It’s a new school year!

Welcome back, Everyone.

I’ve been pretty quiet over the summer except for participating in the Ten for Ten in August (check this out if you haven’t already) so I’m itching to get back into recommending resources that have come my way over the last couple of months.

But, I’ll do that next week.

This week, as a welcome-wagon kind of gift to the new school year is an invitation to check out a fun exhibit that the Doucette Library has installed commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the publication, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. (Yup. 20 years!)

So, step right up and see the amazing

 Harry Potter’s CABINET of CURIOSITIES.

These three large, brightly coloured boxes  with various sized openings showcasing artifacts from the Doucette Library’s collection and random objects from home that have been given Harry Potter-esque backstories. 

Some examples:

 The Cursed Belt has been written up as a device of revenge that must be used cautiously as both the cursee as well as the curser could end up with an unwanted muffin top. In fact, this is 5lbs of replica fat that can be strapped around the waist and would likely be used in health or science classrooms.

 

Insta-Cow  is a  plastic, brown and white toy taken from the Doucette’s farm animal kit, becomes a way of conjuring a cow by adding a drop or two of milk for a full cow. Or add chocolate milk for a chocolate cow. Or half and half cream for ½ a cow 

A replica 16^th century, French playing card becomes a portkey for time travel.

Tears of Mandrake : Be Careful! Extremely Rare & Toxic are a few glass beads placed in small bottles.

Trump-Eyes skewing everyday reality are actually prism glasses which would be great in a science classroom.

Anit-Noxious Nose Plugs is written up as an advertisement: “Circa. 1960s – Ad – Does your senior dragon often fart without warning? Are you caught unawares by the “Silent-But-Deadly” ones? Is it deflating your affection for your aging beast? Help is here. One pair of the Anti-Noxious Nose Plugs will rekindle your close relationship with your sulfurous emitting boo-boo dragon. Time to cuddle up!”

These are just a few of the 83 items that populate these giant knick-knack boxes. But not all of the artifacts have write ups. A number of them invite students to create their own Harry Potter-esque descriptions. Postcards are supplied and welcomed.

Besides being a fun display to welcome students, showcase some of the Doucette’s resources and celebrate the Harry Potter 20^th anniversary, this also becomes a way to demonstrate to student-teachers ways of using space within classrooms. This type of display could be replicated in a school classroom, artifacts derived from home or school and children encouraged to use their imaginations to create their own magical devices.

If this does appeal to you, you should visit Pop Goes the Page – Muggle Studies 101  to see the artifacts and backstories curated for this Harry Potter Museum. It was reading an article about this exhibit that inspired me to try for something similar but on a smaller scale. Being on the smaller side makes for a perfect tie-in to how we like to inspire our student-teachers with possibilities for their own classrooms.

This corner of the library has been a “paint corner” where students were invited to paint on the glass window with acrylic paints. This was a total hit!

Also, we set the area up as a relaxing tropical ‘beach’ with comfy beach chairs, fake palm tree and sun, beach towels, sunglasses and the piece-de-resistance, crashing wave sounds (sound machine). This was to encourage students to take a few minutes to kick back at a very busy and stressful time of year.

We’ve got a few more ideas to try out in this corner of the library over this next academic school year.

Stay tuned!

Guest Blogger - View from the School Library

Janet Hutchinson is a colleague and kindred spirit when it comes to children's literature.  She also works a day and half in the library in the school which her children have or are attending here in Calgary.  Her experiences there provide her (and me by extension) the opportunity to see what teachers and kids do with the books we promote.

(PS.** IMHO = in my humble opinion :  I didn't know this particular 'txting' short cut.  LOL, I'm such a Luddite.)
Tammy


These are a few of my favourite…….books 
      

It’s clean-up time at the school and all the books that have been under students’ beds, in their desks and at the back of their locker, underneath the sweaty gym gear and the forgotten lunch from January, are starting to make their way back to the library. As they get checked in, and as I do the inventory, I am amazed anew at the books that I have not seen on the shelf since September. As fast as they come in, they have gone out again, or been renewed and requested over and over.

