Family Book Bag

A Chat with the 2012 Newbery and Caldecott Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:11:00 +0000

School Library Journal visited with Jack Gantos, the 2012 Newbery winner of Dead End in Norvelt and with Chris Raschka, the 2012 Caldecott Winner of A Ball for Daisy. Click here for the interview:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newsletters/newsletterbucketextrahelping2/893427-477/a_chat_with_newbery_caldecott.html.csp

2012 Award Winners Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:40:00 +0000

On Monday January 23rd, the 2012 Youth Media Awards were announced at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, TX. This includes the annoucement of the Newbery Award (for the most outstanding American contribution to children's literature up to age 14) the Caldecott Award (for the most distinguished American picture book for children) and the Printz Award (for excellence in literature written for young adults, ages 12-18). 13 awards were announced in all. For a complete list of all winners, visit the press release, http://ala.org/news/pr?id=9108

He's baaaack!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Scholastic Books has announced the return of Captain Underpants!!! Lots and lots of kids have been eager for a ninth installment in the series, and now the wait is over. Well, not quite over. Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers won't be published until August of this year...so unfortunately that will be a little bit of a wait for anxious fans. The library will be purchasing copies of this book, but unfortunately the way our fiscal year runs, we will be unable to order the books until after July 1st. So besure take a peek at the catalog that month. The tenth book in the series, Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers is due out in January 2013.

To read the full announcement on Publisher's Weekly Book News, visit here.

Meet the Collection Monday- Young Adult Audiobooks

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Young Adult Librarian) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Is there anything better than kicking back in the car or on a plane or at home and listening to a great reader bring a story to life? Audiobooks can be so vivid and compelling, whether they are read by a full cast complete with sound effects or are more intimate productions with a single, excellent reader. Perhaps you've already discovered our audiobooks for children and adults, but have you found the Young Adult Books on CD collection yet? If not, you're in for a treat, and if so, you know that there are hundreds of fabulous audio versions of incredible YA books, from non-fiction to classics to contemporary. Find them upstairs in the YA section near the magazines.

If you're a fan of irreverent comedy/social commentary, you will love Libba Bray's Beauty Queens, and the audiobook (read by the author) is especially fun. Usually, authors simply cannot compete with the professional actors who bring characters to life in audiobooks, but a few know how to get just the right tone to tell their stories. Bray's reading of her own book is hilarious. In this Lord of the Flies/pop-culture parody, a plane caring contestants for the Miss Teen Dream pageant crashes on the way to the final competition. The survivors learn to work together as they build structures, hunt for food, accessorize jungle-style, and uncover a corporate conspiracy.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is, in my humble opinion, the best book ever, and the author's reading of it is divinity. Sherman Alexie's pitch-perfect reading will carry you laughing, weeping and hooting triumphantly through the hilarity, tragedy, irony and injustice that is Junior's life.

If Chuck Norris challenged Neil Gaiman to a fight, he would be so stunned by the author's rapier wit that his beard hairs would start to fall out. Then he would beg Neil to let him join one of his dinner parties and Neil would graciously agree, stunning Chuck yet again with his gentility. Then Neil would knock him out with a perfectly executed roundhouse kick to the face. In other words, Gaiman's a genius and his reading of The Graveyard Book is further proof of his brilliance. OK, Neil, we get it.

You may also love Terry Pratchett's magically hilarious Wee Free Men, read by Stephen Briggs, Patrick Ness' terrifying Knife of Never Letting Go, read by Nick Podehl, and Holly Black's fantastical White Cat read by Jesse Eisenberg. Yes, that Jesse Eisenberg.

And, as you'll notice from the pictures above, all the cutest author's write teen books. Look at them; they're so adorable!

It's Annual Book & Media Award Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

It's my favorite time of year again...when the American Library Association annually announces their book and media awards at their mid-winter meeting. This is when all the big-name awards for children's and young adult literature are announced at a HUGE press conference where we learn which books win the Newbery Award, the Caldecott Award, teh Printz Award, and many others. This is like the Academy Awards, but for librarians and the publishing world. Did you know that you can view this press conference live? All you've gotta do is go to: 2012 ALA Youth Media Awards for the LIVE webcast on Monday January 23rd, beginning at 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time! You may also scroll down to the bottom of the previously mentioned link for a listing of all of the awards that will be announced. I'm so excited!!!

