childrens books

What Do Your Kids Want To Be?

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Ask any young child what they want to be and you could get a variety of answers. Some want to be doctors or nurses, others want to be firefighters or police officers. Some answer with more entertaining answers like ‘rich’ or ‘a giraffe’. (Yes, I have heard that answer.)

CAREERMost kids have big dreams. It is important that we encourage them to explore the wide variety of options available. A great way to foster those dreams, and how important school and responsibility are to achieve them, is to help them learn about the actual careers. My daughter is set on becoming a wild animal veterinarian, and my son is determined to either hunt monsters or write books and graphic novels. In both cases I get to focus that interest in reading certain books, and the importance of certain subjects and willingness to dive in to the subjects that interest them most. I also get to teach them about related careers, and what paths their interests might take them.

I always wanted to be an astronaut or archaeologist, but I learned early on that I was much better with words and thinking about the big things rather than doing the math, engineering, and physical labor necessary for either. It was not long before I decided that books and the written word was a much better focus for my energieCAREER2s and aptitudes.

Here are some great resources for researching different careers, and the education paths and experience that can help your kids test if they are really interested and if the interest will last. These resources can also be used to encourage studying particular subjects or give some career ideas for those that enjoy one subject over others.

Dinosaur Scientist: Careers Digging up the Past by Thom Holmes
Unusual and Awesome Jobs Using Technology: Roller Coaster Designer, Space Robotics Engineer, and Moreby Linda LeBoutillier
Talking with Adventurers: Conversations with Christina M. Allen, Robert Ballard, Michael L. Blakey, Ann Bowles, David Doubilet, Jane Goodall, Dereck & Beverly Joubert, Michael Novacek, Johan Reinhard, Rick C. West and Juris Zarins compiled and edited by Pam Cummings and Linda Cummings
Have you Seen this Face?: the Work of Forensic Artists by Danielle Denega
Unusual and Awesome Jobs Using Science: Food Taster, Human Lie Detector, and More by Jennifer Wendinger
Dusted and Busted!: the Science of Fingerprinting by D.B. Beres
Unusual and Awesome Jobs in Sports: Pro Team Mascot, Pit Crew Member, and Moreby Jeremy Johnson
Scuba Divers: Life Under Water by John Giacobello
Unusual and Awesome Jobs in Math: Stunt Coordinator, Cryptologist, and More by Lisa M. Bolt Simons

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CAREER10For the youngest readers I would recommend the easy nonfiction series’ by Patricia Hubbell or Heather Adamson. Here are some of those titles; Police: Hurrying! Helping! Saving!, Teacher!: Sharing, Helping, Caring, , Firefighters!: Speeding! Spraying! Saving!, Check it Out!: Reading, Finding, Helping, A Day in the Life of a Police Officer, A Day in the Life of a Firefighter, A Day in the Life of a Construction Worker.

CAREER12There are even more resources for the older readers and young adults, including; Cool Careers Without College for Animal Lovers by Chris Hayhurst, Exploring Careers: a Young Person’s Guide to 1,000 Jobs from the editors at JIST, The Teen Vogue Handbook: an Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion, Careers for Environmental Types & Others Who Respect the Earth by Michael Fasulo and Jane Kinney, College Majors and Careers: a Resource Guide for Effective Life Planning by Paul Phifer, and Great Careers in 2 Years: the Associate Degree Option: High-Skill and High-Wage Jobs Available Through Two-Year Programs by Paul Phifer.

Here are the 2017 Nutmeg Nominees!

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

NUTMEG-LOGOThe Nutmeg Children’s Book Award is the “Children’s Choice” Award for Connecticut. The goal of the committee is to encourage children in grades two through twelve to read quality literature. Here is a listing of the nominees, divided by the four grade based categories. The library has purchased and cataloged multiple copies of each book. There might be a waiting list for the book(s) you are interested in most, but if you place a hold on the item we will contact you when it is your turn.

The links that I have included for each title are for searches that include all formats of the material that we own, including the print copy, audiobooks, and digital formats. How many have you already read? Are there any that you loved, hated, or are surprised by?

High School (Grades 9-12)
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
Jackaby by William Ritter
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Sway by Kat Spears

Teen (Grades 7-8)
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Turn Left at the Cow by Lisa Bullard
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Swagger by Carl Deuker
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington
The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

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Intermediate (Grades 4-6)
Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes
Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Masterminds by Gordon Korman
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wells

Elementary (Grades 2-4)
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis & Gilbert Ford
Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Cooking by Frances O’Roark Dowell & Preston McDaniels
Skateboard Party (The Carver Chronicles) by Karen English & Laura Freeman
Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully
Grandma in Blue with Red Hat by Scott Menchin & Harry Bliss
Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul & Elizabeth Zunon
Quinny and Hopper by Adriana Brad Schanen & Greg Swearingen
Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen
Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth VIolin by Chieri Uegaki & Qin Leng
In a Village By the Sea by Muon Van & April Chu
Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon
Lulu’s Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst & Kevin Cornell
Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick

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Who do you think will win?

