My main activity at ALA Midwinter Meeting today was two publisher previews – Scholastic and Boyds Mills Press. The second one fed me lunch, which was much nicer than waiting in line for high-priced fast food. Even more than the books previewed, the sessions were a nice chance to talk with more children’s book people whom I haven’t seen since the last conference or to make new connections. It’s gotten where I love the world of ALSC – These are my people! A lot of the faces I’ve seen many times before. Perhaps after awhile we’ll remember exactly when and where we met — but I know they’re children’s book folks, and thus my people! As for books — It sounds like it’s going to be another good year! I liked that Wendy Wan-Long Shang and Madelyn Rosenberg wrote a book about a boy who is half Jewish and half Chinese…
Author: Sondra Eklund
Art vs. Crafts at #alamw17
I just posted about a program I attended at ALA Midwinter Meeting about Creativity brought into the library using an Open Art Studio approach. They talked at length about how doing Art is not the same thing as doing crafts. This was somewhat ironic timing, because I had just spent an hour at a program called “DK Maker Break.” DK was promoting a new book coming out called Out of the Box about making things from cardboard. We all made owls. Now, I had a lot of fun, and the book is packed full of ideas and projects. But — I could really see the point that was going to be made in the next session I attended. First, I could easily see that my owl wasn’t very “good,” especially compared to the examples we were shown. Even compared to the people next to me making owls. My conclusion: I’m…
#alamw17 The Creative Edge
My first afternoon session today was run by two people from Avon Public Library in Connecticut, “The Creative Edge: How One Small Library Is Leading the Way in Creative Arts Programming.” Mary Fletcher’s official title is Creativity Specialist. She has been in charge of a program where they have brought the arts into the library. Arts are not crafts. Art is an open-ended process. Art has no planned product. Art is open-ended. Art has no adult sample to copy. Art can be spontaneous. A pre-planned craft can discourage creative choices. The presenters showed us many pictures from their Open Art Studio. I liked the image of a wall covered with buildings made of paper. No two buildings are exactly alike. Together, they form a wonderfully diverse town. I was writing furiously. I’ll include some good nuggets below: Art is guided by the child’s choices. When children are fascinated, they make…
#alamw17 Authors Interview LeUyen Pham, Scott Westerfeld, and Susan Tan
This morning I had the privilege of listening to an author interview in the big auditorium at ALA Midwinter 17 moderated by Dan Kraus, featuring Scott Westerfeld, LeUyen Pham, and Susan Tan, who all have new books coming out soon. He began by asking them about their new books. LP: Real Friends is a graphic novel memoir written by Shannon Hale. It’s her story about her first group of friends. After you read it, you realize the same thing happened to you. She captures the pain of what happens whe you get ousted from your group. It’s about very young friendships, but complete with all the emotion of that, and feels universal. ST – Her debut novel is Cilla Lee Jenkins, Future Author Extraordinaire. Her protagonist is growing up in a mixed race family, just like the author. She’s 8 1/2 years old and getting a new sister. She’s asked “what…
#alamw17 and The Running of the Librarians
Here are librarians milling around, waiting for the Exhibits to open at 5:30 pm. When they do open, the crush is not insignificant. This year, I had a mission: I wanted an Advance Reader Copy of Megan Whalen Turner’s fifth book in the Queen’s Thief series, Thick as Thieves. I even reread the rest of the series this week. I checked the publisher (HarperCollins), learned the booth number (2016), and headed straight for it. I got a copy! Mind you, they were in the back — you had to ask. I got a tip from a friend years ago that if there are books you know you want, to be ready to ask for them. But then — Book Frenzy began. Publishers placed out Advance Reader Copies (and even some finished books) free for the taking. You roam the crowded aisles walking past them. I don’t have it in me…
Jacqueline Woodson at #ALSCMI #ALAMW17
Our Closing Session speaker at today’s ALSC Mini-Institute was Jacqueline Woodson. She talked about how in view of what today is, that it’s good to be with librarians. We have to transform silence into action, and Libraries do Transform. We can have empathy for those we disagree with because we all know what it is to have fear. Begin a conversation across misunderstanding. Memory keeps her moving forward. Keep hope in the room and in your lives. Don’t forget to vote at the local level, too. We do have the power to create change. It’s important to hold onto history. We had a mini-Institute because we decided not to meet in North Carolina. She said, “This country has always messed with bathrooms.” She’s deeply proud of the Institute organizers for taking a stand, as a person deeply committed to making this place safe across lines. These conversations are disruptive, but…
Carmen Agra Deedy at #ALSCMI #ALAMW17
Carmen Agra Deedy was our lunchtime speaker at ALSC Mini-Institute today, so I didn’t take notes. But I can tell you what her talk was about: Storytelling! And she told stories to tell us about storytelling. She kept us laughing, on the edge of our seats, and deeply moved in turn. She also read from her wonderful new picture book, The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet. The power of words mean everyone can talk. We each fight the good fight. In the end, where is your voice? There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. There are always those who resist being silenced. May we be among them!
#ALAMW17 #ALSCMI Break-Out Sessions and Inspiration
Going to ALSC Mini-Institute Break-out Sessions was a little overwhelming, because many of the programs presented seemed way beyond the scope of something I could do in my own library. But I came away challenged, inspired, and invigorated. I was reminded of the need out there and that Librarians are shining lights and touching people’s lives. I recently got put as the only librarian on a Neighborhood School Readiness Team — so I chose as my focus programs about getting children ready for Kindergarten, “ECRR: The Next Generation,” “Fighting Intergenerational Literacy,” and “Kindergarten Bootcamp.” All of them had a focus on teaching parents how to get their own children ready for Kindergarten. They all have a lot more staff to devote to their programs than I do at my branch — but I think I can move in that direction, and it’s nice to see what big things can be…