Alternate Superhero Titles

Flashback
The year is 2010 and it's my first round of summer reading at my new library job. Obviously I'm stoked; eager to impress and please. I was assigned to help other staff members in their programs inducing reading books at storytimes, making crafts etc.

One of our elementary programs had me reading a book about superheroes. The title? Mighty Max by Harriet Ziefert

Great literature it is not. Timeless story, not close but really for me, it was just such an awkward book to read aloud. The plot was just empty and pointless, the ending didn't fit. It just seemed pasted together with images and words to appease superhero obsessed little kids. Pandering to them almost.The only impression it left on me was how bad it was. And how the heck was I going to read this and pretend like it was the "greatest story I've ever read."

It made me nervous. I did my best, while inwards pointing out all my imperfections in my tone, inflection and diction as I read. I got no reaction from the kids. I felt like a comic dying in front of a buzzed crowd at an open mike. All finished I closed the book and wondered for the rest of the day. "Is this what it's going to be like for the rest of the summer? For the rest of my career?"

The panic subsided when I got to take control of programs and I got to choose the books I read out loud. If I ever picked on that bombed, was boring or I only picked it because it matched my theme, I would reminded myself..."Mighty Max"

Now as cool as it would be to do branded superhero storytime all summer. (All Iron Man one week, Batman the next!) kid's library staff are painfully aware that the books based of popular characters purely commercial..at best. They can't hold a candle to the comic genius of Mo Willems or the simple and timeless stories of Eric Carle. But they do get kids to read, so they get points for trying. (I'm just glad if a kid reads period) So instead of the obvious choices of picture books with superhero themes for storytime, I have a few book suggestions for an alternate route.

Ninjas! Ninjas are heroes (or villains...) and they still have massive appeal to even little kids. Publishers finally got the hint and more and more picture book titles about ninjas are on the shelves. Nightime Ninja  and Ninja Ninja Never Stop are a few of my favorite ones.

Hoot Owl Master of Disguse
This book made me laugh and I appreciated that the main character had a bit of a naughty side to him (Just like your typical toddler) It's a chance to do a dramatic reading in a cliche voices. Can't pass that opportunity up!

Superhero Bodies (No not that scene when Steve Rogers turns into a total beefcake in Captain America...but its nice to think about)
Book explaining to kids the awesome superpowers in their own bodies. Books with movement and body awareness. From Head to Toe is a great option.

Hero Mom
Books celebrating moms and dads as personal heroes are great. This one works well for kids who have a parent in the military or not. Kids can still relate. I've been on a lot of school visits the past week talking about Summer Reading. When we mention we are going to have persons from the military for a program, they got really excited.

When my work is done for today, I realized that I when I come back to work after the weekend, it will be June! The Summer Reading Club approaches. Take heed super library staffers everywhere!


P.S. Harriet Ziefert is some sort of magically writing machine who has written over several hundred children's books. My dislike of Mighty Max should not give the impression that she sub par writer because she is far from it.

Coloring Pages

This post over at ALSA blog is everything I feel about coloring pages! (Plus it comes with a comic!)

Last summer I had a family enraged that out usual coloring page table was not out. This family had just finished up attending one of my co-worker's amazing hands on programs for kids where they made a craft, did science experiments, and experience a mini planetarium show.
They bagered our teen voulteers to give their kids coloring pages. One of them actually gave the family a sheet from her own personal coloring book, which happen to a My Little Pony. This only pissed them off further because they had a girl and a boy and they demanded a coloring sheet for the boy as well.

I stepped in before they could harass the volunteers any further and explained we don't have the space for a coloring table in our small department because we have to make room for more activity spaces for our programs. I would be happy to find them some crayons and blank paper if they wanted to stay and draw. No they wanted to take them home. They felt entitled to have as many coloring sheets as they wanted. They left stating that the "downtown library has them and we'll just go there". I was left their fuming and tempting to shout out after them "Promise?!"

I have been interrupted by patrons tossing coloring pages at me saying there are no more copies of a certain one and, oh they need 4 of them for each of the grand-kids. I have people complain that I don't have worksheets or other coloring pages. I know the public library is suppose to offer our patrons as much as we can in way of services, but this feeling that they are entitled to free coloring book (not just a page but a whole stack of them) is ridiculous. Plus we print out enough coloring sheets to kill a small forest. It's soooo wasteful.

Kids need to draw. This is the one opportunity in their life were they get to create and be imaginative. Unless they enter into the creative field as a teenager or adult, most of them will never get that chance again. They probably won't pick up a crayon until they are old enough to have kids themselves, if they have kids.  Just imagine someone taking your crayons away in the 5th grade and saying " You're too big for crayons. Maybe you'll have a chance to use these again when you 30...maybe..."

