Friday, March 31, 2017

School-Age: Bugs

What a perfect time of year to talk about bugs. Flowers and trees are blooming and it is starting to warm up, so bugs are everywhere!

1. Reading
I started out by reading a nonfiction book all about bugs: "The Big Book of Bugs" by Yuval Zommer. It has huge pages, beautiful (and cute) illustrations of bugs, and just enough facts to interest kids to learn more without overwhelming them. It was a great read-aloud as long as you do not go overboard. I ended up only reading a few pages and book-talking a bunch of other bug books I had pulled for the program. 




2. Discussion/Activity
Most of the discussion actually happened while we were reading the book. The kids LOVED interjecting and telling their personal stories of experiences they have had with different bugs.

After reading, I pulled out some printed pictures so we could look at bugs 'under a microscope'. Our few tries using actual microscopes at our school-age programs have not gone well. It is one thing when you have a classroom and many microscopes for each pair of kids. But sharing two or three microscopes between 15+ kids, and many of them 2nd grade or younger, is not ideal. 

SO, instead, everyone can look at the same thing, seeing a picture of a bug 'under the microscope'. I had them guess what bug was in each picture as I showed them 10 or so different print-outs. They love these sorts of guessing games.

3. Craft
I found a wonderful Very Hungry Caterpillar craft on ABC and 123. I made my own antenna and eyes for the craft. I had my teen helpers make kits for the craft to hand out. 

The kits had:
*4 green strips of paper
*1 red strip of paper
*1 pair of caterpillar eyeballs
*1 pair of caterpillar antennas
*1 large green leaf




Notes:
It went swell again and we had HUGE numbers again at our Friday morning program. We made a boatload of back-up craft kits midway through the week since I had more than anticipated at my program earlier this week too. Having those kits made prior to the program is a life-saver so I am definitely going to keep doing so in the future. Also, having back-ups is a great idea. Busy parents do not always have time to register. It makes my life a bit of a pain since I never know how many kids to expect, but it is also fun when I have huge crowds (and have enough crafts for all of them!)!

It is the last program of this Spring session so on to planning for our Summer programs! AND Summer Reading 😱!!!

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

School-Age Special Event: Peep Fest

This past weekend we did "Peep Fest" celebrating the wildly popular marshmallow treats, Peeps! It was a program that I allowed several of my teen volunteers to work on, throughout the Spring, coming up with activities/crafts (with my guidance). 

I only told them, prior to giving the planning over to them, that I envisioned the kids making catapults and using them to catapult the peeps.

1. CRAFTS
We had two crafts at our event: Catapults using jumbo popsicle sticks AND peep houses.

1a. Catapults
One of the items the teens spent time deciding on was the best type of catapult to have the school-age kids create. After trying a variety of different catapults using materials we had in the library to test with, they settled on a catapult that used jumbo craft sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons.

Materials (we made kits in baggies to hand out to the kids):
10 Jumbo Craft Sticks
6 Rubber Bands
1 Plastic Spoon



1b. Peep Houses
One of the various craft ideas that I shared with the teens was Peep houses. They tried a couple other ideas out before settling on this one, deciding it would be the easiest to do at the event. I got a great template off the internet from Say Not Sweet Anne of Little Peep Birdhouses. They were PERFECT for the event. 

I printed the templates off on grey cardstock. My teens cut them out before the event and then put them in plastic bags as kits to hand out with a strip of glue dots. The kids could color them at the Peep Houses station and then put them together.



2. ACTIVITIES
The teens settled on two different activities to have at their event. Once everyone was done making the crafts, we took everyone outside to participate. We're fortunate enough to have a large field outside of our library and the weather was beautiful so we were able to catapult Peeps outside and not in the library!

2a. Target Practice
We have some bowling pins and the teens made rabbit ears and stuck them to the pins. The kids could use the pins as targets and attempt to knock them over.

2b. Bucket Challenge
We have several plastic buckets. The teens laid them out at that station and the kids practiced trying to get their Peeps to land in the buckets.



NOTES:
I LOVED this event and am SO doing it again next year. The kids had a blast (teens and the attendees both) and so did I! The parents loved it too! The field was full of kids and parents and, even if they did not have a set activity to do with the Peeps they were having fun just launching the Peeps in the air. It was a huge hit and so much fun all around!

Saturday, March 25, 2017

READING LIST: Lexile Level 1000's [NON-FICTION]

The books listed below are non-fiction in the Lexile Level 1000-1090 (1000's). They are in alphabetical order by the author's last name. In brackets, beside each title, is the exact Lexile Level for each title.

Some of the books may be in a non-fiction series. If so, only a few titles might be listed in the Lexile list. If you are curious about the Lexile Level of specific titles, you can search for them on the Lexile website. I have also curated a list of Fiction books in the 1000's.

