The Library: A Place for Ideas and Inspiration!

During one of my summer trips to the public library (and there have been many), I heard music coming from the children's section. It wasn't loud, and the sound was contained in that area, but it got my attention. Before I browed around (as I usually do), I walked over to see what the music was about.

I saw parents holding toddlers and dancing. I saw books, and laughing, and smiles. I saw librarians at the front smiling and mingling. But what I was really looking at was a great library in action.

The event was a toddler storytime with dance! How brilliant! Well attended, causing buzz, lots of reading happening around it. And the best part was that families were enjoying literacy together.

I thought a lot about that afterward. I thought about how perfect that event was. It was a great example for me as I plan events for my own library.

I want my students and their families to experience literacy together in this way.

I realized also that my library had helped me yet again. This time, they'd inspired me to do good work in my own library. They'd shown me another possibility. And as a plus, they also had the books I was looking for!

What family events have you seen in your school or public library?
Has your library been a source of inspiration to you? How?

Award-Winning Books = Great Reading



 

Since attending the Newbery Caldecott Banquet last month, I've been very interested in reading more of these award-winning books. Though I've been teaching a few years (okay more than a few ;-), and I did read throughout those years, I am especially attune now to children's literature and its quality. I can say that there are several titles I have picked up and looked at and said to myself: "I have read this before!" However, I cannot say I took enough time to enjoy them or truly appreciate them. So, I am going back and rereading some of these with a different set of eyes--eyes opened with time, more reading, and experience.

 

Now, whenever I see or hear about a Caldecott or Newbery book, I want to know more. If I could, I would memorize the winners (as well as the Honors). I'm curious about the author, the artwork, the process, and everything that makes the book unique. I started the Newbery and Caldecott challenges in 2012, too. (I've been making some progress on this, but I haven't gotten as far along as I should have because I keep stopping to read the new books.)

 

So I'm trying fit in more of these books. And in that, I feel as if I 'm giving myself the very best education. I am taking it up on myself to learn from experts about these books, and I'm finding that there is much to learn. But that doesn't dissuade me from the pursuit of the learning because I care very much about it. It IS my passion. (Isn't this what we seek for our students? Yes. And because I live this, I want to help every student who is in my charge to find their passion as well.)

 

In pursuit of learning, and because it is a complete joy to me, I read these titles this week:



  

 

 

A SINGLE SHARD by Linda Sue Park

Published: April 23, 2001

First published by: Clarion Books

 

What a rich and beautiful story this is! Tree-ear, an orphan, is the main character living in Korea in the 12th century. He wants nothing more than to learn the craft. But many things go against Tree-ear. The storytelling is stunning, and I highly recommend it.  I learned more about the art of celadon glaze pottery in this book, and I want to learn more about that, too. Linda Sue Park won the Newbery Medal for this book in 2002.

 

 

 

 JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback

Published: Oct. 1, 1999

Published by: Viking

 

Simms Taback both wrote and illustrated this Caldecott Medal winner for the year 2000. (His book POSTCARDS FROM CAMP won the Texas Bluebonnet Award in 2013.) In  JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT, Taback uses cutouts to create the art and tell the story, and each time you turn the page, the cutout is used in a new way. How many versions of this book have been published?



 

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL by Robert McCloskey  

Published: Sept. 17, 1948

Published by: Viking Juvenile

 

This delightful picture book was a Caldecott Honor book in 1949. I have been to Maine only once in my life, but I remember it well, and often think of it. (Once my life isn't so busy, I'd love to travel there and vacation for awhile.) So when I reread this book, I saw it through Caldecott eyes, and with good memories. But this book didn't need any of those things to make it wonderful. The story is sweet, and the illustrations make the reader go back to look each time. Little things are noticed. Little but truly amazing things. Robert McCloskey's work will bring a smile to your face, and will make you want to go to Maine and eat blueberries.

 

 Hope your day is filled with wonderful books, and that you are learning about things that you love, too!



Tuesday: What I've Been Reading

It's summer, and I'm still busy, but that's a good thing! I'm working parts of the day in the school library at my new school (yeah!), completing library projects, and reading books I want to share with my students this upcoming school year. It's a whirlwind of literature and writing and all-things-library and I absolutely LOVE it.

So, that being said, it leaves me little time to post an #IMWAYR entry.

That's why I'm making this a Tuesday post---sharing these two titles.

First:

FLORA & ULYSSES: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
Published by: Candlewick Press
Publication date: Sept. 24, 2013


Next:

THE BOY ON THE PORCH by Sharon Creech
Published by: Harper Collins Children's
Publication date: Sept. 3, 2013

I read these books fairly quickly and loved both of them. As I started to think about what I would tell someone about these books, I wondered what made them similar to me. (I guess this is rather like my own "thinking map".)

