Guest Post: BULLIED

This week's blog post and super rad program idea comes to you from Elizabeth M. Timmins, Muehl Public Library Director & Programmer, Seymour, WI J

Guest Post: BULLIED

Author: Elizabeth M. Timmins, Muehl Public Library Director & Programmer, Seymour, WI

Thanks to Scott Langteau, homegrown Seymour, WI talent, who has written another amazing picture book. This one, BULLIED, is aimed toward middle schoolers. In the book, two bullies named Billy and Bella Bully grow up regretting their negative actions. In fact, in the hopeful ending of the book, they actually turn themselves around as adults. 6th grade students acted in a Reader's Theater production of the book on April 25, 2019 at our public library. I paired Scott’s book with a PowerPoint of the marvelous picture book BULLY by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

We had a packed room of patrons to experience both stories and then do Q & A with Scott. Many of his high school classmates were in attendance. The support was palpable. We collaborated with the Seymour School District and the Community Family Resource Center in our community to get word out about this special event. Sadly, our program was the same evening as the funeral for two slain children in our community. However, we persevered. Scott lives in Los Angeles and was home for a small window of time that we had to optimize.

After Q & A, we had book selling and autographing time. Scott autographed a copy of his book for the library...his words are touching and wonderful! "Note to ourselves...always be ourselves...and always be KIND doing it."

Scott Langteau loved the reader's theater that I scripted for his picture book BULLIED and he gave me permission to freely share it with educators.  (Scott has a BFA in Theater and a Masters in Acting!) This is an amazing creative outlet for me!

So here are the two links where educators will be able to find it. Hurray!

https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=64793

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/BULLIED-by-Scott-Langteau-Readers-Theater-4569408

                                                                 BOOK COVER

6 students who acted out the script, Scott Langteau on right, me on left:

VOYA's Nonfiction Honor List 2018

Looking to revamp your nonfiction offerings for your 5th through 8th graders?  

Check out VOYA's Nonfiction Honor List for 2018!  With subjects ranging from sandwiches to computer coding, you're sure to find something to entice readers.

Ready to take a peek?  Click HERE.

Guest Post: Let's Talk About Reading

Author: Julie Kinney, Young Adult Librarian, Marathon County Public Library

Reading is a developmental process; not every six year old is ready to learn to read, while some four year olds are.  Early reading instruction is something that most parents do naturally:   They read to their children on a regular basis and invite them to handle books.  Most young children pick up that there is a right way to read a book; going from left to right and up and down.  They learn that there is a beginning and an end.  They begin to match pictures with the words that Mom or Dad say.  Some children memorize a favorite book and most children are delighted to “read” a book to their parents. 

But what happens if you grow up in a family where reading books to children doesn’t happen?  Unfortunately, those children don’t learn the basics about how books are supposed to be read.  Those children don’t hear Mom and Dad read or learn how to match pictures to sounds.  Inevitably, those kids are at a higher risk for reading problems down the road.

What can libraries and guardians do to support children on their literacy journey?  Read more about building successful readers in the rest of Julie's blog post HERE.

Middle Grade Collection

Pixabay

Most librarians have a few ideas for collections that they would do if they only had the space and time. A middle grade collection is one of mine.  The article "Dedicated Middle School Collections in Public Libraries: A New Trend?" in School Library Journal, though, is inspiring me to just go for it.

Space is the biggest issue at my library. It is a small one. There is hope for a new library but that's a few years down the road. I struggle finding the right place for the collection. After reading the SLJ article along with one in Booklist, I need to carve out a space even if not ideal in order to make it easier for young people in 5th to 8th grade to find books. (In my community, the intermediate school is 5th-6th grade and middle school is 7th-8th grade. I'm using that as the basis for my middle grade collection.)

I lied. Time is always a problem! Thankfully, I work with an amazing Technical Services department that is well trained and good at planning. They're supportive of ideas that promote the collections and improve the patron experience.

Do you have a middle grade collection? How do you define middle grade? 4th-6th? 6th - 8th? Is it a thriving collection?

Six Tips to Combat Tween Summer Slide

We are all aware of the dangers of summer slide. Librarians bend over backwards to keep kids reading over the summer, but the first hurdle is to get them in the library, which can be difficult during a time of year when you’re competing with great weather, busy schedules, fewer school assignments, and pool parties. Middle schoolers can sometimes wander through the library with no place to call their own. While having a dedicated space in the library just for them can be enormously useful, many libraries don’t have the real estate—or budget—to create a tween-only space. There are still smart ways, however, to engage middle school readers over the long, hot months.

Check out the tips HERE.

The Postcard & The Clipboard

One of my all time FAVORITE programs are the outreach visits I do with our local "Girl's Night Out". A friend of mine who, at the time, worked for the YMCA, contacted me to visit her middle school girls. The girls meet once or twice a month to develop positive relationships and discuss issues before entering high school. So the group has invited me for the last few years to talk about "Positive Freetime" aka READING. And I pick a huge crate full of books to booktalk and show off. And bookmarks, of course, with all the titles listed. And a spot to write down a few that their friends might have mentioned. I give out highlighters so they can mark the ones they want to read. 

A couple of years ago I brought along a clipboard. This has changed my life. 

West Bend Library has a fantastic volunteer program for summer reading. I schedule between 40-50 volunteers. How do I get these kids? A lot of word of mouth. But at these Girl's Night Out events, I bring a clipboard. I do a schpeal about volunteering at the library. I keep it brief. You can work with friends. You can work around your schedule. It looks great on college applications. I could be a reference for you when you start looking for jobs or scholarships. etc. The girls can add their name and address to the clipboard if they'd like to be invited to the orientation in May. No Obligation! But then I have a really great starting list for volunteers. And I welcome them to bring friends. It's a win-win. I've gotten quite a few non-library users. Which, a lot of times, brings in more family members. 

Then in May, ta da! The Postcard. A personal invitation to be an essential part of the SRP team! 

So essentially, I'm getting my clipboard ready and putting together my list of middle school reads. I was telling my colleague how I wanted to add new titles but didn't want to not include my favorite classics. A sad farewell to these titles: The Golden Compass, Dead Girls Don't Write Letters, Ella Enchanted, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... Maybe next year. 

But on the plus side, I'm adding Hattie Big Sky, Matched, Beautiful Creatures, Dancing in the Dark, and maybe a few others....


oh and woo hoo... our book club is watching Perks of Being a Wallflower tomorrow! so excited.