oh, those Baby Dunce DVDs...

This takes me back a year or however long it's been since we talked about what to do with this niche of our AV collection:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6704221.html

Christmas Genie

Ellen and Sue from River Forest PL just sent an email with some cool news.

Apparently Dan Gutman's new book The Christmas Genie is set in Oak Park's very own Lincoln Elementary School. Sue sent him an email asking why he chose OP, and was thrilled when he responded almost immediately:

Hi Dan-

I am the Children’s Librarian in River Forest IL—the smaller village due west of Oak Park, IL. I just ordered a copy of your new book forour library collection. I live in Oak Park and attended LincolnSchool in Oak Park as a child. I am curious how you came to choose Lincoln School as the setting for your book? It will generate a lot of excitement and questions among our patrons. Your website lists NewJersey as your home, but I am wondering if perhaps you have relocated to the Chicago area? Please give us the lowdown--librarians love to be in the know. Thanks!

--Sue Quinn

Sue,

Thanks for sharing my books with kids. I still live in New Jersey,but I have an old high school friend who lives in Oak Park IL. I got together with him in Chicago this past summer, and I guess that was on my mind when I needed a setting for The Christmas Genie. If I recall,I went on the Internet to get the name of a school in the town. I hope the folks in Oak Park are pleased. Do you think I should have asked permission?

Cheers!Dan Gutman

Buzz Buzz

I'm most excited about reading Charles and Emma (Darwin) and Evolution of Calpurnia Tate - I've heard great things about both of them. I think I will grab them off the shelf as soon as I'm off desk!

I've already read When You Reach Me and loved it, although half the fun was coming up with a quantum physics based theory on how the story worked. (You have your fun, I have mine, all right?)

Based on the summary, I will not be able to stand Also Known as Harper (Writing poetry helps fifth-grader Harper Lee Morgan cope with her father's absence, being evicted, and having to skip school to care for her brother while their mother works, and things look even brighter after she befriends a mute girl and a kindly disabled woman.) Life always looks better after those super angelic disabled people show you how much worse your life could be, right? Gag.

What are you looking forward to?

Fancy That

Things Librarians Fancy: Stereotypes, too close for comfort or something in between?

(::kicks tote bags under her desk:: Nothing to see here, move on along....)

Whee!

I don't know what the "Roto-Whip" is, but why don't we buy it for the Children's Department? Kiddieland stuff is getting auctioned off!

Stitches

I just read this book (Stitches by David Small) and found it stunning in every sense of the word. It has just been nominated for the National Book Award in the Young People's Lit. category. Some people are in a lather because they think it isn't appropriate for kids-- or even teens. Personally I didn't find the subject matter any tougher than Alexie's Part-Time Indian. For those who have read it, what do you think? (And for the rest of you-- it's definitely worth a read!)

Egg-credible

I've been having great success with "egg magic" in my Terrific Twos and and Family Opens (which should really be called, this season, "Pretty Much Terrific Twos, Too"). I've done stuff like this with the scarves and hand-out puppets, too, but it's all come together with the egg shakers.

I hand out an egg to all the kids, let them shake them for a few seconds to get their silliness out, then say we are going to play an imagination magic game.

First, I ask the kids to pretend like they're eating the egg, yum yum yum. Then, I hold my egg in a way they can't see it when I hold up my hands, palms toward me, and announce mine is all gone. This amazes them. Then I show them where it is and ask if they want to make their eggs disappear, too. Of course they do! So we hide them under our arms (two-year-olds are adorable when discovering their own armpits, hee), between our knees, and under our bottoms (when I say we're imagining we're mama hens). I encourage them to say "ta-da!!" and to get their grown-ups involved.

Afterwards, we try balancing the eggs on our heads and shoulders, knees and toes (and guess what song this ties into?) and then sometimes sing "Wiggle Fingers" but swap eggs for fingers. And then we do the Milkshake Song. All this takes a good six or seven minutes and is adorable and a great way to engage a big group of kids age 2-5, really. And you don't have to memorize much--just come up with little "magic" challenges for them on the spot.

Lately I've been reading Charlie Chick and Hurry, Hurry (both featuring a chicken or egg) to bookend my ovum fun--both are terrific for 2s!

A Season of....Insensitivty?

Has anyone read Richard Peck's latest, A Season of Giving? I got a copy signed at ALA, but haven't read it yet. A week of back and forth commenting has been going on at SLJ's Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Blog on the meaning, intentions and ramifications of two chapters, specifically.

