Catching the Fire at BEA 2009

I know I haven't posted recently, but I've been busy. This Children's Librarian gig I've got going has turned me into something that looks and smells a lot like a workaholic. Those few precious hours I'm not at work, I've been spending with my young niece, who is pretty charming (or I should say: pretty & charming), even though she does like to eat books more than read them.

In any case - I took two vacation days last week and did this:


Yup, a friend and I stood (pretty darn near the front, and thus for almost an hour) in the line for an ARC of Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It turns out that they had more copies than people in line, so some incredibly lucky folks got to walk by and get one, but I wasn't taking any chances. It was the opportunity to get this coveted ARC that pretty much was the reason I traveled to NYC to attend Book Expo America 2009, and I wasn't coming home without it.

I know that by definition an ARC isn't the final version, and as such I think I found at least one typo, but I'm kinda hoping it doesn't change much because it might just be better than the first. Still not for kids under the age of 12, but wow, do I love it! Collins picks up the plot strands that I hoped she would and twists and weaves them into a gripping tale of love, loyalty, and war that just refuses to be put down until its cliff-, no precipice-, hanger ending.

BEA after Catching Fire
After I had my ARC of Catching Fire in hand, I took a deep breath and delved into Book Expo America with much less anxiety, determined, now that my #1 mission was accomplished, to have fun. And I did. There aren't any snazzy online videos like above, but I got to see Valerie Tripp again, which was really cool because she was the first author I ever met in person, and as a very early American Girl fan, it was huge in my life. (That and I'm 'convinced' that after our meeting way back when she named a future AG character after me.) It was fun to tell her that, and how I grew up to be the children's librarian at the library where I met her. I even got to recreate the photograph we took together so many years ago.

I also got to meet (and get the autographs of) Shannon Hale, Kristin Cashore, Jan Brett, Gennifer Choldenko, Linda Sue Park, Ally Carter, the 39 Clues 'guys' and lots and lots of other authors.

Big embarrassment of the show: not realizing before I was standing before 'him' that Jude Watson is Judy Blundell, (female) author of What I Saw and How I Lied, the National Book Award Winner!

Cool random happenings: Practically bumped into Jan Brett, Paul Zindel's son walked up to my friend and me as we pushed our box of books toward the UPS line and started chatting with us, we got the last two 'Scaredy Squirrel' tote bags at the Kids Can Press booth before they ran out, we we caught the Trenton Lee Stewart and Ally Carter autographing lines at what were probably the shortest they ever got, and thus secured for our library's teen summer reading game some awesome autographed books, and got to finally meet some of the Unshelved force. Although I'm afraid that when I finally caught Unshelved's Bill Barnes when he was not (or at least less) busy, it was late Saturday afternoon, my feet and head hurt, and I wasn't at my most lucid, I think I rambled.

I'm hoping to most mini-reviews of what I've read since coming home with over 50 lbs of books. That's how I think of books now, not in terms of stacks or piles, but pounds. We'll see. Wish me luck - I'm off to read more!

Reading deficit

Back in January, I said that I was going to spend less time reading and spend more 'quality' time with real people. Well, for the first few months of the year, I kinda still tried to do both. I kept up a steady average of a book a day. Then April hit. My average went down to a book a week. Sigh. May doesn't look much better. But the sad part is that I'm not seeing my poor neglected friends more (Sorry Peregrine!), I'm simply spending the 'extra' time at work trying to keep from drowning in emails, paperwork and class plans.

I've also been starting and not finishing more books. Am I getting pickier or are the books really that much less interesting?

Here's what I've read or listened to recently that I like:
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork - listened to this YA coming-of-age-while-on-the-autism-spectrum novel on cd. The narrator really captured the calm and careful voice of the protagonist well, but that also meant that I could listen to it on 2x speed and it seemed a normal pace.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman- another audio book. Definitely not appropriate for my middle school kids (PG13 for sure) and made me full-out-sob like a baby while driving, but I still really really enjoyed it. A girl's just gotta cry sometime.

Sugar Plum Ballerinas by Whoopi Goldberg- I tend to be very cautious of the books 'written' by celebrities. I was pleasantly surprised though to find that this Whoopi Goldberg early grade chapter book was sweet, charming, and had a multi-cultural cast without the racial drama that my suburban kids aren't looking for. I'll recommend it to the Ruby and the Booker Boys crowd if I ever see it on the shelf again.

