2012 in Reading

During 2012, I read a total of 143 books--chapter books, for lack of a better term, although they run the gamut from beginning chapter books to adult books. That represents quite an increase from the 79 I read in 2011. Here's how my 2012 reading broke down:

I am interested to see just how skewed my reading is in 2013, when I'll be reading for the 2014 Newbery Award Committee. Anyone want to hazard a guess just how much of my 2013 pie chart will be children's books?

As we head into 2013, I will leave you with my personal favorite reads of the year (that I haven't talked much about on the blog). If you're looking for something to read in the few weeks before the 2013 Youth Media Awards are announced, try starting here!

Favorite non-fiction I read in 2012:

House of Stone by Anthony Shadid
     I actually listened to this audiobook and reviewed it for Library Journal; I found Shadid's ability to blend his home renovation struggles in Lebanon, his own family history, and the cultural history of this area of the Middle East captivating.


Favorite adult fiction I read in 2012:
Prepare to Die! by Paul Tobin
     I enjoyed the grittiness of this non-traditional superhero story far more than I would have anticipated. The book follows Steve Clarke, also known as Reaver, during the two weeks his arch-nemesis has given him between his defeat and his death. The book prompted some great discussions of superheroes in our culture in general.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
     I was completely taken by surprise by the beauty and melancholy of this novel. The story follows Julia, a middle school girl in California, in the first year of the Slowing--when the earth's rotation inexplicably begins to slow and to affect all life on the planet. My book club had a terrific discussion of this book, and I'd recommend it for book clubs in 2013.


Favorite YA fiction I read in 2012:
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
     It's no secret that I fell in love with this book this year. I still don't feel I have words to adequately describe just how masterfully Whaley can weave together seemingly disconnected and odd storylines into a single story that is profoundly moving. This is a quiet book for sure, and it deserves your attention.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
     I read an ARC of this story after picking it up at ALA in June, and I've been listening to the audiobook again--that's how much I enjoy the story. It's kind of coming-of-age, kind of paranormal, kind of realistic, kind of boarding school... Really, it defies easy classification. Give it a try.


Favorite children's fiction I read in 2012:
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
     I was enchanted by the rich setting and characters in this mystery story. The small town of Tupelo Landing is a quaint, quirky sort of Neverland--minus the murder, that is--and the narrator, Mo, is a wonderfully drawn young girl with spunk, imagination, and an energy that makes her jump out of the page and into your brain. This book was a pleasure to read.

Ivy + Bean Make the Rules by Annie Barrows
     I got on something of an Ivy + Bean kick this year. What can I say? I love those characters! Their personalities capture so well what it is to be children, and their friendship is a great model for children of all ages. I shared the Ivy + Bean series with many, many library customers this year, and they've all thanked me for it.

~~*~~

What were your favorite reads of 2012?
What are you most looking forward to reading in 2013?

Resolve to STEAM in 2013

I love STEAM programming. I love the curiosity inspired by science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, and I love offering programming the allows children to explore the "mysteries" of the world around them. And you know what? They love STEAM programming, too.

I want librarians to resolve to STEAM in 2013, and I've added a new page to this blog--All Things STEAM--to help you do so. Visit the page for some ideas, then set a goal of integrating STEAM into your programming calendar. Maybe that means including a non-fiction title in every story time; maybe it means adding more of a building/engineering slant to your craft programs. Maybe it means you offer a full-blown STEAM program once a quarter, or once a month. Set a goal to STEAM in 2013.

Offering STEAM programming at your library doesn't need to be a difficult thing. Worried because you weren't that great at science/math/etc. in high school? No problem! Offering STEAM programs for children doesn't require in-depth subject knowledge. All it requires is a bit of curiosity, a few supplies, and a willingness to ask questions and experiment in a group program setting. You can STEAM with Legos; you can STEAM with baking-soda-and-vinegar volcanoes; you can STEAM with building gingerbread houses. You can add a STEAM aspect to just about every program you offer to your customers, and your kiddos will be all the better for it.

How will you STEAM in 2013?

Update Those Awards Shelves!

Last week I unpacked a very welcome box of books at my library: replacement copies of past Caldecott and Newbery Award books. My branch strives to keep a display of the Caldecott and Newbery winning titles for easy browsing, and every year we add pristine new copies of the most recent winners to our collection. These new copies are great, but some of the older winners? Frightful! Take a look:

New copies on the left, old on the right.

