Hooray for Free Books!

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for the delightful surprise in my mailbox today! A copy of  Moira Young's "Blood Red Road" AND a copy of the 2nd book in the Dust Lands series - "Rebel Heart".  Time to catch up with Jack and Saba.  If you enjoy Young Adult, post-apocalyptic,  dystopian type fiction and have not read "Blood Red Road", I highly recommend it.  I will let you know how "Rebel Heart" is as soon as I finish it.  If you would like to read an excerpt, head here.  

Heading to Marshall tomorrow to celebrate Joshua's birthday a few days early.  And then I have a paper due - but I will try to post more frequently.  

SO NOW YOU KNOW...

Gleaned from today's reading of the ever-fascinating "Developing Library and Information Centers" 5th edition by C. Edwards Evans and Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro, published in 2005 by Libraries Unlimited(and thus quite outdated for this topic since e-publishing has turned everything on its head...) :   "Bibliomania is defined as 'excessive fondness for acquiring and possessing books'.  Most bibliomaniacs (librarians included) cannot stay out of bookstores and consider it a great feat of willpower and self-control if they manage to leave one without buying a book or two." (or three or four - especially if that store is Half-Priced Books, say I)

EAR CANDY - "Seraphina"

I finished listening to "Seraphina" by Rachel Hartman. 

Hartman - in her debut novel - has created a world where humans and dragons have created an uneasy peace treaty.  Very few humans actually like dragons - the find them to be monsters.  And for the dragons - well, they can take human form.  Usually the humans know that they are dragons - but not always.  The dragons could also wipe the humans out if they chose to do so - but they are very logical, mathematical creatures that feel they can learn something from the humans.  They also still fly and breathe fire - but only when they are in their dragon form.  

The story revolves around Seraphina Dombegh.  Who just happens to be part dragon and part human. The story opens with her being born - and her mother dying.  But Seraphina does not look like a dragon.  In fact, she looks like any other 16 year old girl.  It's what goes on in her head - and her extraordinary musical talent - that set her apart from others.  Her father is at a loss what to do with her so much of her growing up years are spent with her maternal Uncle Orma.  Who is indeed a dragon - but maintains human form as a music instructor.  Because of her musical abilities, Seraphina is chosen to be music mistress at the royal palace and teach harpsichord to Princess Glisselda.  Lots of court intrigue, romance, murder, etc.  

There has to be a sequel - we have to find out who the other grotesques are.  And what happens to Princess Glisselda.  And where Orma is.  And Kiggs!  What happens with Lucian Kiggs!?!  See - you know you want to read it, now.  Or listen to it.  It's long-ish.  The books is 400+ pages which puts the audio book at around 15 CDs, I think?  

And now I am listening to "The Sandcastle Girls" by Chris Bohjalian.  It's about monsters of a different sort - those that decide they want to wipe out an entire race of people.  In this case, it is the Turks who have decided to wipe out the Armenians.  The year is 1915 - which most people remember for WW1 but the Armenians remember as Holocaust.  This is based on a true story -- the Turks killed over 1 million Armenians.  The story is told from a 1915 perspective and also from modern day.  Thus the audiobook has two very distinct narrators.  I might be finished with it by next Friday!  Happy listening!  

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS

Or at least - one question to start with.  For one of my classes I have to respond to an article on the death of libraries.  So I am doing some VERY unscientific research on my own to see what people think.  I also need to come up with a more legitimate survey and I want to see if I am headed in the right direction.

So - here is the question.  You can comment here or on my Facebook page - whichever is easiest.  And I know I could create a poll but I need more information than a close-ended question allows.  

Do you use your public library?  If yes - how?  And if no - why not?

Thanks!

POETRY!

My assignment for this week is poetry!  I had to read books from a specific list and then select five that would work with my focus group (K-3rd grade).  I love poetry so that wasn't hard - I did have some difficulty finding the exact books listed in the textbook but I was able to find similar books by authors that were listed.  But first - one of my favorite poems by Shel Silverstein -- The Snowball.

I made myself a snowball

As perfect as could be.

I thought I’d keep it as a pet

And let it sleep with me.

I made it some pajamas

And a pillow for its head.

Then last night it ran away,

But first– – it wet the bed.

Now - on to the books!

Lewis, J. Patrick, pictures by Victoria Chess. A Hippopotamusn’t

Dial Book for Young Readers   1990

A timeless book of animal poems!  It made me smile.  I liked the fact that he used all different types of poetry – couplets, free verse, poems in the shape of the animal, limericks, and Haiku, to mention a few.  This would be a good introduction to poetry for the K – 3 group, picking simpler poems for the younger crowd while using the entire book with the older ones. 

Hughes, Langston; photographs by Charles R. Smith Jr. My People Atheneum 2009

Few people write more eloquently than Langston Hughes.  I have long been a fan of his which is why I am including both books.  This short poem (only 33 words) was written in the late 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance, a complex time for blacks.  Hughes wrote it to celebrate the pride he had for his race.  This book would be used with 5 and 6 year olds – we would read the book and then create a bulletin board with our own photographs.

