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At this point I’m bleary-eyed, alarmingly over-caffeinated, and nursing a small blister (despite my sensible footwear selections.) I couldn’t be happier. It’s the best kind of exhaustion. I’ve spent the last few days talking about books, art, technology, and public service with- hands down- the smartest, most intriguing, hard-partying librarians, publishers, vendors, and assorted library-lovers.

Yesterday I met my fellow 2013 Caldecott committee members and our fantastic committee chair. We discussed the upcoming year, traded ideas on how we will organize our books and thoughts, and started the process of getting to know each other before the deluge of books begin pouring in. The overall takeaway for me was to keep an open mind, stay organized, and simply enjoy the experience.

Sitting in the audience at this morning’s Youth Media Awards I caught myself tearing up. Not from any particular winner or award, but from the sheer force of excitement and passion in the theater. That energy existed outside the convention center walls, too, as tweets, blog posts, and updates from people across the globe reacted to the announcements. As sentimental as it may sound, you cannot help getting caught up in the emotion and feeling immediately connected to the larger community of librarians, teachers, children, teens, and readers everywhere. In so many ways, it felt like home.

Until Anaheim….

If you’re like me, you’ve spent many hours planning storytime sessions.  You’ve carefully selected appropriate books, songs, and fingerplays.  You’ve created felt board stories and prepared for crafts.  On the day of your program, you set up your allotted space – arranging chairs, and double-checking your books and props.  Happy children begin gathering in the children’s area about 10 minutes before the start of your program – but not too many children.  Where are the rest?  They’re late!

So, here is my question for you today: How do you handle the inevitable issue of “lateness?”  As for me, if storytime is scheduled for 10:30, it begins at 10:30.  I hate to see the children who have arrived early or on time, grow fidgety (or worse – teary!) waiting for the late arrivals.  It’s not the perfect answer, but it works.

And,

Happy Groundhog Day!

(Are you doing a groundhog-themed storytime today?)

Rock out to Nickelodeon’s ‘How to Rock,’ (the latest tween TV show about music, growing up, and social pressures through a battle of the bands storyline. The sitcom, based on the book “How to Rock Braces and Glasses,” premieres tomorrow... Read the rest of this post

We’re still buzzing about the Superbowl (including the actual game, halftime show, ads — view all of them here — and the social media record that was set during the last three minutes of the game, where a whopping 10,000 tweets were sent... Read the rest of this post

My husband and I have been shopping for a new refrigerator. The old one has  been fine, keeping cold foods cold and frozen foods frozen.  Other than that, I never gave it much thought.  But now that our kitchen remodeling project is done, it’s time for a new one.  We’ve searched three appliance stores and checked out all the new models. We’re leaning towards a French door-style refrigerator with a freezer on the bottom, although a side-by-side has its advantages, too.

The funny thing – for better or worse, is that by not looking at new refrigerators over the years, I didn’t know what I was missing.  Now that I know what else is available, I begrudge each time that I have to get down on my knees to look in the vegetable and fruits bins.  Who ever decided that freezers should be on the top anyway?

And that got me to thinking – who ever decided that beginning readers must be 8.5 x 6 x 0.2 inches, with a banner on the top and number in the corner?   Though the publishers do not agree on readability levels, there has been apparent agreement in matters of shape, size and general appearance.  For years, my beginning reader shelves were the neatest in the library – each book a perfect match to its neighbor.

Newer shapes and sizes have been steadily increasing in volume, however.  The Elephant and Piggie series (Hyperion) stretched the genre by about an inch (the better to see the delightful duo).  The I Like to Read series (Holiday House) is the same size as a typical picture book.  

The always innovative Toon Books has turned the usual shape on its side with their new Level One books measuring up at 9.4 x 6.3.

(My kids grew up with the non library-friendly, but nevertheless tiny and wonderful, Bob Books, so I am familiar with the appropriateness of little books for little hands.)

However you measure them, it seems to me that there is a trend toward greater choice in the shape, size and appearance of beginning readers. One size does not fit all. The newfound possibilities are limitless – for readers and refrigerator buyers. My shelves have never looked messier and I’m happy with that. (My kitchen, I prefer neat).

Am I a poet in the traditional sense? Nay. My expertise doesn’t stretch much beyond the “roses are red” variety. While I appreciate and am amazed by the poetically-minded, I have trouble pulling the stuff off myself. But book spine poetry is a different story.

The concept is simple – stack books using the titles on the spines to create a poem. The learning curve is low, the results are often awesome – it’s a natural fit for a National Poetry Month program for kids.

