2023 Reading Wrap-Up

December 31, 2023 Jenny1 Comment

Every year I summarize a year’s worth of reading here, breaking it down by category and listing some of my favorite titles (not all necessarily published this year). (Also, maybe “summarize” is not the word, as it’s not particularly concise; not only do I not provide a Top Ten overall, I don’t even limit myself to ten per category.) Here’s my mid-year reading round-up from early July, and here’s my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up. Perhaps one of these years I’ll wise up and do it like Betsy Bird does with her #31Days31Lists, but for now, we have this. Without further ado…

Total number of books read: 693

Partially-read/started-didn’t-finish: 27. I browsed through several cookbooks, quilting books, various other how-to nonfiction, books at friends’ houses, poetry, essay collections and collective biographies, and some books I started with the kiddo but she either lost interest in or took off to read by herself. As I tell other readers, it’s okay to put down a book!

Picture Books: 274

Telling Stories Wrong by Gianni Rodari
Snow Horses by Patricia MacLachlan and Micha Archer
Somewhere in the Bayou by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild
Night in the City by Julie Downing
The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker
We Don’t Lose Our Class Goldfish by Ryan T. Higgins
That Flag by Tameka Brown Fryer
Evergreen by Matthew Cordell
Dim Sum, Here We Come! by Maple Lam
Spicy Spicy Hot! by Lenny Wen
A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond
Inside the Slidy Diner by Laurel Snyder
Oh No, The Aunts Are Here by Adam Rex
The World and Everything In It by Kevin Henkes
Real to Me by Minh Lê
Elisabeth by Claire A. Nivola
How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen
A Bed of Stars by Jessica Love
Big by Vashti Harrison
Gotta Go! by Frank Viva
Are You Awake? by Sophie Blackall
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney by Barnett/Klassen
Molly’s Tuxedo by Vicki Johnson
Snail Crossing by Corey Tabor
With Lots of Love by Jenny Torres Sanchez
The World’s Best Class Plant by Vernick/Scanlon
King Sejong Invents an Alphabet by Carol Kim
In the Night Garden by Carin Berger
The Kitten Story by Emily Jenkins
Stars of the Night by Caren Stelson
I’m Going to Build A Snowman by Jashar Awan
The Three Little Mittens by Linda Bailey
Silver Linings by Fiona Woodcock
Everything Naomi Loved by Katie Yamasaki
Lila Greer, Teacher of the Year by Andrea Beaty
How to Count to ONE by Caspar Salmon
Good Books for Bad Children by Beth Kephart
I Can Open It For You by Shinsuke Yoshitake
Ogilvy by Deborah Underwood
If I Was A Horse by Sophie Blackall
How This Book Was Made by Barnett/Rex
I Am Stuck by Julia Mills
Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo
Flower Girl by Amy Bloom
Hanukkah Upside Down by Elissa Brent Weissman
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex
An American Story by Kwame Alexander/Dare Coulter
Just One Flake by Travis Jonker
Mister Kitty is Lost by Greg Pizzoli

Early Readers: 19 (overlap with Chapter Books, Graphic Novels) Cover image of Henry Like Always

Sir Ladybug by Corey Tabor (GN)
Charlie and Mouse Are Magic (#6) by Laurel Snyder
Arlo & Pips by Elise Gravel (GN)
Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey, illus. Mika Song

Chapter Books: 16 (overlap with Early Readers, Graphic Novels)

No More Ear Buns! by Agnes Mathieu-Daude
The Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour
The Story of Gumluck the Wizard by Adam Rex
The Skull by Jon Klassen
The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham
Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones

Middle Grade: 162 (overlap with GN, nonfiction)

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry by Chad Morris
Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One by Maggie Horne
Hidden Powers: Lise Meitner’s Call to Science by Jeannine Atkins
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
Tuesdays at the Castle (series) by Jessica Day George
Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp
Wildoak by C.C. Harrington
Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by Tae Keller
World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky
Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves by L.M. Elliott
Bea and the New Deal Horse by L.M. Elliott
Code Red by Joy McCullough
Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass
The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman
Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Alone by Megan Freeman
Leeva At Last by Sara Pennypacker
Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson
Mihi Ever After by Tae Keller
Wishing Upon the Same Stars by Jacquetta Nammar Feldman
Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus
The Jake Show by Joshua S. Levy
Have Sword, Will Travel by Garth Nix
The Witch of Woodland by Laurel Snyder
The Lost Library by Stead/Mass
You Are Here by Ellen Oh (editor)
The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett
Witches of Brooklyn: Spell of a Time by Sophie Escabesse
Greenwild by Pari Thompson

Young Adult (YA): 61 (overlap with GN)

For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Enter the Body by Joy McCullough
Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay by Kelly McWilliams
If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude
Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert
A Little Like Waking by Adam Rex
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez
Burn, Baby, Burn by Meg Medina
Be That Way by Hope Larson

