Blog Review

Abby the Librarian
by Abby Johnson

Abby Johnson is a children's librarian in New Albany, Indiana who uses her blog as a place to post book reviews, storytime ideas and articles aimed at helping recent MLIS grads navigate their new library careers. She has been blogging at Abby the Librarian since 2007 and explains her purpose in the blog’s “About” section:

I love blogging because it gives me a chance to connect with great people all over the country and the world and because it's helped me hone my writing and reviewing skills.

Helping and mentoring new librarians and library school students is a passion of mine and you'll find many of my posts written with that audience in mind. (I am still new-ish, so I remember how it feels to be just starting out.) I'm also a firm believer that all librarians benefit from the sharing of program ideas, program outlines, and general posts about how things are done at different libraries. I try to give you a slice of life at my library here.

In her book reviews, Ms. Johnson primarily discusses middle-grade (and some YA) realistic and historical fiction, middle-grade narrative nonfiction and nonfiction picture books. Her reviews are well organized and all arranged the same way: publication information and a photo of the cover, a booktalk/plot overview, her personal thoughts on the book and finally a section on readalikes. As the blog is geared toward librarians, Ms. Johnson makes sure to discuss the audience and uses for the books she reviews.

Ms. Johnson also documents a project she calls “Reading Wildly”, which she designed to help her staff broaden their reading with the goal of offering better readers’ advisory services to patrons. Each month participants are required to read from a chosen genre: sports, horse books, scary books, realistic fiction, etc. They then discuss the books at a staff meeting, and Ms. Johnson catalogs them in a blog post. She reports great success, both in staff engagement and improved readers’ advisory.

The blog also features an extensive catalog of storytimes Ms. Johnson has developed and implemented in a library setting. She organizes them by them and date, and provides the music, books and activities she used for each program. She also provides alternative book suggestions if the reader’s library does not have the ones she used.

The final major section of Abby the Librarian is called “So You Want to Be a Librarian”, and it is a collection of blog posts (both her own and from other librarian bloggers) about becoming and being a librarian. Articles include “So You Want to Go to Library School”, “A Day in the Life of a Children’s Librarian” and “Job Hunting for Librarians”.  Real-world advice like this from professionals in the field is extremely helpful for those thinking about becoming librarians or just entering school or the workforce.

Abby Johnson’s blog is a terrific resource for librarians, library students or anyone thinking about becoming a librarian, particularly if they are interested in children’s services. She offers readers’ advisory information but also discusses many issues involving the day-to-day life of a library worker. I highly recommend Abby the Librarian for librarians and MLIS students interested in how other librarians do their jobs.

Audiobook Review

Children Make Terrible Pets
Written and Illustrated by Peter Brown
Read by Emily Eiden
Age Range: 3-6

Produced 2010 by Weston Woods

ISBN:9780545398367

I am happy to call myself an audiobook fan. I think the medium has a lot of appeal for children – after all, most kids are used to being read to. When I think of audiobooks for children, though, I generally picture chapter books or nonfiction for middle-grade children. The idea of an audio version of a picture book seems a bit odd. After all, one of the major jobs of a picture book is to help the reader learn to process stories both visually and verbally and draw connections between words and images. How effective can a picture book be when the pictures are taken away?

Thus my interest in the audio version of Children Make Terrible Pets. Peter Brown’s 2010 picture book introduces the audience to Lucy, a little bear in a bow and a tutu who comes upon a strange, squeaky (yet adorable) creature in the woods one day. She names him Squeaker and brings him home to her mother, who takes no responsibility for the boy—for he is a little boy—but says Lucy may keep him if she cares for him. The book relies heavily on the visual gag of a bear treating a little boy like a pet, so I wondered how successful an audio version could be.

The audio version of Children Make Terrible Pets is read by actress Emily Eiden, who has a bubbly and expressive voice. It is enhanced by music and sound effects and has enough charm to keep young listeners engaged. One does, however, miss out on most of the jokes and a fair amount of the plot if one only listens to it. Listening to an audio picture book has made me realize that it serves a different purpose than an audio chapter book: while audio chapter books can be listened to independent of the original text (making them a great option when travelling with children), audio picture books work best when used to enhance the text, not replace it. A child who is just learning to read can listen to the recording and follow along in the book, thus building a connection between what words look like and what they sound like. Reading along with a recording can also help children slow their pace and really absorb dialogue, jokes and other textual details that may be skimmed over if a child is not a confident reader. It can also help build listening skills.

