Tag: readers advisory

Blogger Paige Bentley-Flannery

Children’s Librarians are Experts at Readers’ Advisory

| Paige Bentley-Flannery|Leave a comment

Librarians know their library collections! We know just the right questions to ask for each library customer seeking their next favorite book. Library customer: Do you have any new penguin picture books? Librarian: Hi! Yes, we have a wonderful selection of them! Library customer: I’m looking for a new book with a penguin wearing a sweater. Librarian: Let’s walk over to the new picture book section and look under Animals. (Point out the new picture book stickers.) I saw the book you’re looking for yesterday.  So many colorful sweaters! Books Found: Penguinaunt by Marcie Colleen, Little Penguin Stays Awake by Tadgh Bentley and Penguins Don’t Wear Sweaters! By Marikka Tamura.

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Blogger Katie Salo

State Reading Lists & the Early Literacy Librarian

| Katie Salo|6 Comments

One of my favorite tools in my librarian toolbox are our state reading lists. Before I get into the reasons that the state reading lists are awesome, I’ll give you a quick overview. A Quick Overview In Illinois, a committee made up of teachers, librarians, and educators chooses a list of twenty nominees. From those twenty nominees, kids and teens can read and then vote in February/March for the reader’s choice award. The book with the most votes then wins the Award for the year the voting took place. Illinois has four lists: Monarch Award for K-3rd graders Bluestem Award for 3rd-5th graders Rebecca Caudill Award for 4th-8th graders Abraham Lincoln Award for 9th-12th graders Many other states have their own lists. Some are by grade and some are by subject. (Check out Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Lists!) Why I Love State Reading Lists First of all, most of our…

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Blogger Ericka Chilcoat

Warning: This Will Be Your Toughest Customer.

| Ericka Chilcoat|2 Comments

After working for 20 plus years as a children’s librarian, I feel very comfortable with young people. I’m good at getting them to open up and tell me what they are looking for. Children come in with parents in tow, after visiting the library with their class. “Remember me?” they ask, and I always let them know that they are unforgettable.

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Blogger Stacy Dillon

The Classic(s) Question

| smdillon|2 Comments

As a mom-slash-librarian, I have worked pretty hard to try to make sure that my daughters are readers.  There are books of all sorts in every room of the house, I read in front of them on our commute, and at home, and I read to them when they let me.  As my oldest daughter reached tweendom, I thought, “This is it! I will finally be able to share all of my favs with her!” Cue sad trombone music.  I had to accept the fact that while she is a reader, she is her own reader.  Some of our tastes overlap, but there are often times when we aren’t interested in each other’s books.  And that’s okay. Many times other parents see my kiddos reading and ask me how I did it.  Or assume that my job did it for me. And many other times the follow up question is…

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