Mark Twain Reviews: Palace Beautiful, Hide & Seek, and Out of My Mind

I'm making good progress in getting through the rest of the Mark Twain Readers Award nominees. After this batch, I only have two more left to read.

Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams is a thoughtful historical fiction novel about Sadie and her sister, father, and step-father as they move from Houston to Salt Lake City. Set in 1985, the story documents Sadie's befriending the neighbor girl and discovering a secret attic room in her new house. Together with her younger sister Zuzu and her neighbor Bella, Sadie discovers the journal of one of the houses WWI-era residents. The girls make a pact to read the journal together a few entries at a time, and as the story of the journal's owner develops, they start to sense impending trouble in the writer's life. The journal writer's struggles mirror some of Sadie's own fears about her life, and she becomes comfortable in her new surroundings as the girls seek to find the journal's owner. This story is somewhat gentle and richly historical, and many young readers--girls in particular--will delight in the descriptions of life in WWI and the lovely friendship story between Sadie and Bella.

Hide & Seek by Katy Grant follows middle schooler Chase, an avid Arizona biker and hiker, as he encounters an interesting message while out geocaching. On his first solo geocaching adventure, Chase notices a strange message in the geocache's log: "HELP WE NE." Intrigued, Chase returns several days in a row, and he learns that the message has come from two young boys. Despite how much he enjoys spending time out in nature with these two youngsters, Chase starts to worry that they might be in some sort of trouble. What results is a captivating story, part adventure and part heartfelt, as Chase struggles to help his new friends while also keeping himself safe in the Arizona desert. This book will be a great read for sports-minded readers, young boys in particular.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper is narrated by eleven-year-old Melody, who has never spoken a word as a result of her cerebral palsy. Confined to a wheelchair and dependent on caretakers and family, Melody is bored out of her mind--everyone assumes that since she cannot communicate she is also mentally impaired. On the contrary, Melody is incredibly bright. When she finally finds a way to communicate with the people around her, Melody has lots to say. Despite her ability to assert her intelligence and unique personality, Melody struggles with her fellow fifth graders, not all of whom seem willing to accept her as a regular elementary school girl. Out of My Mind is a wonderful, wonderful story documenting just how frustrating Melody can find her life--and how, when push comes to shove, her frustrations, challenges, and fears aren't really that different from those of any other child. I'll be highly recommending this novel to readers who enjoy realistic fiction and school stories, and I'll be booktalking it along with Lord's Rules and Erskine's Mockingbird.

Bouncing Babies: Programming for the Littlest Library Kids

In my library, we strive to offer programs for children at every age. My entire department shares responsibility for the requisite school-age programs and preschool story times, and one of my staff offers regular two-year-old story times as well. That just leaves the littlest library-goers: babies and toddlers. Happily, the job of offering a twice-monthly babies and toddlers story time falls to me.

In creating a program plan for my Bouncing Babies program, which serves children 1 month through 23 months and their caregivers, I try to keep a few key ideas in mind. First, it's never too early to start developing crucial pre-reading skills (ECRR--need I say more?). Second, I believe it is also never too early to start forming positive associations with the library. I strive for all of the little ones to have a good time so that the library becomes a comfortable, loved place. And lastly, I believe that the grown-up caregivers of children under age two can sometimes feel starved for a bit of interaction with other grown-ups. My programs should be an opportunity for them to destress, too.

With all of those points in mind, I have created the following program format for my Bouncing Babies programs. The program lasts about 30 minutes plus some time for free play, and I don't deviate from that format very much--really, the fundamental components stay the same from week to week, which allows for a sense of routine that is comfortable to both babies and grown-ups.

(A few things to keep in mind: I print out a sheet with all of the songs and rhymes and pass it out as folks arrive; that way no one feels unable to sing along if they want to. Also, I start every session by mentioning that the door to the program room, while closed, is unlocked, so if anyone starts to have a meltdown, child and caregiver can step out for a few minutes and return when calmed down. I also stress that it's okay if a child doesn't want to stay by Mom but instead wants to run around--different learning styles and all. Finally, I pepper the program with little child development factoids about the importance of animal sounds, why nursery rhymes are so important, why "practicing" holding books is a good story time activity, etc. Parents have said they really appreciate learning these little bits of information, and it helps them realize why continuing early literacy activities at home is so important.)

