) I have no problem with technology and maker spaces that rely heavily on it, but I DO have a problem with "every library must have x" pronouncements. Our middle and high school are amply supplied with 3D-printers, laser cutters, robotics, and all students have their own chromebooks.

On the other hand, a lot of crafts, recipes, and instructions are available online. I generally stay away from "10 cute things you can make with toilet paper tubes" types of crafts, since that's what Pinterest is for, in my opinion. Also, the things I think are cool aren't necessarily going to be what kids and their caregivers check out. So, of the books I purchased or otherwise added that were "how to" type books, these are the ones I think were pretty awesome!

Science and Nature experiments and activities

  • Mason Jar Science by Adolph, 9781612129860
  • Gardening with Emma by Emma Biggs, 9781612129259
  • Backyard adventure by Thomsen, 9781612129204
  • 101 Kid's activities that are the ooey, gooey-est ever, 9781624146619
Cookbooks
  • Bake it, 9781465486141
  • Cooking class: Global feast by Deanna Cook, 9781635862300
  • 20 recipes kids should know by Esme Washburn, 9783791385075
Art
  • Super simple sumi-e by Palka, 9781632172044
  • Art lab for kids: Express yourself by Schwake, 9781631595929
Making things
  • Wood shop by Margaret Larson, 9781612129426
  • Hello, crochet friends by Jonah Larson, 9780999143704
  • Maker comics: Create a costume, 9781250152077
  • Stitch and string lab for kids, 9781631597367
Other
  • Miss Violet's Doll's House, 9781911216131

Saturday, November 16, 2019

This week at the library; or, Why does everything happen at once?

One of my favorite little patrons decorating ornaments
Happening at the library
  • Monday
    • Books for bedtime
    • Open Storyroom
    • Paws to Read
    • Girl Scouts
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
    • Lakeland School field trip
  • Thursday
    • Books 'n' Babies
    • Grandparents raising grandchildren support group
  • Friday
    • 7th grade outreach visit (5 sessions)
    • Free Lego Build
  • Saturday
  • Worked 41 hours; 15 hours on desk; 7 programs
  • Worked a couple hours at home
Notes
  • Why does everything happen at once? Staff are still sick, now I'm sick, and I've got one more week, well, make that a week and a half of craziness before I can get down to really working on the budget and planning for next year. Oh, and life-size candyland of course.
  • Pinterest page for 7th grade outreach visit
  • Partial list in genres
Collection development notes
  • Popular choices at the 7th grade booktalks were the Nathan Hale graphic novels, Rick Riordan presents, Smile and read-alikes, My big fat zombie goldfish, Hamstersaurus Rex, Jennifer Nielsen (historical fiction), and Tod Olson's Lost series. I had requests for sports books and romance - definitely need more sports books.
  • In video games, the approximately 135 kids we polled were primarily into Minecraft with a few Fortnite (from my knowledge of the community, I would guess that a few more kids are playing Fortnite than admitted it - most kids aren't allowed to play.) Roblox is dead. Xbox seemed to be leading over Playstation, but when we actually counted the kids it turned out that Xbox fans are just louder. Only a couple kids were into Switch. There are small pockets of manga and anime fans, but those fans are dedicated, even if there are less than 5 in each class.
  • Request for "baseball comics." I don't have Fuzzy Baseball - not even sure it's still in print, but note to self I should get more Jake Maddox graphic novels. Also, First Second should do sports comics to go with their science, maker, and upcoming history comics.

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Paris Project by Donna Gephart

I was initially offered this for review and turned it down - the quirky character name, "Cleveland Rosebud Potts" and small-town Southern setting did not attract me. Well, the publisher sent it to me anyways. I was just going to skim it, and ended up reading it.

