Considering Brooklyn is home to the largest concentration of children's book illustrators on the planet, it must have been difficult to select only thirty four for the latest exhibit at Grand Army Plaza, "Drawn In Brooklyn." I took the opportunity to tour this Brooklyn Public Library show following a meeting this week and it was fantastic! I particularly love the promotional image chosen from Big Red Lollipop.
Curated by John Bemelmans Marciano (aka the grandson of Madeline creator Ludwig Bemelmans) the exhibit features original art from children's books as well as display cases revealing the creation process of a picture book, installations and short video interviews with many of the artists.
There's also exciting events scheduled with various illustrators like art workshops or a chance to meet and hear them read from their work.
During the tour it was shared how many of the artists noted the powerful influence of comics in developing their initial interest in drawing as children. Yet another reason to purchase graphic novels for the kids at your library!
"Drawn in Brooklyn" will be on display until January 23, 2011.
I have a bit of an obsession with cookbooks. Not only do I love to look at pretty pictures of food but also the inspiration of new techniques and ingredients. And all the better if the approach is seasonal, vegetarian or health minded. (Or from the Barefoot Contessa! I adore her.) It must be a cookbook time of year because I have in my pending request list at the library manyanewtitle.
Janet Brocket offers ideas inspired by Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables, the Borrowers, and the Chronicles of Narnia among others. The food inspired component could be a fun addition to a traditional book club, or a novel way to introduce many classic titles to youth.
Let candy be your new crafting material! Step by step instructions to create a chess set, spaceship, pyramid, woodland creatures, jewelry, as well as holiday ideas. The author claims that offering an alternative use for candy actually reduced the sugar consumption of her two young children. Use this resource to expand an existing Gingerbread House activity, or with a math, engineering and design bent for a hands on construction program.
Those who work in public libraries are familiar with the challenge of balancing the energetic behavior of teens with the needs of other users. A few years ago, the situation at the Far Rockaway library was further exaggerated: the neighborhood is located on a peninsula isolated from the rest of New York City, with high unemployment due to the difficulty of commuting and local housing projects filled with gang activity. The library was a small yet highly used building without a separate space for young adults. With nowhere else in the community to gather, large groups of teens would congregate, disrupting and intimidating others with noise and horseplay. Expanding the current facility wasn't an option.
Rather than kicking out those most in need of a positive influence, Queens Library pursued grants to rent an empty storefront a few blocks away from the existing library and completely renovated the space, opening a building just for teens with specialized programs, technology, and collections.
Working with an interior design consultant who specializes in teen areas, a contemporary space along with 40 internet computers entices teens, with attendance averaging 120 each day. A recent addition is a sound studio, complete with a vocal booth, a recording computer and three computerized editing stations, funded by New York State Assembly members.
Some notable distinctions:
-staffing the library with youth counselors, not librarians. They provide service, referrals and act as positive role models, while librarians at the nearby branch offer traditional reference service. A licensed teacher and social worker are also available onsite.
-sign in upon entering. No gang signs or colors are permitted. If someone acts out, they are asked to leave, and if repeated will lose privileges for longer. There have been no incidents beyond this; teens want to use the space and respect the stated boundaries.
-after-school hours of service, from 2:30 - 6PM.
-specialized programming including pre-GED classes, Wii gaming, urban author visits, job readiness fairs, open mics, college fairs, computer skill workshops and more.
-no circulating collection. Due to the cost of duplicating collections and offering circulation staff, teens can browse magazines and online resources, and otherwise go to the regular library to borrow materials.
-relaxed rules. Food and cell phones are allowed and multiple teens can crowd around a computer.
In 2013, the Queens Library for Teens will be doubling in size in a newly constructed $19.3 million facility funded by Borough President Helen Marshall. More information on this initiative is available from School Library Journal, Library Journal as well as a video on NY1 featuring teen volunteers who mentor their peers.
And for even more reading on teens in Queens, visit the Queens Library Teen Challenge blog. The Coordinator of Teen Services has promised to donate $500 of her own coffee money to a charity of young adult librarians' choice if 10,000 teens register for Summer Reading 2011. Read it each Thursday to see the amount saved so far, along with ideas and thoughts on teen summer reading.
Working on a presentation for children's librarians on conducting school outreach, I began to think more about hosting classroom visits to the library.
I always looked forward to offering these trips: the excitement of getting one's first library card, sharing a favorite book, disseminating library information, reaching students who wouldn't normally visit the library as well as seeing the regulars in their classroom setting. Not to mention the larger picture of building a relationship with local schools in a particular community.
There's always much to share with students like basic library card practices and good book behaviors. I like to take the opportunity to explain to children (and often their accompanying teachers and parents) how library books are organized and that the stickers on the spine of a book refer to the author's last name and *not* the level. It's also a perfect chance to promote upcoming library programs and ongoing activities like "Read Away Your Fines" or afterschool homework help.
I break up all the talking with one or more read alouds. Some of my absolute favorites to share are:
Kindergarten, First & Second Grades
Bark George by Jules Feiffer Birds by Kevin Henkes Clay Boy by Mira Ginsburg Read It, Don't Eat It by Ian Schoenherr Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman The End by David LaRochelle The Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski (I love this version set in NYC!) Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Third & Fourth Grades
Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (This book is beyond cool and elicits wild reactions!) One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel Stories to Solve by George Shannon The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg
Fifth & Sixth Grades
For older students I might instead do a few booktalks on titles I enjoy with multiple copies available like City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman or The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I've also focused on non-fiction at a teacher's request, making it a game to see who can locate a specific non-fiction call number the fastest on the shelf.
And if you would like to still offer a read aloud, you can never go wrong with the first chapter of Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (expect everyone to chime in on "apple").
Other fun ideas are to offer a library scavenger hunt after giving students a tour of the collection or ask book trivia questions.
by Louise Yates Alfred A. Knopf $16.99 ISBN: 9780375864490
Dog enjoys books so much that he opens his very own bookstore. As business is slow, downhearted dog begins to read his wares. "When he read, he forgot that he was waiting. When he read, he forgot he was alone." Finishing one book, he chooses another and thus begins a new adventure.
As you can imagine, reading so many stories gives him excellent reader's advisory skills. Once customers start coming to his store, he gets to do his most favorite thing of all with books: share them!
Naturally the themes of Dog Loves Books made it the obvious choice to share during my goodbye party last week. And where exactly am I going?
I'm thrilled and honored to be the new Assistant Coordinator of Children's Services for Queens Library. I am completely excited to work with children's librarians in a new capacity and serve as a programming resource system-wide. One of my responsibilities this first week is to observe a library program for children on yoga-- which for anyone that personally knows me, knows that I find this beyond cool.
It will be curious to see if this change will have any effect on my blog. I hope to continue sharing ideas and inspiration in the form of books, activities, resources and more. If anything, now I will have even more library love to give... 63 to be exact!
In fact, it's my honor: a "Sarah Celebration" if you will, as planned and named by a co-worker to say goodbye to the families and friends I've made working at this particular library for nearly five years. More soon on where exactly I'm going!
In the meantime, as part of the festivities I will share a book. Considering how often I read stories aloud to groups, this part should be a no-brainer. Except for the fact that I'm oddly blocked on the appropriate choice.
I still have a few days to decide, and will likely bring many choices to see which feels just right. I've been considering this from the perspective of which story ultimately defines me, which may not be the proper question. The best part of being a librarian is sharing books with others, so I should read what moves me to do just that in the moment.
It should be stated that I often use movement and various techniques to further engage children when sharing stories aloud. Children and parents quickly learn to repeat the actions I demonstrate and play along, otherwise known as modelling. One recent reminder of the influence of modelling in young children, and the extent to which one is being scrutinized was when, as sneezing during a read aloud, all of the children repeated this unrelated action!
This is not to say sneezing doesn't have its place in storytime. I encourage hygenic practices by inserting a sleeve covered pseudo sneeze while reading about the poor little baby with sneezes and chills in, "Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes" by Mem Fox. This sweet yet not overly sentimental book about the similarities of babies around the world is a rhythmic pleasure to read aloud with the most darling of illustrations.
I also add a sneezing extension to the song, "Five Little Monkeys Swinging from a Tree." Some might view this as slightly p.c., but my take is that it provides theatrical closure as well as another opportunity to practice one to one counting correspondence. I learned this trick from a children's librarian (and fellow vegetarian) while doing my library school practicum at the Grandview Heights Public Library in Columbus, Ohio. The song goes:
Five little monkeys swinging from a tree Teasing Mr. Crocodile, "Can't catch me!" Along comes Mr. Crocodile, as quiet as can be And he SNAPS that Monkey right out of the tree!
After singing the last stanza, I note that there are no more monkeys left. The concept of zero is rather advanced for young ones, and something they might not fully grasp until age three or four. I make a zero with a hands, discussing how this means no more, all gone, nothing left etc.
But as it turns out, Mr. Crocodile is allergic to monkeys! Achoo! One monkey comes back. Achoo! Two monkeys... and so on, until all of the five little monkeys have reappeared for the next time we sing our song.
I started working in libraries at age 16 and never stopped. After five years as a children's librarian, I am currently the Assistant Coordinator of Children's Services at Queens Library.
