Thursday, April 30, 2020

Armadillo and Hare by Jeremy Strong, illustrated by Rebecca Bagley

This is a classic odd-couple chapter book, a theme made popular by Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad, and now the established storyline for many easy readers and early chapters.

Each chapter presents a different vignette in the life of friends and roommates Armadillo and Hare. In the first, Armadillo wakes up to the unwelcome news that there is no cheese! Hare is not very helpful - he suggests that Armadillo is too fat and should exercise. But Armadillo has a better idea... In the following chapters the forest animals have a birthday party for nobody, Armadillo saves Hare from Jaguar, Hare plays his tuba (which blasts out all manner of strange things - fortunately they disappear) and there is a party, at which Hare firmly keeps Armadillo from dancing because in their previous practice he demonstrated that he definitely could not dance. They have philosophical discussions about themselves and eat lots of cheese sandwiches (at least, Armadillo does).

Black and white sketches show the shabby Armadillo, with his worn cardigan and shuffling walk, sprightly Hare, complete with dapper scarf, pants, vest, and tuba, and a variety of woodland creatures (and cheese sandwiches). This chapter book is about Magic Tree House level, with some more complex vocabulary and discussions. There is a tongue-in-cheek "recipe" for making cheese sandwiches at the back.

Verdict: While there are some kids who like these kinds of meandering, philosophical stories, they are definitely the minority. Added to that the opening with Hare telling Armadillo he's too fat and should diet and near the end where he won't let him dance because he's not good at it (at least not where there's anybody else around) and this is one I'd skip.

ISBN: 9781338540598; Published February 2020 by David Fickling Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Small Readers: Duck and Cat's Rainy Day by Carin Bramson

This is a spin-off of an earlier picture book, Hey, Duck! which I didn't really care for, but I ended up liking the easy reader more.

Duck, a soft-colored fluffy yellow, is out on a walk with Cat, whose white fur is set off by a striped tail, brown and black ears and eye circles, and a few brown spots. Cat is, naturally, unhappy when it starts raining, but Duck's silly antics cheer her up and soon they are having a good time.

Although I found the illustrations in the original book to be blurry and indistinct, I thought these were a little clearer and the soft colors were set off by the crystal rain drops and sprinkling of flowers. The text is still rhyming, but just in short, choppy sentences. "Cat wears a frown./Her head hangs down."

One thing this book definitely demonstrates is the confusion of reading levels. The publisher says they use "F&P Text Level Gradient," which few parents are going to know is Fountas and Pinnell, or exactly what that means. They mark it a Level 1, "Ready to Read" for preschool through kindergarten. Our local schools use a mixture of F&P and lexiles, with Scholastic Reading Counts in the upper elementary grades. A former staff member made an equivalent chart, which we use to sticker all our easy readers from black (easiest) on up. Looking up the lexile of this book, it comes in at 250, which is at the upper end of the titles we sticker as red (F&P D-H, lexile 100-275). And then we mistakenly put a green sticker on this one anyways which I need to fix... It's a little more complex to read than it looks, although it has just a few words on each page, some of those words are tricky ones.

Verdict: A nice filler for lower reading levels and a good choice if you need additional titles at this level for your easy reader collection.

ISBN: 9781524771720; Published March 2020 by Random House; Purchased for the library

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

All Around Bustletown: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring by Rotraut Susanne Berner

I first discovered In the town, all year 'round in 2009. It was a lovely and popular book, frequently replaced. Last fall, I was delighted to see it had been cut into an over-sized board book for each season and looked at the Winter edition. Today, I have a set of all four seasons and enjoin you to add these lovely books to your collection.

I did a detailed comparison of the updates in my review of Winter, so today I'm just introducing the set as a whole. Each book shows the same spreads, but in different seasons. There's a cut-away version of a large house next to a busy street, a farm and auto garage, train station, city street corner with a new school under construction, market square with fountain, picnics, and small shops, cut-away view of a shopping center, and a park with pond. The same people, a nun, an Indian in turban and dhoti (?), dark-skinned and curly-haired mother and child, and a variety of nondescript white people in varying clothes. These and others are shown on the back of the book and their adventures can be followed through the pages and seasons.

One finds the nun, named Martha, buying a penguin balloon that floated through the pages in Summer. In Fall she joins the lantern parade at the new kindergarten with a penguin lantern, and so on. There are people, animals, and seasonal changes to follow, storylines woven into the wordless spreads, and endless, fascinating details.

Verdict: Although one loses a little in not having the complete year all together, the sturdiness of the board book editions makes it worth it. Of course, you may need to purchase multiple copies so people can check out all four at once!

Summer
ISBN: 9783791374208

Fall (to be published July 2020)
ISBN: 9783791374222

Spring
ISBN: 9783791374093

Winter
ISBN: 9783791374154

I received a set of the books for review from Prestel; I've also purchased additional copies (or will purchase when they are released) so I have multiple copies.

