NEWS AND NOTES
ACL's Annual Performers' Showcase:
Come see over thirty children's performers, all in one day, all in one place! Presented annually by the Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California, this is a great day of entertainment that will run from 9am until 4:30pm, with a break for lunch. To register, go to: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2468280
Performers include musicians, puppeteers, magicians, circus acts, storytellers and more -- all eager to perform in libraries and schools for fees ranging from $200-$450. Featured artists include bilingual performers, first-time Showcase performers, and many acts that will fit with this year's "Read for the Win" Summer Reading theme.
Free admission for children accompanied by adult audience members!
The Fremont Main Library is located at 2400 Stevenson Boulevard, Fremont, (510) 745-1400. From Fremont BART, you may walk a long three blocks down Civic Center Drive(10-15 minutes). AC Transit also runs buses from the Fremont BART; check for information inside the station or call the AC Transit information number. For lunch, a variety of restaurants are in the shopping areas along Paseo Padre Parkway to the north of the Library. If the main Library parking lot is full (this is possible on Saturday afternoon), look for signs pointing towards overflow parking areas.
ALA Names Two ACL Members Emerging Leaders:
Shusterman Wins National Book Award:
The National Book Awards were announced on November 18, 2015. The winner in the Young People's Cateogory is Neal Shusterman for Challenger Deep, about a mentally ill teen who fantasizes about traveling to the deepest point on earth. www.nationalbook.org
SLJ Names Best Books of 2015:
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New York Times Names Notable Children's Books:
Best Multicultural Books:
Grammy Nominees for Best Children's Album:
Bay Area resident José-Luis Orozco was among the nominees for the upcoming Grammy Awards, in the category of Best Children's Album. The awards will be announced on February 15, 2016. Here is the list of nominees in that category:
- José-Luis Orozco, �Com'e Bien! Eat Right!
- Gustafer Yellowgold, Dark Pie Concerns
- Tim Kubart, Home
- Lori Henriques, How Great Can This Day Be
- Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly, Trees
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Do-It-Yourself Program Ideas 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
This month's column is somewhat out of the ordinary; usually we offer outlines of craft and game programs based on a theme. But this month, we want to celebrate a new programming idea that should be on every public library's agenda for 2016 - 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.
There is a plethora of data showing that a child who is read to on a regular basis enters kindergarten with the emergent literacy skills necessary to learn to read. Those children who haven't been read to have a much more difficult time learning how to read, which of course makes school a challenge, and remedial reading efforts take up a large part of a school district's budget.
A recent study demonstrated that a child who is read to has a much larger vocabulary than a child who hasn't been read to often. Nicknamed �the Word Gap,� a child's economic status has a great deal to do with how many words the child knows. But reading to a child who is in a lower income bracket can level the playing field (www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/the-word-gap ).
For a century, library storytimes have helped children learn to love books and reading, and helped preschoolers gain skills and increase their vocabularies so they will be ready for kindergarten. This includes the many children who come from households that speak English as a second language -library storytimes help them acquire English skills and well as emergent literacy skills.
One way to extend the benefits of library storytime is to encourage reading at home. Librarians are doing this with a new reading incentive program called 1,000 Books before Kindergarten. In some ways, it is like a summer reading program for preschoolers, but it is offered all year long. The parent or caregiver and child pick up a reading log from the library, and keep track of the books they read at home. The concept is to insure that children have had 1,000 books read to each of them by the time they enter kindergarten, so they are ready to learn to read.
For this program, the rewards can be very simple, such as a sticker for every 100 books read. Some libraries have received grants, so they can give one new paperback picture book for every 100 books read, or a canvas book bag after the first 100 books read, as an incentive to continue. What is just as valuable as a sticker or a book bag is a diploma given to celebrate the completion of the program, which a child can show to his or her kindergarten teacher the first week of class.
When families join this program, it offers an opportunity to talk to the adults about reading to their children. You can suggest books to read based on the child's age and interests. Remind parents that they can re-read a favorite book and mark it on the log more than once. As mentioned above, there is abundant data that confirms that a young child who is read to often before they begin kindergarten will be ready to learn to read due to the many preliteracy skills obtained by being read to as a toddler or preschooler. So this program can be vital in a child's preparation for school
Of course, there is the added bonus that the 1,000 Books before Kindergarten program will increase library circulation, add more card holders, and increase library use in general. And library staff members have noticed the program doesn't take that much work compared to other types of programming; many have compared it to passive craft programs where we offer the materials but the family really does most of the program. Since it is an open-ended, self-paced program, very little staff time is needed.
