May 30, 2013
May 23, 2013
May 18, 2013
Library Summer Reading: What do YOU like?
Summer Reading Season is almost here! I've checked out a lot of library summer reading programs over the years, and I wanted to get your opinions regarding these programs: whether you've ever taken part in one, what your favorite parts are--and your fantasies of a "perfect" library summer reading program.
I was surprised to learn that library summer reading programs of one kind or another have been with us for well over a hundred years. I wasn't around back then, but I think it's safe to say summer at the library has changed quite a bit over the years! Summer programs' goals of preventing summer learning loss, encouraging the joy of reading, and helping fill those long hours take many forms--and these days, many libraries include adults in the summer reading fun, as well. I think that's a vital component: if the adults don't model a love of reading, the kids are less likely to follow suit.
The core of a summer reading program is a reading log and a prize. Libraries vary in how they measure what is read: books, pages, time spent reading. The culminating prize--and my favorite--at most libraries seems to be a book. How great to get a congratulations from the librarian, and then get to explore the available books on the cart--and pick one to take home "for keeps!" For me, it's the one prize that makes perfect sense. Give me a dinner on the town, sure; a trip to Borneo, yes, please--but definitely give me my choice of a book for finishing the reading game!
Of course, prizes depend upon a library's budget, and library budgets (many of them) have fallen upon hard times. Donations from local vendors makes up much in the way of prizes for some programs: pizzas, burgers, etc. A library might throw down for some little trinkets along the way, many purchased from party catalogs or from the same organization from which they purchased their annual theme (the themes you'll see at most libraries this year are "Dig into Reading," or "Reading is So Delicious"). Libraries with a budget can actually go shopping. They can decide what their communities would love, without having to fully rely upon what might be donated to them from a business interest.
Okay, so reading & prizes. But wait, there's more! Storytimes, of course, plus crafts, and special events. Some libraries will show movies, and many have performers and presenters. During many summer reading programs, you can see more assemblies than children do in multiple school years: animal presentations, storytellers, puppet shows, music programs, cultural presentations, magic shows--most with elements designed to address common core state standards in education.
Sad to say, not all libraries can afford this multitude of special events. Some do not even have the budget for a single full-priced event. Spend enough time online exploring various libraries' event offerings, and you will discover that some libraries actually have "The Hamburger Clown" as their special performer. You know who I mean. He might read to the kids, do a trick, give a prize--his people say he supports literacy, but... well, you fill in the blanks, there.
A lucky library is one that can depend upon its Friends. The Friends of the Library (some libraries are lucky enough to have more than one support group, such as a Library Foundation), through memberships, book sales, and other fundraising activities, keep their communities afloat in tough times. A library might survive without its Friends--but it wouldn't be pretty. During most events at the library, you'll hear the facilitator thanking the Friends group, because they are the source of funds for those wonderful, fun & educational programs I mentioned earlier.
In my desire to give a few examples, and a little context, I drifted from what I told you I wanted to do here: to get your opinions regarding library summer reading programs!
Have you sampled Summer Reading Games at various libraries? What do you like best? What do you like least? If YOU were to design a library summer reading program, what would it look like? I'm interested in hearing about your dream program at the library--and how you think it could happen.
Please, chime in!
May 06, 2013
Upcoming Events
Storytimes at the Livermore & Menlo Park Libraries are in brown; storytelling events are in red. Keep checking in for updates!
Tuesday, May 7
Thursday, May 9
Friday, May 10
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
Bilingual Storytimes:
10:30am Baby/Toddler
11am Preschool
**FINAL STORYTIMES OF LIVERMORE SPRING SESSION**
Saturday, May 11
Storytelling for Santa Clara County Reading Council Young Authors' Faire
Storytelling for Santa Clara County Reading Council Young Authors' Faire
1721 E. San Antonio Rd., San Jose
9:45 & 10:30
9:45 & 10:30
Monday, May 13
Thursday, May 16
11:15am Toddler Storytime
2:15pm Preschool Storytime
Thursday, May 23
11:15am Toddler Storytime
2:15pm Preschool Storytime
Thursday, May 30
11:15am Toddler Storytime
2:15pm Preschool Storytime
Thursday, June 6
Thursday, June 13
Wednesday, June 19
Campbell Library
77 Harrison Ave., Campbell
Storytelling at 3:30pm
Thursday, June 20
Menlo Park Library
11:15am Toddler Storytime
2:15pm Preschool Storytime
Friday, June 21
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime
Saturday, June 22
Sunday, June 23
Sunday, June 23
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30 & 2:30pm each day
(weather dependent)
