Month: May 2021

Posted in Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

Year of the Buttered Cat is amazing!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Year of the Buttered Cat (A Mostly True Story), by Susan Haas and Lexi Haas, (April 2021, Penelope Editions), $17.99, ISBN: 9781734225938

Ages 9-13

What a book! This mostly-true memoir of Lexi Haas, a Star Wars and superhero-loving teen, shines a light on a rare – and preventable – neurological disease called kernicterus. Written by Lexi and her mother, Susan Haas, The Year of the Buttered Cat moves between Lexi at ages five and six, when she learns about her diagnosis and waits for the “five gifts, more or less” that an ersatz preacher wishes for her, and the age of 13, on the eve of a major surgery that she, and her family, hope will give her more control over her body and give her a voice. Not a story about kernicterus, Lexi’s story is a story about fandom, friendship, and discovering that the gifts you need are to be discovered within. We read Lexi’s frustrations and her ups and downs – feeling left out by friends; having strangers ask “what’s wrong with her?”; knowing her parents are keeping secrets – and see our own. We read her joyful moments – her laughter, teasing and being teased by siblings, watching Saturday Night Live with her parents, cuddling with her dog – and smile and laugh along with her. Do we find out why the cat was buttered? Yes. Do we want to find Lexi and the next Comic Con and hang out in cosplay with her? Definitely. Lexi’s voice is strong, clear, and focused, whether she’s making us laugh or suggesting we stop, take a moment, and think.

Give this to your readers who loved Wonder, Mustaches for Maddie, and Roll With It, A great add to your social-emotional learning shelves.

Posted in programs, Summer Reading

Summer Reading: Which theme to choose?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Summer Reading’s coming! How many different themes are there, and how does your library choose?

This year, my library system is doing the Reading Takes You Everywhere theme. After a year in relative quarantine, we thought it was time to indulge some armchair wanderlust! Our Summer Reading site has links to our booklists, programs, and our Reading Challenge site, through ReadSquared, for the second year running. I mean, when you think of it, travel can be to so many places – through a book, you can visit outer space as easily as you can visit your neighborhood library.

 

I know so many library systems are part of the Collaborative Summer Library Program, and their theme this year, Tails and Tales, is just adorable! Also, home run – animal stories are always a win with the kiddos! The CSLP site has great resources, downloads, and ideas. If you have an access code, you can download the whole manual, which has booklists, programming ideas, and templates for early childhood, children, and teens.

 

For older tweens and teens who like the spookier side of life, a side theme you can run is Summer Scares, a program created by the Springfield-Greene County Library District, the Horror Writers Association, Book Riot, Booklist, and United for Libraries. I first found out about Summer Scares through the RA for All blog, and love the idea of having some extra offerings for my older readers who may be more interested in thrills and chills. The free programming guide features three suggested books for adults, for teens, and for tweens/middle graders, along with readalikes and programming ideas. A friend of mine who works in a different branch in our system is a horror/spooky books fan, too, and we’re both thinking up some ways to introduce Summer Scares programming and displays, with some QR codes to link our libraries’ (our libraries are in the same system, but about 13 miles apart) programming and Bitmoji collections.

Those are the three Summer Reading programs I know about – tell me about yours!

Posted in programs, Storytime

I’m back and have book bundles with me!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I took a few days to update this week, because my neighborhood library is open to public browsing and computer use now, and I was hopping! It’s been wild and surreal, having people in the library again; more and more kids are dribbling in, looking for books, and it is amazing to feel like a kids’ librarian again! I’ve also just got the great news that I’ll be returning to my branch at the end of next month, just in time for Summer Reading. It has been a good, if exhausting, week!

So, book bundles, book bundles, book bundles! Who’s doing them? I started putting them out and about in my library when we were at grab and go service, in my quest to give patrons a little bit of a browsing opportunity. The most popular by far was my storytime in a bundle, where I’d pair up 3 board and/or picture books in various themes, add a song sheet, and a coloring sheet or activity. They were super popular, and I definitely see continuing these in my future!

 

I also made some Mad Scientist bundles, where I’d bundle some fun STEM/science experiment books with experiments I found online (DK offers amazing resources for download) along with some fun printables I downloaded from Teachers Pay Teachers like this fun Mad Scientist headband from Mallory Homuth and this Mad Scientist Club packet from Molecules and Middle School.

 

If anyone’s doing book bundles, I’d love to hear more about them! I’ll be posting some fun book bundle ideas today, but in the meantime, I’m happy to share a link to my song sheets, created in Canva, for you to use in your bundles. Enjoy!

