NoLa

I'm sorry to say, there is no storytime post today. Was away for the weekend visiting a good friend in New Orleans.

It was my first time.

There was a whole lot a rain and a whole lot of sunshine.

Here are a few bits and pieces from the trip:

13 in 16

Alright..So this is the thing. Had a few hiccups in the plan and I didn't read all 16 Tournament of Kids Books in 16 days.

I know. I'm so ashamed. So, so ashamed...

If you haven't the faintest idea of what I'm talking about, here's what's going on. In honor of the Tournament of Kids Books at the Lawrence Public Library, I made the goal of reading all 16 books in 16 days. 16 in 16. Mostly I was doing this because the 16 books selected to compete were the top circulating books in our children's department in 2011 and I had previously only read one (Harry Potter). Quite a big disconnect between what I'm reading and what's being read.

But I did complete 13 of the 16 books in 16 days, and have what I think are some good reasons for not finishing the last three. 13 in 16 isn't that bad after all.

Below are the books I read and those I wasn't able to finish. Overall, it was a great exercise and am really glad I did it. I feel much more connected with with the interests of the kids who visit the library and have a better understanding of the books they just can't get enough of.

Happy Birthday Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

I really liked Bad Kitty. I'm familiar with the picture books, but this was my first time reading the young fiction series. It was actually really funny goofball sort of humor, and this particular book had interesting cat facts intertwined. Large type and lots of pictures, I look forward to recommending this series to readers ready to step up to chapter books.

Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Peirce

This was one of the books going into it I thought was going to be "meh". I was so wrong.  I loved this book. A cleaver and humorous book alternating between text and comic strip layout, Big Nate Strikes Again also integrates interesting historical tidbits. For example, main character Nate is working on a research project about Ben Franklin and starts to create his own take on 'Poor Richard's Almanac" with "Poor Nate's Almanac". Did you know Ben Franklin was also a cartoonist? I didn't. Big Nate was by far my favorite title in the 16 in 16 challenge. Well, other than Harry Potter.

Geronimo Stilton: Mummy With No Name by Geronimo Stilton

Kids love Geronimo Stilton. Like the Magic Tree House series, they carry stacks of these books to their parents, pleading to checkout more. Personally, I'm on board with Geronimo. It's not my #1, but it was a fun read with lots of colorful font types and pictures. I also liked that in the back of the book there was a how-to guide to throwing you're own "Chilling Mummy Party". It, also, is loaded with side historical facts relevant to the story being told.

My Weird School: Mr. Tony is Full of Baloney by Dan Gutman, illustrated by Jim Palliot

Eh... I can see why kids like the My Weird School series. It is goofy. I get it. But even so, I thought it was pretty flat compared to a lot of the other young fiction books in the tourney.

Junnie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny by Barbara Park, illustrated by Denise Burkus

I'm 50/50 about Junie B. She's alright. Don't hate her, but I don't love her. Like the My Weird School Series, I can see why kids would like reading this series. And if it gets kids to read books I'm 100% on board with that.

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

I really liked Ivy & Bean. I thought it was a great story that young readers, especially girls,  could really get into. Really glad I finally got around to reading this great series by Annie Barrows, who also wrote the widely popular adult book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

Summer of the Sea Serpent by Mary Pope Osborne

I'm already a fan of the Magic Tree House series, and Summer of the Sea Serpent is no exception. Kids learn so much from reading this series and enjoy it to boot; one reason why so many teachers and librarians are Magic Tree House fans as well.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Ugly Truth was good. I didn't like it as much as I liked Big Nate, but I liked it a lot. Author Jeff Kinney has harnessed an incredible voice that speaks to so many kids. Girls or boys. Old or young. And when I say old, I mean parents. Just the other day a dad was commenting on how he felt the scenarios in the Wimpy Kid series were just the kind of things he would get himself into as a child.

Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon

This was another young fiction series I had never cracked open, but I'm glad I finally did. The illustrations are great and the story is equally so. And I now can see why so many kids had such a hard time choosing between Dragonbreath and Diary of a Wimpy Kid in the first round of the tournament.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

This was the one book I had already read. The first time I read it was in high school, and like most who have been bit by the Harry Potter bug it remains to be the most loved series I've ever read. I've actually been surprised it is still doing so well in the tournament because it was one of the lower"seeds", ranking number 15 in the top 16 most circulated children's books in our library in 2011. The kids keep voting it into the front line and it continues to dominate.

Eleven by Lauren Myracle

I had never seen or heard of this book until I received the list of most checked out children's books for 2011. The second of The Winnie Perry series, Eleven reminded me exactly what it was like to be an eleven year old girl. I thought it extremely well written, main character Winnie Perry lovable, and am thankful to have another solid book to recommend to middle grade readers.

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins

I read Gregor the Overlander some time ago, and remember enjoying it very much. I regularly recommend the series at the library, but I haven't read beyond that first book. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, the second book in the series, was outstanding.

The ones that didn't make it...

