Abby the Librarian

The Fault in Our Stars

2012-01-25T11:07:00.001-05:00

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Grades 8 and up. Dutton, January 2012. 318 pages. Reviewed from purchased copy.

** There are no spoilers in this post, unless you count knowing that the book is amazingly awesome as a spoiler. If you do... um.... sorry. **

Um. Actually. This isn't really going to be a review. Sorry.

I have loved John Green since grad school. I read Looking for Alaska back before it won the Printz, back when I let the YALSA-BK listserv tell me what teen books to read (certain friends of mine are chortling at that). I stuck by him with An Abundance of Katherines. I was fairly diligent about watching the Brotherhood 2.0 videos and I was even IN one in 2007:

(Side note: Can you believe that I was at a John Green reading/signing with less than 30 people? It kinda seems unimaginable now...)

Anyway, this is all to say that I have been a fan of John Green for a long time. And my true confession is that I have always thought I liked him more than I liked his books.

And that all changed with The Fault in Our Stars. This book was freaking amazing. It's smart and witty, but it doesn't feel pretentious. In fact, it pokes fun at pretentiousness. The characters felt so real to me that I truly believe that this was John's homage to his Nerdfighters and the kids he's worked with an spoken with other the years. I honestly feel that this book is a gift from John to his readers.

And part of that gift has been the whole The Fault in Our Stars experience. As you probably know, John decided to autograph all 150,000 copies of the first printing. Preorders for the book piled up so quickly that the publication date was moved up (it was originally slated to publish in the spring - May, I believe). Even though my blog has a label called "my undying love for John Green", I wasn't certain I wanted to buy his book because, as I've said before, I've had mixed feelings about his previous books. But everyone was so excited about it and I wanted to be part of the excitement, so I preordered it.

From getting excited about preordering the book, the cover reveal (which I like more in person... it's so shiny...), the Twitter hashtag, wondering what color signature I would get (green), eagerly tracking my book as it shipped, sympathizing with those unlucky souls who didn't get theirs on the release date... Reading this book has definitely been an experience.

This was the right book for which to create a hoopla. It's my favorite of John Green's books so far and it's plain (to me) that he's poured his soul into writing this book and making it the best book it can be.

I can already tell you that this will be one of the best YA books of 2012.

Thank you, John Green.

The Berlin Boxing Club

2012-01-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow. Grades 7 and up. HarperTeen, 2011. 405 pages. Reviewed from ARC snagged at ALA.

Summary from publisher via GoodReads:

Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But to the bullies at his school in Nazi-era Berlin, it doesn't matter that Karl has never set foot in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by relentless attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth to everyone around him.

So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, Karl sees it as the perfect chance to reinvent himself. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but as Max becomes the mentor Karl never had, Karl soon finds both his boxing skills and his art flourishing.

But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. Karl longs to ask his new mentor for help, but with Max's fame growing, he is forced to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, leaving Karl to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?

World War II is a hot topic among teens and The Berlin Boxing Club is a welcome addition to library shelves. As Germany barrels along towards World War II, propaganda against the Jews increases and new laws make life harder and harder for them. Robert Sharenow brings these injustices to life through his story. Karl has to switch schools when his school expels all Jews and he has to sneak around with the girl he's courting because she's Catholic. By creating a Jewish family that's not religious, Mr. Sharenow emphasizes that the crimes of the Nazis were aimed at people of the Jewish ethnicity, not necessarily an attack on religion. Since Karl does not look Jewish, he's able to "pass" some of the time, unlike his father and sister. Karl's a character that teens will identify with and this makes these injustices all the more sour.

Besides being a fascinating historical story, this is also a strong sports story. As Karl starts his training and gets better at boxing, he discovers a deep love and talent for the sport. The juxtaposition of the "civilized" violence of boxing in the ring against the senseless street violence against the Jews is a powerful one. More than once, Karl wishes that he could face his oppressors in the ring where there are rules and honor. Karl's boxing instructor Max Schmeling was held up as a symbol of Aryan superiority, especially when he bested African-American fighter Joe Louis in 1936. This is a source of conflict for Karl who is never sure where his mentor's allegiances lie concerning the Nazis. Pair this book with the 2011 picture book A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Kadir Nelson for another perspective of Schemling and Louis's second fight in 1938.

The book does have some pacing issues. The plot stops and starts a little instead of being a steady build. But for teens who have an interest in the time period, this won't be an issue. Karl's story will be enough to keep them turning the page. It's all the more heartbreaking since the reader knows what the characters don't: that the world is heading towards a terrible war.

I'd hand this book to any teen who loves The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Annexed by Sharon Dogar, or Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. Check out more reviews at Stacked, Galleysmith and The Fourth Musketeer. You'll also want to catch Michelle's interview with Robert Sharenow and his guest post at Galleysmith.

The Berlin Boxing Club is on shelves now!

And I'm off...!

2012-01-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

From Friday, January 20 through Tuesday, January 24 I will be in Dallas for the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting! I am totally psyched to see the awesome librarians I've connected with over the past year at ALA conferences, scope out what awesome books are coming out this spring, and meet new awesome people to share ideas! (Yes, I just used the word "awesome" three times. Conference is awesome!)

Not going to Midwinter? Follow along at home as I tweet the conference. Follow me (abbylibrarian) or check out the official Twitter hashtag, #alamw12.

I will also be blogging with short posts at the ALSC Blog, along with several other awesome children's librarians, so be sure to tune in there, as well.

Of course, you probably know that the winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards (including Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Schneider Family, Stonewall, Printz, and more) will be announced Monday morning, starting at 7:45am Central Standard Time. There will be a live Webcast and you can follow ALAyma on Twitter for up-to-the-minute winner announcements.

If you're going to Midwinter, I'd love to meet up - feel free to Tweet me! If you're not able to go, hopefully living vicariously through tweets and blog posts will bring you some measure of joy.

So. Here I go. My ereader's loaded up for the plane (thanks, NetGalley!) and I'm eagerly anticipating a break from this cold (um... suddenly it is winter here!). See y'all next week!

Audiobook Review: The Probability of Miracles

2012-01-18T11:07:00.000-05:00

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder, read by Emma Galvin. Grades 8 and up. Penguin Audiobooks, December 2011. 8 hours and 7 minutes. Review copy provided by publisher.

Sixteen-year-old Campbell is dying. Yup, she's got cancer. Treatments aren't working. Cam's kinda resigned herself to it, which is why she's created the Flamingo List, a list of things she wants to do before she dies. Y'know, normal teenager things like "Sleep through Saturday" and "Have my heart broken by an asshole". When her mom decides they're moving from Orlando to a tiny town called Promise, Maine, where it's said that miracles are known to occur, Cam's skeptical. But what she discovers in Promise (besides a dreamy boy named Asher who seems to care about her) is how to get busy living instead of dying.

Miracles. They come in many shapes and sizes. Cam's mom is hoping that this mystical town with purple dandelions and synchronized whales leaping out of the ocean will be able to heal her daughter. But maybe a smaller miracle would do... like a dying girl making the most of of the weeks and months she has left.

Cam has a great voice and this is where it was really nice to listen to this book because I think Emma Galvin does a really nice job of bringing Cam's voice to life. The performance is not voiced, but it's a nice, solid read with a timbre that fit well with Cam's personality. Ms. Galvin's reading voice is a little bit husky and it reminded me of no one more than Emma Stone, which worked for me because Cam's not your typical girly girl. She's frank and adventurous. She's cynical and she puts up a brave front, while on the inside she's very unsure.