Graphic novels: 118 (overlap with most other categories)

Killer Underwear Invasion! How to Spot Fake News… by Elise Gravel
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
Arlo & Pips by Elise Gravel
Squire and Knight by Scott Chantler
Team Trash by Kate Wheeler
Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke
Hoops by Matt Tavares
School Trip by Jerry Craft
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir
Three Thieves (series) by Scott Chantler
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
Let’s Make Dumplings! by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan
Be That Way by Hope Larson
NewsPrints by Xu Ru
Maker Comics: Design A Game by Bree Wolf
Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook
Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable
Batcat by Meggie Ramm
Nell of Gumbling by Emma Steinkellner
Mexikid by Pedro Martin
Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale
The Talk by Darrin Bell
Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd
Pebble and Wren by Chris Hallbeck
83 Days in Mariupol by Don Brown

Adult fiction: 43

The Future by Naomi Alderman
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
Starling House by Alix Harrow
The Talk by Darrin Bell
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Adult nonfiction: 25

Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek by Thea Glassman
A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung
How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith
Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? by Seamas O’Reilly
Accountable by Dashka Slater
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
Growing Up in Public by Devorah Heitner

Children’s nonfiction: 61

A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis
The Tower of Life by Chana Stiefel
Comics: Easy as ABC: The Essential Guide for Kids by Ivan Brunetti
The Fire of Stars by Kirsten Larson
Emma’s Poem by Linda Glaser
the Whose is THAT? series by Darrin Lunde
A Storm of Horses by Ruth Sanderson
The 500 Million Dollar Heist (Unsolved Case Files) by Tom Sullivan
The Hole Story of the Donut by Pat Miller
Make Way for Animals! A World of Wildlife Crossings by Meeg Pincus
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day
Sew Sister by Elise Matich
Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari
A Place Called America by Jennifer Thermes
How the Cookie Crumbled by Gilbert Ford
How to Eat in Space by Helen Taylor
The True Story of Zippy Chippy by Artie Bennett

Short stories/essays: 13

White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede

Audiobooks: 11

Actual number includes re-reads and is higher, due to family car time and at-home audiobook time with the kiddo, as mentioned above. And sometimes I listen to Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! The NPR News Quiz or – less fun – the actual news. Or music. (Especially The Pogues and Sinead O’Connor this fall/winter.) Standout audiobooks include: Cover image of You Could Make This Place Beautiful

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (“not that Maggie Smith”)
The Lost Library by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
Odder by Katherine Applegate
Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (I did warn you I wasn’t going to stop talking about this one)

Five-star ratings: 33

Re-reads: Unknown; I don’t have a good way to keep track. The kiddo listened to all five Mysterious Benedict Society books for what felt like months, and we re-read all of the Dealing with Dragons books by Patricia C. Wrede. I re-read a chunk of Greenglass House by Kate Milford, as I always do toward the end of December, and I certainly revisited favorite picture books at home and at library storytimes. And, after reading Simon Sort of Says in March and refusing to shut up about it since, I re-read it as an audiobook this month and it’s still stunningly good.

WeNeedDiverseBooks: 203, or 33.2%, which is better than last year (again), but still shy of half.

Book reviews: 25+

In my free time (hahaha), I write book reviews for School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews. I review picture books, graphic novels, middle grade, and occasionally YA. I enjoy reviewing because, of course, I get to read books before they’ve been published, and before I’ve heard anyone else’s opinions on them; and because writing reviews forces me to stick to a strict word count, and try to balance summary and evaluation. This year I also served on SLJ’s Best Graphic Novels committee, which is part of the reason I read more GN this year than last year.

So, that’s a wrap for 2023. Every year brings ups and downs, but we can always count on good books. Here’s to 2024! There are already several titles I’m excited about…. What were your favorite reads in 2023? What are you looking forward to? Does anything on this list pique your interest?

Tis the season for picture books and graphic novels

December 1, 2023 JennyLeave a comment

I developed these two presentations for the senior center, but why not share more widely?

“Picture This: Picture-Perfect Gift Books“ for the 2023 holiday season (or whenever! Books are good 365 days a year).

With an older audience in mind, I focused on recent titles from our current golden age of picture books, from wordless wonders like Aaron Becker’s Journey to Caldecott winners like Sophie Blackall and Matthew Cordell, from nonfiction to humor to holidays. Does a kiddo in your life need a new picture book this month? Sure they do!

Humor slide from Picture Books presentation: The Big Cheese, Bathe the Cat, Gotta Go, A Very Cranky Book

“What Are Graphic Novels (and why are they so great)?“ is an attempt to introduce adult readers to a format that might be new for them, and to dispel the harmful idea that graphic novels aren’t “real” books. (Graphic novels ARE real books! If your kids/students are reading graphic novels, they’re reading! And they probably have better visual literacy skills than you do. While I’m up here on my soapbox, audiobooks are real books, too.)