Monday, April 27, 2020

Here we go digging for dinosaur bones by Susan Lendroth, illustrated by Bob Kolar

I feel bad because I received this book earlier, in February, and had hoped to have a review up in time for its release on March 3rd. However, life intervened. Anyways, I present it now and strongly encourage you to get it!

I'm not doing any major weeding or collection development in my picture books right now, but I have noted that I need more dinosaur books and, as always, more storytime books, preferably interactive ones. How often do you find all those things at once?

Cute cartoon pictures show a nicely diverse group of kids setting out on a dinosaur dig. To the tune of "Here we go round the Mulberry bush" readers and listeners can sing along as they go through all the actions of digging for fossils. They hike the trail, scan the ground, excavate, sift the dirt, package their finds, and take them back to the museum. Once there, they carefully clean the bones, study them, and put them together into an awesomely fierce T. Rex. The story ends with a picture imagining T. Rex in the forest, and a new group of scientists, two kids, setting out to dig for dinosaur bones. Helpful back matter gives examples of how to perform the actions in the book as you sing the song.

A second layer of story is included as well. Each page, in addition to the simple lyrics, includes a paragraph explaining what the paleontologists are doing in the pictures as they find, excavate, and study the fossils. Back matter for older readers and listeners gives more facts about dinosaurs and their modern descendants, the birds, and also identifies native animals shown in the dig site, which is based off of a real place in Montana.

Verdict: The only drawback to this book is that you'll be listening to renditions of "Here we go digging for dinosaur bones" over and over again, not to mention supervising many fossil digs in your backyard or park. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781623541040; Published March 2020 by Charlesbridge; Review copy provided by the publisher; Purchased for the library

Saturday, April 25, 2020

This week at the library; or, Week 6 of the pandemic

Toy bags being cleaned. I'm working on a
processing for safely circulating, quarantining,
and cleaning our maker kits and toys. It's turning
out to be complicated.
We are resuming curbside drop-off next week, on the 27th, and schools are officially closed through the end of the year. I and my staff raced to get SRP bags packed and distributed to the centers and schools we usually visit for outreach so they could be sent home with kids when they picked up their stuff the week of the 27th.

Monday
 - Drove out to one of my childcare centers early to drop off a box of SRP bags packed last weekend (by my mom). Back home, we had a managers' meeting virtually, then I went out again for my afternoon/evening at the library. I continued various weeding projects and worked on collecting and organizing materials (storytime bundles, activity kits, etc.) that need to be assembled for distribution.

Tuesday
 - Virtual board meeting for OPtions, our virtual/charter school (yes I see the irony). Starting a revamp of the lexile list.

Wednesday
 - sinus headache all day, kept working on various things though.

Thursday
 - Virtual performance evaluation with my director, planning summer, Facebook posts, fiddling with the budget.

Friday
  • Errand to pick up materials for activity bags, went into work briefly, recording more stories.

Saturday
 - Local holds were supposed to be turned on again today, so I kept a close eye on my email and Facebook for messages and requests.

Friday, April 24, 2020

Wink by Rob Harrell

I've been focusing on adding more middle-school friendly titles to our young adult area this year, and this was one that popped up on several lists, but also looked like something middle schoolers would actually read (these are two different things).

The opening chapter plunges the reader right into things as we join Ross in his first bout of radiation. With flashbacks and talks with friends, we slowly get into the picture - a sudden weird eye infection led to multiple tests which led to a diagnosis of a rare eye cancer. Ross is on a roller-coaster of emotions and changes on top of the craziness of middle school and he can't get off, no matter how much he wants to.

While he deals with losing his sight, then a chance that he will keep at least one eye, side-effects of radiation, and all the confusion and fear of a serious medical diagnosis, he's still in school. He's still got his life-long crush on queen bee Sarah, has to deal with bully Jimmy, the inexplicable loss of his best friend Isaac, and the additional shock of his other best friend, Abby, moving in a few short months.

It's a lot to handle and Ross doesn't always approach things perfectly; he's got moments when he just doesn't care anymore, he has fights with friends, and he struggles to make it through embarrassing moments, online bullying, and his medical challenges all at the same time. By the end of the story, Ross is a more mature character; he's learned to accept that people aren't always what they seem to be, that it's ok to show emotions, and give people, and himself, a second chance sometimes.

Verdict: Both funny and stomach-churningly realistic, this is sure to appeal to kids who are ready to move on from Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries and who are struggling to get through middle school, with or without additional challenges. Recommended for 5th grade and up.

ISBN: 9781984815149; Published March 2020 by Dial; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Trouble at table 5: The candy caper by Tom Watson, illustrated by Marta Kissi

I was excited about the news that Watson was debuting a new beginning chapter book series and this fully lived up to my expectations.

Molly gets things stuck in her head. Like, she has to separate and eat her froot loops by color. And organize her pillows in a certain way. When she gets things stuck in her head, she just HAS to do them, like having to know EXACTLY how many skittles are in Principal Shelton's big glass jar! Luckily her best friends, Simon and Rosie, are happy to help her, even if it means getting into trouble.

