I started


Next, I read Alfred's Nose, a quirky little picture book. I wish that it was a larger size and that all of the pictures were nice and clear. The kids liked this one, but who doesn't like dogs? The story's a little strange, but it's the pictures that make it fun. Alfred is a dog with a round head, a flat nose, and a tongue that sticks out all the time. When he finds a box of costume animal noses, he tries them all on to find one he likes better than his own.

Then I read Ducky by Eve Bunting. The story's based on the true story of the shipment of bath toys that crashed in a storm and drifted up on beaches in Alaska and the Pacific northwest. The story itself is written from the perspective of one of the plastic ducks, alone and afraid as he bobs along in the ocean. The language is a little young for most of the kids in the group, but I read the author's note before I read the story and explained that it was based on a real event. That seemed to hold their interest pretty well.
Last, but certainly not least, I finally read Don't Take Your Snake For a Stroll by Karin I

They all seemed to go over well, but the big surprise for me was that the kids requested that I bring Big Plans next time. I read it last month and I didn't get a big reaction from them, but it must have stuck in their minds! That was the first thing they asked me when I got there: "Did you bring Big Plans I Say?" And as I was leaving they asked me to bring it next time. As any librarian knows, it feels really good to introduce kids to books they like and remember!