The Brilliance of Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa

Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2005. ISBN 9780152021245. 


This book is absolutely delightful, and the proof can be seen when it is shared with 1st and 2nd graders. They love hearing about Cocoa the horse and how he is always hungry or thirsty. They love how Cowgirl Kate takes such good care of him. These four simple chapters combine to form a great story for readers.

Reading the book aloud helped me see things I hadn't noticed before.

For example:

I love the connection between Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa. Even though he's always asking for a drink, or food, she's always kind to him. He in turn, compliments her on her storytelling. In "The Surprise", Kate brings him a gift. Cocoa is so impatient to open it, he kicks over his bucket of oats. My students loved this part because they can relate and don't like waiting to open gifts either. (Neither do I!)

In "Counting Cows", Cowgirl Kate is trying to count all of the cows, but she's having some trouble because Cocoa isn't being cooperative. She decides to climb up a tree to see better. Cocoa does not approve (he doesn't think it's safe), and he decides to help her out instead. The illustrations by Betsy Irwin Kate show the care Cocoa has for Kate and vice versa.

I love Kate's passion for the cowboy life and her dedication to the work. She's ready to herd cows, and even spends the night in a barn. "I am a cowgirl from the boots up," says Kate. This is one of my favorite lines in the book.

Another thing I love about this book? Cowgirl Kate's red boots.

By the way, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa won a 2006 Geisel Honor Award.

Most importantly, after I read this book to students, I couldn't keep any of them on the shelves.

That made me a #happylibarian.

My First Library March Madness

During the month of March (and part of April), the readers in our library participated in Library March Madness. Similar to the NCAA March Madness, our event also had brackets, but instead of teams, books were the competitors!

(I'd heard of this idea on Twitter and I knew I wanted to try it for myself. I thought my way through it and learned a lot!) 

Here's what the bracket looked like when we started:

Two of my parent volunteers helped make the bracket banner. We used masking tape and butcher paper. Each week, a parent volunteer helped me post the results and conduct voting.

I went on morning announcements to talk about the "tournament". That created some buzz and excitement!

I started a Google doc with the match-ups,  then I created a QR code with the link. The link was posted on the banner in the hallway and I also placed it on an easel located on the circulation desk. I had an iPad ready so learners could vote anytime they were in the library. I also had paper ballots available. (I'm not sure I'll do that next year.)

I chose 32 books that were known by most of our readers. I selected picture books as well as graphic novels and chapter books so that every reader would be able to vote in at least one of the levels. Since this was my first time doing a March Madness, I paired up the books as best as I could. But I will probably be wiser about it next year! 

After the first voting, we posted results with book covers on the banner. I created a new Google form for the next round and continued this until we were down to two finalists!

As learners walked by the banner in the hallway, I could hear them talk about the books! Mission accomplished! One of our 4th grade teachers brought her class over to the banner and had them all fill out a blank bracket to predict the winner.

As the weeks progressed, when I walked down the halls, students came up to me and mentioned different books. They asked when the next winner would be announced or where they could vote. It gave me another chance to connect with readers and share books. That is always a good thing!

As far as results go:
Our two finalists were:

Journey by Aaron Becker 

Wonder by RJ Palacio 

With different events in the building, some of the voting had to be postponed, but eventually we got to a winner (a school favorite):

Overall, I was very pleased with how it turned it out, and I'm already looking forward to next year! 

Catching Up on Books I've Missed--and a Review

I am completely fascinated by the world of children's literature, and, in fact, these titles are a majority of my daily reading now (with the exception of professional literature or research articles).  Each day I am adding to my virtual and physical shelves to keep up with my passion to read them.  Many of these are soon-to-be published or new,  but a small number of them are older titles that I missed along the way (either because I was a child and didn't know of them, or so busy as an adult that I didn't make time to read them). 

This past weekend, I carved out some time to do a bit of  "catching up" of missed titles. I began with a tiny book that left a big impression. 

The result is the following review. 

Smith, Doris Buchanan. A Taste of Blackberries. New York: HarperCollins, 1973. ISBN 0690805128

A young boy and his fun-loving best friend Jamie spend their days picking blackberries and hopping the creek together.  One afternoon, Jamie and the narrator of the book (a boy who remains nameless) agree to gather unwanted beetles off of grape vines to help a neighbor (paid by the jar). But in the middle of the work, tragedy strikes. Suddenly, the boy is without his friend, and he must deal with feelings he doesn’t understand.

A majority of the plot consists of the boy’s narrative through the aftermath of the tragedy. Events prior to the tragedy seem especially poignant afterwards because readers experience the thoughts and questions as the boy voices them.

Though the boy's friendship with Jaime is the center of the story, minor characters show more about their personalities. Jaime’s relationship with his little sister Martha reveals his loving side. Characters such as Mrs. Houser, a neighbor, are there to listen and offer words of wisdom: "Honey, one of the hardest things we have to learn is that some questions do not have answers." With the help of his parents, the boy processes his feelings in his own time and at his own pace.

Told in an honest, childlike voice, the mood is somber and quiet. The boy's conversation with Jaime’s mother at the end is especially meaningful, and a basket of berries he gives her becomes a symbol of his acceptance. 

A brief but deep book revealing the world of one child coping with grief, A Taste of Blackerries also portrays the importance of friendship in a child's life.

Middle grade, 64 pages.