Non-Fiction Books: Lexile 1000-1090:
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell - Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow [1050]
Blumberg, Rhoda - Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun [1070]
Blumenthal, Karen - Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929 [1040]
Boyer, Crispin - 125 Cool Inventions [1050]
Burns, Loree Griffin - Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard [1050]
Chambers, Catherine - Stickman's Guide to Earth's Atmosphere in Layers [1060]
Capote, Truman - In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences [1040]
Carson, Mary Kay - The Bat Scientists [1010]
Carson, Mary Kay - Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard [1040]
Davies, Nicola - Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes [1020]
Fleishman, John - Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story about Brain Science [1030]
Fleming, Candace - Giant Squid [1060]
Fleming, Candace - Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life [1040]
Frank, Anne - The Diary of a Young Girl [1020]
Freedman, Russell - Lincoln: A Photobiography [1040]
Grogan, John - Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog [1050]
Hamilton, Edith - Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes [1040]
Hatkoff, Craig - Cecil's Pride: The True Story of a Lion King [1010]
Heiligman, Deborah - Charles and Emma: Darwins' Leap of Faith [1020]
Herriot, James - All Things Bright and Beautiful [1070]
Herriot, James - Every Living Thing [1000]
Hopkinson, Deborah - Titanic: Voices from the Disaster [1040]
Hughes, Susan - Case Closed?: Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science [1000]
Isaacson, Walter - Steve Jobs: A Biography [1080]
Jarrow, Gail - Bubonic Panic: When Plague Invaded America [1000] 
Jarrow, Gail - Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary [1010]
Jennings, Ken - U.S. Presidents [1030]
Krull, Kathleen - Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Women [1040]
Lasky, Kathryn - Silk & Venom: Searching for a Dangerous Spider [1050]
Losure, Mary - Isaac: The Alchemist, Secrets of Isaac Newton Reveal'd [1010]
McCann, Michelle Roehm - Boys Who Rocked the World [1090]
McCann, Michelle Roehm - Girls Who Rocked the World: Heroines from Joan of Arc to Mother Teresa [1070]
McPherson, Stephanie Sammartino - Iceberg Right Ahead!: The Tragedy of the Titanic [1070]
Montgomery, Sy - Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa's Fastest Cats [1000]
Montgomery, Sy - The Great White Shark Scientist [1000]
Murawski, Darlyne - Ultimate Bugopedia [1010]
Nathan, Amy - Count on Us: American Women in the Military [1020]
Pirsig, Robert M. - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance [1040]
Reef, Catherine - Florence Nightingale: The Courageous Life of the Legendary Nurse [1050]
Rusch, Elizabeth - Eruption!: Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives [1000]
Schatz, Kate - Rad American Women A-Z [1040]
Silvey, Anita - Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger [1050]
Stabler, David - Kid Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends [1010]
Steptoe, Javaka - Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat [1050]
St. George, Judith - The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr [1040]
Stout, Glenn - Yes, She Can!: Women's Sports Pioneers [1040]
Sweet, Melissa - Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade [1000]
Turner, Pamela - Project Seahorse [1010]
Winter, Jonah - Hillary [1000]
Woelfle, Gretchen - Answering the Cry for Freedom: Stories of African Americans and the American Revolution [1040]
Yolen, Jane - Sea Queens: Women Pirates around the World [1040]

Friday, March 24, 2017

School-Age: Baseball

It's that time of year when baseball starts picking up speed and won't slow down again until the end of summer. So it is the perfect time to talk about baseball, especially baseball MUD!

1. Reading
We read the book "Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball" by David A. Kelly. I had NO idea that baseball players rubbed baseball with mud to take their shine away and make them safer to play with. But this is a fascinating (and short) read that is perfect to read-aloud to a group of school-age kids. And it is super neat that the major leagues STILL use baseball mud to this day.


2. Discussion
We had a very brief discussion about the sport of baseball. How many bases? Who throws the ball? Etc.

3. Activity
I had stations with different exercises/activities that the kids could do to practice their baseball skills. I explained each station and then, before they were allowed to go to each station, I had them warm-up with me. We did 10 jumping jacks together and then ran in place.

As for the stations, I explained to the kids that they got two tries at each station. I had two tennis balls at each of the stations and once they used both tennis balls they had to give them to the next person in line. Then they had to move on to a new station OR go to the back of the line at that station. 

The only major rule, besides the turn-taking, was that they throw the tennis balls UNDERHAND only. This was for the safety of the other kids in the program and people/shelves in the library. Especially for our larger program on Friday morning, this was an important rule to have. I told them they get only one warning and then, if they did it again, they were out.

3a. Station 1 - Bowling Pins
The kids had 5 bowling pins they could knock down with tennis balls. Once they had their turn at this station, it was their responsibility to set the pins up for the next kid in line.

3b. Station 2 - Buckets
I had 1 large bucket and 2 small cans that the kids could try to get the balls into. If they wanted to keep track, I had them labeled with points. 

3c. Station 3 - Hole Board
I have a board with three holes cut into it that a previous librarian left here. I labeled them with points and the kids had two tries to get into the holes. If they wanted to keep track of points, the bottom hole was the most points because a pitcher could strike someone out if he/she gets the ball low to the ground over the home plate.

4. Craft
If the kids wanted to, the last item on the agenda for this week's program was designing their own baseball cap. Any great team has to have baseball caps! I found a worksheet online like the one here and printed them off for the kids. 


Notes:
The program went great! I felt like it was really important to set out the rules for the activities prior to letting the kids get up and walk around. Especially if you have a large group, you have to make them listen while you have a captive audience. Once they're up and moving around, especially for the kids on the spectrum, you'll never get their attention back.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

READING LIST: Lexile Level 1000's [FICTION]

The books listed below are fiction in the Lexile Level 1000-1090 (1000's). They are in alphabetical order by the author's last name. In brackets, beside each title, is the exact Lexile Level for each title.

Some of the books may be in series. If so, only the first title in the series is listed in a Lexile list. If you are curious about the Lexile Level of specific titles, you can search for them on the Lexile website. I have also curated a list of Non-Fiction books in the 1000's.