Inspired by artist Nina Katchadourian, book spine poems (or “centos”) have been my form of choice to celebrate National Poetry Month for the past two years. I’ve spread the word on my blog, 100 Scope Notes, and gathered the work of others to share.

With April fast approaching, I encourage you to give book spine poetry a shot with your young patrons. Here are my four steps to success:

1. Check out last year’s book spine poem gallery for inspiration.
2. In the library, start looking at titles to see what strikes you. Arrange and rearrange in your head. The best part of this type of poetry is that you don’t know where you’ll end up.
3. Have a pencil and paper with you to write down titles that stand out – you can refer back to them later, and it’s easier than pulling a whole bunch of books.
4. Don’t be afraid to use the library catalog to look up titles with specific words or phrases that fit.

If you try book spine poetry with kids, snap pictures and send them my way (scopenotes at gmail dot com). I’ll include them in a gallery up at 100 Scope Notes on April 2nd, and add to it throughout the entire month.

So let’s rock National Poetry Month with a poetic form that kids will take to.

I’ve been reading Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and every chapter feels like an “Ah-ha!” moment. Besides being a fascinating look into the introvert-extrovert personality spectrum, Cain’s emphasis on appreciating the intuitive listeners, the quietly creative, and the sensitive mentors among us is inspiring. Cain’s central point is that we live in a culture that places inordinate value upon extroversion and we tend to overlook those unique qualities that introverts bring to the table. Quieter types are often the deep thinkers who revolutionize with creative new ideas and methods. Introverts can be highly intuitive and their attention to body language, small details, and interpersonal relations make them surprisingly adept negotiators, analysts, and leaders. Cain finds value in both extroverted and introverted types and makes the case that each have skills and talents to contribute. It’s gotten me thinking deeply about how library space is organized, how staff members and patrons communicate amongst each other, and how we can help create an environment within the Children’s Library that is stimulating enough to motivate the extroverts while also offering peaceful retreats for the introverts to tap into their creative centers.

Children’s Spaces and Programs

Cain explains that introverts typically need time and space to be on their own. This does not necessarily indicate an anti-social personality. Rather, solitude allows introverts to reflect, ponder, and think creatively. What does your children’s library look like? In addition to communal spaces, open play areas, and collaborative workstations, are there tucked away corners and nooks for children (and their grown-ups) to settle in and read, draw, or just think in relative peace? What about your after-school crowd? Are there tables and areas for both team-oriented assignments and private study?

For children on the more introverted end of the spectrum, joining a new storytime or book group can be a nerve-wracking experience. Remember the child who absolutely refused to set foot into the storytime room? What about the child who never speaks up or engages in dialogic reading. Cain suggests that these children need small doses of social interaction, increasing over time to slowly build up confidence. She also suggests that introverts flourish in small groups of two or three- in which conversations can be deeper and more meaningful. So that boy who comes faithfully to every single book discussion group but hasn’t yet said a single word? Don’t sweat it- he may just be taking it all in. Perhaps next time, break up the larger group into bite-sized discussions. Chances are he’ll be more likely to engage with one or two of his peers than hold forth in front of a dozen.

The Back Office

Besides taking a newer, more sensitive look at our spaces and programs for children, Cain’s book made me question the arrangement and practices in our children’s library office. This is the space shared by multiple staff members- both full-time and part-time librarians. It is supposed to be the place where we get all of our work done, when we are not on desk, doing a program, attending a meeting, or chatting with our patrons. It’s a chaotic, busy, often messy space. The truth of the matter is, getting even simple projects accomplished is sometimes as challenging to get done in our office as it would be to do in the middle of Toddler Tales. As staff prepares for storytimes, there might be music playing, puppets being flung about, and conversations sailing over the tops of semi-transparent cubicle walls. Interruptions are par for the

If you’re a school media specialist, you see them all the time.  If you’re a public librarian, they are a rare species, requiring cultivation and proper attention. I’m talking about the elementary school reader, of course!  With so many activities and commitments competing for time, attracting elementary school-age readers to the library on a regular basis can be a difficult task.  Last fall, with this in mind, I enrolled in ALSC’s online course, Series Programming for the Elementary School Age. I’ve posted about it before (“The Best $95.00 you (or your library) will spend…), but today I want to share the “real-life” outcome of the Geronimo Stilton Club that I created for the course.

After much thought about the best day and time for my club, I decided on Fridays after school. In the course, we planned out our advertising strategies, and I stuck with my plan. While Friday afternoon is not the best day for me, it seems to work well for library patrons. In fact, other than tweaking a few things here and there, I stayed fairly true to the outline that I planned in the course.  I did, however, make one fortuitous, late addition to the program.

As you probably know, Geronimo Stilton is a newspaper editor, very fond of cheese and classical music.  In week one, the kids read maps and followed directions (necessary for finding treasure, of course!), and they interviewed each other. They used good listening skills to pick out instruments from Vivaldi’s “Spring,” and listened to an audio book excerpt.  In week two, we had a newspaper scavenger hunt, and I noticed that the kids of our digital age are, not surprisingly, fairly unfamiliar with the printed press. This started me thinking – and by midnight that evening, I had the idea that I should invite a reporter for a digital news outlet to our next meeting.

On Monday morning, I emailed our local online news provider and within a day, the new editor for our area agreed to come to our Friday afternoon club.  I invited her not to interview us, but for us to interview her!  What better way to practice our new skills!

I invite you to see how the visit turned out. You can read her article (she took photos, too) at this link. http://barnegat.patch.com/articles/kids-ask-the-best-questions-and-i-try-to-answer-best-i-can

We finished up the final week with Geronimo Stilton “mad-libs,” mouse origami, and a rousing game of Pass the Cheese (to classical music, of course).  It was fun.  It was inexpensive. The kids and parents liked it.  All of the survey forms were positive.  I only wish that more kids had participated, but, even this doesn’t bother me too much.  Because everyone in the Series Programming course shared their projects, I can try it again with a new topic!

Coincidentally, the Series Programming course began again this week.  I’d love to see what the current group creates.

We know that children’s books change lives. They show us that apologies and forgiveness can be hard; that everyone deserves a second chance; that sometimes it takes an adventure or two to wind up right back where we always belonged; and that it’s better to be kind than to be right.

My story begins with a confession. For the past few days, I’ve ignored a woman sitting at my subway station, holding a baby and a cardboard sign. The first time I saw her my jaded New York filters kicked in: she’s a scammer, I thought. She looks too young, too clean. She’s one of those charlatans preying upon people’s kinder natures. Or maybe she’s a sociology student working on a project for her graduate thesis; pretending to be homeless and gathering statistics on reactions from cold-hearted urbanites. She’s not really a homeless woman with a very young child, sitting on the dirty subway steps, waiting for help. Watching wordlessly as well-heeled Upper East Siders walk passed, around, and over her. That pink-cheeked infant sleeping in her arms couldn’t possibly need my help. And even if they are for real, what can I do?

In our line of work we help people every day. Being a librarian, particularly a public librarian, we employ our empathy and compassion in so many of our interactions with children and adults. We try to figure out what it is they are asking, what it is they need, how we can guide them to the right source, the right tool, the best book. We rely on body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions as much as we do on the words they say. Each reference interview can be a mini-lesson in social psychology. We serve our users and we give a lot of ourselves in that service. I’ve heard coworkers joke that at the end of a long day on a public desk they feel “all out of nice.” The idea is that we expend so much of our empathy, our patience, and our understanding during our 9-5 that by the time we leave the library, we may feel a little tapped out. I’ll admit it- there have been days when I, too, felt “all out of nice.”

Today I saw the young woman and her baby again on my subway steps. I started to walk on by. In fact, I did. Walked passed her and her baby who was looking up in joy and wonder at the shadows cast on the bright white tiles by the fast-moving commuters. There was a little voice inside telling me to stop, to help. And if it were not for one twelve-year-old orphan boy from Pine Swamp, Maine, I may have ignored that little voice. Some of you may know this intrepid young man. His name is Homer P. Figg.

I happened to be listening to the audio version of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick. I was at the part of the story when Homer meets Mr. Brewster, a Quaker helping escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad. Homer is in a tough spot. He wants to help Mr. Brewster and the hiding families, but he doesn’t know if he can. Mr. Brewster tells Homer,

“It all boils down to this: A person has only two options in life, to do something, or to do nothing.”

It doesn’t take Homer long to realize, “I can’t do nothing. Nothing is not an option.”

Boy, did that stop me in my tracks. I pulled out my

You know you’re a children’s librarian

when it’s quittin’ time
and you’ve got to go
but a child asks for help
and you can’t say no.

I’ll admit my bias right up front.   If I’m off the clock and an adult approaches me for assistance, I have no qualms with directing him to the reference librarian on desk duty. However, since I’m the only children’s librarian in the branch, if a child asks me for help, I’ll stay – especially if it’s a reader’s advisory question – my favorite!

Photo by Mary K. Baird

Like I said yesterday, people are loving our spring books just as much as they loved those we published in the fall (for which we’re still getting reviews in–maybe I should do another roundup of those).

Here’s what people are saying about Kimberly Pauley’s Cat Girl’s Day Off:

Booklist:

In a multicultural family bestowed with supernatural abilities, such as mind reading and laser vision, Nat Ng believes her ability to communicate with cats is more of an embarrassment than a special talent. Only her family and her two best friends, exuberant Oscar and drop-dead gorgeous Melly, know her secret. When a production crew filming a remake of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off comes to the teens’ Chicago high school, Nat reluctantly agrees to join her friends as an extra. Nat might believe that her talent is unexceptional, but cat-loving readers will thoroughly enjoy where her ability leads her as she tours through the same Chicago landmarks seen in Ferris Bueller. This title has the light, buoyant humor of a Meg Cabot book, with the same blend of superpowers and high-school life that won Pauley many fans with Sucks to Be Me (2008). And the cats! Helping, hindering, sniffing out bad guys, sneering at good guys, the cats shamelessly rule.

Publishers Weekly (full review):

Pauley (Still Sucks to Be Me) offers amusing insights into the minds of cats, snappy dialogue, and a fast-paced plot. Readers should easily relate to Nat, and cat-lovers in particular will find a lot to enjoy in this romp.

Kirkus Reviews (full review):

. . . Since there’s no one else ready and able to rescue Easton, Nat and her pair of slightly off-beat friends take on the job. This leads to one perilous situation after another, many of them featuring the italicized thoughts—appropriately laconic and snarky—of the various cats that Nat seeks out for help. Her bumpy budding romance with classmate Ian adds an amusing love interest to the mix. The fantasy elements, solidly grounded in an otherwise real world, seem ever-so-believable. Lively conversation, strong characterizations and a fast pace make this a breezy read. The funny feline thoughts are catnip for the audience.

A worthwhile adventure and an easy sell for feline fanciers who already know what their pets are saying.

School Library Journal (if you are a subscriber, you can access the full review on their site; otherwise, look in the April 2012 print edition):

Pauley’s homage to Chicago and her favorite teen movie is entertaining, hilarious, and exceptionally creative. Populated with wonderfully eccentric and endearing characters, this lighthearted comedy will be an instant hit, especially among teen and tween girls. One thing is for certain—readers will never again look at their feline friends in the same way.

Charlotte’s Library (full review):

Cat Girl’s Day Off is fast a

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Looking for some fun new apps to try with various age groups in your library? These are some of of our favorite apps at Darien Library:

Doodlecast for Kids (1.99 by Tickle Tap Apps. Available on iPhone, iTouch, iPad.)

This drawing app has one key feature that sets it apart from other preschool art apps- it allows users to record their voices while doodling. The result is a screencast that immediately syncs to your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad Photos folder or you can upload to YouTube. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

How to use it in the library: Preschoolers will love playing on this app and rewatching their recorded creations. But the real potential is in storytelling. Try it out with a group of slightly older kids and let them draw and narrate their own short stories. For an added bonus, have the kids pair up or group into small teams to create collaborative stories.

Sock Puppets (Free by SmithMicro Software. Available on iPhone, iTouch, iPad.)

Take the interactive storytelling to the next level with this app that allows you to create a digital sock puppet production. Choose sock characters, a setting, props and then record an original masterpiece. The final products may be saved in-app or uploaded to YouTube or Facebook. The best (and most hilarious) part is that your voice recording gets scrubbed during the recording process, producing a funny Mickey Mouse-esque tone. Recommended for ages 6 and up.

How to use it in the library: For our book discussion groups (for grades 4 to 6) there is usually a discussion of a key moment in the text. We discuss why a character made a particular decision and what might have happened if they made a different choice. Use Sock Puppets to extend your book discussion and give the kids the opportunity to make their own alternate endings.

ReelDirector (1.99 by Nexvio. Available on iPhone and iPad.)

This all-in-one app allows users to record or upload videos, edit, add titles and transitions, and publish. It is one of the most sophisticated movie editing apps- especially at this low price point. While not originally created for children, it is much more intuitive and easier to use than iMovie. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

How to use it in the library: Create book trailers and Storytubes. After a class or workshop on media literacy, have kids create their own ads and commercials. Get your TAB or KAB members to creating a walking tour of your library. Use it to create informational videos to post on your library’s website.