How to use this Page

Is science funny?

Before school lets out for summer, I will make twenty-three visits to local schools to highlight summer programs. This year’s theme of science, Fizz, Boom, Read! ©, is a programming delight, but it posed a dilemma for me. I always share a funny book on my visits. Titles by Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, and Amy Krause Rosenthal are my usual outreach companions of choice. This year, however, I needed something “sciency,” something I won’t mind reading twenty-three times, something that will crack up 2nd and 3rd graders.

Hmmm… what to read, what to read…

And then I found it.

“Hey, kids! Want to learn about Archimedes’ principle?”

You’d never figure that to be a crowd pleaser, but, it is—I tried it! I don’t usually pitch particular books here, but What Floats in a Moat? written by Lynne Berry and illustrated by Matthew Cordell (2013, Simon & Schuster) begs to be shared this summer. It is a silly, funny, rhyming tale of trial and error as Archie the Goat and Skinny the Hen try to cross a moat in a barrel that is in turns full, empty, and finally, just right. If there is a more fun way to learn about Archimedes’ Principle, it surely involves actual water! In fact, an entire program could be built around this book if you had a tub of water and a few film canisters or other barrel stand-ins. If you’re looking for a funny and entertaining way to incorporate science into your visits or programs, this is it.

There are hundreds of entertaining and informative science-themed picture books, but sometimes, you just want to laugh.  Is science funny?  It can be.

If you know any other funny science books, please leave a comment.

It’s a given. If I’ve got outreach, the weather’s going to be bad. What’s your worst (or funniest) weather-related outreach story?

Wishing you all “May flowers” and a happy Friday!

You know you’re a children’s librarian when …

you sing the words to fingerplays while driving to work – just to be sure you’ve got them memorized before morning storytime.

DAYS OF THE WEEK (Stand up to begin this rhyme.)

Sunday, Sunday,

Clap, clap, clap. (Clap hands.)

Monday, Monday,

Tap, tap, tap. (Tap foot.)

Tuesday, Tuesday,

Hop, hop, hop. (Hop on one foot.)

Wednesday, Wednesday,

Stop, stop, stop. (Hold up hand.)

Thursday, Thursday,

Jump, jump, jump. (Jump on two feet.)

Friday, Friday,

Thump, thump, thump. (Pound fists together.)

Saturday, Saturday,

Turn around. (Turn around.)

Now smile quietly

Without a sound! (Sit down and smile.)

(Credit: DAYS OF THE WEEK fingerplay, Dr. Jean Feldman)

Happy Friday, all!

Images from

It’s December – the time to ponder the best books of 2013, and to wonder which ones will receive the coveted awards of January.

It’s also time to come clean and admit the books still languishing on your TBR pile.

What book did you want to, plan to, or have to read this year … but didn’t?

Here are the two that I most regret not having read this year:

• Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell (Simon & Schuster)
• Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg (Scholastic)

So, now that I’ve made you (and me!) feel guilty, take heart – we have 21 days left until next year.  Grab a book and start reading!

Luckily for me, I’ll be reviewing the audiobook version of Rooftoppers soon for a magazine, and I’ve got time to squeeze in Serafina’s Promise.  How about you?  

Image: By Gilles Demarteau [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

You know you’re a children’s librarian when …

you know the release date of every major upcoming children’s book and movie right off the top of your head, but if a patron asks you about the latest or upcoming James Patterson or Danielle Steel book, you scurry off to the catalog!

So, now that Heroes of Olympus: The House of Hades (Disney Hyperion) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck (Amulet) have been released, what are the kids in your library waiting for?  Or, how long is your holds list?

Here’s where I stand:

 My personal “holds” list captured with Snipping Tool (very useful).

Has an ALSC blog post every spurred you to action? Spawned a great new idea? Opened up a new opportunity? We all hope that these daily posts help advance the cause of librarianship to children – helping librarians and their young patrons reach a brighter, more meaningful and more interesting future.

Here is one such success story.

Back in the summer of 2012, ALSC guest blogger, Tess Goldwasser of St. Mary’s County Library in MD, wrote a post entitled “Music and Libraries: A Natural Combination.” I read it and thought,

“Hmmmm… I wonder if I could play the ukulele.”

I emailed her about using the ukulele in library storytime programs and I was enthusiastic about the possibilities. She was very helpful, offering advice on purchasing a ukulele and finding music. Then Superstorm Sandy hit, and my life took a different turn for several months; but still, I couldn’t shake that ukulele from my mind.

In the winter, I resettled in my home, and I acquired a shiny red ukulele! I reconnected with Tess, and she gave me continued encouragement and some great ideas for easy songs. I’m still learning and my repertoire is thin, but children are so wonderful – they love it! We learn the letter “U,” we count the strings, we take note of its lovely color, and of course, we sing! I even play at home. “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers lends itself very well to the ukulele.

So that’s my success story. Thanks, Tess. Does anyone else have one to share?

The current nugget that’s lodged in the back of my brain?  ”The StoryMob.”

“Hmmmm…”

Note: Ukulele enhancements are courtesy of PicMonkey. It doesn’t look quite so effervescent when sitting on my couch, but it certainly comes alive in storytime!

A patron asked the librarian why Tales of Robin Hood had been withdrawn from the children’s collection. The librarian replied, “Too much Saxon violence.”

(adapted from http://www.booknotions.com/riddles.html)

Ever wonder where librarians lark about on the Internet? If you’re in need of a laugh, here are some great sites to put a smile on your face.  It’s all in good fun.  Enjoy.

• Unshelved – a comic strip devoted entirely to libraries and librarians

Psst … Want to see more of Tamara, Unshelved’s perpetually cheerful children’s librarian? Send your funny stories about library service to children to the creators of Unshelved. You may see them in a future comic (shhh … act surprised) ! ([email protected])

• Awful Library Books – a collection of the worst books in library collections around the globe. You’ll get a good laugh and some weeding inspiration from these “winners!” You can submit your own worst books, too! (anonymously, of course) Visit Awful Library Books at their blog, Pinterest, or Facebook.

Doughnuts made me do it!

Need some fast humor? Twitter has it covered.

• Follow Fake Library Stats (@fakelibstats)

37% of librarians can successfully judge a book by its cover

— Fake Library Stats (@FakeLibStats) August 28, 2013

By noon the #SaturdayLibrarian knows all assignments due first thing Monday morning

— Fake Library Stats (@FakeLibStats) August 24, 2013

And if you are the #saturdaylibrarian, #sundaylibrarian, or #nightlibrarian, join your hashtag comrades on Twitter. If you don’t get a laugh in there somewhere, I’ll be surprised.

• Also check out the relatively new A Day at the Library - “Where smart people do stupid things”

Is Tumblr your thing?

• Librarian Problems

Or for humor of a more “academic” nature, try

• The Lives and Deaths of Academic Library Staplers

Pinterest fan?

• It’s a mixed bag, but if you search “librarian humor,” you’ll find something to make you smile.

Facebook?

• You’ll find Librarian Problems there, too, or try
• Pop Goes the Librarian

Did I miss any of your favorite sites for library-themed humor?

Emoticon image by The people from the The Tango! Desktop Project [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On Fridays, many poetry fans across the KidLitosphere take part in Poetry Friday.  Here, today, I offer my first contribution to the weekly meme in honor of my favorite prop, an old brown sheet.

“Ode to an Old Brown Sheet”

You’ve been a “cocoon” from which “butterflies” spring.

“Caterpillars” crawl in, then emerge on the wing.

At the Teddy Bear Picnic you’ve been a dark cave.

There’s snoring inside; enter only if brave!

You’ve helped created theatre – a shadow play,

hiding the actors, keeping bright light at bay.

When you’re a tunnel, toddlers know what to do.

I teach over and under, but you teach them through.

And when I go visiting,  pan and bags in my hand

you are my clothing; and don’t I look grand?

Perhaps you have a prop of your own that is deserving of an ode?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Some summertime silliness -

As much as I love Jim Arnosky’s wonderful books, my popular copy of All About Turtles was looking pretty shabby, so I stamped it for the discard pile.  Before discarding it however, I decided to take one last look at the lovely illustrations.  That’s when I found …

the banana. Yup, a banana - smashed between the gopher tortoise and the diamondback rattlesnake. Strangely, in it’s flattened, and rather petrified state, it almost fits in with the illustration, don’t you agree?

So what’s the weirdest thing you’ve found in the pages of your library’s books? Have a photo? Email it to me and I’ll add it to this post. 

With the school year winding down and the summer reading season gearing up, it’s a good time to reflect on the partnership of public youth services librarians and school media specialists.  The recent cover story by Rebecca T. Miller and Laura Girmscheid’s, “It Takes Two,” in the May edition of School Library Journal offers up some food for thought, and I urge everyone to read it.

Many of the partnership ideas suggested in “It Takes Two,” are great ones, including “middle school booktalks, outreach to school groups, shuttle buses between schools and libraries, and age-appropriate book clubs.” Miller and Girmscheid also suggest the possibility of a purchasing collaboration, noting that “the results of SLJ’s first survey of public library spending habits on children’s and young adult services reveals a disturbing trend: only 30 percent of respondents say their library collaborates with local schools to coordinate book purchases to support the curriculum—leaving 70 percent that don’t.”

I’d be interested in hearing others’ thoughts on this.  Here are mine.

My library system has a centralized collections department, but that isn’t to say that individual branches do not have some say in the purchase of books.  Several times per year, I am offered the opportunity to submit purchasing or replacement requests.  Having a close connection with my community, I, of course, request books that I know will appeal to local children or will fulfill the need for commonly requested resource materials (e.g., Ancient Egypt, Colonial America) However, there is a definite difference between a public library and a public school library, particularly when it comes to the  library’s collection.  Personally, I believe that the school library’s mission should be to support the curriculum of the school and the education of its children.  To some degree, public libraries do this as well, but I believe that our main focus is to foster literacy and a love of reading and learning, and to provide appealing, inclusive, informative and desirable books, programs and materials, as well as a place to enjoy them.  This, I feel, is where our paths diverge.

Anecdotally, I can say that, over the years, to fulfill homework assignments, I have had children request lower elementary school level books on the brown trout, sea lettuce, Chinese stirrups,  Ancient Egyptian jewelry making, anchovies, and obscure local inventors. These materials (were they actually to exist) would not necessarily meet the collection development criteria of the public library.  With school and public library budgets shrinking, we definitely have ourselves a dilemma.  The school library often doesn’t have the needed books.  The students come to the public library, which may not have them either.

I am very fortunate to work in town where I have very close connections with the local school media specialists, as well as some teachers and school administrators. When I contact my district’s media specialists, to let them know of my inability to find age-appropriate reading material on some of the aforementioned topics, they commiserate. They in turn, contact the teachers from whom the requests originate. The teachers may also commiserate.  Their requests are often dictated by government requirements.

I’m not offering an opinion on the initiative,  but like it or not, the Common Core is coming. (Read USA Today article here)  Read more at the  Common Core State Standards Ini

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

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.

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).

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?)

Scarves, felt boards, puppets, musical instruments – I’ve used them all.  Props are a wonderful way to make books come alive for our young listeners, however, my favorite prop is one that may not immediately come to mind – a globe.  You’d be surprised how many ways a globe may enlighten even the youngest of children.

When I’m not actively using it, I place my globe in the children’s area.  My globe draws children to it as if it were imbued with the earth’s actual magnetic field. And like the earth, it’s strong and resilient.  When parents say, “Don’t touch!” I assure them that it’s all right with me.  Even the simplest of globes is a beautiful, wondrous, and of course, “spinny” thing!  Who can resist?

When I feature an ethnic folktale in story time, my globe comes with me.  I point out where we live and my finger travels around the globe, arriving in the country where other children might be listening to the very same story! I fly my finger across the oceans, or bounce it upon the waves. Have a raised relief globe?  Let children use their fingers to climb the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, the Himalayas.

When I read a story that takes place far from New Jersey, I again travel the country or the world to find the home of our protagonist.  With older children, I teach them the ten cent wonder that is the ring on top of the globe – imagine calculating the time of day at any place in the world, with nothing more than a little tin circle, marked with the 24 hours of day.  What time is it in California? London? Mumbai?  Just turn the circle and find out!

But the amazing globe, that $20.00 miracle, marks not only our location in the world, but our place in the universe.  Spin a story about day and night as you spin your globe in concert.  Read a poem about the seasons while you carry your globe on its trip around the sun. There is no end to the things you can do with a globe.

 You’ve got the whole world in your hands.  Share it!

Photo by Stefan Kühn (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

You’re busy, I know. But if you (or, even better, your library) has $95.00, and you can spend a few hours a week over the course of a month, the return on your investment can be great! I just finished another ALSC Online Course, Series Programming for the Elementary School Age, with instructor, Lisa Shaia.

I would venture to guess that most of us who are working in public libraries can draw a crowd of preschoolers to library programs. But how many of us are successful at attracting older children to library programs on a regular basis? It’s one thing when Mom is making the choices. It’s quite another when a child is beginning to make his own choices. Library programs may not be high on his wish list of fun things to do.

But what if your library were offering

• a Mysterious Benedict Society weekly club?
•  a Geronimo Stilton Club?
• 39 Clues?
• American Girls?

  Suppose each weekly club meeting featured music, book activities, fun, “take-homes,” and  more?

Now your chances of drawing a school-aged crowd have grown exponentially. If you’re a school media specialist, now you’ve got a great after-school program.

These are just some of the multi-week “clubs” created by the members in my most recent course. Not only do we each have our own 4 to 8-week program ready to go for the winter, but we also shared our creations. Was it a lot of work? Actually, yes, it was; but the payoff is worth the effort. And, admit it, if you’re like me, without a course like this to prod you along, you might not attempt a 4-week club for school-aged children.

My new club will debut in February, and I think the local kids will appreciate the effort. Remember, professional development isn’t just for us, it’s for them.

What can you learn this winter for your library’s kids?

The ALSC Online Education Winter 2012 classes are posted now. Choose one and give it a try! You won’t be sorry.

Imagine this setting…

It’s a lovely fall evening at the public library. A therapy dog is lounging comfortably on the floor in the children’s area. A mom and dog owner are chatting agreeably. The librarian is helping child choose a “level one” book to read aloud to the waiting dog. The child chooses a book featuring one of her favorite characters – a character who earned picture book fame, and made the leap into easy readers. It’s a pretty book with a pretty cover and a perky title. It’s a perfect combination of community togetherness – the library, the public, the volunteer, the eager reader.

by Kreative Eye - Dean McCoy CC 2.0

Everything is going, say, swimmingly? Until the goldfish dies. The girl pauses in her reading. Perhaps the fish is just sleeping? She turns the page. No. The goldfish is decidedly dead and is summarily deposited into the ground, though not without some amount of ceremony. Everyone glances around silently, awkwardly. The young girl soldiers on and finds another book, another easy reader – featuring, this time, a gym class bully. Thankfully, a certain Elephant and Piggie come to the rescue and the night ends on a humorous note – complete with newly hatched birds.

So, here is my musing, my opinion, and a query for you:

Have Beginning Readers, long the milieu of simplicity, friendship, silliness and love, taken a turn toward deeper and more complicated topics? Realistic fiction is a wonderful genre that is well represented in picture books and juvenile novels and early chapter books. Difficult topics fit well in these formats. Picture books are a shared experience, with adults on hand to answer questions, or place new situations in an understandable context. Juvenile novels are read independently, by children who have mastered the skill of reading, and can understand a concept in its entirety. The “easy reader,” however, is for a child who is often learning to understand a single word’s place within a sentence or a sentence’s place within a paragraph.

I’ve not seen too many examples of deep topics in easy readers, but I wonder, is this a trend, and if so, is it a good one? Your thoughts?

Product placement - at best, it’s annoying – films and TV shows blatantly pushing brand names and logos down the throats (or the eyes) of a captive audience.  A famous soda here, some underwear there, maybe some fancy sneakers.  Isn’t enough that I’ve already paid to see the movie?

I’m against it – at least I was, until this weekend when I was watched Arthur (Warner Brothers 2011).  I was initially put off by a zoom-in shot of the label for an expensive bottle of whiskey, but then, I saw the best product placement ever.   What was it, you ask?

None other than Arnold Lobel’s, Newbery Honor winning,  Days with Frog and Toad (Harper & Row 1979).  In the movie, Arthur and Naomi climb down the Strawberry Fields steps into Central Park to visit the pond that reminds Arthur of “Alone,” the final chapter in Days with Frog and Toad.  Together, under a moonlit sky, they recite a line or two from the book. Later in the movie, viewers see a closeup shot of Lobel’s lovable characters as they appear in the book, and are treated to a longer excerpt.

I thought I hated product placement, but this one won my heart.  Can you think of any other great children’s books that are featured prominently in film?

Q: “Do you have Go Ask Alice?”
A: “Yes, 100 copies and they’re all checked out or “missing.”

Q: “Do you have Fahrenheit 451?”
A: “Yes, 200 copies and they’re all checked out. Can you read Spanish? I have the Spanish edition checked in.”

Q: “Do you have (insert 1960s era Syd Hoff book here)?”
A: “Sorry, no.”

Q: “Do you have George Washington’s Socks?” All 500 kids in my school need to read it.
A: “Um, I think we may have a problem.”

Okay, so I exaggerate (but not much!). I think you get the idea.  It’s that wild and wonderful time called “Summer Reading,” and though I’ll be asked the same questions over and over throughout the summer, I cheerfully do my best to help.   I’m thankful that the kids have come through our doors and I don’t want to send them away empty-handed, but sometimes a promise of a “hold” is all I can offer.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, resolve to try the following ideas for next year:

• Make friends with the curriculum coordinator or ILA supervisor (or whatever they’re called in your neck of the woods) in your local school.  If the district’s summer reading lists are hopelessly outdated, or you simply do not have the books they need, tell them. In the past, I’ve had success working with local schools to update required summer reading lists, or at the very least, making them aware of gaps that I cannot not fill.
• If your library has a collections department, let them know which books are always in high demand.  Perhaps a few extra copies can be purchased.
• Scour your donations for commonly asked summer reading titles and hoard them until next summer.  It may not help your circulation stats, but in a pinch, if you can give a child a free book that’s on his list but not your shelves, you’ll earn good will (and good karma).

If all else fails, keep your spirits up, place that hold, and remember that you were once a kid,  and probably a procrastinator too! Gotta’ love ‘em!

You know you’re a children’s librarian when …

you secure a great new position that’s very close to home and you lament the lost commuting time because you used it to catch up on audiobooks!

I love to listen to audiobooks. It helps me to stay up-to-date on children’s literature, but, I don’t see many kids checking out audiobooks. Are you a fan children’s audiobooks? Do they circulate well in your library?

My new commuting vehicle!

You know you’re a children’s librarian when …

you attend the huge, annual American Library Association Conference featuring famous authors like Harlan Coben, C.S. Harris, Erica Spindler, Laura Lipman, and Wendy McClure;

and you pass them all up because you can’t afford to miss

Grace Lin, Rick Riordan, Clare Vanderpool, Erin Stead, Tom Angleberger, Jeff Kinney, Richard Peck, and all the other wonderful authors and illustrators who gathered this week in New Orleans. I wish I’d had the time to meet them all!

The 8th annual Poetry Blast was a blast! Despite the late time and date (Monday evening @ 5:30pm), many librarians and fans turned out for the annual poetry blast. Joyce Sidman, Marilyn Singer, and Janet Wong were a few of the featured poets at the event – each poet reading for seven minutes. Highlights for me were Mike Artell’s reading of Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood (definitely added a local flavor to the evening! So happy I found the book in the French Quarter this morning!), and Nikki Grimes’ reading of “First Kiss,” complete with the news that she’ll have a new book out this fall, Planet Middle School, based on the poem. Kristen O’Connell George read from Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems . There is nothing like live poetry. All were phenomenal! Don’t miss the Poetry Blast next year, and make poetry a part of every day until then!

This morning found me at the closing speech of the conference, Molly Shannon’s address in the 2nd floor Convention Center auditorium. She was alternately vulnerable, touching and hysterical (after all, she is Molly Shannon!) Her new picture book, Tilly the Trickster, is more autobiographical than you might think!

And now it’s off the airport. It’s been a great week! I love New Orleans and New Orleans loves librarians! It’s a perfect match.

Shoestring puppet shows! You can’t go wrong with the right book! On Monday morning, Michelle Brzozowski and Chien-Ju Lin of Ocean County Library, NJ, presented “You can do Puppet Shows, too!” at #ala11, and kept the crowd in stitches. With the help of Jon Scieszka and Leah Wilcox, these youth services librarians teach children about art and folktales through hilarious puppet shows – without spending a lot of money! Anyone Seen Art?

The Force was definitely with us this evening, as we were able to meet and greet Tom Angleberger, the force behind the soon-to-be, wildly popular, Darth Paper Strikes Back. The gods were smiling on us too, as we scored the coveted golden wristband, ensuring us an autographed copy of Rick Riordan’s latest, The Throne of Fire. All in all, a great evening @ #ala11!

“Even my failures are edible,” that’s the tag line at Johnny’s Po-Boys in the French Quarter, where, judging by the crowd, many librarians attending #ALA11 stopped for lunch. The sandwiches were delicious! Can you spot the librarians? Besides the food, a tour of the city was also a highlight of the day. The exhibit hall opens tonight! Lots of great stuff to come …