4
Jul
Top 5 Highlights of #ALA2013
Last weekend I was in Chicago for the American Library Association’s Annual Conference. Huzzah! Since I run a summer library club for kids on Monday and had to get home to watch the kiddo, I could only stay for a full Friday and Saturday. Even so, it was a busy and eventful trip. These are the highlights…
1. Incredible People Doing Incredible Things
The first thing I did when I arrived in Chicago on Thursday night was take a walk. I miss living in a city, and when I find myself in one I end up doing my favorite past-time activity… Walking the streets without a destination. While I was out stretching my legs I fell upon the Chicago Public Library, so I went inside to check out the children’s department and look around. Inscribed on entrance walls is this:
“We welcome and support all people in their enjoyment of reading and pursuit of lifelong learning. Working together we strive to provide equal access to information, ideas, and knowledge through books, programs, and other resources. We believe in the freedom to read, to learn, to discover.”
“Support all people”… “lifelong learning”… “working together”… “equal access”
A mission statement that rings true to what many librarians of today are striving to provide the people they serve. Librarians are advocates. They are changing the way they engage their communities. The most enjoyable part of attending ALA Annual was the opportunity for a shared experience. The sharing of goals, the sharing of ideas, and sharing the future. Innovators like Justin Hoenke (Justin the Librarian) has a big heart and a big vision for his teens (and libraries in general) over at the Chattanooga Public Library, a library to take note of as they pave the way of change for the future of libraries. Totally awesome person. The funny and charming Matthew Winner (The Busy Librarian) co-authored a book coming out this fall, Teach Math with the Wii, holds an enthusiastic vision for how to incorporate math principles through an enjoyable and approachable, all-ages activity… Gaming. Brilliant! Matthew has a positive energy that is contagious. Many of you storytime people are familiar with Melissa Depper (Mel’s Desk) whether through her storytime blog, the popular flannel board collective, Flannel Fridays, or her work as co-founder of CLEL (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy). I love this woman.
I had the pleasure of taking a stroll to the Walden Pond cocktail party with a few Nerdy Book Club folks, many of whom I hadn’t met yet. Cynthia Alaniz (Librarian in Cute Shoes) and I had met at ALA Midwinter last January, and she is transferring roles from a teacher to a school librarian this fall. I have a feeling she’s going to be a terrific librarian! It was a pleasure to finally meet Michiganders Colby Sharp (sharpread), the popular kid lit blogger, tweeter, and co-creator of the first nErDcamp Battle Creek, an edcamp with a children’s literature focus, Brian Wyzlic (WYZ Reads), also a teacher and Michigander and all around cool guy, and Katherine Skolowski (Read, Write, Reflect) who’s also a teacher and another Nerdy Book Club big wig.
At the party I briefly chatted with Lalitha about working in libraries and about our kids. It wasn’t until later that I found out she has a blog about multicultural books for children and teens, Masala Reader, which is definitely worth checking out.
I finally met Laura and Erinn, the Library as Incubator Project folks, face-to-face after their panel session “Humanities in the Digital Era: Mashing Up Public Programs with MOOCs, Media, and More” They’re in the process of launching a sister site under the LAIP umbrella, Book-to-Art Club, a monthly feature/kit where you read a book and use art to engage with the text. The art will then be featured on the site. I’m *really* looking forward to seeing this program come to life.
If you don’t already follow the people mentioned above, please do. I wanted to introduce you to them so you have the pleasure of making their acquaintance, and can be inspired by their library and literary superpowers.
2. Guerrilla Storytime
#GuerrillaStorytime is the perfect example of why youth librarians are the bomb-diggity-dog.
The idea of Guerrilla Storytime (I believe) first appeared on the ALSC Blog. At least that’s the first time I saw mention of it. It was a series of gatherings that took place in the Uncommons of ALA Annual for children’s librarians to talk about and troubleshoot common storytime issues. I went to the Friday session and it reminded me of what I love about youth services librarians. They’re willing to take the stage, sing and clap along, or bust out a ukelele. Guerrilla Storytime was a call to come together to help each other grow to help our communities through the time-honored library program, storytime.
For those of you who weren’t able to attend, Amy the Show Me Librarian wrote an extensive recap here, as well as Melissa from Mel’s Desk which can be found here. I hope it is a concept that will grow into either a twitter chat, a Google hangout, or at least continue at future conferences. It’s important to be there for each other. Yay storytime!