Cam's sarcasm and dry humor keeps the book from being depressing. Yes, it's a book about a girl dying, but really it's about a girl living. The town of Promise has a mystical quality about it, almost verging into magical realism (depending on whether you believe in miracles or you don't).

I'd hand this book to teens who have enjoyed books like Before I Die by Jenny Downham or Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin. I'd recommend the audiobook to those who have enjoyed solid, character-based recordings like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, read by Mandy Siegfried or Story of a Girl, written and read by Sara Zarr.

The Probability of Miracles is a very strong debut and I'll certainly be looking for more from Wendy Wunder. Read more reviews of the book at GreenBean TeenQueen and YA Librarian Tales.

The Probability of Miracles is on shelves now!

Hey, I'm an Audible affiliate, so if you click on the links here and make a purchase, I get a small commission.

Titanic at Your Library

2012-01-17T11:07:00.002-05:00

As you're probably aware, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is coming up this April. Kids are fascinated with the Titanic, so you'll want to make sure you've stocked your shelves well with titles like Unsinkable (and sequels) by Gordon Korman, Titanic Sinks! by Barry Denenberg, and The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf. (Of course, don't forget Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker, which is not about the Titanic, but makes a great readalike for interested tweens!)

And if you're wanting to do a library program about the Titanic, look no further! Here's a rerun from the Abby the Librarian archives with a Titanic program I did a couple of summers ago. This post originally ran on June 24, 2010.

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When we were brainstorming for summer programs to go along with the Make a Splash theme, I thought to myself "What made a bigger splash than the Titanic?"

Irreverent, I know, but kids are fascinated by that great ship and I wanted to come up with a program to bring in some of those older kids. So, what did I do?

First, I set up the room. I put chairs in a big circle and printed out a bunch of historic newspaper articles from when the event happened (I took advantage of our Indiana room for these and I found many images online that I printed out). On the wall, I put up a time line detailing some important dates and times of the events (when the ship set out, when she struck the iceberg, when the Carpathiaarrived to pick up survivors, etc.). And I made some paper flags to look like the White Star Line flags. I also used some blank labels to make name tags with the White Star Line logo on them.

When the kids arrived, I let them in the room and gave them some time to look over the newspaper articles while we waited for everyone to show up. While they were checking out the articles, I had music playing from Titanic: Music as Heard on the Fateful Voyage.

Once most of the kids had shown up, I started with a brief overview of the Titanic.I invited the kids to share what they knew about the event and they were so into that. It was hard to get them to stop talking! But eventually we moved on and I asked them some trivia questions I had put together.

The trivia was my favorite part of the program. I used the book 882 1/2 Amazing Answers to Your Questions About the Titanic and the Magic Tree House Research Guide: Titanic to find many of the questions I asked and fun facts I told the kids. Another great resource for Titanic information is the website Encyclopedia Titanica.

After that, I brought out the mini iceberg I had made. I froze baggies of water and then froze them together to form a huge chunk of ice. I floated this in a clear container (with some blue food coloring in the water) to show them how you can only see a tiny bit of the ice when there's much more under the surface. Since they were being very well-behaved, I also invited them to feel how cold the water was and imagine being submerged in water that cold while they waited for rescue.

If you do something like this, have plenty of towels around to clean up spills and for kids to dry their hands! Also, get some gloves for when you're handling the ice. It's cold. And also sharp. Safety first!

Then I read a passage written by a Titanic survivor.

After the iceberg, I talked to them a little about Morse code and demonstrated it with a flashlight. I chose a volunteer to spell out his name with the flashlight. This went okay, but not great. I wanted to do something with Morse code, but I couldn't come up with something better.

And then since they had been sitting for sooo long, we played musical chairs with the 1912 music from the CD I had. This was a big hit, but took longer than I thought since we had a good crowd of kids.

After we had gotten through musical chairs, we ended and I handed out packets with some activities (a Titanic word search, a Morse code activity, and a book list of Titanic books and survival/adventure books). The website History on the Net has a lot of Titanic worksheets that are free for educational use. Of course, I had put up a Titanic book display and the kids ravaged it, taking almost every book I put out.

The program was a lot of fun and we had great attendance. We limited the program to kids going into 3rd-5th grade and it attracted a lot of boys, which was exactly the audience I had hoped it would attract!

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So there you have our Titanic program. Anyone else have ideas for a Titanic program?

A Year (Almost) of Programming for Homeschoolers

2012-01-12T11:07:00.001-05:00

I have posted before about our homeschool program, Fantastic Friday. We've just finished up our second year of offering this program, so I wanted to share a little bit about what we've been doing all year. This continues to be a great program for us. We've had great attendance from the start and we're seeing a lot of the same people coming every month.

Here's what we did in 2011:

January - Let It Snow! A storytime about snow and a snowman craft.
February - Chinese New Year. We did a stir-fry cooking demonstration and let them all taste. A local Chinese restaurant donated chopsticks!
March - Seeds & Growing Things. We shared some books about seeds and growing things and then each child got to plant their own seed.
April - Poetry. For the younger kids, we did a poetry storytime. For the older kids, we made book spine poems.
May - We did a storytime and craft for the younger kids. For the older kids, we did a book chat and I booktalked a bunch of awesome books that they might like for Summer Reading.
June, July, and August - We took a break from Fantastic Friday because we were offering so many awesome programs at all times of the day.
September - Back to Homeschool Party! This was a great way to kick off our homeschool year and bring our audience back in.
October - Costume party and Trick-or-Treat around the library.
November - Pretzel-making. (I am lucky to have an excellent and willing chef amongst my staff!)
December - Holidays Around the World. Three different craft stations with information about holidays from three different countries.

Due to an incredibly overwhelming fall and the large number of programs we planned for winter break, we're taking a break from in-house programming in January. The weather is very iffy and people in our area get very skittish about driving conditions. We'll start back up in February with a Black History Month program at the Carnegie Center for Art and History. I know I want to do a database workshop for the older kids at some point. And I'd like to continue my tradition of doing booktalks for the older kids in May to get them excited about Summer Reading. I think we'll probably again take a summer break and then repeat our Back to Homeschool Party in September. Other than that, we'll see where the year takes us!

Everybody Sees the Ants

2012-01-11T11:07:00.000-05:00

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King. Grades 7 and up. Little, Brown, October 2011. 282 pages. Reviewed from ARC snagged at ALA.

Every night, Lucky Linderman travels to the jungles of Vietnam where he tries, once again, to rescue his grandfather. Lucky's grandfather has been MIA since way before Lucky was born. But at least in his dreams, Lucky feels like he's doing something. Not like when he can't get his dad to talk to him or even stay home from his restaurant for one night to be with the family. Not like when Nader's beating him up and all the adults are too meek or too clueless to help. But after a particularly horrible incident, Lucky's mom takes him to visit her brother in Arizona and there Lucky will begin to take charge of his life and start to set things to rights.

There's this moment... I guess not everyone necessarily has A MOMENT, but I know for me there was a time in my life when I realized that life doesn't have to be something that happens TO you. When you're growing up, ever since you were a baby, people were doing things for you. They carried you around. They fed you. When you got older, they made you brush your teeth, they carted you off on family vacations. When you're a kid, a lot of stuff happens TO you. But when you start to grow up, you realize that you can take charge of your life. You can make things turn out the way you want them to (well, you can do your best, anyway).