While my skepticism was not unfounded with regard to audio picture books as standalone items, listening to one has helped me to understand that they do have a place in a child’s library – right next to the print version of the same book. 

Readalikes:
I'm Dirty by Kate McMullan, read by Steve Buscemi
Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin, read by Randy Travis
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems, read by Mo Willems and Jon Scieszka

Magazine Review

OWL Magazine
Published by Owlkids
Age Range: 9-13

ISSN: 0382-6627
USD $27.80 per year

OWL Magazine is a Canadian publication aimed at children ages 9 to 13. It was originally a science and nature magazine (OWL stands for Outdoors and Wild Life) but in its nearly forty years of existence, OWL’s focus has expanded. “Unusual for its intended age group,” the magazine boasts on its website, “OWL is loved by both girls and boys, identifying the core of what really matters to 9- to 13-year-olds and relaying it with a signature honesty, intelligence, and humour.” The March 2015 issue, for example, covers tech, books, movies, animals, art and civic engagement.

I used my library’s online magazine service Zinio to read this issue, but OWL does still offer a print edition as well. The issue I chose was March 2014’s Comic Issue, which is 43 pages long and contains a mix of regular features and special articles. Monthly features include a calendar, “Weird Zone”, “Animal of the Month”, “World Watch” and “Classroom of the Month”. The content is appropriate for children and geared toward their interests. For example, this issue’s arts section covers the newest Big Nate book, the upcoming film Muppets Most Wanted and a new game for the Nintendo Wii. It also provides children’s perspective in a section of kid-written media reviews. Some of the features discuss current issues in ways that relate them to children’s lives (the amount of waste produced by ever-advancing tech toys) and some spotlight important work that young people are doing (starting a nonprofit foundation to help children of color with special needs). The staff of OWL clearly respect and understand their audience.

As this was the Comics Issue, the special articles were all comic related: an article by author Brian McLachlan and artist Claude Bordeleau about how they work together to create their comic The Outrageous World of Alex and Charlie, an installment of popular graphic series Max Finder Mystery and a Create-a-Comic contest for readers.

OWL offers dynamic graphic design that will attract the attention of young readers and the varied and appealing content will keep them interested. Subscribing to the print edition would provide children with a kid-centered account of educational and cultural current events as well as giving them the excitement of having a piece of mail addressed to them arrive on a regular basis.

Readalikes:
Muse Magazine
Cricket
Cobblestone
National Geographic Kids

Graphic Novel Review

Babymouse for President (Babymouse #16)
Written by Jennifer Holm
Illustrated by Matthew Holm
Age Range: 7-10

Published 2012 by Random House

ISBN: 978-0375867804

MSRP: $12.99

Awards:
Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Publication for Early Readers (2013)

Babymouse has had many adventures (a lot of them in her own mind) as the star of her own graphic novel series. She’s imagined herself a rock star, a surf bum, a dragonslayer and, of course, queen of the world. Now she’s tackling politics. In Babymouse for President, the sixteenth installment in the series, Babymouse decides that she needs to be the change she wants in the world – or at least that she needs to be the one in charge. Over the course of the campaign she realizes that being president is not about power, it is about being the voice of one’s constituents, and while the election may not turn out how she would like, the experience is a positive one.

Jennifer and Matthew Holm are the sister-and-brother team who created Babymouse and who bring her to life. Jennifer’s writing shows a sweet, if at times awkward and self-centered, young girl trying to navigate the ins and outs of being a tween. Matthew makes effective use of a black, white and pink color palette and his line drawings are simple but expressive.

Babymouse is yet another series (like the earlier-reviewed Origami Yoda) that presents the trials of public school life in ways that many children can relate to. Whereas Origami Yoda skews more toward boys, Babymouse definitely aims to reach girls. While she is not the only female middle-grade graphic novel heroine, there are not very many. The series’ popularity, however, demonstrates that there is a definite interest among young girls in the comic format. Graphic novels hold great appeal for reluctant readers who may be intimidated by chapter books. They also help children learn to interpret things visually as well as verbally and develop critical literacy skills, and can act as a gateway to other types of literature. This would be a great series for little girls who are reluctant readers and who face confidence and identity issues as they begin the road to teendom. Additionally, Babymouse is just a lovable kid with a great imagination and a relatable personality. Just about anyone can enjoy that.

