Saturday, December 31, 2011

This week at the library; or, No post-holiday let-down here!

We were closed on Monday, and I utilized the time figuring out how to fit all my bookshelves into my new (smaller) apartment. Hmmm. Sometimes it just doesn't work. Fortunately, my upstairs neighbor, Sara The Librarian, needs bookshelves...

Tuesday - held off the post-holiday letdown (not that I actually celebrated the holiday, but whatever) by spending $2,000 on books. Yay! Sent my January order early, b/c I will need lots of new books for a program, and ordered lots of new nonfiction from Bearport! Also had a staff meeting and we decided, sadly, that middle schoolers not actually "using" the library will be asked to leave. No more hanging out at the library. Sigh.

Wednesday - suddenly realized exactly how I will run my new program, the Elephant and Piggie Club. Trying to plan programs in between end of year magazine weeding, new books, etc. etc.

Thursday - Finished cleaning my old apartment, still trying to get internet for my new apartment (insert shrieks of massive annoyance and much moaning and rage), got visited by a preview company (even when I reluctantly buy stuff, I really, really dislike these companies in general. A couple of the salesguys are ok, but in general - one of the things I hate about my job is dealing with this. Would like a large sign "I DO NOT BUY FROM PREVIEW COMPANIES" to hang over my desk)

Short week! I celebrated New Year's by continuing to unpack, going to Ikea, and starting work on cleaning up my blog and LibraryThing catalog, both much neglected since my loss of internet in November. I am cautiously optimistic about the internet I have gotten from US Cellular...beware company, if you fail me a children's librarian's curse will fall upon your head!


Friday, December 30, 2011

Kids Can Press Graphic Novel Sequels and New Series

 Today, we're going to see out the old year with both new additions to some favorite series and some brand new starts. Kids Can Press's venture into graphic novels has been extremely successful. Their well-written stories, great art, and superb bindings make their small but select offerings definite requirements for any librarian's order list. Let's see how their newest offerings stack up...

In Binky's first two adventures, he successfully built (sort of) a space rocket and then ventured into outer space itself to protect his best friend from space aliens. Now, in Binky Under Pressure, Ashley Spires delivers another uniquely delightful story of a cat unlike any other. Binky's life has become routine, his daily round monotonous. Then Gracie appears. At first Binky is suspicious and very, very unhappy about having another cat in the house. Until Gracie's secret identity is revealed! Now Binky will have to prove his worth as a space cat all over again, or be kicked out of F.U.R.S.T. Does he have what it takes? Will he and Gracie ever be friends?

Verdict: This series remains fresh and funny, with new twists and characters keeping the story alive throughout this third installment. If you already have the first two Binky books, you'll need to add this one. If you missed out, add all three!

ISBN: 9781554535040; Published September 2011 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab; Purchased for the library

The Sign of the Black Rock is the next installment in Scott Chantler's exciting Three Thieves series. The first book introduced us Dessa, a young down on her luck acrobat and her two friends, the massive Fisk and thievish but not too clever Fisk. They unsuccessfully tried to burgle the queen's tower and are now on the run, with mysterious and soldiers following them all the way.

I was disappointed in this book because none of the plot lines left dangling in the first episode were cleaned up, just made more mysterious. We're introduced to a whole new cast of characters, smugglers, an unpleasant innkeeper, his abused wife, and we see some of the earlier characters return, but we're no closer to finding out Dessa's secrets than she is.

The story is fast-paced and interesting and I like the colorful art, but this book's intended audience are likely to lose interest if the story doesn't give up some secrets soon.

Verdict: Great art, and possibly interesting plot, but insanely annoying cliffhangers. An adult might hang on for more sequels (well, maybe not this adult) but most tweens will lose interest in the series quickly. I recommend waiting until the whole series - or a more substantial number of titles - are available before buying or reading.


ISBN: 9781554534166; Published September 2011 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab; Purchased for the library

Now Bill Slavin's Big City Otto, first in the Elephants Never Forget graphic novel series, is a good example of leaving enough of the story for future volumes without confusing or exasperating readers.

Otto is miserable. He just can't forget his childhood friend, Georgie the monkey, although he's been missing for a long time. Crackers the parrot suggests that they try to find Georgie, and the two of them set off for America. But finding a small monkey in the big city isn't as simple as they had thought and soon they've been separated and Otto has gotten mixed up in a notorious gang of gators. Will Otto forget his old friends, or will he prove he's an elephant and remember they need him?

The quirky illustrations have a strong comic strip flavor and the plot dances through gators bedecked with bling, sneezing elephants, gypsies, zoos, escaped animals, and the mysterious villain, the man with the wooden nose. Although Otto doesn't find his friend Georgie, he and crackers break up a criminal gang and learn that there's a lot of world out there. They end the story with a new clue and the determination to keep searching for their friend, no matter what.

Verdict: This is an interesting new series; hand it to kids who like mysteries with some funny elements in it. The talking animals may be a problem for most mystery loving kids, who in my experience like their mysteries very realistic and conventional, but this would make a fun read-aloud for a younger child as well.

ISBN: 9781554534760; Published September 2011 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab


Luz sees the light by Claudia Davila is the first in a new series, The Future According to Luz. Luz begins the story as a typical suburban kid, saving up for the shoes she's sure will make her popular, playing videogames and begging her mom for rides to the mall.

But rising gas prices, blackouts, and new friends change Luz's life. Now her family is working on buying local food and goods - which means the European shoes she longs for are out of the question. There's no more driving to the mall; she'll have to take a bus. Luz is miserable until she has a vision of what could be...and she decides to try her own project, reclaiming a vacant lot as a community gardens with local art, a park, farmer's market, and communal organic gardens. Her new friend Robert gives her shoes he designed himself and their freaky weird survivalist neighbor turns out to know quite a bit about how to make the world a better place for everyone.

The book is drawn in black, white, and brown shades. The simple art shows the rapidly changing emotions of Luz and her friends and how the vacant lot grows into a wonderful gathering place for the community.

I didn't buy Luz's sudden transformation from oblivious consumer to activist and quite a bit of the dialogue comes off as preachy infodumps. I think it would have worked better to have the information put into side panels instead of having the characters deliver lengthy explanations of what they're doing to survive the energy crisis and create a healthier, sustainable world.

Verdict: Good art and it's great to see a cast of multicultural characters, but too much lesson and not enough plot make this a rather blah read without much kid appeal. School librarians may be interested in purchasing this if their school does projects on sustainable living and it might be a good purchase for your library is there's interest on this topic in the community, as this is a good introduction for kids.

ISBN: 9781554535811; Published August 2011 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

After ten years in increasingly miserable orphanages, Kate, Michael, and Emma are given one last chance at a mysterious school in Cambridge Falls.

Kate is the only one who remembers their parents and she is determined never to forget their promise to return, and never to forget her promise to care for her younger siblings. Michael is obsessed with dwarves, a book of dwarf history his only link with his parents. Emma has no memories of her parents and learned that she must fight for everything - and she does.

Strange magic, startling discoveries, trips back into time, betrayals, magical creatures, etc. etc. and so on ensue.

I read this book with mild enjoyment, but I can't see much difference from the "children without parents go on a quest" themed fantasy that seems to get churned out every month. Every book is going to be the new Big Fantasy, every one is touted to the skies, and they all seem to fall short.

This was a good read, with plenty of adventure and mystery, and although the characters were somewhat stereotypical (Kate is the Responsible Oldest Sibling With Guilt, Michael is the Quiet Middle Boy Who Knows Things and Emma is the Tough Youngest Girl Who Wants To Be Treated With Respect) Stephens flips this in a few cases as their desperate desire to have their parents back leads them to actions that betray each other. The dwarves were a humorous addition, although adding them doubled the weight of the plot, and I'm still deciding about the Noble But Aloof Natives.

