Strawberry Lips & Alligator Teeth

Here is my new favorite piece of art from our coloring table at the library:

booger tornadoes

Here is an example of a 4 hour summer desk shift at my library taken from one day this past week: 

Booger Patrol

I tidied, cleaned, and straightened everything about ten different times.  When I transitioned to youth services I knew I'd be scrubbing boogers from books and toys and pushing all the books to the front of the shelf a bazillion times.  But what I didn't realize is that was just in one day.  Thankfully I find a lot of interesting reads while cleaning so it's one of those satisfying tasks that checks off two big boxes.  When I clean up (we call it a sweep), the library looks less like a booger tornado went through it and I also polish my readers' advisory skills.  

Library Programs 

I facilitated a program, Read to a Dog, which is an amazing program where children get 5-10 minutes to read to a sheltie or a yellow lab (yes, we have two dogs!).  Because Read to a Dog is so amazing and popular, kids start showing up half an hour before it begins and the slots fill up fast.  It takes a bit of work to encourage kids to have their book ready and keep the line going.  Sadly, we also usually break a few hearts in the process because there are only so many spots.  It's such a wonderful program though.

Teen Volunteers

I helped two teen volunteers stay on task. During the summer we have twenty teen volunteers who come in for 1-2 hour shifts.  Today I had one teen who kept disappearing in the building.  Whenever I lost track of him, and could get away from the desk to look for him, I always found him in another part of the building flipping through books.  It's tough to fault him because my teen self would have struggled to volunteer in a library with so much book temptation.   Our teen volunteers help us shelve, clean toys, and work on storytime and display projects.  It's amazing how much they get done.  But we do have a couple teens who tend to get a bit distracted and it can be tricky.

Helping Patrons Use Library Resources Like a Boss

I demonstrated how to use our lovely copier.  The patron was very worried that the copier would jam.  I told her, that while it was a possibility, I personally hadn't seen it jam in the six months I'd been at this branch.  The copier heard this cocky reply and promptly jammed.  While I rushed to grab a key to bypass her next copy so she wouldn't have to pay twice, the copier had the last laugh and not only expelled the crumpled copy but also gave the patron a fresh copy.  I can definitely say I've never seen a copier do that. 

I printed out a handful of guest passes, which allow patrons to use the computer without a library card.  At some point, after printing five or so passes, a kid approached the desk and said his pass didn't work. I tried it too, and sure enough it didn't work.  I printed a couple more with no success.  The patron's computers refused to take any of the numbers.  So I restarted my computer, printed another guest pass and it worked.  Sounds like the copier had a conversation with my computer.

Lovable Library Eccentrics

While looking for the teen volunteer I noticed one of our library eccentrics had found someone too polite to end the conversation.  This particular eccentric is one of our harmless eccentrics who is quite religious and doesn't understand social cues.  The lady he was talking to looked a little exasperated.  It may have had something to do with the fact that she had three children under the age of five who were struggling to stand still in one spot for so long.  So I carefully squeezed my way into the middle of his come-to-Jesus talk and gave her an out.

Library Rules Enforcer AKA Swamp Patrol

I told a group of kids to 'walk please' about ten times before mom drug them all into the family bathroom, closed the door, and gave them the what for. 

I also crashed a book club that tried to take an extra chair into our 6 person study room.

I always feel a little bit like Viola Swamp from the Miss Nelson books when I use my stern voice at the library.

Philosophical Discussions 

I had a very philosophical discussion with a 4-year-old girl about her favorite Disney princesses while she chose a sticker from the tub of assorted stickers.  After she picked one out (Belle), she asked if she could pick out a sticker for her brother.  After digging through the tub a second time, she raised a sticker triumphantly.  I asked her if her brother would like the sticker she chose, and she giggled a bit before running off with her two Belle stickers.  

I feel like I'm missing something here.

Making Sure People Leave With Books

Oh yes, I also helped people apply for library cards, sign up for the summer reading program, and find books. 