3. Lunch with Movers and Shakers
I have to say… I was a wee bit nervous attending Library Journal’s Mover’s and Shaker’s Luncheon on Friday afternoon. More so than I’d care to admit. With a deep breath and my Shirley Temple cocktail in hand, I took it all in and made a few new friends in the process. Author John Scalzi read a passionate essay of his, “A Personal History of Libraries”, which brought tears to my eyes. And no, it wasn’t just me being a hormonal pregnant person. He seemed to have the entire room entranced.
Bonus! LJ Editor-at-Large, John Berry, and I talked in depth about Bleeding Kansas, John Brown, and Lawrence, Kansas. He’s a Lawrence admirer and his best friend is the late Truman Nelson who wrote The Old Man: John Brown at Harper’s Ferry. The love of Lawrence is all around, my friends.
4. #ScieszkaKrosozkaTelgemeierandTenNapeltalkcomics
What happens when you put graphic novel authors, Jarret Krosozka, Raina Telgemeir, Ted TenNapel and kid lit great Jon Scieska in a room full of librarians? Lots and lots of laughter. Hands down the most fun I have had during a conference session EVER. The panel’s focus was the importance of visual literacy and how graphic novels are a tried and true hook for reluctant readers. The hashtag for the session? #ScieszkaKrosozkaTelgemeierandTenNapeltalkcomics
5. September is back!
I wasn’t able to comb through the exhibits like I did at ALA Midwinter, but I did make sure to pick up a copy of the next edition of Catherynne Valente’s Fairlyand series, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two. It was the one book I made a priority to get while in Chicago. Looking forward to September’s latest adventure and the appearance of, wait for it… Moon yetis!
There were so many sessions I wanted to attend, people I wanted to meet, and books I wanted to check out, but alas I had to get back. I’m sure I forgot a few names and other highlights to note in this recap. You’ll have to forgive me. Since I’m a mother of a young child and pregnant, I no longer have the ability to form memories. While I’m looking forward to keeping up with new industry friends and continue my journey in the future of libraries, the end of my trip had the most impact.
On my flight home I had a conversation with a line chef from Kansas City. He asked me what I was doing in Chicago and I replied that I was at a library conference. He looked at me puzzled and responded, “I didn’t know librarians were youthful?” His follow up question was if librarians drink, and if they talked “potty talk”. It wasn’t that he was unfamiliar with using libraries. He recited the Dewey Decimal number for cookbooks (641.5) to me with ease. It was his perception of librarians, who we are, the services we offer, and how that relates to him. It was humbling after being at a conference abuzz with exciting possibilities, but it also reminded me that among the latest trends we have work to do; to work together to be advocates for learning, accessible to all.
22
May
The 2013 Read Across Lawrence for Kids Book
I’m excited to announce that the Lawrence Public Library’s Read Across Lawrence for Kids (RAL Kids) title for 2013 has been selected! The Newbery Honor winning, William Allan White shortlisted…
TURTLE IN PARADISE by Jennifer L. Holm!
(cheering, screaming, back-flips!)
Last year was the inaugural year for Read Across Lawrence for Kids (full recap here & on the ALSC Blog), in which the kids of Lawrence got “on the same page” by reading the same book during the month of September and participated in activities offered through the public library based around that book. The partnership between the public library and the schools was what made this program so successful and it’s already shaping up that this year we will bind together once again and build on that success for our town’s young readers. Preparations will be in full swing over the summer months and I’m beyond ecstatic for this year’s book and featured author! Haven’t read the book? Here’s a little background info:
Synopsis:
“In Jennifer L. Holm’s New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn’t like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She’s smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it’s 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle’s mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn’t like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she’s never met. Florida’s like nothing Turtle’s ever seen before though. It’s hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what’s happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she’s spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love.” – Random House
About Jennifer L. Holm:
“Jennifer L. Holm is a New York Times bestselling children’s author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels Our Only May Amelia, Penny From Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series — the popular Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She is also the author of several other highly praised books, including the Boston Jane trilogy and Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf. She lives in California with her husband and two children.” – Goodreads
A common question I received after the first RAL Kids was, “How do you select a book for an entire community to read?” Well, it’s a tough decision and there is a laundry list of reasons, so I thought I’d give you a little background behind why Turtle in Paradise is the featured pick this year.
Is there a tie-in with the adult Read Across Lawrence book?
Is it a book teachers and school librarians will want to incorporate into their curricula?