For more information about offering this program, check out these resources:
- A webinar and other resources provided by the program's originator, Sandy Krost of the Bremen Public Library, Indiana can be found at www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/LibraryDevelopment/YouthServices/1000Books.htm .
- Librarian Marge Loch-Wouters of La Crosse, Wisconsin, has collected materials from various 1000 books programs at www.pinterest.com/lochwouters/let-1000-books-bloom/ .
- Another helpful resource can be found on the San Diego County Library's website ideas.demco.com/webinar/1000-books-before-kindergarten-diy
Penny Peck, San Jose State Univ. iSchool
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Out of the Ordinary
Hurd, Thacher. The Pea Patch Jig. Creston Books, 1986/2015. [32p.]. $16.95. ISBN 978-1-939547-21-7.
Back in print, Hurd's exuberant picture book is inspired by the folksong of the same name, but contains a straightforward narrative text. The story is broken into three chapters but can be read straight through like a regular picture book. The plot concerns a mouse family living in the garden of Farmer Clem, and their preparations for a party.
Hurd's joyous, deeply colored watercolor and ink cartoonish illustrations feature mice characters in human dress, similar to many of his other books such as Mama Don't Allow (1984) and Mystery on the Docks (1983). There is a looseness to the drawings, that combine with the deep colors to depict a warm, homey atmosphere that suits the story well. Libraries will want to purchase this reissue to replace old worn copies of this popular book by a Bay Area author.
Weiner, Stephen. 101 Outstanding Graphic Novels: Third Edition. Nantier, Beall, Minoustchine, 2015. 80p. $15.99. ISBN 978-1-56163-944-1.
Many libraries have Weiner's earlier editions of this useful readers' advisory tool, but it would also be popular with teen readers interested in graphic novels. The introduction and short history section that begin the book describe the popularity of graphic novels, especially with young adults. Graphic novels are very influential - the number one television series is "The Walking Dead," based on Robert Kirkman's ongoing series. The 2015 Tony Award for Best Musical went to "Fun Home," based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alison Bechtel. So graphic novels are not just popular with book-lovers, but are part of mainstream popular culture.
Aside from the brief intro and history sections, Weiner's book consists of one-paragraph descriptions of his choices for the best and most influential graphic novels. There is a thumbnail b&w photo of each selection's cover along with bibliographic information and price. All are still available "in print,v or new, except the brief section of "out of print" books at the end, which could be purchased used. So librarians can use this for collection development as well as for readers' advisory.
Most of the entries are books intended for older teens and adults, although there are a few selections for children. These include Jennifer Holm's "Babymouse" series, and Raina Telegeier's Smile. But the majority of titles will be found in the adult or teen graphic novels section of most libraries. There are no age or grade designations for each entry; only by reading the annotation can one gauge if a book is for children. Weiner includes many classics that all libraries offer - Maus by Art Spiegelman, comic book collections, award winners, and a few manga series. This book offers libraries a chance to see if they need replacement copies of these classics.
For more information, check out the publisher's website: www.nbmpub.com .
Penny Peck, San Jose State Univ. iSchool
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New Pop-Up Books
Braun, Sebastien. Jingle! Jingle! Can You Say It, Too? Nosy Crow, 2015. 10p. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-8002-2.
In this simple board book with flaps, the text in each spread asks a question, such as "Who's that by the sleigh?" Lift the flap to see reindeer and the answer, along with a related sound. The onomatopoeia will help young children with phonological awareness, and the brightly colored cartoonish illustrations will help them guess the answers. Santa, a Christmas tree, and some winter animals are featured, making this a good choice for public library settings.
Crozon, Alain. All Shook Up. Chronicle Books, 2015. 10p. $10.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-4013-1.
Crozon, Alain. Who's There? Chronicle Books, 2015. 10p. $10.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-4014-8.
Simple flaps are featured in this series imported from France, with distinctive yellow, red, and light blue graphic illustrations on white backgrounds. In All Shook Up, the reader moves paper ears, mouths, and other features on the animals. In Who's There?, the reader lifts a flap to see the answer to the title question but there is no text giving the answer. In many ways, this book with board pages is best for emergent readers and not toddlers as the book design might indicate. Also, the flaps may not hold up to library circulation.
Green, Rod. Emergency Vehicles. Illus. by Stephen Biesty. Templar/Candlewick, 2015. 16p. $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-7959-0.
Similar to Green and Biesty's previous book, Giant Vehicles (2014), this book is packed with details and contains small flaps to open, showing parts of the vehicle featured. The small flaps reveal the interiors of the many emergency vehicles described, and the inside of the flap contains text explaining what is pictured. A police car, ambulance, helicopter, rescue boat, submarine, and three types of firefighting vehicles are featured; fans of the "Eyewitness" books will enjoy this.