Thick middle grade fantasies, the thicker the better, seem to be the order of the day. However, in my circulation statistics and in what I have observed, the market for these is rapidly declining. A small number of tweens read voraciously and can't get enough of these doorstopper books. But an even larger percentage are discouraged by such thick tomes. For example, the circulation of my juvenile series section (all thin chapter books and taking up two ranges of shelves) is about 3,000 a year. The circulation of my juvenile graphic novels (less than one range of shelves) is about 3,000 a year. The circulation of our juvenile fiction (mixture of thick and thin chapters, heavy on the thick, and cover about 4 ranges of shelving) is about 3,000 a year.

Get my point? I would like to see fewer series, and more slim volumes, like Gordon Korman's excellent quartets and trilogies of adventure stories that are broken in manageable bites. With shrinking budgets and shelf space and waning interest in reading, I'm looking for fantasies that stand out - and this one just doesn't.

Verdict: I did actually buy this one, since it hit the bestseller list and was lauded on many blogs and in reviews. I wish I'd had the time to read it first, as I now rather regret that and would recommend only buying it if you have a large population of thick fantasy readers or a generous budget.

ISBN: 978-0-375-86870-2; Published April 2011 by Alfred Knopf; Reviewed from ARC picked up at ALA Midwinter 2011; Purchased for the library

Monday, December 26, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: Biomimicry by Dora Lee, illustrated by Margot Thompson

As the cover shows, this book is all about inventions modeled on nature; biomimicry, the imitation of life.

The book begins with a discussion of how humans are destroying the planet, but learning from nature a more sustainable way of life could help save it. We see inventions from the past that are based on principles found in nature; camouflage, Velcro, and even the motor.

The bulk of the book is divided into sections examined different sciences where inventions are being modeled on natural organisms - or could be. "Shaped for survival" - how about a house air-conditioned like a termite mound? "Smart Structures" - or did you know Olympic swimmers wear swimsuits inspired by sharkskin? "Magic materials" - will scientists one day be able to recreate the amazing substance of nacre, produced by shells?

These and many move inventions, past, present, future, and theoretical are presented as well as problem-solving - like observing a kingfisher to improve bullet trains or copying natural spirals to make energy-efficient, quiet fan blades.

This is a fascinating topic and I like the overall design of the book, each spread having an introduction to the particular scientific area and then a 3 or 4 paragraphs on different inventions or possible solutions. I did think the book emphasized the "we're destroying the earth" theme a little too much; it wasn't really necessary and could have been briefly mentioned in the introduction.

However, the one thing that takes this book down from "amazing" to "ok" is the illustrations. I really wanted to see side-by-side comparisons of the some of the different organisms and man-made materials and structures, but the pictures almost exclusively show the natural part of the equation. The cover was the best of the illustrations and I was disappointed that the interior pictures didn't match it. The art is textured and grainy, acrylics on canvas, and doesn't give the detail and depth I needed to better understand what was being explained. The illustrations aren't "bad" just not, in my opinion, suited to the book.

Verdict: This is a cool topic and one kids will be interested in, but the unappealing illustrations and lack of detail will make it hard to hold kids' attention. This is a nonfiction title that would have benefited from photographs. An additional purchase.

ISBN: 978-1554534678; Published August 2011 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by the publisher through Raab Associates

Saturday, December 24, 2011

This week at the library; or, Happy Holidays at the library!

Basically spent Monday through Thursday finishing weeding projects, shifting books, working on marketing and publicity, and packing up and cleaning my apartment.

Most exciting things that happened (or perhaps interesting would be a better word)

  • Trying to explain to a patron that Facebook really isn't the ideal medium to look up deceased relatives and friends.
  • Moving all our I Spy, Look and Find, and similar books into one section. Yay!
  • Whilst weeding the picture books found a book talking about a kid "diddling" his cereal. Ah, the evolution of words.
  • Also found a book featured Noah's Ark, only set in the 1960s and Noah takes all the animals into a big boat because no one will listen to him and stop pollution. When everyone finally cleans up the earth, he releases all the animals and they don't need zoos anymore, because when the big cats were fighting he told them to stop because they were behaving like people and now everybody loves each other! Oh, and they don't need clothes anymore - by the end of the book all the kids are naked.
  • Realizing that I was supposed to be sending press releases to the local paper all last year - I thought someone else was doing it. Doesn't seem to have harmed our numbers, since we hit 8,800 in program attendance for the year!
  • Warned middle schoolers about our new policy - if you get kicked out, your name gets written on THE NOTEPAD OF DOOM and your parents get called. Two boys told me "we're sixth graders. we don't do doom"
  • This policy lasted two days, then we had ANOTHER meeting, realized it was completely useless (how do we get kids' names?) and it looks like we're just going to be turning away any large groups of kids that want to hang out at the library. There's an after school place staffed by church volunteers they can go a few days a week, otherwise they're just going to have to go...where? who knows? Somewhere else. I hate this, but there seems to be no other solution. I can't fix these kids' lives, I can't make their parents care enough to make after school care arrangements for them, so the best I can do is tell them they're welcome to study, read, and use the computers at the library, but otherwise they're not welcome. We don't have enough staff to offer free after school babysitting services.
Finally, on a lighter note, a few pictures of our new parenting and I spy collections and the reorganized shelves.
Concept books and new I Spy collection, with new titles displayed above, along with drying artwork and the Art Box

Close-up of the new I Spy/Where's Waldo/Look and Find collection

Board books - now putting new stickers on new board books and displaying them

Added more shelves so the board books extend all the way around (with  flu season decor above) don't look too closely - I just dumped all the extra board books on the shelf!

New Parenting Collection, with new titles displayed


[Friday - finally moved! This apartment is smaller, so....not much space to maneuver around books and stuff. Didn't hail, but that's about all that didn't happen. Note to self - 14 ft truck was not big enough, 3 guys I hired worked hard, but needed waaaay more than 3 hours, and I need more sleep.]

Friday, December 23, 2011

Tale of two castles by Gail Carson Levine

There's no future for Elodie on her small, isolated island and her parents have made the painful decision to send her to the mainland as apprentice to a weaver. But Elodie has her own plans. She's going to be a mansioner, an actor. She's going to apprentice herself to the  mansioners in the town of Two Castles and become famous.

But things don't work out the way she plans. Her naivety, inexperience, and poverty get her into endless problems and the homely wisdom from her parents is no help. Life in the town isn't at all what she expected and she sadly realizes that not only can she not apprentice to be a mansioner, she can't afford to apprentice to anyone.

Except the dragon. Elodie is frightened but intrigued by the eccentric dragon Meenore, who also dreams of something more interesting than her jobs as a street cook and fire starter. And then there's the ogre, Count Jonty Um, feared by all the townspeople.

Elodie will have to decide what she really wants out of life and who she can truly trust if she is going to make Two Castles her home and survive the intrigues and dangers in the city.

Elodie is a lively and interesting character and Two Castles is a well-drawn fairy tale town. But I didn't care for this story; probably because I read it immediately after reading a more conventional fantasy-adventure. It reads very much like a traditional folk or fairy tale, but it was hard for me to maintain interest in the odd characters throughout an entire novel. The royal family were especially unbelievable, as though they had stepped straight out of a fairy tale. It's been a while since I read Levine's other works, so I had forgotten what her style was like.