Cleveland Rosebud Potts has a plan and her first step in that plan is ballet lessons. As readers follow her through her embarrassing and tragi-comic efforts at ballet, friendship with neighbor Declan in their trailer park, and interactions with her weary mother and determined sister Georgia, they learn a lot about what's going on in Cleve's life. Her father has a gambling problem and is in prison. Before he got there, he stole Cleveland's Paris Project fund from dog-walking and then stole from his employer. Cleveland plans to go to the American School in Paris and get out of small-town Sassafras, Florida, forever. A town where her only friend is Declan, who helps her with French cooking, where she lost all her dog-walking jobs when her dad went to prison, and where her family is now a pariah and the kids harass her at school.

But there are a few issues along the way. First, she gets kicked out of ballet school. Then her best (and only) friend Declan seems to be replacing her with Todd, whose dad sent her dad to prison. Georgia, her sister who is always there for her, is determined on her own plan to get out of Sassafras forever and go to the University of Vermont. And throughout all these trials and tribulations, she's torn between missing her dad, feeling betrayed by his theft, and worried about what will change - or won't change - when he gets out of prison.

SPOILERS

There isn't necessarily a happily-ever-after ending, but a happily-for-now, with hope for the future. Cleveland's dad eventually manages to get another job, cleaning the park, and is going to Gamblers Anonymous. Georgia gets wait-listed for the University of Vermont and spends her savings taking her mom and sister on a Parisian-themed vacation. When she is accepted after all, Cleveland makes the decision to give her own savings to Georgia so she can follow her dream. Cleveland accepts Declan's identity and Todd as his boyfriend. The future may not be exactly what she imagined, but it will be ok.

Verdict: Although Cleveland's dream of going to Paris may not be realistic, it's understandable in her difficult situation. Although she struggles with many difficult circumstances, she also displays a lot of maturity, eventually accepting that Todd isn't taking her place but expanding her friendships, and dealing with her confused feelings about her dad. One of my favorite parts of the story was Cleveland's relationship with her sister and how they fiercely supported each other through everything. Hand this to fans of Gephart's other tragi-comic realistic fiction stories and to kids who like realistic fiction with some humor and some serious issues.

ISBN: 9781534440869; Published October 2019 by Simon and Schuster; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Read, Read, Read, said the Baby: Bathtime by Alice Le Henand, illustrated by Thierry Bedouet

This French import is a "pull and play" book, i.e. you pull a tab to change the pictures. The back cover lists the social-emotional aspects, reassuring, encouraging, supporting, and empowering kids at bathtime.

The cover shows a scowling purple bear in red underwear and their worried parent. Pull the tab, and the cub is happily splashing in the tub while the parent laughs. Each spread follows this same theme. In the first, a brown bear cub wants to keep playing, despite their mother's request to get in the bath. She tells them they can play in the bath, pull the tab, and they are doing just that. In the next spread, Kangaroo insists on washing himself, while his mother gently reminds him to wash all over. A monkey says "Baths are no fun, Daddy!" but then wonders if his stuffed toy needs a bath too. Crocodile refuses to get in the tub, until Daddy checks the water temperature. A father cat makes a fluffy bubble hat to wash his kitten's hair. The last spread shows all the children with their parents, wrapped up warmly in towels and bathrobes, and thanking their daddies for their baths (although there are two mothers included).

The cheerful pictures are colorful but simple, showing a variety of colors in the animals and their clothing. This book stands out with the preponderance of involved fathers, although some recognition of the mothers pictured would have been nice. Some of the children are identified as boys, others are given no gender. The pull tabs are sturdy, made of a thin cardboard that should hold up well unless kids leave them pulled out and then bend them, which they probably will.

Verdict: I'm at the point where I consider all board books to be an ephemeral collection and figure I'm doing good if they last for 2-3 years with an average of 30 circs. Anything with a movable part drops that time, but this is a fun book that caregivers and kids will love and sturdy enough to be worth the cost.

ISBN: 9782408012823; Published August 2019 by Twirl/Tourbillon Editions; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The golden acorn by Katy Hudson

My favorite Katy Hudson is still Too Many Carrots, but her latest is sure to please fans. The opening endpages pique the readers' curiosity, showing a conglomeration of animals (beaver, turtle, and rabbit) in a golden-leaved try with a small, curious-looking blue bird with a suitcase watching them. And then the story begins...