Enough of the background. Here's what I do:


Bouncing Babies


Songs and Rhymes
     I start every session with a welcome song that I most definitely copied from the library at which I interned in grad school: "Hello, Everybody, and How Are You?". The song, below, provides a definitive sense of the story time starting, and it usually goes on long enough to allow for any stragglers to make their way into the program room before things really get going. Also, in repeating the song for each child, the little ones get to hear their names--one of the first sounds they really tune in to. It's like magic for calming down even the crankiest of toddlers.

Hello, Everybody, and How Are You?

Hello, everybody*, and how are you?

How are you? How are you?

Hello, everybody*, and how are you?

How are you today?

*repeat with each child's name

     I always emphasize that bouncing and clapping along to the rhythm of the opening song, as well as the rest of the songs and rhymes, is really beneficial to babies and toddlers. Not only is the movement fun, but it starts to introduce little ones to the idea of rhythm--a fundamental component of language and reading.

     We spend the next ten-ish minutes as a group singing the songs and saying the rhymes on the handout. These include nursery rhymes (Hey, Diddle Diddle), traditional children's songs (Baa, Baa, Black Sheep), and bounce and tickle rhymes (Round About, Round About). I repeat each one at least twice, as the first time around is usually a demonstration and folks don't always chime in until the second time. Admittedly, sometimes the mood of the group prohibits us from getting through all the rhymes. That's another reason I make the handout, though--caregivers can take it home and do the rhymes there.

     Suggested resources: Baby Rhyming Time, John Feierabend's First Steps in Music series, and the storytimes notes on the ALSC website.

Books

     I always share a short, easy-to-see book with the group--it's a great way to start modeling story time behavior for future story time participants. I choose books that have fun interactive components, peek-a-boo flaps in particular. Since these books inevitably fall apart when they are circulated, it's a treat to enjoy these books in a program. All of my copies are staff copies for the program only, so they stay in good condition. Some of my favorites: Peek-a-Moo!; Good Morning, Toucan; anything Spot; and Moo Baa La La La.

     Next comes time for booksharing between child and caregiver. I have a basket full of fun, age-appropriate board books that are wonderful for exploring how books work. Again, none of these resources is used for anything except my Bouncing Babies programs. Since I control their use, I'm able to include some great interactive books. Think Usborne Touchy-Feeling Books, Dwell Studio's great Touch and Feel or Circle books, any anything else with manipulable elements. Oh, and I also include lots of Sandra Boynton because they're just so much fun!

Music

     After we put away our books, I break out our hand bells. I was able to purchase some baby-safe musical bells with a grant from our Friends of the Library, and they've been a hit ever since. Despite my initial worry that the noise of the collective bells ringing would be too much for some babies, EVERYONE loves this part of the program. Depending on the mood of the group, we'll sometimes have a little parade, shaking our bells along to some classical music. Other times we stay where we are and try ringing our bells high, low, fast, and slow. Lots of investigation into how bells work happens at this point.

Play

Books, Bells, and Tactile Balls!

     Play is so important to the development of little ones, and I would consider myself horribly remiss if I didn't include time to play into our program schedule. Right now I offer two Bouncing Babies programs per month, and I alternate toys from session to session. Some weeks I break out some foam building blocks--plenty for everyone to play and build. Other weeks I dump out my box of tactile balls--some with ridges, some with bumps, some with holes, etc. From this point on, the rest of the program is free play. Little ones are free to explore and experiment with the toys available to them, and it is wonderful to see them figure out how to manipulate what they've got in their hands. It's important to me that all the toys be different bright colors--that way the almost-twos in the program can get a bit of color reinforcement out of playtime while their younger counterparts are chewing on whatever they've got. Everyone's happy! (I always emphasize to caregivers that the toys are cleaned after each program, so exploring with one's mouth is okay by me--after all, it's developmentally appropriate!)

That's what I do at my Bouncing Babies programs. Attendance has steadily risen since I started at my library last August, and at this point I offer two sessions each program day--10 a.m. and 11 a.m.--in order to accommodate all the families who want to attend. What better confirmation of a good program is there than a room packed with happy parents and giggling babies?

