Phil Bildner Author Visit

Last week, I marked a landmark moment as a librarian: my first author visit. Needless to say, it was truly an exciting day for me! 

Phil Bildner, the author of the 2004 Texas Bluebonnet Winner Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy (Simon and Schuster, 2002) was a guest in my library, and he spoke to our 4th and 5th graders. 

Prior to the visit, I had read Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy to classes, and they had visited his website. They also used their iPads to scan QR codes and watch book trailers for Phil's books.

My wonderful parent volunteer helped by making this banner for everyone to sign:

"I'm loving this library!" said Phil when he walked in. Well, that just my day! 

After I greeted Phil for the first time,  he and first talked about BOOKS! A reader to reader connection! We talked about many titles with excitement, and then I showed Phil my Mock Caldecott stack. More conversation ensued! 

Phil then signed books for our readers. When I took this picture I felt so honored to have a real live author sitting in my library!! There is no other feeling like that! 

Here he is signing books for our readers. Please note he brought special pens for this. 

Phill presented two sessions that afternoon. Honestly, there was so much awesomeness in Phil's presentation that I do not think I can capture it all in this blog post. He was engaging, energetic, and connected with our students with his wit, style, and words. I tweeted a lot and so did our teachers. My awesome principal and assistant principal came to listen, too, and that made me so happy! 

Phil spoke about the importance of reading, and challenged students to be an "extreme reader": a reader who reads what he/she loves, but also reads out of their comfort zone, trying other genres, too!  

Phil also talked about writing and the value of keeping a notebook. He showed us his revision work (as pictured below), and told students that they should not complain about having to rewrite a paragraph, as authors do extensive rewrites. Very great comparison! 

Two of my favorite moments of the day:

1.) Phil talking about the importance of consistent reading:

2.) Phil talking about some noteworthy books including Kadir Nelson's book Nelson Mandela (Katherine Tegen Books, 2013). 

In fact, Phil talked about several other books including one of my all-time favorites ever: The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins, 2012). 

Here are all the other books Phil book talked to my readers that afternoon:





Yes, it was an absolutely wonderful afternoon!

Reflection: The value of author visits is immeasurable. Hearing an author speak face-to-face helps young readers see that there is a world behind the books -- that authors are real people who care deeply about their work, and that they are more than just names on the front cover. Also, an author visit is a celebration about books among readers. That afternoon, teachers, administrators, and students shared a love of books together as readers. We all had one more thing in common that day!

I am looking forward to many more author visits in my library!

Who will visit next? Hmmm. 

A Skype Visit with Sheila Turnage

I'm always interested in the books our teachers are reading aloud to their classes. Sometimes teachers come into the library to ask me for recommendations. I love helping them find one. 

I walked into one of our fourth grade classrooms a few weeks ago and noticed a copy of Three Times Lucky (Dial, 2012).

I noted how awesome this was because I read the book, too, and loved it. Having also attended the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet when Sheila Turnage received her Newbery Honor Award for the book in 2013, I have a great memory of this novel. 

As serendipity would have it, I was offered an opportunity the very next day by Penguin Publishers to Skype with Sheila Turnage. What do you think my answer was? Of course, it was a resounding YES!! 

I offered the Skype to the teacher and she jumped at the chance, too!

The teacher has been reading the book aloud to her students.  When the day came to Skype, they were at a very pivotal part in the book, so the timing could not have been more perfect. 

Prior to the Skype, I created a Padlet for the class to post their questions. I also shared Sheila's website so that our students could explore it and have some prior knowledge of the author. 

Students used their iPads to post the questions, and I could view it from home and from the library before the visit. Mrs. M, their teacher, created a Thinking Map for students to post their guesses for who the culprit was! (Read the book to know what I'm talking about!)

We showed it to Sheila Turnage on the screen. I think she liked it! 

During the Skype session, Ms. Turnage talked about the setting's importance to the story. Tupelo Landing is a small town, and Sheila talked about the influence of her own home in her writing.

She also shared with us a wonderful memory of her 1st grade teacher who read one of the stories she wrote as a child. "This is an excellent story and you are an excellent writer," the teacher told her. That was the day she decided to be a writer. "That's how powerful teachers are," Sheila said.

I loved that story!!!

Ms. Turnage also talked about how her love of reading came from her parents, who read to her as a child. Her father read her comics, and she loved the Hardy Boys series!

Our students asked questions about Sheila's next book (which I already want to read), how one gets an agent and editor, and influences on her writing.

I was so proud of our students. Here are some of their reflections after the Skype:

"I learned you can be an author at an early age."

"Sheila Turnage is the best author ever!!!"

"I Skyped with an author!!!"

"I think I can be an author, too!" 

"Most authors rewrite their books to make changes."

"I am glad we got the chance to Skype with Sheila Turnage." 

"I learned that a story goes in your head, and get a spiral notebook and write it while it goes in you head." 

