Once Upon a Reader

My 'free' time for blogging became non-existent last February when I accepted an independent contractor position working as a project manager for a new "One Book" initiative in Minnesota.

When I took the position, there was a vague idea of what the program would look like, and how it would be formed, but other than that it was something completely new. It has been a wild ride!

I am so happy to finally be able to share the program, Once Upon a Reader: Minnesota Libraries Bring Young Children and Books Together. Each year, OUR will choose a book with a Minnesota connection and unite children all over the state with early-literacy based programming that revolves around that year's book.

My role in the project was about program development--what would the program look like and what would it offer? I advocated strongly for the book that was chosen by the steering committee for our first year--Moo! by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. Because David and Mike are both local to me, I knew that both of them would be great to work with, and Moo! had just won a Minnesota Book Award. I was excited to work with Moo! for a bunch of reasons: I loved it, I knew that it was popular and well-received, and it was less than six months old. I was really excited to create programming around a book that new! Part of the program includes getting a free copy of Moo! into the hands of every Head Start student in Minnesota. That's nearly 17,000 kids with a free book in their hands. How cool is that?!

My highlights from Once Upon a Reader:

• Getting to call both David and Mike to tell them their book was chosen and invite them to be part of the project
• All of the amazingly talented people I got to work with on the project
• The original moo-sic that we commissioned for Moo!
• The (moo-velous) Moo!-based puppet show that David and Mike wrote and developed
• The custom Cow puppets we commissioned--she is one sassy bossy!
• All of the cow puns
• GETTING TO NARRATE MOO! AND PRETEND TO BE ON READING RAINBOW

Watch the Moo-vie, listen to the Moo-sic (AWESOME FOR STORYTIME!), and watch the "Creation of Moo!" interviews here (really! Go do it).

One of the things that I was passionate about with the project was finding a way to provide high-quality programming that would be easy for ANY library in Minnesota to quickly implement. To make this happen, I created the concept of the Program Menu. Instead of a curriculum of ideas for libraries to adapt, they would have a 'menu' of fully realized programs that they could order from. The menu items range from a puppet show/author and illustrator visit (the "Traveling Trunk Show"), to the simple passive program, "Cow's Scavenger Hunt." Each program on the menu has detailed instructions, templates, signs, AND all the supplies that libraries need to do the program. Hopefully, with the range of options, any library in Minnesota--no matter their size or staffing reality--can easily take part in Once Upon a Reader. Whether or not this was a successful method remains to be seen, but I'm very proud of the programs I've created. You can find the Program Menu here.

And finally, even if you're not in MN, you can still take advantage of all the music, movies, and program ideas for your library. Lots of free downloads and activities on the page for parents and caregivers, here.

Thanks for looking, and for still reading after my long silence!

xoxo,
Anna

Everyday Diversity

This post has moved! The post you are looking for is now here on the Everyday Diversity blog. The project will launch soon, stay tuned.

Children's Book Week: David LaRochelle Visits!

I highly recommend getting David LaRochelle to visit your school or library. He's great!

He talked a little about being an author, and read "The Best Pet of All." Then he told us about how a theater company had done a puppet show of "Best Pet of All" and sent him the puppets! 

He even got the kids moving by playing follow the leader with the puppets. It was a hit!

After that he drew us a hilarious story that he wrote, based on the numbers 1-10. Everyone was cracking up. Finally, he read "It's a Tiger" and talked about the process of making that story. It was such a treat to have him visit us. Not every author can do a great job with preschool age kids, but David's got it!

I even got a sneak peek of his new book coming out this fall with illustrator Mike Wohnoutka. It looks AMAZING and I'm sooooooo excited to read it in storytime.

Read This Book

Hey, early literacy librarians, read this book:

Mind in the Making

I admit that it took me a long time to get through this book, but that's because there's so much great information--I really enjoyed it and it never felt like a chore. It's geared towards parents, but ultimately falls more on the academic side of things; I can't imagine handing it to the average patron looking for parenting books. However, the book really supports what we do as children's librarians, and anyone who is interested in the science of brain development will appreciate the view of nurture via nature that the book presents.  The text is firmly rooted in research, and reading about all the different studies was fascinating and very enlightening. I felt like I really learned and absorbed a lot of the research since it was written in a way that was very accessible, so I came away with ideas about how to inform my work so that it falls more in line with the research.

I got it from the library, but actually just purchased it for my personal collection because I want to go back to it (I buy 1-3 books a year, tops, so this is a significant endorsement from me). 

I really really highly recommend this book!