 

Posted in picture books

She’s The One, The Only… Sparkella! (And she’s got her dad with her, too.)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The One and Only Sparkella (and Her Dad!), by Channing Tatum/Illustrated by Kim Barnes, (Feiwel & Friends), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250750754

Ages 4-8

Sparkella is all ready for her first big day at school: she’s got her glimmering pencil case, shimmering backpack, glittery ribbons, and glistening shoes, all ready to make a sparkly splash! Her dad dons a pink feather boa and escorts her there, sharing dance moves along the way. But when Sparkella gets to school, her classmates don’t seem to “get” her sparkle at all. Sad, leaves school, telling Dad to call her “Ella”, and strips all sparkle from her look. But trying to fit in is killing her inner sparkle, too! Luckily, Dad knows how to get Ella to find her sparkle again, and when Sparkella returns to school, she spreads her glittery charm around and discovers some new friends. Written by actor/director/producer Channing Tatum, for his daughter Everly, The One and Only Sparkella is an adorably fun and sweet book about being true to yourself, embracing what makes you unique, and the wisdom of Girl Dads. Channing Tatum has made headlines for dressing up with his daughter, and her influence is all over this playful story. Parents and caregivers will see the kids they know and love in this story, from the shimmery, glimmery clothes and accessories, to the fabulous take on Ella’s name when she becomes Sparkella, to the struggle to fit in and make friends while trusting their inner voices. Dad is supportive and present, strutting down the street in a feather boa, busting out impromptu dance party moves on the way to school, and deftly figuring out how to get his daughter to open up to him by making it look like she’s the one dispensing advice. Kim Barnes’s playful artwork is loaded with pinks, fuschias, and glittery, bright colors that make every turn of the page a joy. When Ella’s world goes bland for a few spreads, readers will wait with baited breath for the splash to come back. Bright pink endpapers, filled with glittery poop (it’s part of the storyline), feathery school utensils, and fashionable accessories, make this a read that kids will come back to whenever they need a little glitter in their day. Find The One and Only Sparkella Zoom backgrounds and activity kit printables here!

The One and Only Sparkella has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books

Celebrate World Meditation Day with Already a Butterfly

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s World Meditation Day, and to relax and ease yourself into a meaningful day, I’ve got a gorgeous book to share with you, by Julia Alvarez and Raúl Colón.

Already a Butterfly: A Meditation Story, by Julia Alvarez/Illustrated by Raúl Colón,
(June 2021, Henry Holt), $18.99, ISBN: 9781627799324

Ages 5-9

Mari Posa is a young butterfly who has way too much to do and not enough time to do it: she has to gulp down nectar, pollinate a whole field, do her wing exercises, and then she has her future to think about! There’s just no time to enjoy being a butterfly, or take in the beautiful flowers she meets through her day… Luckily, a flower bud named Bud is there to teach Mari the secret with feeling happy “being just who I am”. Raúl Colón’s watercolor, pencil, and crayon artwork is dreamlike, with gorgeous images of nature and person-butterfly hybrids cascading across the pages. Together, Julia Alvarex and Raúl Colón have created an story with purpose, where a child of color is not only the star of the book, but one who experiences joy simply by acknowledging her own existence. Her name, Mari Posa itself, is a lovely nod to Latinx culture; mariposa is a Spanish term for butterfly. Helpful meditation techniques help lead kids and caregivers through the process, from breathing, to visualization, to being aware of one’s surroundings. I love this beautiful story. Perfect for a yoga and/or mindfulness storytime, before bedtime, or celebrating the beautiful beginning to a new day.

An author’s note on author Julia Alvarez’s own experience with meditation and her granddaughters, while volunteering at the Marisposa DR Foundation, describes her inspiration for Already a Butterfly and includes photos of Ms. Alvarez with her Mariposas in training. Colorful endpapers sprout flowers that readers will want to stop and enjoy again and again.

Print out some copies of the author’s Tips for Meditation, and make them available to your families! If there was ever a time to encourage our kids to practice mindfulness and meditation, this is it.

 

Julia Alvarez (@writerjalvarez) is the author of numerous bestselling and award-winning novels including How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of Butterflies, collections of poems, and works of nonfiction as well as picture books. She has won the Pura Belpré Award, the Américas Award, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Literature, and the National Medal of Arts.