They come up with a lot of crazy ideas and try out many wild shenanigans, but will any of them work? Will Molly be able to count and get that idea out of her head or not? A satisfying ending, with a supportive family and a surprisingly funny and non-moralistic conclusion, round off this delightful new beginning chapter series.

There is a lot of diversity here, but in the hands of Tom Watson and illustrator Marta Kissi, it's smoothly blended into the plot and characters and all feels completely natural, as it should. Adults may guess that Molly has some form of OCD, but it isn't named. She and her friends cooperate on various coping mechanisms and even though they might roll their eyes, they're perfectly willing to collect and organize all the leaves before they jump in them. Her teachers and parents have just the right blend of accommodations and challenges for her as well. Molly is biracial, with a white father and darker-skinned, possibly Latinx mother. Her friend Simon is white, her friend Rosie is Black. Her teacher is Black, her principal has slightly darker skin and appears to be Latinx.

Each chapter includes encouragements "look how far you've read!" and at the end there's a congratulatory note on completing the book and three activities, labeled "THINK, FEEL, ACT" to encourage further discussion.

Verdict: My only quibble is the struggle to decide how many to buy and where to put them! Do I buy hardcover and shelve with with Stick Dog? Paperback and with the beginning chapter series? I am leaning towards the latter, especially as I will then be able to purchase multiple copies. I can't wait to use this in book club and get the next books in the series, which promise to feature Simon and Rosie.

ISBN: 9780062953414; Published February 2020 by HarperCollins; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased two copies in paperback for the library beginning chapter series collection

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Small Readers: The Bat by Elise Gravel

Gravel's "Disgusting Critters" series has returned this year with two new volumes, The Cockroach and The Bat. I don't do cockroaches, hence, we will be looking at The Bat (yes, of course I bought both for the library!)

The premise of this series is that Elise Gravel takes creatures commonly thought of as "gross" or "scary" and writes a cute, informative comic to give young readers a different viewpoint. This book, featuring a cute bat with overhanging teeth and big eyes, introduces the bat by his scientific name, "chiroptera" and then goes on to cover parts of the bat's life cycle, diet, and habitat. The bat runs into the fly, from a previous book, but reassures them that they're a vegetarian bat, as we learn that some bats eat insects and some prefer fruit. Readers learn about a bat's hibernation, as a snoring bat annoys a hibernating bear. There's a goofy reference to Batman, a PSA about not touching bats, who may carry diseases, and some final notes on the good bats do for the environment and the challenges they face.

Elise Gravel's goofy and distinctive illustrations make this an attractive book for intermediate readers, adding a dash of humor to the information included on each page. It is a more complex text, with challenging words and sentences, although each page has only a few sentences. I generally recommend these to readers who are transitioning to chapter books or older readers looking for something that won't feel too "babyish" but isn't too challenging.

Verdict: Fans of the series will be delighted with this latest installation, and bat fans will be excited to discover a new, and funny, book about their favorite animal. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780735266483; Published February 2020 by Tundra; Review copy received via LT EArly Reviewers; Purchased 2 copies for the library

Monday, April 20, 2020

Action Presidents: George Washington! by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavry

[Originally posted August 2018]

I've read a lot of of fiction/nonfiction blends recently, but I always have an uneasy feeling that they mix up fiction and nonfiction too much to really be a good choice for middle grade readers. I feel much more confident in Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales; when he adds in fictional elements (like the armies of World War I being different types of animals) it's easy to tell the real story from the fictional add-on.

So I was thrilled to discover an equally excellent graphic history series that promises to be both fun and informative. The narrator of this story, seen only briefly at the beginning and ending, is Noah the Historkey, pardoned from Thanksgiving on the condition that he tells the true story of USA history. Through Noah, the author discusses how legends grew up around the founding of the United States, especially the early leaders, and promises to introduce readers to the real George Washington, ACTION PRESIDENT!

This biography of George Washington starts with his youth, involvement in the French-Indian wars (one might say he kind of started them), reluctant appointment to lead the Continental armies, and even more reluctant appointment to president. Along the way, the creators show us a real portrait of the president, warts and all. His involvement in slavery, the lack of rights for women, his military failures and personal foibles. They also introduce readers to the wider world of the colonies; the initial struggles of the young country, the prejudice and oppression faced by Native Americans and African-Americans, and the tragedies and complex history of both sides of the American Revolution. The good, bad, and the ugly are all shown, including plenty of jokes, caricatures, and snarky humor.

The art is black and white with sharp angles and bulging cartoon eyes. Lots of action and movement keeps it from becoming just more talking heads while the text is packed in densely around and in the panels. I've included a sample panel from the beginning, showing Noah the Historkey.

[Update: I was able to get George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but the next two volumes, Kennedy and Roosevelt, had a lot of publication delays. It looks like they will be released in June 2020 by Harper Alley, the new imprint for graphics.]

Verdict: This new series promises to fly off the shelves, both for kids who are interested in history and those who love comics. More presidents are coming soon and I can't wait to read them!