So many of our older Caldecott titles are permabound copies. Yes, they've stayed firmly together since the 1970s. But they've also become dirty as all get-out. I recently went on a replacement-purchasing binge so that the cover artwork of these books with award-winning illustrations is a positive representation of the beauty inside.

Then there are the Newbery winners. Have you looked at your Newbery books lately? Please tell me: what do the covers look like? Do any look as dated and culturally confusing as our copy of the 1951 winner Amos Fortune, Free Man?

New copy, old copy.

Do any boast awkwardly-illustrated dogs that make readers think it's a book about a dog rather than an epic fantasy story, like our copy of 1976 winner The Grey King?

New copy, old copy.

How about a cover that is completely blank, like our copy of 1921 winner Smoky the Cowhorse? Yikes!

New copy, infinitely worse old, blank copy.

As a librarian, I have no idealized notions about how readers choose books. They absolutely judge books by their covers; everyone does it, especially kids. And these covers dissuade readers from ever giving these titles a chance. Say what you want about the books that have won awards, but they did win their honors for a reason. Yet very few children will electively pick up one of these books with disgusting, ridiculously dated, or blank covers. I'm hoping that our updated replacement copies will boost interest--or at the very least, shelf appeal--for the titles that have won some of children's literature's biggest awards.

Fun link: Travis Jonker at 100 Scope Notes has been recovering the Newbery winners, creating updated covers for each of the books that have won the award since 1922. Take a look at some of his fun designs!

How often do you update your collections of award-winning titles? What's the worst award winner on your shelves right now? Please share.

App Review: Bridge Constructor

There are many conversations going on in the youth services world right now regarding tablet technology and apps in library services. The way I see it, it's my job to select great books, audio, and audiovisual content, and I use these exemplary materials in my programming--great apps should be no different. With that in mind, I am debuting app reviews on this blog. I aim to share apps that I have found to be entertaining, engaging, educational, and well-designed. Without further ado, the first review!

Bridge Constructor App Review

I've built a stable bridge!

App: Bridge Constructor from Headup Games
Platforms: iPad, iPhone (3 or higher), iPod Touch; Android; PC
Content Area: Physics
Age Recommendation: 6+
Premise: Players build bridges to span rivers, valleys, and canals in a fictional landscape. At the beginning of play, only wooden beams are available; the building materials available grow to include cables, concrete, and steel beams as players progress. Players must build each level's bridge on a limited budget, but there are no time limitations to the app. When players are ready to test a bridge design, they can tap icons to test the structure using cars or trucks. An unstable bridge will collapse during the test--the simulated bridge collapses are an enjoyable aspect of the app and do not discourage users.

Fail.

     Players are able to earn points for their bridges based on cost, structural soundness, and test success; achievements can be shared via linked Facebook accounts, but this aspect is not required. Bridges increase in difficulty as players progress through the 30+ levels; hints are available.
Potential Library Uses:
  - Recommending in reference interviews
  - On library-owned devices for customer use
  - In programs to introduce the topic of bridge-building
Lite Version Available?: Yes

~~*~~

Looking for more app reviews and recommendations? Try these sources!

• Best Digital Book Reviews from Digital Storytime
• Early Literacy Apps selected by librarians at the Darien Library
• Apps for Kids Ages 5-12 selected by librarians at the Darien Library
• Smart Apps for Kids
• Program uses, great reviews and links to resources via Little eLit

Where do you go to find out about great apps for use in your library? Or do you just try them on your own?

Gingerbread House Workshop: A Holiday STEAM Program

We all know how much I enjoy adding STEM aspects to my craft programs--to offer STEAM programs for the children who visit my library. This week we were able to offer a five-hour drop-in Gingerbread House Workshop for the kiddos. It was flexible, so families with varying schedules could attend as it suited them; it was festive and helped to celebrate the holiday season; and it was, at its core, both an engineering and an art activity.

Remember how I mentioned rinsing out all those milk cartons the other day? Those milk cartons served as the framework for the children's gingerbread houses. A colleague and I created plates with all the major building materials: milk carton frame, graham cracker bricks, and embellishments in the form of Necco wafers, candy corn, pretzels, peppermints, mini marshmallows, and licorice bites. These items were ready for gingerbread house assembly on all of our six covered tables. The construction glue--white icing--was set out on every table within easy reach. All these supplies may sound expensive, but the program ended up coming in at $0.74 per participant.