This is one thing Lucky learns.

There's also some time in your life when you realize that everybody's got problems, no matter how perfect their hair or how much money they make. Not only that, but sometimes problems are a lot more complicated than you could ever imagine. And sometimes the problems you see are caused by underlying problems you don't see. But everybody's got 'em.

This is another thing Lucky learns.

Everybody Sees the Ants is a story for anyone who has ever felt helpless.

This is a story that I could just sink into. Lucky felt incredibly real to me and I truly enjoyed seeing him figure things out. He's faced with a lot of frustrations in his life... Of course, there's the bully making his life miserable, but there's also the fact that his dad is never around and that Lucky isn't able to get it across that he needs help dealing with it. He's screaming at the top of his lungs without making a sound.

Lucky isn't the only great character in this book. A fleshed-out cast of supporting characters add to the authenticity of the story. I particularly liked the story of Lucky's aunt and uncle. As Lucky gets to know them, his perception of both of them changes almost completely, reinforcing the idea that you may never know someone's full story.

Lucky's ants add humor to the story, keeping it from getting too heavy. This is a book about some serious issues, but the tone is not always serious.

Check out more reviews at Stacked, GreenBean TeenQueen, Presenting Lenore, The Book Smugglers, and YA Love.

Everybody Sees the Ants is on shelves now!

Born Wicked

2012-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood. Grades 7 and up. G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2012. 327 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

The Cahill sisters have a secret: just like their late mother, they have magic. If the Brothers knew, they would arrest them all and send them away. Cate's determined to protect her sisters, just as she promised her mother. But with her intention day looming, Cate's got some big decisions to make. Should she marry, even though it means she would move to the city and leave her sisters to fend for themselves? Can she face joining the Sisterhood instead? Does she even love the one man who has proposed to her? And are the Cahill sisters the subject of a dire prophecy that foretells one of them changing the world forever?

I found Born Wicked to be an unexpected delight and now (of course), I'm clamoring for the next book (and the first one hasn't even been released yet... woe is me ;).

It started off a little slow, or maybe I was just concentrating too hard on piecing together the setting and the society. Born Wicked is set in Maine in the late 19th century, after most of the witches who immigrated to America for religious freedom had been killed off or gone into hiding. Once I got a grip on the world, I was quickly caught up in Cate's romantic intrigues and the mystery surrounding the prophecy. The romance was definitely swoon-worthy, even though it's not graphic. As Cate wavers between two potential suitors, the tension mounts and Jessica Spotswood builds it perfectly. The twists and turns in the story kept me on my toes and kept me turning the pages and I'll definitely be seeking out the next book in the series.

I'd definitely hand this debut to teens who dig stories about witches and magic. It'll satisfy those who can't get enough of the paranormal romance books and I might also try it on fans of The Luxe by Anna Godbersen and Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan.

A note on the cover: Okay, it's pretty. But a photo of a girl laying in the grass in her skivvies under the title BORN WICKED... I guess my mind goes to bad places. (Although that might be the very thing that entices teens to pick it up...)

Born Wicked will be on shelves February 7!

Flesh & Blood So Cheap

2012-01-09T11:07:00.001-05:00

Flesh & Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin. Grades 7 and up. Random House Children's Books, February 2011. 182 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

On Saturday, March 25, 1911, just at the end of the workday, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City caught fire. The doors were locked to discourage factory workers from leaving early. The fire hoses were not connected. Flames soon exploded out of control as the highly flammable cloth scraps and paper patterns caught fire. The factory occupied the top three floors of a 10-story building. Many women had no choice but jump or be burned to death.

146 people, mostly women, died in the Triangle Fire, and this well-researched book is more than a chronicle of the worst workplace disaster New York has ever seen (with the exception of the 9/11 terrorist attacks). It's a snapshot of the time and a portrait of a changing nation. The first half of the book examines immigration in America in the second half of the 19th century and how it shaped the way American industry developed. It paints just the right mood for acknowledging how terribly tragic the Triangle Fire was. The last part of the book shows what changes were made in industry and labor laws as a result of the fire and shows that sweatshops still exist in many parts of the world.

Archival photos are well-selected and well-used to bring the time period to life. Back matter includes a bibliography, source notes, and an index. The writing is accessible and interesting, giving teens a glimpse into the lives of teens and children of this era. Not only would this make a great addition to history lessons, but it could easily spark conversations about immigration and how it has changed in this country over the past hundred years.

This book would make a perfect pairing with Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix or Katherine Paterson's Bread and Roses, Too or Lyddie. For older teens interested in a more recent look at immigration and sweatshop work, you could also pair this book with Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. And, of course, don't forget Russell Freedman's Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor.

You can find more reviews of Flesh & Blood So Cheap at Biblio File and The Fourth Musketeer.

Flesh & Blood So Cheap, finalist for the 2011 National Book Award, is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Check out this week's roundup at Great Kid Books.

Around the Interwebs

2012-01-06T11:07:00.000-05:00

Who's going to Dallas for the ALA Midwinter Meeting?! I'll be there and you can bet your boots (heh) I won't be missing the Great ALA Midwinter YA Blogger Meetup. Sunday, January 22 @ 6pm at The Iron Cactus (1520 Main Street). Hope to see you there! Thanks to Kelly of Stacked for organizing!

Marge of Tiny Tips for Library Fun turned me on to a fabulous storytime blog: Story Time Secrets. New and seasoned librarians alike won't want to miss Katie's Lessons Learned in a Year of Story Time.

And of course, don't miss Marge's own post about some of her favorite storytime stretchers. And Mel of Mel's Desk has posted a compilation of advice for new storytime providers.

Pam (MotherReader) and Lee are bringing back the Comment Challenge for 2012! Yay! Signups started Thursday, so get yourself over there (and start commenting!).

The end of the year is always filled with Best Of lists, but be sure not to miss Betsy's 100 Magnificent Children's Books of 2011 at A Fuse #8 Production.

And speaking of book lists, ALSC has updated their list of Great Early Elementary Reads, a great resource for those looking for books for kids who are starting to read chapter books on their own.

I love Donalyn's post Mooning Over Book Lists at the Nerdy Book Club. It is so true. So very true. :)

And if you haven't checked out Nerdy Book Club, you are missing some great posts about reading and books. Make sure you catch the 2011 Nerdies Book Awards, as well.

It's Getting Pink Over at the ALSC Blog

2012-01-04T11:07:00.003-05:00

All, today I'm posting about our wildly successful Pinkalicious Party over at the ALSC Blog. Please do click through and take a look at what we did! Here's a little preview:

Try, Try Again: A Tale of Two Programs

2012-01-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

Photo: Ben Hoyt

I don't know if you have this problem, but we have this problem: every time we survey patrons they ask for more evening programs for working parents. However, when we do offer evening programs they are very poorly attended. I needed to come up with something that would draw in a nice crowd in the evenings, so instead of offering a plain old evening storytime over Winter Break, I borrowed the idea of a "Milk & Cookies Storytime". I put it on our calendar, requiring registration so I would have an idea of the supplies needed.

And, as best laid plans sometimes do, things went a little bit awry. Registration was going like gangbusters and I was so excited that people were actually planning on coming to something in the evening! And then a week before the program, I discovered that a typo on the library-wide program calendar listed the program as 2:00pm instead of 7:00pm.