Squirrel, a pudgy gray charmer with pink cheeks, loves to win. She has a trophy collection and lots of them are Golden Acorns from the annual Golden Acorn Hunt. She's ready to win again, when there's a last-minute rule change - the racers must now be part of a team! Squirrel tries some last-minute training of her friends, Beaver, Rabbit, Tortoise, and a baby bluebird, but without success. They are quickly trapped in the trees and Squirrel gets more and more exasperated as she has to go back and rescue them until finally, she leaves them behind.

Squirrel finds the golden acorn, an unusually large one and is at first triumphant, but then remorseful when she realizes she's left all her friends behind. She abandons her prize and goes back to rescue her friends. They don't win the acorn, but they do still have their friendship and, as they realize in the final picture of a happy picnic together, "Squirrel's friends would ALWAYS come first."

Hudson's cheerful pictures show a fun variety of woodland creatures making their way through the trees, with lots of fun details, especially in Squirrel's home. I love that pudgy Squirrel is a super-fast racer (and her hamster wheel for training is hilarious!). This is a cheerful lesson that winning isn't everything and if adults want something more nuanced, that can come in time, while kids will appreciate an example of kindness and friendship that leaves no one behind.

Verdict: A good additional title for your friendship and teamwork sections, this is sure to be popular in classes where teachers are working on teamwork skills.

ISBN: 9781684460366; Published July 2019 by Capstone; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Monday, November 11, 2019

So you want to be a Viking? by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw, illustrated by Takayo Akiyama

Apparently this was abridged from a 2011 book, Viking by John Haywood. It was part of a series of "unofficial" guides. The creators also adapted a Roman legionary title. The young reader's edition, with all new cartoons and illustrations, features three kids: Kate, who longs for glory (and bloodshed), Angus, who just wants go skip the whole thing, and Eddie (dark-skinned) who is ready for anything.

The illustrations are cartoons in a limited palette of greens and grays. The book is mostly broken up into humorous lists, small chunks of text, and factoids about Vikings, all delivered with a humorous slant. It starts with the kids at a library, going to check out the history section, "Children's books are so tame." They find a book on Vikings and imagine themselves as characters in the book. After a sing-along, it starts with a "Viking checklist" of what you need to be a Viking warrior (money mostly) and the other things you can be, down to a "thrall" or slave. The book has a "choose your own adventure" flare as readers pick which type of Viking they want to be, choose their weapons and armor, and then learn about the hazards of the Viking life. Shipwrecks, battle, looting, and "Viking healthcare" are among the topics included.

The book ends with a map, glossary, and index.

Verdict: This was funny and informative, but I always wonder about handing kids "nonfiction" with so many fictional elements. However, this one is so over the top that I don't think it's a problem; it makes a fun book to browse and a silly introduction to Viking life.

ISBN: 9780500651841; Published September 2019 by Thames and Hudson; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Breakdown of collection development budget

I'm going to try a new series this year, highlighting the best books of my selections for the past year. "Best" is, of course, subjective. It's a mix of what's been popular, what has literary merit, and what I've recommended heavily to families and teachers.

My ordering is pretty much done by November - there are a few things preordered and I'll grab a couple more things at the end of the year with replacement budgets or stuff that was backordered and will go into next year's budget. It's not absolutely accurate, but this is a rough sample of how my budget and selections broke down this year (number of titles added includes donations - I add heavily from review copies, especially in picture books and nonfiction and I donated a lot of teen comics this year).
  • Neighborhoods (Picture books, including holidays and 8x8 pbs): $5,000, 535 books added
  • Board Books: $500, 100 books added
  • Easy readers: $1200, 120 books added
  • Juvenile Series (paperback beginning chapters): $1,000, 235 books added
  • Juvenile Fiction: $4,500, 430 books added
  • Juvenile Nonfiction: $3000, 330 books added
  • Young Adult Fiction: $2,800, 275 books added
  • Young Adult Nonfiction: $500, 45 books added
  • Young Adult Graphics (including manga): $1,200, 155 books added
  • Publishers (series nonfiction and prebound fiction. I purchase from Capstone, Lerner, Scholastic, ABDO and Bearport, not necessarily every year): $3,000, 170 books added
  • Other (parenting, Spanish, professional collection): $1,000, 40 books added

Saturday, November 9, 2019

This week at the library; or, It seemed like a good idea at the time

Happening this week
Notes
  • It really did seem like a good idea at the time to plan most of my November outreach in one week, so I could then focus on all the other stuff for the rest of the month. Of course, that makes for one long week...
  • Ongoing - cataloging, weeding
  • Finished writing a small grant
Professional Development
  • Grants: What's available and how to get them from SLJ
Collection Development Notes
  • School doing its annual unit on extreme weather/natural disasters. Hope I beefed up this section enough, but it could probably use more.
  • Book club kids were very disappointed I didn't have more copies of the new Acorn Crabby book, Wake Up Crabby! We nearly had a fight!

Friday, November 8, 2019

TV exposes brutality on the Selma March by Danielle Smith-Llera

This series shows major world events through the lens of television or photographs, showing how history was changed by people being able to see these moments. It could lead to an interesting discussion about modern news, whether seeing a constant stream of atrocities, injustice, and crimes has desensitized people to these things, and if there's any way to responsibly and realistically handle the seemingly constant frightening and negative events. Anyways, it's a thought.

This particular title marks a turning point in the Civil Rights movement. Black citizens had been struggling for years to regain the right to vote, after they lost the rights they gained after the Civil War. When Union soldiers were removed from the South, conditions for black citizens immediately deteriorated and poll taxes, literacy tests, and eventually Jim Crow laws were imposed. The rest of the nation took little note of the struggles of black citizens to regain their basic rights until March 7, 1965. On Bloody Sunday, people across the nation were watching a movie on the Holocaust when a news anchor interrupted the program with a real-life horror, the attack of state troopers on peaceful marchers in Selma, Alabama.

Footage of the brutal attack brought the struggle for Civil Rights into the homes of white people who had hitherto ignored the (limited) news coverage and made the fight for basic rights, by American citizens, a cause that could not be ignored. The book covers the general story, the background that led up to the march, and the individual stories of people like Amelia Boynton, Hosea Williams, and John Lewis. It also covers the reporters who tried, against violent opposition, to cover the march and following attacks. The book continues with the aftermath of the march, the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, Martin Luther King's continued efforts to peacefully lead the Civil Rights movement. Additional information talks about preserving the footage of these events and current restrictions on voting, showing that the struggle is not yet finished.

A timeline, glossary, and index are included. There are also suggestions for additional reading and discussion questions.

I previewed some of the titles from this series with fifth graders and the response was immediate. The visceral punch of seeing these events from history, rather than just reading about them, is immediate. The idea of framing an historical event around the television or photographic coverage makes these events real and relatable to the kids and it's well-written, honest but not more graphic than the events demand.

Verdict: I have been slowly collecting the titles from this series since their initial popularity; the library bound titles are expensive, but definitely worth the cost and this series, featuring events shown on television, is definitely an important acquisition for school or public libraries wanting to introduce middle grade readers to history.

ISBN: 9780756560010; Published September 2019 by Capstone; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Kitty and the moonlight rescue by Paula Harrison, illustrated by Jenny Lovlie

Both I and my patrons have loved Paula Harrison's beginning chapter series in the past. I've had families with a diverse (adopted) children who liked the diversity in Rescue Princesses, I enjoyed the traditional fantasy of Secret Rescuers that did NOT feature princesses, and this new series is just as delightful.

Kitty's mom has super powers and goes out every night. Kitty might have some of the same cat-like powers - seeing in the dark, perfect balance, and being able to talk to cats - but she's scared of the dark. There are so many strange sounds and mysterious shadows! One night, her mother leaves her with some gentle words about being open to adventure and not letting her fear rule her. And she talks to her first cat! Figaro needs help and only Kitty is available. Can she face her fears and brave the night?