Fiction Books: Lexile 1000-1090:
Adams, Douglas - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [1000]
Anderson, Jodi Lynn -  My Diary from the Edge of the World [1020]
Angelou, Maya - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings [1070]
Anonymous - Go Ask Alice [1010]
Arnold, Louise - Golden & Grey: An Unremarkable Boy and a Rather Remarkable Ghost [1000]
Auel, Jean - The Clan of the Cave Bear [1000]
Baum, L. Frank - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [1000]
Boyne, John - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas [1080]
Bronte, Charlotte - Jane Eyre [1040]
Brooks, Geraldine - Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague [1080]
Busby, Cylin - The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs [1020]
Cameron, Anne - The Lightning Catcher [1070]
Camus, Albert - The Plague [1070]
Carter, Ally - I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You [1000] 
Clarke, Arthur C. - 2001, a Space Odyssey [1060]
Conrad, Joseph - Heart of Darkness [1050]
Cooper, Susan - The Boggart [1030]
Creech, Sharon - Love That Dog [1010]
Crutcher, Chris - Whale Talk [1000]
Curtis, Christopher Paul - Bucking the Sarge [1000]
Curtis, Christopher Paul - Elijah of Buxton [1070]
Curtis, Christopher Paul - The Watsons Go to Burmingham - 1963 [1000]
Cushman, Karen - The Ballad of Lucy Whipple [1030]
Dessen, Sarah - That Summer [1020]
Dickens, Charles - David Copperfield [1070]
Dickens, Charles - Hard Times [1080]
Dickens, Charles - Martin Chuzzlewit [1070]
Dickens, Charles - Our Mutual Friend [1090]
Doyle, Arthur Conan - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [1080]
Doyle, Arthur Conan - A Study in Scarlet [1050]
Doyle, Arthur Conan - The Hound of Baskervilles [1090]

Engle, Margarita - Mountain Dog [1050]
Esquivel, Laura - Like Water for Chocolate [1030]
Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby [1070]
Fitzgerald, F. Scott - This Side of Paradise [1070]
Gannett, Ruth Stiles - My Father's Dragon [1040]
Grahame-Smith, Seth - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies [1070]
Guterson, David - Snow Falling on Cedars [1080]
Hardinge, Frances - Fly By Night [1080]
Hardy, Thomas - Jude the Obscure [1060]
Hardy, Thomas - The Mayor of Casterbridge [1090]
Hardy, Thomas - The Return of the Native [1040]
Harper, Charise Mericle - Just Grace [1060]
Heaney, Seamus [translation] - Beowulf [1090]
Heinlein, Robert - Starship Troopers [1020]
Hesse, Hermann - Siddhartha [1010]
Hesse, Karen - Out of the Dust [1040]
Homer - The Odyssey [1050]
Hulme, John - The Glitch in Sleep [1060]
Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God [1080]
Irving, John - A Prayer for Owen Meany [1050]
James, Henry - The Portrait of a Lady [1020]
Jarvis, Robin - Thorn Ogres of Hagwood [1010]
Juster, Norton - The Phantom Tollbooth [1000]
Kaye, M.M. - The Ordinary Princess [1090]
King-Smith, Dick - Babe: The Gallant Pig [1040]
King-Smith, Dick - The Catlady [1000]
King-Smith, Dick - Pigs Might Fly [1030]
Kluger, Steve - My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park [1030]
Koontz, Dean - Odd Thomas [1040]
Law, Ingrid - Savvy [1070]
L'Engle, Madeleine - Meet the Austins [1080]
Lester, Julius - To Be a Slave [1080]
Lewis, Sinclair - Main Street [1010]
Lo, Malinda - Ash [1050]
London, Jack - The Sea Wolf [1020]
McCaffrey, Anne - Black Horses for the King [1030]
McKinley, Robin - The Blue Sword [1030]
McKinley, Robin - Chalice [1070]
McKinley, Robin - Pegasus [1070]
Montgomery, L.M. - Emily of New Moon [1060]
Morpurgo, Michael - War Horse [1090]
Morrison, Toni - Sula [1050]
Nix, Garth - Sabriel [1060]
Nix, Garth - To Hold the Bridge [1060]
O'Dell, Scott - Island of the Blue Dolphins [1000]
Orwell, George - 1984 [1090]
Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich - Doctor Zhivago [1010]
Paulsen, Gary - Hatchet [1020]
Paulsen, Gary - The Haymeadow [1010]
Peyton, V. - Silo and the Rebel Raiders [1000]
Philbrick, W.R. - Freak the Mighty [1000]
Portman, Frank - King Dork [1060]
Rand, Ayn - Atlas Shrugged [1070]
Reeve, Philip - Fever Crumb [1000]
Reeve, Philip - Goblins [1020]
Schmidt, Gary - Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy [1000]
Shelly, Mary Wollstonecraft - Frankenstein [1050]
Smith, Jennifer - The Geography of You and Me [1030]
Smith, Jennifer - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight [1060]
Smith, Jennifer - This is What Happy Looks Like [1010]
Snicket, Lemony - The Bad Beginning [1010]
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley - The Egypt Game [1010]
Springer, Nancy - The Case of the Missing Marquess [1020]
Staples, Suzanne Fisher -  Under the Persimmon Tree [1010]
Stendhal - The Red and the Black [1080]
Stevenson, Robert Louis -  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [1040]
Stewart, Paul - Curse of the Night Wolf [1000]
Stowe, Harriet Beecher - Uncle Tom's Cabin [1050]
Tolkien, J.R.R. [translation] - Beowulf [1090]
Tolkien, J.R.R. - The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again [1000]
Tolstoy, Leo - Anna Karenina [1080]
Twain, Mark - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court [1080]
Unknown - The Epic of Gilgamesh [1090]
Unknown - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight [1050]
Updike, John - Rabbit at Rest [1050]
Verne, Jules - Around the World in 80 Days [1090]
Verne, Jules - Journey to the Centre of the Earth [1040]
Verne, Jules - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea [1000]
Vining, Elizabeth Gray - Adam of the Road [1030]
Walden, Mark - H.I.V.E.: Higher-Institute-of-Villainous-Education [1040]
Wein, Elizabeth - Code Name Verity [1020]
Wells, H.G. - The Time Machine [1070]
Wells, H.G. - The War of the Worlds [1040]
Willingham, Bill - Down the Mysterly River [1040]
Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse [1030]
Wrede, Patricia C. - Thirteenth Child [1010]

Last updated: 7/7/2017

Friday, March 17, 2017

School-Age: Bonsai Trees

No, we did not work with actual Bonsai. But we did learn about Bonsai, as well as topiaries, this week.

1. Reading
We read the book, "The Night Gardener" by Terry Fan. It was about a neighborhood brought to life each night as a gardener transformed the trees into works of art, shaped into animals.



2. Discussion
We discussed what 'bonsai' means. I used the definition that I found in the book "Keshiki Bonsai" by Kenji Kobayashi



I felt it was the easiest way to explain what 'bonsai' is without getting into the nitty gritty. Kobayashi explains it simply as a plant or tree that is in a container. I connected it to the book, "The Night Gardener", explaining that people shape and trim their bonsai similarly, but the difference is that topiaries are in the ground and bonsai remain in containers. 

I showed them pictures of familiar plants and trees such as an azalea, an apple tree, a citrus tree, cherry blossoms, and even a broccoli that people had trimmed and kept in planters. I told the kids that there is a lot of work that goes into constantly maintaining a tree as a bonsai to make sure it never grows bigger than the pot it is contained in.

3. Activity
I set up an assembly line and had the kids plant their own grass seeds. I told the parents that it was up to them if they wanted to take care of it for the next week or so until the grass grew BUT when they did have grass, the kids could trim their grass bonsai. For my afternoon program, my teen helpers manned the stations. The program later in the week that is in the morning when I do not have helpers, I asked a few of my parents to help.

We pre-filled small Dixie cups with dirt about 3/4 full prior to the program. We had one station of grass seed that the kids took a pinch full of and put in their cups. The next station was dirt that we used to dust over the grass seeds. The last station was of a mason jar (with a lid) and a dropper. We squeezed a few drops of water on the grass seeds to get them started.

I collected the cups after the activity to keep at the front until the end of the program. After the kids went through the assembly line, they brought them to myself or my library assistant and we wrote the child's name on them. We told the kids to come back to collect it after the craft.


4. Craft
Next was the craft. We took 8.5 X 11 sheets of black scratch-art paper. I had my teen helpers cut "trunks" at the base of the paper prior to the program.

I explained to the school-agers that they could make their own bonsai out of the scratch-art paper so they could make one today and have their grass bonsai another day. I told them they could make shapes out of their trees or cut branches - the sky was the limit. I loved what some of the kids came up with. One even made his into a dinosaur!

Here's an example some of my teens made (they are not as creative as the school-agers at times):


Notes:
This week went swimmingly! We had a HUGE crowd at my morning program at the second program of the week (35 kids!!!) so the word 'bonsai' must have intrigued a lot of parents. We had way more kids than we anticipated but, luckily, I had backups for crafts. Thank goodness for having an awesome Library Assistant (LA) who helps me all the time.

We had pre-filled most of the cups but I had extra ones so my LA filled more of them while I was leading the reading/discussion part after she counted how many kids were there. I also had to dip into my back-up scratch-art paper (luckily I had some!!!).

But, even with a crazy amount of kids, everything went smoothly and according to plan. I guess it just goes to show that having back-ups in case of emergency is always a good idea!

Thursday, March 16, 2017

READING LIST: First Chapter Books [SERIES and STAND-ALONE titles]

First chapter books, or beginning chapter books, are the bridge between easy readers (beginning readers) and larger chapter books that are in the juvenile fiction section.

First chapter books have few chapters in them (usually around 10) with lots of pictures as well as large text. It helps boost readership, getting kids that are starting to read on their own used to the format of chapter books. Many of them come in extensive series to hook the kids and get them reading all the books in the entire series.

Below are two separate lists. The first list is of series of first chapter books and the second is a list of stand-alone titles of first chapter books. Some may be more challenging than others. You can look up many of the series to find suggested grade levels on Amazon or, if your public library has access to this research tool, on Novelist.

Below is a list, in author order, of first chapter book SERIES titles:
Abbott, Tony - Secrets of Droon
Adler, David - Cam Jansen Mysteries
Applegate, Katherine - Roscoe Riley Rules
Asch, Frank - Cardboard Genius Journals
Auerbach, Annie - The Grosse Adventures
Ball, Nate - Alien in My Pocket
Barkley, Callie - Critter Club
Barrows, Annie - Ivy + Bean
Birney, Betty - Humphrey's Tiny Tales
Birney, Betty - World According to Humphrey
Blade, Adam - Beast Quest
Brown, Jeff - Flat Stanley
Byars, Betsy Cromer - Blossom Family
Cameron, Ann - Julian Books
Catalanotto, Peter - Monkey & Robot
Chabert, Jack - Eerie Elementary
Christopher, Matt - Peach Street Mudders Stories
Clanton, Ben - Narwhal and Jelly
Colfer, Eoin - Eoin Colfer's Legend Of
Conford, Ellen - Jenny Archer Chapter Books
Cooper, Ilene - Absolutely Lucy
Coville, Bruce - Moongobble and Me
Crowne, Alyssa - Perfectly Princess 
Dadey, Debbie - Mermaid Tales
Danzinger, Paula - Amber Brown
DiCamillo, Kate - Bink & Gollie
DiCamillo, Kate - Tales from Deckawoo Drive
Dowell, Frances O'Roark - Phineas L. MacGuire
Duey, Kathleen - Unicorn's Secret
Duffey, Betsy - Cody Series
Durand, Hallie - Dessert Schneider Books
Earhart, Kristin - Big Apple Barn
Edwards, Michelle - Jackson Friends Book
Elliott, Rebecca - Owl Diaries
French, Vivian - Tiara Club
Galante, Cecilia - Little Wings
Gannett, Ruth Stiles - My Father's Dragon
Giff, Patricia Reilly - Zigzag Kids
Greenburg, J.C. - Andrew Lost
Greene, Stephanie - Owen Foote
Greene, Stephanie - Princess Posey Books
Gutman, Dan - My Weird School Daze
Haas, Jessie - Bramble and Maggie
Hale, Shannon - Princess in Black
Harper, Charise Mericle - Just Grace
Hiranandani, Veera - Phoebe G. Green
Howe, Deborah & James - Bunnicula
Howe, James - Pinky and Rex
Hurwitz, Johanna - Monty Books
Jacobson, Jennifer - Andy Shane
Kelly, David - Ballpark Mysteries
King-Smith, Dick - Lollipop
King-Smith, Dick - Sophie Books
Kirby, Stan - Captain Awesome
Klein, Abby - Ready, Freddy!
Kline, Suzy - Horrible Harry
Krulik, Nancy - Appleville Elementary
Krulik, Nancy - George Brown, Class Clown
Krulik, Nancy - Katie Kazoo
Krulik, Nancy - Magic Bone
Kvasnosky, Laura McGee - Zelda and Ivy
Labatt, Mary - Sam, Dog Detective
Le Guin, Ursula - Catwings
Le Quesne, Peppa [and Kay Woodward] - Flower Fairies Friends
Lloyd, Jennifer - Murilla Gorilla
Lowry, Lois - Gooney Bird
McCall Smith, Alexander - Harriet Bean Mysteries
McCall Smith, Alexander - Max and Maddy Twist Mysteries
McDonald, Megan - Judy Moody and Friends
McKay, Hilary - Lulu
Meadows, Daisy - Rainbow Magic
Moore, Eva - Magic School Bus Science Chapter Books
Moss, Olivia - Butterfly Meadow
Napoli, Donna Jo - Sly the Sleuth Mysteries
Nichols, Catherine - Animal Planet Adventures
Nixon, Joan Lowery - Gus & Gertie
O'Neill, Catharine - Annie & Simon
Osborne, Mary Pope - Magic Tree House
Perelman, Helen - Candy Fairies
Peters, Stephanie True - Extreme Team
Scieszka, Jon - Time Warp Trio
Scroggs, Kirk - Wiley & Grampa's Creature Features
Sobol, Donald - Encyclopedia Brown
Speck, Katie - Maybelle
Stilton, Geronimo - Creepella Von Cacklefur
Trine, Greg - Adventures of Jo Schmo
Trine, Greg - Melvin Beederman Superhero
Various - Magic Attic Club
Voake, Steve - Daisy Dawson
West, Tracey - Dragon Masters
Williams, Suzanne - Princess Power
Winkler, Henry - Here's Hank
Woodward, Kay [and Pippa Le Quesne] - Flower Fairies Friends


Below is a list, in author order, of first chapter book STAND-ALONE titles:
Bechtold, Lisze - Buster & Phoebe: The Great Bone Game
Brock, Betty - No Flying in the House
Byars, Betsy Cromer - The SOS File
Christopher, Matt - The Lucky Baseball
Creech, Sharon - Love That Dog
Crisp, Marty - My Dog, Cat
DeLaCroix, Alice - The Best Horse Ever
DeLaCroix, Alice - The Hero of Third Grade
Duffey, Betsy - Alien for Rent
Duffey, Betsy - The Gadget War
Duffey, Betsy - How to Be Cool in the Third Grade
Dunrea, Olivier - Hanne's Quest
Flood, Pansie Hart - It's Test Day, Tiger Turcotte
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - Emma and the Blue Genie
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - The Pirate Pig
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - Ruffleclaw
King-Smith, Dick - The Water Horse
Krensky, Stephen - Louise, Soccer Star?
Moore, Lilian - I'll Meet You at the Cucumbers


There are many more, but not as many stand-alone titles as there are series titles. Again, it is because these books are geared towards children that are beginning to read on their own. The point of the series, other than reading for fun, is to catch their attention. If the child enjoys it, they will read the entire series and therefore get even more practice reading. It is a cycle that parents, publishers, and us educators do not want to end. Therefore first chapter book series are a HUGE part of our collection at the library!

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

READING LIST: Clean Reads for Teens (and Tweens) Titles in SERIES

For those of you who have not read my post for stand-alone "clean reads", click here. It also has my disclaimer about libraries and their responsibility, or lack thereof, of deciding which books are appropriate for kids. That is solely the responsibility of the parent. 

Below is a list, in author order, of SERIES "clean reads":
*For a list of stand-alone titles, click here

Anderson, John David - Posted
Anderson, Laurie Halse - Seeds of America Trilogy
Auxier, Jonathan - Peter Nimble Adventures
Barker, Clive - Abarat
Barry, Dave - Peter & the Starcatchers
Black, Holly - Magisterium
Blackwood, Sage - The Wizard's Apprentice [Jinx]
Brown, Peter - The Wild Robot
Burgis, Stephanie - Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson
Child, Lauren - Ruby Redfort
Chima, Cinda Williams - Heir Chronicles
Choldenko, Gennifer - Al Capone at Alcatraz
Colfer, Chris - Land of Stories
Colfer, Eoin - Artemis Fowl
Colfer, Eoin - Half-Moon Investigations
Collins, Suzanne - Underland Chronicles
Delaney, Joseph - Last Apprentice
DiTerlizzi, Tony - WondLa Trilogy
Duane, Diana - Young Wizards
DuPrau, Jeanne - Book of Ember
Epstein, Adam Jay - The Familiars
Evans, Richard Paul - Michael Vey
Farrey, Brian - Vengekeep Prophecies 
Ferris, Jean - Upon a Marigold
Fford, Jasper - Chronicles of Kazam
Flanagan, John - Ranger's Apprentice
Friesner, Esther - Princesses of Myth
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - Inkheart Trilogy
Gibbs, Stuart - FunJungle 
Gidwitz, Adam - Grimm
Grisham, John - Theodore Boone
Haddix, Margaret Peterson - Shadow Children
Hale, Shannon - Books of Bayern
Hale, Shannon - Princess Academy Trilogy
Halpern, Jake - Dormia
Hand, Cynthia - Unearthly Trilogy
Hegarty, Shane - Darkmouth 
Holyoke, Polly - Neptune Project
Horowitz, Anthony - Alex Rider Adventures
Horowitz, Anthony - Diamond Brothers Mysteries
Hunter, Erin - Seekers
Hunter, Erin - Warriors
Jacques, Brian - Castaways of the Flying Dutchman
Jacques, Brian - Redwall
Jobling, Curtis - Wereworld
Jones, Diana Wynne - Chronicles of Chrestomanci
Jones, Diana Wynne - Dalemark Quartet
Jones, Diana Wynne - Howl's Moving Castle
Kelly, Jacqueline - Calpurnia Tate
Kinney, Jeff - Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kraatz, Jeramey - Cloak Society
Law, Ingrid - Savvy
L'Engle, Madeleine - Time Quintet
Lewis, C.S. - Chronicles of Narnia
Meloy, Colin - Wildwood Chronicles
Messenger, Shannon - Keeper of the Lost Cities
Mull, Brandon - Beyonders
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds - Alice McKinley
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds - Shiloh Quartet
Nielson, Jennifer - Ascendance Trilogy
Nielson, Jennifer - Mark of the Thief Trilogy
Nimmo, Jenny - Children of the Red King
Oppel, Kenneth - Airborn Adventures
Paolini, Christopher - Inheritance Cycle [Eragon]
Pierce, Tamora - Circle of Magic
Pierce, Tamora - Circle Opens
Prineas, Sarah - Winterling
Pullman, Philip - His Dark Materials
Rinehart, J.D. - Crown of Three
Riordan, Rick - Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
Riordan, Rick - Percy Jacks and the Olympians
Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter
Ryan, Carrie - Map to Everywhere
Sage, Angie - Septimus Heap
Sanders, Ted - The Keepers
Sanderson, Brandon - Alcatraz Smedry Adventures
Sanderson, Brandon - Rithmatist
Smith, Jeff - Bone
Smith, Roland - Peak
Snicket, Lemony - A Series of Unfortunate Events
Stevenson, Noelle - Lumberjanes
Stewart, Trenton Lee - Mysterious Benedict Society
Sutherland, Tui - The Menagerie
Turnage, Sheila - Tupelo Landing [Three Times Lucky]
Turner, Megan Whalen - Queen's Thief
Valente, Catherynne M. - Fairyland
Van Cleve, Kathleen - Drizzle
Van Draanen, Wendelin - Sammy Keyes Mysteries
Various - The 39 Clues
Various - Guys Read
Watterson, Bill - Calvin and Hobbes
West, Jacqueline - Books of Elsewhere
Westerfeld, Scott - Leviathan Trilogy
Wexler, Django - Forbidden Library
White, J.A. - The Thickety
Whitesides, Tyler - Janitors
Wiles, Deborah - Sixties Trilogy
Wrede, Patricia C. - Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Yolen, Jane - Foiled


As I mentioned in the list for stand-alone "Clean Reads for Teens (and Tweens), this is not a comprehensive list. Most of these authors have other series that may or may not be appropriate for your needs (as a librarian or a parent). 

For parents that have concerns about content, the best way to know is to read it yourself. I know you may not have time but no one knows exactly what you think is appropriate for your child...except for you! 

Other tools you can use to determine appropriateness of book content are:
1. Amazon
Many of the entries for books on this site have a suggested age or grade level reading listed.
Also, many books have reviews which may include reviews from other parents.
2. Goodreads
This is another great place to find reviews from educators, parents, and other readers. 
3. Wikipedia
While you may not always think of Wikipedia as the place to go first for information, it can be a great resource if you do not have time to read the whole book. Many popular books have entries on Wikipedia that contain 'spoilers' OR even the entire summary of the book chapter-by-chapter.
4. Common Sense Media
When I have parents come in the library that are overly sensitive about material (totally get it!) I steer them to this resource. It has parent feedback as well as kid feedback about popular books and other types of media. That way they can get information parent-to-parent and I do not need to be involved in the decision-making process.
5. Your Library's Databases/Research Tools
See if your local library has research tools, like the database Novelist, that allow you to search for books based on age or grade level, and list the suggested age-range for books.

READING LIST: Clean Reads for Teens (and Tweens) STAND-ALONE Titles

One of the most dreaded questions I get on a regular basis working at the desk is "Is this appropriate for my child?"

As a librarian, it is hard for me to distinguish the line between censorship and telling a parent whether something is or is not 'appropriate' for their kids. For the most part that is because it is not my place to make that call. Libraries are, as a whole, places where censorship is not condoned. So, for parents/caregivers that want an easy answer, they are going to be sorely disappointed asking their librarian. 

I do not agree with censoring a child's reading habits BUT I do not take issue with parents truly wanting to make sure their children are not reading about topics before they are ready. It is a parent's right to do so. It is not, though, my responsibility to decide that. However, I am aware of a trend in Young Adult (YA) currently where many books feature explicit sex and other content. For kids that are high-level readers, but still in elementary or middle school, it is not an easy quest finding them books that do not contain sex. It can also be uncomfortable to let them loose on the YA collection to find their own books when a parent has no way of knowing which ones might not be 'appropriate' for their kid.

Is this to say I would not feel the same when I have my own kids reading in that collection? Not at all! My job as a librarian is to provide access to materials without censoring or judgment. My job as a parent will be to make sure that my kids enjoy reading, that they do not feel shame in reading about topics they are interested in, and that when they are uncomfortable reading about something they come to me to ask questions. And I certainly would not want them to read something sexually explicit or violent if they are, in my opinion, too young or immature to know what they are reading. BUT that is my opinion :). And parents can have their own opinions and beliefs but as a professional my job is to step back and remind the parent that they have to be the one to make that call for their own children.

That being said, I do not have issue with finding books and supplying a list that is considered 'clean'. 

My definition of 'clean' are books that:
1. Do not have explicit sex (but may feature a love story or romance)
2. Are considered to be appropriate for grades ranging 5-9 (many of the books are appropriate for younger AND older audiences but I was striving for a mid-line)
*They may still have strong language and some violence, depending on the topic. Parents that have concerns should do their background research.

Below is a list, in author order, of STAND-ALONE titles:
*For a list of "Clean Reads" series, click here

Alexander, Kwame - The Crossover: A Basketball Novel
Anderson, Laurie Halse - Fever, 1793
Auxier, Jonathan - The Night Gardener
Avi - Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution
Avi - The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Beasley, Cassie - Circus Mirandus
Bell, Cece - El Deafo
Blakemore, Megan Frazer - The Water Castle
Boyne, John - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker - The War That Saved My Life
Bray, Libba - Beauty Queens
Bruchac, Joseph - Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two
Clayton, Emma - The Roar
Cooney, Caroline B. - Goddess of Yesterday
DiCamillo, Kate - Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
DiCamillo, Kate - Raymie Nightingale
Dooley, Sarah - Ashes to Asheville
Draper, Sharon M. - Out of My Mind
Draper, Sharon M. - Stella by Starlight
Elliott, David - Bull
Ende, Michael - The Neverending Story
Erskine, Kathryn - The Absolute Value of Mike
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - The Thief Lord
Gaiman, Neil - Coraline
George, Jean Craighead - Julie of the Wolves
Gerber, Alyson - Braced
Graff, Lisa - A Tangle of Knots
Hale, Shannon - Rapunzel's Revenge
Hiaasen, Carl - Chomp
Hiaasen, Carl - Flush
Hiaasen, Carl - Hoot
Hiaasen, Carl - Scat
Holm, Jennifer - The Fourteenth Goldfish
Hunt, Lynda Mullaly - Fish in a Tree
Ibbotson, Eva - One Dog and His Boy
Jamieson, Victoria - Roller Girl
Kadohata, Cynthia - Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam
Kehret, Peg - Runaway Twin
Kephart, Beth - This is the Story of You
Korman, Gordon - Ungifted
Lai, Thanhha - Inside Out & Back Again
Levine, Gail Carson - Ella Enchanted
Levine, Kristin - The Lions of Little Rock
Marillier, Juliet - Wildwood Dancing
Martel, Yann - Life of Pi
Martin, Ann M. - A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray
McKinlay, Meg - A Single Stone
Messner, Kate - Wake Up Missing
Meyer, Carolyn - Girl With a Camera: Margaret Bourke-White, Photographer: A Novel
Mikaelsen, Ben - Touching Spirit Bear
Moodie, Craig - Seaborn
O'Dell, Scott - Island of the Blue Dolphins
Palacio, R.J. - Wonder
Park, Linda Sue - A Long Walk to Water
Paterson, Katherine - Bridge to Terabithia
Paulsen, Gary - Hatchet
Payne, C.C. - The Thing About Leftovers
Philbrick, W.R. - The Last Book in the Universe
Philbrick, W.R. - The Young Man and the Sea
Preus, Margi - West of the Moon
Rivers, Karen - Love, Ish
Sachar, Louis - Fuzzy Mud
Sachar, Louis - Holes
Selznick, Brian - The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures
Sepetys, Ruta - Salt to the Sea
Sloan, Holly Goldberg - Counting By 7s
Smelcer, John - Edge of Nowhere
Speare, Elizabeth George - The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Spinelli, Jerry - Stargirl
Spinelli, Jerry - The Warden's Daughter
Stead, Rebecca - When You Reach Me
Stiefvater, Maggie - The Scorpio Races 
Telgemeier, Raina - Sisters
Telgemeier, Raina - Smile
Vanderpool, Clare - Moon Over Manifest
Wolitzer, Meg - The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman
Woodson, Jacqueline - Brown Girl Dreaming
Zusak, Markus - The Book Thief


This certainly is not a comprehensive list. Many of these authors have other books that fit my parameters and there are many other books out there in the world. I did find many items that were listed as middle grade novels, intended for this age group range, that also spoke to an older audience. Sometimes that is the best way to go if you have major concerns about content. If you are interested in my list for series with the same parameters, click here.

Also, for those interested in tools that can guide you in making an informed decision about what is, or is not, appropriate for your child, visit my list of series of "clean reads". I have a list of a few resources/tools to guide you in making the best decision about content if you do not want to read every book your child is interested in reading before they do.

Friday, March 10, 2017

School-Age: Birds

This week we talked about bird behavior!

1. Activity:
I tested their knowledge of the names of different flocks. I showed them pictures of a variety of flocks and they guessed the name. Some were easy, like a gaggle of geese, but then others, like a parliament of owls, were more difficult. It was fun to hear what they thought of the different flock names.

2. Reading:
We read the book "Nerdy Birdy" by Aaron Reynolds. It is hilarious and sweet at the same time. The kids (and parents) loved it!



3. Discussion:
We talked about solitary versus group birds. We also talked about what the benefits of being a solitary bird would be and what the benefits of being in a flock would be. 

Solitary birds: 
*Might not attract as much attention because they are by themselves
*They do not have to share food sources with a flock 
*They can find mates easier
*They may stay healthier because they are not sharing diseases among a flock 

Flocking birds:
*Might be safer because there are many eyes to look for danger and warn the others
*Share food sources 
*They can defend against predators as a mob together
*Look after (and protect) each other's young

Then we named some flocking birds versus solitary birds, pointing out some of the ones that were in "Nerdy Birdy".

Craft:
All of the kids got to make their own bird to be a part of our flock at the end of the program. I used an awesome raven template I found at Danielle's Place. I printed the bird body out on grey cardstock and the legs/beak out on yellow cardstock, so it's slightly different than her version. We also wanted our nerdy birdy's to be 'cool', so the kids got to decorate their birds with markers and put the finishing touch - a pair of sunglasses :)!

Below is a picture of some 'cool birdies' my teen helpers and I made:



Notes:
The craft was super easy to put together with glue dots. I was hesitant to use them because they can be difficult for the little one's to master using. But it worked great and, most importantly, it was NOT messy! The only thing we did before the program began was put the cone-shaped body together. The bird body parts we left to the kids to add. 