First of all, the plots are engaging. In one , a girl named Flora has made a new friend: a squirrel named Ulysess. In the other, a boy has mysteriously shown up on the porch of a young couple. Second, the characters are very compelling: a squirrel who loves donuts and poetry, and a boy who paints, and never speaks.  Both contain elements of mystery and both will make readers think. I highly recommend them.

One other similarity: Both of these books come from Newbery-winning authors. Kate DiCamillo gave us BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE and the TALE OF DESPEREAUX (and more). Sharon Creech gave us LOVE THAT DOG and WALK TWO MOONS (and more).

I've had the honor of meeting both of them, and it was a lifetime treat in both cases. As a new librarian, I appreciate what they do for children's literature and the more I read their books, the more I marvel at their art.  And writing great children's literature is most definitely an art.

I can't wait to share the works of these authors with my students in the library! It will be an honor!

Meeting Sharon Creech at ALA 2012: A privilege!

 

 

I met Kate DiCamillo at ALA 2013. She is about to sign my ARC of FLORA & Ulysses.
I'm on the other side of my iPhone smiling, too!

 

Sidekicked: A Review

I am happy to be a stop today on the blog tour for SIDEKICKED by John David Anderson. (Thanks to Walden Pond for the ARC.) Walden Pond Press published this book, and you might know some of their titles: JUNIPER BERRY, FELLOWSHIP FOR ALIEN DETECTION, and THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM.

SIDE KICKED by John David Anderson
Published: June 25, 2013
Published by: Walden Pond Press
Pages: 384


Andrew Bean lives in Justicia. He's in middle school, he's not a fan of homework, and his room is a "disaster". But Andrew's life is not typical. Three times a week, while his parents remain totally unaware, Andrew trains with five other teens in H.E.R.O. (Highly Environmental Revitalization Program). It's a secret program at school that trains sidekicks for superheroes, and each person in the group has a special power. To train, the students must miss gym and lunch some days (throughout the book Andrew tells us what he would have had for lunch that day), and that's not a bad thing for him.

Andrew has a special power, but this reviewer will not reveal that detail because reading it --John David Anderson writes it-- is part of what makes the book an enjoyable read.

There's plenty of conflict in the book and the plot is attention-grabbing (missing superheroes, the Suits, and Andrew's own superhero who is less than ideal), but what makes the book compelling is that Andrew tells it and that it comes from a middle schooler's point of view--his life with his best friend Jenna, masquerading to keep his secrets, and trying to just get along.

The writing is clever with just the right amount of humor, and I thought the concept was really a great one for a book. I think it's perfect for middle school (maybe late 5th grade and older), and the writing teacher in me believes it's a solid, entertaining example of the use of voice.

I enjoyed meeting Andrew (Drew), and I think, for me, that's a good test for a book. Also, I would love to read a sequel or a Book 2.

If you are interested in a entering a giveaway for a signed copy of this book and other great prizes, check out the Facebook page for the The Sidekicked Summer of Superheroes Sweepstakes .

I'll leave you with this great line from the ARC:
"When you're a teenager, everybody is waiting for you to be something or somebody else--your friends, your parents, your teachers. Sometimes you lose track." (p. 28)--John David Anderson.

Also, make sure you visit the rest of the blog stops at Sidekicked: The Superhero Blog Tour .

No Eraser Needed

Right now I'm settling into my new school and my office in the library. I'm about halfway done unpacking my boxes. I'm working on signage now.

As I was doing so, I found an eraser. It was one of those teacher gifts we all get -- with a painted apple and personalized.

It was given to me probably my 2nd or 3rd year of teaching (I really don't remember), and I have carried it around to every school and every classroom.  I'm not even really sure who gave it to me. I'd just put it on the chalkboard tray and there it would stay all year. Really, I had enough erasers, and some years it was never used. But I still kept it because it was cute and teacher-y!

Then I got a Smartboard, and it was REALLY never used again.

When I unpacked it in my library office recently, I asked myself why I had brought it over. I don't have a chalkboard in the library (I do have  a Smartboard), and I'm not even sure if there is a chalkboard anywhere in my new school.

I guess I've realized that this eraser just became a symbol of something.

In this transition I am making from classroom teacher to librarian, what tools am I bringing that WILL be useful? And what tools in my teacher toolbelt will no longer be needed? I'm slowly starting to make my lists.

When we go from one chapter to another in our lives, we also change many aspect of our surroundings.  We have new work addresses, phone numbers, and parking spots. We even get a new set of keys! But do we also trade out the work habits and strategies we've relied upon for so long? The ones that have been successful and reaped benefits for those we must help?

Honestly, I plan to keep quite a few things from my teacher tool belt. Connecting with my students because they matter. Listening to them and knowing that we are privileged to be able to help them grow. Helping teachers find books for their classes. Finding the perfect read-aloud. Humor (probably about shoes). Always learning. Reading as much as possible (of course!). Writing with my students. Reading WITH them, too. Being excited about new discoveries! Librarians have all of these qualities!
 

