Dewey's Read-a-thon: Readblock

Currently reading: (listening to) ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell

#Readathon update: Thanks for the distraction, Hazel. I've got a fever... for more #readblock. (Maybe, I'll have a chance to
#winsoulless ?)

Story time: Superheroes

This was the the most energetic story times I've done so far. (I'm sure there'll be more to come!) So here's the run-down on yesterday:

THE TABLE

Before the library I opened, I set out what's-your-superhero-name print-outs: for you and your pet! Add fun dollar-store paper and markers, and you have superhero writing station. We ran out of time to find our hero names together as a group, but that's okay. I liked the table so well, that I didn't bother to clean it up. Hopefully, it will be a pleasant surprise for my boss. I've realized that I love independent activities coinciding with story time and I should simply ask her if I can officially adopt one of the children's table.

THE OPENING

Loudly clapped and sang "I'm in the Mood for Reading"  (To this tune.) We all got on the floor with the boys and introduced ourselves. (Six boys with two parents on the periphery.) And you have to chat about favorite super heroes: Superman, Batman, Flash, Hulk, Spiderman, Green Lantern.

THE BOOKS

Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
I asked how many knew the ABCs and we sang the Alphabet as fast as we could! As we read, the kids who could read shouted the letters on each page. After the story, we chatted about which of McLeod's heroes we liked: the Volcano, Nightman, the Zinger.


I can't remember how I segued over to Batman. Maybe, I simply held up the book and asked them, "Who is this guy," to get their attention.

The Story of the Dark Knight by Ralph Cosentino
The boys almost crawled inside the book; I had to keep backing up and holding it above our heads. They got particular quiet when we reached the villians' pages, and as a grand finale I read the last few pages in the best gruff Batman voice I could muster. That held the wiggling boys attention until the end.

For some reason, one of the younger boys asked if we could stand up for the next story. That seemed like a good enough way to transition as any that I had planned. So we did, we stood. Finally, we read more Bathman! (Get it? Batman, Bathman?) Actually, it was...

The Amazing Adventures of Bathman by Andrew T. Pelletier.
The boys hadn't heard this story. Reading this is the with an action-packed, cliff-hanging attitude made it work well.

THE SONG

At some point I sang "Superhero, Superhero, Touch the Ground," and the kids acted it out. Actually, I know I sang it more than once! Two verses during storytime and another round to keep a boy occupied while checking out books.

Baking by the Book

Yesterday, my 4-year-old and I accomplished our two Halloween goals: finish our costumes and bake cookies to share. Baking cookies was a project two weeks overdue, at least! It was awfully hard to keep walking past the M&Ms everyday.

Now, I'm cleaning off my desktop, and what do I come across? A book baking project! Gladys Goes Out to Lunch by Derek Anderson was recommended to me by a local grandma who came back into the library after she'd returned the book! She said she and her grandson found this recipe at the end of the story, and it was the best banana bread she's had. Now, she needed a copy of it for herself. Coming from a grandmother, I thought that was a stunning recommendation! While we've haven't made this yet, I can only hope that my search for the "best banana bread" will come to an end. That's not too much to expect, is it? Here is the recipe and an author's note by Derek Anderson:

"After first writing Gladys Goes Out to Lunch a few years ago, I sat down one Saturday to work on a sample painting of Gladys. My wife, Cheryl, decided to inspire me by baking a loaf of banana bread. I was painting away in my studio when I heard a a gasp of shock from the kitchen, so of course, I went running. Cheryl was standing wide-eyed, over an open cookbook. "Just look," she said. I looked at the recipe for banana bread and there, beneath the title was the author's name - Gladys. I'm not now, nor have I ever been a cook , so I'd never had a reason to pen this cookbook before. I'd chosen the name 'Gladys' for my gorilla only because I liked the name. And banana bread had always played a key role in the story. I don't know whether life imitates art, or art imitates life, but it seems this story was meant to be."

Popcorn Songs

Did you know October is popcorn month? I do now! The National Education Association has several popcorn activities compiled by grade, and I'm not sure who put this popcorn mini-theme project together, but it comes in a handy PDF to print out.

In honor of one of my favorite snacks, I held a popcorn themed storytime this morning. Nine boys attended and three parents. While I got pulled away to the library counter, one of the moms taught them a popcorn song. Turns out, it was two songs put back-to-back. While I can remember all the actions, I can't remember the tune of the second song. Here are a couple versions of the first half... sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, POP!

Of all the popcorn songs I searched through, my favorite is Greg and Steve's 'Popcorn' song:

Surfing for Kids' Storage

Brainstorming for library organization lead me to searching Google and Pinterest.com for the phrases "organize kids books" and "sort kids books." These are the photos that made my jaw-drop and parent-envy kick in!

A Pinterest find, though I couldn't find the original poster. The key to this project is in finding double curtain brackets like these at Home Depot or these from Ikea. 

Another uncredited Pinterest photo. You'll need 26 paint sticks to make these alphabet dividers. I think I need to do something like this with pictures of characters...

...much like what they did over at TheCardboardCollective.com.

For gadget-heads, a rope and pulley system for hanging baskets. On second thought, let's not start storing baskets of books overhead. But the idea was way too cool NOT to post. Featured at ApartmentTherapy.com.

This vertical bookcase looks easy to do-it-yourself. Picture found at MissySue.com.

A side-table for both books and snuggle buddies! Dimensions at Ana-White.com.

Repurposing magazine holders to sort picture books by topic. More photos at 1plus1plus1equals1.net.

Review: Book by Book

Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs

by Cindy Hudson

A well thought-out, practical, and lively how-to guide. Pros? Lots of ideas are introduced. The author tackles a variety of problems that may arise, and she acknowledges and encourages evolution of the group as the girls age and change. Best of all, the author pragmatically reminds the reader that every group is unique... use solutions and choices that work for your group.

Cons? Quotes that introduce each chapter all seem to be from mothers. Where are the daughters' voices? Plus, I could've done without the chapter on recipes - that's just me. I would've rather had a section on communicating with all the group members. How to coordinate between meetings and keep everyone up-to-date on logistics... email? telephone? social media - using Facebook, GoodReads, or a blog? But all in all, I can't wait to join a book club with my daughter. (It will be a few years, though!) This book glows with enthusiasm. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com)

Review: Family Fun My Great Idea

Family Fun Magazine My Great Idea: 350 Parents Share Their Creative Tips
by Parke Goodwin

So many tips, I had to read small sections each day. Otherwise I'd read so fast, the suggestions would all haze together. I wish the pictures were bigger. Also would've liked if the tips were somehow organized by ages. Something simple like toddler vs. school-age or pre-literate vs. reading. Worth keeping on-hand for a few years to come. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Hobbit

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

While The Hobbit isn't my favorite Tolkien story, this is the one I recommended to everyone. Of his work, it seems to have the broadest appeal or, at the very least, does not take a lifetime to finish. This is the litmus test for the rest of Tolkien's work. If you finished and enjoyed The Hobbit, then venture further into Middle Earth with "The Lord of the Rings" and other stories where the text becomes much more dense and detailed. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Quote: Avoiding Chores

“...TV was entertainment of the last resort. There was nothing on during the day in the summer other than game shows and soap operas. Besides, a TV-watching child was considered available for chores: take out the trash, clean your room, pick up that mess, fold those towels, mow the lawn... the list was endless. We all became adept at chore-avoidance. Staying out of sight was a reliable strategy. Drawing or painting was another: to my mother, making art trumped making beds. A third choir-avoidance technique was to read. A kid with his or her nose in a book is a kid who is not fighting, yelling, throwing, breaking things, bleeding, whining, or otherwise creating a Mom-size headache. Reading a book was almost like being invisible - a good thing for all concerned.”

― Pete Hautman from Libraries of Minnesota

Review: Unschooling Rules

Unschooling Rules: 55 Ways to Unlearn What We Know About Schools and Rediscover Education
by Clark Aldrich

This book is really a well-written list of ideas about what is wrong with our current "education-industrial" model, not an exhaustive argument about the benefits of unschooling. It helps to be familiar with the concept of unschooling. The author does not waste any time over-explaining the movement or it's history. This book would be great for school boards and administrators to use for inspiration and brainstorming.

It's a quick read as each "rule" or observation takes no more than 3 pages and is written to lead right into the next one. In the back is a very useful index with a section each for school administrators, parents, or policy makers. I'm a staff member at a small college and a new parent, and this brief book gave me new perspectives from both angles. I enjoyed it enough that it's jumped from my library list to my PBS wishlist. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Teaching Montessori in the Home

Teaching Montessori in the Home
by Elizabeth G. Hainstock

Too simple. It would be better had the chapter about "Making your home Montessori equipment" been at the front of the book, and each toy had a page number to refer to its step-by-step exercise. I hope the newer editions are better than this 1968 printing. Not entirely worthless; it's just that thre are plenty of better Montessori books. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Birchbark House

The Birchbark House

by Louise Erdrich

Having never read either series, I coincidentally read this book just after finishing the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I loved it - hands down. Louise Erdrich's series is a wonderful blend of realism and fantasy that weaves day-to-day details of Ojibwa life with supernatural/spiritual flourishes. Also to the author's credit, this and the following two books, The Year of the Porcupine and The Game of Silence, are not without sadness. It would make a good project to read Wilder's Little House on the Prairie in comparison to Erdrich's The Birchbark House. Both fictional stories take place in the late 19th century and are written from a young girl's point-of-view. Both stories take place during the time of pressuring Indians out of their homeland to move onto reservations. This tense theme lurks in the background without overshadowing each simple, heartfelt story. I cannot wait to find out if there will be a fourth book! (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: Basic Montessori

Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-Fives
by David Gettman

Picked this up from the local library in order to introduce myself to Maria Montessori's methods. Definetly a dry read, no getting around that fact. It served as a fine, if not excellent, introduction to Montessori. I found it much more useful as a d.i.y. guide to make the toys, and it did lead me to rearrange the living room to better accommodate my toddler. (Originally posted as SquareSpot at PaperBackSwap.com.)