storytime update

This is possibly my last season of storytimes.  Due to a reorganization of staff at my library system, my job will either be a patron support specialist (A.K.A. manning the desk) or a program support specialist (A.K.A. facilitating library programs).  Currently I do both and love the heck out of the variety of work and patrons I serve.

This reorganization started last August, and it has been a waiting game since then.  I thought fall may be my last storytimes, and now again this spring.  But it is now official.  We aren't having any staff-led programming this summer.  From May-August, all the connections I've built with not just storytime families, but also tween book club families will cease to exist either temporarily or permanently.  Dramatic, yes, but kids grow up.  The end of each season is already tough with at least one storytime family proudly announcing their child is going to preschool the following season. 

And tweens become teens, who then become adults.  I also do not know the outcome of the teen volunteer program, which my branch has been lucky enough to offer year-round.  Two of the six kids who volunteer are graduating, and summer is always the time to get them excited about maybe continuing during their school year.  This summer my branch is not opening up the opportunity to new teen volunteers.  I'm thrilled we get to keep the teen volunteers we currently have but sad that the future of the program is unknown.

I do not know if I will continue to work at my branch, whether I will get to work with kids at all, and what position I will be in.  It's a lot of uncertainty.  I still feel so fortunate to have even found where I belong, and not only that, but to work my dream job for over six years.  And who knows, maybe I'll love wherever I'm at as much as I love this current position. 

Storytimes are one of my favorite things about my job.  They are tiring!  And crazy!  And sometimes I'm still hearing the songs for hours afterwards, but the joy of being a part of storytimes and getting to know the littles and their families is unbeatable.

Last fall season I mostly did my family storytime, which I've done for a few seasons now.  I also subbed for several of my coworker's toddler storytimes and did two outreach storytimes at both a preschool and Montessori school - a wild and amazing experience.  It was a lot of storytimes!  I somehow managed to not get sick and made it to every one.  A storytime season with no illness despite drowning in oodles of germs.  

This season I'm doing both a toddler storytime and family storytime.  I tried to cleverly mix up the crowd favorites between the two storytimes.  At my first toddler storytime one of my family storytime songs was requested and in my family storytime, one of my toddler songs was requested.  The two separate storytime plans immediately became very smooshy, and so now I wake up and have no idea what plan I'm doing.

My go-to style of storytime is very family-oriented, with a couple things for babies and older kids and a lot of toddler components.  It's tough to do two very different storytimes that have such similar age groups and also have my family storytime regulars sprinkled fairly evenly between the two storytimes.  Some come to both!  It's that organic, see-what's-happening-each-storytime approach I've always wanted to feel more comfortable with, and now it's happening.  I'm enjoying every moment.  Even if it means I need more sleep on storytime nights. 😆

Here are some adorable moments I wanted to share:

* I was in the storytime room practicing for the first storytime of the season and I heard tapping on the glass.  I looked up and saw one of my families from the previous season.  They were at the library the moment it opened and could not wait to say hello.

* When I asked one storytime group what alligators do, one girl shouted, "They eat people!"

* While talking about bunnies, I asked the kids if they had long, floppy ears.  One grandpa shouted, "I do!"

* After a storytime, one of my regular kids introduced me to her My Little Pony toy and asked if I would sing the hello song to the toy.  I absolutely said yes.

* After singing our rainbow puzzle song and putting the puzzle together, a kid asked me why we weren't singing the song again as I took each color off the board.

* When I read Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes for one of my storytimes, two of the three sessions read and sang the entire book with me.  They knew all the words!  

I haven't been able to keep track of all the cute and special moments this season.  There are just too many.  Kids really do make the world a special place.  

Wogs & Wuddles

Depending on the day, the dogs and I go for either a "wuddle" or a "wog."  Wuddles are like walks but with constant cuddles.  Margo was the one who created this type of walk.  She does this thing where she throws her body against my legs.  Eventually I figured out that she gets so happy and excited on walks that she can't help but try to share all that excitement with me.  Thankfully she never throws herself hard enough to knock me over.  I'll give her some love, and then she'll continue on her way.  Cuddle, walk, cuddle, walk.  We must look like we're stuck together with Velcro.  

