The Lions of Little Rock

The Lions of Little Rock. By Krisitin Levine. Putnum Juvenile, January 2012. 304 pages. $16.99.

The Lions of Little Rock is about an event in history I was not aware of before reading this book. In 1957, nine African-American high school students were integrated into the Little Rock schools and they were known as “The Little Rock Nine.” But this book tells the story about what happened after that. The city was so torn about integration that the next school year, all of the high schools in the city were closed for the entire year rather than integrate. But this story is also about Marlee, a 12-year-old girl who befriends a new girl at school named Liz, only to find out when Liz disappears from school that she was passing as white. Most of all, however, this is a story about Marlee finding her voice.

When the book starts out Marlee is very shy. The only people she talks to are her parents, her brother David, and her sister Judy. Other kids in her school even think she is mute. It is easy to sympathize with this character, especially if you have ever experienced shyness yourself. It is very rewarding to watch Marlee’s growth over the course of the year as she learns to speak up when she sees injustices around her.

The one thing Marlee does love is math. I though this aspect of Marlee’s personality was done very well. I liked that she counted prime numbers to herself when she was nervous, and her interest in magic boxes had me wanting to learn more. Another interesting thing that Marlee does is compare the people in her life to different beverages. “My brother, David, is a glass of sweet iced tea on a hot summer day,” or “Turns out Betty Jean wasn’t just plain water after all. She had a twist of lime that was all her own.” I really enjoyed this unique way of looking at the world, and it’s a good introduction to metaphors for readers. One thing I did notice that was slightly odd was how many times there are spilled drinks in the story, especially in the beginning of the book. I’m still trying to decide if there is any meaning behind this, but it was noticeable.

The historical and civil rights aspects of the story are done very well. We learn a lot about race relations during this period and the ugliness of the racism at this time is not lightly glossed over. This will foster a lot of discussion and if handled well can make this a powerful book. However, because of the racism and the violence and the scary situations that are portrayed, I would be careful about recommending this to younger children. I think for ages 12 and up would be a good guide for this one. There are many lessons to be learned from this book: friendship, finding a voice, courage, and civil rights are just a few. I am sure this book will be discussed in the months leading up to Newbery 2013. I would say it is a definite contender and a very enjoyable story.

Green, Green, Green!

Last week I had a very successful story time with our visiting day care group, so I thought I’d share. The day care comes weekly to visit our library with a class of three-year-olds. This week the theme was all about green! We had a lot of fun with this one.

Opening Song: Open them, shut them. This same group of kids has been visiting the library for over 6 months now, so they love singing this song with me and doing the hand motions at the start of every visit.

Story: Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes. This is such a lovely and thoughtful story by one of my very favorite authors. There are a lot of lovely soft greens in the illustrations, and on one page the rabbit wonders what it would be like to be green. The children enjoyed the magical illustrations and wondered different things along with the rabbit.

Song: Five Fat Peas.

Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed. (show fist)

One grew, two grew, so did all the rest. (count with fingers)

They grew and they grew and they did not stop. (show growth with arms)

Until one day the pea pod POPPED! (clap hands)

Story: Green Wilma by Ted Arnold. This is an odd little story but the children thought it was hilarious! Wilma wakes up green one morning and only wants to eat flies! I really enjoyed making the group laugh with this story.

Rhyme: This is a Turtle. 

This is a turtle.

He lives in a shell. (show fist)

He pokes his head out (poke out thumb)

when he wants to eat.

And he pulls it back in (hide thumb in fist)

When he wants to sleep.

Story: Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox. This is now one of my favorite books to read out loud! I haven’t had this much fun reading a story in a long time. The kids enjoyed this story so much. They participated after each time I asked, “But where is the green sheep?” and their answers were so cute! Usually, “We don’t know where he is?” And they really enjoyed following along to solve the mystery of the green sheep. Definitely going to read this one again soon.

Song: Shake your Wiggles Out!

Story: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Can’t go wrong with this classic. I love the shouts when I pull this book out: “I have this one at home!” I always tell them I am glad they are reading books at home.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this very green storytime. Come back soon for more!