Since this program was tailored to collaborate with the schools, I reached out to several teachers and school librarians across the country inquiring as to what books have been successful in their classrooms and are approachable for both boys and girls. Turtle in Paradise was on the top of their lists!
What’s the author like?
So far, I’ve picked books with living authors solely because it lends the unique opportunity for the kids to actually meet the author of the book they’re reading. Jennifer Holm is smart, funny, and kids and adults love her! I mean… Have you ever seen her in person? She’s adorable. I was lucky enjoy hearing her speak at ALA Midwinter. If you have time to watch the video, do it. All authors present were phenomenal to hear AND Nancy Pearl was their moderator to boot!
Does it have some cred?
Like I mentioned earlier, this book is chosen for the kids and the schools. It’s always nice when a book has some cred with the rest of the world and the higher ups. Turtle in Paradise is a Newbery Honor Winning book, a WAW shortlist title, but its also a New York Times Bestseller, an ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book, a Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year, an IRA Teachers’ Choice, and an IRA-CBC Children’s Choice. Awards and honors certainly aren’t necessity, but it does helps validate the selection.
Can you build an entire month of programs around it?
When I read Turtle in Paradise, like when I read last year’s book, The Cabinet of Wonders, programs and ideas just started coming to mind. More so than other books. Even as I re-read some of the other contenders I was considering, they didn’t come close to inspiring me as much as Turtle in Paradise did. Currently, I’m having to weed ideas because the library can’t possibly produce them all in one month. This is a good problem to have.
Does the book come in paperback?
Purchasing all those books costs a lot of $$$, yo! We intend to purchase as many books as we can to give away, and that only can happen if the cost per book is low. Most publishers also give libraries an extra discount since we are giving the books away and their intended use is educational.
Do kids like it?
The most important question of all the selection process! Librarians, teachers, and parents could love a particular book, but it won’t go far if it isn’t a book kids grades 2nd-7th, of different genders, different backgrounds, different reading tastes, will find themselves enjoying. I’ve asked kids at the library what they thought of the book if they’ve read it, and also asked teachers what their students’ reactions were after reading it. As much as LPL is thrilled to feature Turtle in Paradise for our RAL Kids pick, I have a feeling our patrons will enjoy it just as much, if not more.
RAL Kids 2013 announcement on the Lawrence Public Library website.
10
May
Chicken (and Goose) Storytime
Our house has chicken envy. We desperately would like a few hens of our own to roam the backyard. Lucky for us Lawrence is a pretty laid back community that allows domestic chickens, and quite a few of our neighbors already exercise that freedom. We currently rent, so it isn’t in the cards for another year or so, but one can dream! Last week’s storytime was all about chickens (with one book about a tricky goose), and afterward we made playful pompom chicks.
Chicken Storytime Line-Up:
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Whenever something goes awry on the Greenstalk’s farm, it’s chickens to the rescue!
Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman
Deborah Freedman is awesome! I especially love this book about a curious chicken who just wanted to help paint, but ends up turning everything blue.
The Chicken Dance
Taking a break from stories, we all took time to shake out some wiggles by learning to dance the chicken dance!
Chicken Little retold by Rebecca Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley
A favorite folk tale told by beloved author and illustrator Rebecca and Ed Emberley. Chicken little is hit on the head by a falling acorn and comes to the conclusion that the sky is falling.
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stien
A laugh out load story about a little chicken who can’t help but interrupt her father’s story.
That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
Okay, so this book isn’t about a chicken it’s about a goose. But the little goslings kinda look like chicks, right? I couldn’t not share this one with the storytimers. It’s too good! And it’s Mo Willems! Written in a style that mimics a silent movie with gosling commentators. One goose agrees to go on a walk with a sly fox who has mischievous intentions with a surprise ending that will leave everyone with a smile on their faces. It seemed as though the parents especially enjoyed this one.
Pom Pom Chick Craft
“Peep peep peep!” Isn’t this little guy the cutest? When the Easter eggs went on sale, I made sure to grab a couple bags to stash away for later in the year. I busted them out for this simple and sweet Pom Pom Chick Craft. The kids had so much fun playing with their chickie friends. My daughter L still plays with the chick she made and its been almost two weeks since we made them. The Pom Pom Chicks were so easy to make, following this craft we made an another easy craft (see below).
Materials needed: Plastic eggs (optional), yellow pom poms, googly eyes, orange felt, scissors, and tacky glue.
First, cut a strip of orange felt about 1/4-1/2 inch in width.
