Catherine Newman at Odyssey Bookshop

October 29, 2025 Jenny1 Comment

When I discover an author I love, I will follow them across genres, formats, intended audiences…anywhere they go. Back in January 2024, I read We All Want Impossible Things with my book group, and loved it, so I went poking around to see what else this author had written. I found her middle grade novel One Mixed-Up Night, in which two kids, inspired by From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, hatch a plan to spend the night in an IKEA, and I loved that too. Then in July 2024, Sandwich made me laugh-cry and read so many parts aloud that my partner said to stop, he’d read the whole book himself (he did). And then I discovered Newman had also co-written a how-to book called Stitch Camp, which my kid and I both read, and two more how-to books for kids, How to Be A Person and What Do I Say? There are two more adult memoirs, Waiting for Birdy and Catastrophic Happiness, that I should probably pick up as well, and I’m eagerly awaiting my library copy of Wreck, the book Newman read from last night at Odyssey Bookshop (the event was organized by Odyssey, but as you can see from the photo, it was held in a nearby church to accommodate the size of the audience).

That’s how life is. You don’t yet know who you’ll become. -Catherine Newman, Wreck

Newman is a wonderful speaker, and if you’ve read her books (and her newsletter, Crone Sandwich), it’s hard not to feel as though you know her (in that admittedly parasocial way). She relayed a funny anecdote from that morning’s experience on Good Morning America (“Is that your hair? ….Great, great”) and read two sections from Wreck, followed by a Q&A. Audience members asked about her writing and outlining process, the semi-autobiographical quality of her writing, what she liked to read (Cammie McGovern, Lily King, and Samantha Irby), whether she read a lot as a kid (“Of course I read a lot as a kid. I mean didn’t we all? The nerdiest nerds”), and whether she might ever write more middle grade fiction (maybe, but One Mixed-Up Night didn’t sell as well as she hoped, and now she doesn’t spend as much time with middle grade kids, since hers are older, so…maybe not. But we can hope! I’ve got a ten-year-old she can borrow for research purposes…).

Fall (and Summer) Standouts

October 15, 2025 Jenny1 Comment

Back in early April I wrote about my “spring standouts,” books published in 2025 that I’d read and thought were stellar. I think I’d intended to write another in the summer and another in fall, so when it was time for my annual wrap-up, I’d have these to look back on…but here we are in mid-October. Whoops! All titles below were published in 2025 unless otherwise indicated (there are a few I couldn’t resist including).

Picture Books

Anything by Rebecca Stead and Gracey Zhang: A book about a child who didn’t want to move, and a dad who makes their new apartment home.
We Are the Wibbly by Sarah Tagholm and Jane McGuinness: Hands-down the funniest picture book of the year. Also, it contains enough information about the frog life cycle that SLJ reviewed it as “nonfiction,” although it has an awful lot of talking tadpoles to meet that bar.
Worm Makes A Sandwich by Brianne Farley: Oh, earnest worm! Adjust your definition of “make” and also the time you think it takes to make a sandwich, but what delicious results.
Ten Beautiful Things by Molly Beth Griffin and Maribel Lechuga: On a drive to a new home, adult and child find ten beautiful things along the way – a balance to the implied grief of losing a loved one.
Hurricane by Jason Chin: Chin’s watercolor illustrations are always outstanding, and here they’re in service to what it’s like for a community to prepare for, experience, and recover from a hurricane. Powerful, and packed with information and touching details.
Where Are You, Bronte? by Tomie de Paola and Barbara McClintock: Tomie left the manuscript; Barbara’s illustrations honor Tomie (and Bronte) perfectly.
Some of Us by Rajani LaRocca and Huy Voun Lee: “Some of us are born here. Some of us choose.” A radiant book on what it means to be a citizen.
Bear Is A Bear by Jonathan Stutzman and Dan Santat (2021): Somehow I missed this when it first came out; loyal library visitors recommended it to me and I’m so glad they did. Some special objects travel from generation to generation.
The Music Inside Us by James Howe and Jack Wong: A biography of cellist Yo-Yo Ma that is appealing and approachable for kids; after we read it, we watched a few of the videos mentioned (his first visit to the White House, his appearances on Sesame Street and Mister Rogers).
A Fall Day for Bear by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton: Bear and Mouse (small and gray and…not so bright eyed?!) return, but their roles are reversed, keeping this beloved series fresh.
The Pink Pajamas by Charlene Chua: A story about family, grief, and passing skills along.
Five Little Friends by Sean Taylor: Essential for storytimes, especially baby storytimes! Excellent, participatory rhymes.
If You Make A Call on A Banana Phone by Gideon Sterer and Emily Hughes: One thing leads to another in this imaginative work; fans of Charlie & Mouse will recognize the art.
Cat Nap by Brian Lies: A cat-and-mouse chase like you’ve never seen before. A note from the artist explains his respect for traditional, physical media, and how he learned each different medium to make the book, from stained glass to woodworking, sculpture to oil paint.
The 13th Day of Christmas by Adam Rex: Didn’t you ever wonder who that song was about? Now we know.