Thursday, June 27
Menlo Park Library
11:15am Toddler Storytime
2:15pm Preschool Storytime
Friday, June 28
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime
Friday, July 5
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime
Wednesday, July 10
San Luis Obispo Library
995 Palm St.
Storytelling at 10:30am
Thursday, July 11
Atascadero Library at Colony Park Community Center
5599 Traffic Wy
Storytelling at 11am
Thursday, July 11
Paso Robles Library
1000 Spring Street
Storytelling at 1 & 3pm
Saturday, July 27
SPECIAL EVENT: SLEEPOVER STORYTELLING
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Contact park about their special sleepovers, which include puppet shows, rides, and other overnight fun!
Wednesday, July 31
Cupertino Library
10800 Torre Ave.
Storytelling at 3pm
Saturday, August 31
Sunday, September 1
Sunday, September 1
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.
Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling & education for Ayers Elementary, Cupertino Cooperative Nursery School, Congregational Church of San Mateo, Burbank Elementary, Walters Junior High, Tutor Time, Blacow Elementary, Acorn Learning Center, Children's Creative Learning Centers, Heads Up, Montevideo Elementary, Fremont Unified School District, Live Oak Elementary, Belmont Oaks Academy, Bright Horizons, & La Petite Academy. Private events (for schools, etc.) do not show up in listings above. For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!
Check out the new book: How to be a Storyteller: Essays and Advice on the Art of Storytelling (link HERE)!
April 25, 2013
April 22, 2013
Read Up! Four for Fun
 |
| From Except If, by Jim Averbeck |
When it rains, it pours: my latest load of reading contained a bunch of keepers, and I thought I'd share a few right now!
Shoes for Me!
Sue Fliess & Mike Laughead
An adorable little girl (hippo) has outgrown her shoes, so it's time to go shopping for a new pair. The store has all kinds of shoes, and this girl is ready to try on every single pair--even if it takes all week! The art is charming, and the rhymes achieve a chant-like pattern that draws in the reader almost as much as all of the amazing shoes.
Except IfJim Averbeck
"An egg is not a baby bird, but it it will become one. EXCEPT IF..." it becomes something else! We don't meet all of the creatures that hatch from eggs in this short & simple book, but we do meet a few--and we learn not to always assume the egg will hatch to reveal a bird! The book is circular, meaning it ends where it begins--but not in such a way to make you groan, I promise. Share this with your favorite dinosaur lover.
I Dare You Not to Yawn
Hélène Boudreau & Serge Bloch
When I saw this book laying on my desk, I couldn't not pick it up. It wasn't just the audacious dare; it was the bold, colorful & sassy art, another throwback to the 1950s-era UPA cartoons whose style always pulled me in. Just look at the profile views of yawning creatures inside, their heads gaping open as if hinged in the back! The idea of the book is that a boy is warning the reader that if a grownup sees them yawning, the next step for them is going to be pajamas & bed. The challenge of the book is getting through it without yawning; I am yawning repeatedly as
I write this!
A Gold Star for ZogJulia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
The team who brought us The Gruffalo have another great one with this rhyming story for anyone who loves dragons, knights & princesses! Zog the dragon tries to do well in Dragon School, but he does get a fair amount of help along the way. It seems things turn out best for everyone after they all learn to follow their hearts & their dreams.
Check these books out! Have fun with them, & let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books about dragons, or bedtime, or shoes--or whatever? Please let me know!
April 21, 2013
Read Up! Five More, Full of Fun
 |
| One of Christian Robinson's wonderful collages from Rain. |
I really love today's batch of books; they are fun-fun-fun, but each with valuable concepts to share & practice (in addition, I mean, to the most important one: READING IS FUN). I've kept these around for a few weeks, sharing them at any storytime I could, and knowing they would be welcomed back during repeat readings. Check these out!
Nadia Krilanovich
This is a sort of a chant, with (almost) nothing but animal animal names & sounds. Try reading this slowly, letting the little ones help you name the animals & make the sounds--and then when you get to the quacker, yell out, "DUCK!" So simple, so fun.
Up, Tall and High!
Ethan Long
The moment I caught a glimpse of Long's colorful birds on the cover, I knew I had to read this book! In three very short stories, with an economy of words, the feathered friends demonstrate how tall they are, & how high they can fly (or not)--with some flap-up-or-down pages along the way to add silly fun to the proceedings. For younger kids, this is a chance to play with vocabulary & opposites; for all ages, this is a whole lot of smiles & surprises!
Rain
Linda Ashman & Christian Robinson
Herein lays the chronicle of a run-in between a happy young boy & a grumpy old man.
Stuck
Oliver Jeffers
Hey, this is the second "Read Up" in a row featuring a book by Oliver Jeffers! Stuck begins with a kite getting stuck in a tree, and doesn't end before there's just no room up there for more. Floyd, the kite flyer, does have some good ideas for how to get the tree down: a ladder, for instance, seems just the right choice. Too bad that instead of leaning the thing against the tree & climbing up, he throws the ladder up at the kite! The story gives children (and adults) the opportunity to predict what may happen next, and talk about what Floyd should have done at each turn!
My Little Sister Ate One Hare
Bill Grossman & Kevin Hawkes
"Gross-man" is right, in this long-time favorite of mine--and one perhaps best left for ages 5 & up (school-ages absolutely love it; eat it up, you may say). The first page of text will give you a pretty good idea of what's to come:
My little sister ate 1 hare.
We thought she'd throw up then and there.
But she didn't.
Plenty of delicious rhyming as we count all the way up to 10 peas:
But eating healthy foods like these
Makes my sister sick, I guess.
Much fun comes in chanting repeated phrases together, and in guessing what's, um, up next.
Check these books out! Have fun with them, & let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books about animal sounds, or kite flying, or healthy eating--or whatever? Please let me know!
Click on this link & READ UP! I have many more great books to share with you!
April 15, 2013
A happy way to start the day!
April 14, 2013
Author Spotlight: Dan Yaccarino
I've enjoyed the work of prolific author/illustrator Dan Yaccarino for many years now. His colorful, painted art often captures the look of mid-20th-century advertising art, and is always fun & eye-catching. The art is enough to draw me into not only his own books, but those he has illustrated for other authors (all of whom owe him a debt of gratitude). From the simplest of picture books for the youngest children, to beginner chapter books for independent readers, Yaccarino has a lot of creativity to share. Here are just a handful of my favorites to get you started:
An Octopus Followed Me Home
When a little girl comes home with a new eight-legged friend, her father has to remind her of the troubles visited upon him by the rest of her menagerie. The rhyming couplets & big paintings of a funny range of beasts make this a very fun read.
The Birthday Fish
Another book about a little girl & her potential new pet. Cynthia really, really, really wants a pony. "Every year she put a pony on her Christmas list. But no matter how good she was, she never got a pony." When her birthday comes, Cynthia thinks surely the box from her parents must contain "a very small pony!" Can she learn to accept her birthday fish?
Deep in the Jungle"The lion was the king of this jungle and he made sure everyone knew it... The animals couldn't stand him one bit." When a man found wandering through the jungle offers the lion a job in show business, the offer is snapped right up. Unfortunately, the lion finds itself, caged, whipped & humiliated in a circus--and worse yet, the other jungle animals are being rounded up, as well! Will the lion be able to win the animals their freedom--and itself their friendship? Comeuppance can be hard to swallow--or not!
Boy + Bot
Written by Ame Dyckman, & illustrated by Yaccarino, this simple, fun story of a new friendship always has children & adults in storytime groups smiling. Did you know that robots read to each other, too? Of course, they read instruction manuals...
Doug Unplugged
Freshly-published (February 2013), this book shows a happy little robot boy who is plugged in for downloading each day so his parents can go about their business. When something outside the window catches his eye, Doug unplugs and ends up discovering an amazing world! I've enjoyed reading this to storytime audiences in which the adults are too plugged in to enjoy the events along with their children. For a few moments, at least, this grabs the attention of some of them.
If you'd like to get a look at more of Dan Yaccarino's books, visit his website. There are even movie-trailer style book preview films! Do YOU have any favorite books by Dan Yaccarino--or anyone else, for that matter? Please tell me about them! Also, please spread the word about these great books, check them out, and read up!
Click on this link & READ UP! I have many more great books to share with you!
For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!
Check out the new book: How to be a Storyteller: Essays and Advice on the Art of Storytelling (link HERE)!
April 13, 2013
Read Up! And be Yourself.
In my most recent "Read Up" entry, I shared a fun book with a them of individuality, and said I'd be sharing my ideas of other books that would go well together for a "same" theme. Well, here they are, starting with the book a repeat of what I wrote about that jumping-off book from the last-time around!
The Hueys in The New Sweater
Oliver Jeffers
"The thing about the Hueys...was that they were all the same." All the same until one of them--Rupert--knitted himself a sweater; now he was different. Before long, everyone would be different--in the exact same way! It's fun to see the lightbulbs go on over many kids' heads as I share this one. At a recent storytime, I paired this book with Extra Yarn, due to the link of new sweaters popping up everywhere.