I thought on it a little bit and then decided that I would go ahead and offer the program at 2:00 if people showed up for it. Then I'd repeat it at 7:00. If a bunch of people showed up, I had plenty of time to run to the store for more supplies. And I'd much rather put in a little extra work and offer the program twice than turn away anyone who made a trip to the library for our program.

The program was advertised for ages 3-7 and I had an idea about how it would go: I'd share some of my favorite books and then put out milk & cookies for everyone to enjoy. At the last minute before the 2:00 program, I changed my mind. I figured I'd have a smaller crowd for that program, so I wanted to try putting out the refreshments at the beginning and inviting kids to enjoy their snack while they listened to stories.

The program was a disaster.

The first milk spill happened before we even started the stories. Luckily, I was prepared with many (MANY) napkins and towels. I had figured that milk would be spilled at some point. What I didn't count on was what a constant distraction the snacks would be. From various kids spilling milk (requiring various levels of my attention, depending on how attentive parents were) to other kids finishing their cookies and whining for more... no one was paying any attention to my stories. I tried switching it up and throwing in felt stories. I knew it would only invite more disaster to have the kids stand up and dance to the songs I had planned.

I cut it short and made copious notes for the next session. True, part of the disaster came from the kids that showed up (I believe a home day care group came, all kids who were new to the library and very squirrelly the whole time). But part of the disaster came from how I had planned the program.

I started with a book that was too long and didn't hold the kids' attention. Once I had lost them, I never really got them back. Serving the snacks at the beginning was a terrible idea and limited what I could do with the group. Normally with squirrelly kids, I'd ask them to stand up and do some stretching or dancing to get some wiggles out, but with cups of milk everywhere, I couldn't do that.

It's a bummer when a program flops, BUT I couldn't concentrate on that. I knew I had to concentrate on making the program better for the next session!

Before the next session, I pulled all new books. Even though the recommended program age went up to 7, I pulled books that were shorter and more geared toward the preschool age. I pulled a bunch of extra books so I could switch things up easily if the kids weren't into something I had picked. I set up small tables where kids could enjoy their snack AFTER the storytime. I put the cookies out on a tray, but left it in our office until after the program. The milk stayed in the fridge until we were ready for our snack.

This session was 100% better than the first one. (Granted, there were several families that I knew who attended the 7:00 session, so it probably would have been smoother anyway.) I started by welcoming the kids and letting them know that we'd read some stories and then have a snack afterwards. Here's what we did:

Book: Bark George by Jules Feiffer. I wanted to start with one of my favorites, a book that I felt very confident about reading since my program had gone so poorly the first time.

Book: Actual Size by Steve Jenkins. Since I did have some older kids in attendance, I brought out this book. It went over the preschoolers' heads a little bit and I didn't read the entire thing, but this is a book that's easy to stop at any point so I didn't end up reading the entire thing.

Song: My Bonnie by Jim Gill. Since the kids were getting a little antsy during Actual Size, we stood up to do this song. I asked them to think of words that started with "B" and they gave me many! Then we did the motions to this song. It was a great choice for emerging readers!

Book: Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas. This silly book calls for rhyming words and definitely had the kids giggling along! I always start this book by making sure kids know what dust bunnies are.

Felt: Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton. This was a nice transition because one of the dust bunnies is named Bob, as are fourteen of the animals in this book.

Book: The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson. I used this book last to transition into our snack time. It was maybe a tiny bit long for my crowd, but they definitely found it funny.

After our storytime, I brought out the tray of cookies and the milk and invited them to find a spot at the tables and then come up to get their snack. I had 17 kids and they went through about half a gallon of milk. I had bought 2 gallons, but in the future I'll buy half-gallons because they'll be easier to pour from. They will eat as many cookies as are available. I put out two whole packages and they ate almost all of them, some kids taking four, five, six cookies at one go. In the future, I'll ask kids to start by choosing two cookies and then going back for more after everyone's had some.

Once I fixed my problems, the program actually turned out to be really nice and I'm excited about offering it weekly over the summer. This just goes to show you that sometimes everything goes wrong and a program just flops, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad idea. You can note what didn't go well and fix it for next time!

Blizzard of Glass

2012-01-02T11:07:00.000-05:00

Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker. Grades 5-10. Henry Holt, November 2011. 145 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

It was 1917, smack in the middle of World War I, and many ships carrying war supplies went in and out of the harbor at Halifax, Nova Scotia. But the Mont-Blanc wasn't just any ship. Packed to the brim with explosives and combustibles, every sailor knew to take extreme precautions on board that ship. But accidents happen and when another ship collided with the Mont-Blanc in Halifax Harbor, it created the largest man-made explosion until the 1945 detonation of the atomic bomb. Halifax would never be the same.

With riveting prose, Sally M. Walker presents a detailed account of the devastating Halifax Explosion and how it affected the people of Halifax. She starts by introducing the reader to a handful of families living in Halifax and how they started the morning of December 6, 1917, unsuspecting. The first few chapters give background information about Halifax and the ships and the war, each chapter ending with foreshadowing of the tragedy to come.

When tragedy does strike, Ms. Walker's gripping account is hard to put down. Archival photos grace nearly every page, putting the reader right into the middle of the action. Buildings for 12 miles around were damaged and most of the buildings near the harbor were absolutely leveled. Luckily, a brave telegraph operator had been able to send out a final message alerting other towns to the disaster, so help was soon on its way.

Confession: I am a huge fan of Sally Walker's books and I picked this one up on the strength of her name alone. It did not disappoint. I knew nothing about the Halifax Explosion before picking up this book, but now I find myself wanting to press Blizzard of Glass into the hands of every young Titanic fanatic I know. This is surely just as exciting and tragic account as any about the Titanic. This is narrative nonfiction at its finest.

And just as we've come to expect from Sally Walker, her excellent writing is paired with extensive research, making a truly fantastic nonfiction experience for young readers. The book includes extensive source notes, an author's note, a bibliography, and an index. I fully expect to see a shiny Sibert sticker on this one in a couple of weeks and I'll be devastated if it's overlooked for the ENYA shortlist next year.

Promote this one to your Titanic fans as the anniversary approaches and hand it to anyone who likes thrilling disaster stories.

Blizzard of Glass is on shelves now!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! This week's roundup is over at The Nonfiction Detectives, so head over there and check it out!

Ring in the New Year with the Cybils!

2012-01-01T02:36:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! And Happy Cybils Shortlist Day!!

Go forth and check out the fabulous Cybils shortlists!!!

Reading Resolutions

2011-12-30T11:07:00.000-05:00

Now's the time to be making reading goals for 2012. First, let's take a look at last year's reading goals...

1. The Debut Authors Challenge. I did not do as well with this in 2011 as I did in 2010. I read a lot of debuts, but I didn't review all of them. I ended up reading & reviewing 11 debut titles in 2011, short of the challenge goal of 12 and way short of my personal goal of 25!

2. Reading more adult books. I am very pleased to say that I succeeded with this goal!! My unspoken goal was 20 adult books and I read 29 this year. I owe a lot of that success to audiobooks.

3. Less pressure on myself about blogging. I think I succeeded with this goal as well. I definitely didn't review as many titles in 2011 as I had in previous years, which kinda bums me out, but it was a necessary cutback with all the other stuff that's been going on this year.

I also set a GoodReads goal of reading 200 books in 2011, which I met but just barely.

2011 was super busy with Emerging Leaders, work on various committees, one of my full-time employees out for a couple of months on maternity leave, and now our teen librarian has been out for the past couple of months on medical leave. Frankly, I'm exhausted! But I do have some goals for 2012:

1. READ LESS. Or, well, set a smaller GoodReads goal for myself. I'm going to set a goal of 150 books and try to surpass it. I aim to feel good about reading, not pressured to blitz through books to meet a goal.

2. Read at least 20 adult books again this year. I'll also continue reading debuts, but I'm not going to set a numerical goal for that this year.

3. This isn't a reading resolution, but a blogging resolution: I've loved blogging about our preschool storytimes this year and I will continue that. I'd also like to post more about general thoughts about and experiences with librarianship, so look for more of that to come this year.

How about you? Are you setting any reading goals for yourself in 2012?

A Christmas Gift from Me to You

2011-12-23T07:11:00.001-05:00

As it is Christmas Eve Eve and also Poetry Friday, my gift to you is an original poem that my mom discovered while sorting through the Stuff as they're starting to move house. It's not dated, but based on the handwriting, I think I was probably 9 or 10 when I wrote the following:

Fish in a Cake
by Abby Johnson (age 9 or 10, probably)

Once my mom made cake out of trout.
I tasted it and spit it out.
It tasted like dirty socks
That had walked over many rocks.
It tasted like a dead seahorse
Or maybe dead trout of course.
I asked her what she put in the cake.
"Oh, a little water from the lake.
The rest is secret you know,"
She said while standing on one toe.
So I will advise you,
If fish is in the cake it'll turn you blue.
Don't ever eat something like that.
Just put it out with the cat.

--

I hope that was as amusing to you as it was to me. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and Happy Poetry Friday to all.

2011: My Favorites and My Best

2011-12-21T11:07:00.000-05:00

While I read many great books this year, I do have a few favorites... I hereby present to you my favorite books from 2011. (No effort has been made to balance this list! These are my from-the-heart favorites of the books I've read!)

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet. Ms. Sweet combines fabulous, colorful mixed-media art and fascinating text about a relatively unknown artist to create my favorite kind of picture book biography. This is an inspiring story about the unknown side of a well-known Thanksgiving tradition.

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke. If you found a mysterious red button in the middle of nowhere, wouldn't you push it, too? After Zita pushes the red button and her friend is taken into a parallel universe, the only thing Zita can do is follow him and try to bring him back. With expressive, colorful artwork that is at turns both funny and poignant, Zita the Spacegirl is a graphic novel that won my heart.

Amelia Lost by Candance Fleming. I am not exaggerating when I say that just booktalking this book has brought me to tears (my staff will tell you!). This is an account of Amelia Earhart's life and disappearance as you've never read it before. Ms. Fleming weaves together information on Earhart's life with a play-by-play of the day she disappeared and the days and weeks immediately after, bringing the story to life for young readers.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Selznick has taken his ground-breaking format and ratcheted it up a notch, creating a story that's even more suited to his breathtaking art than Hugo Cabret was. Two stories, one in prose and one in pictures, wind together toward a riveting conclusion.

Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker. Do not miss this action-packed account of the explosion in Halifax in 1917. When a ship packed to the brim with TNT and combustibles was hit by another ship, the resulting explosion was the largest man-made explosion until the atomic bombs went off in 1945. This is a must-read for any Titanic fan.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. This is the book that broke my heart and put it back together about a thousand times. This is a book about bullying that takes a slightly different perspective. Doug Swieteck will forever have my heart and I'll never stop recommending this powerful story.

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr. Hands-down one of the best dual narrator books I've ever read, this is the story of two very different girls, thrust together by circumstance and each navigating a tricky, grief-filled situation. Sara Zarr is a superstar of contemporary YA.

Trapped by Michael Northrop. This is the book that I will never stop recommending to teen guys (and girls) looking for a book they won't be able to put down. When an apocalyptic snowstorm hits, trapping Scotty and six other students at their high school, they'll have to figure out what to do to survive. The book felt so real that I found my mind wandering to whether I had canned goods in the cabinet and I couldn't help but get up to look outside periodically, even though it was not snowing at all.

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson. With searingly real voices and a heartbreaking story that is reality for too many teens, this is a layered story about finding the right person at the wrong time and what it takes to find your way home again.

Past Perfect by Leila Sales. This is the book about love that I wish I could hand to my 18-year-old self. It's funny and romantic with some meat on its bones. Plus, it's set at a living history museum and features genuine characters and a plot with a lesson that never feels didactic. Ms. Sales's Mostly Good Girls was one of my favorite books of 2010 and for me her sophomore effort definitely held up to her stellar debut.

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I loved the storytelling style and characters in this unforgettable novel. Sam hasn't been to school since the second grade when his schizophrenic father took him and his younger brother Riddle and went on the lam. Since then, they've moved every time his father starts getting paranoid, and Sam and Riddle are on their own for pretty much everything. Our story starts when Sam walks into a church and hears a girl singing a solo he's sure is meant just for him. And everything begins to change.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. In 1941, Lina and her family are taken from their homeland in Lithuania and forced into labor camps by the Soviets. This rarely-heard story of a different genocide that happened during World War II is based on the author's ancenstors. It's a riveting story that I wasn't able to put down.

You Against Me by Jenny Downham. This is an engrossing story about love, loyalty, and the shiftiness of truth. It's about finding out who your enemies are and then realizing that your definition of enemy is fluid and subject to change. It's about first love, that overpowering secret that lights you up from the inside.

I'd also like to mention a few stellar audiobooks that I listened to this year, even though they weren't published in 2011:

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford, read by Nick Podehl. The audiorecording had me laughing out loud, as did the sequel Carter's Big Break. Nick Podehl's voiced narration brings the story to life and makes for a truly enjoyable listening experience.

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp, read by MacLeod Andrews. MacLeod Andrews's stellar narration and soft drawl definitely made this audiobook a treat for my commute.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laua Hillenbrand, read by Edward Herrmann. This harrowing and inspiring tale of survival against all odds is brought to life by Edward Herrmann's distinguished narration. His voice is a perfect fit for the story.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, read by Grayce Wey. This is another instance of a well-matched text and narrator. Although I tend to prefer fully voiced works, Grayce Wey's understated partial voicing let the writing shine through.

Holidays Around the World

2011-12-20T11:07:00.000-05:00

This month for our Fantastic Friday homeschooler program, we took a trip around the world and learned about three different world holidays. I loved this program because not only did I learn a lot about these holidays and countries, but once I had everything prepped, it pretty much ran itself! Here's what I did.

I featured three different holidays from three different countries: Diwali from India, Children's Day from Japan, and Losar (Tibetan New Year) from Tibet. I prepped a craft for each of the holidays and put together a take-home packet with information about each holiday/country.I set up the room so that we had three craft tables with chairs all around. On each table, I had the supplies for the craft, a sign sharing information about the holiday, and a sign with craft instructions.

I contacted some of our teen homeschoolers and asked them if they would volunteer to help out. I ended up with four volunteers and I set three of them up at the craft tables and had one taking photos for me. I was lucky to have volunteers, but even if I hadn't, I think families would have been able to figure out what to do. My volunteers were fabulous. I asked them to greet families that came over to the table and tell them some information about the holiday (I printed off an additional information sheet for each of them to have). And then help them with the crafts however they needed.

