Gird Your Loins: Summer Reading Begins!

Kiera Parrott — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:48:03 +0000

As I was making the daily schedules this week for our children’s department, I wrote the phrase “Gird Your Loins: Summer Reading Begins” across the top. Highlighted in yellow.

In our library, Summer Reading sign-up is no joke. It is a level-five, all-out, nonstop event that is both physically and mentally demanding. Case in point: yesterday we signed up well over 200 kids within the first six hours! And we don’t expect that rate to slow down until at least the end of the week.

This onslaught- that has us speaking ourselves raspy after hours of talking about books, prizes, and passports, this torrent of activity that has us sneaking a quick lunch on the fly before jumping back into the fray alongside our comrades, this circuslike atmosphere that has us gasping for breath at the end of our day- this is the fruit of our labors from the past few weeks. Believe it or not, this is exactly how we like it!

Since May, the Children’s Library team has been visiting every class, every child in town in order to get them riled up and excited beyond belief about Summer Reading. Imagine that. Mere days after school lets out, instead of riding bikes, or heading out to the beach, or playing a round of Wii, or signing into their Poptropica accounts, hundreds of children and families flock to the public library to sign up for a program that celebrates reading. I’ve witnessed children literally running (running!) into the library, crowding around the info desk, tiny hands wringing in anticipation.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll sign up hundreds of kids, give out hundreds of free books, award dozens of cool prizes, and recommended tons of truly awesome summer reads. And while statistics, sign-up numbers, and door counts can give us definitive proof, our sure sign of success is simply leaving each day totally exhausted and bleary-eyed. When we librarians are all tuckered out and need a nap, it’s been a job well done!

Calling all children’s librarians…

Kiera Parrott — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:35:11 +0000

…school media specialists, educators, and other assorted amazing folk who work to bring creativity, literature, technology, and information alive for children! If you live in or around the tri-state area (NY/CT/NJ) and are interested in brainstorming about topics like book trailers, eBooks, podcasting, digital storytelling, and social media, then please join us for the

3rd Annual KidLib Camp

an Unconference at Darien Library

August 11, 2010

9am-4pm

Perhaps you are wondering, “What the donuts is an unconference?” Good question, my friend! An unconference is kind of like an unbirthday!

Actually, no. It’s not at all like an unbirthday. But it is a chance for professionals to get together in a somewhat informal environment to talk about topics of interest. Everyone who signs up to attend the unconference submits discussion topics they’d like to learn more about. You can also volunteer to lead discussions on subjects of your choice. Then, on the day of the unconference, we vote on which major discussions we’d like to have, and break up into smaller groups. Every person is an active participant and has the opportunity to share their experience, skills, and thoughts.

Besides being a day of inspiring discussions, intense brainstorming, and true professional development, it is also a chance to meet other brilliant, creative, and funny children’s librarians!

To find out more and sign up, click here.

Between Dick & Jane and Dr. Seuss: The Easy Reader Missing Link

Kiera Parrott — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:20:01 +0000

Sparked by the photograph on the left, an investigation into Snoozey and the possible discovery of an easy reader missing link.

Getting all Nancy Drew-like over on the AlSC blog.

Understanding Sam and other books explaining autism to siblings

Kiera Parrott — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:31:57 +0000

If you don’t already have a family member or close friend affected by autism, chances are you will in your lifetime. Autism now affects 1 in 110 children (and 1 in 70 boys).

One issue that can often be overlooked is how siblings of a child with autism understand what their brother or sister has and how they can help. Parents of newly diagnosed children are understandably overwhelmed and can find it hard to understand their child’s disorder, nevermind how to explain it to their other children. While each child with autism is unique, and every family has its own dynamics, it is sometimes helpful to have resources to help jump start a conversation.

Here are five of my favorite books written for siblings of children with autism:

Takeaways from Trendspotting Ebooks Symposium

Kiera Parrott — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:18:49 +0000

Highlights from CLC’s Trendspotting Symposium, Ebooks: Collections at the Crossroads, included a fiery, funny, and provoking talk by keynote speaker and library super geek, Eli Neiburger, and continued with a fascinating panel discussion that included Mr. Neiburger, the remarkable Barbara Genco, Harper Collins President of Sales Josh Marwell, and an exec from Overdrive, Mike Shontz (moderated by Kate Sheehan aka the Loose Cannon Librarian.)

