National Library Week: What to do when there's one

I'm celebrating National Library Week this week by re-running some of my posts that have tips, tricks, and advice for new librarians. (And if more experienced librarians get something out of it, too, more the better!) Please feel free to share tips, advice, or favorite storytime/program activities in the comments. And Happy National Library Week!!

What to Do When There's One
This post originally ran on August 3, 2008. I've edited it slightly. 

So, you've planned an awesome storytime. You're ready and rarin' to go! But maybe some special event is going on. Or lots of people are on vacation. Or it's snowing. Or any number of things happen... and there's only one kid for storytime.

It can be frustrating, sure. But the important thing to remember is that this family made the effort to come to your program, and you might have to adapt some things, but the show must go on! It may be frustrating to you that only one child showed up for your carefully planned program, but the kid doesn't know that!

Generally I start storytimes with Shake Your Sillies Out, but for a very small group I like to use My Hands Say Hello because it's a quieter song and I'm more apt to get participation.

It's to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell and it goes like this:

My hands say hello
My hands say hello
Every time I see my friends
My hands say hello

And then repeat using feet and other body parts. I usually do hands, then feet, then I ask for a suggestion of something else that could say hello. I like to end with my tongue and sing it with my tongue sticking out because it's silly (and I am kind of silly sometimes).

Although it's not be what you planned, a storytime for one may have some advantages. Instead of having to focus an unruly mob of 30 kids, you can concentrate on getting to know one. It's a great opportunity to sit with child and caregiver and, say, demonstrate dialogic reading. You might be able to bring out some extra goodies, like toy drums or shakers or puppets that you might not use with a larger group. If you're doing a flannelboard story, let the kids help you put pieces up or take pieces off. You can even spread it out on the floor instead of doing it on a board.

Above all, you just need to be flexible. And remember that if you make this a pleasant experience, this family is likely to come back the next time.

Nonfiction Monday: Disaster Survivors

Leveled by an Earthquake by Adam Reingold.
Erased by a Tornado by Jessica Rudolph.
Grades 3-6. Bearport, 2010. Review copies provided by publisher.

Kids love books about disasters. Every week it seems like I get kids in my library requesting books about the Titanic, tornadoes, volcanoes, hurricanes... And what's not to love? They're full of drama. And reading about disasters in books gives kids a chance to experience the event from the safety of their bedroom. 

In Bearport's new Disaster Survivors series, kids can read all about different natural disasters like earthquakes, blizzards, tsunamis, and tornadoes. The books are vivid, containing full-color photos and sidebars with extra information. The text is informative but not overwhelming, so this is a great recreational choice for kids who are not so into reading.

Both Leveled by an Earthquake and Erased by a Tornado start off with a specific event (for Earthquake it was the 2008 Sichuan China earthquake, for Tornado is was the 2008 tornado in Jackson, Tennessee). Each title tells about the event from the point of view of one of the survivors, complete with photos. Then we learn a little bit about the particular disaster - what caused it, if scientists can predict it, etc. And each book includes some information about what to do if you find yourself experiencing that particular disaster.

I'd definitely recommend these titles for library shelves - the high-interest topics and appealing visual presentation will have them flying off the shelves*. Consider them for updating your collection if some of your older titles are getting dated or worn.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Go check out this week's round-up at Shelf-Employed.

*Flying off the shelves in a good kids-are-checking-them-out way, not in a bad we're-having-an-earthquake-or-tornado way.

In My Mailbox #28

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren! Head on over there to see what wonderful books bloggers got in their mailboxes this week...

Here's what found its way to my doorstep:

(Titles are linked to GoodReads where you can find a summary!)

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Philomel, October 2010). *debut*
- This one looks really cool. The plot reminds me somewhat of Raised by Wolves, which I loooved. 

The Daughters by Joanna Philbin (Poppy [Little, Brown], May 2010). *debut!*

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan (Little, Brown, September 2010).

13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison (Little, Brown, April 2010). *debut*
- This was published in the UK last year, but its US debut is tomorrow, actually.


Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Little, Brown, August 2010).

Jane by April Lindner (Poppy, October 2010). *debut*
- I'm not sure if this is a subtitle, but the ARC says it's a "modern, romantic retelling of Jane Eyre". I'm intrigued.

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger (Poppy, September 2010).
- DUFF = Designated Ugly Fat Friend. (I don't know if this is the final cover, but... another book about a fat girl that doesn't show her body on the cover. The face is in such closeup, though, that she could be fat...)

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Little, Brown, May 2010).

And that's my mailbox for the week! Hope you got some nice stuff in yours as well!

Around the interwebs

Man, oh man, this has been a busy week! In fact, at this very moment I'm in North Vernon, IN for the annual IFL District 6 Conference (for which I am on the planning committee). So, sit back, relax, and check out some of these awesome things I found around the interwebs:

Elizabeth Partridge's Marching for Freedom took home the gold in this year's Battle of the Kids' Books! I have to admit that I've not (yet) read it, but you can be sure I'm bumping it up in the TBR list. By the way, I did a happy dance about the results of the Undead Poll! You can find my review of that title here - I loved it!

Love buying books? C'mon, who doesn't? Consider buying a book or two for the Guys Lit Wire book drive, benefiting Navajo and Apache reservation schools in the Southwest. Thanks to Trisha at The YA YA YAs for the link.

Good thing Amanda came back from vacation or else I wouldn't have known to tell you about Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon, which is happening this Saturday (yes, tomorrow!). I fear I'm going to be worn out from this crazy week, so I won't be joining you. If you're free on Saturday, what better to do than to read all day long??

Did I link to the March Carnival of Literature, hosted at The Miss Rumphius Effect? Well, if I did, it's well worth linking to twice. Check out this amazing roundup of KidLitosphere posts from March.

You still have through Monday, April 12 to enter the Unsung YA Giveaway for a chance to win 10 awesome YA books that may have slipped under your radar!

I am somewhat crafty. If I was seriously crafty, I would certainly make a Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt (and no, I don't have any kids - it would just be for myself!) like Susan posted about at Booklights this week. Seriously cute.

Do you make signs and flyers to advertise library programs? I am no design genius, but a simple way to add pizazz is by using some new, different fonts. Where to start? Maybe with the free fonts available at kevinandamanda.com. Thanks to the YS Princess for the link.

I'm a little slow to link to this, but Valerie at The Almost Librarian shares a great storytime prop idea - Who's the Baker? I'd hand out cookie cutters to the kids and ask them to bring up the cutter that matches the felt cookie you put up on the board. Parents, there are lots of ways you can use this simple activity to learn with kids one-on-one, too!

And on that note, I'm out! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Life-Sized Candy Land

Over at the ALSC Blog, I've posted our recipe for Life-Sized Candy Land! This was a really fun program we offered over spring break, so head on over there and check it out.

The Reread

Every now and then, I find myself wanting to go back and reread a book I've already read.

When I was a kid, I did this all the time. I can't count how many times I read Ramona and her Father by Beverly Cleary or Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume or Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Sometimes it was because those were the books I owned and at 9:00 on a Friday night, I needed something to read, so I grabbed one from my shelves. Sometimes it was to visit an old friend. And sometimes it was just safe. There's a risk in picking up a book you don't know - you might not like it. Maybe that's one reason kids like series books so much - there's safety in the familiar.

As I got older, I reread less and less. Oh, every time a new Harry Potter book would come out, I'd reread the series (or at least the previous book). And in college, I went back and reread all the Anastasia Krupnik books and all the Ramona books. But I was short on time and discovering just how many great books are out there. More and more, rereading seemed like a waste of time.

Now, as a librarian and blogger, I rarely make time for rereading. So many books are released each year that it would be impossible for one person to read them all. I need to read new books so I know what to recommend to my kids at the library. Now I'm getting review copies and there's a constant pressure to readreadread and review them all (an impossible job, to be sure).

But I think I'm going to make some time and reread some books over the next couple of weeks. Why?

Because I'll discover new details the second time around. On the first reading of a book, I'm trying to keep all the characters straight, trying to figure out the plot and notice beautifully written passages. On a reread, I know the plot and the characters and I can really sink into it and make connections that I didn't make before.

Because it's still great to revisit old friends from beloved books.

And most of all, because it's fun. And reading should be nothing if not fun!

Keep the fun alive, folks. Reread one of your favorite books today.

(And if you really don't think you have the time to reread, consider checking out some of your favorites on audio. It's a whole new way to experience your favorite characters and stories!)

Who's with me? Do you reread books? What are your favorite books to reread? Did you reread books as a kid? Have you reread any of those old favorites as an adult? And did they stand up to the test of time?

In case you missed it...

Scholastic's Fall 2010 Librarian Preview Webcast is available on their site.

I am highly, highly in favor of preview webcasts continuing and growing in popularity. It was great fun (and highly educational) to watch. I learned that David Levithan is goofy and adorable. And also, Scholastic has a great number of awesome books coming out this fall. AND there was a special guest!!! (I'm not telling who it was... you'll have to watch the webcast to find out.)