New Years Challenge: Tackle the To Be Read Pile

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

If you are like me, you have piles and/or lists of books you want to read and just have not gotten to yet. I have a full Kindle and lists of books that I have every intention of reading, that is until a different book (or binge watching Netflix) grabs my attention. It is not helped by the fact that I review books for my own book blog and often get books before they are released, though in all honesty by the time some get read and reviewed they are well past the publication date, or by the fact that I work in a library with a wide variety of books crossing my path every day.newyearsbooks

I have tried using Goodreads, a written list, and a spreadsheet to stop this but thus far I still have my head turned when a book I had forgotten about or did not know existed crosses my path. So, this year my New Years resolution is to read one book that has been neglected for every two other books that I read.

Would you like to join me in reading some of the books that I had fully intended to read in 2015 and never quite got to? Some were published last year, some are older books. It is a wide variety of children’s, teen, and adult books so there should be something for everyone. Here is a small sampling of the books that are in my pile.

newyearsNightbird by Alice Hoffman
Twig is practically ignored by classmates and townspeople, but gets along with her mother and brother, whose presence must be kept secret, until descendants of the witch who cursed her family move in next door and want to be friends.

 

Saint Odd : an Odd Thomas Novel by Dean Koontznewyears1
A conclusion to the best-selling series finds psychic fry cook Odd Thomas returning to his home town while preparing to confront an evil force that tests his friendships, reveals his purpose and reunites him with a lost love.

 

Winger by Andrew Smith
newyears2Younger than his classmates at a boarding school, Ryan Dean West grapples with living in the dorm for troublemakers, falling for his friend who thinks of him as just a kid, and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team.

 

 

newyears3Let’s Pretend this Never Happened: (a Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson
In an illustrated memoir, the creator of the Bloggess blog shares humorous stories from her life, including her awkward upbringing in Texas and her relationship with her husband.

Yes, yes, of course there are more. I have heard about and seen some many fantastic books but have not had time to read all, or even most of them. Here are some more titles that I will read, some day: Bossypants by Tina Fey, Necromancing the Stone by newyearsbtmLish McBride, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Layden, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Rock On: a Story of Guitars, Gigs, Girls, and a Brother (Not Necessarily in that Order) by Denise Vega, Scorch by Gina Damico, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, and I am Malala: the Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai.

What is on your list that you are eager to read, but just have not gotten to yet?

Picturebooks about Animals in Libraries

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

My daughter is animal mad. She loves anything and everything animal related. Animal print clothes, pretending to be a wolf cub, watching Wild Kratts, and so on. I am a librarian, and so it follows that I love all things book related. I love the feel of books, the smell, and of course the reading experience. This inspired me to combine our passions and look at picture books about animals in the library. There is an unexpectedly large number of picture books featuring critters of some nature spending some quality time at their local library.

1. Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

2. Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

3. The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli

4. Can I Bring Woolly to the Library, Ms. Reeder? by Lois G. Grambling

5. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen

6. There’s a Dragon in the Library by Dianne de Las Casas

7. Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

8. Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea

9. No T. Rex in the Library by Toni Buzzeo

 10. Homer, the Library Cat by Reeve Lindbergh

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You might want to look at A Library Book for Bear by Bonny Becker, Library Mouse: a Friend’s Tale by Daniel Kirk, Our Library by Eve Bunting, Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home by Daniel Kirk, Dewey’s Christmas at the Library by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter, Quiet! there’s a Canary in the Library by Don Freeman, and Llama in the Library by Johanna Hurwitz as well.

Sharon Reads: The Odd Squad: Bully Bait by Michael Fry

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

The Odd Squad: Bully Bait by Michael Fry is a children’s chapter book. Nick is short, he thinks he must be the shortest seventh grader in history. He does not really fit in with any of the groups at school, so spends most of his time bully dodging. An enthusiastic guidance counsel teams Nick up with two other outcasts, and the team is mentored by the eccentric janitor. The team of oddballs  come together to a common goal, fighting a bully, and learn about themselves and the nature of bullies.

The Odd Squad: Bully Bait was a great read, and I think is accessible to both elementary and middle school students. It speaks to dealing with bullies, and how easy it can be to cross the line and act like a bully when feeling powerless. Some tough questions are dealt with, while still being funny. Nick is short but smart, stuck spending a good portion of his school day crammed in his locker. His family is a little different, and add to the quirkiness of the story. The other oddballs, Molly and Karl, have their own troubles and quirks. The bully, Roy, is as well developed as the three oddballs, as are the janitor and Nick’s grandmother. rumors of a school ghost, and mentions of other interesting kids at the school, left me wanting to read more about what happens in those halls.

I highly recommend The Odd Squad: Bully Bait to middle grade readers, particularly those that have ever felt like an oddball or on the receiving end of the bully effect. There is some cute, awkward romance in the story, and a collection of unforgettable characters that will keep readers turning the pages. Fry includes some illustrations, which only further enhance the heart, humor, and truth of the story. The sequel, the Odd Squad: Zero Tolerance is scheduled for release in September 2013. I gave this book 4 out of five stars on Goodreads.

This review was originally published on Sharon the Librarian.