Some takeaways:

Josh Marwell from Harper Collins said that the 26 checkout limit is NOT set in stone. It is “a work in progress.” (Also, bravo and major props to an HC man stepping into a roomful of wary librarians. That’s bravery.)

Dedicated ereaders (black and white devices whose sole purpose is to read ebooks) will be obsolete in a few years. The future is in multifunction devices.

For libraries to adapt successfully in this brave new world of digital content, we need to Geek Up. Libraries need to hire more geeks and train existing staff to be more geeky. That is, we must be comfortable navigating, creating, storing, archiving, and curating digital content. And, we need to be able to confidently help our patrons do so as well.

It’s impossible to know what libraries and the ebook market will look like in 5, 10, 15 years. But, as Barbara Genco put it, “we are beyond the tipping point.” Ebooks and digital content are here to stay- and growing exponentially. We need to dig in, learn, and experiment now- even if it’s scary and we aren’t exactly sure where we are going.

Librarians are really good at what we do- helping patrons, building collections, fostering community. We are not so hot at marketing those value-added services and skills. Even in the midst of being cut out of some of the digital community (ie, Kindle and Apple’s App Store) we can nevertheless put our awesome librarian skills to work. We can be the learning labs in which our users play with content creation. We can be the Genius Bar-like staff that assist them in creating their own stories, videos, apps, and photo collections. We can be the storehouse, archive, and curators of this unique content.

In case you’d like to browse through the day’s tweets, there were two hashtags (one official, one grassroots): #clcebks and #clctrendspotting.

photo courtesy of Flickr user Pen Waggener

Highlights from the EJK Discussion Panel

Kiera Parrott — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:51:29 +0000

I was surprised to find that yesterday’s Ezra Jack Keats event at the New York Public Library was not the announcement of the 2011 award winners (that will be May 10th), but a discussion about the award, its history, and the current state of picture books. Although I was initially pumped up to hear the award winners announced, it turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise, as the conversation was smart, illuminating, and directed by some of the most interesting and well-read women in the biz.

The discussion ranged from the frustration in finding quality picture books about and by people of color, to the importance of arts education in shaping and encouraging future writers and illustrators, to the explosion of ebooks and children’s book apps and the place of picture books in this brave new world.

Although some of the arguments and predictions reiterated points that I have heard before, it was nevertheless refreshing to hear a panel of experts talk so passionately and confidently about the future of the picture book. This was no doom and gloom affair, but rather a confirmation of what all savvy librarians and teachers already know to be true: the picture book is alive and well, thank you very much.

One point, made by Lisa Von Drasek, that really stuck with me was that librarians and teachers have a responsibility to spread the gospel of the picture book as a medium for all ages (not just babies and toddlers) to the parents in our communities. It’s all well and good to attend panel discussions, conferences, and participate in the kidlit blogosphere, but that’s a little like preaching to the choir. The places we really need to reach are the mommy, daddy, and caregiver networks. This has really got me thinking about how to use this blog to reach out farther and better to parents and caregivers. Hmmm…. Definitely some very good food for thought.

Many thanks to the amazing and brilliant panelists, and to NYPL and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation for organizing and hosting the event.

NYPL lion photo courtesy of Flickr user Mike_fleming; picture book photo courtesy of Flickr user Enokson.

2011 Ezra Jack Keats Panel Discussion: Tomorrow @ NYPL

Kiera Parrott — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:18:25 +0000

If you’re in or around the New York tri-state area and looking for a lovely way to spend Saturday afternoon, stop by New York Public Library’s Children’s Center for

“An Afternoon with the Ezra Jack Keats Awards.“

Saturday, April 2nd

New York Public Library
Children’s Center at 42nd Street
Room 84
42nd Street and 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10018

The Ezra Jack Keats Awards are presented annually by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation and the New York Public Library to new authors and illustrators of picture books/illustrated books for children ages 9 and under. I had the pleasure to attend last year when the stirring Most Loved In All The World and the graphic and delightful Only A Witch Can Fly won.

The extremely distinguished panel of children’s art and literature experts includes:

Deborah Pope, Executive Director Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, 2008-2009 EJK Award Chair
Nina Crews, Children’s book author and illustrator
Pat Cummings, Children’s book author and illustrator
Lisa Von Drasek, Bank Street College of Education Library and EarlyWord.com

Moderated by Barbara Genco, the 2010-2011 Award Chair (Library Journal.)

Read 111 by 11/11/11

Kiera Parrott — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:38:14 +0000

Last year, my coworkers and I participated in our own version of the brilliant Read 100 by 10/10/10 Challenge. We created a shared iGoogle document to track our titles and each person created their own genre categories and goals. While not all of us reached the goal, we had a blast sharing great books and comparing titles.

This year, we’re doing it again and upping the ante just a bit! Our goal is to read 111 books by November 11, 2011. Participants are encouraged to set their own category goals. For example, read 10 graphic novels, 10 works of poetry, 12 novels, etc…

To play along, tweet your reads using the hastag #111111reading, join the Facebook group, or join the Goodreads 100+ Books in 2011. Blog about it, comment below, and spread the word!

My Read 111 by 11/11/11 categories:

11 Middle-Grade Fiction
10 YA
10 Picture Books
10 Chapter Books (aka “Independent Readers” or “Young Readers”)
10 Children’s Non-Fiction
10 EBooks (any genre, cannot be counted in another category)
10 Adult Books (any genre)
10 Recommendations by others
10 ARCs/Galleys (any genre, cannot be counted in another category)
10 Guilty Pleasures
10 Books that I would normally never read

photo courtesy of Flickr user Horia Varlan

My Favorite Picture Book(s) Blogfest

Kiera Parrott — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Today is the “My Favorite Picture Book BLOGFEST!” Click the blue button on the left for a list of all the bloggers participating.

Hmmm. Asking a children’s librarian to choose a favorite picture book is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Almost cruel!

So, instead I’ve chosen a couple; one that I discovered and fell in love with as an adult and the series of picture books that turned me into the crazy voracious reader I am today.

The One that Could Be the Subject of an Entire Graduate-Level Course:

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales written by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith.

Stinky Cheese Man is one of my faves not just because it is insanely hilarious (which it is) or because it zany, kinetic illustrations are also beautiful and detailed (which they are) or because it is a collection of fractured fairytales (which I also love.)

It’s one of my favorites because it is a picture book about picture books. It’s self-referential, post-modern, clever, and ingeniously designed. There is no detail- no typeface or jacket flap or gutter- that is without thought. It’s the kind of book that can be read, viewed, and discussed thousands of times and with each reading you will discover something new. Besides that, kids adore it!

The Books that Helped Me Learn to Read (and Love to Read):

Little Golden Books

Oh, Little Golden Books. My grandparents gave me a set for a birthday or Christmas when I was about four and I read them for what seems like years and years afterward.

I remember my grandfather (Pop Pop) reading the LGB Nursery Rhymes to me. He would sing and chant the rhymes to me, bouncing me on his knee. (And this was back before the research about phonological awareness.) Over time, I memorized the lyrics to the rhymes and he would tap my finger on the words as we sang together. One day, it just started to “click.” What we were saying and the squiggles on the page connected. A reader was born.

These cheapy little dime store books were written and illustrated by some of the most popular children’s authors and illustrators, including Margaret Wise Brown, Garth Williams, and Richard Scarry. For under 25 cents a book, Little Golden Books were accessible for families on a budget. They helped me (and I’m betting thousands of children) start their own home libraries. Mine were proudly displayed on a small shelf in the living room next to my toy box. Sadly, after several moves, I no longer have my original set. I still get a rich, warm feeling in my chest when I think about learning to read on my own and the pride I felt after reading a story to my Pop Pop.

Happy WORLD READ ALOUD DAY!

Kiera Parrott — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:23:58 +0000

Today, March 9th is World Read Aloud Day, a day to celebrate the power of written and spoken word. People all over the world are celebrating by hosting reading marathons, creating videos, and doing special programs.

Today my library will be hosting an art-themed storytime using the helpful program plans from LitWorld and asking children to add their names and favorite book titles to an interactive display. And, of course, lots of impromptu reading aloud!