I'm going to Book Expo America soon and will, I'm sure pick up lots more to read, so we'll see how that goes.

2009 Reads up 'til now

My favorite middle grade 2009 reads so far this year and brief thoughts on them.

11 Birthdays, Wendy Mass
Vies with "A Mango Shaped Space" for my new Wendy Mass favorite. Nicely more middle grade though. Think the movie 'Groundhog Day' for kids - I officially booktalk this book for the first time later this week, though my hand sells have been very productive. Yippee!



Anything but Typical, Nora Raleigh Baslin
I don't know if it's just me, or my library system's emphasis on support for our autism community, but are there suddenly lots and lots of autism novels around? I remember the olden days when Temple Grandin was it..... This would be an interesting pairing with "Rules" by Cynthia Lord, as "Anything But Typical" is from the perspective of a boy with ASD.



Baseball Great, Tim Green
My first Tim Green. "Baseball Great" centers around the definitely teen issue of steroid abuse but remains remarkably appropriate for middle grade readers. A nice age/reading level step up from Matt Christopher's sports themed books. Discussable.



Heart of a Shepherd, Rosanne Parry
I loved this touching story of honor, duty, and faith set in a rural ranching community. I wonder, though, if the extended chess references/theme in the first chapter will connect with the kids in my area. Will they get past the first chapter and read the whole thing? I hope so.



The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, Rodman Philbrick
Funny historical fiction with a boy protagonist. I hope these sparks a trend. The world (i.e. me and my library) could use more like it.

National Library Week Storytime Plan

In addition to throwing a belated birthday celebration for Mo Willems' Pigeon with preschoolers in the library, I'm also doing a lot of daycare/preschool visits next week.

Here are the class plans I've drafted for the shows that I'm taking on the road: Anyone have any suggestions? I still have a few days to modify my plans.

For the 2s and 3s classes:
Read Aloud: Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Song: Wheels on the Bus

Read Aloud: Punk Farm (act out animals on instruments) by Jarret Krosoczka

Song w/flannel board: BINGO

Read Aloud with chicken puppet: Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss

Song with shakey eggs: I Know a Chicken (Laurie Berkner, Whad'ya Think of That?)

Read Aloud: (What might happen to your favorite book) Maybe a Bear Ate it! by Robie H. Harris

Song: Shake My Sillies Out (Raffi, More Singable Songs)

Optional book: My Book Box by Will Hillenbrand


For the 4s and 5s classes
Read Aloud: The End by David LaRochelle.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out (Raffi, More Singable Songs)

Read Aloud w/chicken puppet: Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss

Song w/ shakey eggs: I Know a Chicken (Laurie Berkner, Whad'ya Think of That?)

Read Aloud (Another silly bird favorite): Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Song: Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck (Old Town School of Folk Music, Songs for Wiggleworms) Repeat 2x.

Read Aloud: (By reading, we learn things like rhymes) Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas

Songs from: Are You Quite Polite? by Alan Katz

Song with Flannel Board: BINGO

Optional Book: Punk Farm (act out animals on instruments) by Jarret Krosoczka

Grown-up books

Rarely, and generally around vacations, do I actually pick up grown-up books these days. Well, last weekend was one of those times. I'm not quite sure how I discovered it, but right before leaving on a minivacation, I found that someone had continued the stories of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane by the incomparable Dorothy Sayers. Her name is Jill Paton Walsh, and she did an admirable job with Thrones, Dominations, a manuscript left unfinished at Ms. Sayers' death. Although I think that Ms. Walsh's style lacks the quantity (and quality?) of Ms. Sayers' classical and literary references, it actually made the story a bit more accessible. And I must go back to the originals to see if my perception that this new novel was much more and annoyingly rooted in a particular time (pre WWII) is accurate. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to 'get together' again with these characters. I still remember well the circumstances of falling in love with Harriet and Peter. (Cue soft music) I was reading Gaudy Night for the second time (although the first time in college shouldn't really count) and I was floating on air. Ok, so I was in an airplane, but floating sounds much better. I felt so smart and educated: I got about 50% of the references that the much-better-educated-than-I cast of characters seemed to spout effortlessly and I was proud. If you've read Sayers, then I am sure you will admit it is an accomplishment. I first purchased and read Gaudy Night on account of a recommendation from my college advisor, a wonderful wise woman who also introduced me to Google, the world of footnotes, and the professional study of American history. I don't actually recommend starting the series where I did, it's probably best to start at the beginning, but the Oxford world worked for me. I would soon discover that I enjoyed Lord Peter as much as I did Miss Vane and looked forward to taking part in their world where the protagonists parry classical allusions and solve complicated mysteries effortlessly and with great class. I wasn't a children's librarian then, so I actually had the time to delve into the series and read them all in a matter of days, or probably weeks. Now, however, I have other literary priorities and must wait for another vacation to read A Presumption of Death another 'collaboration' of the Misses Sayers and Walsh.

