As a children’s librarian, I am asked a variety of questions. Most are eagerly looking for the next book in a popular series or in need of the Dewey Decimal call number for their research project. And then there are a few that need a little more time and care. Books can be an essential tool when addressing significant life events and they can help little children understand their big emotions when they experience grief upon the loss of a loved one.
Tag: Booklist
Open Forum on Diversity, Inclusion, and Our Work, Post-Election
It has been a tumultuous week for all of us who work to create a better future for children through libraries. We know, from the responses to the Unity. Kindness. Peace. booklist shared last week that you are stepping up to support your community in the face of violence witnessed or enacted, and in response to fear, trauma, and confusion. And we know that we as librarians, and as ALSC, have much more to do. Our work as an organization must firmly defend the rights of all children and forge paths to equity for marginalized communities.
Backlist Booklist: Fantasy Edition
Fall seems like a great time to tackle a good fantasy, doesn’t it? And since we focus so much on new books, let’s give the backlist on our shelves some love. Your tweens will love these great fantasies, and you’ll want to read them yourself! Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s Moving Target is a thrill ride from start to finish. It tells the story of Cassie, an American student in Rome, who thinks her family is totally normal and that her dad is just a regular old art history professor–until someone tries to kill him. That’s when Cassie finds out she’s from an ancient bloodline that allows her to use an artifact that can alter the future. And now she has to run from a secret society that wants it very badly. And if you loved it? Never fear, the second book just came out last month. …
Día Planning Starts Now!
The National Program Registry opens for Día on November 1st, so make sure to mark your calendars! The registry serves two purposes. First, your library will be recognized as participating in the El día de los niños/El día de los libros events on April 30, 2015. Additionally, by joining the registry, your library’s program will be part of a national searchable database in which other librarians can peruse your program ideas, get inspired, and hopefully design their own programs around diversity in literature. As a bonus, the registry also increases your library’s publicity and gives you some bragging rights. I regularly check ALA’s Día website for program ideas, book lists, book club kit ideas, and free downloads. It’s where you can register your 2015 program and become part of the growing Día community. The Día booklist this year will have a STEAM focus, providing enticing possibilities of integrating STEAM content…
Helping Kids with Dyslexia
Working in a public library, one gets to meet many different people from all walks of life — this is one of the biggest perks of the library profession. And every once in a while we get to meet someone who really stands out — allow me to introduce you to one of them. Scott Forsythe is a teenager from the Fort Wayne area; he and his family have been regular library users for many years. About a year ago, Scott came to our reference desk in the Children’s Services department at the Main Library and asked if we had any resources on dyslexia. Specifically, he was looking for information on fonts that are easier for young children with dyslexia to decode and read. We did a little looking around, and came up with very little. Scott, you see, has dyslexia. And he knows very well the struggles that are involved. …