The crafts I picked were very easy, but still allowed for creativity (perfect for my group... the kids registered ranged in age from 3 to 14, although it was mostly younger kids that showed up).

For Diwali, we made Lakshmi's footprints, an idea I totally stole from Susan Baier at the ALSC Blog (definitely check out her post for some more great Diwali ideas!).
For Children's Day, we made these carp kites from Activity Village.
And for Losar, we made Tibetan prayer flags (you can see mine in the topmost photo). I cut 11" x 17" construction paper into quarters and had volunteers punch two holes in the top. We asked the kids to think about their wishes and hopes for the people around them and write them down or draw a picture. Buddhists believe that when the wind blows the flags, it carries the prayers all over the land. I had ribbon so that they could string their prayer flags and we used a little bit of tape to hold the string in place.

Of course, for each table I had a book display featuring books about that country (I only had three books about Tibet, so I supplemented with books about Buddhism).

I did quite a bit of prep work for this program, but it was quite cheap (I didn't have to purchase anything - we had construction paper, crayons, etc.) and it was so easy to run that I didn't mind the prep work. Any one of these activities would be great for a more focused program on any of these countries. And the program format of having craft stations worked so well that I will definitely use it again for my homeschooler program.

Even though I didn't interact with the kids too much at this program, I could tell they were all having fun making their crafts. My hope is that they went home and talked about what they learned and what they did. And that this program might inspire them to learn a little bit more about different cultures and countries!

Drumbeat in Our Feet

2011-12-19T11:07:00.001-05:00

Drumbeat in Our Feet by Patricia A. Keeler and Julio T. Leitao. Grades 1-5. Lee & Low, 2006. Unpaged. Review copy provided by my local library.

Paint diamonds on arms. Paint lines on faces. Think about the ancestors and ask them to guide the performance. Drums. Xylophone. Feel the beat. Dance!

Drumbeat in Our Feet takes the reader along with a troupe of children learning African dance, from the rehearsals to learning the meaning behind the dances, to the performance day. As illustrations show children doing each step, sidebars provide information about the history and traditions of African dance. This colorful book would make a great addition to units on Africa or performance arts. Also, make sure you keep it in mind during Black History Month!

The book first talks about how diverse Africa is, from grasslands and deserts to dense forests and beaches. It says, "The history of African music and dance is as rich and diverse as the land itself." The accompanying illustration shows American children coming together from many different neighborhoods to attend African dance class. Throughout the book, we learn that dances have been passed down over many, many years and that it's important to keep these traditions alive.

The lyrical text provides information in an accessible way, while the illustrations do a nice job of showing how African traditions are kept alive through modern dance studios and teachers. At the end of the book is a section with photographs and information about Batoto Yetu, a renowned children's dance troupe that performs African dance. Back matter includes a simple map of Africa, a pronunciation guide, and a list of sources.

Drumbeat in Our Feet is a great book for discussing the importance of keeping cultural traditions alive. It would make a wonderful resource for a group about to attend an African dance performance and it is a wonderful read for anyone wishing to learn about African culture.

Many thanks to Andrea who recommended this book to me!

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Diane at Practically Paradise has this week's roundup!

On Being the Boss

2011-12-16T11:07:00.000-05:00

We're in the story hour room, which is connected to our Children's Services offices by a door which was currently open. While we were doing the craft at my program, two of my staff members came in from the office, exclaimed over the kids' projects, and then went back into the office. Then the Kindergartners and I had the following conversation:

Kindergartners: Do they live in there?
Me: No, they don't live in there. They work in there.
Kindergartners: Oh, are those the offices?
Me: Yes, those are the offices.
Kindergartners: Do you work in there?
Me: Yes. I work in there and Miss T and Miss A work in there, too. We all work in the offices.
Kindergartners: *pause* Who is the boss?
Me: I am the boss.
Kindergartners: *Are they looking at me with newfound respect or am I imagining it?* Ooooh.

Managing youth services.

It's not something I ever thought I would be doing. But it turns out that sometimes in order to have a job in a certain area or to make a living wage, you're destined for management. And, honestly, it has its ups and downs. (Mostly ups for me, since I am lucky to have a wonderful staff and very supportive administration.)

Today I want to talk a little bit about what I do as a department head. But first, a little background.

My title is Children's Services Manager and I'm the only MLS librarian in my department. I supervise three full-time and two part-time employees. I've been there for almost three years now. Before I started my current position, I was a Youth Services Librarian I for 2.5 years at a different library in a different state.

I think the biggest change for me when I took my current job was the increased responsibility. That sounds obvious, I know, but suddenly instead of being responsible for my own work, I was responsible for the work of a handful of people. It's up to me to decide how to run the department, which programs we're going to offer, what we're going to spend our money on. It's also up to me to cover if someone calls in sick or needs to be off. I'm salaried, which means that I can work my normal 37.5 hours or I can work 50 hours a week and I'm paid the same.

As manager, I'm responsible for keeping track of time sheets, doing staff evaluations, attending managers' meetings, and reporting to the director and/or Library Board about our department. I'm also responsible for dealing with problem patrons and mediating any problems among my staff. And I'm the one who can decide to bend the rules.

The hardest part for me is figuring out how to balance the work I love to do (children's services, outreach, collection development) with the work I have to do (the management stuff). And I've learned a few things about that since I started:

- It's impossible to do everything I want to do all at once. Relax. There is plenty of time. If I don't get this super awesome program started this year, I can always try it next year. Good ideas'll keep.

- It is necessary to delegate. Yes, that means that sometimes I don't get to go to every school I love to do our afterschool programs. Yes, that means that some days I have to let other people interact with patrons while I work on staff evaluations in my freezing cold office. But I have realized that if I don't delegate, I'm going to burn out and fast.

- Everybody has a different way of doing things, and it's okay if not every single thing is done the way I would do it. As long as the work gets done and we're serving our patrons, I can let go of the details. Also: I do not always know best! I learn as much from my staff as they learn from me.

For me, the first year of management was the hardest and it's gotten much easier since then. Since I was coming in to a new library, learning a new community, I didn't want to change everything right away. I wanted to go through a year the way things would typically be before I decided what needed to change. That meant doing a Summer Reading Club I didn't plan myself, that meant doing storyhour the way it had always been done. But once I had done that, I felt like I had the knowledge to know what we should keep and what we should change.

And of course, it's essential to get staff input along the way. I'm lucky to have an energetic, passionate staff and my employees are generally up for whatever I ask of them. I want them to feel ownership of their department, so I let them be in charge of their programs (offering help when needed, of course). My job is not to do their work, but to give them the tools to do their work.

Perhaps the best advice I can give to anyone taking the leap to management is to never speak in anger. Always, always, always think before you react to a situation. If you can't react rationally at that moment, walk away and take some time before you say things you might regret. Always try to see all sides of an issue. Always get everyone's story before dealing with interpersonal problems (including patron complaints). And always treat everyone fairly. Your staff know if you're treating some of them differently and they will talk to each other about it and it will undermine morale.

Think about the managers you've had. And strive to emulate the good ones. And learn how not to manage from the bad ones. And you will be fine.

Other library managers out there? What would your advice for new managers be?

