I remember being inspired to do a construction theme due to roadwork that was to start near our library at the time.  It would even affect our hours if I remember correctly so I thought it would be timely and something that the parents/guardians could talk with their kids about too.  Check out the full storytime plan for this "Throwback Thursday."


Theme: Construction
Date: August 10, 2016
Attendance: (Not recorded in notes)
Subject Headings:

• Construction -- juvenile fiction
• Construction equipment -- juvenile fiction*
• Construction projects -- juvenile fiction
• Construction workers -- juvenile fiction
• Building -- juvenile fiction

*I had the best results with this heading.

PLAN:

1. Opening Song (it was probably a variation of "Hands Go Up")
 
2. Book: Dig In! - April Jones Prince (2013) 
--Only if babies/little ones present

3. Book: Stanley the Builder - William Bee (2014)

4. Felt Board: Red Crane, Red Crane
-- I got this idea from Storytime Katie who was inspired by the art from Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia.  I didn't have access to that picture book title, but I found the design simple enough for me to sketch out. However, you could always photocopy the illustrations from the book itself. I used crochet thread to attach the felt hook to the crane and added puff paint details to all of the pieces. 
Storytime Katie used the format of the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. which I also followed when using this felt board.  I usually have the pieces in a bag and pull it out randomly and have the kids help me identify the color and type of construction vehicle depicted.  If there are six or less kids, you can even have them pull and add a piece to the board!
5. Book: Dig, Dogs, Dig: A Construction Tail - James Horvath (2013)

6. Book: Go! Go! Go! Stop! - Charise Mericle Harper (2014)

7. Song: "Construction Worker Song"
--I found the song lyrics via Storytime Katie on this website. It is sung to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" and you can have everyone pretend to do the actions in each verse:

This is the way we pound our nails, pound our nails, pound our nails

This is the way we pound our nails, so early in the morning

• Saw the wood
• Turn the screwdriver
• Drill a hole
• Stack the bricks
• Stir the paint
• Paint the walls

8. Book: Bulldozer's Big Day - Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann (2015)

9. Closing Song

10. Craft: Paper Shape Bulldozer
--I loved this craft idea from No Time For Flash Cards. I pre-cut the paper pieces, but the kids were still able to talk about the shapes and such with their grown ups.  Basically they glued the shapes together to make a bulldozer and then they could draw a construction scene with crayons. Here are some samples of what the little ones came up with below!

How It Went:
--I ended up altering my original plan by nixing the baby-aimed book and the kids must have been settled enough for me to read two books in a row before pulling out the felt board. As I mentioned in the introduction, I had initially been inspired about construction happening in our vicinity so I'm sure I must have opened with a short mention or discussion about that also: 

1. Opening Song (it was probably a variation of "Hands Go Up")
2. Book: Stanley the Builder - William Bee (2014) 
3. Book: Dig, Dogs, Dig: A Construction Tail - James Horvath (2013)
4. Felt Board: Red Crane, Red Crane
5. Book: Go! Go! Go! Stop! - Charise Mericle Harper (2014)
6. Song: "Construction Worker Song" ("This is the Way We" Adaptation)
7. Book: Bulldozer's Big Day - Canace Fleming & Eric Rohmann (2015)
8. Closing Song
9. Craft: Paper Shape Bulldozer

 I didn't find much notes from this storytime plan, but I did have a list of other construction themed books I had considered:

• Build, Dogs, Build: A Tall Tail – James Horvath, 2014
• Mighty Dads – Joan Holub, 2014
• Bang! Boom! Roar! – Nate Evans & Stephanie Gwyn Brown, 2012
• Demolition – Sally Sutton, 2012 
• The Construction Crew – Lynn Meltzer, 2011
• Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site – Sherri Duskey Rinker, 2011
• Building with Dad – Carol Nevius, 2006
• Hard Hat Area – Susan Roth, 2004
• Monster Trucks! – Mark Todd, 2003
• Get to Work Trucks! – Don Carter, 2002
• Minerva Louise and the Red Truck – Janet Morgan Stoeke, 2002
• The Lot at the End of My Block – Kevin Lewis, 2001
• Machines at Work – Byron Barton, 1987

Space Exploration Day or Moon Day is celebrated on July 20th in honor of the first moon landing of Apollo 11 in 1969.  Read on for fun storytime ideas with an easy craft, books suggestions, and cute felt board!

Theme: Moon (Space Exploration Day / Moon Day)
Date: July 20, 2016
Attendance: (Not recorded in notes)

PLAN:

1. Opening Song (it was probably a variation of "Hands Go Up")
 
2. Book: Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me - Eric Carle (1986)

3. Book: Bringing Down the Moon - Jonathan Emmitt (2001)

4. Book: The Moon Might Be Milk - Lisa Shulman (2007)

5. Felt Board: Hey Diddle Diddle
--I actually made this felt board for a cow themed storytime when I did a short term children's librarian project as an LIS student in fall 2015. I had came across an adorable design for this felt board from momanddotsfeltshop on Etsy and drew out my own version based on the photos.  I photocopied the original pencil drawings below for a pattern to use on the felt.  It was really fun to make but I felt like it was a lot of work for a very short nursery rhyme.  Fortunately, I've been able to reuse the pieces (e.g. the cow, cat, dog, etc.) for other songs, stories, and rhymes since.

Felties in progress with sketches

6. Book: I Took the Moon for a Walk - Carolyn Curtis (2004)

7. Closing Song 

8. Craft: Aluminum Foil Moon -- I got this idea from Mommy's Bundle blog where it's called a "sensory craft" due to having the children explore textures by crushing and smoothing out the aluminum foil.  I pretty much used the instructions as described.
Pro Tip: I used a small dessert plate or lid to trace a circle onto the foil with a pencil or something to just indent the foil and cut alone that line (no pen marks)!
We used glue sticks and since we had some leftover self-adhesive glow in the dark stars from a past Summer Reading Program prize, I left the kids use a few on their paper like stickers.  I also had crayons out for them to draw an outer space scene around their moon.  Overall a very easy and fun craft that allowed for creativity and minimal prep work for staff!

How It Went:
--I couldn't find any notes for this storytime, but I did find a list of other "moon" books I looked at:

• Imani’s Moon – JaNay Brown-Wood, 2014

• How to Bicycle to the Moon to Plant Sunflowers – Mordicai Gerstein, 2013

• Cindy Moo – Lori Mortensen, 2012

• Willoughby & the Moon – Greg Foley, 2010

• Thanking the Moon – Grace Lin, 2010

• Moon Dreams [Where on Earth is the Moon?] – Ruth Martin, 2010

• Catching the Moon – Myla Goldberg, 2007

• Moon Plane – Peter McCarty, 2006

• Kitten’s First Full Moon – Kevin Henkes, 2004

• I Took the Moon for a Walk – Carolyn Curtis, 2004. 

• The Moon Came Down on Milk Street – Jean Gralley, 2004

• Hello, Harvest Moon – Ralph Fletcher, 2003

• Man on the Moon: A Day in the Life of Bob – Simon Bartram, 2002

• When Moon Fell Down – Linda Smith, 2001

• What is the Full Moon Full Of? – Shulamith Levey Oppenheim, 1997

• The Princess and the Moon – Daisaku Ikeda, 1992. Random House 

• Moongame – Frank Asch, 1984

• Mooncake – Frank Asch, 1983

As a children's librarian, storytime is often an essential part of our services.  In this new series, I'll be recording the storytime plans and themes I've done.  I decided to start from nearly the beginning, though I don't have quite as much notes, but hopefully I'll be able to catch up to my current position quickly!

Theme: Summer
Date: July 13, 2016
Attendance: (Not recorded in notes)

PLAN:

1. Opening Song (it was probably a variation of "Hands Go Up")
 
2. Book: Mouse's First Summer - Lauren Thompson (2004)

3. Book: Summer Days and Nights - Wong Herbert Yee (2012)


4. Felt Board: Summer Shapes
--This activity was inspired by Storytime Katie and Mel's Desk, though I used a different design for the popsicle (I may redo it later), it was easy enough to draw out the patterns freehand.

For the kite, I made the tail out of little hourglass/bow shapes and tied the crochet thread around the center of each bow to secure it, I glued the string to the back of the diamond and used a matching scrap of felt to cover up the knot.  

It's a very fun and simple shape and color identification activity!  If I remember correctly, I used a similar guided conversation/hints for some of the items as described in the original posts.  It went over well and I've used it several times since then.

5. Book: Summer Wonders - Bob Raczka (2009)

6. Closing Song 

7. Craft: Sun Hanger
--I was inspired by the colorful designs for a sun spinner here, but I simplified it for my preschool crowd by using a thin paper plate (I don't remember if it was a full size or snack/dessert sized plate, but either would work) and punched a hole at the top and used yarn as a hanger, so it was like a big ornament or door hanger. 

How It Went:
--I couldn't find any notes for this storytime.

Throwback Thursday to a novel I read for my Books and Literature for Young Adults course during "library school." We had to chose an ALA (American Library Association) Teens' Top Ten nominated novel and write a "booktalk" and review for it.

© Scholastic

Title: The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Published: 2012 by Scholastic

"One of the great books I finished last week was The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, whom you may know as the author of the Underworld Chronicles, a humorous fantasy series.  This is the first book in the Ascendance trilogy, and was voted #2 of the 2013 Teens' Top Ten. If you enjoy medieval styled fantasies (or even if you don't), The False Prince is definitely worth a look.

'Four boys, one treacherous plan, and an entire kingdom to fool.'

The land of Carthya hovers on the brink of war and needs a strong king to lead its people.  Nobleman Bevin Conner schemes to save the kingdom (and gain some power himself) by placing King Eckbert's long lost second son, Prince Jaron, onto the throne.

There's just one problem:  Most of the nobles assume Prince Jaron to be dead after pirates attacked and destroyed his ship five years ago. 

Taking four orphan teens who resemble the young prince, Conner gives them two weeks of intense training in swordsmanship, riding, history, manners --the education of a royal. The deception will give them a life of wealth and power beyond their dreams. But only one boy can be chosen:

Will it be quiet and humble Latamer?
Tobias, intelligent and eager to please?
The most athletic and strong, Roden?
Or will it be Sage, a defiant street thief?

When it is revealed just how devastatingly far Conner is willing go for his deception to succeed, the teens realize their lives hang perilously at sword point.  Can they even trust each other in this world of secrets, intrigue, and lies?  Full of action, readers will keep the pages turning in this fast paced adventure novel.

Can a pauper become a Prince? 
Find out in book one of the Ascendance trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen."

Medieval style fantasy worlds were my favorite as a teen. While only 342 pages long, The False Prince has 54 short chapters. I wouldn't be surprised if it was written with reluctant readers in mind.

Our protagonist Sage has sarcastic, quick wit, and an even quicker tongue which often gets him in trouble. While female characters were a bit lacking, they were there in a supportive friendship role, but I think it worked with this type of fast paced, tight plot. Oh, and that plot twist! Maybe some will think it cheap (I felt almost betrayed for a moment), but I don't think teens would be disappointed with the ending.

The novel also plays with themes of identity:  Is your role in life something you can pick up, try out and cast aside? Teens often experiment with who they are as they discover or mold their identity, how they want others to see them, etc. so I saw echoes of that in this story, though with much higher stakes. One review I read called it "Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games." Content-wise, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but you can see elements from those series such as medieval political intrigue and teens caught up in a life or death, high stakes competition.  All in all, I enjoyed this novel and quickly went to seek out the remaining books in the trilogy.

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where you feature a yet-to-be-released title you're anticipating!

Title: Cosplay in Libraries: How to Embrace Costume Play in Your Library
Author: Ellyssa Kroski
Release Date: October 23, 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

About the Book:

"Cosplay, comics, anime, and geek culture have exploded into the mainstream over recent years and have resulted in a thriving community of costume enthusiasts and pop culture fans. Today’s cosplayers find inspiration on the pages of comics, classic literature, and even history, as well as film, television, and video games to inform their creative and oftentimes elaborate ensembles. They utilize all manner of materials and techniques including 3D printers, thermoplastics, craft foam, fabric and more to design their costumes and props.

Libraries on the leading edge are already embracing this new worldwide sensation by integrating cosplay into their programming and events. Learn all about the world of cosplay and how you can host cosplay events, workshops, makerspaces, clubs, and more in your library!

This one-stop guide includes quotes and interviews with librarians who are incorporating cosplay into their programming as well as with cosplayers. You’ll also find 32 full-color photographs of cosplay in action to give you both ideas and inspiration for getting started!"