I still can't quite throw out the eraser, though. ;-)

ALA 2013: My Story

When I attend a conference, I usually have a plan. I look over the program and highlight some things, and (with recent conferences) I also download the scheduling app if one is available. But ALA was so incredibly awesome and had so many opportunities for learning, that even equipped with an app, a great program booklet, and some savvy friends, I still felt as if I were at a really huge shoe department where EVERYTHING was in my size and EVERYTHING was on sale.

One of my first sessions was The Unconference. I remember walking into a really large room filled with many librarians and thinking to myself: "Do I belong here?" Eventually, though the session was standing room only, I found a seat.  I listened as moderators assigned topics. Each table discussed the topic for about 10 minutes. Somehow, I found ways to contribute. I asked questions, and I took notes. I was the ONLY school librarian at my table so I found myself offering this perspective. I definitely put my library school knowledge to work!

While I was listening to everyone's discussions,  I tweeted out some things and received replies from my Twitter PLN. Some asked questions, some retweeted, but all helped me structure my learning with their feedback. Though I didn't know anyone at my table, I had my PLN with me to help me figure things out.

The Unconference went pretty quickly, and after some good side conversations with some academic librarians at my table, I was able to appreciate something really important: Librarians around the country do some very amazing things. Also, it made me reaffirm my own goals to be the best librarian I could because these librarians were already doing such incredibly impressive work. Just as I cannot let my students, staff, administration, district, or community down, I can't let THEM down either.

No matter what type of library we work at, we all want to do our best for our patrons (in my case, my students). I haven't met all of them yet, but I will soon, and they are already very important to me. They're so important to me that I traveled all the way to Chicago to learn from some very smart fellow librarians.


On a shoe note:
For this session, I wore the black sandals pictured here:

 

 

 

 

My Birthday Wishes

Have you ever been late in wishing someone a happy birthday or -- worse yet-- forgotten to wish them a happy birthday at all?

I guess I'm feeling like this a little bit, so I'm writing this blog post as a sort of birthday card. My birthday wishes go to the Caldecott Award. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Randolph Caldecott Medal--one of the most prestigious in children's literature--awarded to the artist of the "most distinguished picture book for children". Find out more about this award here .

With the time I spent in libraries as a child, and, as a teacher, I have read many of the Caldecott books. In my classroom, my students and I held a Mock Caldecott--carefully looking at picture books and deciding if one of them would win.

In libraries across the country, school and public, these books are specially marked and the collection areas are often prominent. The storylines, the creativity, the design, and the art are all unique. Do each year's Caldecott winners  reveal something about the time period? That's what makes these books so fascinating to me.

At ALA this past month, the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet was the epicenter of birthday festivities.  There were many opportunities to honor these books.

This was the display board available for guests at the banquet. I don't really look like I'm on the horse, but it was fun anyway. Do you know what this illustration of a horse has to do with the Caldecott Medal? Click the link above!

Of course, at the banquet, we honored the Caldecott winners for 2013.

Winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal: THIS IS NOT MY HAT by Jon Klassen.

I cannot tell you  how much I adore this book. In other words, I love it A LOT. It's such an interesting story with so many points for discussion. Jon Klassen is brilliant. (Interestingly, my class voted this as our Mock Caldecott winner, too. They were very proud of that!)


Caldecott Honor Awards:
My students really enjoyed CREEPY CARROTS! This fun book was written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown. I loved this book, too! It, too, was in our Mock Caldecott.

EXTRA YARN is EXTRA awesome! I loved this book, and more importantly, so did my students! Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen created something so great here!

I read the book below to some kindergarten students in the library one morning. They hung on my every word. It was a hit! I highly recommend ONE COOL FRIEND.

And GREEN! So creative! Such a lovely idea for a book!

SLEEP LIKE A TIGER is amazing, too. The patterns and colors are so marvelous!

(Read more about this year's Caldecott winners here.)

In Chicago, the Art Institute is hosting a great Caldecott exhibit right now.  I had the chance to visit while I was at ALA, and I wished I could have been there longer.

 

This was the name of the exhibit. I think it depicts everything these books are about! Perfect!

The highlights for me were the original illustrations from:

• MEI LEI by Thomas Handforth, winner of the 1939 Medal
• THE LION & THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney, winner of the 2010 Medal
• RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS: A YEAR IN COLORS: illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman, a 2010 Honor book
• A BALL FOR DAISY by Chris Raschka, winner of the 2012 Medal

As I walked by the paintings, I was speechless. The quality and beauty of the pieces has that effect on me, and I can say it will remain one of my most treasured life moments.

