Replying to Bryce

As I tinker along on my Storytime University badges, I was lead inspired to revisit Bryce Don't Play to earn my "read and comment" badge. Lo-and-behold, Bryce has serendipitously posted this: 5 Simple Questions to Inspire Your Service

Here are my five replies...

1) Can you tell me a little bit about your summer reading program?  
We run three school-age groups, one day a week during summer. Parent count book titles and kids get a trinket for a half page list of titles and can choose a toy when the page is full. Every kids a book at registration and also when picking out a prize. We foist the books upon them!! During the last week, all participants names go into a random drawing for a wearable prize usually a t-shirt or a bag. We’d like to go prize-less or at least, get rid of the trinkets.

We just started trying to run stuff for teens in the summer, but we don’t have many teens yet. Pre-teens really. I suppose we should call it tween-programming, but I don’t think the tweens like to be called tweens. You know?

2) How/Why did you become a librarian? 
I am technically a library assistant, but have many years training and experience in event-planning and theater. Reading aloud / oral interpretation has been my forte since junior high. (Being a bookworm goes even further back.) Kids programming has become my niche at where I work now.

3) What is you favorite part about working at your library? 
First, the thrill of working at a library at all! Second, reading stories out loud. Third, planning and programming. (I’m especially anxious to start a LEGO club next right away next year! More in #5) The adrenaline rush of hosting story time is very satisfying as is the blissful calm that descends immediately after all the kids have left.

4) What are some challenges you face as a YS librarian at this library or in the Cooperative? Do you have any tips for me? 
Getting teens and parents to attend They come in the door to get items, but we haven’t figured out a way to get them to attend programs or stay for the ones they drop their kids (or siblings) off. On many days, our story time programs get treated like drop-off daycare. Without caretakers there, I feel like a birthday party entertainer just barely sneaking read-alouds in between the cake and the dancing. (Or wrestling or climbing if it's a really hard day.)

5) What is your favorite program you provide? Would you mind if I dropped in to see it sometime?  
I’m new to my library, but I was thrilled to start (or restart) kids story times on semi-monthly basis. Right now I’m jazzed to transition my monthly story times into a monthly LEGO club which I’m calling “Story Lab.” My director does want to keep programs at the library (as opposed to moving them to other venues, even across the street), and I want to keep the element of reading aloud.

With those two things in mind, I’m planning my Story Labs to be story (and snack) time in the first 15 minutes and then build / construction time for 30-40 minutes with 15 minutes of clean-up and presenting at the end. At the moment, I’m in the process of doing the marketing (lego donation drive) and shopping (hooray for a small maker-space grant). I can’t wait to debut it in January 2016! 

Finally, yes - drop in! If you want to road-trip to SW Minnesota to drop-in, you’re more than welcome to stay at our old farmhouse.

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.

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:

Prepping for Popcorn

In preparation for an upcoming storytime at Fulda Memorial Library, I was browsing through A Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems. The title is a inspired by a the poem "Song of Popcorn" by Nancy Byrd Turner. I couldn't find what year this poem was published, nor could I find a picture of Turner. This poem is also found at poetry websites under the title "A Pop Corn Song." For a PDF print-out, click on the picture.

Song of Popcorn
by Nancy Byrd Turner (1880-1970)

Sing a song of pop corn 
When the snowstorms rage; 
Fifty little brown men 
Put into a cage. 
Shake them till they laugh and leap 
Crowding to the top; 
Watch them burst their little coats 
Pop!! Pop!! Pop!! 

Sing a song of pop corn 
In the firelight; 
Fifty little fairies 
Robed in fleecy white. 
Through the shining wires see 
How they skip and prance 
To the music of the flames; 
Dance!! Dance!! Dance!! 

Sing a song of pop corn 
Done the frolicking; 
Fifty little fairies 
Strung upon a string. 
Cool and happy, hand in hand, 
Sugar-spangled, fair; 
Isn't that a necklace fit 
For any child to wear?