Hacohen, Dean, and Sherry Scharschmidt. Who's Hungry? Candlewick, 2015. 22p. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6586-9.
In this picture book with deeply saturated colored illustrations, there is a half-page inserted in each spread. The text on the left shows an animal saying something, such as the monkey saying "Bananas are my favorite.v Once the half-page is turned, we see the banana. The animals look realistic and the food provided for them is accurate to what that animal would eat. A simple, repetitive text, some onomatopoeia, and the bold illustrations make this a great choice for storytime just like this pair's 2010 title Tuck Me In!
Hamilton, Libby. The Ultimate Pirate Handbook. Illus. by Mathieu Leyssenne and Jason Kraft. Templar/Candlewick, 2015. 18p. $19.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-7963-7.
Although the full color illustrations have a cartoonish look similar to "Pirates of the Caribbean," this is packed with information on the history of pirates. Each spread features an area of a pirate ship, along with several small flaps that open to show more detail, along with captions on the inside of the flaps. Readers will learn about the various roles of different shipboard pirates, the food, clothing, and tools a pirate uses, and other aspects of piracy. The final spread has a popup featuring seven famous pirates from history (three female). There is enough information for a short report, and this is also perfect for a "Talk Like a Pirate Day" program or display.
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Meet a Local Author
Where we can get to know California authors and illustrators of books for children and teens.
This issue, author Matilde Hollander was kind enough to do an interview by email.
Hollander, Matilde. My Five Senses: Second Edition. Photos by Israel Gonzalez. Bilingual Books, 2015. 38p. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-692-35851-1.
Q. Your new book, My Five Senses: Second Edition, (Bilingual Books, 2015, $14.99, 978-0-692-35851-1), is not just bilingual. Along with English and Spanish, there are seven other languages on each page! What inspired you to write this book?
My inspiration was in base that we live in a very diverse community, as formal bilingual teacher from South America, Chile, I see a great need for Foreign Languages; it should truly begin at an early age. According to research, the best time to learn a foreign language is when children are very young. Moreover, when foreign parents come to this country for the first time and want to help their children with their literacy and they get to see their very own language they feel that everything is more relevant to them and their daily-school life, parents learn the English language and they are able and proud to maintain their "very own primary language."
Q. How did you choose which languages to feature?
I was choosing languages according to the demographics. I am constantly visiting schools and sometimes I work as an interpreter and a translator for the districts. Besides that, some friends were motivating me to serve better the community by giving me hints like, "I should make an impact" by communicating with parents and children.
I must also add that I created and I am able to provide, bilingual materials like a useful Flip Book for parents, teachers, and children. Award winner tool in the level of communication. I was actually lucky to get small grant from OLC=Oakland Literacy Coalition, (seed grant), which is now in various languages. Doing good is my motto.
Q. My Five Senses is an informational book for preschool through second grade, describing the five senses, which is a big part of the science curriculum for primary graders. How can we foster the love of science in young children?
We can foster the love for science by applying "hands in activities." I find that when children become engaged they are using their FIVE SENSES. We as teachers must do "engagement at all time" = See say and do = Ver , decirlo y hacerlo.
When I get to read my book, I actually demonstrate the fact; I get to show large posters with nose, mouth, ears, hands, eyes. I also say to the students:
"We smell the cinnamon with the nose. We touch our two hands, one hand touches the other, hands are for helping and greeting," (tactile demonstration aspect). I use Curious George, a large doll, to demonstrate.
"We see the world, friends, teachers, environment - eyes, vision. We taste food by using our mouth. We listen to the sounds of the trains, the music, the story time with our ears. The Five Senses are very very important in our life."
Q. Full color photographs by Israel Gonzalez illustrate your book. Did you collaborate on this project? Or where the photos chosen after you wrote the text?
Full color pictures were taken after we realized that drawing pictures representing diversity is not really reflected in the drawing. It is more real and pretty to actually have real pictures of my students in it. To me it represents what we really are. Everyone should have access to multicultural representation - in books especially. It brings joy and happiness. It is a picture of what we actually are! The text was written, then we applied the pictures.
Q. You are a Montessori teacher; do you find young children have an ease in learning a new language?
The children I normally teach are always ready to learn, believe or not! They are waiting for me, sitting in a circle and sometimes singing bilingual songs such as "Buenos Dias amigos" = Good morning my friends. I teach 1/2 hour per class. Children get to participate "fully." They are engaged at all times. I use TPR = Total Physical Response methodology. The use of the Five SENSES. It is easy because parents want their children to be exposed to "Foreign Languages" at an Early Age, especially in private schools. Some of my students speak three or four languages. They are from Europe, or the Middle East, Centro America etc.