I've been doing some art for summer reading and I experience co-workers looking over my shoulders and exclaimed "I'm so jealous. You are so talented. I wish I could draw like that." This puts me in a odd spot because I'm rather humble when it comes to my art (Really I'm my own worst critic) I thank them for their compliments but also point out. "I've been practicing. Don't feel bad about yourselves because we do different types of work. I'm no prodigy!"

I'm also of the optimistic mind that if you can write the alphabet; which is really a series of lines, curves and circles, you can teach yourself to draw! But most adults don't or they feel so bad about their experience with art as a child, that they have no drive to create later in life. My mother made time to sketch and try to take art classes but my father firmly stated that he was bad at art as a kid and his teachers let him know it! I can sympathized with any adult  who has taken the time to try and start a new hobby or practice only to be face with the horror that your first attempts "looks like a kid made it." They struggle and give up easily. Art is a cruel mistress.

Kids don't have that stigma (or shouldn't have it). Everyone draw or paints in their class. Everyone is on the same level. Everyone is having fun. As a student of the arts, I believe that assigning a grade to art project is a horrible idea! If you see the student as put in their best effort according to their present abilities, give them an A for crying out loud! Offer encouragement, advice and critic when necessary.

(Sorry this was a rant about coloring pages, but it turned into a jab my old art teachers...)

I do like coloring pages. I think the ones over at Dover Publications are excellent. Coloring pages are fun. I get that. But I also work in a library. To have some unwritten rule that I have to provide coloring page just grinds my gears, especially when you are surrounded by a treasure trove of imagination that I humbly refer to as the fiction section. My ire is not directed at the regulars who come grab a coloring sheet to take home with their stacks of books, or give one to their child to calm or distract them while they read. No, it for the people who take handfuls at a time. Who demanded I stop everything and make copies for them. For the people who are greedy. For the patrons who whine about broken crayons. (I'm not a store! Funding people!)  For the grandmother who scolded her young grandson that he has to learn to color things more "realistically". The kid in question was 4 years old!

So when the coloring table leaves our department to make room for chess boards, sensory bins and all the wonderful crafts and activities our staff has planned for summer, I will not miss it. We are a library, we caterer to experiences. We are more than just a building that houses a bunch of paper.

Color outside the lines people!

V is for Victory

Recently the whole world seems to be celebrating together as we mark the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the German  forces during World War II. 
May 8 was the official surrender of the German forces after signing the act of military surrender in Berlin.  Many countries in Europe and Asia have commemorative holidays know as Liberation Day, V-E Day or in Russia (and countries of the former Soviet Union) May 9 is celebrated as Victory Day (which is apparently a big deal over there)

In the United States this holiday is often over looked until yesterday when a landmark anniversary was celebrated. This is understandable considering the US Military was still engaged in a campaign against Japan and would not celebrate their surrender until months later.

While discussing this events yesterday with my husband, I had to reflect on my own short time in history. In 1995, at the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II my parents gave me a book for Christmas. V is for Victory: American Remembers World War II.
It was one of my favorite books and as I reflect on it now, probably the book that really sparked my interest in history. How I would love a chance to read it again....

But then I snapped back to reality! It's the 70th anniversary and that was back during the 50th anniversary. This book is now 20 years old! It's probably withdrawn from library shelves. How did I get so old?

Thankfully, some libraries in our system did have copies without me having to do an ILL for it. Sure there are plenty of new books on the shelves about World War II, but I think I'll prefer to re-visit  this book instead;)

Storytime from the Liberry: The Letter M

I beg your pardon for not being up to date on my storytime posts. I was doing really good and scheduling time to post after each storytime every week....

That was about 5 weeks ago (the shame!)

The Letter M

If you have an older/more attentive group you can start out by asking them what things begin with the letter M. Moms, mountains, motorcycles, monkeys, moose and mustaches!

For interactive props, I cut up black mustaches and glued them on large craft sticks. The toddlers got to play with them throughout storytime and used them in our first book. And it quite delightful  (and surreal) to read a story to a room full of toddler and babies sporting little mustaches !

Welcome Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Book: Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos  

Song: Open Shut Them

Book: Ten Naughty Little Monkeys by Suzanne Williams

Fingerplay: Three Little Monkeys
Three little monkeys sitting in a tree (Hold up 3 fingers)
Eating a banana just like me (pretend to eat a banana)
One had a frown (Frown)
One had a grin (Smile)
And one had banana all over his chin! (rub chin)

Song: ABC Song
 

Book: Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root - An action/movement book similar to "Going on a Bear Hunt" Onomatopoeia words for increasing vocabulary and phonological skills.

Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: Two Little Monkeys by Mem Fox 

Closing Song: Wheels on the Bus

With enough research and effort this could easily be an all monkey story time with a focus on counting (add in 5 little Monkeys). A pursuit worth the effort for an older crowd, but I'll bet my toddlers might get bored with it pretty quick.

If you interested in doing a storytime that is all mustaches, look no further than the valuable resource that is Sunflower Storytime.