Sometimes when I leave for the day I think, yep that's about all the fun I can have for one day.   

storytime happiness

Storytime started back up at the beginning of June and the first two were incredibly fun and successful.  Our current storytime is a family storytime and it's only for the months of June and July.  The other full time youth librarian and I decided to each take a month.  I've been having so much fun with this storytime it's going to be tough to hand it over to her in July!

We changed many things for this storytime season. Due to such a large turnout last storytime season, we decided it was best to ticket for family storytime.  We are also offering back-to-back family storytimes even though it's not advertised on our website or in any of our print materials.  We thought the second storytime, which is an exact replication of the first storytime, would be offered this summer on an as-needed basis.  Boy, were we wrong!  The first two storytimes brought in 40+ kids and 30+ adults so we've definitely needed that second storytime.  So far patrons have been very accepting of the ticketing.  We have a stack of two colors of nametags, one for each storytime, and we use those as tickets.  While parents fill out nametags, kids get their hands stamped at the same time so I get a few more precious minutes during storytime, which equates to an additional activity. This was Robert's idea, so thanks to him there's a bit more singing and reading happening in the world!

In preparation of this family storytime, I spent hours researching ways to engage both parents and children, and I'm happy to say I've had much success so far.  I've been incorporating more movements in every story I read, and have also been giving myself extra time to ask questions.  I also created a memory box, which has been so much fun.  A memory box is a decorated shoebox filled with items from the books we read and also a few items that have nothing to do with the books. At the end of storytime I ask a kid to pick out an item from the box and we all decide whether or not it was a part of that storytime's literature. We usually have time for 3-5 items, which is plenty. Robert's mom, Audrey, helped me figure out the best way to do the memory box, as there are several approaches.  The biggest difference with my approach is my memory box is at the end instead of the beginning.  If need be, it can be axed if we run out of time.  I'd rather ax the memory box instead of a book or song.  Thankfully, we haven't needed to do this.  The way my memory box works is one child chooses an item out of the box, stands up and holds it for everyone to look at, and then we make a decision as a group.  This has worked beautifully. Some kids are unsure about standing up and showing off the item.  Because of this, I can ask their adult to help them, which is another way to encourage their participation.  Showing off the item also keeps it out of their mouths (for the most part), and everyone loves shouting their opinions, so even though one child gets to be the star for a moment, everybody is still involved in the process.

Last week I brought the instruments out again, and rather than letting them choose which instruments they want or handing them out of the tub, I organized them on the counter and covered them in a blanket.  When I passed out the instruments I told the group that everyone had to be on their bottoms to receive an instrument.  Many kids immediately sat on their bottoms and waited. There were a few who didn't, which gave me an opportunity to engage the parents/adults.  I was able to use names thanks to the nametags and ask for a little help getting their child to sit down. Parents/adults were happy to help and it was another great opportunity to bring wandering children back to their adults.  This was a huge time saver.  The first storytime of the day was packed so I didn't give kids the option to choose their instrument, but it was easy to pass them out because everyone was on their bottoms.  The second storytime of the day was a bit smaller so I had kids raise their hands for each group of instruments I passed out.  I was so thrilled after back-to-back success with the instruments I could barely contain my glee.  I think I'm ready to bring the parachute back out again...  

when music hides in books

Whenever I'm at the library and find a book with a music cd in the back of it, it feels like my birthday. So when I saw the book, Gondola, by Donna Leon, with a mysterious cd including a song by my favorite opera singer, Cecilia Bartoli, I took it home.  Though the book is filled with lovely art, it's very dry and I never finished it.  Turns out I'm not really a gondola enthusiast.  The CD, however, is stellar.  




Another book, Listen to the Birds, was another book I couldn't resist taking home.  Melancholy is one of my favorite songs to put on repeat when I'm writing.

sweet-faced softie

I took a different route today while biking home from work...

Needless to say, it's officially my new favorite route.

library booksale

Another year, another mega library book sale. Surprisingly, I found only one book of poetry this year - an anthology of children's poetry.  I found plenty of children's books, and several books with stickers, which is my favorite thing to put in my little free library right now.  I left the sale with three bags full of books and I was properly delighted and exhausted by a magical afternoon of book bliss.