Cinder

2011-12-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Grades 7 and up. Feiwel & Friends, January 2012. 390 pages. Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

What if Cinderella was a cyborg?

(I mean, seriously, if that question doesn't intrigue you, I don't think we can be friends.)

Life in New Beijing isn't easy for Cinder. Cyborgs are considered second-class citizens and Cinder's expected to support her stepmother and stepsisters with the mechanic shop she runs at the marketplace. Add to that an incurable plague pandemic and the Lunars poised for war at the first chance they get... But when dreamy Prince Kaito, heir to the imperial throne of the Eastern Commonwealth, stops by her mechanic shop with a broken android, Cinder finds herself swept up in political battles beyond her control. With all the dangers facing the Earthens, it seems that Cinder might be the key to avoiding a devastating war.

Debut author Marissa Meyer combines excellent world-building with a compelling plot for one seriously awesome book!

First of all, the world-building. Cinder is set in New Beijing, a city rebuilt after the fourth World War. In this future Earth, most of the continents have merged, leaving a handful of very large countries. There are also people called Lunars living on the moon. The Lunars are the biggest threat to the Earthens. They have the ability to mess with people's bioelectric fields in order to compel them to do things, feel things, or see things a certain way. Plus, their Queen is seriously evil. Like, killed-everyone-who-could-be-a-threat-to-her-power type of evil. When Prince Kai meets Cinder, his father (the emperor) is dying from the plague, even as scientists work around the clock trying to find an antidote. It's not the most politically stable situation.

I totally dug this speculative world. The setting in New Beijing with Asian influences reminded me of the setting of Firefly. There's a lot going on, but it never felt overwhelming and everything was explained organically in the story. The book also never felt dense, as it easily could have been with all the political stuff going on in this world. There is a lot going on, but the book's very readable.

From the get-go when Kai and Cinder meet, there's romantic tension building. Although Cinder knows that if Kai knew she's a cyborg he'd be repulsed by her, she can't help falling for him. It's not something that happens overnight, but an attraction that builds gradually as Cinder sees the prince several times over the course of the story. Cinder's a believable character that I can get behind. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty or say what she thinks. She sticks up for the people she cares about. She's smart and she's got a plan to escape her situation.

I'd hand Cinder to fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore (for the kick-butt heroine, romance, and political intrigue), fans of Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman (for the Asian-inspired setting), and anyone looking for a fairy tale retelling that's different from any fairy tale retelling you've ever read.

Cinder will be on shelves January 3!

Dumpling Days

2011-12-13T07:11:00.001-05:00

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin. Grades 3-6. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 2012. 264 pages. Reviewed from ARC snagged at ALA.

"Traveling is important - it opens your mind. You take something with you, you leave something behind, and you are forever changed. That is a good trip." - Pacy's dad (page 2*).

When Pacy and her family leave for a month-long summer trip to Taiwan, Pacy's not at all sure about the trip. She doesn't speak the language, she's going to miss her friends, and she's just not convinced that it's going to be any fun. It's true that many things seem harder in Taiwan: ordering restaurant food, using the bathroom, even an art class (Pacy's best subject!). But sometimes the most difficult things are the things most worth doing and her adventures in Taiwan will bring Pacy closer to figuring out her own identity and growing closer to those she knows best.

Grace Lin perfectly captures a child's-eye view of family vacation and reading this book was liking taking a trip to Taiwan myself! Details from the architecture to the folklore to the food (Oh! The food!) paint a picture of Taiwan that will have readers eagerly devouring the pages. I didn't want to stop reading because I didn't want my vacation with the Lins to end!

This is a perfect book for American kids to explore different cultures. It's interesting and accessible with lots of tidbits about Taiwan. Ms. Lin also explores the culture clash Pacy experiences being from the US and visiting her parents' homeland. Pacy feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere. In her New England hometown, she doesn't look like everyone else. In Taiwan, she looks like the people but she can't speak their language and doesn't know their ways. Even McDonald's is different in Taiwan!

Although culture clash is definitely an element of this book, it's not the only focal point. This is a story about Pacy and her family. Being the only American kids around, Pacy and her sisters grow closer. Sometimes it takes a journey of thousands of miles to get to know the people you live with every day. And as Pacy learns the stories of her Taiwanese family members, she grows closer to them, too.

If nothing else, read this book for the descriptions of the food! Grace Lin has me wanting to go and eat my way through Taiwan and try all the kids of dumplings that Pacy eats. ;)

There are two previous Pacy books, The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat. I recommend you read them because they are awesome, but Dumpling Days stands quite nicely on its own, as well. You may also want to pair this book with Grace Lin's Newbery honor-winning book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

Seriously, don't miss this one! This is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year!

Dumpling Days will be on shelves January 2, just in time for Chinese New Year (January 23 this year!). Make sure you've got this and all the Pacy books in your collection!

* Quoted from ARC.

If You Like A Child Called "It"

2011-12-12T11:07:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I was chatting with one of our regular tween patrons and she mentioned that she really wanted to read the book A Child Called "It" by David Pelzer. That was the last straw: for years as I've worked in libraries and bookstores, this title has been continually in demand by adult, teen and tween patrons alike. It was time for me to read it and see what all the fuss was about.

I confess that I only made it about halfway through because it was just too hard for me to read about the awful things being done to this child. I respect anyone's right to read and enjoy this book (and I understand that it may be a necessary book for many teens and adults who have been through abusive situations), but it just wasn't for me. Knowing the incredibly popularity of this book got me thinking about A Child Called "It" as a gateway drug of sorts - the kind of book that can captivate reluctant readers. So today, I'm taking a page from The Reclusive Bibliophile's book and I'm going to do a list of readalikes. (Be sure you check out her If You Like feature for some great lists of books and movies.)

If You Like A Child Called "It", Check Out These Books

For teens:

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. Alice was kidnapped at the age of 10 when she was on a class field trip to the aquarium. She's now lived with Ray for five years, enduring unspeakable things. Ray starves her in an attempt to keep her small and young-looking. He promises her that if she ever tries to run, he will kill her parents. And then he tells her to find him a new girl, a girl that Alice can teach to please him.

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin. "For Matt and his sisters, life with their cruel, vicious mother is a day-to-day struggle for survival. But then Matt witnesses Murdoch coming to a child's rescue in a convenience store, and for the first time, he feels a glimmer of hope. When, amazingly, Murdoch begins dating Matt's mother, life is suddenly almost good. But the relief lasts only a short time. When Murdoch inevitably breaks up with their mother, Matt knows he needs to take action. But can he call upon his hero? Or will he have to take measures into his own hands?" (Publisher summary quoted from GoodReads.)

Split by Swati Avasthi. Ever since his older brother left, Jace's dad's abuse has gotten worse and worse. Jace steps up and tries to take as many of the beatings as he can, in order to spare his mom, but one night things go too far and his dad kicks him out. Jace has nowhere to go except to track down the brother who abandoned him. Together, Christian and Jace must figure out how to find peace and how to rescue their mom... if she'll let herself be rescued.

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga. When Josh was 12, he was sexually abused by his history teacher. It's messed up everything for him. Her detailed confession made its way on to the Internet, so now everyone knows exactly what happened between Josh and his teacher. And now, six years later, she's getting out of jail.