Readalikes:
Bird and Squirrel on the Run by James Burks
Lunch Lady by Jarrett Krosoczka
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Picture Book Review

The Dark
Written by Lemony Snicket 
Illustrated by Jon Klassen 
Age Range: 4-8

Published 2013 by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN:978-0-316-18748-0
MSRP: $16.99

Awards:
2014 Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding picture book writing

Lists:
New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 2013
School Library Journal Best Books of 2013
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2013
ALSC Notable Books for Children 2013

"Laszlo was afraid of the dark."

The Dark is a spare, atmospheric and elegant picture book from two children's literature powerhouses. Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) wrote the blockbuster middle-grade series A Series of Unfortunate Events and Jon Klassen is a current darling of the picture book world, with 2012’s This is Not My Hat winning the Caldecott Medal. The two have teamed up to tell the story of how Laszlo learned to stop worrying and love the dark.

Laszlo has good reason to be afraid of the dark: he lives in a big, creaky house with lots of nooks and crannies for the dark to lurk. But the basement is the worst. The basement is where the dark reigns, even during the day when the rest of the house is light. Laszlo is at once terrified and fascinated by the basement and the dark that lives there. “Hi,” he would say every morning from the top of the basement stairs. “Hi, dark.” Then, when Laszlo’s nightlight burns out one night, leaving him completely alone with the dark…something happens.

The Dark is entertaining and beautifully illustrated. Klassen’s use of dark negative space creates a rich atmosphere and Laszlo’s unchanging expression imbues him with a stoicism that is unexpected in light of his fear of the dark.

Snicket’s choice to give the dark a personality is an effective method of lessening its perceived threat. Rather than an unknowable thing, the dark is just another inhabitant of Laszlo’s house—who does not, in fact, wish him any harm – and by the end of the book they learn to coexist.

The Dark tackles a common childhood fear in a creative and unique way, and is a great book for a child who may still be scared to turn off the light. Its vaguely creepy atmosphere, however, makes it ideal for the kid who enjoys being scared a little, as well. But not too much.

Readalikes:
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak
The Hole by Oyvind Torseter

Fiction Review

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
Written by Tom Angleberger
Age Range: 8-12

Published 2010 by Abrams

ISBN: 978-0810984257

MSRP: $12.95

Awards:
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2012)
Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts (2011)
Sequoyah Book Award (2013)
Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee for Grades 6-8 (2011) 

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is one of those books I know I should have read a long time ago. I have recommended it plenty of times, and there’s a signed copy on our bookshelf at home, but I’d never actually picked it up and read it. Now that I have, I am relieved to find that I had not been recommending a lousy book to my young patrons.

Origami Yoda was created by weird kid Dwight (who clearly displays autistic tendencies, even though his condition is never made explicit in the book), and has become an oracle for the students at McQuarrie Middle School. From his home on Dwight’s finger, Origami Yoda advises kids about romance, pop quizzes and how to hide suspicious-looking pant stains. But is Origami Yoda real? Or is Dwight just answering his classmates’ questions himself? Tommy, the narrator, has compiled testimonies from his fellow students with the purpose of solving the mystery. Through these accounts, which are supplemented by comments from Tommy and the skeptical Harvey, the reader sees into the lives of a group of sixth graders as they navigate the tricky territory that is middle school.

The Strange Case Origami Yoda is part of a subgenre of children’s books that is (happily) becoming more and more popular: quality middle-grade fiction for reluctant readers—particularly boys—who identify more with outsiders than with cool kids. I fully support anything that gets non-readers interested in books, and the way Origami Yoda, Captain Underpants, the Wimpy Kid manage to tap into the imagination of a pretty tough crowd is laudable. Origami Yoda has the added bonus of featuring a child with an Asperger’s like condition. According to the CDC, autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4% from 2000 (1 in 150) to 2010 (1 in 68), so it is important that the condition is represented in children’s literature so children with autism spectrum disorders can see kids like themselves in the books they read. Higher visibility of kids with autism and Asperger’s can also help non-autistic children develop empathy and feelings of acceptance towards their autistic peers.

Author Tom Angleberger, who calls Asperger’s his superpower, skillfully blends humor, pathos and pop culture to create an enjoyable story that will appeal to kids who love Star Wars, kids who are just learning what its like to have a crush and kids who feel like weirdos or outsiders. While the overall message is one of kindness and friendship, there’s enough goofy schoolyard humor that it never feels saccharine. All in all, a great choice for a wide range of young readers.

Readalikes:
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
Justin Case: School, Drool and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail
Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer Holm
Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown