My Best Day as a Children's Librarian

I was recently asked, "If there were absolutely no budget constraints, no staffing issues and anything was possible, what would your best day as a children’s librarian would look like?"

Here's my answer:

I’d spend my first hour and a half preparing for and providing the best story time of my life. Let’s make it outside the library on a beautiful, sunny day to a large crowd of kids and adults who each go on to tell their friends and neighbors how awesome the library is. I would have those big screen set up on either side of me projecting what I’m doing to the people in the back like at rock concerts. I’d have a live band for the songs. I’d lead everyone in joyful renditions of “Skinnamarink” and “Silly Dance Contest.” Afterwards, I’d be able to give every family who wanted one a free copy of the books I’d read. I wouldn’t have to clean up afterwards. I’d spend the time talking to people who had questions and wanted book recommendations. Every single book I recommended would be checked in and on the shelf.

Later that day, I would speak to a big group of new moms and dads about the importance of early literacy. They would’ve been lured to the library by the promise of free ice cream and babysitting (it would've been advertised on radio, magazines, Internet, and television). We’d read stories and sing songs and talk about how to get their kids ready to read. They would all ask great questions and be super pumped up about early literacy when they left. Right after my session, a Spanish-speaking colleague would be hosting the same program in Spanish. And then Russian. And then Chinese. All the sessions would be recorded, professionally edited, and posted online for people who couldn't attend.

After school lets out I’d host a Readers’ Theatre program for tweens. These guys would come read plays and then we’d record them and release them as podcasts (the library would pay the copyright holder for permissions). Today the kids would’ve written and performed their own play and it would be funny and touching. It would be about the impact the library has made in their lives.

In the evening, I would be on the reference desk and have nothing but meaningful, productive interactions with patrons who ask interesting questions. I’d be able to help every single person who came up to the desk and they’d all thank me kindly afterward. One of them would later turn out to be a billionaire who was so impressed that he'd decide to donate a massive amount of money to the library and we could afford to do it all again tomorrow.

Mock Newbery Madness

The end of the year approaches and Newbery fever has taken hold! What will win the top prize in kid lit this year? Here are my personal favorites:

1. The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
2. Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
3. The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt
4. Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Unlike last year, when I was so sure what the winner would be, I'm prepared to be completely surprised this year. We'll see what our young King County patrons think when our You Choose the Next Newbery discussions get underway!

Best Books for Babies

You're never too young to enjoy a good book. Here's my list of the top tomes for tiny tots.

Electronic Picture Books

I was recently in Washington D.C. for the American Library Association's Annual Conference. One program about Early Readers used Adobe's After Effects software to share a picture book with a large crowd. It was way cool because the animation made it look like a real book: you could see the pages turning and the die-cuts falling into place. The experience made me wonder how electronic readers are handling picture books, so I did a little googling and here are some interesting article/sites to check out:

The Digital Revolution in Children's Publishing (PW article)

The iPad Meets the Children's Book (PW article)

readeo (website for sharing books over the internet)

Tumblebooks (one of the children's e-book products we offer at the library)

iStoryTime (a place to buy kids' books for Apple products)

Dr. Seuss apps from Oceanhouse Media (another example of the above)

Survival Stories

There is a group of boys at my library who love survival stories. They started out with Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and now they're addicted. I can totally see why. One of my favorite books of recent years is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which is essentially about surviving a televised death match. There is a great sense of urgency and purpose in survival stories, which, I think, is what makes them compelling. And lucky for us, from Robinson Crusoe to Castaway, there is a long tradition of great tales of survival.

So, as a reference to me when the survival boys come calling, here is a list of middle-grade (i.e. good for 9- to 12-year-olds) fiction that features stories of survival:

1. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (and Brian's Saga sequels)
2. A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
4. Call of the Wild by Jack London
5. White Fang by Jack London
6. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
7. The Incredible Journey by Sheila Every Burnford
8. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
9. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
10. The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
11. Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
12. Abel's Island by William Steig
13. The Cay by Theodore Taylor
14. Nim's Island by Wendy Orr
15. The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
16. Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen (and sequels)
17. A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin
18. The Cats of Roxville Station by Jean Craighead George

Titles in black have male protagonists. Purple have female protagonists. Red have animal protagonists.

The Best Books I Read in 2009

Behold my top eleven most enjoyable reading experiences of '09! Most of these books were published this year or last, but a few of them are oldies I just discovered.

In the order they occurred to me (which is not exactly in order of how much I liked them):

1. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
2. Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty
3. The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristen Levine
4. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
5. The Canning Season by Polly Horvath
6. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
7. Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser
8. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
9. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
1o. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
11. Lush Life by Richard Price

Tell Me a Story

On King County Library System's story time website Tell Me A Story, you'll find scripts and videos of rhymes, songs, and fingerplays you can use to teach and entertain children, as well as links to other useful websites.

And if you're interested in what I'm doing at my story times at the Newport Way Library, Tell Me A Story is the place to go. Click on Newport Way Library to see my story time outlines, including the books we read and the songs and activities we did. For example, the complete plan for the Lunch Bunch Story Time held on June 23rd is available here.

Now, friends, if you've ever wondered how to perform "I'm a Little Teapot" or "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed," you know where to go to find out.