Twenty Boy Summer WINNERS

Congratulations to CherylS22 and AuntRene, winners of the Twenty Boy Summer giveaway!

And thanks to everyone who entered!

Halfway through...

How are everyone's Summer Reading Clubs going?

My summer's been crazy, to be completely honest. I really hit the ground running, starting my new job in mid-May just a week before our SRC started.

We're doing Be Creative @ Your Library, like many other libraries across the country. One of the easiest and most fun things we've done is to provide paper and crayons and encourage kids to draw a picture to put up on the wall. We started out with a big, blank bulletin board but that was soon filled and we moved on to letting kids tape up drawings. Some of them have been really beautiful and it really encourages them to be creative. Plus, it gives the kids an activity to do while they're at the library.

I'm so happy to see so many kids signing up for Summer Reading (and so many kids reading SO MANY book!), but I'll confess that I'm glad we're about halfway through. ;)

So, how is your SRC going? Anyone want to brag about a fantastic program they've done this summer? Or something cheap and easy that's really added to the fun?

To Theme or Not To Theme?

Do you use themes for your storytimes?

I've been thinking about this since I started my new job. At my previous library, we didn't generally use themes for storytimes. The idea behind that is that it's better to read a handful of great readalouds than to stretch to find books that have to do with your theme. We kept track of the books we used in a database so that we didn't repeat them too often.

At my new library, we do tend to use themes. I've done storytime a couple of times now and to be honest, the kids could care less if all the books are about chickens or colors or whatever.

What are some advantages to using themes?

- It can make it easier to plan. There are a bazillion picture books out there, so which ones do you read at storytime? It's a little more manageable when you narrow it down to just books about dogs or eating or zoos. That said, it gets a little less manageable when your theme is so narrow that you can only find one book to read. I always keep in mind my good friend And. As in, "Today's theme is Cats and Dogs!"

- It might push you to include different books that are unexpected hits. Or maybe you don't normally look in the nonfiction section for your storytime books, but since your theme is "Milk", you decide to include a true book about where milk comes from. I'm always one for pushing the envelope and trying something new. And I'm a big advocate for including nonfiction books in programs and displays. If needing to stick to a theme will push you to try something new, I say go for it.

- Themed storytimes lend themselves to displays. Set up a table in your story room where you can display more books on your theme, and encourage attendees to check out the books. This is another chance to push your nonfiction and include some of those great picture books that aren't necessarily great readalouds.

All that said, does it really matter if we're reading books on the same theme? I'm thinking not. The more experience I get with this whole librarian thing, the more books I know about and the better I am at picking out books that'll work as readalouds. So that makes it easier to pick readalouds on certain themes.

And even if I do use a theme, I'm not afraid to go off-theme for a song or rhyme if need be. Throw a little Jim Gill in there or do some dancin' with Sharon & Brahm. The important thing is that you're sharing books with kids. That's why we love being librarians, right??

So, librarians, what do you think? Do you use themes for storytime? What are some of your favorites? Do you hate themes and all they stand for?

ETA (12:06pm): Seems we've heard from several supporters of themes for storytimes. Anyone want to make a case for not having themed storytimes? I know you're out there!

And parents, do you have a preference? Does your child? Why do you like themes (or dislike them)? Is there a reason you like stories that are connected in some way or does having a connection matter as long as all the books are fun readalouds?

(I am apparently full of questions today!)

Book Review: Beyond: A Solar System Voyage

Beyond: A Solar System Voyage by Michael Benson. (Grades 6-10.)

You know about the planets, but you've never seen them like this before. Using images shot by space probes over the last forty years, Michael Benson gives us an up close and personal view of even the farthest of the planets in our solar system. The photos are absolutely stunning and you should definitely pick up this book or the original adult version, Beyond: Visions of the Interplanetary Probes, to look at them, but there are some great facts about the planets tucked in there, too.

Did you know that there may once have been oceans on Venus? Or that the sun is so big that it accounts for 99.8% of all the mass in the Solar System? Or that Mars has a pink sky and sometimes has blue sunsets (the opposite of what we have on Earth)?

Beyond starts off with a history of astronomy from ancient times through the rapid technological advances of the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. Then Michael Benson explores each planet in detail, starting with stunning photos of the Earth. Seriously, you have to see these photos. They're huge photos of the Earth from space, but with such detail that you can see dust from African deserts blowing out to sea or a volcano exploding in Sicily. Very cool. Besides the planets, Benson also includes a section on the Sun and asteroids.