Don't Throw the Popcorn

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Lifting the Veil

Racially Insensitive

Take Two

Please Read the Peck

Wendy asked, "If a book is racially insensitive, does that affect its distinguishedness?" In this day and age, should insensitivity effect award nominations? Thoughts?

Awfully Wonderful

Hah! Remember that fabulous book Andy and I found and bought together at Waukeegan's Friends' bookstore? My boyfriend couldn't help but scan the cover and send it into the Awful Library Books blog and here it is! I knew it was a gem.

3-Library Field Trip Notes!

The Children's Services department visited three libraries on Friday, September 18: Waukeegan, Warren-Newport (which we always just called Gurnee), and Skokie.

Much fun was had (we ended the loooong day at Superdawg!) and a lot of good ideas were gathered. Here are some mish-mashy notes we cobbled together.

Check out all the pictures Shelley took for us, too!

Ear Buds
Everyone agreed that if we sold inexpensive ear buds to the patrons at the circulation desk and branches, it would save us some money (no replacing headphones), would be more sanitary, and would be much less time intensive for staff. Patrons would soon learn to bring their own from home, too. Waukegan sells them for $1.50/set.

Early Literacy Center (ELC)
Waukeegan had a sensory tub filled with foam letters, plus rotating hands-on search and find objects. (We could get more sensory/special needs toys in Story Stop.) Drop-in art activities at any time, included wonderful benches and low tables and lots of materials for spontaneous projects. Bulletin board space to display kids’ artwork. Listening station preloaded by staff and attached to the wall. Soft, enclosed play space for crawlers. Offer more science and math inspiration stations year round (giant calculator, sound tube). Story phones were cool, although clunky and heavy.

Signage
Magnetic signs highlighting popular authors within each section. Easy books had pictures of the characters—e.g. Pigeon, and fiction books had popular series marked with protruding shelf signs—e.g. Harry Potter. Gurnee had hanging brighter blue signs that were large fonts, very visible from every angle. Hanging flags of the world denoted foreign language materials. Slatwalls for acrylic holders (flyer in one, small take-home postcard/mini brochures right next to the highlighted program flyer). I liked the shelf signs for popular series, and noting popular authors on the end caps. BIG and obvious “Check out Here” at self-checks, with case removals.

Collections
Books in Braille, pop-ups for in-library use only. Face-out shelving at Warren-Newport. I liked the best sellers for kids list they had up, and where to findthem. New books: no reservations, no renewals, strict fines, first come first serve. Love it. End cap shelving for cool displays and more space. I don't think we have the room, but I like the idea. Video game collection (Skokie).

Café
Gurnee had a beautiful and large café space. Allow snacks in certain areas of the library, with trash cans and signage about not leaving a mess? All Aboard is more cramped and has a convenience-store, rather than café, feel.

Computers
Family computer rooms separated out for caregivers with young children under age of 8. Skokie had a computer center just for kids in a separate room that was fully staffed, had posted behavioral rules, was quiet, and offered homework assistance! Both adult and children’s labs were monitored. Mandating that parents sit with kids younger than 8 on the computers. Some summer days, I wish we had a two hour PERIOD limit on the computers. It makes sense and would cut down on a lot of behavior issues.

Security
Greeter who was on her feet, dressed in business casual, offered to help us find anything. Wonderful, warm staff member who also was on alert.

Storytime Room
Hidden from rest of department and more private. Parents were given “beepers” for when storytime was over. Shades or curtains in our current ST room? Skokie’s story telling area was cuter than W-N's, but without headphones,it would get annoying fast. Still, I like the idea.

Décor
Skokie had lots of plants, and gigantic chess sets. Warm colors on walls (Waukegan), natural light (Gurnee).

YA
Special space for gaming and projects. “Story Stop” for tweens/teens. Needs to be staffed (volunteers?)

Book Drop
Gurnee had the same one as ours, but a green light indicated when patrons should add another item. Large signage at Waukegan “Book Return”. A nicer returns sign, with handy visual cue. Love. Gurnee also had a super-cool 24 hour holds in lockers and secured room. And they put books on hold spine down for privacy.

Friends Bookstores
Open year-round. Gurnee is on the honor system and not staffed (patrons put money in a secured slot in the wall). Waukegan’s was staffed, even!

Rave reviews

This title has been garnering lots of attention, starred reviews and such. It's a collection of comics from the 1930's through the 1960's. The focus here is squarely on comic comics, nary a superhero in sight. Booklist says "If there's a word with more urgency than essential, then that's what this comics cornerstone is for libraries".