Why I'm "WoW" about Cosplay in Libraries:
I don't know if I really would need this book, as it sounds like it might be meant for librarians unfamiliar with costuming or cosplay.  BUT it is almost as if it was made for me.  I mean, when have you ever seen a serious discussion or writings on cosplay in library literature?  The only thing that would be more applicable or connected to my focus/interests would be library literature on art education in public libraries or Christian fiction in public libraries.  $50 seems a bit steep of a price for 168 pages, but I'd love to get my hands on a copy to see what types of programming and events Kroski will highlight ... I also think it's kind of neat that Kroski's bio says she cosplays also (guess I'm not the only librarian costumer)!  Needless to say, my anticipation for this non-fiction title is off the charts!

Are there any titles releasing this month you're "WoW" about?  Let me know (and tell me why) in the comments!

About the Author:

"Ellyssa Kroski is the Director of Information Technology at the New York Law Institute as well as an award-winning editor and author of 34 books including Law Librarianship in the Digital Age for which she won the AALL's 2014 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award. Her ten-book technology series, The Tech Set won the ALA's Best Book in Library Literature Award in 2011. She is a librarian, an adjunct faculty member at Pratt Institute, and an international conference speaker. She blogs at Cosplay, Comics, and Geek Culture in Libraries. Her professional portfolio is located at: http://www.ellyssakroski.com

Ellyssa is also an avid cosplayer and has appeared on TLC's Cake Boss TV show as well as in the official music video for New York Comic Con and many other events. Her cosplay portfolio can be found at http://www.giallogirl.com"

This month is getting pretty busy!  With just about three weeks of the semester left and my lack of posting last month, I thought I'd have to take a break from blogging.  However, I just realized that I actually have some old reviews I haven't posted and material from my LIS classes from last semester I could blog about.  So if you guys are interested, I'll post from time to time about some of my required reading lists for my Library & Information Science classes. 

*Note - I don't necessarily recommend every title listed, this is meant to be a sample of reading lists from my LIS classes. As always, please do your own research before reading or purchasing titles for yourself or before giving them to your children.*

Special Topics in Librarianship: The Graphic Novel:

"... explore Graphic Novels and Comics in libraries for all ages with an emphasis on children and young adult titles. We will study collection development, programming, the history of graphics, censorship, and booktalking. A particular focus will be on Asian and Asian American titles including web comics and online comic resources ... This course is intended for librarians who plan to provide or already are providing library services in either a public or school library; teachers; and anyone else who is interested in graphic novels for any age." (Syllabus excerpt) 

Required Reading List:

Weeks 1 & 2 (Introduction and General Comics History):
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud

Week 3 (History of Asian American Comics and Graphics):
Any Usagi Yojimbo comic book by Stan Sakai
Usagi Yojimbo: Duel at Kitanoji (Book 17) Review

Week 4 (Hawaii Comics and Graphics):
Any comic book by Jon Murakami

Week 5 (Elementary Age Graphics):
Smile by Reina Telgemeier
Any Little Lit book edited by Art Spiegelman
Little Lit: Folklore and Fairy Tale Funnies Review

Week 6 (Non-Fiction Graphics):
March, Vol. 1 by John Robert Lewis & Andrew Aydin.  Illustrated by Nate Powell.
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Week 7 (DC and Marvel):
Your choice, one of each featuring Batman and Spider-Man:

Batman comic book
Batgirl: Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection Review
Batman: Li'l Gotham: Vol. 1 Review
Spider-Man comic book
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol.1 Review
Spider-Man: Blue

Week 8 (Collection Development):
None (midterm due)
Booktalk Assignment - "3 Graphic Novels Princess Leia Would Read"

Week 9 (Webcomics):
Your choice, any webcomic

Week 10 (Manga):
Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 by Hajime Isayama
Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 Review

Week 11 (Middle School Graphics):
Boxers by Gene Luen Yang
Saints by Gene Luen Yang
Ichiro by Ryan Inzama

Week 12 (Intellectual Freedom & Censorship):
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan. Illustrated by Fiona Staples

Week 13 (Outreach & Programming):
None

Week 14 (High School Graphics):
Night Fisher by Kikuo R. Johnson
Night Fisher Review

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen. Illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

Week 15 (Graphics for Adults):
A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori
A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 Review
Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami
Stargazing Dog Review

What are your favorite comic books or graphic novels?  Have you ever read any of the ones listed?