The text is a little much for recreational reading. There's a lot of it in big chunks and while some interesting trivia is presented, some of it is kind of dry. I ended up skimming some sections, but what the book lacks in text it makes up for in the photos. Benson includes a glossary, photo credits, a short bibliography, and an extensive index. This book would definitely be of service to kids and teens doing reports on planets, and the photos will hook browsers. I'd pair it with The Mysterious Universe for more spectacular space photography.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Book Aunt's got the roundup, so check in and see what nonfiction everyone's reading this week.

Around the Interwebs: Really, Really (Part 2)

Okey doke, Around the Interwebs, Part 2.

Sarah's hosting a giveaway for Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson! Definitely head over there and enter because it's a fabulous book.

Liz posted a press release about Class of 2k9 member Albert Borris, author of the upcoming Crash Into Me, who suffered a stroke and is still recovering. The kidlitosphere's great at showing support, so do check out Albert's book.

Adrienne pointed me to this great interview with Jan Thomas, author of What Will Fat Cat Sit On? and Rhyming Dust Bunnies (among many other fabulous books).

And speaking of authors of my favorite storytime books, check out a sneak peek of Mo Willems's upcoming easy reader, Cat the Cat. And don't forget, Mo has the best dining room ever (I have such house envy).

Susan reminds us about the wonderful Mid-Continent Public Library's awesome listing of series and sequels. If you don't know about this site, you seriously need to check it out. It's my first resource to find out what the third Pony Pals book is or print out a list of all the Junie B. Jones books.

Carlie's wondering if Twilight and Harry Potter are the best choices for the preteens who want to read them. From the post:

I can sort of see why Harry Potter trickled down, though I personally refuse to recommend it to anyone younger than sixth grade. At its opening, it's a fun adventure-in-magic-school story. By book three, though, the layers have built so thick and dark that the book beyond its surface is best enjoyed by readers with more life experience. IMNSHO. I still think third-graders are better served by books other than Harry Potter.

And that's it for Around the Interwebs this time around. What have YOU been surfing lately?

Around the Interwebs: Really, Really

This is what happens when you don't think you have time to blog (is it blog flu? Nahhh...): you end up with over 20 starred items and all of them are really cool (in my opinion). Tell you what... I'll post the first half of this now and promise more interwebby fun for later tonight or tomorrow.

If you're looking for some great non-fiction to read this summer (I know I am!), check out ACPL's first 2010 Mock Sibert reading list. And better yet, join in the discussion of these titles on their Mock Sibert blog! If that still doesn't give you enough reading suggestions, check out which books made Sarah's sixth graders say "You HAVE to read this!"

Got a school/public library partnership that you're proud of? Submit it here. And speaking of the ALSC blog, I am pleased to see posts about programming for kids with special needs. This post, the first in a series, has a lot of great information and ideas!

Many of you are involved with it already, but if you're wondering what the point of Twitter is, John Green's happy to give you an answer.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Bok bok bok revisited

As those who have worked with me could tell you, I have a soft spot for books about wacky chickens. I don't know what it is, but I'm drawn to them. So, of course, I put together a chicken storytime.

I'd posted about chicken books previously, but here's what I did this week:

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman - Every day of the week, something goes wrong at the farm. Luckily, there are chickens to put everything right again.

The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza - When Mr. Wolf decides to fatten up a chicken for some stew, his delicious gifts have an unintended consequence.

Hungry Hen by Richard Waring - Every day, the hen eats and eats and gets bigger and bigger. When the fox on the hill can stand it no more, he rushes in for his dinner but gets a surprise instead.

Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox - Hattie the black hen spies something lurking in the bushes, but none of the other barnyard animals care until she identifies it as a fox.

The Most Wonderful Egg in the World by Helme Heine (felt story) - The king will make one of the beautiful hens into a princess - whichever one lays the most wonderful egg. But how to decide?

Of course, we needed to sing and dance, so I also threw in a little Silly Dance Contest by the incomparable Jim Gill.

I turned The Most Wonderful Egg in the World into a felt story and that worked pretty nicely. I created felt pieces for the three hens, the king, a nest, the three eggs, and three princess crowns.

There are tons of great books about chickens out there, so here are some others you might consider:

This Little Chick by John Lawrence
Chicky Chicky Chook Chook by Cathy MacLennan
Dora's Eggs by Julie Sykes
Lottie's New Beach Towel by Petra Mathers
Minerva Louise by Jan Stoeke

Is this a... what day is it?

I feel like this blog's been radio silent for the past couple of weeks (although I suppose I've posted a few things since the 48-Hour Book Challenge). I do apologize. It's just that things have been totally crazy with New Job! and New Apartment! and I'm still not in my routine yet. I had a bunch of posts saved up from my hiatus, but I've posted them all now and these days it feels like a small miracle when I finish a book. ;)

So, what have I been up to?

