Yes, Children's Librarians Can Read Grown-Up Books, Too

It is so easy (SO EASY!) to get wrapped up in all the reading that we need to do for our jobs. Children's librarians read through hundreds of picture books looking for the perfect storytime picks. On our off time, we're reading the newest chapter books, fiction, and nonfiction to get ready for booktalking, book discussions, and reader's advisory.

And I know there are only so many hours in the day. And I know that reading kids' books is fun and we do it because we love it.

But, it's okay (and good for us!) to take a step away from work and pick up a read that's just fun or interesting for us as adult readers. I have had the pleasure of reading some really great "grown-up books" this summer while we took a break from booktalking. I've found myself gravitating towards adult books over the past few weeks, which is probably also a blow back from last year's commitment to Newbery reading. And I wanted to share a few that I have really enjoyed this year.

I love to peruse Book Riot to keep up on what's being published for adults (they cover YA and middle grade occasionally, too, but this site is a gold mine for finding out about new adult books!). Most of my recommendations come from there, as well as from friends and the folks in my book club. I love audiobooks, and sometimes adult books can motivate me to work out more frequently since they're longer and require more of a commitment to listen all the way through.

Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey (Doubleday, 2015). This memoir of a British woman who developed a sudden extreme sensitivity to all forms of light gripped me and wouldn't let go. I kept picturing what my life would be like if that happened to me - to have to live periods of weeks or months in the pitch dark, to have to depend on my family and friends to make my life liveable, to be (ironically) too sick to travel to visit the doctors that could possibly help... This book reminded me of two memoirs I'd read and enjoyed previously: Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan and The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey.

The Martian by Andy Weir (Crown, 2014). Of course, you have probably seen this one around since the movie is coming out this fall. To me, it stands up to the hype. This was a book that, as I was reading it, I kept turning to The Fiance and telling him bits and pieces of it until he demanded that I stop until he could read it, too. It's a rip-roaring science fiction adventure story with plenty of actual science and a great voice (I am a sucker for a great voice).

Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming (Dey Street Books, 2014). Ahh, you see a trend here. I am a big fan of memoirs, and celebrity memoirs are my guilty pleasure. This one was an especially appealing audiobook (read by Alan Cumming) and a great blend of fluffy celebrity tidbits and a more serious storyline about Cumming's journey to uncover secrets about his family.

The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (Atria Books, 2015). I have read some of Sy Montgomery's science books for kids and I really like her writing. This book details her experiences getting to know and love the octopus. It's a great choice for anyone who likes nature and science writing.

Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line by Michael Gibney (Ballantine Books, 2014). I listened to the audiobook of this title right when I really needed a motivating walking book and this definitely fit the bill. The entire story takes place over 24 hours as sous chef Michael Gibney gives readers the inside scoop to the restaurant scene. Listening to this book was like watching an episode of Top Chef.

An Untamed State by Roxanne Gay (Grove Press, 2014). This is a book that starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the riveting conclusion. While visiting her wealthy family in Haiti, Mireille is kidnapped and brutally abused. This book is about what happens to her and what happens after. How does a strong woman cope with being broken and trying to put the pieces back together? This is definitely a heavy read, but an important and redeeming one.

What great adult books have YOU read lately? I'd love more suggestions!

Mother Goose on the Loose Kickstarter

Friends, Mother Goose on the Loose needs our help to create these amazing home kits! Please consider backing their Kickstarter campaign to make these kits a reality!




I LOVE Mother Goose on the Loose.

When I was just starting in my current job, our amazing Indiana State Library Youth Services Consultant brought Betsy Diamant-Cohen to several locations throughout the state to provide her Mother Goose on the Loose training to youth services librarians.

At the time, my library had never offered a consistent baby storytime. We had tried once or twice, but none of us felt confident about it. I had offered a baby storytime at my previous library, but again, I did not feel super confident about it. I didn't know what to DO for babies at storytime. I didn't know how to talk to parents. The babies didn't appear to be listening, they wouldn't sit still, I got through all the materials I'd planned in like 10 minutes and then what were we supposed to do?

