Miss the Midday Mingle?

The first YSS Midday Mingle was a blast as we chatted all things storytime with colleagues sharing their top 3 books, songs, tips for first-timers, and more. 

Go ahead and mark your calendar for our next Midday Mingle a lively 'this or that' session covering the great debates of our field: craft or no craft, theme or no theme, registration or walk-ins, YA or teen, cardigan or hoodie.

Topic: This or That? 
Date: Monday, November 10
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Zoom Link

But worry not friends – I've got a recap of our storytime mingle to catch you up and tide you over! 

Image by Lubos Houska from Pixabay

Favorite Storytime Books

• Shh…. We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton
• Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman
• Almost anything by Ame Dyckman
• DinoGro by Matthew Myers
• About a dinosaur that grows in water, and grows and grows and grows
• Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous by Keith Calabrese
• Great for right before school is back in session, about being anxious for the first day of school
• Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
• Any Jan Thomas Books
• Roo Knows Blue by Renee Treml
• about a kangaroo
• Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
• 100 Mighty Dragons all Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle
  
• Great bit for WI peeps with the knowledge that this is written by a Minnesota author
• Entertaining, silly way to introduce math
• Bob Not Bob by Liz Garton Scanlon
• Great for winter when everyone is sick, about being congested/stuffy, perform it with a stuffy voice, kids find it hilarious
• Bear has a Belly by Jane Whittingham
• Bad Dog by Mike Boldt
• Case of mistaken identity, birthday gift was a pet dog (holds up cat), laments that Rocky does not do things like other dogs (again Rocky is a cat), kids are delighted by it
• Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort
• Lots of chances for animal noises
• Can You Do This? by Megan Roy
• Book has questions that prompt interactive activities for the storytime crowd – can you touch your toes, hop like a bunny, dance, etc. lots of options for movements and getting the sillies out – may need to spread out a bit for some of the actions
• Groovy Joe Ice Cream and Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin
• Teach the song and dance afterwards, good for a music and movement storytime, teaches about sharing with friends, and has ice cream and dinos! Perfect

Image by Moondance from Pixabay

Favorite Storytime Songs

• Tootie Tot
• Icky Sticky Bubble Gum
• Susan Salmador
• Shiny New Shoes Album but also everything
• Jim Gill
• Silly Dance Contest
• Hammer & Saw – has the sounds of those tools
• Laurie Berkner
• Monster Boogie – has a book to go with it
• Rocket Ship Run
• P-I-Z-Z-A to the tune of Bingo
• using a felt pizza and removing a piece with each letter to help the kids keep track

Tonight we have my favorite food.

Yes, friends, we're having Pizza

P-I-Z-Z-A, P-I-Z-Z-A, P-I-Z-Z-A, yes friends we're having Pizza!

• Fruit and Veggies Unite!
• Good active movements song, and chance to be silly – go bananas, go bananas
• Good chance for early literacy tips to caregivers - We’re going to sing a song now about fruits and vegetables. This song has lots of great action words in it like peel, mash, shuck, pop, slice, and squeeze.  Today when you eat lunch or dinner, try using these words again or introducing new words about the foods you’re eating with your child

Image by Martine den Engelsen from Pixabay

Favorite Non-Traditional Props

• Water explorers storytime
• Jar of water, shaving cream, blue food coloring
  
• Thinking how else to incorporate STEM into storytime props 
• Water, sink and float, experiment, guess if it will sink or float
• Bag of water, stick pencils into
• Farmers Market Storytime
• props, costumes, a lot of books with dialog, spray bottles to spray at crowd, hats for interrupting chickens, penguin hats, crow and pitcher costumes
• Rainbow stew
• bowl/pot and the felt veggies and fruit, spoon
• Magic Envelope
• different ingredients or parts of theme, put the stuff in and on the other side is the end product (i.e. pics of seed, water, soil, and on the other side of the envelope is a flower, have them guess what you are making before revealing
• A bus!
• Had a Pigeon storytime and had a person in the Pigeon costume roll up in a bus (not driving though!)
• Discussion of Stretchy Bands
• One participant did not like them, used them once, hard for kids to hold the tension correctly, got a bit wild
• One loves them
• Used at the beginning of music and movement when caregivers and kids are coming in, has them immediately grab the bands and start participating – sets the tone for the rest of the storytime – caregivers as active participants 
• Great for Row Row Row Your Boat, Wheels on the Bus, etc.

Favorite Rhymes

• My Two Hands

My two hands go clap, clap, clap

My two feet go tap, tap, tap

My two hands go thump, thump, thump

My two feet go jump, jump, jump

My one body turns around

and it quietly sits down

• Dinosaur Dinosaur

Dinosaur, Dinosaur

Dinosaur, Dinosaur stomp your feet.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur show your teeth.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur swing your tail.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur show your scales.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur show your claws.