The Joy of Books

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

I recently came across this amazing video on YouTube called "The Joy of Books". This is a very entertaining sketch of animated books located in a Toronto book store. Take a peek, it's lots of fun for all ages to watch dancing books come alive! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVcQnyEIT8

Happy New Year, China and Vietnam!

noreply@blogger.com (Holly, Youth Services Librarian) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:16:00 +0000

Attention to everyone age 5 and up: Join the Tigard High Asian Club to celebrate the Chinese and Vietnamese New Year on Saturday, January 21 from 1:30 to 3:00 in the Puett Room. We have so many fun activities planned, we'll be overflowing into the Children's Room! Make a dragon puppet, lantern, mask, and more. Learn calligraphy. Partake in yummy snacks, too!

Meet the Collection Monday: Juvenile CD-ROMs

noreply@blogger.com (Holly, Youth Services Librarian) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:56:00 +0000

We often get asked for video games at our library, and though we don't carry the games that go with video game consoles, we do have a collection of CD-ROMs for your PC or Macintosh. The Juvenile Multimedia CD-ROM collection is located between the Juvenile CDs and the Picture Book Kits right in front of the story time room. It consists of materials to meet the recreational, developmental, and informational needs of children from ages 0 to 11 with an emphasis on pre-school age. This collection includes but is not limited to educational materials supporting reading, math, science, languages, and typing; literature-based games; and interactive story books.

Often I will be sitting at the Children's Desk and kids go running straight past me. Even if their parents don't know where they're going, the kids know: directly to the game computers! The bank of computers next to the window, in case you don't know, are Early Literacy Stations; they are loaded with fun, educational games. I have done the best I could to buy the same games for the CD-ROM collection. Here is just a small selection:

Food For Fines

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

It's time for the library's annual Food For Fines! During the week of January 15-21, 2012, you may donate food to help lower your fines on your library card. For every two non-perishable food items, you can clear $1 of fines from your account up to $10. The food willb e donated to the St. Vincent DePaul food pantry in Tigard, which will distribute it to local families in need. For more information and details on acceptable food donations, please visit the library's news flash:
http://www.tigard-or.gov/library/news/111221_food_for_fines.pdf

Cuddle Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber, Youth Services Librarian) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

It's dark and wet outside. Just the time to sit down and make something soft and cozy! Come join us at the library for a snuggly crafting party. We will be designing felt quilt squares, stitching little pillows, and putting together fluffy pom-pom buddies. All the supplies will be here waiting for you.

Snuggle Up Creations
Sunday, January 15th
from 1:30-2:30
in the Puett Room

Ready Player One

noreply@blogger.com (Holly, Youth Services Librarian) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:04:00 +0000

I read a lot of kids' books, but I sometimes also take the time to read an adult book. And every once in awhile, I read one that I think our blog followers may enjoy and I just have to share. From Ernest Cline, the creator of the movie Fanboys, comes the novel Ready Player One.

It's 2044. Wade Watts (AKA Parzival) is 18 when he becomes a multi-billionaire. James Halliday, the creator of the Oasis, the virtual reality world where most people spend most of their time, died and left a will: whoever is the first to find his "Easter egg" in the Oasis will win his entire fortune. Halliday, who was born in the 1970s, had an obsessive nostalgia for everything 80s: video games, movies, music, TV, books, etc. So Wade Watts also develops this obsession. After years of searching, it finally pays off but not without an abundance of real and virtual life-threatening danger. (Don't worry, I didn't give away the ending by telling you that Wade is the winner; he tells you that at the very beginning of the book).

Between the references to all the things I loved about the 80s (and many things I never knew about), and the fast, exciting pace of the story, I could not put it down!

Library Best Practices

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Young Adult Librarian) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:49:00 +0000

The Oregon State Library has identified three best practices for services to youth (services to children outside the library, summer reading programs and early literacy training for caregivers) and compiled a list of libraries that excel at providing those services. It may not surprise you to find that Tigard Public Library is on that list, along with many other wonderful Oregon libraries. We live in such a beautiful and exceptional state!

Meet the Collection Monday: Young Adult Graphic Novels

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Young Adult Librarian) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Welcome to another Meet the Collection Monday! Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to our fabulous Young Adult Graphic Novel collection. YA Graphics live on the second floor of the library in, you guessed it, theYA section. This is a vibrant and popular collection with so much character you can almost feel it breathing as you walk near it. Though the collection is smaller than YA fiction, it circulates just as much. These books literally fly of the shelf! Peruse the collection and you will find a wide variety of formats, topics and styles. You will see wonderful stand alone biographies like the Printz award winning American Born Chinese, captivating and creative stories like the incredible Anya's Ghost, super hero comic characters like Batman and Runaways, adaptations of classics both new and old like Coraline and Merchant of Venice, and, of course, lots of manga (Japanese comics) like Bleach.

If you are new to the wonderful world of graphic novels, we are happy to offer recommendations. Besides the titles I mention above, I also enjoyed the hauntingly strange Salem Brownstone, the achingly true Skim, the genre-defying Watchmen, the bittersweet Twin Spica, and the ridiculously fun and revolutionary Plain Janes.

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I recently finished reading How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg. Growing up, we learn snippets here and there of famous people such as King Tut, Cleopatra, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Albert Einstein to name a few. We've learned why they are famous but rarely about their health and how they passed away. While the topic of death isn't always pleasant, this book informs readers on the lack of medical knowledge at the time when these people lived and how doctors tried to treat them. It's fascinating to learn what little medical knowledge existed back in those days to compared to today. Simple ailments today were a real bear to treat hundreds of years ago. To quote the text from the front book jacket, "From King Tut's ancient autopsy to Henry VIII's explosive demise to Albert Einstein's great brain escape, these pages contain all the gory details of the awful ends of nineteen awfully famous people."

Bilingual Spanish books

noreply@blogger.com (Holly, Youth Services Librarian) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:35:00 +0000

I'm a librarian nerd. I admit it. That's why I am SO excited to announce that we now have Bilingual stickers on our bilingual kids' Spanish books. We often get the question, "How do I find books in both English and Spanish?" Until now, we have always had to tell patrons to find books that have both English and Spanish on the spine. Just turn yourself sideways, practically upside down so you can get at the right angle to look for books that have both English and Spanish words. No joke. That really was about the easiest way to find a bilingual book in our Juvenile Spanish collection. Now we have a nice brown and white "Bilingual/Bilingue" sticker that is much easier to pick out just scanning the shelves.

Meet the Collection Mondays: Juvenile DVDs

noreply@blogger.com (Molly, Youth Services Librarian) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Our very popular Juvenile DVD collection contains educational, informational and feature titles for children up to age twelve. The collection consists of a varied selection of feature films including current movies and family classics, as well as collections of children’s programs such as Scooby-Doo, Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street and other popular offerings. Non-fiction titles include well-loved subjects such as animals, trucks and other vehicles, languages, music, sports and dance. One important difference between books and DVDs is that DVDs only check out for ONE week instead of three. So come on in and borrow some movies for FREE...but don't forget to bring them back on time!

Rose Bowl Viewing

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

We are going to have the Rose Bowl game turned on in the Community Room on Monday January 2nd.
Starting at 1:30 p.m. watch the Wisconsin Badgers vs Oregon Ducks on the BIG SCREEN in the Community Room. Stay for the whole game or drop-in anytime to check the score.

Study Abroad

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Young Adult Librarian) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Do you or your teen have questions about studying abroad while in high school or college? Then you'll want to join us on Thursday, January 5 from 5-6:30 in the Community Room for a panel discussion featuring students who have studied abroad and representatives of student exchange programs. Rotary identifies students to send abroad as early as the freshman year of high school, so it's never too early to start preparing your teens for their academic adventures!

Janet's Top 10 Children's Graphic Novel Picks for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Last year I blogged about my top 10 children's graphic novels published in 2010, which turned out to be quite popular. I'm back again with another list, this time for books published in 2011. These titles are listed in no particular order...just alphabetical.

Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity by Dave Roman, First Second Books.

This is like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, but in outer space. I look forward to more installments.

Bake Sale by Sara Varon, First Second Books.

I just loved this book. The characters based on real food are just adorable. My favorite part is when Cupcake is in the spa and his wrapper comes off. The recipes mentioned within the plot are included at the end of the book as a extra-special bonus.

Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking: A Toon Book by Philippe Coudray, Toon Books/Candlewick Press.

I love the slapstick humor in this. You only get the joke if you follow the visual clues…what a great way to combine text and art for young readers to learn visual literacy.

Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Predators by Discovery Channel, Silver Dragon Books.
The artwork in this book is so realistic, that so many images look like they are photographs. It's hard to believe that they aren't real pohotos. I’m just awe struck at the art.

Shakespeare Graphics Series by Various Authors, Stone Arch Books.
Shakespeare is really hard for me to grasp and understand. Finally I find a series of books based on his works that I can FINALLY understand. The text is literally translated into today’s English language and the images match the text so it all makes sense. If only I had this series back in high school!

Lewis & Clark by Nick Bertozzi, First Second Books.
Studying the Lewis & Clark trail is a huge part of the curriculum when I was in grade school. As a Native Oregonian, I was really impressed and intrigued with Nick’s research and graphically told tale with so much information I never learned when I was in school. This book give such a clearn real-life account of the conversations and conflicts that arose among the Corps of Discovery. This work is truly amazing!

Nursery Rhyme Comics by various authors, First Second Books.
I was blown away when I first saw this book advertized....long before I even had a copy in my hand. Once I got ahold of it, I was mesmerized after exploring so many cartoonists and artists with their artistic approach and distinctive styles to popular and famous nursery rhymes. I can just look through this book over and over and still be impressed.

Squish Series by Jennifer & Matthew Holm, Random House.
I planned to booktalk this book during my school visits after I told kids about the 2011 summer reading program here at library. But when the kids walked into the room and saw Squish #1, they all gravitated towards the book before I even spoke one word….the kids were that mesmerized about the book. Plus, it’s fun to see a character introduced in the Babymouse books who goes on to get his own series!

The Super-Duper Dog Park (Balloon Toons Series) by Aron Nels Steinke, Blue Apple Books.
I just love the cute and whimsical art in this book as the plot takes you on a fun filled day with lots and lots of dogs. I just love this companion book to The Super Crazy Cat Dance. What a fun book for beginner readers!

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, First Second Books.
What a fun space adventure. Ben’s creativity was a blast. Plus, I think this will even appeal to boys because of the outer space theme.

The Faces of George Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Young Adult Librarian) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:11:00 +0000

I just stumbled across a fascinating book in our fabulous juvenile biography collection. When most of us think of George Washington, we probably picture something like the image above- the famous portrait by Gilbert Stuart that also appears on the one dollar bill. But there are many other portraits of Washington and each is as varied as the skills and perspective of the artists. In May of 1798, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, a visitor to Mount Vernon (Washington's home), wrote that there is little likeness between Washington's portraits and the man himself, and Martha Washington agreed with that assessment. So, when the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and James Rees, the Mount Vernon site president, decided to create an exhibit to educate the public about our first president, they took on the challenge of creating three, accurate, life-sized wax sculptures of the man depicting him at three different times of his life: at 19, when he worked as a surveyer, 45, when he was a general, and 57, when he was inaugurated.

The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon by Carla Killough McClafferty illustrates how the sculptures came to life as realistic recreations of a man who was never photographed. Follow this account to see how artists used busts sculpted more than two hundred years ago and dentures built to fit Washington's jaw to digitally recreate the structure of his face at three different stages of his life. You will also learn astonishing facts about his life, and you may be surprised by the amount of misperceptions that have influenced our understanding of this founding father. Wooden teeth? No, not so much.

Share this book with your kiddos and the whole family will be amazed by what modern technology and research can reveal about history!

Meet the Collection Mondays: Juvenile Graphic Novels

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

It seems that many people are confused by the term "graphic novel" and think it is something risqué. Nothing can be farther from the truth. A graphic novel is a book format in which a narrative is conveyed using sequential art. Others may describe graphic novels as a book written and illustrated in the style of a comic book, where frames and speech bubbles tell a story.