Mitsy is up!

A couple huge things are happening with our remodel right now.  After three years of much chaos and madness, we are in the process of putting in a sprinkler system and planting grass (pictures coming soon), hanging things around the house including our first light fixture, including...

Mitsy, who is officially on the wall of our living room.

Here is a close-up of the lighting fixture:

May Reads Part 3

The Mercy Watson series* by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (early reader)

*I'm only going to post my review of the first book in this series.  I loved them all, with the exception of #5, which encourages bad behavior.

I laughed most of the way through this and am now immensely enjoying the rest of the series. I think a lot of kids can relate to Mercy. She's adored by her mom and dad, she is a little bit spoiled (with buttered toast), and once she sets her mind on something, it's all she can think about until she does it. The neighbors, Baby and Eugenia, provide much laughter, and Eugenia's expressions are priceless. I also like how the repetition isn't so obvious I'm rolling my eyes each time words are repeated. There are also some big words in this series, and I'm delighted by how these words and also a lot of Mercy's actions are perfect conversation starters. The first time I read the words, "porcine wonder," I knew these books were going to change my life. Mercy has snuggled her way to the top of my list of early reader recommendations.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes (picture book)

The illustrations in My Garden are lovely. The title page has a wreath with some interesting things in it. A seashell? Buttons? A key? I think it would be really fun to point out these interesting items in storytime and ask kids if they think they belong in a garden. I applaud the imagination of the girl in this story. The garden she envisions is beautiful, whimsical, and completely dream-like. I think a lot of imaginations will grow after reading this book.

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson (picture book)

I love interactive picture books so much, and Tap the Magic Tree is one of the best. As the tree grows through its yearly cycle, the reader is encouraged to do something with their hands, like tapping the tree and clapping. Each time the audience claps or taps, something exciting happens on the next page. I also enjoyed watching the page's background colors turn different colors as the seasons changed.

The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (picture book)

The language in The Honeybee is like a song - "This is the flower the bee has chosen. This is the flower the pollen grows in." And, "Chew, chew - we're changing its makeup, we're giving the nectar a chemical shake-up." The illustrations are zippy, exciting, and beautiful. I cannot decide which I like best - the dancing bees illustration or the hive in the tree near the end. I think there's so much storytime potential with this book. There's lots of movement and rhyme. Children can buzz, tap, and flap their way through the entire book. I gave it my best and was exhausted! There are also many fun things to ask children about. For example, can they see the pollen sacks on the dancing bees? And why are the bees dancing and tucking away pollen?

the muppets of the flower world

Over the weekend Robert and I moseyed on down to Arkansas for a bit of hiking and relaxing (Rachel was exploring Mackinac Island with Robert's mom, Audrey and their grandma, Carolyne).  Due to a heat advisory, we weren't sure how much hiking we could manage.  Because of this, Robert decided to look into motels that would take Ella, and so at the very last minute she was loaded into the car with her wagon.  

We hiked a bit, swam in the motel pool, and drove around exploring a handful of towns.  It was very relaxing.  

These are my favorite pictures from the trip!

We've been wheeling Ella around our neighborhood with great success so we've been eager to go even further.  Robert ever so carefully eased her down the massive hill towards the trail and I hovered nearby, ready to calm Ella in case she panicked.  But she was happily oblivious to the amount of effort it took to get her silly butt down the hill.  She just kept the same pleasant grin on her face the whole way down.



Once we made it down the hill it was smooth sailing.



While we were driving to Arkansas, Robert asked me what wildflowers I hoped to see.  My response was immediate.  Sensitive Briar.  It's my favorite wildflower and May is the perfect month to spot it. We were maybe five minutes into hiking and there it was in plain sight.  I couldn't help myself.  I flipped shit.  Even Robert was blown away by how fast we found it.  It really felt like it found us.  Even better, it was tangled with a rather large blackberry bush that had several ripe berries. 

I love sensitive briar because of their most obvious trait, a trait I very much relate to.  When touched, their leaves fold up.  It's a bit of wildflower magic. And because of their flashy flowers, it's such a delight to discover they're sensitive. They are the muppets of the flower world. 