On the Hunt for a Job

Well, it’s an exciting and scary time around here. With graduation less than two months away, the job hunt is full under way. People love to give students job search advice. I think it’s probably because we really love to receive said advice. Our main goal in life is to find a job and in this economy and this job market, things can get pretty desperate. However, when there is too much advice on any one subject, a lot of it can start to sound pretty contradictory. Start applying for jobs early they say, but don’t apply if you aren’t available yet they say. Really all it comes down to is try to convey why you are right for the job.

There are some really fantastic job openings out there right now. I’m getting really excited about some of these. I read the job descriptions for children’s and youth services librarians and I just think to myself, that is the perfect job. I can’t wait until I get to be doing that every day! The other thrilling aspect of all this is thinking of all the different parts of the country I could be living in by summer. I seriously have no idea what state I’m going to be in next, and that is really exciting! I am so lucky that I am in a situation where relocating is an option. All the cities and areas I’ve researched sound like wonderful places to live. I just can’t wait to find out where the next stage of my journey will take me.

It’s Awards Time!

Yessterday the 2012 American Library Association Youth Media Awards were announced at ALA Midwinter in Dallas, TX! I was seriously in anticipation of this day for months. I remember in December, before Christmas, telling people that I couldn’t decide if I was more excited about the awards or Christmas. That’s how excited I was! So when I heard that there was a live webcast people not lucky enough to be at Midwinter could watch from home, some other like-minded library nerds and I thought we would have a little viewing party. Kind of like an Oscars party, but better. That was before we found out the announcements were early in the morning on a Monday. Yeah, not the best time to have a party. And I had to be at work.

So instead of a party, I followed along on twitter this morning. Gosh, was that exciting. Even from far away I could feel the excitement as the tweets were flowing in. I had done a lot of reading in preparation but I knew I hadn’t read everything. I definitely had my favorites that I was hoping would be honored. I had spent a lot of time reading various Mock Award blogs, which are so much fun by the way! My favorites were Someday my Printz Will Come and the Heavy Medal blog.

And so the winners are:

Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. Guys, I was seriously so stocked that this book won! It really deserves it. I read it just a few weeks ago and absolutely LOVED it! The coolest thing is that this book was honored with TWO awards this year; it also won the Morris Award for best debut book! Go out and read it now! The Printz honors I wasn’t so excited about. I had actually just tried to read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater and I could not finish it. I really tried. I gave it 50 pages and didn’t want to give up so I gave it another 50 pages but I still couldn’t understand the appeal after 100 pages so I had to put it down. If someone can tell me why they love this book, I would love to hear it! Of the other three, I really want to read Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey and The Returning by Chrsitine Hinwood sound good too and I’ll probably read them eventually.

The Caldecott Award for most distinguished picture book goes to A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka. This picture book is truly excellent. It tells a charming, heartwarming story about a dog and his ball and it does it all without any word! This was a great choice for our winner this year. Grandpa Green by Lane Smith was one of the honors. This is another really cool book you will have to check out. The illustrations are fantastic and beautifully detailed. I still need to read Blackout by John Rocco and Me….Jane by Patrick McDonnell. I am a little sad that I Want My Hat Back wasn’t honored, but also I’m not very surprised that it didn’t. These books are all excellent as well.

Finally, we had the Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to literature for children. This one I wasn’t so thrilled about. I had a lot of favorite books for middle readers and none of them were selected. The winner is Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. I haven’t read it but it sounds pretty funny I guess. There was one honor book I could get on board with, Inside Out and Back Again. If you’ve been following this blog you know I love that one! The other honor book was Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin, so I guess I’ll be reading that one soon also. Mostly I was super sad that Okay for Now and A Monster Calls were not honored at all. I’m not surprised about Okay for Now, a lot of people had issues with some of the plot, but the fact that A Monster Calls was not honored at all, by the  Printz or Newbery really shocks me. I can not think of a more distinguished book I have read this whole year. Though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because there were some questions if it was eligible because it was also published in England and the age range was kind of right in between both awards. But still, if you were to ask me what book is the most distinguished contribution to literature for children and I would say A Monster Calls without hesitation. Wonderful, wonderful book.

Allison’s Favorite 2011 Reads (Part Two)

It’s time for part two, highlighting five of my favorite reads of 2011.

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Adult Scientific Nonfiction.

I am really fascinated by medical/scientific nonfiction books for some reason.  This book is a history or ‘biography’ of cancer. It is a fascinating history! I really loved that the author tied the history in with his own stories and experiences working as an oncologist to make it more readable.  Mukherjee has a wonderful way of making even the most technical details easy for the average reader to understand. I am so glad I read this book and I came away with a much greater awe for science and also for the mysterious and scary thing that is cancer.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Ages 9-12. (I listened to the audiobook read by Lincoln Hoppe).

I really hope this book wins a Newbery! I think it totally deserves it. This book tells the story of 14-year-old  Doug Swieteck. He recently moved with his parents and brother to Marysville, New York. And he doesn’t like it. But with the help of a new friend, Lil Spicer and a book of Audubon prints Doug comes to love this new town as well as learn how to grow into the type of person he wants to be. There is a ton going on in this book but Gary Schmidt weaves it all together into a story that will have you crying and laughing and in the end, cheering.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Ages 10 and up.

This is a book that stays with you. This is a book that left me speechless. Conor is a young boy dealing with the fact that his mother has cancer. Dealing with the fact that his mother is dying. But it is also a book about hope, and about the power of stories in our lives. There is a monster who comes to visit Conor. The monster will tell Conor three stories, and then it will be Conor’s turn to tell his own story. The writing in this book is amazing, and so are the darkly beautiful illustrations. I will never forget this book.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thannha Lai. Ages 9-12.

A story told in verse. A 10-year-old Vietnamese girl immigrating to the United States with her family after the Vietnam War. Ha relates her travels her new home and her difficulty adjusting to the new life and surroundings. I was so impressed with how well Lai is able to say with so few words through the voice of Ha and her poems. This is a moving book and one that is filled with hope.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. Adult Fiction. (I listened to the audiobook read by Grayce Wey).

This is another immigrant story, though a very different one. Kimberly Chang immigrates to the United States with her mother as a young girl from Hong Kong. They live in heartbreaking poverty as Kimberly’s mother works in a Chinatown clothing factory and Kimberly becomes a star pupil at school with her bright intelligence. They must work hard for everything they have, but Kimberly is determined to make a better life for herself and for her mother.

Also, I must add two more books: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray and Delirium by Lauren Oliver. They both receive honorable mention.

Allison’s Favorite 2011 Reads (Part One)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy. I loved this book way more than I thought I would. When I heard the book was about angels and demons (chimera) I didn’t think it was really my thing. But so many people were raving about it so I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did! Karou is a young woman with bright blue hair studying at an art school in Prague. She also has a secret life – she was raised by chimera and these demon-like creatures are the only family she has ever known. She doesn’t know who or what she is, but when an angel named Akiva shows up and tries to kill her, she is on her way to finding out. The thing that really sold me on this book is how vivid and imaginative Karou’s world is. It was like nothing I had ever read, but it also felt so real and so alive. I recommend this book to anyone with an imagination who likes to think there might be a little bit more to life.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman. Adult Literary Fantasy. (I listened to this on audiobook read by Mark Bramhall). I am almost done listening to the second book in the series now (The Magician King) and I have to say I may like it even better than the first. But we’ll have to wait and see how it ends. So, The Magicians is about Quentin Coldwater, a highly intelligent young man who feels restless and unsatisfied with his life. Then he discovers that magic is real and is admitted into Brakebills, a college for magicians. And then he also discovers that Fillory is real, the land he loved and read about as a child (think Narnia) and gets to go there, but it isn’t quite as fun and rosy as it was in the books. This book is so perfect for anyone who loves Harry Potter and Narnia and Middle Earth and all things fantasy/nerdy. A beautiful, if sometimes dark and gritty, homage to the great fantasy stories I love.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Ages 9 and up Illustrated Historical Fiction. This is a new book by the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. You’ve probably heard of the movie Hugo, out just this year. I haven’t actually read the book yet (I know, it’s on my list!) but I can tell you that Wonderstruck was amazing. The book interweaves the stories of two characters, Rose and Ben. Rose’s story is told only through full-page illustrations. You have to see these to believe them. They are so realistic and Selznick’s ability to tell a story without any words is amazing. Rose and Ben live in two different eras and their stories tell of two different quests but the ways they are connected will just leave you in awe.

Hereville: How Mirka Got her Sword by Barry Deutsch. Ages 9 and up Fantasy Graphic Novel. The subtitle of this book is seriously: “Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl.” I love it! Mirka doesn’t want to knit, she doesn’t want to spend all her time learning to become a good Orthodox Jewish wife. She just wants to be a dragon slayer! This lovely humorous graphic novel tells Mirka’s story. This book is cool for so many reasons. The illustrations and layout of the book were just really cool. I loved the strong-willed female protagonist. And it was a really cool glimpse into Orthodox Jewish life, which I really don’t know a lot about. Even though the story is clearly fiction with a lot of fantastical elements, I think it is great to see this culture represented in children’s literature. This book is great for anyone who craves a little more adventure.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. Ages 4-8 Picture Book. I gave a review of this book previously on this blog, Lost in the Pages. Check it out. On here, let me just say, I’m so glad this book is getting a lot of love this year because it totally deserves it! If you like your picture books with a little bit of cheeky humor that appeals to both young children and adults, this is the perfect book. Even if you don’t have any children in your life you should read this book. It’s that good. Honestly. My favorite picture book of the year.

First Library Instruction Session

Yesterday I taught my first library instruction session to a class of 15 Freshman English composition students. I was super nervous but it went so well! It was such a good experience. I learned so much and I can’t wait to put it all to use during my next class – this Thursday! I’m so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to learn about the exciting field of library instruction and strengthen and develop my teaching skills.

My worries were mostly about myself as a teacher. I know I look kind of young. I even am kind of young for a second year graduate student. Would a class of college students take me seriously? Would they even listen to a word I had to say? Do I have anything to offer them? The answer is a big fat YES! These were college Freshmen, brand new to academic research, of course I had a lot of knowledge to share with them! And it truly is a miracle, but mostly, I’ve found out, when a person is standing in front of a classroom and talking, people listen to you. They just do and it’s awesome. I even talked loudly which made me so proud of myself.

So we ended up having tons of fun. I was able to show of Gale’s wonderful resource, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, which is awesome and I think everyone should know about. People are always so impressed when I show this to them. Even the instructor didn’t know of it. It has a really pretty and welcoming interface, it is very current and up-to-date, and it gives students a great overview of their topics on social issues and a good idea of what people are talking about right now.

I also demonstrated EBSCO’s Academic Search Premier of course. There are so many good opportunities in that resource to discuss the differences between scholarly, peer-reviewed sources and newspaper and magazine popular sources. Academic Search will give you results in both, but I love that in the results list there is a little icon letting you know what type of resource it is. This is something I hope to remember to emphasize in the future. And there is always the option to limit your search to the type of resource you want as well, which is very helpful.

There were a few things I wish I hadn’t spent so much time on. I got a little too in depth showing them how to use the library’s catalog, when really they weren’t looking for books for this assignment anyway. Also I think my discussion of Boolean searches was a little advanced for first semester Freshmen. I think just getting in there and getting familiar with using the resources was enough for them without adding confusion about Boolean searches. I will remember in the future to only talk about that with upper division classes.

I was so glad for the opportunity to introduce the library and the library’s resources to these students. Even if all I did was put a friendly face to the library, that is a good thing. Now hopefully at least they won’t find the library as intimidating as they did before. I hope they learned that the library is relevant to their lives as college students and that they will continue to use library resources throughout their college careers. Isn’t shaping young minds just the best feeling ever?!