"What is a graphic novel?" slide from GN presentation

Links will take you to Google Slides presentations. For both sets of slides, I used SlidesCarnival (shout-out to my grad school friend Becca for introducing me to this resource).

Readers, I hope you check some of these books out from the library, or buy (local if you can!). School and public librarians, feel free to copy and remix if that’s helpful to you; please give credit. Neither of these presentations is intended to be comprehensive – just some award winners and lots of my own personal favorites. Happy reading!

Pajama Storytime

November 6, 2023 Jenny1 Comment

When I started as the children’s librarian, I had to make one change almost right away, taking away the Monday morning storytime because I don’t arrive at work on Monday until 11:30 (then I’m here till we close at 8pm). However, I didn’t want to reduce the number of storytimes, so I decided to try offering an evening one – a pajama storytime! Also, it was a way of expanding access for families who can’t get here mid-morning on a weekday. I wasn’t sure if it would take off, but I spent a month talking it up, and attendance has been good so far!

Pajama Storytime happens in the Storytime Room, where we have a rug and some colorful, cozy bean bags. I brought in a string of twinkle lights and stuffed them into a clear glass jar (my “star jar”) and I put that on the table with the books. We start right at 6:30 and read till 7. Most attendees are older – first through fourth grade – but a few toddlers show up too, so I try to put the shorter, simpler books first in the lineup, and save longer ones for after the toddlers’ attention span is exhausted.

Not every book I read at Pajama Storytime is specifically bedtime-themed, but a lot of them are. Here’s what we’ve read so far:

AreYouAwake

Goodnight Veggies by Diana Murray/Zachariah Ohora
Are You Awake? by Sophie Blackall
Goodnight, Everyone by Chris Haughton
In the Night Garden by Carin Berger
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy
Time for Bed by Mem Fox/Jane Dyer
Awake, Asleep by Kyle Lukoff/Nadia Alam

TellMeWhattoDreamAbout

Just Because by Mac Barnett/Isabelle Arsenault
How to Put Your Parents to Bed by Mylisa Larsen
City Moon by Rachael Cole/Blanca Gomez
Tell Me What to Dream About by Giselle Potter
Bedtime Monsters by Josh Schneider
Hoodwinked by Arthur Howard
There Is A Crocodile Under My Bed! By Ingrid & Dieter Schubert

KittensFirstFullMoon

The Yawns Are Coming by Christopher Eliopoulos
A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall and Vera Brosgol
Night in the City by Julie Downing
Chicken Wants A Nap by Tracy Marchini
Every Dreaming Creature by Brendan Wenzel
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

SleepLikeATiger

Good Night, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
Windows by Julia Denos
A Bedtime for Bear by Bonny Becker/Kady MacDonald Denton
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld
Hank’s Big Day by Evan Kuhlman & Chuck Groenink
Sleep Like A Tiger by Mary Logue/Pamela Zagarenski

Books face-out on window ledge

As you can see, there’s a mix of longer and shorter ones, dreamy and goofy stories, rhyming and not, silly and soothing. I even had one parent thank me because no one had read a story to her in such a long time! (Children’s programming is important for the caregivers, too!)

Is there a Pajama Storytime at your library? What do you like about it? What would you change?

More storytimes, and rhyme time

October 27, 2023 Jenny1 Comment

A month flies by! Storytime is always one of my favorite parts of the work week. Here are the books and art projects we’ve done for the past few weeks, and of course we look for Little Mouse every time (“Little mouse, little mouse, are you in the [color] house?”), and open and close with “Hello Friends” and “Goodbye Friends.”

September 28 Storytime

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (with flannel board)
Carrot & Pea by Morag Hood
Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
Craft: Coloring with crayons on butcher paper taped to the floor

Where is the Green Sheep? surrounded by felt board sheep

October 5

Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
Circle Under Berry by Carter Higgins
Perfect Square by Michael Hall
Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett
Where’s Walrus? by Steven Savage
Craft: Collage with tissue paper and glue sticks on construction paper

Book spines with Little Mouse

October 12

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Pirate Jack Gets Dressed by Nancy Raines Day (with flannel board)
There’s a Monster in This Book by Tom Fletcher
Mr. Scruff by Simon James
Some of These Are Snails by Carter Higgins
Craft: Decorating die-cut paper pumpkins with markers and crayons

storytimebooks

Pirate Jack flannel board

October 19

I Will Chomp You by Jory John and Bob Shea
Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts
Tickle Monster by Edouard Manceau (with flannel board)
Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Somewhere in the Bayou by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
Craft: Flannel board play with different shapes, colors, and sizes

Picture book covers

October 26

Sam and Dave Dig A Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Maybe… by Chris Haughton
How do you say? = ¿Cómo se dice? by Angela Dominguez
Imogene’s Antlers by David Small
I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
Craft: Dot markers, crayons, markers on butcher paper on the floor (collaborative)

Picture books, covers out, on window ledge

Storytimes I’d done plenty of before coming to SHPL, but Rhyme Time was a new program for me to lead. It’s kind of like storytime, but without books (although, I think I am going to start adding in one book each time). We do lots of songs, rhymes, fingerplay, and movement, followed by free play. I lead a lot of the songs and rhymes myself, but I also have a computer and speakers to play music. Soon, everyone will be singing and dancing along to Caspar Babypants’ “Butterfly Driving A Truck”!

I start every Rhyme Time with the same three songs:

“Hello Friends” song
Hello song (“We clap and sing hello…”)
The Name Song (“If your name is _____, jump up and down”). This is great because each child gets their moment in the spotlight (if they want it – some just sit on laps and that’s fine!) and it creates a sense of community, helping us all get to know each other.

Then we do a selection of these songs/rhymes with movement and fingerplay. Some of them are on my song cubes (homemade tissue-box creations with a different picture on each side, corresponding to a song, like a teapot for “I’m A Little Teapot” or a spider for “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.” Because these are short little songs, we sometimes do them three times: regular/fast/slow or regular/loud/quiet.

“The Wheels on the Bus”
“Shake Your Sillies Out” (Raffi)
“Five Green and Speckled Frogs”
“Row, row, row your boat”
“If You’re Happy and You Know It”
“Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes“
“Where Is Thumbkin?”
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
“I’m A Little Teapot”
“The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”
“The ABCs”
“I Had A Little Turtle”
“Open Shut Them”
“The Kookaburra Song”
“Zoom zoom zoom, we’re going to the moon”
“We Are the Dinosaurs“
The Party Freeze Dance Song
Caspar Babypants songs (“Stompy the Bear,” “Butterfly Driving A Truck,” “Bookworm” etc.)

We end with two goodbye songs:

Goodbye song (“We clap goodbye like this…”)
“Goodbye Friends“

If the weather is nice (or, okay, decent) and we’re outside, I bring out sidewalk chalk and balls for the kiddos to play with. If we’re inside, it’s parachute and bubbles. This gives everyone a chance to move around and socialize.

Toddlers drawing with chalk

Back to storytime!

September 21, 2023September 21, 2023 Jenny1 Comment

Child's legs and feet, standing on a smiling ladybug drawn in chalk

This month I returned to public libraries and am really enjoying being a children’s librarian again, serving kids and their caregivers with book recommendations, weekly storytimes and rhyme times, arts and crafts, and all those “did you know…?” hidden gems that the library offers, like the OpenDyslexic font built into Libby.

I’m especially thrilled to be doing storytimes again. I’ve modeled my current program on the “Step Into Storytime” I did at the Winchester (MA) Public Library, which was aimed at two- and three-year-olds and their siblings and caregivers. I don’t intentionally choose themes (although three of today’s five books involved elephants), and I lead off with the longest book, as attention spans tend to wane over time.

Here’s my storytime format, with today’s books and activities as an example:

Welcome, introduction
Early literacy tip: the five ECRR practices (TALK, SING, READ, WRITE, PLAY) all support children’s early literacy skills
“Hello Friends” (Jbrary) with ASL
- Teach/review signs for “hello” and “friends”
There’s A Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins
Oh, No! By Candace Fleming
A Kiss Like This by Mary Murphy
“Little Mouse” game with flannel board (“Little mouse, little mouse, are you in the [color] house?”)
A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes with flannel board (today it just so happened that there were five kids, and I have five elephants! So they each got to hold one the whole time, and stick them to the board at the end)
Now by Antoinette Portis
“Goodbye Friends” (Jbrary)
- Teach/review signs for “goodbye” and “friends”
Craft: Rubber stamps and stamp pads on construction paper

Last week’s books were Mina by Matthew Forsythe, Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda, Pete’s A Pizza by William Steig, Matilda’s Cat by Emily Gravett, and Lots of Dots by Craig Frazier. Books that have interactive elements, like Huff & Puff, or can be made interactive (like pretending to roll out dough and sprinkle cheese for Pete’s A Pizza) are great for holding the attention of little ones and the engagement of adult caregivers as well, who can help the littles with the actions, improving large and fine motor skills.

Picture books Mina, Huff & Puff, Pete's A Pizza, Matilda's Cat, and Lots of Dots in front of a flannel board set up with Little Mouse

Books we read the first week of September were The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson, Spots in a Box by Helen Ward, Triangle by Mac Barnett, and Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer. Both Jumperee and Triangle were checked out afterward, which I take as a mark of success; I always tell families that they are welcome to borrow anything I read aloud at storytime.

As it’s September, one batch of kids has just started preschool or kindergarten, so the storytime regulars are on the younger side; lots of them come to Rhyme Time also (more on that later). I’ve been pulling from my list of great books to share with two- and three-year-olds, as well as newer picture books (I made that list in 2019). I’ve also been keeping crafts basic and process-oriented: so far, we’ve used dobbers/dotters (“do-a-dot art sponge tip applicators”), glue sticks, and rubber stamps – all washable and nontoxic, of course.

What are your favorite read-aloud books to share with littles? Favorite arts and crafts?

Reading down the TBR piles

September 21, 2023 Jenny1 Comment

Cover image of The 500 Million Dollar Heist What does my fall reading lineup look like? Well, in addition to my usual reading (whatever I hear about from friends, see on library displays, or discover via publisher or bookstore emails), I’ve been working my way through this year’s MCBA books, because I’d like to help promote those titles at the library, and the best way for me to hand-sell a book is if I’ve read it myself. The Jones Library in Amherst gave out copies of a handy bookmark with all the titles; so far I’ve read 14 and a half of the 25 books.

Cover image of A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat I’m serving on the SLJ Best Books committee for Graphic Novels, which means reading…wait for it…more graphic novels! There are over 20 on the list and each of us will read at least 18. I’d already read several when the editors gave us the list, and I’m catching up on the others.

I’m also slated to write three picture book columns for the MSLA Forum this year, with the first one due out this fall. I’m deciding between picture book biographies and picture books that include recipes…stay tuned.

I’m still reviewing picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, and YA for SLJ and Kirkus; those don’t always appear on my LibraryThing account. And I just beta-read a short sci-fi novel for a friend (it was great! Hoping to see it in bookstores in the future).

TBR pile of 10 books

Last of all…it’s always last…my TBR pile, i.e. books I own or have been lent. These don’t have library due dates, so they have been sitting and waiting for some time (except for the two standing vertically in the photo – those I plan to re-read). But I collected them all in one place so that I’ll make an effort to get to them before the end of the year! (Especially as The 1619 Project was a holiday gift last year…or possibly two years ago…)

What’s lurking on your TBR?

Mid-year reading round-up

July 5, 2023 Jenny1 Comment

I’ve read just over 280 books so far this year; here are the standouts in each category (extra-extra standouts are in bold). Hat tip to the Carle Museum for their incredible exhibits; that’s where I learned about Claire Nivola, and got to see some of Micha Archer’s work from Snow Horses up close. Many of the books below also received ALA Youth Media Awards medals or honors; I always add a lot of those books to my to-read list after the YMA at the end of January.

Key: GN = graphic novel, NF = nonfiction

Picture books

Telling Stories Wrong by Giovanni Rodari, illus. Beatrice Alemagna
On This Airplane by Lourdes Heuer, illus. Sara Palacios
Three Little Vikings by Bethan Woollvin
Little Houses by Kevin Henkes
Somewhere in the Bayou by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
Snow Horses by Micha Archer
A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis (NF)
Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, illus. Charlene Chua
The Tower of Life by Chana Stiefel, illus. Susan Gal (NF)
My Hands Tell A Story by Kelly Starling Lyons, illus. Tonya Engel
Six Dots by Jen Bryant, illus. Boris Kulikov (NF)
Listen by Shannon Stocker, illus. Devon Holzwarth (NF)
The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt by Riel Nason, illus. Byron Eggenschwiler
Dim Sum, Here We Come! by Maple Lam
Evergreen by Matthew Cordell
That Flag by Tameka Brown Fryer, illus. Nikkolas Smith
Locomotive by Brian Floca
We Don’t Lose Our Class Goldfish by Ryan T. Higgins
Nell Plants A Tree by Anne Wynter, illus. Daniel Miyares
Dogku by Andrew Clements (poetry)
The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton, illus. Tony Persiani (NF)
The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker (wordless)
Night in the City by Julie Downing
Juneteenth by Van G. Garrett, illus. Reginald C. Adams and Samson Bimbo Adenugba
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom, illus. Steph Littlebird
The Fire of Stars by Kirsten Larson, illus. Katherine Roy
A Bed of Stars by Jessica Love
How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen, illus. Lenny Wen
Elisabeth by Claire A. Nivola
Where Is Bina Bear? by Mike Curato
Whose Egg Is That? by Darrin Lunde, illus. Kelsey Oseid (NF)

Early readers

Arlo & Pips by Elise Gravel (GN)
Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey

Middle Grade

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
Killer Underwear Invasion by Elise Gravel (GN, NF)
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn (GN)
Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler (GN)
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang (GN)
Wildoak by C.C. Harrington
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson (Newbery Award Winner)
Three Strike Summer by Skyler Schrempp
Three Thieves series by Scott Chantler (GN)
The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat (GN)
Tuesdays at the Castle series by Jessica Day George
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones
Finally Seen by Kelly Yang
The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir (GN)
Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One by Maggie Horne
School Trip by Jerry Craft (GN)
Odder by Katherine Applegate (novel in verse)
Hoops by Matt Tavares (GN)
Mihi Ever After by Tae Keller
Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson
Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker, illus. Matthew Cordell
Bea and the New Deal Horse by L.M. Elliott
The Doll People by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin
Alone by Megan E. Freeman (MCBA winner)
Stand on the Sky by Erin Bow
Hidden by Loic Dauvillier (GN)
The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Code Red by Joy McCullough

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (GN)
For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven
We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester
Hidden Powers by Jeannine Atkins
Enter the Body by Joy McCullough
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
One Last Shot by Kip Wilson
The Roof Over Our Heads by Nicole Kronzer
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Adult

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung (NF)
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

And that’s it for the first half of 2023. Which books are your favorites so far this year?

Success stories: great read-alouds for K-3

June 26, 2023June 27, 2023 JennyLeave a comment

There’s a big difference between reading a picture book to yourself, reading it with one other person, and reading it to/with a group. (If you frequently read aloud to children and you haven’t already read Megan Dowd Lambert’s Reading Picture Books With Children, I highly recommend it for making your storytimes more interactive and engaging.) Without further ado, here are some of the picture books that worked incredibly well at my school this year, for students in kindergarten through third grade:

Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat: Because this is a choose-your-own-adventure book, you can read it several times with the same group (and they will ask for it again and again!). Every time a choice comes up, I read both choices and ask them to vote. This works with upper elementary as well as with the younger grades.
Don’t Hug Doug by Carrie Finison and Daniel Wiseman: Cute, friendly, glasses-wearing Doug likes YOU, he just doesn’t like hugs, except under very specific circumstances (are you Doug’s mother? Is it bedtime?). Approachable Doug is the perfect character to deliver this important message about consent.
Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison and Brianne Farley: This is a rhyming delight, with the most delicious endpapers ever. Perfect for fall, just as bears like LouAnn are going into hibernation.
The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater: An autumnal, excellent execution of the buddy comedy featuring high-strung Squirrel and tolerant Bird is a funny story and a great way to explain what happens to leaves in fall. There’s a spring version, too (Don’t Touch That Flower!)
A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall and Vera Brosgol: The witch main character and the frogs she tries to add to her soup are perfect for around Halloween time, and “PUT the FROGS on the SPOON” may become a mantra.
Triangle/Square/Circle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: These three books, as a group, worked beautifully when kindergarteners were learning about shapes, and they are just fantastic to read aloud; they don’t get old, and the characters’ feelings and dilemmas are easy for the kids to understand and empathize with.
That’s Not My Name by Anoosha Syed: This is great for the beginning of the year when everyone is learning each other’s name. Most kids can relate to the experience of having someone mispronounce your name or call you the wrong name, and they know the feeling; this book encourages them to insist on being called the right name the right way, and take the time to do the same for others.
I Want My Hat Back/This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen: Yes, more Klassen, but these two books are brilliant for all ages. Ask the kids what happened at the end; their inferences may surprise you.
How to Apologize by David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka: Straightforward, kid-friendly language and funny illustrations present an important lesson in a humorous and impactful way. A good one for the beginning of the year, or any time.
Hot Dog by Doug Salati: This year’s Caldecott winner was popular not just during our Mock Caldecott unit in January, but kids have been asking me to borrow it since then – it clearly stayed with them.
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise: A Caldecott honor book that was also included in our Mock Caldecott unit (it got the most votes in our school), Knight Owl features absolutely beautiful art, an adorable hero, and a solution involving pizza.
Somewhere in the Bayou by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey: “Smack! Splash!” This book is built on pattern, repetition, onomatopoeia, surprise, and empathy. It was fantastically popular in our Mock Caldecott, and so fun to read aloud – it truly doesn’t get old.
How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen and Lenny Wen: This has strong appeal on three levels: first, there’s the seek-and-find element (a heart on each page); next, the cultural representation; and finally, the way it opens a discussion of how we show love in our own families. Every single class I read this book with (first through third grade) came up with a whole list, with nearly every kid contributing, and some adding more than one idea.
Sam and Dave Dig A Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen: Yes, Barnett/Klassen again. The kids absolutely freak out as Sam and Dave remain oblivious to the “spectacular” pink gems they bypass as they dig. Kids notice that the dog knows where they should be digging, though, and they love comparing the front and end spreads to spot the differences.
Bathe the Cat by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts: Pure good fun; the kids catch on quickly as the family’s to-do list gets more and more ridiculous. Great representation, too, of a mixed-race family with two dads.
How Do Dinosaurs… by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague: These rhyming stories are classics for a reason. I like …Learn to Read and …Go to School for the relevant educational setting. Many kids will already be familiar with this series, if not these specific titles, and they’re usually happy to see and hear them again.
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein: The idea and the execution are equally good, the humor is spot-on, and the two sequels maintain the quality of the original (when you store your cookies in a clock, it’s always cookie time!).
Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang and Charlene Chua: Kids identify with Amy’s problem, and even if the word “bao” is unfamiliar, nearly every culinary tradition has a version of dumplings (knish, empanada, pierogies, etc.). Amy finally figures out the solution to her problem, and her loving, supportive family (including pink-haired grandma and adorable white kitten) is right there with her.
A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis: I think this is what’s called “deceptively simple,” but it’s brilliant in its simplicity. It ties in with K/1st curriculum when they study plants, and there’s an opportunity to build in movement: start in a crouch as a seed, grow up toward the sky/ceiling, branch arms for leaves and blossoms, and gently fall back down.
The Adventures of Beekle by Dan Santat: This Caldecott winner uses color effectively to show an (un)imaginary friend’s journey into the real world. (See also: Real to Me by Minh Lê and Raissa Figueroa)
Don’t Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller: A little Black girl loves her hair, but doesn’t love when other people touch it without asking. She tries running away from the problem, but eventually uses her voice to set boundaries.
Oh, No! by Candace Fleming: Effective use of repetition encourages students to participate in the chorus (“oh, no!”) as one animal after another falls into a pit, then cheer for their eventual escape as the meaning of the final “oh, no” shifts.