Well, planning my trip to Chicago for ALA, for one. It'll be a whirlwind trip and I'll only be going to the exhibits on Saturday, but Travis isn't the only geek who ordered bloggity business cards. I ordered "free" ones from VistaPrint and was very happy with them. (You get 250 business cards free, but you have to pay for the shipping, which came to about $10.00.) The cards are cute and they arrived very quickly.

If you want one, you're going to have to track me down at ALA. I'm still trying to figure out my Twitter strategy, as it seems like Twitter would be a reasonable way for us bloggity types to find each other. (Anyone have ideas? And who's going, by the way?)

And I have been reading (albeit very slowly [or so it seems to me]). Last night I finished Eyes Like Stars, which was wonderful. I'll be posting a full review as part of a blog tour in early July, so stay tuned for that. And I'm in the middle of Fire, which is totally awesome.

Annnnd I listened to Nation, which is one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. Highly recommended if you have an upcoming car trip or a new, long-ish commute to work.

Summer Reading Club's been going well. We're super busy, of course... And on that note, I think I'd better put my sleepy self to bed. Coming this week: storytime about chickens and an Around the Interwebs post if I can find the energy...!

Cats and Dogs storytime

As y'all know, I recently started a new job at a new library. It's been great, but there's always an adjustment period at a new job, which is why I was so happy to get back to storytime last week! At my previous job I did storytime at least once a week, but with the job transition and summer reading starting, it had been over a month since my last storytime and I was having a little bit of withdrawal. So, what did I do for my first storytime at the new library?

I really wanted to use my new Bark, George! felt, so I did Cats and Dogs and it went swimmingly. Here's what I did:

Books read:

I started with the classic and perennial favorite Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion. Harry is a white dog with black spots and he hates taking a bath. So he buries the bath brush in the back yard and runs away. While he's playing, he gets dirtier and dirtier until he's a black dog with white spots! How will his family recognize him? This one is a surefire hit for storytime (but it's a little on the long side, so it might be a better choice where you've got a slightly older audience).

Next up, I threw in some cats with Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming. Of the three kittens, Boris is the stinker. No matter what Mama Cat and his siblings do, Boris naps. The kids love to chime in with "Boris naps" and you can have the kids dig in the dirt, sharper their claws, and wash their paws along with the cats in the book.

For another dog book, I brought out Hunky Dory Ate It by Katie Evans. No matter what foods are made, Hunky Dory is sure to grab some for himself. Spaghetti, tarts, steak... nothing is safe from his voracious appetite! And he pays for it with a stomachache and a trip to the vet at the end of the story. I love the rhymes in this book (especially when one of the kids exclaimed "This is a rhyming book!" It makes me want to cheer when they hear rhymes!) and the story is simple and funny.

And my last cat book was Have You Seen My Cat by Eric Carle. A boy is looking for his cat and he asks various people if they've seen one, but all the cats they suggest (a lion, a panther, etc.) are definitely not his! Kids enjoy identifying the wild cats and roaring along with each one.

In addition to the books read, we also sang BINGO with a felt glove one of my coworkers had made. It has velcro letters so that you can take off the "B", the "I", etc. as the song proceeds. This is great for letter recognition and most kids will know the song and enjoy clapping along.

And, of course, I also did Bark, George! as a felt story. It's one of my favorites and I love the surprise ending.

Great readalouds about cats and dogs abound. Some others you might consider for your storytime are What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems (I can never figure out exactly how to read the Pigeon books aloud, but the kids love them so...), Clifford's Kitten by Norman Bridwell, and Top Cat by Lois Ehlert.

Calling all Harry Potter Fans!

Did you know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out in paperback on July 7??

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a breathtaking finish to a remarkable series. The final chapter to Harry Potter’s adventures will be releases in paperback July 7^th! It all comes down to this - a final face off between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve.

And because I know there are so many Harry Potter fans out there, I was so pleased to partake in this HARRY POTTER GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the release of the 7th book in paperback, Scholastic is giving out prize packages of the 5th, 6th, and 7th books to five lucky winners!

That's right! Five of you will win a prize pack containing a copy of each of the last three books in the series. Have you reread them so much that your copies are falling apart? Know a kid who's just getting into the series and needs the last three books? Or maybe you took advantage of your fantastic local library to read the series. Or maybe you work at a library or school that could use an extra copy of the last three books.

Enter this giveaway by leaving a comment on this post. If you link to this giveaway somewhere, add an additional comment for an extra entry!

The contest will run through July 7 and I'll draw five winners (FIVE!) on July 8.

Good luck!