Friday, March 3, 2017

Summer Reading Program Preview

Since I'm not the only planner out there, I wanted to give a preview of some programs I'm going to do for this summer's Summer Reading Program.

My library system participates in the Collaborative Summer Library Program. For those of you who do not know what that is, it is a consortium of libraries across the country that all have the same theme for our Summer Reading Programs. All participating libraries this year are putting on the theme of "Build a Better World." 

May:
1. Coding
Reading: "Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science" by Diane Stanley
Discussing: Binary Code and Computer Programming
Craft: Binary Code Keychains (using kid's initials of their name)

2. Scientific Method
Reading: "Pirate, Viking, & Scientist" by Jared Chapman
Discussion: Scientific Method + Pirate vs. Viking True/False
Craft: Pirate Hat

3. Shapes/Patterns
Reading: "Shapes Reshape" by Silvia Borando
Discussion: Patterns in Nature and Animal Shape Guessing Game
Craft: Make animals from shapes used in "Shapes Reshape"

4. Density and Weight
Reading: "What Can a Crane Pickup?" by Rebecca Dotlich
Discussion: Using "Weigh It!" by Rachel First, talk about density/weight with objects
Craft: Paper Weights (out of rocks)

June:
5. Bridges
Reading: "Bridges: An Introduction to Ten Great Bridges" by Didier Cornille
Discussion: Famous Bridges
Craft/Activity: Create bridges out of home-made build kits (using clothespins, jumbo craft sticks, and binder clips)

6. Mysteries
Reading: "Who Done It?" by Olivier Tallec
Discussion: How do detectives solve crime? Talk about fingerprinting, evidence, alibi's, motives, etc.
Activity: Solve a mystery (I created a mystery with 'evidence' stations the kids have to use to solve the mystery of 'who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?')
Craft: Make your own detective badge

7. Marble Runs!
Reading: "Ready, Set, Build!" by Meg Fleming
Discussion: Engineering, mazes, and marble runs
Craft: Make your own marble run out of LEGOs

8. Circuits
Reading: "Weasels" by Elys Dolan
Discussion: Talk about circuits. Using energy sticks, create circuits with insulators and conductors. 
Craft: Robots out of toilet paper tubes, googly eyes, markers, and other materials

July:
9. Constitution (4th of July week)
Reading: "I Need My Own Country" by Rick Walton
Discussion: What is the constitution. Share "We the People" by Peter Spier. Talk about what their country would look like if they made one tomorrow.
Craft: Design your country's own flag

10. Sand Castles
Reading: "Extremely Cute Animals Operating Heavy Machinery" by David Gordon
Discussion: Building out of sand; sharing
Craft: Sand castles out of kinetic sand

11. Recycling/Composting
Reading: "We Dig Worms" by Kevin McCloskey
Discussion: Composting and how it works
Craft: Compost in a cup - teach the kids how to do it and have them take some home with them 

12. Skyscrapers
Reading: "Into the Sky" by Ryan Hunter
Discussion: What are skyscrapers? Show pictures from "Spectacular Skyscrapers" by Meish Goldish. 
Activity: How high can you build? Give teams of 2-4 kids 15 minutes to build the highest structures out of LEGOs.
Craft: Cityscape collages  

School-Age: Wilma Rudolph

Since this week overlapped with February and March, I decided to honor both Black History Month and Women's History Month by talking about Wilma Rudolph. 

1. Reading
We read the book "The Quickest Kid in Clarksville" by Pat Zietlow Miller. It was a wonderful book about kids getting prepared for the parade in Clarksville, Tennessee, in 1960, honoring Wilma Rudolph after she won 3 gold medals in the Olympics that year. 



2. Activity
We played a game of True/False with facts about Wilma Rudolph. We have sticks that another librarian made with double-sided paper dots attached to them. One side is red and the other is yellow. I had the kids hold up the red side if they thought the statement was false and the yellow side if they thought the statement was true. The kids loved the guessing game.

3. Discussion
We had a short discussion after the True/False game where I read the end notes from "The Quickest Kid in Clarksville", sharing some facts about Wilma Rudolph.

4. Craft
Since I did not want the kids racing (running) in the library, I wanted to find a fun way that the kids could 'race' without moving. I decided on making boats out of sponges and wooden dowel rods. I found a similar craft here at the Easy Peasy and Fun blog. The first part of the craft was having the kids design the sails on their boats. They got to color the paper triangles that my teen helpers had cut out prior to the program. I punched, with a hole-puncher, two holes in the paper sail. Then they easily slipped over the wooden dowel rods when they were done.

The one with the yellow sponge and grey sail is mine. I tried making them with 12-inch-tall dowel rods but they were much too heavy and fell over when they were placed in the water. I snapped one in half to test it and that ended up being my example craft since having jagged wooden edges is a safety issue. I took the rest of the dowel rods home and sawed them in half before the program.

The other one was too adorable. One of my attendees made his boat into a Ninja Turtle boat. I couldn't NOT take a picture!


 

5. Final Activity
We raced the boats! I had small rectangular containers that we use to store craft materials. We filled them with water and had the kids take turns blowing on their sails and racing their sponge boats. The kids LOVED it.


Notes:
I wasn't sure how the racing activity was going to go but everyone LOVED it. My first thought was 'OH NO, water in the library!', but I had a teen helper or a staff person monitoring the sponge boat races. The monitor made sure the kids were taking turns and, when the race was over, they made sure the kids squeezed their sponges out before taking the sponges out of the containers. 

I also wasn't sure how the taking turns piece would go. When we did Giant Board Games at the library, or used microscopes in past school-age programs, it was a struggle trying to take turns. But I think, because it was a quick turn-around between races, the kids did not mind waiting their turn and watching the races between the other kids. 

Something to remember for future programs -- and a lesson learned. Sometimes taking a gamble does pay off :)!