Celebrating Books

This past week, I attended the ALA Midwinter Conference in Philadelphia. It was an amazing experience, and I still haven't had a minute to post about. (I did tweet, though!)

Being around fellow librarians was completely wonderful! There, it was all about learning, connecting, and celebrating #kidlit. I didn't think it was possible, but yes, I came back with an even DEEPER appreciation for children's literature: 

For example, have you read this book? 

It is a 2014 Geisel Honor Book (announced at ALA MidWinter). We had it in our library, and I'd read it several times. But when I read it aloud to my kinders, (after the 3rd time ) I saw many bits of brilliance I hadn't quite seen before.

Penny really likes the marble! It's blue and shiny. But it doesn't belong to her. It's on her neighbor's lawn. Should she take it? Why is it there?

Our students really wanted to discuss this. As one of my kinders pointed out, the book IS called Penny and HER Marble. 

The illustrations are placed perfectly for effect, either at the bottom, centered, or in  panels. The pastel shades of blue, pink, and yellow add an extra bit of tenderness to each page. And Penny's eyes do tell all! The direction of her nose, her eyebrows, the extension of her hands-- these all give clues to emotion. 

Kevin Henkes gave readers a book they can read and reread, each time with more reward. 

This is just one of the books I'm celebrating after MidWinter. I am so grateful for the experience. 

A Virtual Visit to the Alamo

Part of my vision for the library involves connections. How can I connect our learners to the world around them? 

This week, our 4th graders came to the library for a very different kind of tour. My friend @NancyJoLambert connected with the librarians at the Alamo and organized a Google Hangout. Joining us were two other friends, @ShawnaFord1 and @tinaberumen.  In total, eight schools gathered virtually to "tour" the Alamo! Alamo Librarians (yes, there are librarians at the Alamo) Leslie and Jamie worked in tandem: Leslie presented a slideshow, and turned to Jamie who walked into the vault. It was very well-done and engaging, and it brought history to life for our learners.

Leslie took us into the vault below: 

We learned that this vault is, of course, climate-controlled.  

Jamie showed us these garments worn by Susanna Dickinson. When we saw this, everyone in our library gasped. It was a great moment!

Jamie also showed us this very tiny real photograph of Angelina Dickinson (who was a child at the Alamo) as a grown woman. 

Another valuable part of the experience: the original documents. Leslie explained primary and secondary sources to our learners, and then showed us an original copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a hand-drawn map by Stephen F. Austin. 

To begin the discussion, each school contributed questions to a Today's Meet link. The librarians were very thorough and kind with their answers, and we learned very much. Afterwards, as I discussed the event with teachers, I realized how fortunate we are now to be able to create this kind of experience for learners--and how amazing it would have been to have been a part of it when we were students. 

Of course, immediately after the visit, I thought of a book:

SUSANNA OF THE ALAMO by John Jakes; illustrated by Paul Bacon
Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers
Published: 1990
Pages: 32

This experience would not have been possible had it not been for the connections I've been able to make on Twitter. Here's to my TLBFFs: Nancy Jo, Shawna, and Tina. We are also thankful, of course, to our fellow librarians Leslie and Jamie at the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo. I did not think it was possible for me to be prouder to be a librarian, but they indeed helped me to do just that. .

It's Monday! What are you reading? 1/13/14

I'm joining Jen and Kellee in their Monday Meme called "It's Monday! What are you reading?" Visit Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers to get some great book recommendations!

We went back to school this past week, and as I asked our students to think about reading resolutions, I thought about my own, too. I decided to set my reading goal as a quantity, but with a caveat: that I would enjoy every book to its fullest even if it meant not accomplishing my goal. I've been setting goals for my reading for a few years now, and each time I do, I learn something that helps me understand the process of reading. This, in turn, helps me when I confer with the young readers in our library.

Here's what I read this week:

THE CAMPING TRIP THAT SAVED AMERICA by Barb Rosenstock; illus. by Mordicai Gerstein
Published by: Dial
Published: 2012
Pages: 32
Nonfiction

JANE, THE FOX & ME by Fanny Britt, Isabelle Arsenault, Christine Morelli (translation)

Published by: Groundwood Books

Published: 2013

Graphic Novel (middle school on up)

BEAR HAS A STORY TO TELL by Phillip C. Stead; illus. by Erin E. Stead

Published by: Roaring Book Press

Published: 2012

Pages: 32

THE ANIMAL BOOK by Steve Jenkins

Published: 2012

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 208

THE SUMMER OF THE SWANS by Betsy Byars

Published: 1971 

Published by: Viking Juvenile 

Pages: 144

Newbery Medal Winner - 1971

(A  reread for me!) 

THE ADVENTURES OF A SOUTH POLE PIG by Chris Kurtz
Published: 2013
Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers

Regarding my reading plans for the week, I'm noticing that I don't always read what I plan to read. Sometimes another title is best!

What are you reading this week?

A Wintery Library

Back from Winter Break! It's time to set goals, make plans, change things up. . . and recommit to those things that are important. 

In the library, I have been "winterizing" things with the help of my awesome parent volunteer. My goal is to establish a winter feel that is inviting and fun for every learner.

First, I set out all of our winter books. Teachers are always looking for seasonal books, so they are ready and waiting! (I also pulled out the Caldecott winners: THE SNOWY DAY (1963), THE BIG SNOW (1949) and WHITE SNOW, BRIGHT SNOW (1948). Quiz time: Which Caldecott Honor book did I also set out (although it's not pictured here)? What year did it win the Honor? 

Next, we replaced our book tree with a snowman. My parent volunteer assembled it in two pieces and brought them in, then adorned it with the hat, stick arms, and pennant. I absolutely love it!

Next, these bulletin boards greet visitors and extend the reading message!

Inside the library, I placed snow globes on some of the tables (typically where we have class or where we have staff meetings). These have fake snow (no water) and plastic animal figures  I bought at a craft store. The fake snow was on sale, too. ;-)

I also set out a few winter centers. One of them involves penguin research where learners read nonfiction books and write down questions for other learners to answer. On another, students could choose to write reading resolutions for the year. I love that our teachers did this, too!

For our read-aloud, I shared one of the Caldecott Honor Books for 2013: ONE COOL FRIEND by Toni Buzzeo and David Small.  Of course, I also read from SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY (Caldecott Medal, 1999).

While our students are in our library reading, creating, thinking, and learning, I want it to be a fun place for them to be! Now I look to February! 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 1/6/14

I'm joining in this meme today. Make sure you visit Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers to read other book blogs and add more titles to your shelves! 

Winter break is over, and I can look back on another week of great reading. Here's some of what I read last week:

Picture book (nonfiction):

THE BEETLE BOOK by Steve Jenkins
Published: 2012
Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 40

Middle grade fiction (fantasy)

JINX by Sage Blackwood
Published: Jan. 8, 2013
Published by: Harper Collins

Middle grade fiction (fantasy)

OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY by Karen Foxlee
Publication date: Jan. 28, 2014
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Young Adult

BETTER OFF FRIENDS BY Elizabeth Eulberg
Publication date: Feb. 25, 2014
Published by: Point

What I'm reading now:

FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell (Young Adult)

This week I plan to read:


An upcoming middle grade release from Dial (Penguin)-

A book I should have read a long time ago!

What are you reading?

A Boxer, A Fish, And More!

Headed to the library? Take advantage of some of my winter break reading, and check out the following titles! They're all picture books, and though they are quick reads, you'll want to spend time with them to appreciate them completely. 

INSIDE OUTSIDE by Lizi Boyd
Published: March 19, 2013
Published by: Chronicle Books
Pages: 40

A wordless picture book that will fascinate readers. It's the day in the life of a young boy as he plays, creates, and lives in and out of his home. Each page has a section that is cut out and opens to the next, and they all connect. Clever, colorful and very engaging. I can see learners creating this very same type of book but adding their own environment. A fun and vivid book you will open again and again.

THE TORTOISE & THE HARE by THE Jerry Pinkney
Published: Oct. 1, 2013
Published by: Little, Brown Book for Young Readers
Pages: 40

This books tells the story of the tortoise and the hare with brilliant illustrations as only Jerry Pinkney can do. Words in different colors tumble and roll gently from some pages, while breath-taking two page spreads capture the fluid action of a jumping hare.

Pinkney's work takes you straight into the action. Page panels reveal emotion and surprise.  A background of white space helps readers focus on the animal at hand. A detail of fur,  patterns in alligator scales and fabric texture, as well as spines on cactus reveal Pinkney's gifts.  Even lettuce leaves come to life!

THE MIGHTY LALOUCHE by Matthew Olshan and Sophie Blacksall
Published: May 14, 2013
Published by: Schwartz and Wade
Pages: 40

The story of a postman with a dream: Become a boxer.  I went through the pages carefully noting that some are are completely black, and others burst with brilliant color. Some pages have insets, and some illustrations depict action in a boxing ring. The size of the characters changes, too, making for a fun scene. Also, some of the quotes are enlarged, while others are told in lines and verses. End papers are boxer collector cards, and the author's note shares information about the beginning of kickboxing. This one has a little French flavor! 

PAPA'S MECHANICAL FISH  by Candace Fleming; illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Published: June 4, 2013
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 40

Books DO take you places! This one takes readers deep into the ocean and Papa's whimsical world.  Papa is an inventor with the goal of creating something that DOES work! With the love of his family, he creates the Whitefish IV. Color,  liveliness, hope and creativity greet readers on every page. A satisfying read and an example of persistence after failure. Papa loves to invent things, and it's fun to watch him do so!

I'm thankful for these books. Each one teaches me something new about the power of a good picture book.

Enjoy! May your next book be an awesome one! 

Writing to My Own Prompt

On the return trip from #ncte13, I decided to reread my second (signed) copy of DUKE by Kirby Larson (Scholastic, 2013). When I read the book as an ARC in the summer, I pretty much devoured it, and this time I wanted to really enjoy the story.) I considered myself extremely fortunate to be able to see Kirby again in Boston. (Her Hattie character is so inspirational, and she is a dear friend of mine and of the #nerdybookclub.)  When I opened the book to take a look at Kirby's signature, I first smiled as I recalled the moment, but then I noticed the message. (I was so busy at NCTE trying to catch everything and had very little time, so it's not a surprise to me that I didn't read it.)

"Be your own kind of brave." --Kirby Larson

I made the connection to the character in the book (which I highly recommend), but then I also made the connection to my own experience.  Yes, "Be brave" is a good motto. But this version added a twist to it. It gave me permission--in a way--to be what only I could be. I know how important it is to personalize for the learners in my charge, but do I do this for myself?

The arrival of a new year is all about resolutions and setting goals. But I think I'm in the middle of achieving  mine. (I'm enjoying my first year as a librarian after many wonderful years as a classroom teacher). Two constant goals: helping the learners in our library as they continue on their own path, and reading as much children's literature as I possibly can.

I really had every intention of contributing to all of the great posts I read on Dec. 31st. I tried to write an end-of-year post on New Year's Eve, and it just didn't happen.  I tried again on New Year's Day, but that didn't go well, either. Top ten list? Best moments of? Nothing seemed quite right. One little word? I don't know if that's possible for me. It's too hard to choose just one (although I do like all of these: BELIEVE, HOPE, and, of course, READ.)

I can see now why I was having trouble. These writing assignments didn't work for me. I had to create my own: remember a phrase that meant a lot to you and apply it to your own life.

I'm happy to look back at Kirby's words and relish in their meaning. "Be your own kind of brave." They are, of course, not the only words I live by. But they have -- and will -- come in handy many times. Thank you, Kirby!