I attended the Texas Library Association's 2016 Annual Conference, and though I've been home for two days, it is still fresh on my mind. The time was incredibly enriching and filled with so many incredible moments. I took some pictures, but I couldn't capture everything. You never can.
What makes this conference so amazing? Well-planned and painstakingly organized, the blueprint for this conference is laid out early, with attention to every detail! And the people! All of the dedicated and determined librarians who plan and execute it all make it great for attendees as well as speakers.
I had a tiny part to play in it, mostly through the work of two programs (along with some volunteer work for the Bluebonnet Luncheon):
Donalyn Miller and I shared many title recommendations in "Book Chat Live" -- including picture books, graphic novels, early readers, middle grade, nonfiction. We hope we helped librarians spend money on books! We had more books than time! Isn't this always the case? Most certainly, working with Donalyn was a wonderful experience!
I also moderated a panel of authors in a session appropriately named "Notably Newbery".
This session will get its own blog post here tomorrow! I hope you will come back to read it!
I couldn't possible attend everything I wanted to, but through the beauty of Twitter, and conversations in hallways and ballrooms, I was able to learn from sessions I could not attend.
One session I found particularly wonderful was the Poetry Roundup!
There is always a great lineup of poets at this event! And listening to these poets read from their work is truly a wonderful experience! Attending this session always give me great ideas to share poetry with my school.
Dr. Sylvia Vardell is the moderator and poet planner extraordinaire! I attend Poetry Roundup every year!
Newbery winner Kwame Alexander, author of The Crossover, shares a poem for the Poetry Improv with Janet Wong to his left.
This is my first blog post about #txla16. Some conferences just can't be written about only once! Especially ones held in Texas!!
I hope you will visit again tomorrow to read more!
On Fridays, I bring out the Mobile Makerspace cart during our weekly Genius Hour. Wonderfully decorated by one of my amazing parent volunteers, the cart is stocked with a variety of materials for student use. (Read more about it here.)
Since beginning my Makerspace in 2014, the materials have varied and so have the products. But the products are rarely the focus -- Mostly, it is about the act of creating. It is about the thinking, the problem-solving, and the planning.
Some students participate each and every week. Some come to try it out once a month or so, curious about what is available. They are usually ready for any project, and sometimes work together in pairs -- which is fabulous!
Last Friday, because it IS April, I decided to incorporate a challenge and bring in some poetry.
I glanced at my poetry collection and found the perfect book:
This picture book is a collection of poems about cars -- cars that are inventive, fun, and wacky, such as the "Bathtub Limousine" or the "High Heel Car". (The illustrations are so engaging, too!)
It occurred to me that this was just the right book to tie in with Makerspace.
I first read some of the poems to the group who showed up to participate. (The poems are lively so I really enjoyed sharing them!) I showed them the illustrations for the rest of the poems, then had them begin, and they got right to building. Since this was not their first time at Makerspace, they were already familiar with my two main expectations:
(1) Clean up after yourself.
(2) Take your project home with you. :-)
Here are some of the cars that were built. (I've been collecting cardboard tubes and boxes, so almost all of the project involved these materials!)
This car had a popsicle stick driver -- painted with a yellow marker and a smile.
This car has cup holders cut from an egg carton.
This vehicle has headlights and seating for eight passengers! There is also a license plate on the front!
This learner created a "caterpillar cab" and began writing a poem.
Because most of the time was spent building the cars, there wasn't enough time to finish the poetry. So, everyone took their cars back to their classroom and worked on the poetry during their writing time.
Overall, I think this challenge worked out very well! I'll continue to incorporate books with Makerspace making sure that the project always remains open-ended and fun!
There are many excellent things one could say about the much anticipated Raymie Nightingale (Candlewick, 2016), but the first thing I would say is that it begs to be reread -- because when you finish it, you'll want to relive the experience. Speaking for myself, I knew one quick reading back in January only gave me a cursory appreciation of the book -- enough to recommend it to fellow librarians and to know it was a work filled with the wonderful things we all love about Kate DiCamillo's books. A slow reread this weekend, however, helped me pinpoint exactly those qualities about it that made me want to reread it in the first place, and, therefore, helped me write this post. (I almost wish I could immediately start a Raymie Nightingale book club so I could discuss it with more friends.)
