Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Remember my goal that we have 500 people sign-up for Summer Reading '14? Last year we had 419 people at the end of the 6 weeks; this year, 3 weeks into Summer Reading and we have...drum roll, please...431 people signed up!! Can we get the rest to meet our goal of 500?! The breakdown: Birth-Age 5 (Non-Kindergarten): 56 Kindergarten - 5th grade: 145 6th grade - 12th grade: 73 Adults: 157  I am still so impressed with our adults enthusiasm for the program. Go Sticks Grown-ups! You make this Librarian's heart SWELL!

Last year we had 419 people sign up for Summer Reading (Birth-Adults). My goal for this is 500 people. Halfway into week 2 and we have *drum roll, please* 399 people signed up!! We're almost at last year's numbers, and we can DEFINITELY make 500!

I know it's been around for years, but I finally got around to reading Gennifer Choldenko's, Al Capone Does My Shirts . The year is 1934, and Moose Flannagan's Dad has taken a job as a prison guard on Alcatraz, which Moose is none to happy about!  Though the story is a coming of age tale in some senses, it is more importantly an examination of a family struggling w/ having an autistic child--at a time when the condition wasn't understood--with the backdrop of life on Alcatraz. The universal themes of love and acceptance feel pertinent in today's bullying-concerned society, and also pertinent is the attention paid to Moose's relationship with his sister Natalie, who's autistic symptoms (though not referred to as autism in the book, but rather in the author's notes) would have today's kids baffled as well. Moose's frustrations with his mother, his responsibility for caring for Natalie, and at being taken a...

I love Halloween. It is absolutely my favorite holiday; no pressure to bring a date to the family meal, no feeling alone and unkissable at midnight. Just dressing up and being whatever you want to be, showing off your costume cleverness, or inner slutty nurse, or your mad zombie make-up skills! Since it's Halloween and I haven't already posted something, thought I'd share a few fun Halloween-worthy books...you still have time for these! For the young crowd: Frankensquare , Kelly Asbury Super cute board book!   And Happy Halloween, Curious George For the Pre-school/Kindergareten crowd: Go Away, Big Green Monster! Ed Emberly A fun story about not being afraid. The kids love that the monster grows and disappears before their eyes--we had a really great flannel board for this at my old library, need to get one for Sticks! For the Younger Elementary crowd:   Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat , Stan & Jan Berenstain This came out ...

It's the end of our 1st week of Summer Reading!! WOO HOO! 1 down, 5 to go! We've had a great turnout for this week's programs and have gotten great responses from people so far; lots of excited patrons, and fierce competitors!...maybe I should mention what we do for our Summer Reading: Our Summer Readers have 6 weeks to: Birth-5 yrs. (non-kindergarten bound): This group has to do 25 activities which encourage literacy and stimulate learning Prizes: 12 activities complete = beach bucket and 2 bottles of bubbles 25 activities complete/SR finished = Sticks Library tote bag with book inside Kindergarten-6th Graders: These kiddos have to read 10 hours Prizes: At 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hours completed they get to pick something from the treasure chest and also receive a ticket to put into a prize box; at the end of Summer Reading we draw a winner(s) for each prize, however, only those who've completed SR qualify! The K-6th grade prizes are: NERF Big Bad Bow  Cake P...

As of last night, our Summer Reading counts: 44     Babies 113   K-6 43     Teen 116   Adult This is Prairie Dawn's 1st Summer Reading Program ever, so I wondered how things would work, but I never should have given it a thought--she brings great energy, a willingness to be silly, and an infectious warmth and happiness to the programs. The kids love her. The parents love her. And even the teens love her--this is a rare gift indeed! I always tell people that our library is, "small but MIGHTY!" and I really believe that. I am a HUGE proponent of FREE programs, because getting people in can result in 1. new library cards/patrons 2. increased circulation and 3. most importantly, I think, is showing people that this is not their parents/grandparents library. Often when you get someone who hasn't been in a library in years you'll here, "I didn't know you had ______." "I didn't know I could ________!" And that is when you giv...

I am so tired, and yet, here I sit watching the storm that has finally swept into Sticks, instantly cooling the air and stirring up that smell --not the wormy, post-rain stink--the sigh smell . The sigh smell is what peppers the air all at once during a good downpour; everything suddenly letting out a sigh of relief: the grass, the shrubs, the trees, the dirt muddying in puddles too, even the people sleeping do it without knowing it. Here in Sticks it smells muddy and green and cool (yes, cool has a smell too!) and clean. Summer Reading is in its' first week and we're already beat. But I am loving it and finding myself constantly thinking, "I get paid to do this!" I am beat and it's late, so more details and pics soon, but I did want to share our stats for our Summer Reading 2013 program so far! At the end of Saturday's Kick-Off (only 4 hours long!) we'd already signed up: 32     Babies-Age 5 (non-kindgarten) 75     K-6th Grade 20   ...

Our Summer Kick-Off is TOMORROW! Here at the library we're having: 4-H Animals Face Painting Touch a truck (local police, fire truck, ambulance, and tractor for kids to touch/climb in) and a 1,000+ book Used Book Sale Everyone went home at 5, except Prairie Dawn and I, we're laying things out so everything's ready tomorrow and stress-free for the part-timers. We're so fortunate for all the extra help: the FRIENDS of the Library, the local student volunteers, people who will no doubt pop-in the day of and pitch in a hand...living in a small town does have its perks. Though our Kick-Off's tomorrow, Summer Reading doesn't technically begin until Monday, so, we're crossing our fingers and hoping we made enough sign-up bonuses, hoping we've planned out enough supplies for programs, hoping and fearing that tons of people will show up and get into Summer Reading '13. Wish us luck...more soon! Now back to setting up...

More from the magic lady of my college day...   4th GRADE RECOMMENDED BOOKS Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo (Great audio edition available, too!) Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich and sequel, Game of Silence The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis (Start with Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which is really the first book!) A Crooked Kind of Perfect, by Linda Urban Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke (Great audio edition available, too!) Enola Holmes mysteries, by Nancy Springer Frindle, by Andrew Clement Gooseberry Park, by Cynthia Rylant Ida B., by Katherine Hannigan Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards Little House series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Great audio editions available, too!) Mandy, by Julie Andrews Edwards Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli (Great audio edition available, too!) Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers The Moffats by Eleanor Estes, and others by her Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry Poppy series, by Avi Prince of ...

Keeping on with the recommendations from the magic lady, wherever she is now... 3rd GRADE RECOMMENDED BOOKS A to Z Mysteries, by Ron Roy Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White Clementine and its sequel, by Sara Pennypacker Cobble Street Cousins series, by Cynthia Rylant Dog Diaries, by Betsy Byars A Fairy Called Hilary, by Linda Leopold Strauss Flat Stanley, by Jeff Brown Gadget War, by Betsy Duffey Hannah, by Gloria Whelan The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes Matt Christopher sports books, by Matt Christopher Next Spring an Oriole and its sequels, by Gloria Whelan PeeWee’s Tale and its sequels, by Joanna Hurwitz Ramona series, by Beverly Cleary Roxie and the Hooligans, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Shredderman series, by Wendelin Van Draanen Sideways Stories from Wayside School series, by Louis Sachar S.O.S. Files, by Betsy Byars Sword in the Tree, by Clyde Bulla Weird Stories from the Lonesome Café, by Judy Cox

Keeping that promise ... 2nd GRADE RECOMMENDED BOOKS Picture books to read aloud Animalia, by Graeme Base Anansi and the Talking Melon, by Eric Kimmel (and others in the series) The Boy and the Ghost, by Robert SanSouci Charlie Parker Played Bebop, by Chris Raschka Click Clack Moo, by Doreen Cronin The Day of Ahmed’s Secret, by Florence Perry Heide Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems Fables, by Arnold Lobel The Gardener, by Sarah Stewart The Gold Miner’s Daughter, by Jackie Mims Hopkins Lon Po Po, by Ed Young Mrs. Katz and Tush, by Patricia Polacco Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe Old Henry, by Joan Blos Rumplestiltskin, by Paul O. Zelinsky Sitti’s Secrets, by Naomi Shihab Nye A Story for Bear, by Dennis Haseley Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon Stone Soup, by Jon Muth Talking Eggs, by Robert SanSouci Thundercake, by Patricia Polacco Tops and Bottoms, by Janet Stevens Twelve Dancing Princesses, by Marianna Mayer Second Grade Chapter b...