Burned by Ellen Hopkins. "Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, Pattyn Von Stratten starts asking questions -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love. She experiences the first stirrings of passion, but when her father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control. Pattyn is sent to live with an aunt in the wilds of Nevada to find salvation and redemption. What she finds instead is love and acceptance -- until she realizes that her old demons will not let her go." (Publisher summary quotes from GoodReads.) And also check out Ellen Hopkins' other books.

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon. "In 1991, fourteen-year-old Brent Runyon came home from school, doused his bathrobe in gasoline, put it on, and lit a match. He suffered third-degree burns over 85% of his body and spent the next year recovering in hospitals and rehab facilities. During that year of physical recovery, Runyon began to question what he’d done, undertaking the complicated journey from near-death back to high school, and from suicide back to the emotional mainstream of life." (Publisher summary quotes from GoodReads.)

Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory. Throughout her childhood, Julie was told that she was sick. She was starved, beaten, and taken out of school for doctor's visits and hospital stays. Her mother insisted that every possible test be done (including invasive ones), in order to "get to the bottom of this". Julie was punished if she didn't go along with the symptoms her mother told the doctors she had. This is Julie's story of her childhood and how she finally broke free.

For tweens:

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. It's 1968 and fourteen-year-old Doug Swieteck has just moved to a new town with his family. Life's not easy for Doug there. No one expects much of him or his family and Doug never knows what to expect from his father, who flies violently off the handle at the smallest thing. Two things help him get by: the book of Audubon prints at the town library (and the librarian who's helping Doug learn to draw them) and Lil Spicer, a feisty girl in his class who becomes Doug's unlikely ally. As Doug tries to navigate his eighth grade year and the sides of his personality that would have him act just like his violent father and brothers, he's just hoping that things will turn out okay... for now.

What Jamie Saw by Carolyn Coman. What Jamie saw was his mom's boyfriend throwing his baby sister across the room. Luckily, Jamie's mom was quick enough to catch her and the three of them left that night. This gem of a book tells what happened after the incident and how Jamie and his mom begin to conquer their fears and put their lives back together.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. "A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath." (Publisher summary quoted from GoodReads.)

What other books would you recommend for teen or tween fans of A Child Called "It"?

Show Stoppers!

2011-12-09T13:02:00.001-05:00

Kelly and I got to talking about the wonderful books on performing arts that have come out for children & teens over the past couple of years, so we're presenting today a list of great books about performing arts for the artsy kids in your life. Check out the teen stuff over at Stacked and you'll get your children's & middle-grade stuff right here!

Show-Stopping Books: Books for the Artistic Readers in Your Life

Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson (ages 3-6).
The bouncy rhyme and rich vocabulary will have kids tapping their feet even as they're gaining valuable early literacy skills.

Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin (ages 4-8).
Can Farmer Brown's animals win the local talent show (grand prize: trampoline) without him knowing?

The Remarkable Farkle McBride by John Lithgow (ages 5-9).
Farkle McBride tries and rejects a number of musical instruments in this humorous, rhyming book.

Opera Cat by Tess Weaver (ages 5-8).
When the opera star Madame SoSo comes down with laryngitis, it's up to her cat Alma to save the show!

Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen (ages 6-9).
Sassy longs to be a professional dancer, but she's too tall to partner with the boys in her class, so she dances in the wings during performances. When Sally competes for a prestigious dance program, her hard work pays off!

The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (ages 6-9).
When the third and fourth graders are putting on a talent show, Clementine is desperate to find an act - any act - to perform!

Drumbeat in Our Feet by Patricia Keeler (ages 6-10).
"If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing." - African proverb. Explore the traditions and meanings of African dance in this colorful picture book.

Babymouse: The Musical by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm (ages 7-10).
When Babymouse is assigned the role of Felicia's understudy, she's sure she's never going to be on stage. Filled with references to musicals from Phantom to West Side Story to Fiddler, this is a great choice for any young musical theater buffs.

Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan (ages 7-10).
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the work that went into creating the ballet Appalachian Spring.

The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements (ages 8-12).
When school budget cuts mean that the music and art teachers will soon be gone, Hart Evans decides to make this year's holiday concert the best ever... but it'll take all his powers of persuasion to get his classmates to cooperate.

The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple (ages 8-12).
This beautifully illustrated book retells the stories of some of the most famous ballets. Background information about each ballet is included before the story, making this a book that young ballerinas will cherish.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban (ages 8-12).
Zoe Elias dreams of playing the piano at Carnegie Hall. Imagine her surprise when, instead of the piano she was so hoping for, her parents get her an organ. An organ that comes with lessons from Maybeline Person and her book of organ songs... Hits from the 70s.

The Mozart Season by Virginia Euwer Wolff (ages 9-12).
When 12-year-old Allegra is selected as the youngest competitor in the Ernest Bloch Young Musicians’ Competition, it means a summer of not only practicing Mozart's notes, but learning how to let the music into her heart.

The Rising Star of Rusty Nail (ages 9-12).
In Rusty Nail, Minnesota, Franny takes piano lessons from the Russian lady that just moved in. Is it possible she's a spy?

To Dance by Siena Cherson Siegel (ages 9-13).
Siena Cherson Siegel studied at ballet school in New York from when she was six until she was eighteen. This sweet graphic novel memoir describes her time there.

Four Seasons by Jane Breskin (ages 9-13).
Allegra, piano student at Julliard, must decide whether she wants to commit her life to her music career.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman (ages 10-13).

Eighth grader Wallace Wallace is forced to join the school play after turning in his real opinion of the book Old Shep, My Pal for a school book report. But with Wallace involved, the boring school play turns into something much different.

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes (ages 11 and up).
Wen, Stella, Charlie, Olivia, and Mo take turns telling the story of their band, Lemonade Mouth, and how they achieved fame and glory.

What other great performance books for kids and tweens would you add to this list?

Audiobook Review: The True Meaning of Smekday

2011-12-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, read by Bahni Turpin. Grades 4-7. Random House/Listening Library, 2010. 10 hours and 38 minutes. Review copy provided by my local library.

Plot summary from publisher via GoodReads:

It all starts with a school essay.

When twelve-year-old Gratuity (“Tip”) Tucci is assigned to write five pages on “The True Meaning of Smekday” for the National Time Capsule contest, she’s not sure where to begin. When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens - called Boov - abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?

In any case, Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion.
Hype. You know how it is. Sometimes everyone's gushing about a book (or an audiobook in this case) and it wins the Odyssey Award and yet... for some reason, you're reluctant to pick it up. Everyone loves this, but I will probably be the one dissenter, you might think to yourself.

This is one of those books that I don't think I would have finished if I had been reading the print version. It's funny and wacky, but despite the madcap action it dragged in a few places. Young science fiction fans will certainly eat it up, but it would have been easy for me to declare, "Not My Genre!" and put it aside. That's where Bahni Turpin comes in.

Bahni Turpin embraces the text fully and becomes her characters. Yes, she was absolutely hilarious as the alien J.Lo with his high voice and strange accent and clicks. But Turpin was also able to bring me to tears with a single phrase as Gratuity. This is a superb performance and Turpin is a perfect match for the text. If you've been holding out on this one, wondering if it could possibly live up to the hype, I'm telling you to give it a chance!

The wacky humor makes this a good choice for fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglass Adams, well-read by Stephen Fry. I'd also try this on kids who enjoyed Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith or Bruce Coville's titles.

Check out more reviews of the audiobook at Reading with My Ears and Book Nut.

The True Meaning of Smekday is on shelves now!

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