My Podcast with Matthew Winner

Awhile back, my friend Matthew Winner, a school librarian in Maryland (better known as THE BUSY LIBRARIAN) asked me to be on his Let's Get Busy podcast. Matthew and I met on Twitter, and most recently in real life at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference in 2015. Matthew was the keynote speaker at TLA's awesome Tech Camp 2015. 

We like to talk about books! And libraries!

And we've connected our students via Skype for events such as Dot Day 2014. 

So when it came time to record the podcast, I said yes!

And then I realized that I don't really like the sound of my own voice.

But I did the podcast anyway.  And, I had a lovely time! We talked about some of the kidlit standouts of 2015 because there wasn't enough time to talk about all of them. As we talked, my appreciation for these books grew even more.

In this 40-minute podcast, I proved something to myself about what I can do! And hopefully, I will do something like this again. I know I did a lot of critical thinking as I spoke, and I even made myself go back and reread some parts of the books AFTER the recording. Why? I think it was because I was processing the book in a different way, and asking and answering my own questions.

If you'd like to listen to the podcast, click here to go to Matthew's Let's Get Busy Blog. Go to Best Books Ever to listen to our book discussion.

And - of course - be sure to get copies of all of these books at your local library!

A HANDFUL OF STARS by Cynthia Lord

Lord, Cynthia. A Handful of Stars. New York: Scholastic Press, 2015. Print. 

This post is a long time coming. I read this one in the spring right before TLA 2015. I even took it with me on the trip. Not sure why--  I just knew I had to have it with me. Do you know that feeling? Do you carry around books you've already read just in case you want to share them?

First, the cover is quite distinctive! A blueberry on a dog's nose = Memorable and cute. And second: Cynthia Lord's Rules (Scholastic Press, 2006), Touch Blue (Scholastic Press, 2010),and Half a Chance (Scholastic Press, 2014) are already permanently part of any book list I send out when someone asks for middle grade recommendations. If you've been reading kidlit for awhile, you are probably familiar with Lord's work. Her books are a staple for my fourth grade teachers -- especially when it comes to book club titles. 

Lily - the main character- lives with her grandmother and grandfather in Maine. Her dog Lucky is blind. One day Lucky runs off, in danger of being hit by a truck. But luckily, and for Lucky's sake, he is saved by Salma, the daughter of one of the migrant families that travel to Maine to pick blueberries. With this happenstance meeting, Lily and Salma begin a friendship. Though they live different lives and have different backgrounds, they are connected through a mutual love of art - and a hope that Lucky's vision can be improved with surgery. And when Salma decides to enter the Maine blueberry pageant, the story begins. Salma dreams of going to college, and since the top prize in the pageant is a savings bond, her goal is to enter and win. 

One of the strength's of this book is Lord's style of bringing the reader into Lily's world. Lord describes the community and the people surrounding Lily in a way that makes the setting an integral - and rich - part of the plot. Maine, the blueberry barrens, the town where everyone knows everyone - where traditions are important. 

And most definitely, this is a book about friendship. Lily becomes a friend to Salma and the two help each other.  But  Lily changes most from the connection. In Salma, Lily sees someone with confidence and purpose. As they prep for Salma's appearance in the contest, Lily learns a lot -- as we usually do from good friends. 

Salma is an unforgettable character, and she gives readers a glimpse into the hard life of migrant farmworkers and their families.  She becomes for me a sort of beacon character -- a character much like Hattie from Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson - a character that illuminates aspects of real life and shines light on our own. And definitely, Salma is a character readers will remember long after they finish the book.  

This book was released in May, so it is available now. 

I know I'll reread A Handful of Stars-- as I have done with all of Lord's other books. 

Read more about A HANDFUL OF STARS here.

Teacher - Author Skype

At a recent district literacy conference, my fellow librarians and I presented to elementary classroom teachers. Under the leadership of my fabulous district librarian, we talked about our databases, how to use and access e-books, and ways to collaborate with their own school librarian. The experience was very rewarding, and I enjoyed connecting with these dedicated educators. I especially enjoyed working with my fellow librarians!

I presented two portions of the presentation. In one (working with a fellow librarian), I recommended some nonfiction picture books. (See previous post.) I tried to pick some titles that I knew their library already would have, while also giving a few new recommendations. 

In the second part of my presentation, I talked about using Twitter and Skype to connect readers with authors and bring the world into your library. I've used both many times to connect my library with the kidlit community, so this was not hard for me at all! 

My district librarian had the wonderful idea to Skype with an actual author DURING our presentation. And she immediately thought of one of our state's wonderful authors, Chris Barton. Chris is the author of Shark vs Train and his latest book is  The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch -- two books I highly recommend.

We were so grateful to Chris for being willing to join us that day! Although we had a bit of technical difficulty at first,  the experience was absolutely wonderful. Chris talked to teachers about his books, his research, and his process.  It was a short but very powerful experience. The teachers enjoyed listening to Christ talk about his work, and his talk couldn't have been more perfect. 

Prior to the Skype, we had brought out copies of Shark vs. Train, and even made hats. We all had to choose a side! (This was, again, my district librarian's idea and I thought it was a wonderful one!)  We surprised Chris by wearing the hats during our Skype.

We also had a wonderful discussion about who actually won: Shark OR Train.

On a side note, I mentioned to the teachers that Chris's next book (set for release on Sept. 1, 2015) is called THE NUTCRACKER COMES TO AMERICA. I am fortunate to have an early copy and I will be blogging about it soon:

Barton, C. Nutcracker comes to america: How three ballet -loving brothers created a holiday tradition. Illus. by Cathy Gendron. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press, 2015. Print. 

Check out Chris's other books here.

Books I've Shared Recently

Recently, I presented a session with some of my fellow librarians at our district's literacy conference. In our session, we shared digital tools with teachers, and showed them how their librarian could support them in their literacy instruction.

In the section of our presentation about picture books and research, it was my job to choose some titles to share. My goal was to mostly discuss nonfiction books so that we could demonstrate how to tie in research, but I also shared a few story picture books, too. There were many I could have chosen! But I only had a certain amount of time!

Here are the books I shared:


Burns, Loree G. Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard. Illus. by Ellen Harasimowicz. New York: Square Fish, 2012. Print.

I chose CITIZEN SCIENTISTS because author Loree Griffin Burns shows readers how they can be scientists in their own world. The chapter titles are called Fall Butterflying, Winter Birding, Spring Frogging, and Summer Ladybugging. I listened to Loree Griffin Burns speak at NCTE in 2014, and her work is fascinating and inspiring.

Stewart, Melissa. Feathers: Not Just for Flying. Illus. by Sara H. Brennen. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2014. Print. 

The scrapbook format of FEATHERS NOT JUST FOR FLYING is very appealing, and the drawings of the birds are engaging. Did you know that (for some birds)  feathers act as a sunscreen?  I didn't! I learned it from this book.

Davis, Kathryn Gibbs. Mr. Ferris and His Wheel. Illus. by Gilbert Ford. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014. Print. 

I've blogged about MR. FERRIS AND HIS WHEEL before. It's the story of George Ferris, a persistent engineer with a dream! This one also includes lots of history about the World's Fair as well as great examples of problem-solving. 

Stead, Philip C. Special Delivery. Illus. by Matthew Cordell. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2015. 

I love the character of Sadie in SPECIAL DELIVERY. She has set a goal to mail her Aunt Josephine an elephant, and she will do whatever it takes to get it there. The cover looks like a stamp (so delightful!), and it's written by Philip Stead. (A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE is a very special book to me.) Of course, there is a surprise at the end that will make you smile.) 

Johnston, Tony. Sequoia. Illus. by Wendell Minor. New York: Roaring Brook, 2014. Print. 

SEQUOIA tells of the life of a sequoia tree, grand and stately: we read what the tree sees, smells, feels, and hears. Wendell Minor's illustrations are soft and and vivid at the same time. A stunning book!

Burleigh, Robert. Trapped! Illus. by Wendell Minor. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2014. Print. 

I've included another book illustrated by Wendell Minor here. It wasn't on purpose. Okay, maybe it was. This book is based on the true story of a whale trapped in nets off the coast of California in 2005. Burleigh uses powerful verbs, and the story is compelling! A page turner! Can the rescuers free the whale? Read the book to find out. 

Dyckman, Ame. Wolfie the Bunny. Illus. by Zachariah Ohora. New York: Little Brown, 2015. Print. 

I've also blogged about WOLIFE THE BUNNY before, and how successful it was as a read-aloud. This is a delightful book about a family of rabbits that takes in a wolf -- and the bunny sister who doesn't think it's such a good idea. I love the bunny suit! 

Mora, Pat. Water Rolls, Water Rises: El Agua Rueda, El Agua Sube.

In WATER ROLLS, WATER RISES: EL AGUA RUEDA, EL AGUA SUBE, Pat Mora shows us how water moves throughout the world, in lakes, reservoirs, streams, and storms. The English text is on the right, the Spanish is on the right, and Meilo So's illustrations are filled with vibrancy and life. 

It was a pleasure to celebrate these books in our presentation, and I was honored to work with my fellow librarians. My hope is that these teachers will, in turn, recommend these books to other teachers, and, of course, that more young readers will enjoy them. 

Ending the Year: Beginning A New One

From a banner my students gave me for Librarian Appreciation Week 

On our final day of school last week, our campus was a buzzing place. Teachers saying goodbye to their classes. Staff members preparing to move out of one classroom and into another. Some teachers wrapping up long, successful education careers as they started their retirement.

For me, it meant checking in teacher materials and continuing to take inventory(-ies). It meant cleaning up my makerspace cart. Definitely lots to do. At the same time, I was also shuffling books into sections and trading out shelves in hopes of making more room and granting easier access to readers for the coming year. (Thankfully, I had two volunteers to help.)

Yes, I had many items on my to-do list that day. And as I was trying to cross one off with a trip down a hallway, I came upon two 5th graders, feeling sad about leaving elementary school.  As they saw me, their eyes lit up -- both with tears and joy. With wonderful energy (spoken with a bit of sadness in their voice) the two girls told me just how much they loved reading and books. Of course they already knew I felt the same way. And then they both made sure I knew how important libraries were. (I listened to every word, thankful that I had walked this particular hallway.) It was a glorious rush of conversation and excited statements all to the tune of "The library is the best place ever!"  And we were all sharing our love of libraries by the end. I can't remember every word, but looking back now, I think about how I had just heard the best library advocacy speech.

We all vowed to visit the library that summer and read many, many books! Then we said goodbye, knowing that libraries and books connected us, even if we would never be in the same building again.

And looking back now, a week later, I can see that having that particular conversation was the best way to both end the year and begin a new one. It reminded me of what the library did for me as a child (I probably would have given the same speech then if I'd been asked), and what I want libraries to mean for every learner. Everywhere.

Roger Is Reading a Book: By Koen Van Biesen

I finally got a copy of this book. And as with many other picture books that intrigue me, I have read and reread this one many times. I appreciate more with each reading, and the quality of the book brings me back to it.

Written and illustrated by Koen Van Biesen, this picture book was originally published in Belgium in 2012.  It was then published again by Eerdman's in 2015. This is the version I am reading now.

Van Biesen, Koen. Roger is reading a book. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman's Books for Young Readers, 2015. Print. ISBN 9780802854421. 

Because this book is about someone reading a book, it is especially interesting to me.

Roger is reading a book in his apartment. His orange tweed coat is hung, he's sitting on a stool, and his dog is resting beside him. All is good. But the facing page indicates there might be some trouble approaching, and the bouncing ball is proof. Soon we meet Emily, Roger's next door neighbor, a young girl who is playing basketball in her own apartment, and, the noise has startled both Roger and his dog. Roger knocks on the wall to show he's been bothered, but Emily decides to practice her singing next, once again jolting Roger and his dog of their quiet. Roger knocks again, but to no avail, as the next four attempts include Emily playing a drum, juggling, boxing and dancing -- and producing noise that disturbs the quiet next door. Finally, annoyed to the point of action, Roger delivers a package to Emily's place. Emily opens it, revealing a book, and soon Roger's problem is solved as the girl begins to read it. Soon, both Roger and Emily - each in their respective homes -- are both engrossed in books. But then the dog decides its his turn to get noticed, and the book ends as Emily and Roger walk the dog out together -- with another funny surprise at the end.

The text in this book is the conversation and interaction between Emily and Roger. The back and forth is quick and sharp -- as if the events are happening in real time. There's lots of onomatopoeia in this one, with each signaling Emily's next attempt at disruption and Roger's reaction (knocking). Lines are sparse and to-the-point, with the narration similar to a play-by-play. All work together to make this a very focused and well-paced read-aloud.

And however much the text works,  the illustrations are standouts, too. Color is used to highlight Roger and Emily, and white is used as background. We see shadows of Roger's stool, his shoe, and Emily's basketball. Bold text is in all caps in black, a forest green, and blue. Patterns in Emily's dress and chair, and Roger's vest catch the reader's eye. Van Biesen has also given clues about all the ways Emily will entertain Roger with the various items found in her room. Lines are especially important here with grey swirls indicating approaching events, curved ones showing sound as well as movement (Emily's hair, Roger's hat and pounding knocks, etc.). When Roger is knocking at the wall at his most impatient moment, Emily's head is bowed down, creating balance. As Roger is bothered, he repositions his stool, and his dog mimics him (a clever touch). Page turns lend motion to the story, and lead the reader through the book at just the right speed.

The other story happening simultaneously is the dog's reaction to it all, so watch for that, too.

This book, in a way, is the story of two opposing forces coming to an agreement -- with a bit of ingenuity and someone taking a positive first step. But mostly, the plot and interaction are just fun to watch. Emily is a clever and very interesting girl. And what book is it that Roger must read?

I have kept this one close by for awhile, as with every pick-up I see more. I am grateful to Eeerdman's for publishing this one and making it available here.

My Version of "Book Tasting"

Just a quick post here to share one activity I've been doing in the library for the last weeks of school. It is still a very busy place and the year is wrapping up--as you know!


Towards the end of the school year, like many of you, I start thinking about summer reading, and  I thought about how I would promote summer reading in my final class times with students. I wanted students to have a great list ready to go when they walked into their public library or bookstore this summer, and, ideally, I wanted them to generate a list of their own. So I decided to hold a "book tasting" - an event I first heard about from Andy Plemmons on his blog here.  I also read Buffy Hamilton's post about her book tasting event here. I adapted the event to make it fit my schedule and my library.

To give the library a café feel,  I decorated the tables with plastic tablecloths I had leftover from book fair. Other than that I really didn't decorate at all. Then I walked my fiction section for chapter books that were not as well circulated or ones I felt I hadn't had a chance to book talk recently. I placed one book on the table as a "place setting" and then created a "menu" from the titles. The menu simply listed the titles of the book in chart format with a place for notes (two columns).  Third and fourth graders came in and sat at a table, and using a menu to take notes, they skimmed each book for three minutes (I used a timer). I had them look at the cover, the inside jacket, the author bio, and the first few pages of each book. They took notes in anyway that was comfortable for them: a happy face, a checkmark, questions, etc. After that, they passed the books around until they'd had a chance to look at each book on their table.

We didn't finish during the first class session, so it continued the next week. Along the way, students became hooked on some of the books so they immediately checked them out. (That was awesome and I was very happy about this!) I had a stack of replacement books ready to go when this happened. On the menu, I'd already left some blank spaces so that they could fill in the title if it wasn't available anymore.

At the end of the second class time, and a go-around of about 8 books, I had students get up and walk around to check other titles they might have missed. They added to their lists as the browsed and had great conversations with classmates. By this time, everyone had at least 3 books they wanted to read, and most had a lot more. They walked away with a list of books, and now, I hope they will check these out our wonderful public library this summer.

Overall I was pleased with how this activity turned out, and I know I will do it again next year. I think I will also try it out at the beginning or middle of the year so that readers will have more time to read the books they added to their lists!

I am grateful to Andy Plemmons and Buffy Hamilton for sharing! If you try this in your library, make sure to share, too!