The only thing missing was cute shoes... ;)

I really appreciate Scholastic making the librarian preview available to the (many) librarians who do not live in New York City. Okay, we didn't get to physically peruse the books, but it was enough information for me to find some titles I definitely want to order and some titles to put on my watch list. Very helpful. Yay Scholastic!

I hope they're continue to offer this webcast in future seasons and I hope that other publishers start doing it, too!

Book Review: Watch This Space

Watch This Space: Designing, Defending, and Sharing Public Spaces by Hadley Dyer and Marc Ngui. (Grades 6-10.) Kids Can Press, March 2010. Review copy provided by publisher.

Where do the teens hang out?
Where did you hang out when you were a teen?

Teens need public spaces. They need places where they can hang out with friends, where they can see and be seen. But how are public places and private establishments different? Who owns them? Who can advertise there? Is a mall a public place? Is a restaurant? How about a public school?

In Watch This Space, Hadley Dyer examines different public spaces around the world and the features that make them successful. How are urban public spaces different from suburban public spaces? How does public space affect a community? And who's allowed in the public space?

There is a lot of information packed inside this relatively small book, but it never overwhelms. Rather, Dyer gives brief overviews of many of the issues affecting public spaces and their use and design. For example, Dyer describes laws in different countries that govern public spaces. Did you know that it's illegal to bring gum into Singapore because of their strict anti-litter laws? Or that "in the United Kingdom, the average person is recorded on... surveillance cameras more than 300 times per day?" Where are the boundaries between personal freedoms and the responsibility to create a space that's pleasant for all?

She also talks about the barrage of advertising that we see every day, in the community and in our virtual public spaces. Other topics covered are public art, transportation, and the different between urban and suburban public spaces (among many other things). 

Watch This Space is definitely a book that could spark a lot of discussion if presented in the right way. It'll give teens a lot to think about and it may have them viewing their public space options in a whole new way. Especially useful are the tips about how teens can get involved with public spaces in their communities. From joining (or starting) a library teen advisory board to taking control of advertising in school by promoting a no-logo day to hosting a fundraiser, these tips will give action-minded teens some great ideas.

I don't know that this is a book teens will seek out on their own, but I think that if they can be coaxed to open it up they'll find accessible and interesting information. This might be an especially useful title in a library or school planning to create or upgrade teen space or in a community with plans (or with no plans) to develop a teen or community center.

Read more reviews at BookDragon, Jean Little Library, and A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Check out the roundup over at Lerner Books Blog.

Completely off topic

This isn't kid-lit related in any way, but you can file this under Completely Random Facts About Abby:

I have socks that match my apartment. Case in point:

Socks:

Pillows:

Basket:

Shower curtain:

Bathmat:

Towels:

Bookcase:

And here, again, are the socks (oh, and I have a cat):

In My Mailbox #27

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren! Head on over there to see what books appeared in bloggers' mailboxes this week!

 Here are the books I got this week:

The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer (Harcourt Children's Books, April 2010).  From jacket flap:

Marie-Antoinette is given endless instructions before she leaves Austria at the age of fourteen to marry the dauphin of France. In her new home at the grand palace of Versailles, her every move is scrutinized by the cruel and gossipy members of the French court. Marie-Antoinette tries to adhere by their stiffling rules of etiquette, but sometimes, this fun-loving young woman can't help but indulge herself with scandalous fashions, taboo recreations, elaborate parties - and even a forbidden romance... Though she would be remembered by the revolutionaries as an obscene spendthrift, perhaps Marie-Antoinette had more in common with them than they thought - for she too was a rebel who lived by her own rules.

Crispin: The End of Time by Avi (Balzer + Bray, June 2010).  Summary from ARC:

*Note: this is the third book in the Crispin trilogy and may contain SPOILERS for the first two books!*

After the death of their beloved mentor, Bear, Crispin and Troth are more desperate than ever, wandering the desolate French countryside, where they don't speak the language and know no one. The only hope they cling to is that somehow they can reach Iceland, where Bear had said there were no kings or lords, and where they can live in freedom. Crispin is determined to fulfill this dream, both for himself and to honor Bear's memory. But the road to liberty is filled with danger, betrayal, and loss. Crispin must decide for himself what freedom really means - and how high a price he is willing to pay for it.

The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen (Feiwel & Friends, May 2010). Summary from ARC:

Mason has never known his father, but longs to. All he has of him is a DVD of a man whose face is never seen, reading a children's book. One day, on a whim, he plays the DVD for a group of comatose teens at the nursing home where his mother works. One of them, a beautiful girl, responds. She is part of a horrible experiment intended to render teenagers into genetically engineered, self-sustaining life forms who don't need food or water to survive. And before he knows it, Mason is on the run with the girl, and wanted, dead or alive, by the mysterious mastermind of this evil plan, who is simply called The Gardener.