Raúl Colón (@raul.colon.7140) has illustrated several highly acclaimed picture books, including Draw!; the New York Times-bestselling Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt; Susanna Reich’s José! Born to Dance; and Jill Biden’s Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops. Mr. Colón lived in Puerto Rico as a young boy and now resides in New City, New York, with his family.

Posted in picture books

Dear Librarian: A moving memoir

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dear Librarian, by Lydia M. Sigwarth/Illustrated by Romina Galotta, (June 2021, Farrar, Straus, Giroux), $18.99, ISBN: 9780374313906

Ages 4-8

Librarian Lydia M. Sigwarth’s picture book memoir was inspired by Ira Glass’s public radio show, This American Life. At the age of 5, Lydia’s family moved from Colorado to Iowa. WIthout a home of their own, Lydia, her six siblings, and parents stayed at relatives’ homes, but had no place of their own – until Lydia’s mother took her to the library, where she found a Library Home in the stories, the programs, and in the librarian, who always had time for a hug, to read a book with Lydia, and make her feel safe. Inspired to become a librarian thanks to “her” librarian, Lydia’s experiences illustrate both the library as emotional home for those who may not have anywhere to go; the emotional work of the librarian, and the love so many of us have for what we do. Romina Galotta’s illustrations capture the magic hidden in the ordinary; we see young Lydia walk into the library for the first time, flowers blooming out of shelves and sprouting up from book pages, just waiting for her. The warm atmosphere of the children’s room will bring a smile to any library lover’s face; I ached, missing my library even more, seeing the puppet show theatre and toy bins lining the floor of Lydia’s childhood library. Most of all, I loved the panel where Lydia’s librarian leans forward as Lydia approaches the desk; the two share a smile, connected, as Lydia’s flowers, bloom up from the librarian’s desk, letting readers know that this is part of her magical, safe space. She wanders through the stacks, accompanied by a whale; she and her librarian fight dragons together; she is where she needs to be. Now a librarian, Lydia connects with the children in her room, making paper dolls, sharing books and hugs, and connecting at that desk, robots and flowers present: she is someone else’s safe place now. An afterword from Lydia Sigwarth talks about her experiences in the library and reconnecting with her librarian Deb Stephenson, thanks to This American Life.

I was lucky enough to attend a librarian chat with Lydia Sigworth and her publisher, and it was one of the best experiences! Lydia Sigwarth is amazing, folx; I just wanted to talk books with her forever. She’s upbeat, inspirational, and such a positive force. I’m thrilled that she had a chance to share her story with us. Dear Librarian is a book every library should have handy – and that every librarian should read, because what we do makes an impact (and we need to remember that!).

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Uncategorized

Bugs for Kids! Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis
Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite!, by Ashley Spires, (June 2021, Kids Can Press), $12.99, ISBN: 9781525301469
Ages 5-8
This adorably fun book by The Most Magnificent Thing and Binky the Space Cat author Ashley Spires is all about Burt, a ten-lined june beetle whose superhero power is hugging. He can’t defend himself with a stinky smell, he can’t lift 50 times his weight, and he certainly doesn’t bite: that’s not how you make friends! No, this friendly, lovable bug likes to chase porch lights and flail his legs in the air. But when his friends find themselves caught in a spider’s web, it’s Burt to the rescue in the best way possible! Ashley Spires makes bugs absolutely adorable and hilariously witty in this fun story that includes loads of bug facts and bold, cartoony illustration. Endpapers show a variety of bugs and their special traits; dialogue and narration in the book also focuses on positive, albeit, fictional character traits, which lends itself to a good discussion on embracing our differences and enjoying a wide group of friends. Hand this to your kiddos that may not be ready to tackle Science Comics yet, but who are ready to enjoy learning about the sweetest watermelon-looking huggable bug ever. Display and booktalk with Elise Gravel’s Disgusting Critters series for more laughs (and facts!). Visit Ashley Spires’s author website for information about her books and animation.
Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Oh no! Chickens on the Loose!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Chickens on the Loose, by Jane Kurtz/Illustrated by John Joseph, (May 2021, West Margin Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781513267241

Ages 4-8

A group of urban chickens take to the streets to cause madness and mayhem in this hilarious rhyming story. They wreak havoc at a thrift shop; stop at a yoga studio, descend upon food trucks, and listen to no one! The rhyming theme gets some breathing room from the repetitive phrase, “‘STOP!’ [from a human in the story] “But the chickens will not stop.” It’s the perfect opportunity to have your readers call out to these menacing chickens – or hand out some printable masks from SuperColoring, and have your own group of chickens cluck and bock-bock their way through the story. Informational back matter includes helpful facts on raising and keeping urban chickens, and the endpapers are grey-blue and white spreads of feathers and chicken tracks. Colorful, cartoony artwork adds to the fun of the story, with a frenetic group of chickens racing through an urban landscape and the town’s citizens in various states of dismay, surprise, even delight. Absolute fun, and I can’t wait to read this at my next storytime, most likely while wearing a chicken mask.

Get classroom resources, a peek inside the book, and a fun video at this page on Jane Kurtz’s website!

 

Jane Kurtz is an award-winning children’s book author, speaker, educator, and she is on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Children’s and YA Literature. She is a co-founder of the nonprofit Ethiopia Reads, an organization that brings books and literacy to the children in Ethiopia, where Jane grew up. She also heads the creative team of Ready Set Go Books, a project of Open Hearts Big Dreams to create fun, colorful, local language books for people in Ethiopia. She is the author of many books for children, including River Friendly River Wild, winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite award for picture book text, and What Do They Do With All That Poo?, a finalist to the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Excellence in Science Books list; it has also been named to several state reading lists, voted on by children. To learn more, visit her website: janekurtz.com.

Instagram: @writerjanie

Twitter: @janekurtz

Posted in Adventure, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Tales from the TBR: NatGeo’s Explorer Academy – Star Dunes

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis
Explorer Academy: The Star Dunes (Book 4), by Trudi Trueit, (March 2020, National Geographic), $16.99, ISBN: 9781426336812
Ages 8-12
I am WAY behind on my Explorer Academy reading; Book 6 is coming out in October and I’ve only just finished Book 4, which came out in hardcover last year, and in softcover in January of this year. But do NOT be me: this middle grade adventure series has been one of the best I’ve read over the last few years; I’ve given it to my nephew, who’s devoured each book, and I talk it up to my library kids, who love all the cool James Bond-type intrigue and gadgets, along with the piece-by-piece solving of a mystery that takes Cruz Coronado, our main character, and his friends, all over the world. In this fourth installment, Cruz and Company take on poachers and heal mountain gorillas in Africa as they continue on their hunt for Cruz’s mother’s next clue. Meanwhile, not all is well at the Explorer Academy as Cruz gets some unsettling news and discovers that one of his classmates is increasingly hostile to him, calling him a “hero hog”. On the up side, a new student at Explorer Academy will satisfy longtime readers who were probably wondering when that particular development would finally happen (I know I did!). The cast we’ve all grown to know is here, and even first-time Explorer Academy readers will find themselves comfortable in this fourth volume – but really, to know the whole story, you should read the first three, too. Color illustrations and an introduction to the scientists that inspire the adventures in the book make this a great middle grade series. Hand this to all your action adventure readers – it’s science fiction that’s closer and closer to realistic fiction every day.
Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Blog Tour: PAWCASSO by Remy Lai!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

If you haven’t yet read and enjoyed Remy Lai’s books, you really must. She has a wonderful way of looking at life, whether it’s finding a way through grief by making cakes (Pie in the Sky), or striking out on one’s own to prove their independence (Fly on the Wall). Her newest book, Pawcasso, is about a lonely girl and a neighborhood dog with a shopping basket who quickly garners a fan club.

Pawcasso, by Remy Lai, (May 2021, Henry Holt BFYR),
$21.99, ISBN: 9781250774484
Ages 8-12

Jo is an 11-year-old girl who has trouble connecting with new friends. As she stares out her window, she’s drawn to a neighborhood dog who trots around, shopping basket in his mouth, stopping at stores and picking up groceries. Everyone seems to know the pup, and, intrigued, Jo follows him, to try and figure out where he lives. People from the neighborhood see Jo following “Pawcasso”, as he’s become known, and assume she’s his owner: chaos ensues as Jo just kind of allows everyone to believe Pawcasso is her dog, including the neighborhood dog catcher, who’s on Pawcasso’s trail after receiving complaints about an unleashed dog in the neighborhood. Jo finds herself in an uncomfortable middle as she’s caught in her own lie, and may have to come clean and risk the new friendships she’s formed, in order to keep Pawcasso from going to the pound.

Remy Lai’s artwork is here in full color, and she brings Pawcasso, Jo, and their little neighborhood to life with friendly, colorful panels. The story will appeal to a wide range of readers, from dog- and pet-lovers, to graphic novel and realistic fiction fans, to readers looking for a good story about friendship, family, and fun.

Pawcasso has starred reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness. Visit Remy Lai’s author webpage for more about her books and to sign up for her newsletter!