Mark Twain Reviews: Drizzle, Ghost Dog Secrets, and Half Upon a Time

I've been making progress toward my goal of reading all of the 2012-2013 Mark Twain Readers Award nominees. Here are the synopses and recommendations of the last three I've finished:


Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve is the story of Polly Peabody, who lives on her family's magical rhubarb farm. You don't think rhubarb farming can be magical? Well, it is on this farm, which grows giant rhubarb and chocolate rhubarb, and where it rains every Monday at exactly 1 p.m. despite the farm's location in a drought-prone area of the country. Things start to seem much less perfect and magical, though, when Polly's beloved aunt decides she wants to sell the farm despite the protests of Polly and her family. When her aunt leaves town, that much-needed rain suddenly stops--and all sorts of chaos breaks out. Polly must determine if she's the sort of girl who can reverse the bad luck while her family and their livelihood seem to be headed for total disaster. This fanciful yet heartfelt story deals with such ubiquitous topics as bullying, feeling afraid, the trials of friendship, and the difficulty in living up to your potential. I'll be recommending this book for some of my more self-conscious readers who may need a bit of literary encouragement to come out of their shells.

Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret is a lovely story about doing the right thing and fighting for the underdog--literally. When Rusty sees a dog chained to a tree day after day without food, water, or shelter, he and his best friend decide to try to help. Their class at school has been focusing on addressing problems in their community, and Rusty takes this message to heart as he "rescues" the dog, who he names Ra. It turns out Ra's owner very much wants his dog back--and he's willing to intimidate and threaten Rusty in the process. To make matters even more interesting, Rusty can see a ghost collie who seems to want him to protect Ra at all costs. Ghost Dog Secrets mixes the realistic themes of a boy and his pet, school difficulties, family dynamics, and animal cruelty with some supernatural elements and a bit of thriller suspense that will hook almost any young reader.

Half Upon a Time by James Riley is a fantastic fractured fairy tale. Jack has never been keen on his hero training--all the princesses are spoken for, so why risk his neck with adventure? When a princess literally falls from the sky, however, Jack finds himself engaged in a quest beyond anything he could have imagined. He and the princess, May, don't quite get along, but Jack is willing to put up with her, a slightly annoying prince, and a good deal of danger to help May find her kidnapped grandmother. Along the way we meet a giant, some dwarves, the Wolf King, and all manner of characters from fairy tales of old. There is plenty of adventure and humor in this tale to appeal to the average school-age reader, but the wonderful spin on fairy tale classics and some great fairy tale puns make this novel an above-average addition to the genre. I'll be recommending this title to readers looking for adventure, humor, and a bit of fun, and I'll probably read aloud from it at some summer programs, too.

Summer Reading Volunteers: The Training

At my library, we're lucky enough to have a bunch of year-round teen volunteers who help get things done in the branch. They pull lists of books for displays and programs, withdraw materials, help with craft preparation, and complete a myriad other tasks as they come up--and often tasks do just seem to spring out of nowhere.

In the summer, though, it's different. For the two months my library district offers its summer reading programs (SRPs), the number of teen volunteers at my library jumps from a dozen to over thirty. And for the duration of the programs, teen volunteers are focused almost entirely on the summer reading station at the branch. My library district simultaneously offers three SRPs for children (all on the same theme, but with slight modifications for age and reading ability), a program for teens, and a program for adults, all of which make for a potentially confusing summer. Thus the necessity of what every volunteer really needs to be effective: training.

I hosted our summer reading volunteer training last week, and nearly all of the thirty volunteers attended (non-attendees are trained one-on-one when their schedules allow). I had pizza and drinks handy--they are teens, after all!--and after a bit of socializing, we got down to business.

I spent a good twenty minutes going over the children's and teen SRPs with my volunteers; these are the programs they'll be promoting and explaining during all of their summer volunteer shifts. I made sure to have as many visuals as possible. Everyone got a cheat sheet of the programs and how they work, and a number of the volunteers took notes as I talked. I passed around the various book logs for the programs, and I showed the prizes that participants will earn for reading over the summer. I will be the first person to admit that explaining four SRPs can be really, really boring. With a bit of humor, space for questions, and flinging of prize glow-in-the-dark stars, though, we made it through with minimal fuss. They were even enthusiastic through the process of individually selecting their volunteer shifts, which took a while.