Do you have any knock-em-out-of-the-park read-alouds? Please share in the comments!

MSLA 2023: Gear Up: Moving Forward Together (Day 1)

March 20, 2023 JennyLeave a comment

The annual Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) conference was in-person again this year for the first time in a few years. The conference committee, sponsors and vendors (especially Odyssey Bookshop, which also put together the author panel), presenters, and venue all did a wonderful job putting together two very full days of learning and creating the opportunity for connections among colleagues, who are so often siloed in our own buildings, to share ideas and resources.

Here are recaps of the sessions I attended. I’ll try to keep it concise!

Sunday Keynote: Librarians as Leaders in DEIB, Lawrence Q. Alexander II

Photo of slide with text — “Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action. Belonging is an outcome.” -Arthur Chan

Alexander spoke engagingly on the topic of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and the value proposition of a culturally inclusive curriculum. “It’s not enough to fly the flags, wave the banners, make the statements” – school districts must have policies that support DEIB, accountability, and money in the budget to support it. Alexander listed four questions students might ask about their school environment: “Do you see me? Do you hear me? Will you treat me fairly? Will you protect me?” Can students bring their full selves to school and feel welcomed, valued, and safe? (Think of the “Circles of My Multicultural Self” exercise.)

Alexander explained why it’s important to talk about race in schools: “When we ban dimensions of identity, when we ban books, we ban students. When we say that conversations are not important, we say that students and families are unimportant…Where can a student learn when they cannot fully be themselves?” He cited Batts, Capitman, and Brown’s Multicultural Processes of Change, from monoculturalism to pluralism. Reflection questions for faculty and administrators include: (1) Who feels at home here? (2) Who feels like they’re just visiting? (3) Who feels tolerated?

Alexander encouraged us to consider: “Where is our community on this continuum? What will it take to move us forward? Who do we need on our team to advance this work?” and concluded with the three dimensions of change for individuals and organizations: cognitive, affective, and behavioral – with a warning not to jump directly into behavioral changes without doing the cognitive and affective work first.

Medium Matters: Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom, Liza Halley

Cover image of Comics: Easy As ABC The brilliant Liza, who insists she is not an expert on comics (but who is totally an expert on comics, and is also an excellent teacher) started us off with a variety of hands-on activities to choose from, as part of her presentation on how to teach comics/graphic novels in school, and how to get teachers, administrators, and parents on board (because GRAPHIC NOVELS ARE REAL BOOKS; this is supported by research).

“This is the gateway for students to become avid readers. Do not shame kids for reading what they want! We want to grow lifelong readers. We want them to be excited to pick out a book.”

Liza shared teaching materials, sample lessons, research, and resources (see her Medium Matters site for more resources). Each year, she teaches a three- or four-week unit to all her students (K-5) on graphic novels, and she showed us some examples of assignments and student work. She also writes about the topic on the MSLA Forum Newsletter (like this piece from February 2022). I’m excited to borrow many of Liza’s ideas and collaborate with the art teacher at my school to design a comics unit for at least one grade this year, and more next year!

Building Research Consistency K-12, Dr. Georgina Trebbe

Research K-12 mindset slide from Dr. Trebbe's presentation — Research K-12 Mindset

Dr. Trebbe is “passionate about information literacy” and has spent much of her career and education on it. In this session, she took us through the steps of building a research plan, from “pre-search” to the “a-ha moment” to developing a thesis statement (the “rudder” that steers the research) and questions (the “oars” that propel research forward); considering lenses (e.g. political, social, environmental, ethical), developing sub-research questions, recognizing multiple perspectives, creating an outline, identifying keywords and key phrases, selecting resources, recording information, and reporting. Reporting doesn’t need to be a paper or a report: it could be in the form of a board game, a comic, a quiz, a timeline, a diorama, a speech, or more. Throughout her presentation, Dr. Trebbe used two examples, one for elementary (beavers) and one for secondary (Puritan hysteria over witchcraft). She also described how to build citation awareness: young students can identify the title, author, illustrator, and publication date of a resource, and “gradually build appreciation for the creativity of others.”