Paula Harrison has written a charming adventure story for any child who has ever imagined having an adventure or talking to animals. Lovlie's pictures show a cute little girl with black hair like her mother and a comfy cat suit of overalls, striped shirt, and cape. Of course, there's also a headband with ears, which is very timely, as on my last school visit at least half the girls were sporting kitty ear headbands! The pictures are all shades of black and orange and the story is full of whimsy but never too sweet. Kitty faces some definite trials and even some dangers, but with the help of her new "cat crew" and her own determination, she makes it through.

The story ends with a new home for a lost kitten and Kitty looking forward to new adventures. There are some facts about cats' abilities, and a teaser for upcoming books. This is an easier reading level than Harrison's previous books, with copious illustrations. It's perfect for kids who can handle easy chapters but aren't ready for something more dense.

Verdict: Sure to be a hit, especially at Halloween, hand this to readers who love cats and magic and enjoy Princess in Black and Daisy Dawson.

ISBN: 9780062934710; Published September 2019 by Greenwillow/HarperCollins; Purchased for the library

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! by Cori Doerrfeld

Cori Doerrfeld's previous emotional book, The Rabbit Listened was a perfect story for helping young children handle grief and other strong emotions, as well as learning how to help others who are going through difficult experiences. In her next book, she introduces the concept of saying goodbye, whether it be to a friend, family member, or just the natural rhythms of day and night.

"Every goodbye... leads to a hello" begins the book, and the brown-skinned, dark-haired child goes about learning this truth. It begins when Stella says goodbye to her mom and then meets Charlie (blond hair and gender-neutral clothing) at school. When she has to say goodbye to playing outside and go in, she and Charlie say hello to camping under a blanket. When the snow melts they say hello to puddles, when a sunny day ends they say hello to the night. Stella says goodbye to her fish and "hello to a full heart" as Charlie helps her remember how much she loved Gill. All these hellos and goodbyes prepare Stella to say goodbye to Charlie when they move away. But it's not the end; saying "goodbye to today... is hello to tomorrow" and as Stella mails a letter to Charlie she notices a new family moving in and this time it's her turn to say "hello" to a new friend.

Doerrfeld's sweet art and warm text shows a gentle understanding of the everyday joys and sorrows of a child and offers a gentle hope for the future when a child has to say goodbye, whether it be a friend moving away or having to stop playing.

Verdict: Like The Rabbit Listened, this book is perfect for helping kids handle transitions and separations from the mundane to the more painful like divorce or death. A must-have for library and school collections.

ISBN: 9780525554233; Published July 2019 by Dial Books for young readers; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Monday, November 4, 2019

One Fox: A counting book thriller by Kate Read

A sly fox marches across endpapers covered with colorful paw prints, introducing this "thriller" of a counting book. "One famished fox" is the first page, with the fox, vivid in reds and oranges, curled against the white page. "Two sly eyes" shows a close-up of the fox's face, peering at a single blue feather. "Three plump hens" features the innocent victims of the fox's gaze, in yellow, orange, and olive. "Four padding paws" shows the slow stride of the fox's brown paws, her body hidden from the viewer's gaze. "Five snug eggs" takes the scene to night, with the hens sitting peacefully on their eggs against the black-grained wood of their coop.

The tension ramps up as the fox approaches, the perspective showing her larger-than-life tail blazing against the night, in the light of the moon, as she prowls about the hen house. She creeps in, the almost black page showing only the whites of the chicken's eyes and the fox's sharp teeth. Feathers fly and teeth gleam, but just when readers fear the worst, the count jumps to one hundred and a surprise ending for both the fox and the reader!

The vibrant reds and oranges of the fox blaze against the black of the night and the coop and the hens' ruffled feathers, in variety of soft shades, give a cozy, warm feeling that contrasts deliciously with the prowling fox. The humor in this book is subtle, until you reach the surprise denouement, but it's no less enjoyable for that. This is a debut picture book and the author/illustrator has managed to get the one thing that most trips up new picture book creators - letting the pictures tell the story and keeping the text to a minimum.