Stop Duplicating Efforts! Creating a Unified Online Community Calendar

source

Have you ever planned a program and no one showed up?

Ever worked hard laying groundwork for a new idea only to find halfway through that some other community group already does that?

 What about discovering (after you've published all your PR) that your big event conflicts with another big event in town?

I know I have. Imagine my delight when the head of Parks and Rec contacted me about starting a project to create a single unified calendar for the whole community  YES YES YES!

If you'd like to view the calendar we created, you can do so here, Antigo Community Calendar. In a nutshell, instead of many different organizations publishing event calendars, and event coordinators  needing to contact multiple sources to advertise programs, we're all using the same calendar. No matter what organization's website you're on, they're using the same calendar.

I recently spoke at the Wisconsin Library Association's annual conference about this project. I was only one part of a team that worked on creating the calendar, but I think it is such a great idea that I support it wholeheartedly, and think it's something that other librarians--especially those in smaller communities--might benefit from as well.

Our presentation was a success, and if you're interested here are some links to more information about the project.

Our presentation
Handout/Worksheet
Example of PR and category breakdown
Sample PR business card
Our funding was sourced by the local hotel/motel tax--see the application form

Book Shorts

My favorite new program this year is Book Shorts. It's a short-story bookclub aimed at upper-elementary-school aged kids.

One of the teachers who I have worked with quite a bit became principal of a local K-8 school this year. He approached me early in the year about helping him select books for a middle-school bookclub he was starting. I immediately jumped on the opportunity, and offered to do another bookclub with the younger kids. I had wanted to try a short story or 'homework free' type bookclub for some time, and this seemed like the perfect chance.

We had a short, twenty minute assembly for grades 3-5 to introduce the concept, which I decided to call "Book Shorts." I used clip art to make a picture of a book wearing shorts, and made flyers, posters, and a sign-up sheet (I should make the kids bookmarks...). At the assembly, I read book riddles from "Spot the Plot" by J. Patrick Lewis and displayed the 'correct answer' books. Then I pitched the bookclub, which was originally planned to coincide with lunch.

I started by reading selections from various middle-grade novels. "Reid's Read-Alouds" by Rob Reid was a great resource for coming up with selections. I read parts of "No Talking" by Andrew Clements, "Alvin Ho" by Lenore Look, and "Ivy and Bean" by Annie Barrows. Before long, I realized that I was spending a lot of time agonizing over the selections and whether or not I would fill the whole time/run out of time/end at a good enticing point in the story.

(Side note: This concept was so inspired by the PBS programs I used to watch as a kid where the guy would draw scenes from the story while someone read a chapter or two. I still remember some of the books that I then went out and found at the library because of those shows. Anyone else remember?)

Anyway, like I said, I was agonizing. So I switched to reading longer/more mature picture books and we haven't looked back. We've read, "I'm a Shark" by Bob Shea, "I Want My Hat Back" by Jon Klassen, "Lighthouse Christmas" by Toni Buzzeo, and lots more. Today we read the second half of "The Minpins" by Roald Dahl, which we had started last week (They were enthralled, and scolded me if I forgot to show them the pictures). I love being able to share books that don't work for storytime, and I love sharing picture books with kids who might otherwise think they were too old for them.

A few fifth graders came initially, but they quickly bowed to social pressure and stopped coming. We added some second graders and one first grader who the principal deemed mature enough. Then it became apparent that the kids weren't quite mature enough to eat anywhere but the cafeteria without leaving a big mess, so we shifted to one of the recess periods. Every week that I'm there the boys agonize over choosing recess (one of three) or Book Shorts, but often pick Book Shorts. I give the kids a piece of hard candy or sucker as they come in, and then I just read. We rarely have time to discuss beyond, "Did you like it?" but I'm ok with that. I think it's nice for them to do something during the school day that is just for pure enjoyment.

Milk Carton Igloo!

So cute I have to share!

The 4K class that I visit twice per month made this amazing igloo in their classroom out of milk jugs! Today I had storytime there and I stopped by their room afterwards to see the igloo. Being a lover of tiny hidden places I, of course, crawled inside--much to the starstruck delight of the three littles already in there. The girl said to one of the boys, "The library is in here!" and then they all giggled. When I asked them a question, they all giggled like they were talking to a celebrity and were too shy to answer. Way to make a fairly cranky day more delightful, kids.

What a cool project (no pun intended)--and they incorporated the project into math, science, and social studies as well. Bravo to those teachers.

http://www.antigo.k12.wi.us/