Hughes, Langston; illustrated by E. B. Lewis The Negro Speaks of Rivers Disney/Jump at the Sun 2009

This one would be for the older end of my focus group.  Langston Hughes wrote this poem – connecting the history of black people with rivers – when he was only 17 (or 18) years old!  E. B. Lewis does an amazing job with his illustrations – which will help the seven and eight year olds interpret the poem for themselves. I would have a world map up on the wall so that, after reading the poem, we could identify the rivers and countries mentioned - and explore why Langston Hughes chose those examples.

Nelson, Kadir.  He's Got the Whole World In His Hands. Dial: 2005

I would use this book in conjunction with "My People" by Langston Hughes.  The world would be a good centerpiece for all the photographs. 

Prelutsky, Jack with paintings by Ted Rand. If Not for the Cat Greenwillow Books 2004

Not your typical Prelutsky – this is a delightful collection of 17 Haiku, each one a riddle about an animal.  Ted Rand has painted delightful double page illustrations, one to accompany each 17 syllable poem and reveal the answer to each riddle.  I would use some of the haiku in this book with 1st graders as a sort of mystery guessing game.  The vocabulary in some of the haiku is quite simple while in others it is more complex – this allows you to use a variety of haiku with different age groups.  For 2nd and 3rd graders, I would use the entire book as a unit to introduce haiku.  It could be used in an English class, a science class, and/or an art class –  it could easily be adapted to a variety of curriculums!   Or, in the library, you could have an entire month devoted to poetry (April, for example) and use this book to introduce Haiku for one of the sessions.  Then the kids could create their own Haiku or copy one of these and illustrate it.  

Sidman, Joyce illustrated by Paul Allen Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

Houghton Mifflin books for Children 2010

A collection of poems about the night, again using a variety of poetry styles.  This book would be for the older, more accomplished readers in my group.   Mr. Allen’s illustrations were created by the process of relief printing using linoleum blocks.  There is a description of the printing process at the beginning of the book.  Accompanying each poem is a detailed description of the subject of the poem – for example, I learned that a baby porcupine is called a porcupette.   Wouldn't it be fun to do potato or vegetable printing to give the kids an idea of the process Mr. Allen used to create the pictures in the book?

Sidman, Joyce pictures by Beth Krommes Swirl by Swirl:  Spirals in Nature

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children October 4, 2011

This second Sidman collection could complement the Dark Emperor book by appealing to the younger children in my focus group.  It is a wonderful introduction to nature and, though not in a traditional rhyming poetry form, it is lyrical.  The author explores all the different places one can find spirals in nature.  There is further explanation at the end of the book. 

LA LA LA LA LA

My assignment for my Children's Literature class this week was to review some of the journals that are published to help make choosing books a bit easier on the folks that purchase books for libraries.  

There are several such publications - The Hornbook and School Library Journal are devoted to children's literature.  Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist review all types of books.  The Hornbook is my favorite.  I even received a subscription as a gift this year and I read it from cover to cover almost as soon as it arrives.  

The purpose of the assignment was to help us find current books to supplement the lists provided in our textbook.  Thus we had to look at reviews and select five books - all published in 2012 - that would be appropriate for my focus group (K-3). And I had to tie them together with a theme.  I chose singing as my theme and these are the books that I listed: 

Monkey and Elephant  by Carole Lexa Schaefer - I have not had a chance to read this one yet but it is compared to Lobel's "Frog and Toad" series.  It is divided into short chapters.  It's about Monkey and Elephant's friendship.  And, in one chapter, they need to sing to solve a problem.

It's Raining, It's Pouring by Peter, Paul and Mary - A lovely book illustrated by Christine Davenier.  The story opens with Grandpa hitting his head, of course.  And then it begins to rain.  There is a CD included so if you have never heard Peter, Paul, and Mary's version of the song, then you can listen - and sing along - as you read the book.  

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons  by Eric Litwin   - I love all of the Pete the Cat books.  Though this may be my favorite.  Pete has four buttons on his favorite shirt - unfortunately, one button pops off.  And then another.  But does he cry?  Goodness no!  He just keeps on singing.  

Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes - this is a new series of early readers about an adorable little mouse named Penny.  She comes home from school one day all ready to share her song with the family but - the babies are sleeping and she might wake them up! Will Penny ever get to sing her song?  What do YOU think will happen?  It's delightful - and there's more!  Penny and Her Doll and Penny and Her Marble are on the horizon.  

Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy  by Jan Thomas - This one actually has not even been published yet but - what can I say?  It has cows.  

Happy reading - and singing!  

 

MCKINNEY LOVES READING

Well, at least at Dowell Middle School.  Check out this Bookloose video on Youtube!  (thanks to Katie for letting me know about it.)