Several weeks ago, I was approached by PicPocket Books to write two reviews about some new picture book apps about children with Down Syndrome. These picture books, My Friend Isabelle by Eliza Woloson and We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by S.A. Bodeen, are two stories that do an excellent job promoting understanding and acceptance of differences. Writing these reviews inspired me to see what other books libraries had in their collection with and about characters with Down Syndrome. Here are some recommendations. I Can, Can You? By Marjorie Pitzer – This board book features babies and toddlers with Down Syndrome eating spaghetti, sharing & playing ball. Check out other titles in this series, including My Up & Down & All Around Book. 1 2 3 for You and Me by Meg Girnis – This simple counting book is illustrated with photos of children with Down syndrome and their friends admiring…
Month: September 2012
Little Scientists
I’m thrilled to be guest posting on the ALSC blog today to share a science program I offer at my library. Little Scientists is a preschool program geared for children between the ages of 3 ½ to 5 years old. The activities in my science programs are designed to introduce preschoolers to the wonders of science while satisfying their growing curiosity through books and interactive, hands-on learning. In each 4-6 week session we cover a variety of topics from Forces, Plants and Living Things, “Kitchen Science”, All about Me (Body Science), The Science of Colors, and Weather among others. Each weekly program begins with the sharing of a picture book or simple non-fiction on the related topic before we move into the hands-on activities. Though the program is “adult directed”-meaning I guide the children through the activities, I ensure there is time for children to explore the activities further and…
Book to Film (Soon): Beautiful Creatures
Although I am a children’s librarian, I have a deep and abiding love for YA literature, as I’m sure most of us do. Some of our mature readers in the Children’s Library have already read their way through many a YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi book, so I am always on the lookout for stories that our kids can “read up” to without exposing them to much content their parents might find objectionable. One book which fits all these criteria is Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. In a reverse of the Twilight-spawned “mysterious guy, normal girl” trope that is so common in fantasies today, Beautiful Creatures is about a mysterious girl, Lena, and the normal boy (Ethan) who is drawn into her strange world. It’s a southern-set, gothic mystery filled with magic and forces of light and dark. I loved it, our kids love it, and the copies…
You’ve Got Mail @ Your Library!
Lexington Park Library’s newest active learning center is a Post Office complete with envelopes, paper, pencils (yes, pencils!), Mail Carrier costume, and mail boxes. We selected eight book characters to have mail boxes at our library and made up addresses for them. For example, Next, we made three plastic envelopes for each character with their address and picture on it. Then, we bought mailboxes from Lowes and labeled them each with a book characters address and picture. A volunteer mounted them on small stands that he made. They are placed around the Children’s section for kids to find as they deliver the mail. We set up a table in the corner of the Children’s section of the library to be our Post Office. It has the Mail Carrier Costume, a place to sort mail, a big blue mail box, a letter chart and is stocked with lined paper and…
Final Week to Register for ALSC Online Courses
This is the final week to sign up for fall 2012 ALSC online courses! This fall, ALSC is offering five online courses including a new course taught by former ALSC President Thom Barthelmess and two courses that are eliglibe for CEUs, continuing education units. ALSC online courses are designed to fit the needs of working professionals. Courses are taught by experienced librarians and academics. As participants frequently noted in post-course surveys, ALSC stresses quality and caring in its online education options. Courses start Monday, October 1, 2012. Registration is now open. Online Courses — Fall 2012 ALSC Core Competencies: Serving Children with Distinction and Commitment 6 weeks, October 1 — November 9 Instructor: Thom Barthelmess, Curator of the Butler Children’s Literature Center, Dominican University The Caldecott Medal: Understanding Distinguished Art in Picture Books 6 weeks, October 1 — November 9 Instructor: Kathleen T. Horning, Director, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, University…
What’s Hot?
Every now and again, I like to run statistics to see what is hot among our lower school and middle school readers. It gives me a sense of the movement of the collection as well as lets me know what areas may need extra copies and such. It’s no secret that graphic novels are among the favorite at our school, and when I ran the search 9 out of 10 of the top check outs were indeed graphic novels! MISSLE MOUSE: RESCUE ON TANKIUM3, by Jake Parker ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: ZERO GRAVITY, by Dave Roman BABYMOUSE 13 – CUPCAKE TYCOON, by Jennifer Holm G-MAN: LEARNING TO FLY, by Chris Giarrusso MISSLE MOUSE: THE STAR CRUSHER, by Jake Parker SMURFS GRAPHIC NOVEL (11): THE SMURF OLYMPICS, by Peyo NIGHT OF THE LIVING DUST BUNNIES, by Erik Craddock OLYMPIANS (4): HADES LORD OF THE DEAD, by George O’Connor STONE RABBIT: BC MAMBO, by…
Common Core in the Public Library?
As something primarily affecting school curricula, public librarians may not immediately be taking too much notice of Common Core. But we are all connected- if only through our users- and the implications of the new educational standards may provide interesting opportunities for public and school librarians to collaborate. From collections to online resources, there may be simple ways that public librarians can market our services and help both teachers and students get the most out of what we have to offer. Here are just a few ideas to get started: – Ask your local school librarians and/or the state association of school media specialists to speak to your library staff about Common Core. If they are organizing a training session, see if you can tag along. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to position your library as a partner. – Know the lingo. As students, parents, and…
ALSC Institute = burnout-buster
Thank goodness for the ALSC Institute! As a long and busy summer speeds right into an even busier fall, I was starting to feel just the tiniest bit stressed. Conferences like this one provide an intense oasis, rich with ideas and possibilities, where I can get away from my day-to-day job (deadlines! emails! reports!) and focus on The Work. Every single one of the sessions I attended at the Institute offered not only valuable nuggets of inspiration and information, but also fertile ground for bursts of creativity. How would the admirable programs and services I was hearing about would translate to my own system? My brain has been fizzing with exciting possibilities. The Columbus Public Metropolitan Library’s Ready to Read Corps; Hedberg Public Library’s well-rounded early literacy staff development plan; Arapahoe Library District’s emphasis on storytime competencies; Cuyahoga County Public Library’s focus on offering a continuum of service from birth through…