Verdict: While I didn't personally care for this story, kids who like characters they can relate to, like drama-loving Elodie who is constantly embarrassing herself, with a topping of fairy tale fantasy will love this. Levine's writing is funny and dramatic by turns, just like Elodie, and kids will like the unexpected turns of the plot and the odd characters. Try this one on kids who don't like conventional fantasy-adventures or are already fans of Levine.


ISBN: 9780061229657; Published May 2011 by HarperCollins; Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen

King Hugo may be a diminutive monarch, but his ego is monstrous. He insists on giving lengthy and boring speeches about his grandeur to his annoyed subjects and constantly boasts. But he makes a mistake when he pushes a poor farm girl into the mud...because she's really a sorceress and she demonstrates to everyone just how much power has gone to Hugo's head.

There's not much plot or characterization in this cheerful rhyming story, but children will enjoy listening to the Seussish couplets and Chris Van Dusen's rich colors always make for delightful illustrations. If you're looking for a moralistic tale on the follies of pride, this isn't it, but as a fun diversion it's, well, fun.

Verdict: Not an essential purchase, but a fun addition to your picture book section, especially if you have fans of Van Dusen's other nonsense stories.

ISBN: 9780763650049; Published July 2011 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher through LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Monday, December 19, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: I dreamed of flying like a bird by Robert Haas


I wanted to like this book. It's gotten some really good reviews and I usually enjoy Nat'l Geographic's animal books for kids and middle grade readers. But it left me unsatisfied. Is it a book about photography? About animals? About preservation? About science? A little of each, but not enough of any, was my feeling. Like a coffee table book only for kids.

I admit some of this ambivalence comes from my preference for close up, detailed photography, like Nic Bishop's work or the photography in the Scientists in the Field series (a lot of which is his work anyways). The big picture just doesn't really grab me.

If you're one of the few people who haven't seen this book yet, it switches back and forth between Haas' career as an aerial photographer, with photography terms, tricks and dangers of the trade and a little about his background and the context and background of some of his most famous photos.

Hmm. I think what bothered me about this was I had a hard time connecting the text to the photographs. After I'd read the book a couple times it was easier to connect the text to the progression of the photographs, but I think it would have made a big difference if the book had been laid out differently, or maybe the photos had captions. Some can easily be connected to the story - like the buffaloes and lions, while others like the whales are confusing, since some photos seem to be random whale shots and others are specifically described in the text.

Verdict: This book wasn't for me, but quite a few people have fallen in love with it. If you feel a need for a photo heavy, general animal book in your nonfiction section, go for it. I'll stick with Scientists in the Field and Nat'l Geographic's Face to Face series.

ISBN: 9781426306938; Published September 2010 by National Geographic; Borrowed from the library

Saturday, December 17, 2011

This week at the library; or, last programs!

Monday morning was pretty quiet, other than the five people calling for items left at the library over the weekend, so I was able to go over my order lists, draft a grant, start laying out programming for next year, update the online publicity, and run through some final Cybils titles for order lists. We had a staff meeting in the afternoon, review of the weeding cart, new staff, and some tidying of the Storyroom. I stayed late to finish all my Cybils reviews and statistics. Yay! Total time at work: 8:30am to 6:00pm

Tuesday I left about 8:15 and went to the hardware store to pick up masking tape, which I needed for our big program. I set up the room, met the performers, ushered in classes from the daycare, talked to moms, and by 10am we were set for Kohls Wild Theater - we had about 150 people, included 100 kids from a local preschool/daycare. It was a blast - if you're in the vicinity of this program, go for it! Great program, great performers, and the kids and parents loved it. Then I reset the room (sort of) and started frantically restocking my decimated displays, a couple hours on the desk, took some stuff over to the school, ran home for something to eat, set up the Storyroom for my last program, cleaned up glitter left from previous programs, back to displays, final program - our last Make it and Take it *sniff* we made glitter pinecones, glitter snowmen, and pompoms.

Wednesday I showed up...rather late for work. Got caught up writing reviews at home. We had another cookie decorating program, run by Miss Pattie, and another informal "what are we going to do about those kids!" meeting. Argh! Middle schoolers, you are not doing a good job of convincing anyone you should be allowed in the library! Displays, publicity, program planning, and more chortling over the Lift the Flap Human Body book.

Thursday - marketing and publicity for January/February and more and more and more and more and more book bundles. I can't keep up! Received a package from Better World Books and couldn't figure out who was sending me books, until I realized duh, Ms. Yingling!! Thank you!!

Friday - more publicity and a trip to Milwaukee to a Scholastic Warehouse sale.

Saturday - the publicity continues, as do the computer questions.


Friday, December 16, 2011

Fresh and Colorful: Two new picture books from Kids Can Press

 Sylvie Desrosiers and Remy Simard have created a visual delight in this new wordless picture book, Hocus Pocus. Mister Magic's dog, relaxing at home after a hard day's work, is disturbed by the hungry rabbit in the hat, who has plenty of schemes in mind to get that coveted carrot. Jokes and accidents abound until Mister Magic awakes and all ends happily - for the rabbit.

The panels, as you can see below, are full of movement, life, and marvelous color while being simple enough that a young child can carefully follow each joke and twist of the plot. Brilliant backgrounds in yellow, green, pink and blue set off the brightly colored characters and briskly moving plot. While this one isn't an ideal storytime read-aloud, it's perfect to snuggle up with that special child or hand to an older kid to enjoy on their own.

Verdict: Highly recommended. Just out of curiosity, does anyone have a graphic novel picture book section? No? Well, it is hard to define them, but this one will definitely get added to my list. All ages will enjoy this funny romp through magic and mishap.

ISBN: 9781554535774; Published August 2011 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by the publisher through Raab; Purchased for the library

 Funny, someone just asked me for a picture book that showed counting to 100 and I couldn't find a thing! Now I'll simply hand them this perfect counting book.

Masayuke Sebe's Let's Count to 100! is a perfect introduction to counting to 100 with plenty of visual jokes and secrets for children and adults to enjoy finding.

Each spread shows 100 little cartoon creatures with simple instructions. Starting with mice, grouped by colors, we are instructed to count to 100 beginning with the brown mice. Hmm, they're in groups of 10 by color. And there's someone long and stringy poking over from the other page they're trying to eat...

Oh no! It's cats! The mice have got them by the tails, but they don't seem to mind. Can you find all the ones with striped tails? The spreads continue through moles, sheep, birds, fish, elephants, kids, ants, cars and trucks, and finally ten each of everything we've previously counted. A final page shows some of the special things you can find on each page.

Verdict: Perfect for small groups, individual children, and parent-child interactions. The pictures are large enough to find some of the fun things with a group, but small enough to cram lots of funny speech balloons and little surprises into the different pictures. A necessity for your concept book collection!


ISBN: 1554536618; Published August 2011 by Kids Can Press; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab; Purchased for the library

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Escape from Planet Yastol by Pamela Service, illustrated by Mike Gorman

Pamela Service is back with a new beginning chapters science fiction series! Josh isn't heroic or even particularly brave. He thinks his little sister Maggie's obsession with acting and Shakespeare is dumb and although he's mad when she stands up for him, he has to admit he's not really any good at fighting back against bullies. He's perfectly content with winning a writing contest with his science fiction story and daydreaming about the stories he's going to write...if he could just get over his writer's block!

Then the strange blue rubbery aliens show up...and tell Josh his stories are REAL. Suddenly, he and Maggie are trapped on an alien planet with danger on every side. Will Josh remember enough details from his story - and find the courage - to save the day? Will Maggie's acting come in useful after all? Will they be stranded on Planet Yastol forever?

This first installment in a planned series doesn't have quite the delightful touch of the Alien Agent series, which remains a personal favorite of mine. Josh is a much more unsympathetic character, although realistically drawn with his obsessions and dismissal of his sister. The story jumps almost immediately into action and there's really very few "funny bits" which I like to have a generous sprinkling of in all my stories! However, there's plenty of action, interesting characters, and a higher gross quotient which will appeal to those who like a mild ick factor.

Verdict: Although not as pure genius as Alien Agent, this is a good, workable start for a new series. Science fiction, especially for young readers, is almost impossible to find and would-be writers will love this, as will young scifi fans and anyone who likes a good adventure with some goop and creepy creatures.

ISBN: 9780761379188; Published September 2011 by Lerner; Egalley provided by publisher through Netgalley; Purchased for the library

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

2011 Cybils Nonfiction Picture Books: Statistics


Yay! I have read and reviewed all 87 Cybils Nonfiction Picture Books nominations. I have some interesting numbers if anyone would care to share my obsession with statistical data...I don't guarantee all these numbers are correct - tell me if you see a mistake!

Also, a reminder that all of my reviews etc. reflect my opinion and not that of the judging committee, etc.

Animals (including bugs, fish, and birds) (21)
  • A butterfly is patient
  • A place for fish
  • About hummingbirds
  • After the kill
  • Animal fights
  • Animalogy
  • Bring on the birds
  • Bugs by the numbers
  • Can we save the tiger
  • Eco dogs
  • Gorillas
  • Hatch!
  • Howler monkey
  • Olivia's birds
  • Saving animals from oil spills
  • Star of the sea
  • Guardian team
  • Incredible life of Balto
  • Thunder birds
  • Time to eat
  • Zeal of zebras
These books featured the following animals:
  • 2 insects
  • 1 fish
  • 5 birds
  • 1 mollusk
  • 4 mammal (gorillas, dogs, monkeys)
  • 8 covered a variety of animals

  • 15 wild animals
  • 3 domesticated animal
Biographies (24)
  • A nation's hope: the story of boxing legend Joe Louis
  • Before there was Mozart (Joseph Boulogne)
  • Ben Franklin
  • Diego Rivera
  • Eliza's cherry trees (Eliza Scidmore)
  • For the love of music (Maria Anna Mozart)
  • Henrietta King
  • In the bag (Margaret Knight)
  • Irena Sendler
  • J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Jim Henson
  • Just being Audrey (Audrey Hepburn)
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Night Flight (Amelia Earhart)
  • Nurse soldier spy (Sarah Edmonds)
  • Pablo Neruda
  • Queen of the falls (Annie Taylor)
  • Sarah Emma Edmonds was a great pretender
  • She loved baseball (Effa Manley)
  • House Baba built (Ed Young)
  • Quite contrary man (Joseph Palmer)
  • Watcher (Jane Goodall)
  • Tillie the terrible Swede (Tillie Anderson)
  • When Bob met Woody (Bob Dylan)
This breaks down to:
  • 10 male
  • 13 female

  • 10 well-known
  • 13 obscure
Occupations
  • 3 musicians
  • 4 sports
  • 1 artist
  • 4 politician/activist
  • 2 business
  • 3 author
  • 2 actor/entertainer
  • 2 other
  • 1 being annoying
  • 1 scientist
Time period
  • Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
  • Joseph Boulogne (1745-1799)
  • Maria Anna Mozart (1751-1829)
  • Joseph Palmer (1791-1894)
  • Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)
  • Henrietta King (1832-1925)
  • Margaret Knight (1838-1914)
  • Annie Taylor (1838-1921)
  • Sarah Edmonds (1841-1898)
  • Eliza Scidmore (1856-1928)
  • Tillie Anderson (1875-1956)
  • Diego Rivera (1886-1957)
  • J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973)
  • Amelia Earhart (1897-1937)
  • Effa Manley (1900-1981)
  • Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
  • Irena Sendler (1910-2008)
  • Joe Louis (1914-1981)
  • Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)
  • Ed Young (1931-still alive)
  • Jane Goodall (1934-still alive)
  • Jim Henson (1936-1990)
  • Bob Dylan (1941-still alive)
Location
  • 16 North America
  • 1 South America
  • 5 Europe
  • 1 Asia
Gardening and Food (5)
  • Edible alphabet
  • First garden: White house garden
  • How did that get in my lunchbox
  • Rah rah radishes
  • Watch me grow
Geography (7)
  • A walk in London
  • Arlington
  • Celebritrees
  • Cursed grounds
  • Only the mountains do not move
  • Orani
  • T is for Taj Mahal
Destinations in these books by continent
  • 2 Europe
  • North America
  • Africa
  • 2 World
  • 1 India
History (8)
  • Basketball Belles
  • Big Wig
  • Franklin and Winston
  • I feel better with a frog in my throat
  • Right where you are now
  • Unforgettable season
  • Underground
  • Wild women of the wild west
Events in history
  • 2 sports
  • 2 political
  • 1 misc.
  • 3 timeline (covers a series of events throughout history)
Time periods
  • Underground railroad 1860s
  • Wild West 1860s
  • 1890s
  • 2 WWII 1941
  • 3 timeline
Geography
  • 4 North America
  • 3 World
Science (Weather, Nature, Ecology) (12)
  • All the water in the world
  • Energy island
  • How hybrid cars work
  • How the weather works
  • Meadowlands
  • Monster hunt
  • Mystery math
  • Planting the wild garden
  • Prairie storms
  • Super science: Feel the force
  • Swirl by swirl
  • Case of the vanishing golden frogs
Featuring the following scientific...things
  • 3 water cycle/weather
  • 2 alternate energy
  • 1 ecology
  • 2 research
  • 1 math
  • 1 propagation
  • 1 physics
  • 1 patterns
Other Subjects (10)
  • Mali under the night sky (no idea. It's not really a biography, or about art, kind of about being a refugee, but not really, not really about activism...of the three libraries in my consortium which own it, 1 put it in picture books and 2 in the 700s for art. But...the featured art isn't by the artist it's about so...)
  • Manners mash up (etiquette)
  • Picture yourself writing poetry (writing)
  • Relativity (doesn't actual explain the concept, so doesn't really have a subject)
  • Ruby violet lime (colors - concept)
  • Spiky slimy smooth (texture - concept)
  • Great big book of families (family relationships)
  • Human body (uh, human body)
  • Mangrove tree (activism? there isn't enough about the scientist to make it a biography, not enough about the trees to make it science)
  • What does it mean to be safe (safety)
More Numbers
  • 72 books had illustrations (paint, collage, drawing, etc.)
  • 13 books had photographs
  • 1 combined photos and illustrations

  • 4 were alphabet books
  • 3 had movable parts/foldouts/pop ups
And which ones ended up in my library?

I purchased for the library:
  • Butterfly is patient
  • About Hummingbirds
  • All the water in the world
  • Edible alphabet
  • Can we save the tiger
  • Hatch!
  • Jim Henson
  • Monster hunt
  • Planting the wild garden
  • Rah rah radishes
  • Time to eat
  • Watch me grow
Currently on a wishlist/potential order list (obviously my eyes are bigger than my budget):
  • Walk in London
  • Arlington
  • Ben Franklin
  • Big wig
  • Bring on the birds
  • Cursed grounds
  • Eco dogs
  • Energy island
  • Howler monkeys
  • I feel better with a frog in my throat
  • In the bag
  • Just being Audrey
  • Mystery math
  • Nurse soldier spy
  • Ruby violet lime
  • Saving animals from oil spills
  • Spiky slimy smooth
  • Star of the sea
  • Swirl by swirl
  • Case of the vanishing golden frogs
  • Guardian team
  • House Baba built
  • Watcher
  • Thunder birds
  • Wild women of the wild west
And, Finally, Storytime Picks!
  • Butterfly is patient
  • About hummingbirds
  • All the water in the world
  • Edible alphabet
  • Planting the wild garden
  • Bring on the birds
  • Rah rah radishes
  • Swirl by swirl
  • Guardian team
  • Watcher

Monday, December 12, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Dastardly Dames

A companion set to the Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses, the Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames introduces us to six powerful women with a reputation for dark deeds. 