ISBN: 9780062394057; Published February 2018 by Harpercollins; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Saturday, April 18, 2020

This week at the library; or, Week 5 of the pandemic

This is week 5. I planted a bunch of pansies last week, which the squirrels promptly ripped out (no, they don't eat anything, they just like to pull stuff up in case there's something interesting underneath). We are starting to think about summer reading, although I want to wait to make decisions until May at least - I specifically want to know what the school is doing, whether or not they will be opening again, if there will be summer school, and about summer childcare. There's really only three places in our town that offer this and it will make a big difference to my summer programs what they decide. I did contact the two performers I had hired and both are willing to come do their program and we'll livestream it.

Monday
  • Managers' Meeting
  • My day to visit the library (and go to the grocery store - I vastly prefer the store in the town where I work, as opposed to the one where I live, so I am combining to cut down trips). I dropped off and sorted books and materials I've finished, picked up books for other programs, checked on the projects left for the aides, put together sewing materials for staff to take if they want to work on making masks, and worked for a couple hours on a weeding project.
Tuesday
  • I have to admit I'm a little tired of webinars. I keep reminding myself about the person online whose county mandated they watch 10 hours of professional development every week *shudder* The ALSC ones are ok though.
  • Today I worked on my weeding project (I set up the parts I needed at work yesterday) and finished through the Rs in juvenile fiction, did some recording sessions (until the program I was using crashed), and yes, another webinar or two. I'm also working on creating whole storytimes, with a variety of links, on my programming blog that I can then link to on our website and Facebook page.
Wednesday
  • Another webinar. Ran errands - gerbils need more shavings. Collection development. More recordings.
Thursday
  • Youth Services librarian virtual meeting, mostly discussing how we will handle summer and other ys issues at this time in our respective libraries. Collection development, working on the May/June early literacy calendars.
Friday
  • May/June early literacy calendars, marketing meeting, managers' meeting, putting together some long-term projects for staff, and I actually got the June SRP log and the activity calendars AND a letter written up so...
Saturday
  • Went into work and printed all the stuff I finished on Friday and collected everything I needed to pack 45 SRP bags for one of my schools on Monday morning.
The governor posted an extension of the safer-at-home order, with changes that affect libraries, on Thursday so we are hard at work dealing with the planning etc. around that. Also, how am I working more when the library is closed? It's craziness.

Webinars
  • Honoring Infancy: Growing the garden - nurturing a play and learning space by Mike Rogalla and Tori Ogawa (ALSC)
  • Advocacy from A to Z (ALSC)
  • Great Books for older children and teens (CBC)
Other Projects

Friday, April 17, 2020

Dancing through the snow by Jean Little


Of course, you did not expect me to neglect Jean Little's newest novel? Even amidst Cybils reading, Goosebumps parties, and exciting colds. Jean Little's pervading theme is hope and tenacity; her protagonists are stubborn try-try-againers and there's always hope that they will have a family, friends, and success in their struggles.

Dancing Through the Snow is no exception. Litterbin Min, as a mean bully at school labels her, knows she's a throwaway. She doesn't know who her parents were, the woman who raised her abandoned her, and every foster family has given her back. And now she's being dumped back at Children's Aid again, only a few weeks before Christmas. But this time, it's different. Jess Hart, the doctor who's been in and out of Min's life since she was small, happens to be passing and suddenly Min is scooped up and plunked down in a loving home for the holidays. Jess, who had an even more traumatic childhood than Min, is the first person who really understands; and she breaks Min's hard shell and opens her heart. Experiencing the healing power of love Min begins to learn to give back; to an abused and damaged stray puppy, to Jess's godson, and to her new friends at school. A new life, a new family, and a new Min: it's the perfect Christmas miracle.

Verdict: A story of hope and new beginnings, perfect for middle grade readers who like realistic fiction or for a family read-aloud.

Update: The library owns two copies of this now and it's a popular choice for several different units at school. I think it might still be available direct from Kane Miller.

ISBN: 978-1935279150; Published June 2009 by Kane Miller; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Small Readers: Emma (series) by Jean Little, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas

Have you ever thought about how many easy readers are, well, not realistic or relevant to the reader? Lots, lots, lots of anthropomorphic animals, most of them behaving as adults, series like Mr. Putter feature elderly adults, Amelia Bedelia (the classic ones at least) feature almost exclusively adults, etc. I can't think of many easy readers that feature everyday children going about their everyday lives. I'm happy to be proved wrong of course - shoot me suggestions if you have any!

Jean Little's Emma series is one of the few realistic fiction easy reader series I've found, but I like it for lots of other reasons as well. Little's characters are sympathetic and realistic, dealing with issues that many children will face as well as broaching a topic that's rarely seen in realistic children's fiction - adoption.

In the first Emma story, Emma's Magic Winter, Emma overcomes her paralyzing shyness with the help of her parents, her new friend Sally, and her own stubbornness. Unlike many new friend stories, Sally isn't the complete opposite of shy Emma. She has a distinct personality and contributes to their friendship, but Emma is definitely the leader. With some suggestions from Sally, Emma uses her own imagination to solve her problems.

In the second Emma story, Emma's Yucky Brother, Emma is thrilled when she finds out she's going to get a four-year old brother, just like Sally! But Max isn't at all what she expected. He's not the cute little boy she thought would look up to her - he likes Sally better and he doesn't respond to her overtures or appreciate her gifts. Max wants to go back to his foster mother - not stay with a new and unknown family. Jean Little draws a realistic portrait of a small child dealing with the difficulties of adjusting to a new home and Emma's disappointment and struggle to befriend Max are presented sympathetically and in a way that young readers will understand.


In the final Emma story, Emma's Strange Pet, Max is now firmly part of the family and desperately wants a furry pet. But Emma is allergic to fur and Max isn't old enough to have a pet anyways. When Emma gets a very strange pet, will Max like it after all? This story shows how Max and Emma, now adjusted to being siblings, still have their fights and squabbles. Emma is upset by Max's behavior and Max just can't face his disappointment over not getting a furry pet. After some compromise, they work out their differences and are friends again.


These aren't just issue books dealing with shyness, making new friends, adoption, and pet allergies. The Emma stories are a realistic look at life that many children can relate to, even if they don't have an adopted sibling or allergies. The writing conforms to the necessary standards for easy readers, simple vocabulary and a plot that is easy to follow, but still manages to incorporate many ideas as well as sympathetic and strong characters. Jennifer Plecas' illustrations add to the text with her depictions of ordinary children enjoying everyday adventures or dealing with the problems that loom large on the horizons of children everywhere; overcoming difficulties, making friends, adjusting to major changes in life, and facing disappointment.

Verdict: Highly recommended for easy reader collections in every library.

Emma's magic winter
ISBN: 978-0064437066; Published August 2000 by HarperCollins (out of print); Borrowed from the library and my personal collection; Purchased for the library

Emma's yucky brother
ISBN: 978-0064442589; Published April 2002 by HarperCollins; Borrowed from the library and my personal collection; Purchased for the library

Emma's strange pet
ISBN: 978-0064442596; Published October 2004 by HarperCollins; Borrowed from the library and my personal collection; Purchased for the library

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Willow and Twig by Jean Little

Willow has been getting by as best she can, caring for her difficult brother Twig and adapting to whatever circumstances throw at her as she moves between temporary homes and strangers who range from casually kind to dangerously volatile. But when events become too overwhelming even for her coping skills, she finds herself sent across the country, with Twig, to her unknown grandmother. All she knows is that she didn't want Willow - will she take them in now? Then Willow finally meets her and begins to recall her childhood memories. Events move with dizzying speed and Willow is suddenly discovering she has a family and a history she never knew. She has to use all her coping abilities to handle her new family and to help Twig transition as well.

Little doesn't sugarcoat Willow and Twig's life. Twig is deaf from childhood abuse and has other physical issues from his mother using drugs during her pregnancy. Willow is fiercely protective and reluctant to allow adults, who don't know or understand Twig, to take over his care. At the same time she desperately wants a life of her own and to try to be normal. They're also biracial and must face prejudice and curiosity from kids and adults. But Willow's new family isn't completely normal either - her uncle is blind and she finds out that her mother and other uncle were adopted. With love and understanding, Gram helps Willow settle in and being to flower in her new home.

Like all of Jean Little's work, it focuses on characters having hope and triumphing even in the darkest of circumstances and portrays characters with disabilities in everyday settings, with both faults and virtues, making them the protagonists of their own stories instead of foils to a "normal" main character as they so often are, or plot devices to showcase compassion in other characters (*cough* Wonder *cough*)

Verdict: This isn't a perfect story - there are some subplots that are left dangling and sometimes the story is a little overly dramatic in portraying the children's miserable lives and then fixing every difficulty as it arises. However, it's a tale of hope and courage and eminently readable. Sadly, it is out of print, but if it ever gets reprinted I will definitely buy a copy.

ISBN: 0141306696; Published 2001 by Puffin Canada; From my personal library

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Jean Little, in memorium

As you might guess from my blog title, I am a Jean Little fan and have been for many years. Generally speaking, I don't do the "fan" thing, however much I may appreciate a writer's work, but all of my experiences with Jean Little and those who knew her bore out the warmth and goodness of her character.

The first book of hers that I read was Look through my window and I was eventually inspired to write to her as a young teen and ask permission to name my personal library after her, hence Jean Little Library. She wrote back to me, included a signed book, and I felt my library career had truly begun.

Over the years I scoured the internet and used book sales to pick up her works, sadly not common in the US. As I acquired more experience with kids and libraries, and especially as I started working at my current job, in a small town with a large population of kids with special needs, I began to see how truly amazing and unique her work was. She wrote of children with disabilities, fears, and family issues with realism and compassion. Her work was exactly what I wanted to give my young readers, both those with and those without disabilities. Her books are never "about" being disabled or the struggles faced by characters, but those parts of their lives are smoothly woven into touching stories that resonate with readers long after they set aside the book.