The Mother Goose on the Loose program gave me a structure to work with. In our training, Betsy demonstrated an entire program, having us participate like parents would. She shared planning materials and tons of resources with us.

Truly, I believe that our Mother Goose on the Loose training made me a better librarian. It gave me the confidence to try. We started offering weekly Mother Goose on the Loose storytime in 2010 and it's one of our most popular programs. Would I have probably stumbled into a successful baby storytime eventually? Sure. But because of Mother Goose on the Loose, baby storytime is one of my very favorite things.

Mother Goose on the Loose has also transformed the lives of our patrons. I see them blossom as they come back every week for storytime. I see them start to sing along with our songs, I see their confidence grow as they pull Humpty Dumpty off the board.

I know MANY of my Mother Goosers (as I call them) would LOVE to have one of these take-home kits. Parents already report to me that they play at Mother Goose on the Loose at home, but I know that it would be difficult to purchase the appropriate materials for home use (often the bells, scarves, etc. come in sets of 12 or so, which would be overkill!). This would give them the appropriate materials to really make this early literacy program part of their daily routines.

PLUS, what a great baby gift this would make!!!! If nothing else, think of all your friends who have babies or might have babies. Pair this kit with a schedule of their local library's baby storytimes for a truly awesome baby gift.

But first, we have to make it happen! Please consider donating to the Mother Goose on the Loose Kickstarter Campaign.

Enchanted Air

Enchanted Air: A Memoir by Margarita Engle. Grades 4-7. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, August 2015. 193 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Booktalk: 

Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her mother is Cuban, her father is American, and from the first time that Margarita set foot on the island of Cuba, she knew that Cuba was a place where she could really be her true, authentic self. Cuba is a beautiful island, full of lush, vibrant flowers and interesting animals. Margarita sees is as a fairy tale kingdom and she loves her family there and the stories they share.

Back in America, Margarita feels like she doesn't fit in. She's smart and skips a grade, making her younger than her classmates. She identifies more with books and stories than with people. She constantly longs for summer to arrive so her family can travel back to Cuba, back to where Margarita really feels like she belongs.

But when revolution breaks out in Cuba, Margarita's worlds collide in a terrible way. The United States and Cuba are at war and Margarita fears for her family and for the island that she loves. Will she ever be able to visit her fairy tale island again?

My thoughts:

What a beautiful book!

This memoir in verse shows a child's-eye view of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis with author Margarita Engle caught in the middle of it. In spare prose poems, Engle is able to convey strong emotions and she clearly illustrates the connection that she has with Cuba and her family living there.

Engle paints a picture of growing up with two cultures, two languages, two ways of seeing the world. She first learns that teachers can be wrong when she draws a picture of Cuban trees blowing in the wind and her teacher says "REAL TREES DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT." And Margarita realizes that she has a unique worldview, that not everyone can see the things she sees.

The child's experience of the conflicts between America and Cuba are authentic. Engle really writes from her child self's point of view. Young Margarita doesn't always know what is going on. She knows that her family is watching the news more than ever before. She knows her family is in danger and that she may not ever be able to go back to Cuba, but she doesn't really understand why. It shows the senselessness of war, which continues to this day.

This is a luscious book and a valuable perspective to share with children. I learned this year that some of our middle school students are required to read memoirs as one of the genres they explore and I'll be excited to bring this one to their attention this school year.

Readalikes: 

As I was reading, I kept thinking of the excellent memoir in verse Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. I think there are many similarities: carefully crafted sensory writing, the experiences of young girls growing up in a tumultuous time and caught between two cultures, obvious love for the places of their youths.

Two fictional books about children growing up in Cuba and then experiencing life in America via Operation Pedro Pan (which brought children to the US to escape the violence in Cuba during the revolution) are The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and 90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis.

And, of course, readers may also enjoy reading Margarita Engle's historical novels in verse, particularly knowing more about the author's heritage and relatives.

Added to the Booktalking Roster #1

The great thing about booktalking each school year is that we can repeat a lot of the books for different schools and for the new groups of kids we'll see as they're rising up through the grades. But it's always great to add new titles and keep things fresh (and expose teachers to new books they might not know about yet!).

As I'm reading, I'm always taking note of books that I'd like to add to my booktalking roster. These are books I'm super excited to share with kids and know I will enjoy booktalking. If we can, I like to order multiple copies of these titles so that we ensure we have enough copies when we share them with, say, hundreds of middle schoolers or if we have three third grade teachers who all want the books checked out to their classroom.

Here are some 2015 books I'm adding to my booktalking roster for the 2015-2016 school year:

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Phillip Hoose (Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux, 2015).
Read my booktalk for The Boys Who Challenged Hitler here.
I'll booktalk it to grades: 7 and up.
Why it's awesome: This is an edge-of-your-seat true adventure story about kids who resisted the Nazi regime in Denmark. World War II stories are perennially popular and this is one that our kids may not be familiar with.

Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015).
Read my booktalk for Enchanted Air here.
I'll booktalk it to grades: 4-6.
Why it's awesome: I'm on a quest to booktalk memoirs to one of our middle schools because the kids last year said they didn't like memoirs. I think they just need to know about the great memoirs that are out there! This is a beautifully written book, reminiscent of last year's Brown Girl Dreaming, which was a booktalking hit with last year's students.

Harriet the Invincible (Hamster Princess #1) by Ursula Vernon (Dial Books, 2015).
Booktalk coming soon!
I'll booktalk it to grades: 3-6.
Why it's awesome: This highly illustrated story will appeal to young comics fans, it's super funny, and it features a kick-butt princess heroine.

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (Algonquin Young Readers, 2015).
Read my booktalk for The Jumbies here.
I'll booktalk it to grades: 4-6.
Why it's awesome: Our kids can't get enough scary stories and this one fits the bill nicely. It's a great readalike for The Doll Bones by Holly Black, which has already been a hit with our upper elementary students.

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm (Scholastic, 2015).
Booktalk coming soon!
I'll booktalk it to grades 4-6.
Why it's awesome: Jenni Holm has a built-in fan base, comic books are always a hit, and I think this newest book will be an especially big hit with Raina Telgemeier's many fans.

Terrible Typhoid Mary by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015).
Read my booktalk for Terrible Typhoid Mary here.
I'll booktalk it to grades 5-8.
Why it's awesome: This is gripping nonfiction that reads like fiction and will keep readers on the edge of their seat. I'm always looking for nonfiction to booktalk and this is a great choice for middle schoolers.

Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins (Charlesbridge, 2015).
Read my booktalk for Tiger Boy here.
I'll booktalk it to grades: 4-6.
Why it's awesome: This book is a great choice for young animal lovers, and it's a shorter chapter book that will still appeal to our younger middle school students. I feel like I always bring these BIG THICK books, so it'll be nice to have a slimmer book in my repertoire for the upper elementary set.

The Way Home Looks Now by Wendy Wan-Long Shang (Scholastic, 2015).
Read my booktalk for The Way Home Looks Now here.
I'll booktalk it to grades: 4-6.
Why it's awesome: This is a story with plenty of sports action that will please our many baseball fans. It's also a touching family story and parts of it are based on events from the author's childhood.

I'd like to make this a regular feature and share books I'm excited to booktalk, so look for more posts like this soon!

How about you? Any books you're super excited to booktalk or share with kids this school year??

ETA: More posts in this series:

Added to the Booktalking Roster #2 (January 2016)

Debriefing the Summer Reading Club at the ALSC Blog

Today, I'm over at the ALSC Blog, talking about how we debrief our Summer Reading Club. Do you dedicate time to reflecting on and discussing your successes and the things you could improve about your Summer Reading Club? What kinds of things do you talk about? What changes have you made?

Click on over to the ALSC Blog to check it out and add your two cents!

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall by Anita Silvey. Grades 4-8. National Geographic Kids, February 2015. 96 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

What it's about:

Jane Goodall was a born scientist. Even as a little kid, she found herself carefully observing and thinking about the world around her. Jane was fascinated by the world of animals and she spent her time watching chickens lay eggs, teaching her dog tricks, and forming a society for animal-lovers at her school, She dreamed of working with and studying animals.

After she graduated from school, Jane was given the opportunity to travel to African to stay with a friend who was living there and she worked hard to make it happen. While she was there, Jane met Louis Leakey, a scientist who gave her a job as secretary but had another project in mind for her. Leakey thought Jane would be the perfect person to study chimps. She was hardworking, patient, and willing to brave Africa's dangers in the name of helping the animals.

Jane made many important discoveries that we may take for granted today. She was the first to observe chimpanzees using tools, which rocked the scientific world. Previously, scientists had used tool-making as a way to distinguish humans from animals.

Throughout her life, Jane made many important discoveries and she worked hard for animal welfare. She got to live the life she dreamed of: a life of adventure dedicated to helping animals.

My thoughts:

This is a beautiful biography. Jane Goodall's story is an engrossing tale of adventure and animals and this book is perfectly suited for young animal lovers. There is just the right amount of side information provided, which includes facts about animals Jane saw in Africa, little bios of the chimps she observed, and information about people and projects that Jane worked with.

The photographs included are amazing. Most are full-color and they show Jane at work in Africa as well as all manner of animals and many of the chimps she worked with. The layout is thoughtfully put together, as well. Anita Silvey describes Jane's manner of observing animals while staying protected in the foliage so she wouldn't intrude on the animals. The book is designed to emphasize that point. Background illustrations of African plants (identified in the beginning of the book) add splashes of color and the feeling of observing from the plants without detracting from the text. The titles and captions are all done in shades of green and brown and yellow, imitating the African landscape as Jane would do in her green and brown clothing. A timeline of Jane's life is laid out as leaves on a vine. It all feels organic and matches the content of the book.

Readalikes: 

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks. This graphic novel gives an overview of the works of these female scientists. Both Fossey and Galdikas are mentioned in Untamed, so this book may be of interest.

Light Shining Through the Mist: A Photobiography of Dian Fossey by Tom L. Matthews. This is another biography of a female primatologist with stunning photos.

Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes by Pamela S. Turner. Many of the Scientists in the Field series involve scientists working to save animals, and any of them would be good suggestions for young scientists who love animals. In particularly, this title features primates in Africa and may appeal to kids who are interested in the work Jane Goodall has done.

Animals Welcome: A Life of Reading, Writing, and Rescue by Peg Kehret. This memoir is another good suggestion for animal lovers. Although Peg Kehret did not traverse the globe to observe animals, she has rescued many and turned her home and property into a wildlife refuge.

Family Book Club

This year, the ladies of my family are doing something we've been meaning to do for a long time: we've started a book club. The idea came about last year, but of course I couldn't commit to a book club during my Newbery year. Once my Newbery work was done, we decided to get started and it's been a lot of fun!

It's fun to have an excuse to put a social event on the calendar and make sure we get together. We're all book lovers and we're taking turns hosting the book club at our homes, so it's been fun to get together just to talk about books.

We typically read adult books (occasionally a YA book, too), which I love because it gives me motivation to pick up books that are not for work. Yes, even children's librarians deserve some time to read something that's not directly related to work (YES, we do). And since we try to share suggestions for our next book at our meetings, it encourages me to stay on top of what's coming out that I would be interested to read.

Since we're a new book club, we're still kind of feeling out the types of books that we all enjoy, so we've read quite an eclectic selection so far. Here's what we have all read and discussed:

• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
• The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (of course!)
• The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
• Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
• A White Wind Blew by Markert

And our next read coming up is The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly. 

So far, our biggest "problem" has been that it's hard to decide what to read next. We don't really like the idea of taking turns choosing because we're all wary of choosing a book that no one likes, so we have each been bringing suggestions. But then all the suggestions sound good or no one wants to choose. This last time, we wrote all the suggestions on slips of paper and drew one out of a hat!

Are you in a book club? What have been some of your group's favorite books to discuss? 

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Petersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose. Grades 7+ Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, May 2015. 208 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Booktalk: 

During WWII, in 1940, Germany took control of Denmark. The Nazis basically seized Denmark and called it their "protectorate"and the government of Denmark said, "Okay." They rolled over and let Germany take over. Now, in Norway when Germany tried to take control, they fought back against the invading soldiers. And they didn't win, but they at least took a stand. But the government of Denmark didn't want to risk its citizens' lives, so they didn't resist.

And this made some Danish people very angry.

One of these people was Knud Peterson. He was fourteen years old when Germany took over and he thought that was garbage. He looked at Norway's response and thought Well, at least they stood up for themselves! They let the Nazis know that they were not okay with occupation!

But the adults in charge had let Germany in. And Knud was just a teenager. What could he do?

It turns out, he could do a whole lot. He and his brother Jens got together some like-minded classmates and they decided that they would start a resistance movement. They would do whatever they could to stop or slow down the Nazi soldiers.

At first, they did things like messing with the German directional signs that told soldiers where to go and defacing German property and the property of known Nazi sympathizers with their symbol of the resistance movement. As their ranks grew and they became more experienced, they seized German weapons and set fire to buildings and railcars.

They called themselves The Churchill Club. They awakened the nation of Denmark. They started the resistance movement. And all before they graduated high school.

My thoughts:

This is a gripping true adventure story that will have wide appeal with kids. Much of the story is told in Knud Petersen's own words, collected through hours of interview and hundreds of emails, which gives the book an authentic voice and brings the reader right into the action. And the action is nonstop. These brave kids had a fire in their hearts and they would stop at nothing to save their country from the Nazi invasion.

This story is truly a testament to the power of teens to make a difference in their world and this is an engaging and inspirational story that needs to be widely read. Hoose follows Knud's story through the formation of the Churchill Club to their eventual arrest and the aftermath in the later years of the war. Archival photographs and documents throughout the book help bring the time period and events to vivid life.

Back matter includes an epilogue, detailing life for the players after the war, an extensive bibliography, and source notes.

WWII books are popular anyway, but this story featuring actual teenagers performing extraordinary acts of courage is a sure winner. Don't miss it.

Readalikes:

For another gripping nonfiction book about courage and resistance in the face of oppression, pick up Steve Sheinkin's excellent The Port Chicago 50, also set during WWII but on the American homefront.

Readers interested in learning more about the actions of youth during WWII may like Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.

Those interested in more stories of resistance during WWII may like Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport or the historical novel Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus.

Comic Book Workshop: Guest Post from Ms. Teresa!

Today, I am so happy to turn the mic over to one of my awesome librarians, Ms. Teresa. She ran an awesome Comic Book Workshop this summer, which brought in a great crowd of tweens, an age that's been hard for us to reach. Recently, Bryce posted about a similar program she did at her library: Make a Graphic Novel. I'm excited to share Teresa's take on the same idea!

~*~*~*~

Hi, all! My name is Teresa Scherping, and I have the pleasure of working as a children’s librarian for Abby the Librarian herself.

Program planning for the Summer Reading Club can be a challenge. I want something that will get kids in the door, won’t take a ridiculous amount of prep during an already busy time, and will maybe even relate to our theme. Since this summer’s theme is Every Hero Has a Story, I thought that it might be fun to do a program for upper elementary kids about making comic books. A lot of our young patrons love graphic novels, and we also get a lot of requests for drawing books. Plus, an open-ended art program sounded simple, flexible, and creative.

I did want someone to provide some sort of instruction at this program and offer tips and pointers about drawing comics or cartoons. Unfortunately, I don’t have any training in art. Fortunately, we’ve formed relationships with local teachers who do! I contacted one of our patrons, a local art teacher who has regularly checked out collections of books from us for her classroom, and she said she’d be happy to help.

The afternoon of the program, I set out blank white paper, pencils, rulers, staplers, markers, and crayons on long tables in our small programming room. I also pulled books from our collection on comics and cartoons and spread them around on the tables for inspiration. I had looked through some of the books beforehand and made copies of pages that I thought might be helpful, such as different ways to draw cartoon eyes or a chart of drawing challenges in case kids were stumped.

When our teacher arrived, she came prepared with a handout of cartooning basics, an example comic she drew herself, and many pages of blank comic panels that the kids could draw in. She had the kids do a little free drawing while everyone got settled. Then she went over the basics of making a graphic story, like establishing character and setting and expressing exaggerated emotions. She had a lot of great tips!

While the kids were working on their comics, she went around and asked each one about their idea and how they were planning to implement it. She was very positive, and you could see the kids opening up and wanting to share. She also encouraged them to share their drawings and ideas with each other to get feedback. She got them talking about comic books or graphic novels they like to read and continued to teach to the whole group as needed.

Altogether the program took about 50 minutes, with some engrossed comic artists staying a little longer as I started to clean up. We had 16 kids who seemed to all be in the 3rd-5th grade age range we specified. This was a great turnout for us, especially for this age! I look forward to building off of this success with future programs featuring art or graphic novels. If you’re looking for a low maintenance program for tweens and you know someone with some cartooning knowledge, I highly recommend giving something like this a try.

Moon Bear

Moon Bear by Gill Lewis. Grades 4-7. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 2015. 384 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Summary:

When Tam's family is forced to move from their mountain home in Laos to a village in the lowlands, they are told that they will have a better life. They will have schools and doctors and electricity. But almost immediately, Tam finds himself having to travel to the city to work and send money home to his family. He's given work at a bear farm, a place where bears are kept in tiny cages and "milked" for their bile, a substance that is used in traditional Chinese medicine. As Tam begins to care for the bears and realizes what a terrible situation they're in, he knows he needs to do something. But what can one boy from the mountains do to make a difference?

My thoughts:

This was a hard book to read sometimes, but it's an important story and I'm glad I did read it.

I was interested in the details about Tam's life in Laos, both in his mountain home and in the city. We see how the people in charge casually manipulate those beneath them. Bombs left over from the Vietnam War are still scattered in the fields, the people with money and power easily cheat those with nothing. But one person can still make a difference and even small differences can lead to real change.

This book brings to light several issues of which young readers may not be aware, including the treatment of village populations when Progress wants to make its way through their home and, of course, the farming of bears for bile. I think this is a title that will particularly interest young activists and those wanting to know more about political and environmental issues in the world around them. Tam, a child with no power to change the fate of his family and fellow villagers, chooses to make a difference where he can: speaking up for the bears who have even less of a voice than he does.

Gatekeepers should be aware that there are some scenes depicting the treatment of the bears that might be upsetting to sensitive readers, particularly animal lovers. It's nothing that feels out of place in the story, but just be aware.

Readalikes:

Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins is another story about a boy choosing to make a difference for endangered animals (be aware that Tiger Boy is a bit of a gentler story).

The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney. This book also features a child caught up in the political issues of her country, affected by war, and trying to figure out how to make her way in an unfair world.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. This book also features a child who loves animals and is willing to face scary adults to do what's best for the animal he loves.