"I think I MIGHT be an author when I grow up." 

I know this author Skype will have long-lasting effects I might never see. An author in this group? Yes! More books read? Yes. The whole thing was more wonderful and beautiful than I could adequately state here.

I can't thank Penguin and Sheila Turnage enough for the opportunity.

And to our 4th grade class and their incredible teacher: Thank you for being awesome and -- 

Read on!!

November is Picture Book Month!

November is Picture Book Month! Along with many other librarians and teacher friends, I am celebrating the picture book by sharing titles and encouraging everyone to do the same!

I love everything about picture books! They accomplish so much in a few pages. The illustrations are always so interesting to look at, and I like figuring out how they work with the story. I buy many picture books a month!!

The Picture Book Month website is the headquarters for it all, and you can click here for a Teacher's Guide.

I'll also be following this calendar posted on the site:

I'll be sharing some new picture books we've received in the library and encouraging our teachers to tweet out titles, too.

It will be such a wonderful time! I wonder how many picture books we'll read together!

Join us and don't forget to use #picturebookmonth when you post!

Book Fair Book Buzz

Book Fair has come and gone, but the memories linger. It was a great week, and it was such an awesome thing to watch the kids get so excited and happy over all the books! My parent volunteers are so awesome, and I cannot thank them enough.

After watching our entire community come through the Book Fair, I am sure of this:  We DO love books!

On one of the set-up days, as our volunteers unpacked the boxes, and set up the cases, I saw them pulling out this book:

Telgemeier, R. (2014). Sisters. New York: Scholastic.

I knew this one was going to go rather fast, but I had no idea. We were sold out the first day, and then called in for more. But none arrived.  A second call for an order yielded nothing still. Scholastic told us there weren't any to be found in any warehouse in our area.I didn't give up, though. I managed to get a few from a nearby library in my district also holding their book fair. Those sold, too. Within the half hour! 

So then I knew. I knew this book was big.

Actually, I knew this when I read it in April at TLA.

And when I offered a checkout drawing to see who who would be the first readers to check out the book and I had 20 sign up for five copies.

And, okay, I see it every time readers come into the library to check out the hold shelf and wonder when they're getting the book. (The holds continue. Each time I'm at the bookstore, I'm tempted to buy more.)  And I see it every day when another reader asks if we have a copy of SMILE on the shelves.

I thought about how those who weren't asking for the title benefited from the buzz, too. They got to see what how  excited some can be over books, and that is great, isn't it? Hopefully, it helps them WANT to find the book that would make them that excited, too. I want everyone to know what this is like! I get excited over books just about every hour of every day!!! 

One book can make readers want another. Reader-to-reader book buzz is powerful. How can I recreate that? Hmmm. 

Yes, the Book Fair is gone, but I'm left with memories and inspiration.

I made this Animoto about it. I hope you enjoy watching.

Claude on the Slopes!

There are fun books everywhere! Really! 

For example, this one: 

Smith, Alex T. Claude on the Slopes. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 2014. Print. 

Smith, Alex T. Claude on the Slopes. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 2014. Print. 

The first thing I noticed about this book was the cover. Red, purple and white really work well and stand out.

The next thing I noticed was the sock on the ski.

Yes, this book has as sock as a character.  And this sock drinks coffee, AND gets a bunion!

Now, some of my notes about the book here:

Claude on the Slopes has the look of a chapter book, but the feel of a picture book. Glossy pages, fun illustrations, a nice small square shape -- this features make this a book you want to pick up and read.

Claude is a dog and he lives with his owners Mr. and Mrs. Shinyshoes on Waggy Avenue.

Claude like to be a little loud sometimes, and he also carries a tea set wherever he goes. In the story, this little quirk pays off.

The story is a light adventure about a dog who is known for being a little loud. And, yes, his best friend is a sock named Mr. Bobblysock.

Claude is a nifty dresser -- his spiffy beret proves that.

AND Claude visits the library, too! In fact, that's his first stop!

Claude on the Slopes is a beginning chapter book and its available now. It's the sixth book in a series.

Arcady's Goal: Blog Tour

The 2012 Youth Media Awards at the ALA MidWinter Conference marked my first in-person attendance of the live announcement of Newbery Medal winners. Winning titles were revealed and book covers flashed simultaneously on the screen -- to the gasps and cheers of everyone in the large room.  Breaking Stalin's Nose (Henry Holt, 2011) was the only one I had not read. The only one! To this librarian-in-waiting, it was a challenge waiting to be conquered. 

I went straight to my public library and to my delight, found a copy waiting just for me. 

Do you SEE why I love libraries so? 

Right then and there, that night, I came to know Yelchin's work as an author. And instantly became a fan. Librarians remember this kind of stuff. 

I realized later that I'd already known Yelchin's work as an illustrator. 

Have you read this one? 

If you love haikus, you probably have! And I do! So I had! 

So now, as a school librarian, it's rather  a special thing that I've been invited to participate in a blog tour for Yelchin's newest book Arcady's Goal (Holt Books for Young Readers, 2014).  I'm honored to participate to say the least.

 

If you visit Yelchin's site here, you will see his rich and varied work. If you watch the video below, you will hear Yelchin talk about Breaking Stalin's Nose. I hope to be fortunate enough to hear him in person one day. 

Now to Arcady's Goal:

In this work of historical fiction, we meet Arcady, a boy scraping to survive in an orphanage in Soviet Russia. He has a gift for soccer, and a passion for it. In the orphanage, he plays other boys for bread rations, and the sport is his only outlet. His life changes one day when inspectors visit the orphanage. Among the visitors is a man named Ivan Ivanych, mysterious and different from the others.

Ivan has his own story. Is he a soccer coach? Why is he interested in Arcady? What can they both teach other? I won't ruin anything here.

Sometimes your life changes when you meet one person, and when that person dares to take a brave, kind step. 

This novel is a gripping, fast read, and Yelchin's illustrations guide you along and you won't be able to stop looking at them. But then you do because you want to read the story and see how everything turns out.

Arcady's narration walks us steadily through, and his honest voices places readers right in the middle of the time period as well as his struggles.  Yelchin includes an author's note and photograph at the beginning of the book that instantly gives readers a reason to take in every word. As if we might need another.

Arcady's Goal is about how sports represent hope to some, yes, but it is also about freedom in the face of real fear. Characters whose actions are driven by fear are just as interesting as characters who take risks. In this story, characters of both types meet and have an influence on one another.

Birds are a symbol in the book, and their symbolism here is poignant, as Arcady likes to step outside and watch them. 

And there is a part in the book where Arcady, who has come from living off daily bread rations and lack, (and only known a constant state of hunger) has a full, unhindered, abundant meal for the first time in a very long time. It is heartbreaking to read, written with the literary power that Newbery-winning authors have at their ready. 

Arcady also gets his first reading lessons. Literacy brings more freedom. Yes.

Reading this book made me want to reread Breaking Stalin's Nose.  If you've not read it, I highly recommend that one as well.

Arcady's Goal is set for release on October 14, 2014.

Please check out the rest of the stops on this blog tour:

Oct. 6 – Kid Lit Frenzy

Oct. 7 – Eat the Book

Oct. 8 – Watch. Connect. Read

Oct. 9 – Read, Write, Reflect

Oct. 10 – Nerdy Book Club

Oct. 13  – Librarian in Cute Shoes (You're here!)

Oct. 14 – The Busy Librarian

The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee

The library has been a busy, busy place. A joyfully busy place! But books always bring me back to this blog. Always books! 

Frazee, Marla. The Farmer and the Clown. La Jolla, CA: Beach Lane, 2014. Print.

Much has already been written about this striking wordless picture book by Marla Frazee. I'm not sure what my humble words could add to the conversation, but writing about this book is a must for me right now. An expression of my own learning.

The juxtaposition of a farmer & clown catch you first. A farmer, serious, early-riser, somber overalls. A clown, bright red, vivid playful. How the two meet is by chance. But the fact that they meet is life-changing, moreso probably for the farmer.

A clown bounces into the farmer's life. Left behind. The farmer had been watching the railroad tracks,  as I noted in a third reading. His serious life needs some fun. 

They meet, and the clown, though lost and away from his family of train-riding clowns, is happy --obviously feeling safe. He sees something in this farmer. He sees something. Readers will see it, too.

The colors are deep red, brownish-gray, and a yellow that's bright but soft. Color enters the farmer's world when the clown bounces into it. The size of the book enhances the horizon of the farm and the land. In a page where farmer and clown walk into the farmer's home for the first time, the double-page spread is pulled upward  by the house on the upper right corner, and the farmer with the clown hand-in-hand on the lower right. Elements work together to bring these two characters to our attention.

There is nothing else around the home: no other farms, no fences  -- only a single solitary tree on a mound above. (That tree plays a part later.)

I noted the lone chair on the porch. This farmer is alone. This farmer looks out sometimes. What does he look for? A friend?

Frazee's illustrations show movement effortlessly. The clown's little leaps and tricks as he hugs the farmer bring delight. Spreads become panels, and vignettes, and as the story unfolds, the farmer's eyes give his emotions away. The little clown enters the life of the farmer with joy, and we know the farmer's life will never be the same.  Closed eyes, a tender hug, a kiss, and an outstretched hand reveal more feelings.

This is a story that, in an unassuming way, lays itself out for the heart to take in. (I won't spoil a thing for anyone here and tell you how anything turns out.)

 I'm saying too much about this book, and yet not enough. And yet not enough.

I could write here that I feel the same book excitement for this title as I felt when I read I Want My Hat Back (Candlewick, 2011).

Or I could just say "I highly recommend this book".