Two books in particular are ones that I really like and it gives me a small quiet thrill to see that, in these cases, I have selected books that resonate so strongly with students. As I inventory, I notice the number of excellent (**IMHO) books that have not been taken out much, or at all, this year, so I am slowly developing a plan to display and promote some of them more prominently, in hopes that, maybe next year, there will be new favourites.

But back to the book titles:

The first book is Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. I love the combination graphic(ish) novel and prose. The book tells the story of two youngsters – Ben, whose story is told in words – and Rose, whose story is told in pictures. Both children are involved in quest to find that which is missing in their lives. For Ben, it’s his father, his only surviving parent since his mother was killed in a car accident. For Rose, it’s her mother – she has left her daughter and remarried.  Selznick takes these two plot lines and beautifully weaves them together, alternating between the past and the present and between words and pictures culminating in a very satisfying and lovely conclusion.

If the reader has weak reading skills, this is still a story they can consume easily (although the thickness of the book might be daunting. But the last student to take it out shyly admitted that she had had it out several times so far this year, but that she had to take it out “one more time” before school ended.

The second book that has not stayed in the library is the book Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg. Intended as a picture book (or at least presented in that format) the book is a life lesson contained in about 15 pages. Each page presents a spill or a blob or a tear that the author then turns into a great piece of art.  The message can be read in several ways: From mistakes come things of beauty; Creativity can come from messes; mistakes are just opportunities reshaped. A torn page? Becomes an alligator’s smile. A blob of paint? Becomes a goofy looking animal. What I loved about this book is that it removes the need for perfection and can be inspirational to anyone who reads it. And although lots of the “little kids” took it out – lots of the “big” kids did too.  Proving (at least to me) that good picture book crosses ages, stages and grades.

I hope that with active promotion and more involvement with each grade that this list is longer next year. But it’s still a pretty good list. I think.

Guest Blogger - View from the school library

Janet Hutchinson is a colleague and kindred spirit when it comes to children's literature.  She also works a day and half in the library in the school which her children have or are attending here in Calgary.  Her experiences there provide her (and me by extension) the opportunity to see what teachers and kids do with the books we promote.

Do I see future book reviewers?

Back to the girls

The grade 6 teacher, Jane and I cooked up a little scheme. The Doucette Library has lots of really good fiction titles. Her Grade 6 girls were going through the school library titles faster (almost) than I could buy them. So we agreed that I would bring in some titles for them to read – and in turn, they could write reviews and recommendations for me.

I selected about 20 or so books – I tried to pick a range of titles, some new, some old, some I had read, but most I had not. I took some old School Library Journals in to the class so they could understand the basic elements of a book review. I talked about how, even with all the time in the world, I couldn't read everything and so I relied on magazines like the SLJ to guide me in purchases.  But that sometimes adults don’t get it right, so here was their chance to tell me what to do. And then I handed out a sheet with 5 questions on it. In addition to the title and author, I wanted them to give me a 100 word plot summary, tell me if they liked the book (or not) and why (or not). Then I wanted to know – should I buy the book for the library? And how many stars would they give the title?

The reviews were interesting – and I now have a bit of a shopping list for my next order. Here, in no particular priority are several of the 4 ½ and 5 star books – and some of the feedback I received.

Bird in a box by Andrea Davis Pinckney

Emma said “This heartbreaking book will draw you in and you will keep reading it until you are done. I love this book because it is intense, sad, scary, happy and exciting all in one. A bit of love mixed in made it perfect. This is the best book ever. You should defenitely(sic) buy it.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Boyea

Anna: “This is a suspenseful and awesome book. I can really relate to some of the characters in the book and I love the way it is written. I give this book 5 stars!!”

May B by Caroline Starr Rose

Gabby’s comments: “I like this book because it was very dramatic and she has an amazing personality. I like how she deals with problems. You should (buy this book for the library) because I finished that book in about 3 hours.”

Nature girl by Jane Kelley

Caroline said: “Jane Kelly gives a great storie(sic) on a laugh out loud survival book. I liked it because I myself am a nature girl, so it was a great book for me.”

The boy who saved baseball by John H. Ritter

Carla: “I liked the book because when one problem was solved, another one came up. It was very realistic. It was so interesting that I wanted to read it all night.”

Gangsta Granny by David Walliams

Caroline: “Gangsta Granny is a laugh out loud book……this book will make you smile! I liked it because it reminded me how much my granny means to me.”

There were, of course, some books that were less than successful, although I was a little surprised that the reviews were all generally positive. Of the books that I took in and reviews I received, only two were “Do not buy”. One was The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones. The reader’s comment? It is a sequel and without the first book, this one was hard to understand. Fair comment (maybe I would buy the first book Charmedlife instead.) And the second book was Keeper – the reader did not like it because the book “switched back and forth from past to future”. This was one book that I had bought for the library based on journal reviews…..

What I found completely charming in all of this? When I went to take the books back, so that I could return them to the Doucette, there were groans and moans – everyone wanted to keep reading them. So I left them – at last check, they are “almost” all done. And they want to do it again.

Guest blogger - View from the School Library

Janet Hutchinson is a colleague and kindred spirit when it comes to children's literature.  She also works a day and half in the library in the school which her children have or are attending here in Calgary.  Her experiences there provide her (and me by extension) the opportunity to see what teachers and kids do with the books we promote.

As with any passion, when you find someone that you connect with or 'convert' your heart sings.  When you hear the stories of kids who aren't connecting with literature for whatever reason your heart sinks.  I can certainly understand Janet's pleasure and pain when confronting the reading habits of grade 4 boys.  

Boys will be boys – or will they?

I have a particular fondness for Grade 4 boys. In the school where I work in the library, this is the first grade where the gender split policy comes into play. (The boys and girls are separated and taught in boy and girl only classes until Grade 10. I know there is controversy about gender separation and I don’t intend to defend or debunk it. It is what it is in this particular school.) And I see an increased maturity – a new stage of being , that I really like interacting with.

The teacher of the Grade 4 boys has been at the school for a number of years – he loves reading and we are always trading titles of books - he gives me titles that I have not heard of or that he has tried with the class and thinks they were successful and I give him suggestions back, so it is a fabulously symbiotic relationship.

The reading tastes and skills are varied at this age and stage. I often find that their tastes lean strongly towards World Wars, natural (and man-made) disasters, criminal forensics and hockey (I make them declare for their favourite teams – it helps when I am trying to pick players for the school hockey pool.) And they still like picture books – sort of, although they don’t always like to admit it.

But it is in the area of fiction where I find it most difficult to direct them to books that they “might” like – or even be willing to try. And this is one of the hardest parts of the job – but the one with the greatest appeal. When I find a book that sticks – it really sticks. Several years ago, I recommended the first book in the 39 Clues series - “A Maze of Bones” by Rick Riordan to one of the grade 4 boys. If you haven’t heard of the series, it’s written by different authors (Gordon Korman, Linda Sue Park, Margaret Peterson Haddix and more) and involves family members in a race to find an inheritance. But it is also a game. And there is an on-line site incorporated into it. I found the story to be so-so. But I am not a 9 year old – and I am particularly not a 9 year old boy. So while I didn’t love the book – he did. And he went on to read the rest in the series. And then he devoured Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series. And even now, in Grade 7, he tracks me down to tell me what he is reading. I consider that one a success.

Other recommendations fall flat. And that’s OK. Developing a sense of what they like and what they want to try are important parts of growing into discerning adults who love to read. Some of the other titles that have gone over really well are Frank Boyce Cottrell’s books (Millions, Framed and Cosmic). I gave Cosmic to one student for a book report. He came back and asked for more by the same author. He loved Framed, but found Millions to be so-so. Another important lesson learned – you don’t always like everything that the author has written. And just because I loved Millions (I really did) he doesn’t have to. And he was not afraid to tell me.

Other titles that have had particular success? One is the series “I am Canada”. These are along the lines of the Dear Canada diary series that appeal to girls. These stories involve young men in various aspects of Canadian history. The first one that I read dealt with World War I, so a clear fit with these boys – one in particular who has now moved on to reading anything he can put his hands on about war, soldiers, weapons, etc.  (Heads up - I have not read all of the titles and some reviewers have cautioned regarding the details of death highlighted in another of the series Shot at dawn .)

Along the same theme is the book The two generals by Scott Chantler. This is a story of friendship during the Second World War – two young men who, as friends,  enlist and go overseas.  It is a true story that shows the reader war through the eyes of the soldiers at the front. The graphics are particularly well done and the overall tone of the book is just right.

Another author that these boys like is Jon Scieszka – most particularly for his Time Warp Trio books . And his autobiography Knucklehead has made a few boys snort at some of the antics he and his brothers were involved in.

Another author that  they like, and who appears to have stood the test of time is Roald Dahl – at one time this year, the shelf with his books on it was empty – and the boys were madly trading the titles back and forth and declaring for their favorites. In the lead is The BFG – but close behind are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach.

Do these boys continue to love reading as they become teenagers? I would have said yes, based on some of my experiences. But this week I had a conversation with the LA teacher for Junior High, who came to me to find some titles that her grade 9 boys would not dismiss out of hand. In the course of our conversation, she told me that they could give her very few titles that they had read and loved. And I found that really sad. I don’t know how to engage them from that point of reluctance back to the enthusiasm they had in Grade 4. My son (one of the grade 9 boys she was referring to) has morphed from a child who LOVED reading to one who rejects my suggestions out of hand. I keep trying, in hopes that it is a phase – that, shortly, a book that he picks up completely engages him – and he remembers the particular appeal of getting lost in a good book.

Guest blogger - View from the School Library

Janet Hutchinson is a colleague and kindred spirit when it comes to children's literature.  She also works a day and half in the library in the school which her children have or are attending here in Calgary.  Her experiences there provide her (and me by extension) the opportunity to see what teachers and kids do with the books we promote.

The book club idea sounds like a great idea.  Janet's list reminds me of a couple of titles that I've been meaning to read for long time like Queen's Own Fool and Sara Pennypacker latest title which has just arrived in the Doucette.  Good thing the Christmas break is just around the corner...

Once more with feeling….

So the teacher that I worked with last year to pull together a list of books for her grade 6 class arrived in the library earlier this month with another request. Still trying to encourage “spontaneous reading”, Jane is now starting a monthly book club. She is asking the students to read a book, any book, really, as long as it is age suitable and one that they have not read before. Then they will have a discussion (with cookies). She had brought down her list to me to see what on her list was in the library.

I was pleased that the library had many of the books on her list – but of course, I could not help but add my own two cents to her list.

So here are some of my choices:

Countdown by Deborah Wiles. Tammy has recommended this before on her blog, but I think it bears repeating. It’s a time that I remember vaguely (being very young, of course), but the story of family is timeless. And the inclusion of “artifacts” from that time period makes the book visually interesting as well. There is apparently going to be a second book of an intended three sometime in the future. And her other books are also excellent choices for grade 6 girls (Love, Ruby Lavender etc.)

Queen’s Own Fool and Girl in a Cage by Jane Yolen . These are the first two books in the Stuart trilogy. They can be read separately (I read Girl in a cage first), but they both tell of events during the Stuart reign in Scotland. Yolen’s characters are strong young women, in a time when it was very tough to be one – and that is only one of the reasons why I like her books. I think they are historically accurate – not being a historian, I can’t say that with complete authority – but they feel true and are rich in the detail that matters.

Jerry Spinelli  - Stargirl , Loser and other such titles by him. I read Stargirl and even though my elementary and high school years are looong ago, I connected with his story of non-conformity and the challenges it brings, both to those who are “different” and to those who are their friends. This might more correctly be called a teen book – but its innocence makes me wish that more teen books took this style, instead of some of the current trends. Ditto for “Loser”, another of his books.

Scat by Carl Hiaasen – or Hoot or Flush. These are great mysteries, written by an adult mystery author and (successfully, in my view) incorporating an environmental message that is neither preachy nor boring. 

Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay. I was first introduced to this book in a mother daughter book club that Tammy facilitated. Since I read it, there have been 4 more books written about this wondrously quirky family. In this book (the first one), we are introduced to the Casson children, all named for paint colours and all with their own endearing charms and quirks.  This is gentle fun writing and I have since read the following titles – and I still like the series.

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker. Many of the students are familiar with Pennypacker’s Clementine books and this book is a natural transition for readers who loved those books, but require a book with a little more meat in it. The premise of the story is not completely believable (at least by adult standards) but I enjoyed the interplay between Stella and Angel and I kept reading mostly to find out when they would be “found out”.

I could go on and on. One of the reasons that I love this process is that it keeps me reading books with a view to the question “Who would like this book?”.  Jane’s book club has led both of us into a whole other realm of reading and a new project for her students – but more on that later.

Guest blogger - View from the school library

Janet Hutchinson is a colleague and kindred spirit when it comes to children's literature.  She also works a day and half in the library in the school which her children have or are attending here in Calgary.  Her experiences there provide her (and me by extension) the opportunity to see what teachers and kids do with the books we promote.

Today's posting highlights three fictional pieces that take us back to Europe during World War II.  All three are new to me though Janet had already sold me on Code Name Verity which I've since ordered for the Doucette Library.  What are your thoughts?  Any recommendations that you'd recommend for Remembrance Day?

Lest we forget….a different take

So maybe it is just me – but do you know how occasionally you read a book – and then the next book you pick up is somewhat related? And then you find a third book that ties into the second? And so on? Well, that happened to me this fall. It started with a book I read for my book club, - a mystery, set in Sweden and moving back and forth between present day Sweden and Sweden during the Second World War. Then I picked up the next book on my pile – and it linked to the first.  So this fall, I have read four different books about events in the Second World War that I was less knowledgeable about. Three of the books are intended for children or young adults, making them perfect fodder for both my jobs.

The first book is Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus. This is historical fiction, written about Nazi-occupied Norway during the early years of the war. I did not know that Norway had been occupied and so this book piqued my interest. The story’s main character is a teenage boy, Kjell, drafted into the Resistance movement in Norway – initially, by delivering letters, but eventually moving on to spy on the Nazis.  The story details his increasing involvement, but also offers the stories of three other characters – his sister, a local bully and his former best friend. Ultimately, Kjell commits an error, which uncovers his role as a spy and he is forced to flee Norway for Sweden on skis. The book has been well-researched and includes maps, quotes, a pronunciation guide and a brief history and timeline of the occupation. Based on a true story, the authenticity rings through and it will be an excellent read for Grade 6 and up.

The second book I read is My Family For the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve. This book begins in Germany during the initial period of Nazi persecution of Jews, but before the war officially started. Franziska is a young girl with Jewish roots, but a practicing Protestant. Nevertheless, she is sent to England on a “kinder transport” - a system that smuggled close to 10,000 Jewish children out of Germany to safety. When Franziska leaves, it is with the idea that her family will join her in England. But travel of Jewish people is prohibited before her family can join her and Franziska is placed with a Jewish family in England for the duration of the war. I found myself quite entranced with this book. As a parent, I could (barely) imagine sending my children away to safety – but from a child’s perspective, this must have been a very confusing and upsetting time, with conflicting loyalties to family, religion and countries.  The author does an excellent job of portraying that confusion and sense of loss – and reading the story of Frances as she grows and matures during wartime England kept me interested right to the end.

 Finally, the third book I read is Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Weins. This was, quite simply, a fabulous read. I don’t want to get into too much detail, as it might ruin the story. But take two young women – one with a talent for languages and the other with an interest in, and ability to, fly planes. Put them into the Second World War and what evolves is a story of friendship, of fears and fears faced, of intelligence, true courage, faith and hope. It is not an easy read, and for that reason, I would only recommend it for older students – Grade 10 and up, as the plot is complex and the narrative is third person diary (sort of). But I want this book (I borrowed it from the library) and have put it on my Christmas list. The book gave me goose bumps and made me ask myself “Would I have the courage to do what they did?”

War and war time is a subject of great interest for many of the students at my school, helped no doubt, by the fact that the school resides on one of the army bases “decommissioned” during the 1980s and 1990s. I also have a strong interest in these wars, helped along by a daughter who is studying military history in university and stories told by my father, a navigator in the Second World War. But these three books gave me different lenses on the Second World War, ones that I won’t forget when November 11 rolls around.