Cut that strip into small triangles.
Using a yellow pom, glue on the googly eyes and orange felt.
Instant chick!
“That Is Not a Good Idea” Gosling Puppets
The Pom Pom Chick Craft took no time at all, so we also make stick puppets using a printout from the Good Ideas Event Kit, an activity guide found on the HarperCollins website for the new Mo Willems book, That Is Not a Good Idea, which we read during storytime. The gosling cut outs are intended to be made into finger puppets, but we made them into stick puppets instead using tape, scissors, and popsicle sticks.
First, using scissors we cut out the goslings. I pre-cut a few beforehand for the younger children unable to maneuver scissors yet.
Next, we taped a popsicle stick to the back of each gosling.
And that’s it! I told the kids they should use their gosling puppets anytime their parents ask them to do something (like clean their room, or eat broccoli) and say, “That is not a good idea!” Har har har. The kids thought that was a good idea.
Sadly, this will be my last storytime post for awhile. I will be managing the library’s kids summer camp for 5-6 year-olds instead of conducting the Sunday storytime. It was a tough choice to make, but since I will be starting grad school full-time, we’re moving this summer, and a whole lot more is going on, something had to give. It will be nice not to work every Sunday, but I will miss my storytimers so, so much! For you library-types– Do you have any storytime themes you’re excited about this summer? Any new books you’re excited to read? I’d love to know so I can vicariously live through your storytime fun during my hiatus!
6
May
Adventures as Annie: Twister on Tuesday
This was one of the best adventures yet! In April, Magic Tree House Adventures went back in time to the 1870’s and witnessed one of mother nature’s most incredible and dangerous phenomenons- a tornado! Kansas is known for it’s tornadoes (thank you Wizard of Oz), and we are currently in prime tornado season, so I thought selecting Twister on Tuesday would be an ideal segue into learning about weather and safety. We had a very special guest from our city’s local news station, 6News Lawrence. Meteorologist Rick Katsfey came to teach the kids about tornadoes and severe weather safety,
Meteorologist Special Guest
To kick-off the program, I invited meterologist Rick Katsfey from 6News Lawrence to talk about sever weather, tornadoes, and weather safety. The kids always enjoy when we have a special guest. It was particularly fun for them to see someone who they regularly see on tv in their library.
Where Are We? Who Are They?
“Where are we? Who are they?” is a Magic Tree House Adventures staple where I flash different pictures related to the book we are discussing and ask the kids if they can tell me what’s going on in those pictures. I follow up their guesses with facts about what each picture is actually about. I heavily relied on the nonfiction companion to Twisters on Tuesday, the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #8: Twisters and Other Terrible Storms. In the past, these lessons are more about people and a particular time period. For this session, we talked about the earth’s atmosphere, wind, what makes a storm, the anatomy of a tornado, as well as tornado safety.
Tornado Safety Collage
Since Kansas sees a good share of tornadoes, I really wanted to emphasize tornado and severe weather safety during this program. For one of the activities, the kids made Tornado Safety Collages by tearing a piece of place construction paper into a triangle to make a tornado. They then assembled a house using various shapes I pre-cut from construction paper and glued both the tornado and the house onto a piece of white card stock. I also printed out and pre-cut sets of safety tips which they glued onto their collage.
Here are a couple collages made by a Magic Tree House Adventures members:
Tornado in a Jar
This project is so easy! And the kids loved it! I completely forgot to take a picture of this project, so I borrowed this great image above from Ellie Moon. I did make a Vine, though.
Pretty neat, huh? All you have to do to make a tornado in a jar is this..
1. Add water in a clean jar.
2. Add a tiny drop of dish soap. Teeny tiny drop!
3. Seal jar lid.
4. Shake.
5. Tornado!
At the program, I also had food dye and different glitter colors available so the kids could customize their tornadoes.
While some of the kids finished assembling their Tornado in a Jar projects, my coworker read the picture book Aunt Minnie and the Twister by Mary Skillings Prigger, illustrated by Betsy Lewin. This craft took a little longer because I only had five kids conducting this project at once to avoid a huge mess.
Magic Tree House Adventures Journal
As always, at the end the kids recieved their very own Magic Tree House Adventures Journal (just like Jack has)! Here’s a peek inside the latest edition of take-home journals so the fun and learning can continue at home.
All facts from this journal come from the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Twisters and Other Terrible Storms, the Magic Tree House website, and Kids Zone.
The kids also took home this Sever Weather Tracker magnet curtosy of 6News Lawrence. Along with the Magic Tree House Journal and magnet, the kids had a large selection of books to choose from to check out after the program was completed. I make sure to have at least one table full of books that are available to them.
All in all, this was one of the better programs. It ran smoothly and the kids were extremely interested in the topic. I’m really looking forward to the next session, because in May we’re leaving the world as we know it and going to the moon! Our featured Magic Tree House title will be Midnight on the Moon!
image sources: tornado, tornado in a jar
30
Apr
Garden Storytime
Finally! Warmer weather. Some of my favorite picture books are about gardening and we’ll soon be free of the last frost date. The Old Farmer’s Almanac estimated Lawrence, Kansas be 50% frost free by April 7, but mother nature had another plan. It’s going to be a late start for planting this season, but we plan to plant a few vegetables and flowers in the next couple weeks. Anywho, back to storytime… For storytime we read a few stories about gardening, did a flannel board, and did a little gardening of our own and made terrariums.
Garden Storytime Line-Up:
And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
This book was a great introductory book as just a few weeks ago it truly was brown all around and after rain and a whole lot of wishing, it’s finally springtime. Erin Stead’s illustrations are fantastic (as always!).
Zinnia’s Flower Garden by Monica Wellington
My daughter requested this one be read for storytime. We can’t get enough of Monica Wellington.
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
A short sing-song picture book about vegetables that grow above the ground, below the ground and all around.
Tops & Bottoms adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens
A folk tale about a lazy bear and a trickster rabbit that cons the bear into growing a garden on his property and taking the best parts of the plants – their vegetables. Our library has an old flannel board I used to tell this story to the kids.
I read parts of the book and the rest I paraphrased with the flannel board. This was the favorite story of the lot.
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
I bought this book for my daughter before she was born. It’s a cherished book in our house and the storytime kids found themselves quite entertained with it as well. I love the part where the Morning Glories stay open all night and strawberries glow like lanterns. Kevin Henkes, you’re a children’s book wizard.
Terrarium Project:
For the post-storytime project, we made miniature terrariums! Terrariums are the perfect arrangement for individuals that would like a house plant, but don’t quite have a green thumb. Their care is extremely minimal. All you have to do is take the lid off the plant every once in awhile and that’s it. No watering! That is unless it’s looking a tad dry in the wintertime. They’re also very simple to assemble. Here’s how we made ours.
I’ve talked about building a terrarium before here on SFCT, but I’ve never attempted to make them with the library kids. At my local nursery, I purchased small rocks, charcoal (not found in most gardening centers), potting soil, and small tropical plants. Since we were using small jars, I purchased a plant that doesn’t have a lot of height. (The one pictured above is baby tears.) I’m always saving glass jars for storytime crafts and also have some leftover from a Magic Tree House Adventures program, which was just enough for this particular storytime crowd.
Here is how I set it up for storytime…. Kind of like an ice cream sundae buffet table with spoons to add each terrarium layer.
Take your clean jar and add a layer of rocks to the bottom.
Like so.
Next add a layer of charcoal.
And then a layer of potting soil. Since the jar is small, we only added a little as there needs to be enough room for the plant.
Next, take your small plant out of the container. I removed the excess soil from the bottom because my jar was small.
Gently press plant into the jar.
Like so.
The terrarium is almost done. Now, all you have to do is water it with only a few tablespoons of water depending on the size of the jar. You want to water it so that the soil is moist, not soaking with water standing on the bottom of the jar.
Seal the lid to the jar and there you have it… a terrarium!
How to care for a terrarium:
Take the lid off once a week for about 20-30 minutes to let it breathe. Then just reseal.
Prune as needed, and sparingly sprinkle with water if looking dry (which might happen during the winter months).
20
Apr
Tournament of Kids’ Books 2013 WINNER
The votes are in. We have a winner.
After receiving hundreds of votes throughout the March Madness season, the kids of Lawrence have spoken and a winner for the 2013 Tournament of Kids’ Books was declared! Out of 16 books, the championship battle was between the popular Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney vs. last year’s Read Across Lawrence for Kids book, The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski.
And the winner won by 1 vote.
No joke.
Last Sunday the winner was announced at the Tournament of Kids’ Books Winner Ceremony where two KU Men’s Basketball Players, Naadir Tharpe and Christain Garrett, revealed the winning title with our library director, Brad Allen. They also raffled off prizes to the audience including a signed basketball by the 2012-2013 KU basketball team, new books by the featured authors in the Tournament, and each player read a favorite book from their childhood to the audience.
Bet you’re wondering who won, right?
Naadir Tharpe did the honors…
The anticipation!
And the winner is… THE CABINET OF WONDERS!
After the winner was announced one boy said, “It’s as loud as Allen Fieldhouse in here!” (For those of you who are not familiar with KU basketball, Allen Fieldhouse is the University of Kansas’ legendary auditorium where the home basketball games take place. It is widely known as the loudest college basketball venue in the country.) After all the cheers settled down, the players raffled away the prizes to the audiences.
There where a lot of high hopes placed on receiving the books, but especially the signed basketball.
This storytime regular was fortune enough to be this year’s lucky winner of the grand prize.
The real treat was when the players sat down and each read a book to the crowd.
Naadir Tharpe read Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
Christain Garret read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Both players did a superb job reading aloud. They were cracking jokes and even asking for audience participation. Just as things were wrapping up, one boy started singing the “Rockchalk chant”, an old tradition that is done at the end of a winning basketball game. He started singing it himself as loud as he could, followed by Naadir, and followed by the entire room. It was the perfect end to a perfect day for everyone at the Lawrence Public Library.
Afterwards, Naadir and Christian let patrons take pictures with them and freely gave out high-fives. The kids were wide-eyed and their grins were big. Lawrence lives and breathes KU basketball. For those patrons to see representatives, or perhaps a better word is idols, of something that means so much to our community in the library promoting reading leaves a lasting impression. KU Athletics wrote a nice article about the event here along with a few words from the players. In that article, Naadir Tharpe talks about how he always had people read in front of him as a child and that this was an opportunity for him to give back, and that if you want to play ball, it starts in the classroom. I think a lot of people seem to forget that these players got to where they are because of their skills in the game, but they also have to work hard off of the court in order to be successful. Tournament of Kids’ Books is about the love of books paired with a town’s love of basketball, and over the past couple years it has served as an excellent way to get kids excited about reading, but also as a way for them to identify with positive role models.
A huge thanks to the KU Athletics Department for making this happen again this year, and to players for taking the time to come to the library and being all around awesome with the kids.
Till next year, keep reading kids and Rockchalk!
19
Apr
News: I’m Going to Library School!
Hi.
I’m here.
I know it’s been very quiet over here at Sturdy for Common Things lately, but I’m dusting off the week’s worth of cobwebs. I can’t remember the last time I went a whole week between posting blog posts… Sheesh! Those of you that blog out there, do you feel an extreme sense of guilt when your blogging falls to the wayside? I do, that’s for sure. I feel guilty and a bit sad. It’s such an important part of my life. You all are such an important part of my life. So, I’m getting back into the swing of things as my family has had lots of new news circulating lately, all of which will be revealed soon. For now a major chunk of that news is that…. I’m going to library school!
That’s right. I’m off to grad school to work towards a Graduate Degree in Library and Information Science. I’m in the process of deciding a program, which depends on when I would start my first semester, but I’ll hopefully have a decision made by the end of this week. The decision lies between the iSchool at University of Washington and the GSLIS program at the University of Illinois. Don’t worry, we aren’t leaving Lawrence. I plan to work on my degree remotely. For you librarian-types out there, if you have any advice or experience with either program, I would greatly appreciate any council you’re willing to offer.
I have more exciting news to share here, but not quite yet. So much change and it’s happening fast. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Stay tuned!
image source: card catalog
9
Apr
Spring Birds Storytime
Finally! Warmer weather. The trees are starting to bloom white and pink flowers, and the birds are back twittering away early each morning. This week’s storytime theme was all about the spring season and the birds. Originally, I wanted to make bird feeders after storytime, but a majority of simple bird feeder crafts require peanut butter and I don’t like to risk bringing in peanut butter due to food allergies. I also don’t have 40 milk cartons lying around, so that idea was nixed. Instead, I printed out instructions for how to make birdhouses and bird feeders for attendees to take with them after storytime, and the alternate craft turned out nicely if I do say so myself.
But I’m getting ahead of myself… Here’s what we read, discussed, and sang at “Spring Birds Storytime”.
