Posts by Cari
Read On! Finding good books for kids
Recently, I had a great conversation with another mom at the library about what books our kids like to read, what restrictions we place on their reading choices, and how we help them find books that make everyone happy. The other mom and I don’t have the same guidelines for our kids’ reading choices, but we both know that the decisions we’ve made work best for our kids and our families and wouldn’t ever try to impose our rules on another family. We do, however, use the same quick research techniques when helping our kids decide what is appropriate for them.
We both like to read the book’s summary, look at the publisher’s intended audience, and try to find any professional reviews we can (I tend not to trust consumer reviews found on sites like Amazon or GoodReads unless there are a lot of reviews).
The Library’s online catalog is a good place to start finding information about a particular book. It will give you a quick summary, reading and interest levels, and subject headings. Most of the books in our collections for young people also have the AR levels and points listed in the catalog too.
For professional reviews, I look at the “Editorial Reviews” section of the book’s Amazon listing. I also chat with Chris from The Book Exchange here in town. He has access to a lot of good resources. If all else fails, I’ll read the book first.
Explaining the guidelines for appropriateness to kids is an essential step in this process. This helps them understand our decisions and it gives them boundaries when making choices for themselves.
There is so much content out there for kids to enjoy, it’s not difficult to find a replacement. The staff at your library is always happy to help you find books that are appropriate for your kids, so let us know how we can help.
Read On! Staff training
Your Library staff just completed our second annual Staff Training Day. Each year, we take a day when we would normally be closed to the public to gather as a staff to learn, bond, and eat.
Last year, learned about our online resources, played a modified version of “The Floor Is Lava,” and spent time sharpening our skills in our own areas. It was a really great start to this tradition and I’m glad we get to continue.
This year, Kenny Cooper from the Fire Department came over to train the staff on CPR, how to use our new AED machine, and some basic first aid that we might need while working with the public. Then, Officers Dustin Van Horn and Matt Gilbert from Police Department joined us to talk about some safety issues we might encounter and shared information about some local resources that are available to anyone in need.
We are so thankful for the opportunity to learn from these men. They were gracious, answered all our myriad questions, and are excellent teachers!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Library staff gathering without some shenanigans. This year, we teamed up for a scavenger hunt and made some difficult choices in a “friendly debate” game. The first thing we did, though, was determine our true Librarian names. I’ll share the formula with you (we’d love to hear what your names are!).
Use the real first name of your favorite superhero or villain (so if you love Superman, your first name is Clark).
Your last name is a combination of an adjective that describes how you read and your favorite beverage.
My true Librarian name is Barbara Slowlytea. (For Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, who by day is a librarian.)
I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to work with such an amazing staff and such great support from the other City departments. It makes coming to work every day feel like a gift.
Read On! Good research
Last year, my son completed his first research assignment for school. He did a group project on Mount Rushmore and created a museum-type exhibit about it. This project and the research he did for it reminded me of the History Day events I used to judge when we lived in Missouri.
My first year judging History Day, I judged exhibits like the one my son made. The following eight years I judged middle school group documentaries (PBS-type videos). The projects require good research and clear presentation of the information.
When evaluating the students’ projects, my criteria was pretty standard: Were the sources they used scholarly? If they conducted interviews, did they interview people who have appropriate knowledge on the subject? Did they include primary sources (photographs, newspaper articles, etc. created during the event/time period)? Did they provide context for the information presented? Was it clear they thought about their sources before throwing them in their bibliography?
For the most part, these students did an excellent job. I had a few who clearly used the first links on a Google search and some who cited Google in their bibliographies but those were rare occasions. Overall, the projects and the research these students presented were always impressive.
If you or a student in your care find that you need help with a research project whether it’s as in-depth as History Day or for your own curiosity, our staff is happy to help guide you. We have online resources that are full of scholarly sources and primary sources. If your research is local, we even have some primary resources in our archival collection in the building. If you need help evaluating source material, citing them properly, or understanding how to provide context to your audience, let us know!
Read On! In defense of comics
Graphic novels and comic books get a bad rap with some people in the reading world. They’re often labeled as “not real books” or “not reading.” I’d like to help change that perception.
I understand the hesitation of finding legitimacy in reading graphic novels and comic books. One of the biggest misunderstandings is the misnomer of what we call this form of literature. “Graphic novel” implies that the images are graphic or inappropriate, but that is often not the case. Yes, there is plenty of violence and sex in the world of graphic novels, but the use of “graphic” here simply means illustrated. “Comic book” also implies funny, light, or easy reading, but many comics deal with weighty issues. The reality is that comic books and graphic novels are as varied in their subjects and presentations as traditional prose books.
When readers engage with a comic or graphic novel, their reading is incredibly active. They are reading the words printed on the page while also analyzing the artist’s drawings, the color palette used, the layout of images on each page – all of which are deliberately chosen by the creators to tell the story. There is so much more information to take in than more traditional prose readers are used to that sometimes reading a comic or graphic novel can seem daunting or overwhelming.
If you’d like to check out some good comics and graphic novels, here’s a short list of our staff recommendations:
“The Sixth Gun” by Cullen Bunn
“Blacksad” by Juan Diaz Canales
“The New Deal” by Jonathan Case
“Sandman” by Neil Gaiman
“Amulet” by Kazu Kibushi
“Maus” by Art Spiegelman (Pulitzer Prize winner in 1992)
“Nimona” by Noelle Stevenson
“Lumberjanes” by Noelle Stevenson et al.
“Doom Patrol” by Gerard Way