Each book introduces the subject’s story, with maps and historical information and photographs included. Sections on clothing, food, wealth and other historical segments are also interwoven within the character’s story. 


Cleopatra “Serpent of the Nile” is presented with the well-known facts of her life, but Mary Pack goes deeper to find the true queen behind the legends and presents Cleopatra as a powerful woman who struggled to keep her kingdom alive and independent of Rome. 



Agrippina, daughter of Roman general Germanicus, had a complicated life, but Shirin Yim Bridges does a good job of explaining the convoluted politics of Rome, including the rise and fall of Caligula and Nero, as they affected Agrippina. A final section, “How dastardly was she?” is included that debates which evil deeds Agrippina was really responsible for.

Mary Tudor, known as “Bloody Mary” is given a fresh viewpoint in this account which puts her brief and bloody reign into the context of her miserable childhood and the violent age of the Tudors. Additional information is included on the controversy between Catholics and Protestants and comparisons of Mary’s evil deeds with those of her contemporaries.

Catherine de’ Medici, the “Black Queen” of France, first experienced violence when a rebellion left her as a hostage with a precarious future at the age of eight. She had high hopes of a better life when she was married to Prince Francis at the age of 11, but she was considered an outsider and a commoner at the French court. Although Catherine eventually found acceptance, her popularity for the innovations she introduced and the heirs she bore for the throne was short-lived as rumors of poison and black magic destroyed her reputation. Catherine eventually took power and ruled for her young son, but the infamous massacre of Huguenots that she master-minded set off mob violence across the country which she could not control. She was finally overthrown by her son and ended her days the most hated woman in France.

Marie Antoinette, another foreign-born French queen, had an equally unhappy childhood and introduction to France, but unlike Catherine she was naïve and helpless, thinking that once she had produced an heir, despite her husband’s disinterest, she had done her duty. Her extravangance when France was starving led to her death during the Revolution and her reputation as a hard-hearted, impulsive, and spendthrift queen.

Cixi, “The Dragon Empress,” was happy to become a concubine at the Chinese court, escaping her miserable childhood. Bearing the emperor a son raised her to high status and when the emperor designated her son as heir and she herself as co-regent with Empress Ci’An before his death, she became the first woman to rule the empire in a thousand years. Rumors of poison and intrigues constantly circulated around Empress Cixi, whose cruelty and extravagance fed the unrest of the people. Peasant uprisings gave Western powers a reason to attack and Cixi was forced to flee. She died shortly after the destruction of the massive Summer Palace and Forbidden City. Was Cixi responsible for the deaths of the royal family? No one knows for sure.

Verdict: These stories of powerful women with reputations for bloody and cruel deeds are told with a wealth of historical detail, art, and many fascinating additions on clothing, food, and daily life. I would have liked to see sources or additional information for the sometimes colloquial stories included and I thought it was too bad they didn't pick more obscure characters, as in the Real Princesses, but this is a good introduction to a variety of strong women characters in history. Recommended.

Cleopatra "Serpent of the Nile" by Mary Fisk Pack, illustrated by Peter Malone
ISBN: 978-0983425601

Agrippina "Atrocious and Ferocious" by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by Peter Malone
ISBN: 978-0983425618

Mary Tudor "Bloody Mary" by Gretchen Maurer, illustrated by Peter Malone
ISBN: 978-0983425625

Catherine de'Medici "The Black Queen" by Janie Havemeyer, illustrated by Peter Malone
ISBN: 978-0983425632

Cixi "The Dragon Empress" by Natasha Yim, illustrated by Peter Malone
ISBN: 978-0983425656

Published September 2011 by Goosebottom; Review copies provided by the publisher through Raab Associates

Saturday, December 10, 2011

This week at the library; or, Everything happens at once

Yes, my blog is still under construction. When I enthusiastically started reworking and reorganizing it, I didn't expect to lose all internet access (or have to get a new car, or decide to move to a different town over Christmas, or...you get the idea). Anyways, I hopefully will have internet again as of January and then all sorts of beautiful things will happen! I hope.

Got our new magboxes up in the teen area on Monday, I'm really, really hoping the kids don't break them! Pictures at the end! The sheer craziness of this week can barely be expressed. I am basically trying to do about six different things at once, 24/7. I went to a community meeting about one of the parochial schools on Monday evening, which brought my total of evenings worked up to 3 this week, last Preschool Interactive of the year Wednesday morning and Christmas ornaments at Messy Art Club in the afternoon (note to self - check tubs for glitter leakage next time! Plastic tubs, not cardboard!), more paperwork for my new apartment Thursday morning, and cookie decorating on Saturday, which thankfully staff stepped up to the plate and helped out with making extra frosting and cookies! Planning and publicity for next year, which all has to be done NOW (people are already asking about January!) summer stuff that just has to be done - book sorting, because I'm going to a Scholastic Warehouse sale next week, and a massive weeding and shifting of the picture books. Also looking at a possible new vendor (Noooo! I love BWI Titletales and I do NOT like this new one. But my my director will let me stay with BWI, since I order children's separately! Yay! Love BWI!)

Oh, and cookie decorating went great, very popular, and I had enough of everything!

Hamster brain!! (this is when your brain keeps going around and around and around and SQUEAKS)


Friday, December 9, 2011

Fox in the Dark by Alison Green, illustrated by Deborah Allwright

I don't know why this sweet story feels so winterish to me; the illustrations show fallen leaves and a glowing dark night sky, but it just feels like winter. So, I'm posting this review in the winter.

A rabbit flees desperately through the woods, "chased by a fox in the dark." No sooner has he safely reached home and locked himself in...when a terrified duck, also escaping from the fox arrives. Then a mouse, then a lamb...the bed is getting crowded and Rabbit is getting annoyed, when there's one more knock at the door.

It's the FOX! The animals are ready to run again, but Fox begs for their help - he's lost his mom out in the dark! They've barely calmed down when Fox Cub's mother appears - and she's much bigger and scarier! But she turns out to be nice and just worried about her fox cub, so they all settle down together and discover that Mommy Fox makes a warm and fluffy bed.

The rhyming text has lots of words that pop out at the listener, bang, click, thunk, scritch, and a nice repeating refrain of knocking at the door. The rhyme swings along easily with the "fox in the dark" repeated frequently enough for kids to join in.

What I really, really loved were the pictures. They glow with color and light, despite the whole story taking place at night. Smaller inset illustration shine out of the dark night and the foxes' coats are brilliant, looking so soft and strokable! The layout of the story is superb, moving from full spread illustrations to smaller insets showing the crowding in Rabbit's burrow, then the sudden shock of the fox's face.

Verdict: A great choice for storytimes about foxes, rabbits, bedtime, being lost, and autumn (or winter). Highly recommended.

ISBN: 978-1-58925-091-8; Published September 2010 by Tiger Tales; Borrowed from the library

Monday, December 5, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: New series from Bearport!

I'm looking at five new series from Bearport this Nonfiction Monday. I order my nonfiction sets in January usually and always pick at least something from Bearport. They're one of my favorite nonfiction series publishers because they offer great bindings, affordable sets, and lots of high-interest subjects with nice layouts! Animals, sports, biggest/smallest/weirdest, careers, I have a little of everything today.

I'm going to start with one of Bearport's quirky series - So Big Compared to What? Freaky-Strange Buildings by Michael Sandler. Last year I purchased several titles of the World's Biggest series - roller coasters, trucks, airplanes, etc. This new series is a little like that, only this one features weird buildings!

In addition to high-interest topics like sports, animals, and machines, Bearport also provides interesting nonfiction series on out of the way topics, like this latest addition. This book highlights eight weird and amazing buildings across the world, from the Turning Torso in Sweden, a unique skyscraper that appears to be twisting in the air, to the Hotel Luna Salada in Bolivia, which is entirely constructed from salt. Additional information on strange and wacky buildings is included as well.

This will be a popular topic for kids who like the weird and the wonderful, even if they aren’t particularly interested in architecture. Hand it to your Guiness World Record fans and watch them pass it on to friends!



Next we have Super Bowl Superstars: Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers

This is a must for a Wisconsin library, of course. The book starts with Rodgers’ early life and football dreams, then his difficulty in winning over fans who were upset when he replaced Brett Favre. A play by play account of Super Bowl XLV follows, finishing with the Packers’ exciting win. Throughout the book there is additional information about the photographs, and facts about Rodgers’ life and game. Some of the captions are a bit ridiculous, like the one labeling a photo of Rodgers holding the trophy “Aaron holds the Super Bowl trophy.” Um…duh! But the book is written in brisk and attention-grabbing style, additional information about players, a glossary, index, and further reading is included. This is an affordable, well-bound series on a popular subject, definitely worth adding to your library.

Yummy Tummy Recipes: Artful snacks

This book focuses on healthy snacks and healthy eating. Throughout the simple recipes, Quick Peanut Butter Bars, Healthy Lemon Hummus, Apple Puzzle, and more, historical and statistical information on food and health tips are included. The recipes have symbols showing the tools needed, prep time, serving size, ingredients, and easy-to-follow steps. The book ends with more healthy tips, glossary, index, and bibliography.

This was a nice combination of recipes, but leans heavily on the simple snacks kids can make themselves with a few ingredients and there are plenty of “cookbooks” that focus on these things. The illustrations are oddly distorted photographs and not at all attractive. I wouldn’t recommend this particular series; if you need cookbooks pick up DK’s Cook It Together.

Big Dogs Rule: Great Dane, Gentle Giant

I recently purchased Bearport’s Cat-o-graphics series, which has been a huge hit at our library, and I’m definitely putting Big Dogs Rule on my series order list!

This sample focuses on Great Danes. The book’s central character is Gibson, the tallest dog in the world and a favorite therapy dog. The story begins with Gibson’s visit to a school where the kids were still shocked over a recent car crash which had killed several students. The book continues with the history of the Great Dane breed, illustrated with historical artifacts and paintings, then the breed’s evolution from working animal to pet. Facts about the breed’s disposition, appearance, and caring for their puppies follow. Is a Great Dane a good pet for you? Several pages discuss the needs of this special dog and how to decide if it will be a suitable dog for your circumstances. The story finishes with some more special Great Danes, from therapy dogs to sport mascots. Additional information on the breed, a glossary, bibliography, and additional sources are also included.

Work of Heroes: Paramedics to the rescue

This book on paramedics begins with a life or death story about a young girl hit by a car. A paramedic nearby, Ted Zeigler, was able to save her life and get her to the hospital on time. After this exciting introduction, the book explains what a paramedic is and their responsibilities, then talks about their history and how they began as firefighters with basic medical training. Current training methods are discussed, with plenty of photographs of simulation experiences and hospital observations. Some unusual paramadeic teams and their rescues are described; Flight for Life and Search and Rescue. A paramedic during 9/11, Lisa Desena, is highlighted as is a paramedic in a snake bite operation that same day, Al Cruz. The book describes the good and bad parts of being a paramedic in more general tersm and finishes with information on equipment, a glossary, and further resources.

Some of the photographs are a little overly staged, especially the cover, but this book has an excellent mixture of true-life stories and factual information.

Freaky Strange Buildings by Michael Sandler and Paul F. Johnston
Verdict: Recommended Series
ISBN: 978-1617723056; Published August 2011 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XLV by Michael Sandler
Verdict: Recommended Series
ISBN: 978-1617723094; Published August 2011 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased series for the library

Artful Snacks by Marilyn La Penta
Verdict: Not recommended. There are better cookbooks for kids out there and a plethora of simple snack books. Weird photography/illustrations.
ISBN: 978-1617723070; Published August 2011 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher

Great Dane: Gentle Giant by Stephen Person
Verdict: Recommended Series
ISBN: 978-1617722974; Published August 2011 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased series for the library

Paramedics to the rescue by Nancy White
Verdict: If you're planning on updating this section of your library, this is a good choice
ISBN: 978-1617722820; Published August 2011 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher

Saturday, December 3, 2011

This week at the library; or, the year speeds by

Everything is moving in ultra-fast motion now, as we finish up for the year.

Monday - staff meeting, still debating library changes, finalize program schedule for the winter/spring.

Tuesday - only a couple girls showed up for Make it and Take it. I am hoping the new afternoon program I will be debuting in January will be more successful, the Elephant and Piggie Kids' Club!

Wednesday - still lovely giant groups for Preschool Interactive! 32! Oddly, almost all girls. Of course, it being our last Lego Club of the year, we had almost 40 people, more than we've had all semester. Sigh.

Thursday - much confusion as I finalize my move - I'm moving to the next town over. I also visited the Lakeland School, which is the county's special education school. I've had a group of the younger kids visiting a couple times and they were really fun. This time I went to see the junior high kids. The school is fairly new and REALLY AMAZING. They should have tours! I took a variety of stuff, a mixture of picture books, samples of all our different formats, and some of the most popular books I've taken on my sixth grade visits. The kids were great, very attentive. The older books were mostly too long, although they liked hearing about them and their teacher said she reads aloud. I think next time I visit I'll bring more funny younger chapter books, nonfiction, and easy readers. The picture books were a hit! This is what I brought:

Sample of dvds (nonfiction), blu-ray, wii games, playaway, audiobook on cd, and magazine.
  • Alanna the first adventure by Tamora Pierce
  • Mal and Chad by Stephen McCranie
  • Boys are dogs by Leslie Margolis (cd book)
  • I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you by Ally Carter (playaway)
  • Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks
  • Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
  • Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to not reading by Tommy Greenwald
  • Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor
  • Villain.net and Hero.com by Andy Briggs
  • Candor by Pam Bachorz
  • Kiki Strike Kirsten Miller
  • Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner
  • Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton
  • This book made me do it: Cool things to make, do and explore
  • I'd really like to eat a child by Sylviane Donnio
  • Stuff that scares your pants off by Glenn Murphy
  • Oh no! by Mac Barnett
  • Footprints in the snow by Mei Matsuoka
  • The book that eats people by John Perry
Friday - The thousands of AV security cases and other sundry items we ordered arrived, beautifully timed. Immediately after the city guys had left, too early for the middle schoolers to be there to help, and right as the senior travel club was letting out, so there were cars everywhere as we unloaded boxes from the semi and carted them across the street to the library and up the stairs to the back door. Of course, the shelves I desperately need have NOT arrived, while the magazine cases, which could have waited until January, did.

I participated in our town's Santa visit for the first time. It happens after hours in the community room and is sponsored by a local bank. I was there to read stories while the kids lined up for Santa. It was crazy! Hundreds of kids and parents! Two separate piano recitals, one in the lobby, one in the community room. Tables of cookies, crafts, and more. It was lots of fun and I met regular library patrons and some new people, but I was hoarse after the first book, it was so loud. Anybody have a magic formula for reading over two piano recitals and 100+ excited chattering kids and parents?

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Dead end in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Jack's life has gone down the drain. Everything seemed like it was going great - school was out, his dad wasn't there to see Jack sneak his Japanese war souvenirs, and he's all set for a summer of playing baseball with Bunny, the closest thing he has to a friend. The only drawback is his constant nosebleeds.

Then his mom hires him out to assist the elderly Miss Volker, his dad comes back with some crazy ideas and everything is out of control. Before Jack knows it, he's mixed up with dead bodies, melting wax, airplanes, and he's gotten grounded for the whole summer.

Filled with people that range from the mildly eccentric to the completely insane, Jack Gantos' newest novel is packed with strange characters, odd reflections, and throughout the whole story runs the theme of history and how it affects us and we affect it. By the end of the story, Jack may not be much better off or even sadder but wiser although he's learned a few lessons, but he's had one unbelievable summer.

I was feeling a little doubtful about reading this book because Jack Gantos leans heavily on the "quirky and not in a good way" type of characters, but I found myself snickering throughout most of the first half of the book. Then staring at the pages in disbelief, then reading insanely, unable to stop until I found out What Happened Next.

Now, I'm not sure how I feel about this title. Is it well-written? Yes. The characters are consistent, the prose is addictive, the historical sections are seamlessly blended into the plot and dialogue. Is it interesting? Well, it definitely held my attention throughout. Does it have kid-appeal? I don't know. I can certainly see myself booktalking it "Jack has a whole summer ahead of him...unfortunately, his mom has volunteered him to write obituaries, the town is dying - literally - and his dad is hatching one crazy scheme after another." Or, "This book is about melting wax, blood, death, and history." But will kids read past the first couple chapters and get involved in the quirky characters, historical meanderings, and oddly depressing atmosphere of life in a dying small town in the 1960s?

I'm not sure how I feel about the cover. It certainly represents the book well, but will kids pick it up? Gantos' other works aren't hugely popular at our library, although I've had one or two kids ask for Joey Pigza. I can see this title winning awards - historical fiction always seems popular with the committees, but I don't see it becoming a popular favorite.

Verdict: If you have enough budget to speculate, purchase it. I don't, so I'll wait to see if any kids ask for it or if it wins an award. Meanwhile, I'll pass out the arc to some selected test subjects and see what they think.

ISBN: 9780374379933; Published September 2011 by Farrar Straus Giroux; ARC provided by publisher

Monday, November 28, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: Off to Class by Susan Hughes

Hughes explores schools around the world from a green school in Canada to an orphanage for street children in Honduras, from schools in caves to schools on water. Every school has one thing in common; working to help children grow, learn, and have a better life.

Teachers and students at these schools often face incredible challenges; poverty, weather, culture, and funding. The schools in this book are divided into three chapters, "Working with the environment" which showcases schools that face environmental challenges or focus on environmental concerns, "No school? No way!" which talks about schools that serve children who didn't previously have a school or are disadvantaged by poverty, gender, or tradition and "One size doesn't fit all" showing alternative schools that adapt to non-Western cultures, or unconventional philosophies.

Some of the interesting schools show in this book include:

Boat schools in Bangladesh that bring education to children in areas with frequent flooding.

Arthur Ashe charter school in New Orleans, which offers an edible schoolyard, and environmental education on caring for wetlands.

The Stung Mean Chey Center in Cambodia, which offers free schooling, school supplies, and a small amount of money and rice to the children who live in the slums around the dump, Stung Mean Chey.

The Dongzhong Primary School, serving some of the Miao people in China - and housed in a cave!

A school in Siberia that follows the nomadic Evenk people and teaches children to deal with the modern world as well as retain their heritage.

An unschooling family in the US who has school in a treehouse.

A specially designed school for the children with sensory impairments in Hazelwood, Scotland.

The text is written clearly and in short, readable sections with plenty of photographs and interesting facts. This is a great look at how children go to school around the world and well worth adding to your nonfiction collection.

Verdict: It's easy to be fascinated by other children's lives when they're as interesting as this book! Kids and parents will enjoy reading about the variety of school around the world and the excellent layout of the book makes it accessible and intruiging. Recommended.


ISBN: 978-1-9268863; Published August 2011 by OwlKids; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Saturday, November 26, 2011

This week at the library; or, how could a 3 day week have so much aggravation?

No programs this week, instead we are interviewing for our cataloguer position and I am desperately searching for a car, since I have no transportation and need something by Dec. 1 when I have outreach visits...also had a committee meeting and a scheduling meeting with Miss Pattie.

Also planning next year's programs and sorting summer reading books and walking back and forth across town looking for a car...

No car! No internet! Argh!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Anna Hibiscus' Song by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Anna Hibiscus stars in her own picture book! After several great beginning chapter books, the team of Atinuke and Lauren Tobia have created a lovely and joyous picture book.

Anna Hibiscus is happy, so so happy! She goes to each member of her family in turn, asking what they do when they are happy and is invited to join in squeezing hands, pounding yams, turning somersaults, dancing and more. Anna Hibiscus' joy grows until she finds her own special happiness activity - singing!

The simple, joyful text celebrates the everyday happiness of life, while Lauren Tobia's illustrations show an exciting world very different from that of American children, but still full of special places to go and things to do, and loving families.

Children and parents will want to think about their own happy things to do and explore the simple, uncomplicated happy things in life like spending time with family, singing and dancing, after reading this exuberant tribute to family.

Verdict: This picture book is a great introduction to the wonderful world of Anna Hisbiscus. Kane Miller is now a subsidiary of Usborne, so librarians and parents will want to either order direct from Usborne or Kane Miller, or purchase a like-new copy on Amazon, since this book may not be available through your usual vendor. Definitely worth a little extra effort though!

ISBN: 9781610670401; Published August 2011 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by publisher

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jim LaMarche

Tiger Rose loves her happy, peaceful home. She loves all the beautiful things in her world. But she's old and tired and her body hurts. She says goodbye to the animals that have been her friends, and the animals she has chased, to the parents who have fed her and the children who have loved her. She says goodbye to everything and then curls up to sleep and in her sleep makes one last jump into the sky and becomes part of everything around her.

Jane Yolen has written a beautiful, poetic text which is joined by Jim LaMarche's soft pastel illustrations to create a comforting story about the natural cycle of life and death. Depending on your beliefs about death, for humans and/or animals, this is a gentle and reassuring story for children dealing with the death of a pet.

I wouldn't recommend putting this into the general picture book collection, since most parents will want to review it before reading it to their children, but it's a good addition to your parenting or tough topics collection.

Verdict: This is one of the better children's books about death, especially of a pet, and if you have a suitable place for it in your collection, I recommend purchasing it for parents looking for a general "it's all natural" approach to death and grieving.


ISBN: 9780375866630; Published May 2011 by Random House; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates

Monday, November 21, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: Arcadia Kids city/state guides by Kate Boehm Jerome

 This series is a nice mixture of local history and tourist destinations kids will find fun as well as educational. I even learned a few things about my own hometown, Austin!