Middle Grade Booktalks, Laura Gardner

One of Laura's realistic fiction slides, with book covers face out on a shelf — One of the 80+ slides

When Dartmouth Middle School librarian (and Newbery committee member!) Laura said she was going to talk about 50 books (during her allotted 50 minutes), I was pretty sure it was some sort of verbal typo, but it was not. She shared her collection of 80+ slides that she created during remote schooling and has continued to maintain because some students like using it. (Books with blue stars are novels in verse; in her library, these are shelved together, and it’s a very popular collection.) She focused on realistic fiction, mysteries, sports, survival, animals, graphic novels, historical fiction, and nonfiction, quickly highlighting appeal factors of dozens of titles: a unique setting, a compelling main character, a strong hook, interesting conflict, and any awards or honors the book has won. I spoke with Laura briefly after her presentation, and she encouraged me to copy her slides and adapt them for my library, which I would love to do…on a smaller scale, and over time. This is not a project to be done overnight!

Teaching Students Why Media Literacy is Important, Colleen Simpson

Colleen Simpson's slide of essential understandings for the course — Essential Understandings for the course (slide)

Middle school library media specialist Colleen Simpson teaches a six-week unit for eighth grade students guided by two essential questions: (1) Why is media literacy important for citizens in today’s democracy? (2) What role do individuals play as digital citizens? This course covers several of the DESE frameworks for Digital Literacy and Computer Science. Students complete a First Amendment project on a topic of their choice (Colleen showed examples of student work).

“To be news literate is to build knowledge, think critically, act civilly and participate in the democratic process” -Robert R. McCormick Foundation

Resources:

The final event of the day was the author panel, organized by Odyssey, and moderated by yours truly (thus, not nearly so many notes). Here are the panelists, followed by their most recent (or soon-to-be-released) book in parentheses:

Cover image of On Air with Zoe Washington

Janae Marks (On Air with Zoe Washington)
Hannah Moushabeck (Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine)
Jeannine Atkins (Hidden Powers: Lise Meitner’s Call to Science)
Sarah Prager (Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders)
Charnaie Gordon (Lift Every Voice and Change: A Sound Book: A Celebration of Black Leaders and the Words that Inspire Generations) (Charnaie also has a new book coming out in October, in collaboration with Roda Ahmed, author of Mae Among the Stars. I am so excited for this!)

I asked the panelists about their inspiration (how did you come to write this book, at this time), their research process, collaboration with illustrators, and important takeaway messages. Regarding the latter, Jeannine said: “Take time to find small beauties in life.” Charnaie: “Be kind to one another. Show empathy.” Sarah: “LGBTQ+ people have been here throughout history.” Janae: “There’s always hope. Anyone of any age has the power to make change.” Hannah: “It’s the first Palestinian picture book [by a Palestinian author] in 30 years.”

Whew, and that’s a wrap on Day 1. Notes on Day 2 coming soon!

ALA Youth Media Awards 2023

January 30, 2023 JennyLeave a comment

Cover image of Hot Dog — What a day for a dog!

Last year, I followed the ALA YMA on Twitter while preparing to teach seventh graders online research skills; the year before, I watched in my pajamas with my five-year-old on my lap. This year, I missed the beginning of the livestream, but the timing worked out so that a third grade class was in the library when the Caldecott awards were announced, and they were so excited!

As I watched not just the Caldecotts but all the other awards roll in, it struck me more than any previous year how many deserving books there are. Not that I disagree with the committees’ choices – plenty of books I cheered for, others I hadn’t read – but there are just so. many. good. books in any given year! And because I was on this year’s Heavy Medal committee (Mock Newbery) and ran a Mock Caldecott program at my school, I was more attuned than usual to award predictions.

So rather than recap today’s winners, I’m going to list a few middle grade and picture books I think could have gotten awards, and just happened not to, but are still wonderful and you should read them:

Middle grade:

A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Violet and Jobie in the Wild by Lynne Rae Perkins
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff
Where the Sky Lives by Margaret Dilloway
The Insiders by Mark Oshiro
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternak
A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser

Cover image of the Ogress and the Orphans

Picture Books

Mina by Matthew Forsythe
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, illustrated by Daniel Minter
Sweet Justice by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Vera Brosgol
I Don’t Care by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal
Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Dan Santat
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Snow Horses by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Micha Archer

Squirrels that turn out to be cats, magic doors that lead to a refuge and friendship, a Mars rover with human emotions, a choose-your-own-adventure fairytale, escaping frogs, an unsung civil rights hero, some beautiful collage, and more – there’s something for everyone, and awards are only a piece of it all. Congratulations to all authors and illustrators who put something out into the world in 2022; readers are grateful.