ACLA Youth Services

Talking Yams

2012-05-25T21:44:00.001-04:00

I found some talking yams in my living room and they started a book club that we're having this summer!

Reading together a thousand miles from home!

2012-05-25T11:21:00.003-04:00

Read with children a thousand miles away from home! The Sesame Workshop and the Nokia Research Center are in the process of creating a brand new technology that lets children read and connect to loved ones away from home. Story Visit combines video conferencing and connected story books, the child and adult turn the page at the same time. If the child points to something on his screen, the grown-up can see that on her screen too. Now families can read stories together even when they can't be in the same place.

Right now, Story Visit is still under development, but users are invited to participate in the beta version to improve the software. Visit the website for more information.

Check out two awesome video contests!

2012-02-09T12:47:00.004-05:00

Make a Movie. Make a Difference.

Take a Shot film competition is back! This year the contest, aimed at middle and high-schoolers, asks teens about something in Pittsburgh that has changed the world or how they can change the world. PopCity announced that the contest has returned for its second year, this time with $10,000 dollars to award to winning films.

Encourage your teen patrons to pick up a video or Flip camera and start filming! Not only did Pittsburgh change the world with the polio vaccine, but it also produced the country's library champion, Andrew Carnegie (what a great film topic!).

Not only are there video contest opportunities for teens, but there is a great one for librarians!

How are YOU handling the digital lives of tweens and teens at your library? The 2012 President's program at ALA Annual is a joint program between ALSC and YALSA, and is focused on the use of technology by teens and tweens. Create a short video about a program or experience with teens and technology. All entrants will be eligible for a $100 Amazon gift card and the winning videos will be shown at 2012 ALA Annual.

For more information and submission guidelines visit the ALSC blog post, "Check out the ALSC/YALSA video contest!"

A Great Opportunity for Professional Development

2012-01-25T13:11:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, you are always looking for professional development opportunities that are affordable, convenient, and applicable to your job. Look no further than Robert Morris University's Bayer Center for Non Profit Management.

I can vouch for their claim that they are a "comprehensive resource for education, consulting, coaching, research, and hands-on solutions for every aspect of nonprofit management," as I have attended and enjoyed two of their great sessions so far.

They offer courses in a wide variety of topics including leadership and management, marketing, fundraising, board governance, and technology (including Dreamweaver and web design clinics). They can even create a custom session just for you! The best part of all is the prices...most courses run about $40-$65 for a half-day session.

Believe me, it's worth the small investment. I was able to attended a private, one-on-one session with an instructor to build the Whitehall Children's Library website from scratch for only $50! Although I'm sure I've "junked up" all of the coding over the years, I think it still looks great!

So take a look at the course catalog if you're looking for opportunities outside of the library with instructors that understand the needs of nonprofits while offering new perspectives to library services.

Friends Forever

2012-01-12T22:42:00.000-05:00

I really, really like Carin Berger's 2010 title, Forever Friends, this time of year. It makes me think of Spring things and the whole wonderful year ahead. This is the story of a rabbit and a bird whose friendship lasts and lasts through Spring, Summer, and Fall. But bird flys away as Winter nears. Happily, Bird and Rabbit find that true friendship lasts no matter what the distance. This story is short enough to share with a group of preschoolers, but the subtle details and minimalist style of Berger's collages illustrations may be more appreciated by school-age children and caregivers or families. No matter who shows up for story time, the thought of flowers and bunnies and fireflies will put everyone in a happy mood...especially you!

Is there ever a time when there are too many friends around? Yes! When Ma just baked a plate of yummy cookies. Pat Hutchins classic, The Doorbell Rang, will have your audience giggling and moaning, Oh noooo! It is silly, quick, and light. I love hearing how my young patrons solve the problem of so many surprise guests (everything from cutting cookies into pieces to getting a bigger table). Most importantly this book is an excellent segue into post-story time refreshments. yum.

PROGRAM

Song
If You're Happy and You Know It...

Fingerplay or Rhyme

Five Friends
Five good friends went out to play.
It was a bright and sunny day,
One good friend said, "I can't stay."
Then there were four friends left to play.

Four good friends went out to play.
It was a bright and sunny day,
One good friend said, "I can't stay."
Then there were three friends left to play.