Each book starts out with a spotlight on the city, including population, sports teams, and one interesting fact about the city. More fun numbers follow, then an overview of the city through the senses; sound, smell, sight, and more. Other sections include Strange but True, Marvelous Monikers (interesting names and the places they represent), past historical events. The second half of the book is an exploration of the whole state by geographical features, then by historical events, and finally through the people, environment, and local features like celebrations and jobs. The book ends with more facts and photographs and further resources.

This won't be useful for parents looking for a travel guide to a specific city, but it's great for a family planning to visit a city in a new state and wanting an overview. It's easy to pick out interesting destinations from the facts and stories offered throughout the books as well. The set I was given to review included:

Austin:  I completely missed the renaming of Town Lake; it's now Lady Bird Lake, but everybody I know still calls it Town Lake, so it's doesn't really seem to have "taken." The other facts and highlights are accurate, although I wouldn't have highlighted Keep Austin Weird Fest instead of Austin City Limits or SXSW. The book does a good job of including a little bit of everything about a state with a lot of variety.

Philadelphia: I don't know that I would have included coal mining in the "Creating Jobs" section. Right after the protecting the environment section and right before local celebrations. Of course, not living in PA, all I see are the news stories about the coal industries effect on the environment, school propaganda, and coal miners trapped and dying. Is PA really a huge agriculture state? I've just been reading some statistics on the history of agriculture in the United States and it doesn't seem like enough people are actually still employed on farms to merit it being included as a major part of workforce economy.

I also looked at Boston and Richmond. All of the titles claim that people of the state love to be outdoors...well, I guess it could be true. They also each have a note in the jobs section "Pennsylvanians have a great respect for all the brave men and women who serve our country." Or Texans, or whatever...Reading a large stack of series nonfiction simultaneously may be a bad idea, huh? By about the third book it all kind of sounds the same.


Verdict: If you want an affordable series that combines state and tourist information, this would be a perfectly acceptable choice. It doesn't offer enough information to replace your State books, if you have a lot of school assignments calling for them, and they aren't designed to be travel guides (but there aren't many travel guides for kids, except for the Kidding Around series anyways). If there's not much call for these subjects, I'd recommend this series to efficiently do the job of two expensive nonfiction series. A bit repetitive, but what nonfiction series isn't?

ISBN: 9781439600887; Published May 2011 by Arcadia; Review copies provided by the publisher through Raab Associates.


Saturday, November 19, 2011

This week at the library; or, The secret to teen programming

Monday was Monday. I was happy Miss Pattie was able to do evening storytime after all, so I didn't have to come back tonight.

Tuesday. I have discovered the secret to teen programming - having someone other than me doing it. We had about 14 people at our Twilight party, evenly divided between adult and teen fans. Fun! And our Friend Katie did most of the work!

Wednesday. HUGE preschool interactive! I think at least 35 people, maybe 40! Small Lego Building Club.

Thursday. Came in late to work, spent the morning and early part of the afternoon getting my friend Sara The Librarian to drive me back and forth trying to junk my wrecked car. Ended up having to buy a replacement title because I couldn't find mine.

Friday. My internet provider goes out of business. Why can nobody offer simple, affordable internet service? This is my THIRD ip in three years.

Can I pleeeeease skip November next year?

Friday, November 18, 2011

Bloomswell Diaries by Louis Buitendag

Ben is a little worried about going to America to stay with his mysterious uncle, but it's more exciting than getting left behind by his parents yet again. But when Ben arrives something mysterious is happening and he makes a horrible discovery; his parents are missing, presumed dead.

Or are they? The newspaper accounts can't be right; they were alive and with him on the date they went missing. Then his uncle mysterious disappears and terrifying men take him prisoner, men who include one of the strange and frightening tinmen. Ben finds himself locked up in a Dickensian orphanage/school with cruel boys and a possibly insane headmaster.

Desperate to find out the truth about his parents and uncle, and even more worried about his sister, at a boarding school in Switzerland, Ben manages to escape with the help of another imprisoned boy named Mackenzie.

Will Ben make it to Switzerland before the mysterious criminals capture his sister? Where is the rest of his family? And who is the sinister figure following Ben everywhere he goes?

This is a fast-paced adventure story with a flavor of steampunk and a definite Dickensian touch a la Joan Aiken. I read it quite breathlessly, eager to find out what happened at the end - and was sadly disappointed that it is, of course, a series. However, when I thought about it some more afterwards, I wasn't quite as happy with the story. It's strung out unnecessarily in my opinion. I would have skipped the entire school sequence and a large number of the mysterious hints and packed the whole story into one volume instead of dragging it out into sequel(s). This is a first novel, so hopefully the author will tighten his plots a little more in future writings. Although the plot could have been refined and some of the plot points tightened, and a little less of the constant shifts in friends/enemies cleared up, this was overall a fun adventure story with exciting pace and interesting characters.

Verdict: An additional purchase if you have kids who are fans of Lemony Snicket and are willing to read more stories with the Dickensian flavor. Sadly, I haven't met any middle grade  fans of Joan Aiken or steampunk, but if you have them you'll want this fun adventure.


ISBN: 9781935279822; Published March 2011 by Kane Miller; Review copy provided by the publisher

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Food Fight: A graphic guide adventure by Liam O’Donnell, illustrated by Mike Deas

This graphic novel didn’t really work for me. Just so you know.

Devin is stuck at a stupid summer camp for babies for two whole weeks. His mom has just gotten a special research grant; his sister is excited to be a counselor, so it’s just Devin who’s suffering. Reluctantly, he helps out with gardening and tries to get away as often as possible, until suddenly his own worries and resentment are forgotten; somebody is sabotaging his mom’s research project and he has to figure out who it is – or she could lose her grant and her job!

The art is attractive and cleanly drawn with a clear progression between the panels. There are some good moments of adventure and Devin is a realistic enough character to interest kids. However, I have two complaints about this book. First, the story will be popping along, and suddenly, wham, we stop for a page of information. Now some of the information is ok and kind of fits into the story, like the page and a half on how to plant beans in a garden. But…um...the whole page on how to properly wash your hands? Seriously? Then we’re suddenly reading food labels and discussing healthy eating. For two pages. Now, you can skip these sections; they don’t add anything to the story and that’s probably what most kids will do. But, they break the story up badly and they are extremely…juvenile. Exactly what age is this book intended for? It’s my understanding that Orca specializes in publishing for reluctant readers. This particular graphic novel appears to be recommended for ages 8 – 12. However, the type is extremely small, a perennial complaint of mine; kids will not read graphic novels with small type! and while the overall mystery is older, the sudden drops into lecturing on washing hands and proper nutrition are not something a tween is going to want to hear.

Finally, the story is just…too convoluted for the projected audience and all the other stuff that’s been dumped into it. Devin’s mom is involved in plant research and an Evil Corporation thinks that since they are funding the research they should get to test their Environmentally Damaging Pesticides. Various groups have been protesting this, as well as genetically altered foods. Devin’s mom’s lab gets broken into and her experiments damaged and she’s framed for the plot. Turns out, the Evil Corporation is going to force their own special fertilizer on farmers, a fertilizer which will make farmers dependent on the company for more fertilizer. But, they’re not the ones damaging the labs or experiments; that’s just a jealous colleague. The Evil Corporation is discredited on the internet and has to withdraw their fertilizer and Devin’s mom keeps her job and finishes her experiments (no information on where the money came from after their sponsor presumably withdrew).

Verdict: It was a good idea and there are some “educational” comics that are fun as well, but this is just too complicated and the info dumps are too jarring. I think some of the other titles in this series might be better, there are several sports ones and I think kids would like fact sections in those, so while I don’t recommend this specific book, the format might work well for some of the other titles.

ISBN: 9781554690671; Published April 2010 by Orca; Borrowed from the library