Fading Echoes by Erin Hunger

Warriors: Omen of the Stars: Fading Echoes is the second book in the fourth (FOURTH!) series of Warriors books. I had to read the prologue three times and the first chapter twice, because I had no clue what was going on. Hawkfrost, Ivypaw, Ravenpelt, Yellowfang, Jayfeather... all cats of clans I could hardly keep track of. So, I decided to return Fading Echoes in exchange for the first book in the Warriors series, Into the Wild. Hopefully, that will go a bit more smoothly.

The Icebound Land by John Flanagan

Not to the severity of  the Fading Echoes, but I also had a difficult time getting into The Ranger's Apprentice, book 3, The Icebound Land. So I traded this one in as well, waiting for the first title of the series, The Ruins of Gorlan.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

My problem with The Lost Hero was I waited to read it until the 16th day. It's 551 pages. That's like, Harry Potter thick. As a bookseller, I read The Lightning Thief, which The Lost Hero is a continuation of. An action-packed book laden with Greek mythology for today's young reader. This was the first seed in the tournament and is still going strong in the brackets.

Below is the current progress of our Tournament of Kids Books bracket.

Looking forward to seeing who comes out on top!

image sources: lost hero, eleven, mr tony is full of baloney, dumb bunny, icebound land,  big nate strikes again, harry potter, fading echoes, summer of the serpent, gregor, mummy with no name, ivy and bean,  dork diaries, happy birthday bad kitty, dragonbreath, ugly truth

Rainy Day Photoshoot

It's been a bit murky around these parts lately.

Spoiled with leave-the-windows-open-go-to-the-park type weather the last couple weeks, when restricted indoors we've been, for lack of a better word, bored....

But one form of entertainment has captured us - literally. Photography. To be specific, toddler photography.

The pictures below were taken by L. They are hers and hers alone.

The next Annie Leibovitz?

She has not dropped or destroyed my digital camera. Yet.

And she also enjoys using the instax.

Also hasn't been dropped or destroyed. Yet.

Hope you're enjoying your first day of spring.

Spring Storytime

"First you have brown, all around you have brown."

Spring starts on Tuesday. Whether it's brown or green, it's official. For storytime yesterday we read books celebrating the springtime and for a craft we made wind chimes from recycled keys.

Spring Storytime Lineup:

When Blue Met Egg by Lindsay Ward

A charming book about a bird named "Blue" and her friend, a snowball she mistakes for an egg.

The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman

If my mom is reading this blog post, she would easily recognize this book. We read it a lot growing up. The kids enjoyed reading it too.

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Also, a good book for beginning readers, First the Egg is a clever story inspried by the old chicken or the egg debate.

Green Grass Grows All Around

Song and Flannel Board, Traditional Song, Adapted by Jane Willis Johnston

There was a hole in the middle of the ground
The prettiest hole that you ever did see.
Well, the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around and around
And the green grass grew all around.

Additional Verses:
And in this hole there was a root
And on this root there was tree
And on this tree there was a branch
And on this branch there was twig
And on this twig there was a nest
And in this nest there was an egg
And on this egg there was a bird.
And from that bird there came a song.
Then all the world was filled with spring.

Ending:
Then all the world was filled with spring,
The prettiest spring you ever did see.
Well, the world full of spring,
And the song from the bird,
And the bird on the egg,
And the egg in the nest
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the tree,
And the tree on the roots,
And the roots in the hole
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around.

My co-worker, Jane, made a springtime adaption to this song that I really like. She also made the incredible flannel board above.

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

Personally, this was my favorite book read for spring storytime. Going to throw this out there now... I think it has Caldecott potential.

Jo MacDonald Had a Garden by Mary Quattlebaum, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

The same old tune everyone knows, adapted into a song about planing a garden. A very sweet book the kids really enjoyed.

Wind Chime Craft:

Like most places in the spring, Kansas is extremely windy this time of the year. So, for our springtime craft we made wind chimes from sticks and old keys, which when strung together make the sweetest tinkling sound from the gentlest of breezes.

Materials used include: old keys and key rings donated by Mobile Locksmith, sticks from the backyard, string, scissors, and gardening sheers.

First, I cut a bunch of sticks down to about 10 inches long give or take. I also pre-cut the string into pieces about a foot in length.

First, we started by making the hanger, tying one end of the string to an end of the stick and then other end of the string to the other end. Double knots are more effective. If you don't have a key ring, don't worry about using one because it isn't a necessity.

I rinsed off the keys beforehand removing any grime they might have had.

Also, before making the windchimes I warned both kids and parents that keys are made of metal and they are not toys. The wind chimes are meant for decoration only.

The fun part was selecting the keys to use. I gave them a limit of 6 keys per person. And in case a caregiver did not want them handling keys, I left out  jingle bells (left over from sing-a-long storytime in December).

Using the string, they tied one end of string to a key and the other end to the stick, spacing them out one or two inches on the stick.

When explaining the craft to the kids, I encouraged them to make the string for the keys a similar length. They're more apt to cling together.

The trees are blooming, the wind is rising.

"Ding, ding, ding".

Hello, Spring.

image sources: and then it's spring image, when blue met egg, the best nest, first the egg, and then it's spring, jo macdonald had a garden

Adventures as Annie in Ireland

Magic Tree House Adventures went to 19th-century Ireland for the second edition of our new library program for kids 5 & up based on the popular series Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne.