Why am I rereading this book? (And yes, I will more than likely reread it a third time.)
Well (for starters) it's written by Kate DiCamillo. I don't know of any librarian who hasn't reread at least ONE Kate DiCamillo book. When you think of Because of Winn Dixie, or Flora & Ulysses, you understand that the layers in these stories reveal themselves with more readings. In Raymie Nightingale, we see the world (summer of 1975 in Florida), through Raymie's eyes, but she is taking in so many sights, sounds, and people, and noticing them at different rates, that we can't comprehend the impact of this until we look at the story again. This time more watchful, this time more intentional -- taking everything in, just like Raymie.
Secondly, the cover and title must be appreciated. Before you have read the book, the title Raymie Nightingale immediately brings to mind Florence Nightingale, and once you read the book, you understand why this suits. A library book about Florence Nightingale plays a role in the story, and adds to an understanding of Raymie's life. (I especially loved that Raymie's school librarian, Mr. Option -- aptly named because librarians DO offer options -- recommends the Nightingale book to Raymie with a heartfelt reader's advisory on pg. 55 of the ARC.) And, regarding the cover, blue and yellow pairs well together, yes, but the real thing I love about it is that the girl (Raymie) is stepping in the water, baton in hand, her back to us.
Also, the characters in this middle grade novel are complex, beginning with Raymie. She is searching for answers. She is on a mission. She is doing what she can do to make things right in her world in her own way, just like her friends and fellow "Rancheros", Beverly and Louisiana. Their actions and words unfailingly build up our knowing of them. Beverly is the common-sense friend. Louisiana's actions can sometimes be explained by the needs she faces. (And she wears the loveliest of shimmery dresses, plus bunny barrettes.) And, well, Mrs. Borkowski (Raymie's strange neighbor who sits in the middle of the street)? Take note of everything she says - and does. And what Raymie says about her. Mrs. Borkowski may have had the answers all along.
Now that I've fully supported my reasons for a reread --- I can reflect:
Raymie finds friends who are in need of something -- just like her. They are valuable friends -- and friends with worries, too. They connect at Ida Nee's twirling studio, and spend the rest of the summer navigating through each other's challenges and worlds, united in the fact that they each need comfort. (They have much in common.) Brilliant, creative, and always interesting, together Raymie, Beverly, and Louisiana do what they can to get through this tough time in all of their lives -- even if it involves a few out-of-the-ordinary excursions, and interactions with other fascinating characters.
What I will take most from the story is this:
When you are going through a hard time, friends are everything. The reassurance, the conversation, and their presence are a comfort. And when a friend is there for you, even when facing their own difficulty, their help is all the more precious and meaningful. Together, you can make sense of things.
As I write this post, I am wearing my Ranchero bracelet. I've been wearing it ever since I received the ARC package from Candlewick:
I wear this wristband because I connect with Raymie, and Beverly, and Louisiana, and I join them in their quest to understand.
The package came with a jar of yellow candy corn (and a Rancheros t-shirt). Just like my Crenshaw purple jelly beans, I will never open or eat these, either. Saved forever! This jar is on my desk, a memory of my reading, taking in the light from the window, and glowing like the sun -- just like it does on Mrs. Sylvester's desk. (She's another character in the book you will meet as well.)
Raymie Nightingale has a book trailer:
Raymie Nightingale celebrates its book birthday tomorrow, April 12th, 2016.
Get yourself a copy of the book, a jar of candy corn, (and perhaps a baton), and thoroughly enjoy your first, and second readings.
Today was opening day for Major League baseball, and we celebrated with baseball books!
Two of my wonderful parent volunteers pulled baseball middle grade, picture books, and nonfiction books for me and displayed them on top of a shelf decorated with green paper and baseball-themed die-cuts. As classes came in, I referred them to the display, and I really enjoyed seeing books gathered in this way. It made me realize just how many we had! I also continually thought of more baseball books I could add to the display, including:
After thinking about this list for awhile, I realize there are many more baseball books than one can ever possibly imagine!
For my read-aloud with two classes, I chose two books that tie together really perfectly. Note that both covers feature pitchers!
From Poem Runs (HMH Books, 2012), I read Florian's "Play Ball!" (perfect for opening day) and "Poem Run" (a concrete poem about a poet who makes a home run). The poems are lively and crisp, and a joy to read aloud. (Tip: Open up the cover so that readers can see the front and back as one continuous illustration. They will love it!)