Sadly, few of her books are available in the US. Her easy reader series, Emma, is still available in a few formats and Orca publishers has a few of her titles, but her middle grade novels are mostly gone. I hope that this sad loss will inspire publishers to bring these books back and make them available again. While a few minor aspects, like specific treatments, may need to be updated, her stories are timeless and written in a way that every kid can put themselves into the character's place.

You can learn more about her from her Publishers Weekly obituary here.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

This week at the library; or, Week 4 of the Pandemic

All that's left from the carload I took home two weeks ago
and most of these are books I'm reviewing (on my own time)
The movies I'm checking, since they won't circulate
immediately, to make sure they work. You never know...
This is my second full week of working from home. Daily posts with read-alouds and activities/links for our early literacy and STEAM calendars started going up last Sunday. I've also asked staff to think ahead and plan, when we all get back to the library, to create a whole bunch of virtual programs, beautifully filmed and edited, in case something like this happens again. Nobody will be happier than I if it turns out to be a waste of time!

Monday
  • Managers' meeting (virtual) and my day to go in to work and make sure the library is still standing, collect materials for work at home, drop off things I've finished, post projects for staff to do if they have an in-house shift, pull stuff for staff to take home and work on, etc.
Tuesday
  • I finished going through the missing/lost/paid list. I found at least 5 items that were still marked lost but had been paid for! Then I had replacements to order and I finished processing all the new and replacement items I took home and also updated the order spreadsheet.
Wednesday
  • Middle Grade Magic virtual conference
Thursday
  • Finishing various projects and catching up on webinars
Friday
  • Even though we're closed, this is still a holiday. I reminded staff not to work. It's hard to find a dividing line between working and not working when you're home all day anyways... I did laundry and worked on sewing projects.
Webinars
  • Middle Grade Magic virtual conference
    • Andrea Davis Pinkney keynote
    • Funny books (author and book panel)
    • Fantasy folklore and reimagined stories (author and book panel)
    • Fast learning session: programs for middle graders (this was excellent)
    • Friends and friendship stories (author and book panel)
  • Springing Forward: Books for young readers (Booklist)
  • 4 Simple ways to beef up your library marketing (Demco)
  • Tips for building a well-rounded collection for youth (IFLS and other systems)
  • Data informed collection development (SCLS and other systems)
  • Great new books for birth to grade 5 (CCBC)

Friday, April 10, 2020

Strike three you're dead by Josh Berk

[Originally published in 2014]

I hadn't expected to like this book - I have absolutely no interest in sports - but I picked it up off my backlog to read because I was looking for more middle grade mysteries (in expectation of the return of 80 5th graders next year, all clamoring for mysteries). To my surprise, I found it funny, engrossing, realistic, and just all-around fun.

Lenny and his two best friend, Mike and Other Mike, are looking forward to a leisurely summer and Lenny enters an "armchair announcer" contest for the Phillies, never expecting to win. But he does! Lenny is living the dream, meeting his heroes, getting ready to actually announce an inning...when a promising young baseball player drops dead. What really happened? Lenny and the Mikes, as well as their new friend Maria, are determined to find out.

There's plenty of sports information for the die-hard fan, but just as much mystery and humor for any other reader included as well. The characterization of the Lenny and his friends is spot-on hilarious, from Lenny's traumatic last baseball game to his more athletic friend Mike, and Other Mike's obsession with fantasy and computers. Maria is a great addition to the team with funny and awkward interactions between the kids as they try to figure out how to relate to this girl who's just as big a fan as them and is turning out to be nothing like they expected.

There's a great mystery, not too graphic but definitely not too little-kids-ish for the audience. There's awkward preteen boys interrogating librarians. There are mustaches. There's a tough girl who isn't ashamed of liking baseball. There's interesting things you can learn in books, like safecracking. And, of course, lots of baseball trivia.

Verdict: The sports mysteries I bought for teens have been gathering dust on the shelf, but this one will definitely be a popular choice for middle school readers who are interested in sports or mysteries. I am delighted to see it's going to be a series and the sequel, Say it ain't so! will be published next week.

Revisited: This has never been quite as popular as I think it should be, but it does circulate reliably when I booktalk it. It ended up being a trilogy and the first one, at least, is still available in prebound and paperback.

ISBN: 9780375870088; Published 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf/Random House; Review copy provided by the publisher; Purchased for the library

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay

[Originally published in 2017]

I accidentally started this series with the second book, Monsters and Mold, but then I went to ALA and got a signed copy of the first book! Of course I had to read it and fall in love all over again.

Zoey is watching her mom work one day when she sees a picture...that shines! Zoey's mom is delighted when she finds out that Zoey can see magical creatures and she tells her the story of how she first came to be friends with and help magical creatures. When Zoey's mom goes out of town, Zoey gets her chance to help some magical creatures on her own and the first one she meets is a sick dragon! With some scientific experiments and the support of her cat, Sassafrass, Zoey figures out what's wrong with the baby dragon. Until it all goes wrong! Can she help the baby dragon or will she have to call her mom back home?

Sigh. So perfect. Zoey is bright, curious, and ready to experiment. She makes mistakes and knows when it's time to ask for help, but she's also an independent girl with plenty of determination and scientific smarts. The magical creatures are delightful and the cute drawings are an additional bonus.

Readers and teachers who love science will enjoy the mix of experiments, scientific method, and the helpful glossary of scientific terms.

Verdict: Still in love with this series! I can't wait to use them in book club and I strongly recommend that every library add them.

ISBN: 9781943147090; Published 2016 by Innovation; Review copy provided by author at ALA; Purchased for the library

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Knot cannot by Tiffany Stone, illustrated by Mike Lowery

Fans of puns and silly wordplay will "knot" be disappointed by this goofy story of friendship and flexibility.

Knot, a frayed orange bit of rope with bulging eyes, admires and respects Snake. She's so talented! She can shed her skin, swallow her prey whole, slither and hiss. And Knot? What can he do? Can he do anything as good as Snake? No, he's "a frayed not." But when danger threatens Snake, Knot discovers he has a talent after all!

This silly story is full of knotty puns and illustrated with Lowery's bug-eyed cartoons. Knot sighs gloomily as he admires Snake's bendy skills, flies giggle, and the two very different characters slither across mountains, swim, and explore deserts (or try to anyways). The art is in quasi-comic style, with some panels and speech balloons and some full-page pictures.

While younger kids, especially those who cannot read yet, are unlikely to get all the humor of the wordplay, it's still a fun story about appreciating your own talents and finding how you can contribute. Bonus points for making the talented snake female!

Verdict: A light and humorous addition to your storytimes, especially for kids in lower elementary school.

ISBN: 9780735230804; Published April 2020 by Dial Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library; Used in our activity calendars and story videos.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Anything but ordinary Addie: The true story of Adelaide Herrmann Queen of Magic by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Bruno Iacopo

[Originally published in 2016]

While I am often frustrated by picture book biographies, feeling as I do that they exist in a sort of no man's land with no audience, if someone manages to create one that is truly a picture book with biographical aspects I am all there. Mara Rockliff is one of the few authors who can do that, in my opinion.

In a black and white world, Addie wants to be extraordinary, dazzling and amazing! She sets out to be a dancer, then a trick cyclist, and finally marries a famous magician. When he unexpectedly dies of heart failure the show must go on - with Addie as the magician. But can she do it?

Bruno's illustrations combine colorful backdrops with characters giving the illusion of being paper cut-outs, moving across the screen of an old-fashioned film. The stiff figures lack emotional depth, but are a great match for the younger audience and the focus on magic, excitement, and action.

Back matter includes an overview of Adelaide Herrmann's life and importance as a magician and a further note on her disappearance from history and recent rediscovery.

Verdict: A magical read for older and younger kids alike, hand this one to magic-obsessed kids and those who like an exciting, fun story.

ISBN: 9780763668419; Published 2016 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Saturday, April 4, 2020

This week at the library; or, Week 3 of the pandemic

A few things I took home on Monday. Yes, they were all
stacked neatly before I drove home...
Back to work this week, or as back to work as we can get with the library closed down. However, there is certainly no lack of things to do!

Monday
 - Virtual managers' meeting, then it was my turn to go into the library. We are carefully spacing it out so that there is never more than one person in and nobody on a regular basis. I had a long list of things I needed for work this week and filled a wagon with stuff. I also had things to print and needed to check on projects for other staff.
 - Other than that, the main project today was setting up a Facebook schedule for virtual programs/recordings and posts with my staff and colleagues. Lots of content to put together. I am working out a schedule for everyone - for me, I am trying to mostly stick to my regular schedule, 12-8 on Monday, 9-5 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11-7 on Thursday. First three hours of the day are "office hours" when people can get a quick answer via phone or email (I'm not giving my phone out publicly b/c I don't want to answer it that much!) and then the rest of the day is various projects and professional development. I am trying to take a short walk every hour or so to remind myself not to sit in my chair all day! It's not that comfortable a chair anyways.

I will be posting early every morning (not in real time) a project or video relating to my early literacy/STEAM activity calendars. Our school colleague who does most of our storytimes has promised a weekly storytime video. My part-time associate will do two posts a week, one on outdoor activities, one on movement.

Tuesday
 - I spent most of the day writing Facebook posts - almost 30 for my daily activity calendar posts. I paired each one with an online resource and I'll start making the accompanying storytime videos tomorrow.
I also did a lot of administrative stuff and contacting people - letting my schools and daycares know I'm available for virtual visits, contacting all the patrons on my newsletter list, making sure all programs were cancelled, etc.

Wednesday
 - Wrote my monthly report, and recorded 14 videos (without loss of life or limb). It was extremely frustrating and had there been anyone there to scream at I would have screamed, but my mom fled to the park to sit in the sun.

Thursday - Friday
 - Lots of miscellaneous work, finishing up projects etc. Working on the missing/lost lists, several people seem to have decided to pay for their lost library items online!

Webinars
  • Writing Box Program by Lisa Von Drasek (infopeople)
  • Using children's books to approach trauma-informed education (Lee & Low)
  • Lerner Spring 2020 Preview
  • New Spring Nonfiction (School Library Journal)

Friday, April 3, 2020

The Summer I Saved the World...in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz

[Originally published in 2014, I recently purchased replacements of this title for the library, since the book had been read to pieces, and it seemed like a good time to repost this review of a timely and comforting story.]