When Margo wants a different direction than where we are going she smacks my hand with her mouth and tries to herd me in the direction she wants.  This is NOT a wuddle, and I usually give her just as much sass as she gives me.  Josie will sometimes ask for cuddles on walks, but she's slightly lower to the ground, and just out of reach.  I have to lean over to give her any kind of love, and it gets a little wonky.  

Wogs are when we go for a combination of a jog and walk.  The girls have done an exceptional job learning that jogging is not a time for pooping or other stops.  They make small movements or slow a little to let me know if they need to do their business.  This is where the walk comes into play.  I usually walk the length of five houses.  This is about the perfect amount of time for the dogs to go potty.  After they go potty, we continue walking until we find a trash can, and then we start the process over again.  

I have succeeded at a lot of things in life - my most recent accomplishment was learning how to use an electric toothbrush in such a way that I don't have to change several times for work.

But for all of my accomplishments, I have never been able to jog with poop.  My peaceful, mindless jog is suddenly spiked with frantic thoughts of bursting bags of poo as the poo swings and thumps, swings and thumps.  Maybe the solution for this is a doggy saddle bag that looks like a dumpster.  As much as I dislike the swinging bag of poo, the dogs are absolutely appalled by it.  They will eat poopy popsicles of all varieties, but if it's their poop swinging against them as we jog, they try to outrun it while throwing me looks of horror and disgust.  You terrible human!  How dare you smack me around with my own poop!

So, as you can see, the dogs and I like to go for walks and jogs for different reasons.  The dogs like to poop and pee as many times as possible, and I like to turn off the internal noise and exert myself as much as possible (this helps turn down future internal noise).  Obviously we have different goals.  So we've settled on the wog for most days and wuddles for days when we are exhausted from outrunning flying poop.

Hikes are usually their own thing.  When we go for hikes, we don't do much wogging or wuddling.  But the other day, while out on a hike, Margo decided to do extended wuddles with me along the trails.  I felt very loved.  It was also challenging sometimes as we wuddled our way over rocks and roots, around mud puddles (me) or through them (Margo).  I don't know if this was just a one-time wuddle hike, or if this is what it looks like as the girls ease their way into middle-age, but we soaked it all up.  

 

crickets of doom, henna, favorite things, maps, pinging, & big words

Ode to a Bad Day by Chelsea Lin Wallace and illustrated by Hyewon Yum (Picture Book)

Everything wears a frown during this girl's bad day, including her food! This girl's ode to a bad day is poetry at its best and her emotions light up the phenomenal illustrations. The wild blasts of color, especially the colors of today on one side and the colors of tomorrow on the other side, were so powerful I was almost wearing a frown! Though her bad day carries on a little bit too long for me and her dreams of a better day tomorrow are slightly obnoxious, I was in love with her bad mood and her little cricket of doom from the very first page. The poem at the very end, "An Ode to an Ode," was the icing on the bad day cake!

A Garden in My Hands by Meera Sriram and illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Picture Book)

A mom grows a garden of family stories and memories through the henna she draws on her daughter's hands. The reader is invited into their ritual and feels all the anticipation, love, and warmth the daughter feels. The illustrations are radiant, exuberant, and spellbinding. This is one of those gardens you won't want to leave! Included in the back of the book is more information about henna and a touching author's note.

Oskar Loves by Britta Teckentrup (Picture Book) 

A simple exploration of some of Oskar's favorite things. Oskar encourages his readers to think about their favorite things and talk about them with others. Maybe like me, you will find yourself agreeing with Oskar as he lists his favorite things. The simple text and illustrations explore all the senses and radiate wonder, joy, and contentment.

Papa Brings Me the World by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw (Picture Book)

This is one of those books that needs your undivided attention. It's a bit too wordy for me but worth it for the spectacular illustrations and stories Lulu's papa brings back from his world travels. The Author's Note and map of where Lulu's treasures come from are the best part of this book, so be sure to check those out at the end!

Ping by Ani Castillo (Picture Book)

A philosophical look at reciprocation and the ins and outs of putting yourself out there with the expectation of getting nothing back but recognizing this is everything. It will make you pause and wonder many things. Am I pinging even when it's scary? Are they good pings? How about pongs? Do I pong to the best of my character? How about my intentions when it comes to both?!? When do I need to pause when pinging and ponging? What if I wait too long?!? How do others ping/pong? This book will have you thinking for days and potentially creating a small ping pong tournament inside your head.