There is so much to love about these books, and because of this, I'm just now beginning to learn about them.  I am wanting to know all about them, and besides my Caldecott challenge (see sidebar), I am studying them on my own.

The illustrators and authors who create these works help teachers and librarians develop young readers, and we are so grateful for their contributions.

At the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet, the dessert had a Caldecott theme. In itself, this was art, too. (It was white chocolate and delicious, and it deserved a picture.)

To learn more about the exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, visit this link.

Happy 75th Birthday to the Caldecott Medal! I look forward to many more years of books from you! 

 

Yesterday's Reading

While on my trip to the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Chicago, I happily found myself surrounded by some of the most exceptional professionals in the library field. I returned to work in my school library with many ideas and thoughts swimming in my brain. A day of making things seemed like the right way to go in order to process what I'm planning. So I started working on displays for the library, and while I was busy cutting and designing, I listened to an audio book of THE HUNDRED DRESSES by Eleanor Estes (as performed by Christina Moore).
I'm not sure what led me to pick this one up, but I did.     

Now many of us have read this book (a Newbery Honor winner for 1945), but in the light of new great kid literature, it deserves another look and a reread.

As I listened to it, I  was completely engaged. I felt sadness for Wanda, and I wanted to be the teacher in the class that fixed everything and took care of her. I wanted to make her life better with a book, and a smile, and let her know that someone cared for her. I wanted to get help for her family. So much to feel in this book, and that's another example of what a good book can do.

When I tweeted that this had been my #bookaday, Barb (a teacher and member of my Twitter PLN) tweeted back and mentioned she was working on a #choosekind "reading ladder" with WONDER by RJ Palacio.  What a great idea! This got me thinking! If you've read my blog or followed my tweets, you know how much I adore this book. (I even hosted a faculty book club with it, and you can read about it here .)

Now to understand what a "reading ladder" is, the book below is the one to read:

The author of this book is Teri Lesesne, also known as @ProfessorNana on Twitter. She is a wealth of knowledge on the teaching of English, library science, kid literature, young adult literature, writing, and, generally, all things literacy-related. Plus more.

As I understand it, the concept is about leading readers to books by using other books that are related in concept, theme, ideas, etc.

So I immediately thought of other books about innocent characters who are bullied and face injustice. (I'm not the first one to do this, but I was inspired!)

Another great book came to mind:

BLUEBIRD by Bob Staake is a wordless picture book that will literally take your breath away. The colors, images, artwork, and storytelling--everything--are all stunning. In it, a lonely boy, mocked by classmates, is befriended by a sweet bluebird. The story is so tender and powerful (re: the ending), I tear up just thinking about it. (My students loved this book, and were even inspired to make these paper bluebirds.) Aren't they awesome?

In addition to the "reading ladders", the children's books listed here lend themselves perfectly to discussion and response in the classroom or the library. How are Wanda and the Bluebird and Auggie all alike? What lessons do they teach us? What do we admire about them? What does each book say about kindness? Do readers remember another book that reminds them of these titles? I'm excited about all the possibilities.

No worksheets needed here.

What other books would you add to this list? Perhaps your combination is a little different. Or even better, what "reading ladders" would you create about other topics using other books? I hope you're inspired to create some of your own! Please share them with others!

 

#NewLibrarian At ALA

I love going to conferences to learn. I went to them as a teacher, and I will continue to attend as a librarian. There's something very comforting about gathering together with colleagues in your profession. There are people around you who can answer your questions and give you a new perspective. This can be very helpful.

So attending the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Chicago as a new librarian was an exciting thing for me. I attended last summer, too, but this time it was different. Better.

I felt a little more at home at ALA this time around.  And I felt a real craving to learn EVERYTHING.  I found some great sessions and met some very wonderful people.
 Recapping it will be tough. It might take me more posts!

I thought I'd start with these pictures:

I love to see the welcome sign at an ALA Conference. I know they didn't just hang it up for me, but I can pretend they did! (This was in the McCormick Place Convention Center which was a very large venue!)

I arrived a little early, so I came to pick up my registration materials and name badge (important stuff)!  Then I came across this sign which made me smile and feel awesome.)

 

During my stay in Chicago, the town was celebrating the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup Championship. So this what I saw outside my window one night.

 

Here's a picture of the Art Institute of Chicago (one of the places I visited). I'd always wanted to go there, and I'm so happy I did. I only saw two exhibits, but both were amazing. I saw the Thorne Rooms and the Caldecott exhibit. I highly recommend both. I was completely overwhelmed by the awesomeness of these sites that for much of the time I was speechless. I will blog about the Thorne Rooms in another post. There's just too much to say about it!

 

This one trip is a dense collection of memories. How can I ever tell them all?

 

It is impossible. Instead I'll blog little pieces here and there, and hold it all together in my heart as one of the very best times of my life.