And so on...
From Friendship Theme

Books

Forever Friends, by Carin Berger

Elephants Cannot Dance, by Mo Willems

The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins

Activity

"Who Stole the Cookies From the Cookie Jar?" Chant

Then invite everyone to eat lots and lots of cookies!!! Make tissue paper flower bouquets to take home and share with a friend. They will remind everyone of Spring, too.

Draw Me a Story: A Century of Children's Book Illustration

2012-01-04T09:41:00.007-05:00

A new exhibit is opening at the Frick Art and Historical Center!

Draw Me a Story: A Century of Children's Book Illustration
will present a survey of drawing styles and techniques from the 19th-21st centuries. The exhibition, which runs from February 11 - May 20, 2012, will showcase 40 illustrations and 13 books.

Included in the exhibition are illustrations by Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, Maurice Sendak, Tomie dePaola, Chris Van Allsburgh, and many more.

The Frick will also open the exhibit Childhood at Clayton to complement Draw Me a Story. This exhibit includes artifacts from the museums permanent collection to examine childhood during the Gilded Age.

Both exhibits are family-friendly and include a variety of hands-on activities and programs.

Be sure to check out the website for more information!

2011-12-10T01:36:00.000-05:00

Tomie dePaola's 2011, Strega Nona's Gift, may not be his most magical Strega Nona story despite winning the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Perhaps, Big Anthony's antics aren't quite as spontaneous, the consequences of those antics quite as hilarious, or Strega Nona just doesn't really get 'm good this time for disobeying. In any case, it is as beautifully illustrated as any of his other titles and I chose to blog about it this week because it is about more than Big Anthony and magic gone wild.

Strega Nona's Gift unravels over the course of weeks, over the course of many feast days each with their own traditions and special meaning for the community. I like this. I like that DePaola reminds (or informs) readers that this a season of many holidays, many special days, and many traditions. And, this book reminded me that even one holiday tradition--Christmas--looks, smells, and tastes very different from one community or culture to the next.

No matter what special days or traditions our library patrons will be sharing this December and January, we can create inclusive programs and story times about the winter season of generosity and sharing. And to that end, most any Strega Nona title will fit the bill...after all, what storybook character creates greater feasts for more people than our beloved Strega Nona!

Stone Soup is one of my favorite stories for this time of year. Yes, it's about soup (an obvious cold weather tie-in) but it's also about sharing and the fine things that come of being generous with each other.

Jon J. Muth's version of Stone Soup is especially lovely. "Stone Soup" is traditionally a European folktale, but Muth sets his story in China, and his watercolor scenes seem to fade in and out of a drifting mountain fog.

In addition or instead of a winter craft, wrap up your program by inviting children and families to gather around tables where you have put out all of the play dishes and food that you can gather. Young children will eagerly jump into this creative play, and older children and parents will quickly get wrapped up in the task of sorting out dishes and utensils for everyone, "making food," and pretending to enjoy the delicious food that little ones dish up.

Happy Winter Holidays to All!

Kids Working Off Fines

2011-11-30T16:30:00.006-05:00

By Reading!

Kids at the New York Public Library had the opportunity to read away their fines this summer! This article, "New York scheme for 143,000 kids to work off library fines: Reading" describes how fewer and fewer kids are coming to the library, because they have too many fines. Jack Martin, the NYPL assistant director, noted that often when kids have fines, they are too embarrassed to come to the library, and are then less likely to take advantage of any library services. At NYPL, almost 143,000 kids have lost their borrowing privileges because of excessive fines. Read Down Your Fines at NYPL allowed these kids to take $1 off of their library fines for every 15 minutes of reading. What a great summer program!

Libraries across the county have also adopted this idea. The Solano County Library in California, has this program year-round. So does the Mamroneck Public Library and the Ossining Public Library in New York! Check out what these libraries are doing -- maybe this would work for you library?

"I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?"

2011-11-18T14:49:00.004-05:00

What do you like to read? Do you like to see yourself reflected in what you read? For the GLBTQ youth community, finding resources that reflect themselves can be difficult. Blogger Lee Wind's blog, "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?" is an excellect resource for these materials. The blog is composed of a collection of reviews, videos, essays, and insights to choosing and suggesting resources for queer youth.

The blog is for "teens (queer or not), for librarians, for teachers, for booksellers, for people with teens in their lives and for anyone interested in YA books with GBLTQ characters and themes." So, it is for EVERYBODY! The blog contains over 150 reviews that are organized thematically. It also won the 2011 Best GLBT Book Blog Award!