Spring Birds Storytime Line-up:
When Blue Met Egg by Lindsay Ward
I love this book. I read it last year for storytime and it was so well received that I decided to read it again. Blue the bird was awakened by a mysterious egg (a snowball!) landing in her nest. She decides to look for the egg’s mother throughout New York City, and when she can’t find a mother (because it’s a snowball), she keeps egg and they become fast friends. A fun story with the sweetest springtime ending. Additionally, you can download a free paper doll template of Blue and worksheets from the author’s website here.
Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck by Lisa Westberg Peters, illustrated by Sam Williams
This is a wonderful book for preschool age children. It has wonderful rhythm and great pictures to boot. Duck flew back a little too early to find her world was still winter. She dreams of spring to help stave off the cold.
Riki’s Birdhouse by Monica Wellington
I think there are only a couple of Monica Wellington’s book that I haven’t read for storytime yet. She does a great job taking a picture book and turning it into a teachable moment. Riki is fond the the birds in his yard, especially two new bluebirds. Riki builds the bluebirds a birdhouse, and so we follow Riki throughout the year and the ever changing seasons and life for the two bluebirds.
There is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems
Always the crowd pleaser, Elephant and Piggie never fail to make kids laugh. In this Sibert Award Winner, Gerald finds himself in an undesirable situation where two birds start making a nest on his head.
Bird Songs by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
This turned out to be a fantastic read aloud. Bird Songs highlights a variety of different birds and their calls throughout one day. Each time a bird sang it’s call, I had the audience repeat the call back to me.
“Green Grass Grows All Around” Song and Flannel Board
I ended storytime with one of my favorite childhood songs, which was adapted by my co-worker into a springtime song and flannel board.
Green Grass Grows All Around
Traditional Song, Adapted by Jane Willis Johnston
There was a hole in the middle of the ground
The prettiest hole that you ever did see.
Well, the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around and around
And the green grass grew all around.
Additional Verses:
And in this hole there was a root
And on this root there was tree
And on this tree there was a branch
And on this branch there was twig
And on this twig there was a nest
And in this nest there was an egg
And on this egg there was a bird.
And from that bird there came a song.
Then all the world was filled with spring.
Ending:
Then all the world was filled with spring,
The prettiest spring you ever did see.
Well, the world full of spring,
And the song from the bird,
And the bird on the egg,
And the egg in the nest
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the tree,
And the tree on the roots,
And the roots in the hole
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around.
Spring Birds Craft:
For the post-storytime craft, we made these little Spring Birds (which I adapted from this craft featured on CAKIES). The prep was minimal and the kids had a fun time putting them together. It was challenging for the very little ones (3 & under), but the grownups were more than happy to assist.
Here’s how we made them:
Materials: twigs or sticks found outside and cut into 3-4 inch long peices, pipe cleaners, decorative birds found in the floral department of most craft stores, glitter, school glue, paint brush, and scissors.
First, take a few pipe cleaners and braid them.
Or…
Twist them together. The older children braided and the younger children twisted.
Once the pipe cleaners are twisted, shape into a arch.
And wrap the ends around each end of the stick once.
The decorative birds I purchased, like most decorative birds used in floral arrangements, have long wires attached.
Before storytime, I snipped the wire so that it wasn’t so long, and therefore easier for the kids to wrap around the stick. It’s not a necessary step for the success of the craft, so feel free to skip if you’d like.
With your selected bird, wrap the wire around the branch as many times as it will go around. This will secure the bird to the branch.
For some added flare, we glitter-ified our birds. Using school glue and a paint brush, paint the desired areas you’d like to add some sparkle.
Sprinkle glitter over glue and let dry. Shake of remaining glitter.
And that’s it! The glitter is a nice touch. Kinda like morning dew or just after an April shower, right?
For the full effect, I hung my Spring Bird examples in the vines of my house plant named Camilla.
Tweet, Tweet!
29
Mar
Windy Day Storytime
Kansas can see some wicked winds, especially in the springtime. (Insert Wizard of Oz joke.) Due to our naturally windy climate and the fact that I was itching to test out a new book on the storytime kids called Windblown (you can read my review here), the storytime theme for this week was “Windy Day”.
Here’s the line-up of what we read/sang…
Windy Day Storytime Line-Up:
The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins
The Wind Blew is a classic and regularly used book for storytime in our library. The wind picks up various objects one by one from around a town and creates quite the parade of townspeople scrambling for their items.
One Monday by Amy Huntington
The kids really enjoyed this book. The illustrations also reminds me a great deal of Kansas. Annabelle lives on a farm, and one Monday she wakes up to a very windy day. The story goes through each day of the week on Annabelle’s farm where each day seems to become more windy than the day before.