Dinosaur, Dinosaur snap your jaws!

Dinosaur, Dinosaur give a ROAR!

Dinosaur, Dinosaur sit on the floor.

• I'm a Tiny T-Rex

I'm a tiny T-Rex, hatched from my egg

I’ve got tiny arms, and big, stompy legs

I want to make a sound, like a big dinosaur

Are you ready? Here it comes! 1-2-3 …

Meow. 

                    [Repeat with other noises for as long as you like]

You've totally guac this. Image by Katie Alford.

Tips for First Timers

• Keep it simple
• You don’t have to do it like the person who was there before you, make it your own, do what makes you comfortable
• You don’t have to be a great singer, you don’t even have to sing at all, you could exclusively use recorded music
• Remember its about the little people, your audience is the kids, don’t get nervous about the adults in the room, just pretend its all kids and lean into the silly fun time
• Slow down – slow your reading down, take your time, any story can be made interactive, use open ended questions, read a sentence and blank out the last word, have the kids fill in the blank on how the sentence ends
• Find an opening and closing song you love and repeat repeat repeat

Unexpected Storytime Happenings

• Color Our World Storytime – red theme, can you name red things, kids call out the usual things –  apple, fire truck, etc. But one kid calls out BLOOD
• Fire alarm pulled
• Child took their first steps
• Showing off injuries and then everyone wants to show and tell
• This could be incorporated into the story time start – check-in time, everyone show their ouchies, and then its done and you can move on

Books You'd Never Read Again

• Issues reading the Book with No Pictures, seemed like it’d be great, watched B.J. Novak do it, but in reality it went terrible and wouldn’t do it again
• Seconded – overthinking the pronunciations and tripping myself up trying to read it

It's almost time for the Midday Mingle!!

Calling all Youth Services fold to join us tomorrow Monday,  August 25 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM for our first Youth Services Section Midday Mingle!

We're talking about one of our favorite topics—storytime! We'll be chatting about our top 3, from a variety of categories (see below), as we share, laugh, and commiserate about a staple of youth services work. 

Here are the categories we'll be discussing (no pressure to have 3 items for all of the categories—come with whatever you've got!):

• Storytime books
• Songs
• Rhymes
• Storytime outfits
• Books you'd never read again
• Surprising things that happened
• Non-traditional storytime props
• Tips for folks doing their first storytime

Anyone is welcome at the Midday Mingle! You do not have to be a WLA member to attend. Just click the Zoom Link. We can't wait to hear everyone's storytime wins, misses, tips, and mishaps! Everyone has a storyime story!

Another Midday Mingle will be coming in October/November! Do you have suggestions/requests for our next topic? Let us know in the comments or email kalford@menomonee-falls.org.

Share, Laugh, and Commiserate at the Midday Mingle

Calling all Youth Services folk!  Join us  Monday,  August 25 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM for our first Youth Services Section Midday Mingle!

We're talking about one of our favorite topics—storytime! We'll be chatting about our top 3, from a variety of categories (see below), as we share, laugh, and commiserate about a staple of youth services work. 

Here are the categories we'll be discussing (no pressure to have 3 items for all of the categories—come with whatever you've got!):

• Storytime books
• Songs
• Rhymes
• Storytime outfits
• Books you'd never read again
• Surprising things that happened
• Non-traditional storytime props
• Tips for folks doing their first storytime

Anyone is welcome at the Midday Mingle! You do not have to be a WLA member to attend. Just click the Zoom Link. We can't wait to hear everyone's storytime wins, misses, tips, and mishaps! Everyone has a storyime story!

Another Midday Mingle will be coming in October/November! Do you have suggestions/requests for our next topic? Let us know in the comments or email kalford@menomonee-falls.org.

Join the YSS Midday Mingle

Calling all Youth Services folk!  Join us Monday,  August 25 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM for our first Youth Services Section Midday Mingle!

We're talking about one of our favorite topics—storytime! We'll be chatting about our top 3, from a variety of categories (see below), as we share, laugh, and commiserate about a staple of youth services work. 

Here are the categories we'll be discussing (no pressure to have 3 items for all of the categories—come with whatever you've got!):

• Storytime books
• Songs
• Rhymes
• Storytime outfits
• Books you'd never read again
• Surprising things that happened
• Non-traditional storytime props
• Tips for folks doing their first storytime

Zoom Link

Got suggestions/requests for our next Midday Mingle topic? Let us know in the comments or email kalford@menomonee-falls.org.

Favorite Conference Idea: Magic Origami House

Choosing toppings at the ice cream shop with the origami house

WLA Conference 2016 is upon us.  When I attend a conference, I hope to learn one great, simple idea, be inspired about our profession, and see colleagues.