Check it out!

Family Time

2011-11-10T00:10:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving and that long (looonnngggg) weekend of family togetherness is right around the corner. There are alot of wonderful stories about families to fill up the holiday displays or to pull out for a program, but two new titles are especially nice. All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel, by Dan Yaccarino and Blackout by John Rocco.

All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel, by Dan Yaccarino (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011)

Brightly illustrated and clearly told, this may be the story of Yaccarino's family in New York, but it will ring true for a lot of Pittsburgh families, be they big or little, Italian or not. Yaccarino’s book does a concise and neat job of illustrating the passage of time, and showing those family relationships that can puzzle very young minds: grandparents, great-grandparents, great great grandparents?!?! Are you planning a family storytime for the holidays? All the Way to America will make a good read aloud for multiple age groups, and will spin off nicely into a “Draw your family” art activity. Is a patron working on a family tree this holiday season? Definitely recommend this book. It will be a great way to involve young family members in the project.

Blackout by John Rocco (Hyperion Book, 2011) is set in New York on a hot summer night. The power fails and a family (a whole neighborhood actually) finds themselves enjoying some simple pleasures. Told mostly through dramatic and provocative illustrations, you’ll have to picture walk through most of Blackout. But your audience probably won’t mind taking in this artwork. Blackout is a perfect tool to inspire questions about what children would do for a weekend without electricity. What would they do if the power went out over Thanksgiving? How could they cook? What would they do for fun? Children can ask grandparents and older relatives what they did during Thanksgivings of yore (What did people do before 24 hours of major league football? I can’t imagine.) z reminds us to not only turn off the distractions, but to tune into family time...time we often take for granted...and to get to know each other a little bit better. You never know, this title just might make someone’s holiday a little slower, a littler quieter, a little more memorable.

Some of 2011's Bests

2011-10-30T17:13:00.004-04:00

With the CCA 2012 shortlist coming out soon, let's look back on some great books published in 2011 for kids and teens.

Anya's Ghost, by Vera Brosgol is the story of first-generation immigrant Anya and her new friend, a ghost. It examines the problems of adjusting to a new culture and the pain and pressure of trying to fit in. Anya accidentally falls down a well and discovers a ghost who then comes home with her. Emily, the ghost, becomes Anya's confidant and friend, and begins offering Anya advice on clothing, dating, and school. A menacing turn will surprise readers and keep them engaged. This is a fast-paced story, both sardonic and touching, matched with equally impressive artwork, and a great read for young teens! Check out the book trailer below!

Okay for Now, a sequel to The Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt is a treat and a struggle. Doug Swieteck, an illiterate eighth grader moves with his family to a small town outside of New York City, where his dad takes a job in a factory. The story follows Doug as he learns to read and draw, make friends, and deal with very serious life issues. The story is tied to a parallel story about the economic role of a book of original Audubon bird prints in the town and are included as illustrations. Doug’s unfailing optimism in the face of unending conflict is heart-warming. Though Schmidt tackles too many themes for one book and ties in one too many unlikely storylines, this coming-of-age tale is exciting and sweet.

Seasonal Books: An Awesome Book of Thanks!

2011-10-30T15:56:00.004-04:00

While it's always fun to tie reading to holidays as a way of getting kids exciting, Thanksgiving is one of the most inclusive opportunities to do so. No one's excluded on the basis of religion or country of origin- and who doesn't love sitting around eating piles of amazing food?

Dallas Clayton's An Awesome Book of Thanks! celebrates the spirit of that cozy late-November day, and would be an excellent addition to storytime in the month leading up to Turkey Day. The gorgeous, vibrant illustrations accompany text detailing what the author appreciates, and the entire book is available online here:

http://veryawesomeworld.com/awesomebookofthanks/inside.html

A hardcover copy can be purchased online here:

http://store.veryawesomeworld.com/

Upcoming Online Workshops with ALSC

2011-10-26T11:15:00.000-04:00

A new batch of online classes will be getting underway in January. Find out more and register here.

Khan Academy - Great Resource to Know About

2011-10-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of Khan Academy? A few months ago, on my short drive into work, I heard an NPR story about a website that is possibly revolutionizing education, at least remote-education. The site's videos are all free (huzzah!) and are attracting teachers, students the content is even making its way into official math curricula.