Once we explored the paved section of the trail, Robert did a very sweet thing.  He said he would hang back with Ella so I could explore the unpaved section.  It was beautiful and dark inside the woods.  The sunlight could barely get through the trees.  Unfortunately it felt like I was walking through a giant spiderweb.  I waved a giant stick in front of me, which helped some, but after a large green spider zipped down into my face I gave up and turned around.  I did manage to snap a picture of a wild petunia before I left.  

  

Robert found a bookstore to explore, and though most of their material was outdated, I enjoyed browsing the shelves and shelves of National Geographic magazines perfectly organized by date.  The earliest year I could find was 1923 and they ended in the 90s.  This National Geographic discovery comes at an interesting time for me.  I recently finished a book called, "Stranger in the Woods," about the man, Chris Knight, who disappeared in Maine and lived in the woods, undetected for 27 years.  In this book he talked about how much he despised National Geographic because they exploit people's private moments. When I read that a silent damn exploded in my mind.  He's right, and as a reader of National Geographic, I have been haunted by his words.  As I browsed almost 70 years of National Geographic, his words chilled me even more.  Though there are some extraordinary stories in issues I can recognize at a glance, having almost 70 years of this magazine at my disposal definitely put Knight's words into perspective.    

May Reads Part 2

Hooray for Kids! by Suzanne Lang and illustrated by Max Lang (picture book)

Another great book celebrating the differences and similarities we share with one another. Some of the ideas were pretty silly. A Herman convention? Really? The illustrations are hilarious and super unique - hand-drawn and painted animals interacting in a photographed environment.

199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die by Loren Rhoads (adult nonfiction)

This is nicely organized by region within the U.S. and then by country as well. Each featured cemetery includes its history, art, architecture, unusual monuments and headstones, and natural elements. Many of the photographs are gorgeous, such as the sun peeking through the tombstones at the Friedhof Judischer Chernivtsi cemetery in Ukraine. The cemeteries I have added to my must-see list are Highgate Cemetery in London, England (which is just as much a park as it is a cemetery), Behavior Cemetery on Sapelo Island in Georgia (descendants still practice centuries-old customs), and the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York (which is, indeed, a pet cemetery with both famous and ordinary pets and monuments and headstones occasionally reflecting those pets).

Old Hat by Emily Gravett (picture book)

The message in Old Hat just goes to show if you be yourself and embrace what makes you different, it will save you a lot of embarrassment, trouble, and time. But it's so tough to be yourself! Especially when the other animals and dinosaur are rocking cool hats. I like the surprise ending and the animals'/dinosaur's reaction to the cool thing Harbet's been hiding.

Who Is in the Garden? by Vera Rosenberry (picture book)

I like how interactive this is! With nearly every turn of the page there is an opportunity for children to find garden critters hidden away in the beautiful illustrations. The language is rich and detailed but also simple and minimal, and, therefore, perfect for storytime. My favorite line is, "On a silk-tassled ear sticking out of that stalk, a dainty, brown field mouse sits, nibbling corn." 

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague (picture book)

Seeing your bad behavior manifested in the actions of a large and rather ridiculous-looking dinosaur definitely makes you rethink what you're doing. This is an adult perspective but I think kids feel the same way. I also think this book helps us talk about the negative emotions we all feel sometimes. It's tough to say it out loud, but I will. The illustrations make me sick with jealousy. It's not just the concept of everyday moms and dads (and a variety of mom and dads at that) interacting with their dinosaur kids, but also the amount of emotion and detail packed into each page. The feelings of not just the dinosaur children, but also their parents, is just so evident and easy to interpret. For the moment, this is my favorite of the series.

The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett (picture book)

The illustrations are pretty clever and funny. The flip pages where all the eggs hatch (except ducks) are exciting to lift and reveal some interesting (and mathematical) noises. My favorite moment is when the thing in duck's egg hatches, what it does when it comes out of the egg, and how Gravett illustrates that action. Also, I thought the duck was going to be a goner, or chased away, and because of this, I was surprised and delighted by the ending. 