Little Geniuses series by Susan and James Patterson and illustrated by Hsinping Pan (Picture Book)

Fun!  You won't be able to resist saying each of these words out loud and having a nice chuckle as you make multiple attempts with your favorite words.  My favorite words included, "gnashnab," which is a person who complains a lot (sometimes me) and "quaquaversal," which is a shape that "starts at the center and spreads out everywhere beautifully."  Though these were my favorite words, the one I couldn't resist saying over and over again was, "fünfundfünfzig," which is pronounced like this: foon-foond-FOONF-zig.  I also can't forget to give a nod to the illustrations.  Bright and exuberant with color combinations that create instant happiness when your eyes absorb them.  

Diaper Face

Is there anything scarier than a diaper face?  Here's a more important question.  Who in your life would you like to turn into a diaper?  Since reading this several weeks ago, whenever I come across my diaper person, I think of this book, and it always makes me smile.  I'm sure I also sometimes look deranged from trying to hold the laughter in, but no matter!

P.S. This is from the book, The Haunted Hamburger by David LaRochelle

Reviews

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (Juvenile Fiction)

Simon and his family are processing the trauma of a school shooting that Simon was the only survivor of. This topic brings up all kinds of mixed feelings, and I was initially hesitant whether I could read it. However, Erin Bow does a phenomenal job writing about this topic, and I found myself instantly liking the characters and their relationships with one another. It's an absolute gem that will encourage both tears and laughter. 

One of the reviews I read called this a tragicomedy, and I thought that was strange due to the topic of the book. But the more I listened to it, the more "tragicomedy" made sense. Simon and his parents move to a fictional National Quiet Zone two years after the school shooting. His mom is a mortician, so naturally their residence is in his mom's funeral home. Simon's dad is a Catholic Deacon who has bizarre luck with animals. Add in a peacock who thinks he's the owner of the funeral home, and it was actually pretty hilarious at times. 

The love, support, and hefty sense of humor in Simon's family are all immensely helpful in processing their trauma and PTSD, but there are plenty of rocky moments. Thankfully a classmate, Agate befriends Simon and enlists his help creating fake alien signals (fascinating subplot alert!). Thanks to incredible family support and Agate's friendship, Simon begins to heal and find a place that really feels like home. I thought the writing was exceptional, the audiobook narrator (Will Collyer) did an excellent job bringing the characters to life, and the story with all its varied intricacies was well-thought out.

Expedition Backyard by Rosemary Mosco and Binglin Hu (Juvenile Graphic)

Calling all Skunk and Badger and Peter and Ernesto fans! Here's another adorable animal friendship tale for you. Whether you like calm adventures like mole or you like chasing danger like vole, you will root for them both. There's lots of plant and animal identification going on in this adorably illustrated gem as well. Swamp milkweed seen from the perspective of a mole is possibly better than seeing it in real life and the illustrations of mama opossum taking all her babies and adventurer friends for a ride are fantastic.

gross and beautiful

One of my favorite jobs at the library is something I affectionally call, "booger patrol."  Library workers all do some variation of this and probably have their own cutesy fartsy names for it.  It's a mixture of tidying up, checking/refilling faceouts, cleaning up mysterious things, finding toys in bizarre places and returning them to the play area.  The list goes on and on, but what it boils down to is keeping the library in proper order and making sure it's a welcoming place for patrons.

I also like to check for damaged books and usually take it section by section.  Any time I need a brain break I tackle a section and look for any books that are gross.  I have found everything from a partially eaten Jimmy John's sandwich (with some of the wrapper attached to identify it) to a mummified earth worm in books.  I also find a lot of silly notes and some notes of hope, frustration, and loneliness tucked into books.  Bookmarks, money, and collector cards are common bookmarks.  So are used napkins.  Gross, folks!

Most books are just fine and can be returned to a shelf.  Sometimes they need a wipe down, but other times the books are beyond repair.  One of my favorite kinds of book destruction happens when a child sees an illustration and makes their own version right in the book.  It's not a very nice thing to do to a book, but it's also one of the best compliments an illustrator can get.  Occasionally there is an ominous smell to a book, but when I open the book it's pristine.  Other times, that ominous smell really is trying to tell me something.  

Like this stinky mold, which decided it's going to completely consume this book.  

Engine

I helped a grandpa and grandson today find a handful of books including a few beloved Magic School Bus books.  Grandpa told his grandson, "She's a lot like Thomas.  She's a very helpful engine."

Reviews!

All Creatures Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot (Adult Nonfiction)

The second book is just as wonderful as the first and feels like a smooth continuation of the first set of stories from All Creatures Great and Small. Herriot is one of those rare writers who can capture moments in their entirety and make the reader feel like they're right there in the moment. Favorite stories from this book include Albert Crump and his wine, Mrs. Donovan and the rescued golden retriever, Mr. Kirby and his underwear-eating goat, and the stories about students tagging along with Mr. Herriot. I can't get enough of his stories, writing style, and rich descriptions.

Clarity & Connection by Yung Pueblo (Adult Poetry)

Not really poetry but close, Yung Pueblo's subject matter and writing style feels like Hugh Prather has come back to life. Both have a bit of wisdom to share and have also mastered the ability to simplify that wisdom down into as few words as possible. Sparse but fulfilling. Yung Pueblo does tend to repeat himself though! This book is insightful, positive, and healing as all get out but can easily be half the length. 

Resilient by Rick Hanson (Adult Nonfiction)

There's not a lot of new info here, but it's easy-to-understand with some helpful points. I've read other Rick Hanson books, and I really enjoy how he takes big ideas and simplifies them in a way I can understand. I particularly enjoyed the section on grit and agency where Hanson references Angela Duckworth. Reading the agency section was a bit of an aha moment for me. I realized I have some of the essential ingredients for resiliency, but I just need to make sure I'm using them and bringing to light the skills I don't think about (self-confidence for example). Here's to aha moments that encourage growth!

Modern Bestiary by Joanna Bagniewska (Adult Nonfiction)

The Modern Bestiary is fascinating, wondrously gross, and contains the kind of stuff that inspires nightmares and comical conversations with others. Each chapter is super short, so you can read as much as you like, but you can stop any time and you're not mired in information overload. The introduction is a masterpiece. I don't always read introductions, but this is one you shouldn't miss. There's a hilarious section about what the author learned while researching this book, including how the thesaurus built into Microsoft Word is too "prudish" to find synonyms for words like fart, poop, and butt. This book is for anyone who loves wildly entertaining animal fact books and wants to know more about percussive foraging, "real-life" cooties called face mites, how naked mole-rat siblings feed their younger siblings poop "in true older-sibling fashion," and what kind of pet a tarantula keeps.

poetry

Last week I had a really nice rejection email.  An editor from Free State Review sent some thoughtful notes about three of my poems, and I was so impressed that he took the time to do so.

Speaking of acceptances, thanks to Across the Margin for publishing three very different poems of mine, The Beast, The Variety Store, and Water Aerobics.  When I'm reading journals and come across a poet who has multiple works published at once, I rarely try to make connections.  There are a couple exceptions of course.  Sometimes the connections are obvious and beautifully done.  Other times I find myself wondering how poems that are so different can come from one person.  

I have been working on The Variety Store for several years, compiling real moments and dreams in the hopes that one day the poem would finally reveal itself.  I'm still wondering how it is that I managed to drive to the lake on one of the rare days the variety store was actually open.  It's an experience I will never forget.   

Water Aerobics took almost as much time, but really it was just years of polishing and adjusting.  I was always an outsider during water aerobics - really just like anything else I'm involved with - but I felt so honored to be a quiet observer during this weekly ritual.  I think water aerobics was one of the things that helped me embrace the role and importance of being an observer. 

I wrote The Beast quickly, shared it with my poetry friends who offered helpful critiques, and submitted it.  Unlike the other two poems, it was an easy poem to write, a recurring dream I find myself in just as much as the rooms in my house.  I have discovered if I write about a recurring dream, the act of writing changes its landscape.  I wonder if this happens to others as well.  

Three different poems that mean a lot to me all sharing one page.  I am very thankful.

Womb Dreams

Thanks to The South Shore Review for publishing my poem, Womb Dreams!

My first Canadian journal, and it's such an honor.