New books, new circulation system, new catalog.

Whew! It was a bit of a bumpy start this year with the new circulation system. The initial bugs have been worked out so now it's just getting around the huge learning curve. All in all, I think the change will be good. The new system does some very useful things that the old system couldn't do and once I really get into the rhythm of it, I look forward to taking advantage of all the new bells and whistles.

I've finally made some headway in cataloging and processing as well. All those new books I've been writing about here are finally ready for check out and have, in fact, been flying off the shelves. I'm also expecting a couple of shipments of books to be dedicated through the Marshall Lane Book Club program, for which I can't seem to find any information online to link to. I'll have to look into that. Anyway, you can see me in the library for more information.

Have you browsed the new catalog yet? It looks pretty good and kids are now able to put books on hold. Which they have been doing, since it's the only way to get a Star Wars book! Don't forget, kids can also add ratings and reviews to the catalog from home, they just need to log on with their 5 digit student number and their password is the first 5 letters of their last name. While you are poking around the catalog, check out the other resources available in Quicklinks such as World Book Online (username Marshall, password Student), the Online Social Studies Factcards (username marshall lane, password mustangs), and the growing selection of e-books.

Here are a few pictures of things I've been knitting recently to help me relax!

Okay, so this hasn't been actually knit into anything yet but it's a lovely bag of yarn with endless possibilities!

And that is all I have to say about that.

Responses to 13 Words

So I spent the last week reading Lemony Snicket and Maira Kalman's 13 Words to the first, second, and third graders and I got some interesting reactions to the book. Before you read further, go here and read the book for yourself, better yet, share it with your kids!

I'll wait.

Okay, I trust that you've read it and will know what I'm talking about without my having to go into too much detail.

First of all, the humor of the book was mostly lost on the first graders. The prime audience were the second and thirds, though the thirds were fooled by the first page into thinking it was a too easy word book for little kids and thought it would be boring. When I asked the first graders what 'despondent' meant, looking at the bird for clues, many of them thought it meant wet due to the rain cloud above the bird. The 2's and 3's got it right away. They all understood that scarlet was a shade of red. Everyone laughed at the word 'haberdashery' and one girl asked me if it was a real word or just made up. They all thought the baby who owns the haberdashery was funny, too. I had more than one class point out how silly it was that the baby was so big in the picture and could talk. I then pointed out to them that the goat was driving the convertible, which they seemed to accept pretty readily. They all understood that a mezzo-soprano was a singer, the older kids knew that she was specifically an opera singer. Many of them, at the end, asked why the bird was still despondent, to which I replied "That's what kind of day she's having."

After reading the story to a class today, one student had misplaced her shelf marker and was starting to get a little upset about it. When she finally found it she told me about how she was starting to get a little upset about misplacing her shelf marker. I asked her if it made her feel despondent and she smiled and said "Yes!"

Look what's coming to the library!

I'm so excited! Some really great title are on their way to the library and will be on the shelves for check out soon, including a new book by Kate DiCamillo (The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane), a biography of J. M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, and a really fun looking Halloween book! Take a look:

France, 1940: Four boys explored a hidden cave and made a remarkable discovery. The walls were covered with prehistoric paintings more than 17,000 years old! Author's note. Bibliography. Full-color illustrations, including a map of Lascaux.
In early 1980s New Mexico, thirteen-year-old Jackson Jones recruits his cousins and sisters to help tend an elderly neighbor's neglected apple orchard for the chance to make big money and, perhaps, to own the orchard.

Playwright and novelist J. M. Barrie never tired of his boyhood games and flights of fantasy. Eventually, they inspired him to create Peter Pan. Sources. Quotes from and bibliography of selected Barrie works. List of famous actresses who have played Peter Pan. Full-color illustrations in acrylic on cardboard.

When Calvin gets a school assignment to do some original research, he decides to investigate his dog's stinky breath and ends up learning about more than just smells.

When Josh, his parents, grandfather, and eight-year-old brother move into the old Tilton House, they discover such strange things as talking rats, a dimmer switch that makes the house invisible, and a powder that makes objects grow.

Little Red Chicken wants Papa to read her a bedtime story but interrupts him almost as soon as he begins each time.

Are you ready for Hallowilloween? With wolves, witches, and everything in between? It's best to prepare, so you're not unaware of the creatures of Hallowilloween. Fullcolor acrylic illustrations.

A giant chicken hatches from an enormous egg, but the other chickens cannot accept that he is one of them.

Two roller-skating best friends share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion.

Bullied as a child, Jack Johnson fought back hard. Years later, he proved to be unstoppable both inside and outside the boxing ring. Afterword. Bibliography. Full-color pen-and-ink and collage illustrations.

Images and summaries taken from juniorlibraryguild.com

Library Graffiti

Today in the library, Mrs. Rose informed me that she discovered some graffiti on the air conditioner/heating unit where there are some little comfy chairs for reading nearby. I thought, oh great! Some kid has written a dirty word or something. But no. It says (and it's pictured on the left) "Reading Rocks." I know it's not okay to be writing on stuff like that but I thought it was pretty cool that of all the things a kid could write on a wall, he or she wrote "Reading Rocks." Yes, children. Reading does, indeed, rock. But don't write on my walls anymore.

13 Words

Well, I just arrived home from San Francisco where my friend Donna, the library clerk at Monroe Middle School, and I spent an evening with Lemony Snicket and Maira Kalman at the Herbst Theater. We had such fun evening! We drove part of the way, then parked the car and got on a BART train to take us into the city. When we got there, we had some spicy indian food and then we walked to the theater.

They were selling books in the foyer so I bought one right away and then we found our seats. After showing us the video that I posted above, Lemony Snicket and Maira Kalman took the stage, along with Steven Winn, who interviewed them. They talked about their collaboration on the new book 13 Words. They talked a lot about Maira Kalman's illustrations and about how Lemony Snicket likes to use big words in children's books. This event was part of the City Arts and Lectures series so sometime in the near future, you'll be able to listen to it on NPR, which I recommend you do because they were very funny! Plus there was a surprise musical performance at the end.

Here are some blurry pictures of Mr. Snicket and Ms. Kalman signing their books:

I am now in possession of a signed copy of the fabulous book 13 Words, written by Lemony Snicket (The Series of Unfortunate Events, The Composer Is Dead) and illustrated by Maira Kalman (Max Makes a Million, Fireboat) which I may read aloud tomorrow. If you all aren't too despondent to listen to it.

ETA: I see the video doesn't fit right on the blog so here is a linky so you can watch it properly.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham -1963

I enjoyed Elijah of Buxton so much, I thought I'd listen to something else by Christopher Paul Curtis. So I downloaded The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 and I was not disappointed. This book has won the California Young Readers Medal, The Coretta Scott King Award, and a Newbery Honor. The Watsons, nicknamed the 'Weird Watsons' by their neighbors, are an average African-American family living in Flint, Michigan. The story is told by the middle child Kenny who has a lazy eye. Byron, the oldest of the Watson siblings whom they've nicknamed 'Daddy Cool', has been getting in to lots of trouble, or in Byron's words, having 'wild adventures.' Byron's parents decide it would be good for Byron to spend the summer with his grandmother in Alabama, where he might learn some manners. The whole family treks from Flint to Birmingham in the family car, the 'brown bomber' but they all get a bigger dose of reality than they were prepared for. Every family has their funny stories, the big family moments that each family member remembers just a little bit differently. This is how Kenny relays this story to the readers, through a hilarious series of family moments, similar to the way Ralphie narrates "A Christmas Story." I think everyone will be able to see a bit of their own family in the Watsons. And kids, be sure you ask your parents (or grandparents) about the cartoon references - Felix the Cat, Beanie and Cecil, and Soupy Sales!

In other news, Knuffle Bunny, Free by our pal Mo Willems is out today! I will get a copy of this for the library as soon as I can. In the mean time, check out the Pigeon's webpage. Good times!

"This is so awesome!"

I overheard a student say this today when his class came for their first library visit of the school year. The library opened for checkouts this week and, boy! Marshall Lane students are really enthusiastic about checking out books! They swarmed the library at morning and lunch recesses and checked out all the Star Wars books and all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books plus loads of other books, magazines, and audiobooks. Another student told me that she loves the library. It makes me happy to see the kids get so excited about books!

I got a big surprise today. My sister came all the way from Tennessee to visit me for my birthday! Mr. Richards was in on it and he brought her to the library today where I put them to work shelving books. It was a great surprise! I also enjoyed a birthday song from Mrs. Hunt's class. Good times!

ETA: I forgot say that I also learned from a student that a fifth volume in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid is due out soon. In fact, it will come out on November 9th! Here is a link to the website where you can read more about the author, see the new book cover, play the 'Cheese Touch' game, and wimp yourself!