Good book recs are sometimes hard to find. I came across this cool article on how middle school librarian, Sarah Chessman creates her reading lists.  It’s on Anna Staniszewski’s blog (author of, MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE). Check it out.  http://www.annastan.com/2012/04/how-school-librarians-create-summer-reading-lists/ Sarah will be posting her entire list soon- just in time for summer. Happy Reading! 

So you have a month to go before summer break- your students are a little, ummm… antsy… energetic… bouncing off the walls?  Here’s a way to get them interested in something besides the countdown to vacation.  www.GlobalOceanRace.com.  Pass the word to your teachers.  Four boats, two people on each, racing around the world.  It has everything— high stakes, action, and tie-ins to your state curriculum in geography, math, and science.  I met several of the sailors this weekend at a BBQ in their honor.  Amazing true adventure stories your kids will love.  Pictured are Steve Lesniak, Caroline Davila, and Global Ocean racer, Nick Leggart.

About five years ago, I started asking around the school libraries I visited and volunteered in what are the biggest needs media specialists had in teaching library skills.  My list got longer and longer with each visit and out of those conversations came, THE PIRATES OF PLAGIARISM (book & game) www.PiratesofPlagarism.com  and PLAGARISM! PLAGARISM!  Now, I thrilled to show you all the rough cover illustration of,  A BOOK IS JUST LIKE YOU! that comes out this fall from Upstart Books and Highsmith and illustrated by John Wallace http://www.studio.ndo.co.uk/biography.htm.  It’s all about parts of a book- that dreary skill we all have to teach, but now you’ll have a fun way to teach it. 

 I’ll post an update when it becomes available (and the final cover). I always think it’s cool to see how drafts turn into finals.

In the meantime, keep telling me what you need and we’ll try to develop an entertaining way to teach it!

Kathleen

We’ve all read it, Where the Wild Things Are. Some of us might have even seen the movie. And we’ve all felt like Max a time or two. So it’s sad to hear of Maurice Sendak’s passing.  I never really knew much about him- only his work and talent for illustrations.  As I listened to NPR yesterday, they had bits from a Sendak interview with Steven Colbert that had me howling!  Thought you might get a kick out of watching/hearing it too. 

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/406902/january-25-2012/grim-colberty-tales-with-maurice-sendak-pt–2

Image courtesy of PBS

Sometimes I get so involved in children’s books, I forget there’s a whole other world of reading out there. Thanks to my amazing book club, The Bibliobabes, who remind me every month that reading isn’t only for kids. This year we are taking on the themes of the books we read.  April was Jhumpa Lahiri’s, UNACCUSTOMED EARTH. We had the beautiful, Salma Satta come to give the group more insight into India- it was kind of like we do in school- read the book & learn more about the culture. Oh, we ate a lot of Indian food too- count me in for a mango lassi any time!

I’m a huge fan of TED and have watched just about every speaker they’ve filmed. So what a wonderful surprise to learn they have a whole series for teens- TEDxTeen. It’s a must to share with your teachers and students. These young adults are doing amazing things!

http://www.tedxteen.com/talks/tedxteen-2012

Image courtesy of TEDxTeen’s website

How quickly a vacation goes!  I was fortunate enough to see a few libraries while traveling through England and Scotland. Met fun librarians and learned no matter where you are, stories connect us all.  

In Blackpool, England the children’s library puts all their YA in with adult lit. and labels the spine with a special sticker.  They also don’t do spine labels on their children’s fiction, since the author’s name appears on most spines.  Call numbers and letters only appear on nonfiction. 

I loved this library for all its light. Newly renovated they had funky furniture and architectual arches everywhere.

As spring break fades, most school librarians start the countdown to the school year’s end. Unlike teachers, most media specialists not only have the task of teaching up to the last day, but also the dreaded (scary music here please) library inventory.  When I first started in the school library I had to do this by hand with a card catalog shelf placed right next to me (yikes, that’s making me feel very old). Thank goodness, those days are over, but inventory is still a major task. We’re looking for easy suggestions and solutions to how you make it all go smoothly. Add your comments and ideas below.

Image courtesy of RLPL.

Hi Funbrarians,

Off to England and Scotland for a mini-vacation and to check out libraries in the United Kingdom. I promise to bring back great ideas that can be shared. 

For all of you on springbreak this week too- relax and enjoy yourselves. Happy spring!

:)Kathleen

Image courtesy of fanpop

Let’s talk Book Fairs. In some places the county media coordinator chooses the book fair company that will represent the entire county.  Sounds harmless, aye? But I was chatting with a school librarian who is in a county where the schools are divided up pretty much by “have and have nots.”  For all you newbies out there- the “have” schools are where kids can pay for their lunches and the “have not” schools are almost all free or reduced lunches. It’s common knowledge after being in the educational arena as long as I have that those “haves” sound the louder voices.

Last week I was reminded again about the “dark side” of school book fairs. The side that rears its ugly head the moment those big silver cases are opened up, everything is propped up and the kids come into the library like it’s Christmas morning.  But in “have not” schools,  most of the kids don’t have enough money for a book. They are the look but don’t touch crowd.  And for me it was torture to watch because it’s not like a child is asking for expensive sneakers or another  ipod.  They want a book- aggghhh, I’m feeling stressed just writing this blog. 

I pulled out a hardcover Harry Potter.  $19.99.  What- twenty bucks!? Where were the $1.00 books, the $2.00 books?  Bombard those pretty display cases with inexpensive books that EVERYONE CAN BUY and know the demographics of the population.  I wanted to buy kids books, but the numbers get steep when you times $7.99 by say…four hundred.   Want to know what many of the students walked away with— an eraser. Yep, a dollar eraser.

To make the most of your Book Fair experience check out The BookDragon’s blog at http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com/2006/08/school-book-fairs.html

Bookfair image courtesy of Hampdengurney School