But Khan has grown to much more than just math and is attracting an audience much larger than just kids struggling in math classes. I think it's this exact kind of resource we should be promoting on our library websites, in person to our patrons and families and eventually, in our NextGen catalog!

Here's a sample video on the Geithner Plan (which I didn't think I could really understand until I watched it!)

I Got Chills

2011-10-14T10:32:00.002-04:00

So e-content. We're all talking about it. There's even a big conversation happening in our region about increasing the econtent collection budget. Here's a short video that I think you will find inspiring about the first feature-length interactive book. It's by Al Gore and it's called Our Choice. While it's not a kids-book per se, it's definitely the direction where books are headed. At minute 2:40 the magic really happens. Wait for it. It gave me chills.

Also, for those of you who attended our recent econtent for kids workshop with Dr. Leanne Bowler and Lisa Dennis and asked for a longer session, and for those of you who didn't get a chance, at the upcoming PaLA SouthWest Chapter Fall Workshop next week will have 2 different opportunities to talk more about econtent for kids. More information here.

PA Young Reader's Choice Awards

2011-10-13T14:09:00.002-04:00

Last year, as we dove into the CCAs with excitement, we learned that the state of Pennsylvania, specifically the PSLA (Pennsylvania School Libraries Association) also offers a similar award state-wide called the PA Young Reader's Choice Award. Most of their audience seems to be in the north-east and eastern parts of the state however. Though a handful of school libraries in our area do participate. It's also broader; they have categories for YA, 6th-8th grade, 3rd-6th, and K-3rd. I'll be looking into the possibility of working together.

We are continuing with the 2nd year of the CCAs to allow kids in grades 4-7 in Allegheny County to choose their favorite book of the year and promote reading for fun with our AIU3 and Allegheny County partners. There are definitely some helpful resources on the website, including a PDF of ideas on great ways to promote a program like this. As you're speaking with your schools about this program, be sure to distinguish it from the state's program to avoid confusion.

Tucking Them In...An Autumn Storytime for Families

2011-10-10T06:00:00.029-04:00

This time of year, it is hard to find a more perfect book for story time than Denise Fleming's book, "Time to Sleep." It is such a good book in so many ways. It is simply and artfully told, attractively illustrated, and opens up dialogue about hibernation, animal homes, and signs of autumn. Whether you are looking for a book to integrate into a hibernation theme, want something to talk about on a nature walk with your child, or need a gentle bedtime book...You'll love reading "Time to Sleep," and your children will love hearing it over and over again.

Below is a very snuggly story time for children and caregivers of all ages...a lovely evening family program at the library (invite everyone to bring a favorite blanket or pillow). For parents and caregivers at home, it's an alternative to movie night. Bring out all your softest quilts and blankets, a mountain of pillows and build your own winter family nest!

PROGRAM:

Opening Rhyme

The Wide Eyed Owl

There's a wide-eyed owl,
with a pointed nose,
with two pointed ears,
and claws for his toes.
He lives high in a tree.
When he looks at you
he flaps his wings,
and says, "Whoo, Whoo, Whoo."

Use actions on each line that is appropriate.

Books

Time to Sleep, by Denise Fleming (Henry Holt, 1997)

Our Nest, by Reeve Lindbergh and illustrated by Jill McElmurry (Candlewick, 2004)

The Quilt Story, by Tony Johnston and Tomie dePaolo (Penguin Putman, 1985)

Hibernation Song
Tune: Are You Sleeping

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping
In the cave, in the cave.
I wonder when he'll come out,
I wonder when he'll come out
In the spring, In the spring.

Birds are flying, birds are flying
In the sky, in the sky.
I wonder when they'll come back,
I wonder when they'll come back,
In the spring, in the spring.

Closing Song or Rhyme

Where Is Bear?
(substitute any hibernating animal)
Tune: Where Is Thumbkin?

Where is bear?
Here I am.
Here I am.
How are you this winter?
Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep.
Go to sleep.
Sshhhhhh!

All rhymes and song courtesy of Mrs. Jones Room. Thank you!

Hi! My name is Anne Lee. I am a children's author, illustrator, and children's librarian (most recently with Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh). For other programs, reviews, and art activities please visit my blog: www.artfullytold.blogspot.com or my website www.anneleestudio.com

Things that Make Children's Librarians Cry

2011-10-03T16:26:00.000-04:00

Andie Mandel at PaLA 2011

Yesterday I listened to Andrea Mandel of Marple Public Library talk about her PaLA Best Practices in Early Literacy award-winning program at the PaLA Annual Conference. Grandma, Grandpa and Me is a Family Place program for grandparents and grandchildren designed to support grandparents that are the primary or part-time care-givers of the grandkids. Mandel came up with the idea when she started seeing a lot of older faces bringing children to storytime and other programs. investigating further, she discovered that the recent census data indicated that morw and more grandchildren are being raised by their parents' parents than ever before. The program helps grandparents connect with other grandparents and professionals who can provide valuable sevices to the development, health and growth of their grandchildren. As Ms. Mandel concluded her talk, she read a letter from a thankful grandparent and as she did, she soon began to cry and so did nearly all of us in attendance. Why? Because I really believe that successful librarians truly and deeply care about those whom they serve. They are always seeking the next area of service, the next need of their community, indeed, they are always trying to anticiapte those needs, and provide pro-active care and services.
I post this for two reasons. One, I'd love to know if any of you have thought about programs specifically for grandparents. I know Susan McClellan has done a great job with this, has anyone else? Would you be willing to share your story? And two, I wanted to just say how humbled and proud I am to be a small part of a community of caring service-oriented professionals like you, who are so dedicated to working for your patrons that you are, at times, brought to tears by the stories of lives being changed at the local library.

If You Couldn't Make the eBook and Apps Conversation

2011-09-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

We had a blast! Dr. Leanne Bowler from Pitt's MLIS program and Lisa Dennis, CLP Kids' Collection Guru (and teacher herself!) shared some valuable insights and impressions about econtent for kids - ebooks, databases and apps. It was a really interesting morning and sparked some great discussions and questions. Dr. Bowler brought 5 iPads for the librarians to play around with. It was pretty cool to see first-hand some ebooks and fun games created specifically for little ones like Pat the Bunny and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

Dr. Bowler

Lynn, Colleen and Debra exploring the iPad

Debbie and Rachel having fun with the iPad

Amanda, Leanne and Suzi discussing the iPad

Lisa sharing insights on ecollection development

There really are a number of complicated issues that surround building an econtent collection like evaluation, policies and devices. Dr. Bowler shared a number of eye-opening statistics like the fact that 1/2 of the 100 top-selling apps are for kids!

There are also so many unanswered questions about how growing up with econtent will affect kids' development and literacy levels. The most important point that Leanne made was that the message coming out of libraries needs to be this: read with your kids, in whatever format you like, but read together.

Lisa shared her take on developing an ecollection for CLP. She had interesting statistics as well: in August 2010, 23 ebooks for kids were checked-out. In August 2011, 210 ebooks for kids were checked out.

I realized after we were finished, there is a real need to create a longer day dedicated to talking about econtent in Allegheny County. Maybe next spring! If you can't wait until then, School Library Journal's 2nd Annual eBook Summit is happening on October 12th. I blogged about it a few months ago.

Also, there are 2 really valuable committees in Allegheny County where we need some KidLib representation. One is the Downloadables Committee. If you're interested in being on that one, please email Sarah Beasley at CLP. The other, is the Database Committee and you can email Dustin Shilling (Northern Tier) if you'd be willing to serve on that one. Because econtent for kids is really important stuff, we need some KidLibs talking with those groups!

Star Wars Crafts Recap and GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-19T15:00:00.006-04:00

Hey yinz. Adaena Tray here from Green Tree Public Library. Our library recently offered a Star Wars Crafts program for school-age children that was such a hit, I wanted to to share it here. Also, keep reading for your chance to win supplies to host your own Star Wars Crafts.

My inspiration for this craft program was The Star Wars Craft Book by Bonnie Burton. I found the book to have several kid-friendly crafts that could be done with larger groups and using supplies most libraries already own. There are currently 13 copies of this book in the catalog, so finding one shouldn't be a problem!

The crafts that we ended up doing were the Chewbacca tissue paper holder and the Yoda stick puppet.

For the Chewbacca tissue paper holder, I asked each kid to bring in his/her own square, upright tissue box (either full or empty). First, the participants used a thick paint brush to brush a layer of tacky glue onto their box. Next, the kids adhered pre-cut rectangles of brown fur fabric to the box, wrapping it like a present and leaving an opening at the top for the tissue to pop out. Then, they glued the pre-cut bandolier across his body and cut about ten gray squares to go on this belt. They formed their own eyes, mouth, and teeth from felt squares we provided. Lastly, they glued on a pom-pom nose. Since our library only owned a handful of scissors suitable for cutting felt, I asked that each participant bring in their own set of scissors. Parents were required to stick around for this program to help with the cutting; grown-ups had just as much fun as the kids!

We also did a no-sew, stick version of the book's Yoda finger puppet. All the templates are provided in the back of the book. Our volunteers cut out a whopping 72 Yodas! Pre-assembly is a must for this craft if you are working with little ones. Children started by coloring a popsicle stick green with a regular marker. Then, they sandwiched this stick between two Yoda felt shapes, gluing it all together using tacky glue. For this craft, each child received his/her own .66 ounce mini bottle of tacky glue, which I found at Joann Fabrics. Then they added an undershirt to Yoda's robe, trimming it from a square of gray felt. The robe itself was pre-cut, so they just went ahead and glued that on too. The nose and mouth were cut out by the children from green and red felt. A set of small googly-eyes completed our stick puppet Yoda.

Our first Star Wars Crafts program filled up so fast, we offered a repeat performance a few days later. However, as I'm sure you all can relate to, we had a bunch of no-shows and now are left with a slue of unused supplies.

In the spririt of cooperation and giving, I'd like to offer these supplies to another public library. So, I'm holding a STAR WARS CRAFTS GIVEAWAY. The winner of this giveaway will receive both example crafts, 20 cute sandwich bags of Yoda parts and 20 lunch bags filled with Chewie parts (including fur that sheds - be warned!) The only additional supplies that will be needed are: tacky glue, paint brushes, tissue boxes and scissors. These bags take up a lot of space, so unfortunately they wouldn't be able to ship through delivery, meaning the winner would have to drop by GTPL to pick them up.

To participate in this giveaway, please leave a comment on this blog post that includes your name, the library where you work and a short description of the best craft and/or craft program you've ever offered! The winner will be selected via a random number generator and will be notified via email.

Use the FORCE!

Catherynne M. Valente: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

2011-09-19T14:39:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite reading experiences this summer was actually not a reading experience at all. While I was pulling vintage 1980s wallpaper off the walls of what is now my new music room, I listened to the audiobook of Catherynne M. Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

Here's what you should know: everything about this book is remarkably endearing.

One day, a young girl named September finds herself whisked away from Omaha and into Fairyland by the Green Wind. What follows is a quest story that is full of so many unexpected and marvelous twists and turns that I hardly noticed my messy wallpaper task at all. I was completely caught up in September's new world.

Words that pop into my mind are: delightful, wonderful, joyful. But these words can be saccharine and aren't what I mean to say at all. Valente's book is filled with delight and wonder and joy in the old-fashioned, hushed sense of the words. Like a walk through the woods when the sun is slanted just right through the trees and that odd noise could be a deer, or a trick of the wind, or the strange laughter and music of an honest-to-goodness fairy circle.

Valente's Fairyland is fantasy, but it has more in common with old-fashioned Faerie stories or Tolkien than it does with the modern fantasy stories of Harry Potter and the like. It is surprising and challenging and very, very strange. Valente manages to create a sense of wonder that feels like it's from another time, and yet September is so relevant, so likable, droll, and modern, I'm certain kids of all ages and times will be able to relate.

Apparently, there are plenty of people out there who did not like this book. Well, that's why there's something for everyone, I guess. (For more on this, you can read the effervescent Betsy Bird's review and discussion of the divisive nature of Fairyland at her School Library Journal blog.) As for me, this goes into my 5-star top-ten for the year category. Hands down.

Also posted at Please Come Flying.

2011-2012 ACLA Youth Services Interns

2011-09-16T16:17:00.001-04:00

Hi! We're Caitie Morphew and Leah Picker, the new ACLA Youth Services Interns for 2011-2012. We made a short video to introduce ourselves- check it out below!

Leah is a transplant from Connecticut by way of Vassar College, and more recently, Brooklyn New York. Her favorite books as a child were The Velveteen Rabbit and Bulfinch's Mythology. She has an awesome grey tabby cat who will be assisting her in future book reviews.

Caitie is from Boulder, Colorado and a recent graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University. Her favorite books were Where the Wild Things Are, Pippi Longstocking, and Harriet the Spy. She loves to explore, geo-cache, and make crafty things.

Virtual Summer Reading Wrap-Up

2011-09-16T10:46:00.002-04:00

Since we cancelled our F2F meeting this year in light of a lot of other things going on, I collected some bits and bites about summer reading to share with you. The big ol' stat sheet of SRC 2011 isn't quite ready yet but I'll send out a blog post with a link to the wiki as soon as it is. But since we usually talk about some other issues around summer reading at this meeting, here are some great articles and musings that I've bookmarked to keep in mind as I think about SRC 2012:

I'm kicking around the idea of creating a county-wide online program booklet that would list all the cool things ya'll are doing for kids in the summer and I'd like to use something like Issu. Even if that doesn't materialize, I think it's a cool idea for libraries individually to consider for program guides.
I've been spending a lot of time researching other types of summer programs and New York/Brooklyn/Queens has a real interesting one going on.
A recent ALSC blog post by Abby Johnson from AbbyTheLibrarian highlighted some of the best posts on summer reading from around the blogosphere. Worth clicking on the links and seeing what others are doing!
Scholastic offered a national summer reading program this year. What I like about this program is the site itself, firstly. How fun, exciting and professional it looks! Very strong kid-appeal. I also love the ticker-tape on how many collective minutes have been read. How fun is that? And of course, the book covers across the top- it makes me want to dive in and start reading!
On the Jean Little Library blog there's a great post about the interesting things she does in her SRC.
Ann Arbor has a very different and expansive approach to a summer program. And as you might know, we're working with a group of libraries on a Pilot Project and are working on mixing up a program similar to this in 2012.
While this isn't a summer-specific program, I think there are a lot of takeaways from it. King County, who seems to often be on the cutting-edge of library service is at it again with a cool year-long reading program, Take Time to Read. The M Word blog wrote a great post about it here.
One of my favorite Children's Library bloggers, Eva Mitnik who blogs at Eva's Book Addiction blogged about summer reading programs and their goals, intentions and results a few months ago. She asks some hard, but vital questions that we too should be asking as we begin thinking about SRC 2012.
California Library Association has a state-wide outcomes-based approach to summer reading.

I've also gathered some best-practices/great ideas about SRC (and beyond!) from some posts I've been reading and here are some:

Share a weekly email update in the summer with library staff that shares that week's events, attendance, current registration numbers, reminders and questions that may have come up. This might get deeper staff buy-in when you ask for their help with your SRC.
Some libraries hold off on programs until a week after registration begins to allow a lot of energy to be spent on getting the word out.
Idea for a school visit: Watch back-to-back book trailers (from YouTube) and offer snacks!
Offer prizes/incentives for parents in the RTM group such as growth charts, night lights, outlet covers.
consider placing a self-checkout in the Children's Department - make it easy for families to check out stacks of books!
If you're not willing to throw Dewey out the window, try myriad displays! Studies show that when a library creates dynamic displays, upwards of 80% of circulation can arise from those spots.
In terms of collection development, get on board with the mentality of giving them what they want vs. pushing what you think they should want.
Get ruthless with your weeding! Some highly successful libraries (like Douglas County) have a policy that if it doesn't check out 7Xs a year, it's out!
Consider the bang for your buck! Do you spend hours and hours planning a 25-minute program? Take stock of what you spend your time on, especially in the summer, when time is of the essence!
Ask kids/tweens/teensto write 6-word reviews of books! Short, sweet and easy! Anythink does it!
Anyone want to share something that worked particularly well for you? Leave a comment!

Some food for thought as you recover from your summers. I look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming quarterly meetings and other special events. Find out more here.

Thinking About Giving Up Dewey?

2011-09-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

A short and sweet article about what one elementary school is doing. Red Hawk Elementary in Colorado (the same neck of the woods at the Anythink Libraries which use a system called WordThink to categorize their books) scrapped Dewey. Woa. I know some of you have done this by pulling out some collections in your children's department which I think is awesome!

Book Trailers

2011-08-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

I'm becoming more and more delighted by book trailers. These would be fantastic little items to plant on your website to get kids excited about books in a very different way. It's like someone else doing a really fun, high-tech booktalk for you! Here are few of my favorites:

And, there are schools and libraries all over who create book trailers themselves. It's become so popular that SLJ now offers The Trailee Awards! You can nominate a kid-created book trailer starting August 31st.