My classes begin at two-years-old level. It is truly fun for them and also for me. Moreover the teachers are observing me at all times and learning as well.
Foreign language in the United States doesn't usually begin until children get to middle school. This is wrong, children should be exposed to foreign languages at a very early age.
Q. What were some of your favorite books as a child?
As a child my father used to read to us, Cinderella, The Cat with Red Boots, Pinocchio, Snow White, and other classic stories like The Prince and the Beggar and El Capitan- the captain, stories of a wonderful dog. We were five children, always listening to his stories while my mother was preparing the meals or sewing.
Q. Do you visit schools and public libraries to talk to kids about your books? Tell us about some of your presentations for libraries and schools.
I visit schools and they want me with open arms! (No funding for presentations or books).
I do bilingual reading, especially Wednesdays, in which teachers meet and discuss curriculum and children must leave school a little early. Sometimes parents take a longer time in picking them up. Most of my work is done as a volunteer.
My focus is kindergarten to third grade. That is the specific time that children in the United States must learn to read and write. However some children speak more than one language.
Parents have to authorize and give a written permission for children to stay after school for an extra bilingual reading time, about one hour.
Ceramics in Berkeley carry my book, also Books Unlimited in Berkeley.
The libraries are my biggest friend, they are constantly welcoming me to present my books and my bilingual materials to children and parents. For example, El Cerrito Library had me for the last three years as a presenter, we did thematic work and it was indeed a great job!
We did it once a month, the Friends of the Library and a grant written from Target made it possible. They were generous enough to pay for books for children and presentations, and it was a successful experience. After the third year, the youth librarian was asked to do a survey with one of the schools and parents coming to the library and now the focus is helping children with their homework. Parents are too busy working to help their children with homework. However, many of them they are still asking for Bilingual reading during Saturday day.
Q. I heard that you did a story reading with some of the Golden State Warriors players. What was that like?
Yes, I did a Volunteer week assignment through the Oakland Literacy Coalition, story time during Latino week at various schools at Oakland district, every classroom got my FIVE SENSES book, donated. I must say, The Golden State Warriors were terrific partners. They invited students to read at the front of the class. We enjoyed every minute. We have lots of fun reading together from my book! I felt so happy and proud of serving those children, who are eager to learn. I just now hope we can do it again!
I also worked closely with Oakland Literacy Coalition, reading at various libraries during the year. They took pictures and some video of the various presentations.
Q. How do librarians contact you for visits?
The librarians talk to each other in meetings. I get calls quite often. The San Leandro Library has teachers reading in Chinese, Russian and Spanish - Foreign Languages are in demand! People can email me at:
Matilde Hollander
Bilingual Montessori Teacher (Ret.)
Children's Book Author
Bilingual Consultant
Hllnder at aol.com
Q. Any funny experiences at a school or library visit? Nearly every author or illustrator has a story about the visit that went awry!
Yes, when I began small children wanted to take home some of the teaching materials I present with, because they are funny, colorful and pretty etc. My inclination is to give them out. Now, I say "this is for teaching only, I must place it back in my bag, so I can use them again.� I was constantly making more teaching materials. I feel that my focus should be in my next book - Following Directions.
I was at the Berkeley Book Festival June 6 and 7, 2015, and I presented at the main Berkeley library. I had the help of some teachers from other countries, like Russian and the Middle East reading in a well synchronized manner, three or four of us, from my book THE FIVE SENSES. It was fun! I got some pictures and a nice positive review from this experience.
Q. Do you have any other new books coming out soon you can mention?
Yes, I have already written Following Directions in Spanish and English, it is my goal to put in as many languages as I can. Perhaps the same number of languages or more?
Q. Anything else you would like our readers to know?
Yes, thank you for saying that - I like to see language acquisition at an early age. We must start a campaign. It should begin at least at the preschool level. I recently visited a small store in Berkeley, and I had the opportunity to speak to a young woman 22 years old, from the south, she was a minority and I couldn't believe that she spoke my language well, just with a little cute accent. When I asked her how did you learn my language, she responded "my mother placed me in a preschool where my teacher spoke to me in Spanish, Head Start, I was there the according to my mom, from the age of 2 to 5 years old."
Then language is power, knowledge, peace, friendship, fellowship. It is a real necessity to speak a second language; it is like art and music in today's busy life, because languages support what we are. In our large, diverse community the acquisition of languages impact dramatically in our education, especially today, now in the digital age.
Thanks to Ms. Hollander for this insightful interview!
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