Jellicoe Road

Kudos to the 2009 Printz committee on choosing Jellicoe Road. I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise and what a shame that would have been. I read this book during the Super Bowl and guess which kept my attention? That's right, even the commercials couldn't compete with this fun ride of a book. I will admit to somehow missing one of author Melina Marchetta's clues in the beginning and being a bit confused about relationships between storylines/characters for the first few chapters until I finally put some pieces together. But once that was ironed out, I began to really enjoy myself. It's a beautiful coming of age story and almost could be sold as a mystery. I think I'd like to read it again someday, it's worth rereading, high praise in my world. That being said, I was disappointed with the inclusion of a sex scene. I felt it unnecessary and definitely too graphic for my conservative tastes. But that's less a condemnation of this book and more toward our society and young adult literature as a whole. It certainly pales in comparison with other young adult books I've read recently. Back on a lighter note - thanks Printz committee, I salute you on a wise choice!

Dust Bunnies, Scat and the video that had me laughing out loud

Just a couple of lines in case anyone actually comes back to read this after my debacle with Mr. Gaiman.

May I introduce you to my new standard book to take to schools to read aloud? Meet Jan Thomas' Rhyming Dust Bunnies. Ms. Thomas is a genius. My rhythm and rhyme storytime just got updated! In addtion, Rhyming Dust Bunnies was the standout of a standout crowd of readalouds at a school last week and a kid came back in the next day asking about it (and Chicken Cheeks, but don't get me started on why I took a book about animal tushies to a school).

I read Carl Hiaasen's latest middle grade chapter book the other day: Scat. I might have liked Flush better, but Scat is good and classic Hiassan, which is a lovely thing. So anyway, segue to personal anecdote: a poor confused teacher came into the library the other day looking for a book that someone recommended as a good pick for her school bookclub and she couldn't remember the title. I tried really hard to convince her that she was thinking of Flush. She probably wasn't, but I had good intentions and she was really, really lost. Coming back to Scat, even though I read the print version, I'm thinking that I might have to check out the audio too. Ever since my early girlhood fascination with Daniel Boone, I've really wanted to hear a panther scream.

And I'm sure all you astute blog readers have already seen this, but Jarrett Krosoczka just made the best video I've ever seen online. Who knew that so many great children's book authors and illustrators could act? How did he get Tomie dePaola agree to be sensei? And look closely for a rare and brief appearance of Trixie Willems (at least her hand). Jeanne Birdsall's sunglasses act and Jarrett's appeal to his status as one of Fuse 8's Hot Men in Children's Literature (how I first heard of him: no lie) are not to be missed. Intrigued? I know you are.


BOOK BY BOOK: the making of a monkey man from Jarrett Krosoczka on Vimeo.


Funny story to go along with Mr. Krosoczka's funny video. Not that long ago, I was setting up books on display in an elementary school cafeteria before an evening presentation and an early family was watching me and looking at the books (I encouraged touching). They picked up Krosoczka's Punk Farm. I beamed. I walked over and the little girl, who looked only marginally familiar (as do soooo many kids these days), told me that she loved the book. I agreed and told her that it was one of my favorites. She replied, "I know." So very matter-of-fact and self assured was her response that I was taken aback. She then followed up with: "You told me." I said, "I did?", desperately trying to recall my words over the last half hour, to no avail. Mom stepped in and told me that I read it when her kindergarten class had visited the library LAST YEAR. I tell of my love for the sequel and how I recently bought my own copy of Punk Farm 'cause the library copy wasn't enough, all the while thinking: "Aha! I am memorable! Kids remember my favorites! They love them too!" Not that the exceptionally cool book had anything to do with it. All me. Librarian extraordinaire. Yup...... Nevermind, go watch the video. I'm going to bed -it's the only thing that will end my punchiness tonight.