The Sneetches and Other Stories
Dr. Seuss The Sneetches have a VERY class-conscious society. The Star-Bellied Sneetches, of course, think they are the best--leaving the non-starred as easy victims to a new huckster in town. Before long, though, everyone's out a lot of money! They eventually do learn a lesson, though, and there's plenty of Seuss rhyme along the way!
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
and
The Araboolies of Liberty Street by Sam Swope & Barry Root
I love to read these two together whenever I can! Both begin in neighborhoods where the houses all look all the same--and when the bland uniformity is threatened, H.O.A. behavior is launched! I love the dreaminess of Pinkwater's version, and the many opportunities to yell out "I'll call in the army" from the Swope & Root work!
It's Okay to Be Different
Todd Parr
In a world where people are singled out for ridicule for their differences, we need more creators like Todd Parr. The wide range of cheerful, colorful differences illustrated here can launch a parent/teacher & child off in all of the other, wonderful ways people can be different.
I'm not sure about the whole "eating macaroni & cheese in the bathtub," though.
A Penguin's Story
Antoinette Portis
Edna the penguins world is nothing but black, white, & blue--and she knows there must be something different out there. Edna eventually finds a little color, and it brings excitement to the entire community! One reaches the end of the book sensing that the penguins' adventure is only just starting.
Yoko
Rosemary Wells
It's a widely-held belief that children are afraid to taste new foods. Well, their parents are horribly fearful, too! When Yoko is teased for bringing sushi to school, grown-ups in the storytime audience will often smile & say, "sushi is so good! I love sushi!" Okay, smugsters--but would you try natto? Two things: 1) don't be afraid to try new things, and never say "yuck" about something you've never even tried; 2) if you don't like it, try it again sometime! But in the meantime, be respectful toward people who do like it. For instance, I hate macaroni & cheese mixes, but I try not to make a face around people who seem to love the stuff. I do need to work harder at my poker face, but I do try. Usually.
Check these books out! Have fun with them, & let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books about individuality, or trying new things--or whatever? Please let me know!
The Hueys in The New Sweater
Oliver Jeffers"The thing about the Hueys...was that they were all the same." All the same until one of them--Rupert--knitted himself a sweater; now he was different. Before long, everyone would be different--in the exact same way! It's fun to see the lightbulbs go on over many kids' heads as I share this one. At a recent storytime, I paired this book with Extra Yarn, due to the link of new sweaters popping up everywhere.
The Sneetches and Other Stories
Dr. Seuss The Sneetches have a VERY class-conscious society. The Star-Bellied Sneetches, of course, think they are the best--leaving the non-starred as easy victims to a new huckster in town. Before long, though, everyone's out a lot of money! They eventually do learn a lesson, though, and there's plenty of Seuss rhyme along the way!
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
and
The Araboolies of Liberty Street by Sam Swope & Barry RootI love to read these two together whenever I can! Both begin in neighborhoods where the houses all look all the same--and when the bland uniformity is threatened, H.O.A. behavior is launched! I love the dreaminess of Pinkwater's version, and the many opportunities to yell out "I'll call in the army" from the Swope & Root work!
It's Okay to Be Different
Todd Parr
In a world where people are singled out for ridicule for their differences, we need more creators like Todd Parr. The wide range of cheerful, colorful differences illustrated here can launch a parent/teacher & child off in all of the other, wonderful ways people can be different.
I'm not sure about the whole "eating macaroni & cheese in the bathtub," though.
Antoinette Portis
Edna the penguins world is nothing but black, white, & blue--and she knows there must be something different out there. Edna eventually finds a little color, and it brings excitement to the entire community! One reaches the end of the book sensing that the penguins' adventure is only just starting.
Yoko
Rosemary Wells
It's a widely-held belief that children are afraid to taste new foods. Well, their parents are horribly fearful, too! When Yoko is teased for bringing sushi to school, grown-ups in the storytime audience will often smile & say, "sushi is so good! I love sushi!" Okay, smugsters--but would you try natto? Two things: 1) don't be afraid to try new things, and never say "yuck" about something you've never even tried; 2) if you don't like it, try it again sometime! But in the meantime, be respectful toward people who do like it. For instance, I hate macaroni & cheese mixes, but I try not to make a face around people who seem to love the stuff. I do need to work harder at my poker face, but I do try. Usually.
Check these books out! Have fun with them, & let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books about individuality, or trying new things--or whatever? Please let me know!
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