Middle Grade

How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico: Sure, lots of people talk to plants…but sometimes, the plants talk back.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman: A lonely undead fox guides other spirits through to their next stages, but is reluctant to pass through himself. Spooky, philosophical, and somehow cozy too; I would not be surprised or upset if this got some Newbery attention.
Batcat: Cooking Contest by Meggie Ramm: I love Batcat and Al so much. This time, they participate in a cooking contest at a fall festival.
Candle Island by Lauren Wolk: A mother and daughter move to an island – a terrible place to keep secrets.
Oddball Histories: Spices & Spuds by Andy Warner: This informative graphic novel finally explains why salt and pepper were so darn important that countries were willing to invade and colonize for them.
So Over Sharing by Elissa Brent Weissman: This book couldn’t really have existed before the age of “influencers,” but its story of two daughters of “momfluencers” joining forces to make themselves heard is timely – and shows that sometimes, kids are savvier about privacy than adults are.
The Trouble With Heroes by Kate Messner: This novel in verse tackles all 46 Adirondack peaks, 9/11, and it has cookie recipes. And the dog is okay.
Into the Bewilderness by Gus Gordon: This charming, offbeat graphic novel is a classic grumpy/sunshine buddy comedy.
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell: An orphan gloomy about her fate lands in a surprisingly magical place, where girls learn all kinds of useful skills and solve mysteries and crimes in their city. An absolute delight.
How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Miyares: Daniel’s main character here is his own father during Carlos’ childhood in Cuba, as Fidel Castro takes over and many people decide to flee. A sentence or two of historical context precedes each chapter, giving readers just enough to understand the story.
The Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel Nayeri: An unusual WWII-era story set in Iran in 1941, with a fiercely devoted pair of siblings and a Jewish refugee at its center, and a theme of communication between people.
Dory Fantasmagory: Center of the Universe by Abby Hanlon: Dory joins a soccer team, and it goes exactly how you’d expect. Dory hasn’t lost any steam in her seventh book, and I laughed out loud more than once. Everyone in my family fought to be the first to read this one.
A World Without Summer by Nicholas Day: I loved last year’s The Mona Lisa Vanishes, and this one is even better because of the way it connects the climate shock caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 to the climate change of today. The author’s style is quick and direct, and the tangents/B-plots are fascinating, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to the velocipede to the naming of clouds and the study of weather.
Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate: In WWI, some soldiers carried “pocket bears,” tiny companions to keep them company. In the home of modern-day Ukrainian refugees, Pocket Bear and other toys find a new lease on life and new homes. Poignant without being saccharine.
The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell: This sequel (of a planned five-book arc) to Impossible Creatures is satisfyingly Shakespearean; Christopher Forrester returns from the first book to assist Princess Anya, and the dragons.
Rialto by Kate Milford (2026): Anxiety, amusement parks, a treasure hunt, a mystery; this is a brilliant stand-alone, but devoted fans will notice many little nods to earlier Milford books (especially The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book).

Young Adult

The Judgment of Yoyo Gold by Isaac Blum (2024): Orthodox Jewish communities plus forbidden social media makes for a deeply relatable story.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins: At last, Haymitch’s (bleak) story is revealed.
Dan in Green Gables by Rey Terciero: An irrepressible gay teen is dropped by his mother with grandparents he’s never met, and makes the best of a new situation, inspiring change in others and learning to be a bit more flexible as he does so. Joyful.
Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman (2019): An incredibly well-researched deep dive into the brothers’ friendship and struggles, and the importance of Vincent’s sister-in-law in preserving his paintings and legacy.
Scarlet Morning by ND Stevenson: Viola and Wilmur brave the peculiar dangers of their salt-encrusted world, adventuring with pirates and learning that the stories they grew up on are, in fact, still ongoing. Richly imagined; I want part two immediately.

Adult

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher: This ensemble adventure quest is a perfect and deeply satisfying example of a heroine’s journey (see below).
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson: What if half-siblings started showing up out of the woodwork, and teamed up to hunt down a missing parent?
The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger: Many readers and writers are familiar with the hero’s journey – but there’s another way of storytelling with completely different values and beats.
Time Loops and Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau: I do love a time loop romance. This one is cleverly done.
The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater: Stiefvater’s first adult book (she’s been writing YA for years) knocks it out of the park, with a WWII-era story set in Appalachia, where a resort hotel is converted to hold Axis diplomats until they can be swapped to bring their Allied counterparts home.
The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas: With this speculative premise, Rose’s life fractures into nine different timelines when she argues with her husband over (not) taking prenatal vitamins.
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks: Without the rituals of religion, the process of grieving is often shunted aside by the paperwork of death and the logistics of funeral planning. Years after her husband’s death, Brooks takes herself far away to grieve properly.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna: Another heroine’s journey with a cozy magical ensemble cast (see also: The Teller of Small Fortunes, The House on the Cerulean Sea)
Dinner With King Tut by Sam Kean: Experimental archaeology seeks to learn about the past through hands-on experience: making and using tools to better understand the peoples of other times and places. Fascinating.
The Art of Ramona Quimby by Anna Katz (2020): This is technically an adult book…about children’s books. It’s the most riveting “coffee table book” I’ve ever read: a nostalgic trip through each book about Ramona Quimby and her family, presenting and comparing how each illustrator chose to represent the characters and scenes.

The Heavy Medal and Calling Caldecott blogs are ramping up in preparation for youth book award season in January; I’m sure there will be more noteworthy books between now and the end of December. What have you read so far this year that you think more people should know about?

Quotes from 2026 Heavy Medal contenders

September 24, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

There are 96 suggested titles for SLJ’s Mock Newbery blog, Heavy Medal. Steven Engelfried challenged readers to find “words on the page” that demonstrated this year’s books’ excellence; here are some quotes I pulled from books eligible for the 2026 Newbery. Many are about grief, but they also touch on joy, friendship, and art.

From BAD BADGER by Maryrose Wood:
Perhaps friendship was like that. Perhaps a never-ending parade of misunderstandings was to be expected. Perhaps there was always a sense of mystery about the ones we care for, no matter how fond we are, or how well we imagine we know them. (page 29)

From THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES by Kate Messner:
The nightmares never leave. They never fade.
And heroes aren’t allowed to be afraid. (page 153)

From CANDLE ISLAND by Lauren Wolk:
Some things required solitude.
Some things could be strangled by the idea of an audience, even one on its feet, applauding. (page 62)

From DAN IN GREEN GABLES by Ray Terciero:
“How do you do that? Go from Depeche Mode-depression to total joy in a few seconds?”
“Happiness is a revolution, one that everyone has a right to enjoy. But sometimes? You have to work really hard at it. Especially if it doesn’t come naturally.” (page 73)

(This one’s also got some fantastically funny, snappy dialogue, like Mawmaw asking “What’s an ascot?” and Dan replying “What’s a succotash?”)

From WEIRD SAD AND SILENT by Alison McGhee:
Instead of visualizing, I’ve decided to call it futurizing. The future has not yet come. But I’m working on it. (page 3)

From INTO THE RAPIDS by Ann Braden:
How can I be so quick to understand that death can happen to anyone at any time, while simultaneously not being able to think about what it could have been like if someone hadn’t died? (pages 38-39)

From THE UNDEAD FOX OF DEADWOOD FOREST by Aubrey Hartman:
Mushrooms were not like animals or trees. They were soft and fragile, and they did not accept abuse: They stayed in the world only as long as it was gentle with them. (page 232)

From 13 WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE by Kate Fussner:
I’m afraid to move forward without her, to become someone she’ll never know. (page 200)

Quotes from Books, XIII

September 10, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

Are you familiar with the sacred practice of florilegia? I wasn’t, until I started listening to the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast (yes, I’m extremely late to that particular party. The podcast started in 2015 and I just started listening to it last year; I’m currently in the middle of the fifth book, in May 2019. The pandemic hasn’t happened yet). In florilegia, readers choose bits of a text that “sparkle” at them – “sparklets” – and put them in conversation with each other to gain a deeper meaning. The way Casper and Vanessa do it, each chooses one sentence or fragment, and they read them together, first in one order, then in the other. I’ve always thought of these quotes I pulled out as separate from each other, but reading them in pairs does prove interesting. The quotes below are from books I read between late May through early July of this year. They come from picture books, graphic novels, fiction and nonfiction.

“It gets a bit tirin’, tryin’ to prove yourself to others. Some people are just never gonna see you the way you want to be seen, y’know? I reckon it’s best to please yourself first, and the ones who love you will get it.” (A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill)
I don’t know what it is / that makes people want / to destroy things / they don’t understand. (Neshama by Marcella Pixley)
The logical extension of objectification is dehumanization. (Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert)
“Our whole lives are this weird performance for the approval of strangers.” (So Over Sharing by Elissa Brent Weissman)
…every wish seemed to carve out a bigger hole in him, where more wanting could go. (Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol)
For our heroine, friendship and found family signify safety, and safety is better than glory. (The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger)
And for the rest of the night, it was as if she held a sugar cube in her mouth, a slow, constant melt of sweetness. (Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas)
It’s amazing how many possibilities there are in a single day. (Time Loops and Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau)
Humanity finds a way. Sometimes it finds that way over and over and over again. (Brief Histories of Everyday Objects by Andy Warner)
Maybe the things a person noticed were a big part of who a person was. (Ella Josephine, Resident in Charge by Nina LaCour)

And a bonus from Vera Brosgol: “Our smallest actions ripple through the world without us ever knowing the full consequences.”

See previous Quotes from Books blog posts here.

Storytime Gold: Toddler and preschool read-alouds

August 7, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

It’s a funny thing that it can be much harder to write something short than something long. To tell a story as concisely as possible, you have to cut everything unnecessary. I haven’t counted, but I’d bet most of these books clock in at well under 500 words, and that’s just perfect for young ones, especially at library storytimes (their individual attention spans might be longer in a quieter environment at home).

Rhyming is a plus (Jamberry, Some Bugs, There’s A Bear on My Chair, etc.), concepts are good (The Very Hungry Caterpillar introduces counting, foods, and days of the week; A Seed Grows shows the life cycle of a sunflower), and a story with a pattern helps little ones follow what’s happening – and can deliver humor when the expectation established by the pattern is broken (The Giant Jumperee, Mr. Scruff). Books for littles can deal with managing feelings (The Rabbit Listened, Grumpy Pants), play with sound (Let’s Be Bees, Who Meows?), and even be interactive (Huff & Puff, There’s A __ In This Book).

Here are some of the books I reach for when I need short, captivating books for toddler and preschool storytimes:

The Rainbow Snail by Karin Akesson
Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
Marta! Big and Small by Jen Arena
Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
Roll, Roll Little Pea by Cecile Bergame
If I Was A Horse by Sophie Blackall
Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boynton
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
There’s A Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins
Jamberry by Bruce Degen
Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson
Oh, No! by Candace Fleming
There’s A ___ In This Book by Tom Fletcher
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett
Let’s Be Bees by Shawn Harris
Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton
A House by Kevin Henkes
Dig Dig Digger by Morag Hood
Mr. Scruff by Simon James
What Can A Mess Make? by Bee Johnson
Just One Flake / Just One Wave by Travis Jonker
A Cat Like That by Lester Laminack
Will Ladybug Hug? by Hilary Leung
Chicken Wants A Nap by Tracy Marchini
Ten Little Squirrels by Bill Martin, Jr.
Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer
Who Meows? by Robin Page
Mister Kitty Is Lost! by Greg Pizzoli
A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis
Somewhere in the Bayou by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
My Spring Robin by Anne Rockwell
Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda
Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant
One of These Is Not Like the Others by Barney Saltzberg
One Little Blueberry by Tammi Salzano
Pete’s A Pizza by William Steig
Goose by Laura Wall
Spots in a Box by Helen Ward
Hello Hello by Brendan Wenzel
More, More, More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams
Hooray for Hat by Brian Won
Where’s My Nose? by Lucas Zanotti

What are your favorite books to share at preschool and toddler storytimes?

Baby Lapsit Storytime

Great Books to Share with Two- and Three-Year-Olds

Quotes from Books, XII

July 31, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

Why did I start this off in Roman numerals? I’m gonna be on real shaky ground after thirty (XXX). Fortunately there is a ways to go before then.

Once again, these quotes fall into a few natural buckets: funny/clever/sharp observations, poetic language, and theme. Quests, grief, magic…and snails’ teeth.

That’s the thing with quests, she realized. You had to get back to where you started. And then you had to keep living. (Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson)
“You’re going to be sad forever, Lucy. But that’s not all you’ll be. There’s room for much more.” (Candle Island by Lauren Wolk)
“Everyone has to learn how to do everything at some point. You don’t get extra points for learning early.” (The Things We Miss by Leah Stecher)
“One day there won’t be any difference between you, except that you’ll have forgotten all the hurtful things you said to her, and she won’t. She will remember.” (The Story of Gumluck and the Heroes by Adam Rex)
“What is the happening?!” (We Are the Wibbly by Sarah Tagholm)
The enchantment is only there because everyone believes, together. (Kaya Morgan’s Crowning Achievement by Jill Tew)
One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories. (Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett)
“Did you ever notice that everyone thinks their own life is normal, but each person’s life is so different?” (Run Away With Me by Brian Selznick)
Bereavement….happens to everyone. But you feel it alone. (H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald)
It seemed far more sensible to belong to a species that had evolved natural tooth replacement than to belong to one that had developed the dental profession. (The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey)

See earlier collections of “quotes from books” here.

Upselling in the library

July 18, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

“Upselling” is a sales term that refers to convincing customers to purchase additional items or a more expensive version of the same item. However, we can “upsell” in libraries too – and it doesn’t cost people anything! It’s just a way of promoting library materials or services that patrons may not be aware of…yet. For example:

Readers’ Advisory: Someone is moving soon, and wants some books about moving to help prepare their child(ren). I can recommend a few – and I can also walk them over to the menu of booklists I made on frequently requested topics like moving, first day of school, new baby, and big feelings. This is also a good time to mention the Book Bundle service, where patrons can fill out a form and get personalized book recommendations.
Museum Passes: If a patron is checking out books about art or natural history, or mentions that they are looking for activities for the family, ask if they know about the library’s museum pass program. Patrons can reserve museum passes from the library for discounted or free admission!
Programs: When talking with families with kids in certain age ranges, make sure they’re aware about any programs you offer for kids in that age group – for instance, baby lapsit storytime for infants, Rhyme Time and Story Time for toddlers and preschool, STEAM and graphic novel book club for elementary-age students.
E-books and Audiobooks: Do patrons know about Libby? Some parents/guardians may even be using Libby themselves for e-books and digital audiobooks, but aren’t aware that there are thousands of kids’ titles too! I make sure to mention this if a family tells me they have a road trip coming up, because audiobooks make long drives much better.
Library Network: Most public libraries belong to a consortium, a network of other libraries in the state that share materials. So, if my library doesn’t have a book, another library will lend it to us. Patrons can borrow it from their home library, return it to their home library, and the system will take care of getting the book back to its place. I use this system daily, but rather than taking it for granted, I appreciate how truly magical it is. And, with the simple but functional library app, patrons can place hold requests, see what they have checked out, renew items, and make lists.
Databases: Libraries have access to databases across a variety of topics: newspapers, language learning, test prep, even crafting! Although, with the administration’s drastic cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), database access in Massachusetts has been reduced lately.

How do you upsell in the library?

Quotes from Books, XI

June 3, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

This batch is from two years ago. The quotes from Horse, Black Bird, and Maizy Chen all seem thematically linked: when you see something wrong in the world, you can take action to help. The chipmunk joke is still one of my all-time favorites (to tell it properly, it must be accompanied by frenzied arm-waving).

Through stories we can experience a person living an entirely different life. Through stories we can experience a vast range of challenging situations and intense emotions without actually suffering from them. The best stories broaden our horizons, deepen our thinking, and spark our compassion. The best stories help us make better real-world decisions. (How to Build A Human by Pamela S. Turner)
Perhaps, after all, one’s purpose in this world was to be forgotten, not remembered. (Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson)
“That is the world as it is. If you do not like it, join me in attempting to change it. Otherwise, keep your peace.” (Horse by Geraldine Brooks)
“I can’t fix how I acted before. I can just change how I act in the future.” (Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternak)
“…it’s an honor to help someone.”
“How is it an honor?”
“When you’re in a position to help, that means you’re in a good place in your own life.” (Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee)
“Where do chipmunks go in a tornado?” “All over the place.” (Violet and Jobie in the Wild by Lynne Rae Perkins)
But we can’t pretend it didn’t happen – because when you pretend a thing didn’t happen, that means it can happen again. (Attack of the Black Rectangles by A.S. King)
Each hour of sleep is an hour of healing. (“Sleep,” Marshmallow Clouds, Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek)
It can’t go on, everyone said, but it kept going on. (Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng)
Why did I tell you so many stories? Because I wanted the world to make sense to you. I wanted to make sense of the world, for you. I wanted the world to make sense. (Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng)

What “sparklets” have jumped out at you from your reading lately?

See previous Quotes from Books here.

Chalk painting and STEAM

May 28, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

I cannot bear waste, so I’m always seeking ways to use up the last little bits of things – for example, little nubs of sidewalk chalk too small to draw with. Over school vacation week, my handy 9yo assistant happily picked all the small bits of chalk out of the bin and bashed them up (carefully) with a hammer. (She separated the chalk by color into different bags and crushed them on a piece of cardboard outside.) I funneled the colored chalk into separate containers, and waited for good weather…which arrived today! After story time, I mixed the powdered chalk with water in bowls, and we went outside to the library patio for some chalk painting. It was great fun! There’s still plenty of chalk left, so we may do this at STEAM as well later this summer.

Now that I’ve reduced STEAM time for kids ages 5-11 to a manageable frequency (twice a month instead of every week), it’s been going great. Here are some of the activities we’ve done since the program began in January:

Robot Turtles board game
Spot It! card game
Creating and decoding messages with Caesar ciphers
Penny boats (supplies: aluminum foil, watertight bins, water, about $5 in pennies)
Jigsaw puzzles
Word scrambles
Building block challenges with big and regular-size Jenga blocks
Primary color painting
3D paper snowflakes (supplies: paper, stapler/tape, scissors, yarn or ribbon)
Make Your Own Board Game
“Stained glass” luminaria (supplies: old honey or jam jars, tealights, colored tissue paper, mod-podge, brushes)
Make Your Own Tangrams (supplies: cereal boxes, Tangram template, markers/crayons, scissors, glue). This is one of my favorites, because of the way it combines art and math; I’m looking forward to doing tessellations later.
Scattergories Jr.
Origami bookmark corners
Wildflower seed bombs (supplies: clay, compost, seeds; egg cartons to transport them home)

Sometimes, we start STEAM with a book to introduce the topic, or to use as a reference during our activity. For example:

Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet (for primary color painting)
The Science of Seafaring by Anne Rooney, Big Book of Science Experiments (2011), Alpha Bravo Charlie by Sara Gillingham (for penny boats)
Maker Comics: Design A Game! by Bree Wolf (for make your own board game)
Math Lab for Kids by Rebecca Rapoport and Highlights Tangrams (for Tangrams)
Yoko’s Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells (for origami bookmarks)
Wintergarden by Janet Fox and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner (for seed bombs)

In general, this has been a fairly easy, low-budget program to run. I keep a running list of ideas, books, and materials in a google doc, and use a lot of recyclable materials (like cereal boxes or honey jars) or ones we already have (like paint and paint brushes), or share new supplies with teen programs (teens made seed bombs too).

Guest presenters occasionally lend their expertise: in early spring, an author from Northeast Wildlife visited to teach about animal tracks, scat, and food sources (lots of animals each acorns!). This summer, our regional health nurse is bringing UV bead bracelets to emphasize the importance of sun protection, and one of our library trustees, who is also a master quilter, is going to lead a session on hand-sewing and help us make a small quilt we can hang in the library. So, we’re STEAMing along!

Quotes from books, X

May 21, 2025 JennyLeave a comment

It’s been…oh dear…about three years since I posted in the “quotes from books” series, though this one (and the one following) has been sitting in my drafts folder for about that long. After a weekend of intense focus on writing, I’m looking back at these and noticing how the quotes I choose fall into three categories: something funny or clever, poetic language, or something to do with theme.

“The more questions she asked, the more questions she thought up.” (A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers)
“If this were a novel, he might simply be a poorly written character. But there are no poorly written people. Only ones you don’t yet understand.” (The Verifiers, Jane Pek)
“Grief is a language they don’t have to speak. It communicates just fine on its own.” (A Year to the Day, Robin Benway)
“And it didn’t stop being magic just because you found out how it was done.” (The Wee Free Men, Terry Pratchett)
“Who is the world designed for?” (What Can A Body Do?, Sara Hendren)
“The secret to getting people to like you / is to like yourself.” (In the Beautiful Country, Jane Kuo)
“She understood what she was supposed to think and believe, but that wasn’t the same thing as thinking and believing those things.” (A Song Called Home, Sara Zarr)
“A mother’s heroic journey is not about how she leaves, but about how she stays.” (I’ll Show Myself Out, Jessi Klein)
“True learning comes from being open to wrong answers.” (The End of the Wild, Nicole Helget)
“…her memories were all pictures without sound.” (This Time Tomorrow, Emma Straub)

I’ve been listening to old (but new-to-me) episodes of the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text lately, on a friend’s recommendation. Of all the “sacred practices” I’ve heard Vanessa and Casper use so far – lectio divina, sacred imagination, havruta, florilegia, and pardes – I’m partial to lectio divina and havruta, but when they introduced florilegia – “essentially a quote journal” – well, that’s something I’ve been doing most of my life.