Growing Up Pedro (Candlewick, 2015) brings back some great memories for me from ALA MidWinter in Boston, from a wonderful event at Fenway with fellow librarians courtesy of Candlewick (where I first met Matt Tavares).
The book doesn't require much an introduction. Its cover does the job of pulling a reader in: Pedro MartÃnez at the mound about to pitch, and one almost winces at the potential power, expecting the ball to come straight towards you.
Well-crafted paragraphs and full-of-life illustrations make reading this book aloud extremely engaging. Tavares builds the story well, hooking listeners/readers with the strong bond between the Ramon and Pedro MartÃnez. I suppose this is the part of the story that really struck me -- how Pedro had such respect for his older brother, and how Ramon watched over him and prepped him for the life he would have.) Also impressive is their rise to fame and success built on practice and determination. The childhood details Tavares includes connect with readers, and the last page will make you tear up.
An author's note provides more background and supports the well-crafted story further.
I will no doubt read this book again, and see something more that I treasure within its pages.
I truly wish baseball's opening day lasted more than one day! There are so many more books I want to share!
Play ball, and while you're at it, read some baseball books, too!
Often when I read a book aloud in the library, I think to myself: "I really have to blog about this!" I think it is because I have learned something or noticed something amazing, and just want to share it.
Sometimes I can't exactly pinpoint exactly what it is that needs to be shared, but over time, and some rereading, I get closer to this. Only one of the books I shared this past week is a new title -- the other two are probably books you've read. The one I am featuring today was published in 2013 -- which really isn't all that long ago. As I have learned, sometimes -- almost all of the time --- it is lovely to bring out a book and give it new readers and life by sharing it again.
This week I shared:
Bean, Jonathan. (2013). Building our house. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
This was the first book by Jonathan Bean that I had read, and later, I also made sure to read The Big Snow (which always makes me wish we had more snow here in Texas). Building Our House was named the winner of the 2013 Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book. He also won this same award for At Night (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2007). Bean illustrated Deborah Underwood's Bad Bye, Good Bye (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014), a book I shared with my teachers earlier this year. This is My Home, This is My School (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2015) is Bean's most recent book.
As I opened the book to share with my first class, we all noticed that the story began inside the front cover, showing the land that the family has purchased on which to build their home. As we turn the page, we also notice that we are shown the family's previous home: a small townhouse cramped between two others on a city street. The family is packing their things to move -- something to which readers can relate. (I love when authors and illustrators begin the story on the inside cover or the title page: if it is a good story, I want to see and hear as much of it as possible.)
Both the text and the illustrations indeed make this a book worth sharing with young readers. Expertly detailed (and inviting to curious eyes), every panel and page shares a glimpse of this family's story (with so much to notice)--- gathering supplies, prepping the land, and beginning the process of building a home from the ground up. As I read from page to page, learners get hooked on the narrative: How DOES one build a home? The text is paced perfectly, and learners see how everyone in the family played a part in the process. Relatives and friends join in, making the building a real community effort.
The daughter is the narrator, and as she tells the story, readers get a sense of the collaborative, independent spirit of the family, and the pride the children felt in knowing they'd played a part, too (such as mixing the cement, or telling the movers where to place their furniture). Interspersed within the story are words of wisdom from Mom and Dad about measuring, and building, etc., that could well apply to other parts of life.
Readers were captivated with the construction process and the time and cooperation required. Also worth noting for me was the fact that along the way, despite the fact that the family surely faced inconveniences, the daughter's words were always positive and focused on the doing. With each page, we feel the story building -- just like the house, in a gradual way-- time passing with the season, a new addition to the family, kittens, etc. and the frame of the house coming along, until finally, at the end they all settle in and enjoy the fruit of their work.
A very powerful part of the book comes at the end: the author's note with photographs. If you haven't read the book, I won't spoil it. But much like Finding Winnie (Little Brown, 2015), the 2016 Caldecott Medal Winner, the entire story gets wrapped up at the end in a way that makes the read-aloud experience memorable for both the listener and the reader.
The other two books I read aloud this week were:
They each deserve their own blog post, so I will hopefully share them later here.
Enjoy these books and enjoy your read-alouds! Remember that they are essential in growing readers!