One of my favorite great, simple ideas is from a Storytime Swap session at a WAPL conference a few years ago.  Beth Hayes from Ruth Culver Community Library in Prairie du Sac brought a paper folding story called "I Wish Today Was My Birthday!" from Stories to Play With: Kids' Tales told with Puppets, Paper, Toys, and Imagination by Hiroko Fujita and Fran Stallings (August House 1999).  Going to the conference was worth it when I learned how to tell this story and make the paper prop"

The prop for the story is made from a large piece of paper and is folded to look like a house. I call it my magic origami house.  You glue pictures related to the story onto four sections of the "house".  As you tell the story, you move the pictures around by folding the house in a certain way.

Kids think you are doing magic because the pictures are moving but they do not know how you are doing it.  I feel really awesome when I do these stories. You can easily make up a story.  I tell a simple story of going to the ice cream shop and choosing your toppings. 

Guerrilla Storytime at WLA



Monica La Vold, River Falls Public Library and friend Bobo
 demonstrate "Looking Through My Window"

Ok, then, for those of you waiting for all the cool stuff shared at our Guerrilla Storytime at this year's Wisconsin Library Association conference in Green Bay, wait no more! Organizers Anna Haase Krueger, Sara Bryce and Marge Loch-Wouters just got the post up at Storytime Underground.

Thanks to all the storytime ninjas who shared! Hope to see you at WAPL this spring in Sheboygan for our next Guerrilla Storytime!

Join Guerrilla Storytime at WLA

What's coming to WLA in Green Bay Thursday Oct 24 10-10:30 am in the exhibits?

Guerrilla storyime!!

Get ready to shake your sillies out, because Storytime is Serious Business. Take part in the movement that started at the ALA Annual 2013 Conference! Experience a crowd-sourcing event of Storytime Ninja proportions as all attendees add insight to real-life questions librarians struggle with every day. Why do you use scarves with infants? How do you incorporate STEAM? What do you do if a child (or parent!) is behaving badly? Step up and answer the call! Join the revolution and spread the word: Literacy is Not a Luxury. Check out Storytime Underground for more information

We'll provide:

- Some challenges that mix together behavior management (act out how you deal with a kid/parent doing x in the middle of storytime), early childhood development stuff (what’s your favorite way to incorporate letter knowledge/print motivation/phonological awareness into storytime) and actual activities (sing your favorite 5 little whatever song/lead the group in your favorite wiggle song). .

- A facilitator who  reads off the challenges, at which point people get up and share their best tricks.

- Shakers/parachutes/scarves/etc. so you can use them.

You provide:
- Your energy and ideas. Represent your mad skillz in fingerplays, songs, book recommendations, early literacy and crowd control.

Guerrilla Storytime Coming to WLA!

Maybe you all saw the earlier YSS post reporting on Guerrilla Storytime at ALA, and hopefully you have checked out the terrific new Storytime Underground:  Literacy Is Not a Luxury blog that was started as a result.  Both are great ways to help support each other, learn new tricks, and get inspired about storytimes and providing meaningful early literacy experiences to children and families.

And now, this fabulousness is coming to the WLA Conference!  Watch for it on Thursday morning in the exhibit hall during the no-conflict time.  This has the added bonus of being a public acknowledgement of the importance of storytime, hopefully inspiring library administrators and others to pay more attention.  Whether you are a storytime veteran or someone just starting out, this event will be a great place to share some energy, get some ideas, and PLAY.  Storytimers Unite!

Maybe there will even be instruments!

* (photo credit: Newton Free Library)

Guerrilla Storytime - New Learning!

Amy over at Show Me Librarian blog shares a cool new "happening" that sprang up at this year's ALA conference in Chicago. Dubbed "Guerrilla Storytime", it was a chance for librarians doing early literacy work to meet informally and share songs, tips, fingerplays, techniques and great books with other youth folks.

There was excellent turn-out and participation. I made it to one session and learned a ton.  Plus I got to meet alot of great new colleagues!

Hmmmm, I wonder if we could try this at WLA???

WAPL 2011 is Almost Here

Have you signed up for WAPL yet? If not you can do so here. The Youth Services Section has been working hard to put together some great programs for the children's librarians in the state.

• THURSDAY (May 5, 2011)
  
  10:30 - 11:30am: Children's Spaces, Family Places; Developing Interactive Early Literacy Environments in Your Library
  
  Join Marge Loch-Wouters, Lynn Montague, and Kathy Kadar as they shareinformation and ideas about how public libraries are creating environments rich in learning and discovery for nurturing pre-literacy skills in children. Library and Child Care professionals will present information and ideas of how public library administrators, staff, and community can create "play and learn" spots in places both large and small and for any size budget.
  