A review is coming very soon on this one because I picked it up the day it came and kind of couldn't put it down.

Keeper by Kathi Appelt (Athenuem, May 2010).  Summary from ARC:

Blue moon, magic moon... good for wishing. To ten-year-old Keeper, this moon is her chance to fix all that has gone wrong... and so much has gone wrong. But she knows who can make things right again: Meggie Marie, her mermaid mother who swam away when Keeper was just three. A blue moon calls the mermaids to gather at the sandbar, and that's exactly where Keeper is headed - in a small boat, in the middle of the night, with only her dog BD (Best Dog), and a seagull named Captain. When the riptide pulls at the boat, tugging her away from the shore and deep into the rough waters or the Gulf of Mexico, panic sets in, and the fairy tales that lured her out there go tumbling the waves. Maybe the blue moon isn't magic and maybe the sandbar won't sparkle with mermaids and maybe - Oh no... "Maybe" is just too difficult to bear.

I'm halfway through this one and it's very good so far. I've been looking forward to this one since I loved Kathi Appelt's The Underneath.

Morpheus Road: The Light by D.J. MacHale (Aladdin, April 2010). Summary from ARC:

It begins with mysterious sounds, a fleeting face outside a window - all things that can be explained away. That is, until he comes face-to-face with a character who only exists on the pages of a sketchbook - a character Marshall himself created. Marshall is quickly convinced these strange incidents have something to do with his best friend, Cooper, who has gone missing. Together with Cooper's beautiful but aloof sister, Sydney, Marshall searches for the truth about his friend while ultimately uncovering a nightmare that is bigger and more frightening than he ever could have imagined.

A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole (Katherine Tegen Books, March 2010). From jacket flap:

Celeste is a mouse who is looking for a home. Is it nestled in the toe of a warm boot? In the shirt pocket of Celeste's new friend Joseph, who is Audubon's apprentice? Or is home the place deep inside Celeste's heart, where friendships live?

This looks very cute and has adorable illustrations. 

Roberto and Me by Dan Gutman (HarperCollins, April 2010). Jacket flap:

Sometimes you can change history... and sometimes history can change you. When Stosh travels into the past to meet Roberto Clemente, a legendary ballplayer and a beloved humanitarian, he's got only one goal: warning Roberto not to get on the doomed plane that will end his life in a terrible crash. In the sixties, Stosh meets free-spirited Sunrise, and together they travel across the country to a ball game that leaves them breathless - and face-to-face with Roberto. But when the time comes for Stosh to return to the future, he finds that the adventure has only begun...

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (Simon Pulse, May 2010). **teen debut!!** Summary from ARC:

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a crucial gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last. Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone. Well, sort of. Life everyone born after The Shift, Aura can see and talk to ghosts. This mysterious ability had always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why The Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because Dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost. It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding - and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit. As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart... and clues to the secret of The Shift.

Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai (Wiseman Books, June 2010). **debut!** Summary from ARC:

Fadi never imagined he'd start middle school in Fremont, California, thousands of miles from his home in Kabul - and half a world away from his missing six-year-old sister Mariam. Adjusting to life in the United States isn't easy for Fadi's family, and as the events of September 11 unfold, the prospects of locating Mariam in war-torn Afghanistan seem slim. When a photography competition with a grand prize of a trip to India is announced, Fadi sees his chance to return to Afghanistan and find his sister. But can one photo really bring Mariam home? 

This was another one I was so excited about, I picked it up immediately and read the whole thing. A review will be coming soon. 

Worldshaker by Richard Harland (Simon & Schuster, May 2010). Summary from ARC:

A ship as large as a city... a forbidden romance... and a society on the cusp of revolution. Col Porpentine know his place in the world: at the top. He is a child of privilege, born into the Upper Class. When he is named as successor to his grandfather, the Supreme Commander of the juggernaut Worldshaker, his bright future has never been more assured. But when a Filthy girl seeks refuge in his cabin, nothing is clear anymore. Col has known since childhood that the Filthies are subhuman, dumb creatures good only for toiling Below and keeping Worldshaker moving. But Riff is quick and clever and shockingly beautiful, and her very presence tears Col's carefully ordered world apart...

I hadn't heard of this one before, but it looks steampunk-riffic, so I'm excited to give it a try. The author's Australian. 

So, yes. A very exciting mailbox week for me! How about yours?