Kite Day: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand
Its hard to have a windy day storytime without a book about a kite. Bear goes out one day to find it’s the perfect kite day. He and his friend mole build a kite, but also get into a bit of a predicament as a storm rolls in.
Dandelion Seeds Fingerplay (modified from the Perry Public Library)
Like a Windy Day by Frank Asch & Devin Asch
A sweet and colorful book, Like a Windy Day follows a girl as she experiences all the daily activity and the multiple personalities of the wind.
Windblown by Edouard Manceau
The featured title of storytime and the inspiration for the post-storytime activity, Windblown is about seven scraps of paper that appear and take shape of various animals with the wind as the narrator.
Windblown Craft:
Like I mentioned above, Windblown is a story about seven scraps of paper told from the wind’s perspective. We don’t know where the scraps of paper came from, but they’re quickly claimed by various animals that take shape using them. Here are a few characters that come to be from the same seven paper scraps…
After multiple animals claim the scraps of paper as their own, the wind blows them into disarray and asks the reader to make their own creations. In the back jacketflap of the books is a URL for a free template of the shapes featured in the book, so the reader can actually cut out and manipulate the shapes into animal figures. I was so inspired by the creativity in this book and it’s activity, I thought it would be a great opportunity for the storytimers to exercise their collage art skills inspired by the figures in Windblown.
Materials used: cardstock, scissors, glue, black markers, and googly eyes (optional)
First, I printed out a Windblown Activity Sheet from the OwlKids website.
Instead of printing out multiple copies of the activity sheet and cutting out the shapes on printer paper (which would have taken forever!), I traced the shapes on colored cardstock paper in a semi-neat row, folded that row over one or two times, and cut the shapes out.
I had a variety of shapes and colors in no time! After cutting, I paired together the seven pieces of paper featured in the book and papercliped them together. That way, each child received a group of the same seven shapes (two small circles, two medium circles, a tulip shape, a pie quarter shape, and a half moon shape) which were the same colors as the shapes in the book and I also used different colors.
Along with their group of shapes, each child received a pieces of white 8.5 x 5.5 (half sheet of) cardstock.
The kids used glue for their shapes, and markers to add any extra detail to their animals. Just like in Windblown!
I made a jellyfish.
L made a “Winnie the Pooh Bear”.
Here’s a Vine of a few animal the storytime kids came up with:
The kids had a blast coming up with their own animals. Two thumbs up for this book and activity duo!
Looking for another windy day activity?
Check out this easy Wind Chime Craft we made last year!
Happy Spring!
image source: windy day wheat
19
Mar
News: The Big Kind
Well, I don’t know how to start this…. So out with it.
This year I am one of the selected members for Library Journal’s 2013 Movers & Shakers (toss glitter confetti). LJ’s Movers & Shakers are a chosen group of outstanding professionals committed to providing excellent service to meet the needs of the people they serve. It’s an honor to be among such incredibly talented library-types changing the library world as we know it.
You can read the online edition of the article HERE and check out my personal mention HERE.
A special thanks to all my coworkers at the Lawrence Public Library. Brad Allen, our innovative library director and rock star boss man, and Susan Brown, networking and marketing goddess; thank you for both always welcoming and encouraging new ideas. For your big picture visions and big library hearts. To the wonderful, incredible women I have the privilege to work with in the Youth Services department, most of which have been working in library’s since I was in elementary school. It is their passion for childhood literacy and libraries that fuels my own passion day-in and day-out. I am proud to have you as my mentors and friends.
To my former co-worker, Rachel Smalter Hall. You are the bomb diggity. I love what you do and find you a exemplary role model librarian. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to spread my wings.
To Erinn Batykefer and the Library as Incubator Project team, I love working with you and being a part of your library-loving-art-tastic mission.
To my readers here on Sturdy for Common Things and my fellow library and book bloggers. You are a constant source of inspiration for what I do and am so grateful to have you as readers and as friends (cyber hug).
And last, but certainly not least, my friends and family. To L, the light of my life, and to Will, my rock, my loving husband who puts up with glitter and stacks of books all over the house and who tends to get suckered into helping me prep storytime crafts, but has never, not once, complained. Quite the opposite. You have given me courage and confidence every step of the way.
To me, all these people are movers and shakers and also recipients of this acknowledgement.
image source: Pinterest