This program worked remarkably well for a few reasons. First of all, because we had the program room open for five hours, we never had an overwhelming crowd--people came as it fit their schedules. Thus each child was able to get individual attention and praise from a library staff member while they constructing a gingerbread house. We were even able to have some great book chats during our slower stretches. Our final attendance count was 112; a high number for our program room, to be sure, but when spread out over five hours, very manageable.

The program also worked well because children could succeed in making their creations regardless of their overall skill levels. We had fifth and sixth graders taking their time to make intricate houses, and we had two-year-olds focusing quite hard to wield the icing knives properly. Children at all ability levels were able to make their very own gingerbread houses, a point of pride.

Additionally, this program is a great example of a basic STEAM program--the engineering and art aspects blend wonderfully. Children engaged their minds to figure out how to construct stable structures (the STEM side), and then they were able to add the sweet and savory embellishments to serve whatever purposes they chose (the creative, art-y side). Both sides of the brain were engaged in creating these gingerbread houses, and all the children were really cognizant of was how much fun they were having.

Clean-up was very easy for this program, especially considering its overall stickiness and the large scale. We wrapped all our leftover materials in our disposable tablecloths at the end of the five hours, and after throwing them away, all we had left was a bit of vacuuming crumbs off the floor. We did have wet wipes and paper towels in the program--after all, as every children's librarian knows, if the potential for stickiness exists, at least 95% of the children will become sticky by activity's end. A little bit of sticky was a small price to pay for such an engaging, enjoyable program.

Do you create and decorate gingerbread houses at your library? Had you ever thought of the program as a STEAM program?

A Day in the Life of a Children's Librarian

Did you see Abby the Librarian's "Day in the Life" post on the ALSC Blog a few weeks ago? I love getting a glimpse into the workdays of other children's librarians, and I enjoyed clicking through on the links she shared to see what my peers are up to. I figure it's about time I share a new Day in the Life, too; here's what I did on a recent Monday.

8:20 a.m. - Arrive at the branch and look over the program schedule for the day.

8:30 a.m. - Get our circulation and reference desk money drawers set up and count the money from yesterday's fines and fees. Lots of people want to start the new year with clean slates, and it seems we've been getting more fines paid off than usual.

8:50 a.m. - Ten Minute Meeting with the opening staff. My branch manager instituted these brief daily meetings after our recent staff development day; they're a great, informal way to bring everyone up to speed on what to expect for the day, what programs to talk about with patrons, etc. We rotate who leads the meeting and who writes what we discuss on a giant sticky note in the staff room. Staff who aren't present at the morning meeting initial that they've read the notes when they start their shifts. Communication about all aspects of the branch has improved--messages don't get lost or garbled between shift changes anymore!

9:00 a.m. - Open the branch, then meet with my branch manager to go over what's been happening since we last worked together.

9:15 a.m. - Head to my desk to check my e-mail and gather things for my outreach story time visits. This includes reading over the books I'll be sharing and reviewing the chords I'll need for songs on my ukulele.

9:45 a.m - Head out for Preschool Outreach Story Time!

10:45 a.m. - Back at the branch, I head to the sink in the staff room to rinse out 100 milk cartons. A local elementary school saved them for us to use in an upcoming craft program (more on that later this week...), and even though the extremely kind lunch ladies had rinsed them at the school, they were getting a bit stinky. Aside: no one in library school ever mentioned I might find myself rinsing out dozens of milk cartons.

11:30 a.m. - The director of the library district called to chat about a proposal I'm working on, so I spent some time on the phone with him and then filled my branch manager in on the proposal's progress.

12:15 p.m. - Lunch.

12:45 p.m. - More preschool outreach!

1:45 p.m. - I hurry back into the branch to print off some agendas for a two o'clock meeting. I also get updated on what I've missed while I was out of the branch.

2:00 p.m. - Early Literacy Task Force meeting. We talk about potential early literacy idea-sharing workshops for staff and assess the success of our recent early literacy initiatives. We agree on what we'll report to our colleagues at the upcoming children's meeting.

3:10 p.m. - Work the reference desk. In between reference questions from customers, I'm able to put the finishing touches on an eReader flow chart for reference staff; we anticipate an increase in eReader questions after the holidays, and the flow chart is to help staff keep the devices and their specific set-up steps straight. I also finish formal letters to our teen volunteers informing them of scheduling changes in 2013.

5:10 p.m. - Head home after a busy start to the week.

Preschool Science on the ALSC Blog

I was on the ALSC Blog yesterday afternoon to talk about a recent preschool science program we hosted at my library on a weather theme. Click through for details on the stories, concepts, and activities we explored!