  2:45 - 3:45 pm: Story Time Swap
  Storytime isn't just for preschoolers anymore. Bring your programming ideas for all the ages you serve. This year we'll be focusing on preschool and elementary students but all ideas from a favorite storytime rhyme or craft to the layout of your last big event are welcome! Presenters Svetha Hetzler, Kelly Allen, Betsy Bromley and Shirley Creager will share their kid-tested ideas and then we will open the floor to hear yours. Please bring about 50 copies of your ideas to "swap" with others and come prepared to take home fun things to try at your library.

• FRIDAY (May 6, 2011)
  
  9:00 - 10:15 am: What If: Questions and Answers on Intellectual Freedom
  
  From book challenges and self-censorship to privacy issues and internet use, questions can arise when putting the principles of intellectual freedom into practice. Come together with colleagues to share your questions and concerns. You'll get the perspective of several intellectual freedom advocates such as presenters Megan Schliesman and Michael Tyree, as well as your peers attending the session. This session is cosponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table
  
  10:30 - 11:45 am: Young at Heart – Great Teen Books Even Grown-ups Will Love
  
  Some of the best and hottest books available right now may have been written for teens, but that doesn’t mean your adult patrons won’t love them! Hear librarians Sue Abrahamson, Kristine Millard, and Julie Harrison booktalk some of the best titles YA literature has to offer. You’ll leave with a list you’ll want to share with patrons – and read yourself! Plus, learn about how some libraries are using teen books in popular adult programs. This program is co-sponsored by READ
  

WAPL is Almost Here

It’s hard to believe that WAPL is already next week. YSS has a lot of great programs planned for everyone planning to attend. For the complete scheduled check out the conference website, or look below for the complete list of youth programs.

Wednesday, May 6

• 7 – 10 p.m.: Cocktail dessert reception
  Come mingle and network with your fellow youth librarians!
  

Thursday, May 7

• 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.: Tweaking the Tween Scene
  Presented by: Penny Johnson, Baraboo Public Library
  
  Your preschool programs enjoy high attendance. Your teen advisory board is going strong. But what about your "tween" patrons? Could you use some inspiration on how to program for 8-to-12 year olds? Or do you have some successes to share with others? This will be a "swap session" where you can gather and share practical ideas that will help you tweak your library's tween scene.
  

• 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.: Storytime Swap
  Presented by: Ellen Jepson, Appleton Public Library; Kristie Wilson, Shawano City-County Library; Debbie Olguin, Franklin Public LibraryTired of the same old storytime ideas? Looking for fresh ideas? Join the Storytime Swap co-presented by: Appleton Public Library, Shawano City-County Library, and Franklin Public Library. In this informal session, browse tables full of great ideas and talk with their creators behind the fun activities! Better yet, bring your own ideas to swap (and 50 copies of your activity). Gain new ideas and mingle with others in children’s librarianship!

• 4:45 – 6 p.m.: YSS Business Meetings

Friday, May 8

• 9 – 10:15 a.m.: Get Creative with Puppets @ Your Library
  Presented by: Cassie Payne, Hands 2 Grow Puppet Productions LLC; Mickey Miller, Hands 2 Grow Puppet Productions LLCChildren love puppets and so do adults! Discover how you can incorporate puppetry into a variety of settings. This hands-on workshop will demonstrate easy puppets to build and manipulate for a variety of ages. The workshop is presented by Hands 2 Grow Puppet Productions, a multi-talented troupe sharing character-building messages with the community. Bring life to your library in a whole new way!
  

• 10:30 – 11:45: EXCELlent!!!: Top Five Lists of Ways to Create Great Youth Services at Your Library
  Presented by: Paul Nelson, retired, Middleton Public Library; Kris Adams Wendt, retired, Rhinelander District Library; Mary Dunn, Tomahawk Public Library; Kelly Krieg-Sigman, La Crosse Public Library
  
  How do you create and support EXCELlent youth services at your library? Is it money, personalities; funding genius; outreach; collaboration or all and/or none of the above? Does it happen overnight by magic or is there a secret that can be unveiled that shows how to build and encourage that excellence? Join us at this energy-filled program as a panel of current and former directors share their “Top Five” list of to-do’s that encourage outstanding youth services in their libraries.

Storytime Swap at WAPL!

Tired of the same old storytime ideas? Looking for fresh ideas? Join the Storytime Swap at WAPL this year, co-presented by: Appleton Public Library, Shawano City-County Library, and Franklin Public Library. In this informal session, browse tables full of great ideas and talk with their creators behind the fun activities! Better yet, bring your own ideas to swap (and 50 copies of your activity). Gain new ideas and mingle with others in children’s librarianship!