What did the teen volunteers absolutely love about the training, though? Role playing. I gave them potential SRP scenarios: a frazzled mom approaches the summer reading station and wants to sign up her four kids; a teenager hovers near the table while trying to appear disinterested; a young child wants to sign up for the program and boasts that he'll finish by tomorrow and start over again to get tons of prizes; an older sibling wants to know if a pre-reader younger sibling can participate. Throughout all of these scenarios, my teens became more and more confident with the program information. Success, even if just for that first evening!

Despite the volunteers' training and enthusiasm, however, I do fully expect to need to refresh my volunteers on the programs once they start their shifts next week. That won't be a problem, though; I'll likely need to refresh some library staff, too, what with all the different SRPs. That initial investment of time will be worth it, though: throughout the entire summer, our army of summer reading volunteers will take some of the SRP rush away from the reference desk, get kids and peers enthused about the programs and (most importantly!) reading, and develop a real sense of pride and in contributing to the library. I already know that, with nearly 60 summer reading volunteer hours each week, they will be making a HUGE difference in how well my library is able to operate during the busy summer months. A major goal, though, is for the volunteers themselves to feel ownership in their library.

I'll check back in with the progress my summer reading volunteers make throughout the summer, as well as some of the areas for improvement next year. Sound off in the comments if you have tips, success stories, or (I hope not!) horror stories of using volunteers in your summer reading programs.

Mark Twain Reviews: Because of Mr. Terupt & Belly Up

I've been working my way through the twelve Mark Twain Readers Award nominees for 2012-2013--I want to be able to book talk these titles to upper elementary kids once summer reading starts on June 4. As I make progress through my stack of novels, I'll post some synopses of the books as well as notes about what type of readers might enjoy them.


Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea is everything that is wonderful about a school story. Mr. Terupt is the new fifth grade teacher, and the story is told from the varying perspectives and voices of several members of his class. There's Peter, the trouble-maker; Lexie, the mean girl; Jessica, the new girl; Luke, the academically-driven young boy; and a handful of other fifth graders with real voices, interesting backstories, and genuine fifth-grader problems. The story progresses through the months of the school year, beginning with everyone growing comfortable with Mr. Terupt's unique teaching style and leading up to an incident that shakes the students and shapes the rest of their fifth grade experience. So many young readers can identify with this book--there really is a character for every personality--and the frank yet tender portrayal of the difficulties in growing up makes it a stellar novel. I'll be recommending Because of Mr. Terupt to readers looking for realistic stories as well as those looking to connect with a book character.

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs has a remarkably unique premise: when push comes to shove, it's a mystery about a murder--of a hippo. Teddy Fitzroy lives at FunJungle, the world's largest and most impressive zoo, where his parents are an animal photographer and a highly respected gorilla researcher. FunJungle has only been open for a few weeks, and it would appear mayhem has already struck: Henry the Hippo, the park's not-so-friendly mascot, has been found dead. After a rather humorously-described autopsy, the head vet determines Henry has been murdered. Luckily Teddy was spying on the autopsy, because FunJungle appears to want to cover up the murder. Teddy takes it upon himself to solve the mystery, but not without some zoo-specific dangers to his own life along the way. Teddy is a great narrator, and it is really enjoyable to tag along throughout his animal investigations. There is also plenty of gross-out humor in the novel, perfect for young male readers, that keeps the book light-hearted. I'll be recommending Belly Up to reluctant readers, especially boys, as well as readers with interests in animals.

School-Age Science on the ALSC Blog

I'm the guest contributor on the ALSC Blog today! Head over to their site for my post about school-age science programming.

I'll be back this week with more book reviews and programming posts. Until then, everyone enjoy the holiday weekend!

Animals, Animals! Story Time

I've gone back and forth on the themes-in-story-time debate this spring. I've done a handful of story times with themes, but I've also done a few programs using just new books or my favorites. All of the programs went over well, which indicates to me that the issue of themed story times is more a librarian's preference than a best-practices discussion. Regardless of what your preferences are in terms of using themes in your story times, however, I think we can all agree on one thing: kids love stories about animals.

I put together the following animal-themed story time for an evening program that draws a younger (~2) crowd and a mom's group with mostly 2-year-olds. It went over well, what with the variety of interactive elements in the books and the enjoyment my audiences got from sharing animal noises throughout. I'll be adapting this animal story time for the summer, adding in a few books for older listeners and trimming out the craft component as I take this program to outreach locations.

What are your favorite animal-themed books, songs, and fingerplays?

Opening Song: "Open, Shut Them"

Story: The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
     Mouse, Cow, Pig, and Duck are playing a friendly game of toss-the-ball when their ball rolls into the doghouse. Oh no! Mouse makes a big deal of who he sends into the doghouse after the ball, emphasizing each of his friends' brave qualities as they timidly head into the doghouse. One by one they enter, and to Mouse's alarm they do not come out! When Dog steps outside to let Mouse know he's having Duck for dinner, Mouse panics. But, in true Jan Thomas fashion, it could all just be a funny misunderstanding... Kids of all ages enjoy getting in on the joke in this book, and they are captivated by the fact that Thomas's narrative illustrations begin immediately on the inside cover.

Story: Dancing Feet! by Lindsay Craig
     This great story with simple, repetitive text and guesses at animal recognition on the page turns has proven to be a big hit with all sizes of audiences. With the smaller groups, we get up and dance the different beats of the animals (the ladybug dances a tippity beat, the elephant a stompity one, etc.), and we end up in a sort of crazy animal dancing parade. With larger groups, we experiment with using our hands to make the different dancing noises--fingertips for the ladybug, flat palms on thighs for the elephant, and so on. The interactive options for this book are many, and the simple text itself is rhythmic and wonderful. We all know how important rhythm is in developing pre-reading skills!

Song and Dance Break: "Willoughby Wallaby Woo" on Singable Songs for the Very Young by Raffi
     While Raffi is singing this classic, silly children's song from our boombox, our group takes turns having Horton, our stuffed elephant, sit on everyone's heads. I usually start off with Horton on my head before setting him on a child's, and then within a few seconds--possibly with some parental encouragement--everyone gets the hang of the activity. Mom! There's an elephant on your head! Now it's on my head! How silly! I've found the song is generally long enough to get Horton on the head of every attendee--you wouldn't want any kids to miss out on a one-of-a-kind elephant hat, now would you?


Story: Moo, Moo, Brown Cow! Have You Any Milk? by Phillis Gershator
     I must say, I love this relatively new book. Using the format of "Baa, baa, black sheep," the book takes readers through a colorful, calming exploration of many farm animals as they prepare for bedtime. As we meet each animal, we get a plethora of child-friendly information about it: its name, what sound it makes, what color it is, what it produces, and what we make from that product. Example: "Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? / 'Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full.' / Does wool make a blanket for my bed? / 'Yes, sir, yes, sir,' the black sheep said." We meet a grey goose with down feathers for our pillows, a brown cow with milk for a bedtime drink, and other animals, too. It might seem like there's a lot going on in this story, what with the animal recognition, animal noises, colors, and more, but the repetitive rhyming text and clear, lovely illustrations make the whole book very accessible to even young children. I highly recommend it.

Fingerplay: "Five Little Ducks"
     Anywhere I go, whatever story time group I'm addressing, everyone is familiar with "Five Little Ducks." Because it's a familiar fingerplay and song, everyone is always excited to sing and mime along with me as the little ducks go wandering over the hill and far away. Kids get really into the counting element of the song, too, and they work those fine motor skills to hold up the proper number of fingers each round. Librarian gold, this fingerplay is.

Craft: Duck Puppets
     I use duck stick puppets to accompany the "Five Little Ducks" fingerplay, so why not encourage kids to do the same at home with their very own puppets? I try to keep this craft as simple as possible, using just a handful of supplies: ducks die-cut on yellow cardstock, fat popsicle sticks, glue dots for putting the puppets together, and crayons for decorating the puppets. And never fear, those of you who like a craft to take at least ten minutes--while assembly is quick, decorating five little ducks can take a while!


Other books I had on hand in case they were needed:
Ten in the Bed by Jane Cabrera
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin