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.

Review: The Ruby Red Trilogy

Ruby Red

Sapphire Blue

Emerald Green

by Kerstin Gier, translated by Anthea Bell

Young adult or adult, stay away from these stories if you’re not into conspiracy theories.  But… this series is fun, uneven, but fun. I couldn't find a way to review each book separately, so my review is about the story line which arcs over three books. The Ruby Red trilogy is an odd mash-up of romance, conspiracy, sci-fi, history, and downright silliness. Not all of these elements come together coherently. The protagonist – Gwyneth – seems younger than 16 years-old, which would appeal to tweens. However,  the whiplash between time-travel, intertwined bloodlines, and conspiracies is too complicated to for the 10-14 year-old set. I suppose, the “young adult” label is a compromise to land these books somewhere between teeny-bopper and full-fledged science-fiction.  

This hasn't cleared up anything, has it?

My main criticism is that this does not need to be a trilogy. If edited down to two books, this would've made a lean, tasty thriller. (If you’re already bogged down while reading these books, feel free to skim! There’s a lot of repetition that could be glossed over.) Where did this series succeed? For its flaws, I’m left admiring the author and her imagination. The cliffhangers could be abrupt, but that's exactly what propelled me through each book. Here it is - almost 3 a.m. - and I am considering rereading the whole darn thing! I might skip book #1 and dive back into books #2 and #3, but the trilogy’s epilogue left me breathless about a character introduced in book one. What is a girl who can’t get to sleep suppose to do? 

Review: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

by Julie Halpern

Fluffy but sweet. The charactes were fun to follow as the lead, Jessie, sheds herself of her old, shallow friends, and explores other high school cliques. It wasn't the most thought provoking plot, but worrying about social labels and what other people think is a relatable theme. It ended too soon. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)

Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

Very enjoyable look of reservation life for a teenager versus attending a white high school. Loved that it was funny, poignant, but sugar-coated! Memorable characters. (Originally posted as SquareSpot on PaperBackSwap.com.)