Verdict: Clever text and beautiful illustrations combine to create an excellent and unique debut picture book. I eagerly await more from this stellar new creator. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781682631317; Published October 2019 by Peachtree; F&G provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Saturday, November 2, 2019

This week at the library; or, Nothing is happening this week and it better stay that way

Happening this week (NOTHING)
  • Monday
    • Books for Bedtime
    • Paws to Read
    • Girl Scouts
    • Dungeons and Dragons
  • Tuesday
    • Toddlers 'n' Books (2 sessions)
    • VIP Volunteers
  • Wednesday
    • Planning Meeting
  • Thursday
    • Books 'n' Babies
  • Friday
    • Free Lego Build
  • Worked 39 hours; 19 hours on desk; 0 programs
Notes
  • Going into this week desperately hoping that NOTHING HAPPENS so I can get caught up. I did have a crazy Monday evening getting my dead car picked up for salvage in the midst of computers breaking down etc. and spent 4+ hours at the DMV in the morning, but hopefully the car saga is now OVER.
  • Caught up on the cataloging
  • Started weeding the juvenile nonfiction
  • Planning next year, writing reports, scheduling
Collection development notes
  • More Llama llama books - the netflix show is driving it
  • Teen after my own heart - reading Deadpool and Moomins comics!
  • Lots of school requests for high-interest nonfiction
  • Bad Guys
  • Ghost series by Reynolds
  • Descendants is still popular (and I still can't spell it)

Friday, November 1, 2019

Astronuts: Mission One: The Plant Planet! by Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg

This is one of those books that left me cold but which might be a hit with kids. Maybe. I'm not sure.

The story begins with four creatures - AlphaWolf, SmartHawk, LaserShark, and StinkBug - being shot into space in the Thomas Jefferson nose rocket (from Mount Rushmore) which is also the secret NNASA headquarters.

Confused? Luckily Planet Earth is here to explain. According to Earth, in 1988 a top-secret, emergency mission was put in place with four superpowered animal astronauts, just in case humans ever catastrophically destroyed Earth. Which they have done. So the animals are off to find another planet habitable by humans.

The AstroNuts, guided by a somewhat glitchy 1988 computer, Command Escape, are off on their mission to find the Goldilocks Planet without destroying any existing life. Their first mission happens on Planet Plant, which, as you might guess from the name, is inhabited entirely by plants. Their adventures and escapades are interspersed with explanations of climate change by Planet Earth, science facts about plants, and why it's bad for a planet to have one life form that overpowers all other life forms. There's also lots of explosions, shooting lasers, eating exciting salads, and fart jokes.

The art is collages made from art from the Rijksmuseum, cut, pasted, and colored. There's two pages of back matter explaining how to collage and create art with free from this and other museums. The pages are busy with villainous plants, colored engravings, equations, collage creatures with sketched-in eyes and appendages, cut-out words, and speech bubbles.

I found this book to be... kind of a mess. There are multiple things going on, lots of yelling, explosions, chunks of collage everywhere, and it mostly just gave me a headache. I also thought there were some significant issues with the premise - why are they looking for another planet to ruin? How are they defining "intelligent" life? The plants are shown as the "bad guys" but the AstroNuts were destroying them and their home. I thought there were some gender stereotypes in there too. AlphaWolf is portrayed as a stupid jock, but he's still the "leader" while LaserShark is overly sweet, naive, and of course she is charge of housekeeping and feeding everyone.

On the other hand, there's definitely a lot of humor kids will enjoy in this and I can certainly see Bad Guys fans picking it up. But will they keep reading? It's much more challenging than a beginning chapter book, considering all the science that's included, and the very busy pages. I think I'd consider this a lower middle grade title, probably just right for fluent 2nd grade readers up to struggling 5th grade readers.

Verdict: I'm just not sure about this one. It's got universally positive reviews, but I feel like that might be a combination of the currency of the topic and the cachet of the Scieszka name. But I could be wrong! This could be extremely popular! I will have to test it on kids in book club to be sure. To be continued...

ISBN: 9781452171197; Published September 2019 by Chronicle; Borrowed from another library in my consortium