Like many cities, St. Patrick's Day in Lawrence, Kansas is quite the event. But aside from the parades and green get-up, what is it really all about? For the March session of Magic Tree House Adventures we decided to find out as we journeyed back in time, as Annie and Jack did in Leprechaun in Late Winter, celebrating this popular holiday by learning about Irish history and folklore through activities and and a very special guest performer.

These were our adventures in Ireland...

History Through Music

Music was and is to this day a very large part of Irish culture . Lucky for us, Lawrence, Kansas is a part-time home to an extremely talented, nationally renowned Celtic folk singer, Ashley Davis. Ashely graciously accepted the invitation to sing for and with the Magic Tree House Adventures group.

(You can listen to excerpts of Ashley Davis' albums HERE, and if you're in New York City this St. Patrick's Day she will be preforming at The Barge at 8pm.)

Where Are We? Who Are They?

"Where Are We? Who Are They? is a game we played at The Hour of Olympics session and might become a staple for every Magic Tree House Adventures session. It's a power point guessing game where we flash an image on a large screen and the kids guess the location of the picture, what is going on in the picture, or who is/are the person/persons in the picture.

For example, the first picture was the picture below. When it came up on the screen, I asked, "Where is that? Is it Kansas? Is it a beach in Florida?" And then kids would contribute their guesses. After three guess, I would tell them where it was (Ireland) and a little about the place. Our performer, Ashley Davis, knowledgeable about Ireland's history and culture, contributed facts too.

Facts for the topics chosen where found in Leprechauns and Irish Folklore, A Magic Tree House Research Guide by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca, and Natalie Pope Boyce. We showed images and talked about Ireland, Irish Folklore/Oral Tradition, Lady Augusta Gregory, Fairies, Leprechauns, Trooping Fairies, Irish Music and Dancing, and "Real or Not Real". For the last slide, "Real or Not Real", we used this famous image below of the Cottingley Fairies and asked if the kids believed in fairies by a hand-raise vote.

I followed up by saying there were actually fairies and leprechauns in the very room they were sitting in.

And if they looked carefully... they will find them.

Fairy Scavenger Hunt and Craft


I had pasted several different images of leprechauns and fairies into a word document, printed them, and cut them out. Before the kids came into the auditorium for the hour the leprechauns and fairies were taped all around the room. You wouldn't have been able to tell that 100 wee folk were all around unless someone pointed it out.

The capture of the fairies ensued and after each child had a fairy or leprechaun, they were given mason jars to make a fairy jar, a place to keep captured fairies. Tables were set up with spanish moss (straw like material found in large bags at a craft or floral store), reeds, twigs, dried plants found outside, buttons, glitter, ribbon, rocks, marbles, and seashells.

After they finished decorating their jars, it was suggested that they glue a short reed or stick to the back of the fairy so that stand up straight, and then seal them in the jar.

Important Note: Do not use heavy rocks. Actually.. my advice would be to not use rocks in the fairy jars AT ALL. We had two drop and break due to the rock inside. Other than that, it was a great activity and craft. And if you have the option to do it outside, I think it would make the activity even more fun.

Rainbow Demonstration

After the fairy scavenger hunt and craft, we all sat back down for a science session devoted to rainbows. In the tale of the leprechaun, it is said that if you find the end of the rainbow, you'll find the leprechaun's gold. This is where I asked the kids, "But did you know that rainbows never really end?"

"Huh?" was the dominate reply.

I sat down on the floor in the middle of the group with a clear glass bowl filled with water, a compact mirror, and a flashlight.

With all the kids facing me, I turned on the flashlight and all the lights in the room (which is windowless) were dimmed. Holding the flashlight near the ground with the light on a side of the bowl of water,  I diped the mirror in the bowl of water so the mirror was reflecting the light from the flashlight-- See diagram below.

Doing this reflected light onto the ceiling and when angled just right, reflects a rainbow. I explained that white light, like the light from the sun, is actually a lot of different colors. The different colors don't appear unless they are refracted, or broken up, by water or a prism.  Once the rainbow appeared, they all oooo'ed and ahhh'ed. I continued to explain that a rainbow is formed when sunlight meets raindrops in the air and the raindrops separate the sunlight into all these different colors. Also, because rainbows are made in the sky they don't touch the ground. So no mater how far you walk towards a rainbow, it will always look as though it's on the edge of the horizon. Which is why, truth be told, no one will ever find a leprechaun's pot of gold, because rainbows don't ever end. Clever little men, no?

I used this website as a reference for this demonstration.

A Leprechaun Tale

To end, I read The Story of the Leprechaun, an adaptation of an Irish folktale, to the kids.

And that was the hour.

They went home with their very own Magic Tree House Adventure Journals,

which included what we talked about,

and a few activities from the Magic Tree House website.

Not to forget books for the kids to check out on their way out.

Next month, Magic Tree House Adventures will take place on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking.

Get ready to set sail in April, Tonight on the Titanic.

image source: ashley davis, ireland, cottingley fairies, rainbow,  the story of the leprechaun