The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 21,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 5 Film Festivals
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don’t cry at books. It’s happened only a couple of times. I’m much more likely to cry at television or movies, mostly because of the added manipulation of the music and cinematography. For a book to elicit such a reaction, it has to be darn powerful.
From the goodreads summary:
“Twelve-year-old Marlee doesn’t have many friends until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is bold and brave, and always knows the right thing to say, especially to Sally, the resident mean girl. Liz even helps Marlee overcome her greatest fear – speaking, which Marlee never does outside her family.
But then Liz is gone, replaced by the rumor that she was a Negro girl passing as white. But Marlee decides that doesn’t matter. Liz is her best friend. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are willing to take on integration and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families.”
This is a book, above all, about ethical courage, a topic that is near and dear to my heart. It is a book about speaking up for what you believe in and what is right. It is a book about taking risks, being true to one’s self, and finding one’s place in the world.
I loved that the author, Kristin Levine, was brave enough to use accurate language in this historical novel. I’ve called out other authors for dropping the ball on this issue, and I appreciate that Kristin used the accurate terms and epithets, not because I like those terms, but because using them is important to the story, and the cumulative effect of those terms and this narrative is what, ultimately, had me crying at various points in the story.
This story isn’t only important when studying history, but in this time of “binders full of women”, it also serves as a springboard to talk about who is qualified or entitled to do what, and why. Marlee is a whiz at math, and wants to grow up to build rockets (which reminded me of the most excellent play Flyer by Kate Aspengren, read it), but will she get the chance since she is a girl?
As an accessible description of an important historical period, a beautifully rendered tale of friendship, and an issues novel that provokes discussion, this book succeeds on all counts, and is highly recommended.
Boundtrack suggestions: Fables of Faubus by Mingus, That’ll be the Day by Buddy Holly.
May B. by Caroline Starr Rose
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
For those who like novels in verse, or survival stories. This oddly enough reminded me of Island of the Blue Dolphins. I felt that it was perhaps a bit too quick, pace wise, but the details of May’s time were vividly rendered.
Want to have one of the most successful library programs ever? Make playdough.
We did this program with 3-8 year olds, but I can see this working with even older kids, up through middle school–it’s all how you market it. It’s a great program to do at the library because, sadly, I think a lot of kids don’t get to engage in messy play at home because parents don’t want to face the clean-up.
Before we made the playdough we retold the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with finger puppets because the story uses a lot of descriptive vocabulary–hot, cold, slow, fast, hard, soft—and I thought it was a fun way to launch into the program.
We made the following three recipes, making sure to talk about different textures, scents, temperatures, and other properties. Then we let the kids spend a lot of time playing and building, and allowed them to take home as much playdough as they wanted. We also printed out the recipes for parents to take home if they chose.
(I found the recipes at prekinders.com, which is my new favorite website. There are many more recipes up there, so choose your favorite.)
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 package of Kool-Aid
1 cup hot water
Combine ingredients and mix.
2 cups used coffee grounds
1 and 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup salt
water
flour
Mix all ingredients until pliable. Add water, flour as needed to achieve a working consistency.
1 part flour
1 part water
2 parts oatmeal
Mix well and knead
Read more: http://prekinders.com/play-dough-recipes/#ixzz20Ka4QwZv
It’s a Tiger! by David LaRochelle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fans of Grumpy Bird will love the Tankard illustrations in this new picture book, which easily pairs with classics such as Head to Toe, I Went Walking, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Going on a Bear Hunt, or Walking in the Jungle.
The bold illustrations and clear, dynamic text make this book perfect for storytime. Toddlers and preschoolers alike can RUN from the tiger, climb the ladder to make an escape, tip-toe past snakes, and jump into a flower bed (that is hiding tiger that they must run from).
This book is a perfect fit for my Mini Movers storytime, so if you do a similar program, be sure to add this title into the mix!
It’s a Tiger! will be released July 18th. Review copy graciously provided by the publisher.
Beegu by Alexis Deacon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I recently pulled this book back out and read it aloud during a stuffed animal sleepover program, for no real reason other than I wanted to and its quiet, slyly funny tone seemed to fit the tenor of the program. I usually gravitate towards louder, brasher, more animated read alouds for story time, but I really enjoyed the challenge of getting the kids engaged in this quieter story. It wasn’t difficult at all, except for the one child who kept screaming “It’s DEAD!” any time he saw Beegu sleeping.
This gently humorous tale of an alien who has crash landed on earth and is looking for friendship is a great addition to any evening storytime, or in a friendship storytime as well.
Lexapros and Cons by Aaron Karo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was funny with a side of pathos–think a Louie CK comedy routine for teens, with a healthy dash of prescription drug after school special turned on its head. I enjoyed the thoroughly boy POV, the realistic and sweet romance, and was so utterly charmed that even the contrived plot points didn’t bother me. Give this to fans of Megan McCafferty’s Sloppy Firsts series, King Dork fans, and fans of self-deprecating comics.
I think every library, be it public, school, academic, or special, can learn a lot about survival from the children’s departments of public libraries–because we’re not going anywhere. Even if the rest of the library as we know it collapses and crumbles, children’s librarians will still be around, in some form or another, doing what we do.
Why is this? Why will we survive budget cuts and closures while other libraries and library departments might fail? Simple: we provide unique, superior value and we make sure people know about it. Also, we’re the nicest people in the library world, and that keeps people coming back.
Now, this is not to say that no one else provides value, or gets the word out, or is nice. What I am saying is that the most successful children’s librarians–and, very often, teen librarians–have a certain formula that will consistently provide results. A great children’s department will often have both the highest program numbers as well as the highest circulation numbers, and depending on how the library budgets, that often means they end up getting the most money.
There are four key areas in which children’s librarians excel, and they are:
Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aside from some language that didn’t quite scan for me (the use of the word “scoot” specifically; this book is set in the 1400s and that word wasn’t around until the 1700s), I really, really enjoyed this epic mingling of high fantasy and historical fiction. The romance was close to but not quite on par with the slow burn romances of Robin McKinley, but you can still definitely hand this one to fans of the Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown.
So, fashion. Or style. Or wardrobe. Or costume. What do we librarians wear, anyway, and why does it matter–if, in fact, it does? (Per usual, my discussion is pretty child and teen librarian focused. Allow me to wear my bias like a hot dog button on my sleeve).
For myself, I’ve been known to wear: book themed t-shirts, including Doctor Suess and Where the Wild Things Are; bunches of jelly bracelets (which kids love); sneakers with polkadot laces; and many, many cardigans. At work, my primary focus is comfort and being able to move in my clothes (can’t do storytime if you’re unsupported or your pants are too tight) with style coming in a close second. I feel that you need to wear clothes that you feel like yourself in, both physically and psychologically.
But I also feel, having worked with small children in one capacity or another since 2001, that we who work with children need to constantly work against the assumption that we are cheerful, paste-eating morons who do nothing but play with children (because, you know, playing is frivolous and does nothing to help children LEARN OR ANYTHING). This should be done mostly with what we say and what we do, but, frankly, we are constantly judged by how we look, especially if we are women. And if you’re fat or a woman of color? Good luck with that. (After all, it’s 2012, and we still have to put out things like a guide to writing about politics in a gender neutral way.)
Here’s the thing: we all work hard. Our work is important. We need to present as people who are to be reckoned with, who can’t be ignored or dismissed. If you can accomplish this while wearing costumes (superhero or otherwise), Hunger Games t-shirts, buttons, or vintage polka dots, then so be it. But in my opinion, it’s all proportional–the more quirky your appearance, the more rock solid your foundation needs to be–because people will always use your appearance–clothing, hair, skin color, and body type–to judge you and in some cases even dismiss you.
The thing that bothers me more than book earrings or pencil sweaters is looking like you don’t care. If you’re invested in dressing like Mimi from the Drew Carey Show, and it works for your patrons, then own it. I guess what it comes down to for me is indifference. If you look like you haven’t thought about your appearance, and how you come across to your patrons, then you’re probably not that invested in what they want or need.
What do you think?