May Reads Part 1

May was such an awesome month for reading.  I read two early chapter book series I fell in love with and a cookbook filled with recipes both Robert and I are enjoying making together.  And these books are only a drop in the bucket!

My May reads will be a triple post due to the many amazing books I fell in love with last month.

Early Bird by Toni Yuly (picture book)



Such a simple story, yet there's a well-developed plot and even a climax. A very smart person pointed out the color difference in the background of the pages when the bird finds the worm. So clever! My favorite illustration is the eyelashes of the sun when it peeks over the horizon.

The Ivy & Bean series* written by Annie Barrows and illustrated by Sophie Blackall (juvenile fiction)

* I am going to share my review of the first Ivy + Bean book.  I recommend them all but must tell you the mystery in the last book isn't solved.

I giggled much of the way through the first Ivy + Bean. Ivy and Bean's shenanigans are very similar to the shenanigans of my childhood, and I love how Annie Barrows is able to get into the minds of seven-year-olds. Bean is impossibly mischievous and funny. She reminds me of Beverly Cleary's character, Ramona. Bean's sister, Nancy is a bit like Beezus, but more whiny and obnoxious than Beezus. I think Ivy + Bean is an easier read than the Ramona books though and a great stepping stone for series like the Ramona series. I thought Ivy was going to be uptight and she's not. She aspires to be a witch and isn't afraid to break the rules and race through neighbor's backyards. They make a wonderfully exciting and funny duo. Sophie Blackall's illustrations are just as fantastic as the story. Bean's expressions are hilarious and so true-to-life and the illustration of the houses with their backyards is quite clever.

Get Real with Storytime by Julie Dietzel-Glair (adult nonfiction)

I appreciate how nicely this is organized, with lots of popular themes such as airplanes and dinosaurs. Each section features plenty of nonfiction titles, flannel board activities, songs, and fingerplays. I particularly like the plenitude of familiar songs with wildly different lyrics. I'm not very good at creating new lyrics with familiar tunes, so these songs help me get started. "The pterodactyl's wings went Flap, flap, flap" sung to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus" is one I can't stop singing. Though this book is geared around using nonfiction and poetry books in storytime, my favorite thing is definitely the songs and action rhymes.

The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken (picture book)

The message inside The Book of Mistakes is incredibly powerful and awesome. Mistakes can be beautiful. It's all about perspective. A smudge can be a smudge or it can be a leaf carried by the wind. Luyken acknowledges and accepts each mistake and triumph. What a great attitude to have! The language read like a conversation between the author and myself and the ending baffled me and left me with my head in the clouds.

Kindest Regards by Ted Kooser (adult nonfiction)

Kindest Regards has many of my favorite Kooser poems: Selecting a Reader, Shoes, Barn Owl, and many more. It also contains poems from books I haven't been able to get my hands on yet (One World at a Time and At Home) and poems from excellent books my library doesn't own (Valentines and Sure Signs). The most exciting part of the book for me came at the end. New poems! And such beautiful, emotional, exquisite poems!

One of my favorite lines comes from the poem, A Summer Afternoon with Clouds: "But still there's the sorely overworked wind stuck at his station for the rest of the day. He dreams of having just one afternoon alone with not one cloud, with a few pleasant hours to enjoy his collection, his big stamp album spread open, showing the villages and fields."

The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook by Mary Younkin (adult nonfiction)

I like how the recipes are divided up by how long they take to make. They are also really simple, which is great when you don't want anything fussy, but they're also really versatile and fun to play around with. This is the perfect kind of cookbook for my house. I like to follow the rules. The less fuss, the better. Robert, however, enjoys basic recipes he can tinker with. The red chile beef enchiladas (which is more like an enchilada casserole), for example, is delicious on its own but has a lot of room to play with it. Onions can be added to the meat, different spices can be sprinkled in, or a different kind of cheese can be used. We haven't tried every recipe in this book, but it's definitely on our list of books to purchase because we've had so much success with it. Our favorite recipe so far is the garlicky peas and rice with kielbasa!