I really enjoyed Calli Be Gold, so I was excited to hear that Ms. Hurwitz had another book. It looks like she's going to stick to the niche of the ordinary girl, at least for now, and I can always use some more stories in this genre, not to mention she does an excellent job of capturing exactly what readers want in a book like this.

Nina wonders what happened to her family. After her grandmother's death a year ago her lawyer parents have turned into workaholics, her older brother is never around, and her best friend is drawing farther and farther away - or were they ever really friends at all? It looks like a long, boring summer before she's plunged into the scary world of high school. Then, inspired by a teacher and her grandmother's memory, Nina makes a small decision; she will do 65 good things, one for each day left of summer. As she does her secret good deeds, things as simple as a compliment or watering a neighbor's flowers, she starts to realize that her little sparks of happiness have set off something bigger in her neighborhood.

As editor Wendy Lamb says in the introduction, readers who want to "Take a break from dystopian/apocalyptic/zombie tales and read this warmhearted story" will be satisfied and delighted. There are some sniffly moments as Nina deals with her grief over her grandmother's death, the sweet excitement of her first kiss, the hilarious reactions of her wacky neighbor and an overwhelming sense of hope and a belief that small things can make a difference. It's not all sunshine and flowers; Nina does some serious thinking about herself and how she's gone through life so far and makes a conscious decision to reach out and make an effort to connect. Some of the neighbors are dealing with real, painful issues and there are a lot of growing pains for Nina as well. Not all her good things work out the way she expects and some things can't be fixed. But Hurwitz manages to invest her realistic characters and story with an overwhelming sense of hope and joy as Nina grows into herself and perseveres in her good deeds.

Verdict: Middle school readers looking for an inspirational, realistic book with a happy ending will devour this story. Like Calli, Nina is an average girl who finds her own niche in the world and discovers she can make a difference in a small way. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780385371063; Published April 2014 by Wendy Lamb Books/Random House; ARC provided by author; Purchased for the library

Thursday, April 2, 2020

The little green hen by Alison Murray

The initial description I saw of this, as an environmentally-conscious version of the Little Red Hen, did not particularly attract me. Also, I have the greatest dislike for versions of this tale that don't include any kind of punishment (or redemption) for the lazy animals, just the hen sharing the fruits of her labor with them after they did nothing. Ahem. I feel strongly about this. However, I do like Alison Murray's clean lines and simple texts, which make great toddler storytime choices, and I was willing to try it. And I did like it!

In a fruitful, green apple orchard lives a little green hen, in a snug house in the hollow of an apple tree. She takes care of the orchard, but it's a lot of work and she needs some help! She sets out to find help and gets very different responses from the different animals. Fox, rabbit, and peacock are too busy sleeping, admiring themselves, and thinking about a tasty chicken dinner to help but dog, squirrel, and sparrow are exactly suited and happy to join in the work. Sparrow eats bugs, dog fetches sticks and helps with the pruning, and squirrel is good at burying and planting.

Then comes a flood. The three lazy and self-centered animals, stranded on a log, manage to make it to Little Green Hen's tree and her friends and she take them in. When the flood waters recede and she wonders who will help clean up the mess, this time ALL the animals respond and they all work together to care for and grow the apple orchard. In turn, the orchard provides them with a safe home, food, and everything they need for their families.

This update of the traditional story shows the lazy animals redeeming themselves by working hard to clean up the mess of the flood. While the Little Green Hen and her friends take them in without any assurance that they will help, they repay their generosity. Bright, colorful pictures emphasize the greens and reds of the story and add to the original moral of the tale a theme of cooperation and kindness.

Verdict: Although this may feel too text-heavy for toddlers, it would be easy to abridge during storytime. Also, even younger children will sit for repetition and this has a nice steady repetition from the original story. A strong addition to folktales for storytime.

ISBN: 9781536206104; Published March 2019 by Candlewick; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

One shoe two shoes by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Edward Underwood

The author/illustrator duo of Big box little box returns with another toddler and storytime-friendly rhyming story.

An enthusiastic brown dog with a black saddle rejoices in the many, many shoes she encounters. After exuberant rhymes celebrating the many different kinds of shoes, the dog sees something hiding in one of the shoes. Mice! For them, the shoes are houses and now, having counted all the shoes, readers can count the growing numbers of little white mice in those shoes. Finally, the dog fetches shoes for her owner and the mice zip away on a pair of colorful roller skates.

This doesn't really have a plot, but it's a fun rhyming story to chant with toddlers at a shoe or mice-themed storytime. Underwood's blocky art leaves a white border around the pages with sharply defined shapes - circles for the wheels of the roller skates, decorations of stars, flowers, and polka dots on the shoes, and ashy gray shadows on the white pages.

Verdict: A nice addition to storytime collections. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781547600946; Published July 2019 by Bloomsbury; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library