What HAVE I been reading lately?

I've been meaning to blog earlier, but each time, something else called for my attention. A book begging to be read. An email needing to be sent. A project that needed work.

At any rate, I have placed myself in the writing chair to write (blog). I hope my sharing here is helpful to someone.

Some wonderful books have come into my hands recently. My notes here:

Long, L. (2014). Otis and the scarecrow. New York: Philomel.

I adore the Otis character, and though my heart is soft, I have an even softer spot in it for this sweet tractor. Otis epitomizes kindness. But he is also a tough tractor-- working so hard on the farm each day. His was the first stuffed plush book character I bought for my library!

The story really made me wonder, too. Topic: sharing kindness with someone who is guaranteed never to return it. Reading this book will cause you to consider the idea for yourself. Isn't that what good books do? Yes.

The artwork is rich, rich with fall orange, delectable red, and earthy browns painted in a way that makes you gasp and stare.  But why should we wonder about it? It is Loren Long after all. This is his kind, kind gift to us!

Castillo, L. (2014). Nana in the city. New York: Clarion.

Lauren Castillo is a name I remember. She gave us The Troublemaker, a playful picture book about a playful raccoon, and the subject of many tweets coming from me. This book is about a grandson who visits his grandmother in the city, and wonders how she can live there  -- with its hectic pace and curiosities. But Nana helps him see things in a different way, and the story's turn to its destination is well crafted and smart. It is not predictable, and you will want to wear a red cape, too. 

Simultaneously, the artwork is a delight in itself.

Preus, M. (2014). West of the moon. New York: Abrams.

I will freely admit here that I was "late" to reading this one. I think sometimes we might feel as if we can't express that -- our not having read something yet. But if we extend that grace to our young readers, should we also extend that to ourselves? And each other? I don't ever want to make someone feel badly for not having read something yet.  We each read what we need in our own time.

So this Norwegian folk tale mixed with fantasy mixed with coming-of-age was a quick weekend read. But it left lingering questions. Margi Preus did some clever plot and narrative work here, and the main character (Astri) is super dynamic. This story is about immigrant hardships, the connection between sisters, and the guilt one feels at all their mistakes. Extra notes: It covers some mature topics. AND the cover is a great topic for discussion, isn't it? Yes, I'm still thinking about this one. Clearly! Margi Preus works with language so easily and masterfully here. That needs to be said! 

Such reading have I done! But there is more reading to come. 

And in the midst of this, I attended the ALSC Institute. That will be the topic of my next post! 

I'm leaving the writing chair now. Off to learn. 

Don't Be Afraid to Wear a Straw Hat

This week classes visited the library for the first time.  There was so much to do beforehand to prepare, but through the rush, I was very excited.

I knew back in the summer which book would be the first one I'd share. It was this fun picture book by my NCTE friend, Peter Brown:

Brown, Peter. My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not). New York: Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2014. Print.


I had introduced the readers in our library to Peter Brown's work last year with another book, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (Little Brown Book for Young Readers, 2013). So when I announced the author of this work, I heard many readers say "Oh, Yeah!" in recognition.

Now to read this story, I decided I needed a hat. If you've read the book, you know that Ms. Kirby sports a big white hat with a black ribbon in the book. So that sent me shopping. No, it wasn't easy finding a white straw hat, and in fact, I didn't. But I did find this:

The "ribbon" is really butcher paper, and the flower is crochet (which I purchased).

When I read the book to my classes, I put the hat on with a bit of fanfare. Some asked: "Why are you wearing a hat?" When I came to the page in the book where Ms. Kirby is shown wearing her hat, always someone in the class would say: "I know why you're wearing the hat!"

Now, this is really a simple thing, I know. Wearing a prop during story time is nothing new. But this experience showed me how powerful it was to do so. Sometimes, the most simple thing can be the best thing.

We all had a great time with the story, and everyone gave it a "thumbs up". I think our teachers loved it, too, judging from their smiles. Students all agreed that they were very fortunate that their own teacher was NOT a monster. They shared how they saw their teachers at Costco or Kroger, and how strange it was.

When I read the book, I kept noticing points that I hadn't seen before. In the book, Ms. Kirby quacks with the ducks in the park. And she dresses up to do so. That part was great to me. She took time to have fun and do something offbeat and looked great doing it, too!

While I read them the book to show them that read-alouds are just a part of the great things we'd do in the library, I realized this book left an impression on me as well. My take-aways (or, at least a few of them):

A simple gesture can have a great impact. 
Don't be afraid to wear a straw hat. (Re: Celebrate your passion.)
Take a break every now and then and visit the park and enjoy the ducks. (That one is from Ms. Kirby.)

This book helped me connect with readers at the start of the year. That's a lot to expect from a book. But it played a part in accomplishing this. Indeed it did.

I know I will keep "wearing hats" and trying things in the library. Some may not be a simple as this, and some may require more time, effort, and risk. But I know that it will always be worth it if it creates a reading community and shows even one little one how glorious books can be.

Now, I'm off to the park. With my hat.