This format holds great appeal for reluctant and struggling readers as much as it does for avid readers because the illustrations match the text in each frame. This format also helps improve language and literacy development because the illustrations provide valuable contextual clues to the meaning of the written word. For example: I had a hard time understanding Shakespeare when I was in high school. Today, a new series of graphic novels based on his plays have made it so incredibly easy for me to finally understand them now thanks to the clearer text and visual clues. Plus, many professional articles have been published within the last few years that support the use of graphic novels to increase children's literacy and vocabulary.

While graphic novels have been in existence for many decades, its acceptance in the United States as an important and popular format has only recently been recognized. These novels have primarily been published for adults and teens, now publishers are creating more and more graphic novels that are appropriate for children.

The term “graphic novel” here at the library is used to describe any book in a comic-like format that resembles a novel in length and narrative development. It covers a wide variety of genres and subjects such as adaptations of classic novels, science fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, horror, or superheroes. We even have titles in the collection that are published by popular religious publishers. In addition to graphic novels, other formats kept in the collection are:

Bound Comic Books: These are bound comic book compilations that contain a collection of previous daily comics such as The Peanuts, Garfield, and Calvin and Hobbes.

Manga: A Japanese “graphic novel”. It consists of highly stylized black and white drawings and is read in a manner opposite of traditional Western comics. Series examples include: Kingdom Hearts, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Peach Fuzz.

Cine-manga: A Japanese-style graphic novel that includes film/screen shots from an actual children’s television show or movie. Examples: Kim Possible, Lizzie McGuire, and Disney movie tie-ins. Unfortunately these have become out of print and I've been unable to replace them.

While a majority of juvenile graphic novels are written as works of fiction, publishers are now producing graphic novels with a non-fiction approach. We feel that many of these books do not contain enough content for the reader to acquire enough facts to assist them with homework assignments, so we keep them in the juvenile graphic novel collection and treated as though it is a work of fiction.

Be sure to check back later this week as I will reveal my Top 10 Children's Graphic Novel Choices for 2011!!

All Ages Anime

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Young Adult Librarian) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 19:05:00 +0000

Join us on Thursday, December 29 from 4-6 p.m. in the community for an All Ages Anime celebration! We will be showing the masterful Spirited Away (rated PG for some scary moments) on the big screen, playing Wii games, and sharing Japanese treats, crafts and New Years traditions. Fun for all ages!

The Perfect Pair: Beaumont and Catrow

noreply@blogger.com (Holly, Youth Services Librarian) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:07:00 +0000

I just stumbled upon a new book, Where's My T-R-U-C-K?, written by Karen Beaumont and illustrated by David Catrow. For me, they truly are the perfect combination of children's book author and illustrator. When I saw the two of them had paired up again, I just had to pick up the book, and I was not disappointed. The boy has lost his favorite red truck, and no other replacement will do. He looks up and down, inside and out, in drawers, under his bed, behind the shower curtain (behind which he finds quite a surprise, but not the one he's hoping for), in a tree, but the little red truck is just nowhere to be found. Every child will be able to relate to losing their favorite toy and after listening to this book, they will have at least one word in their repertoire that they can actually spell!

Great Early Elementary Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has revised it's popular bibliography Great Elementary Reads which features recommended book titles for beginning readers. The list contains recommendations titles for children who are just learning to read and beginning to read on their own. The books included were published between 2009 and 2011. The library carries copies of these titles and are available for check out.
Click on the following link to access the list: http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs/booklists/greatreads/greatearlyelemreads and choose a PDF that best suits your computer.

Portland Trail Blazers Summer Reading Schedule Update

noreply@blogger.com (Janet, Youth Services Librarian) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

For children and teens who participated in the 2011 Summer Reading Program at the Tigard Public Library, The Portland Trailblazers Summer Reading Schedule has finally been announced! Go to the link to find out which games you can get a ticket for using the voucher you received when you reached your Summer Reading Program goal.
http://www.nba.com/blazers/Summer_Reading_Program-272636-1219.html