Book Reviews

How You Got So Smart by: David Milgrim

From infant to child, you have a come a long, long way! This book reveals just how you got as smart as you are. You watched and listened. Chewed on things. Explored and asked lots of questions. You investigated, made friends, and were very brave. Each and every step taught you something, and that is what made you so very smart. This jolly book takes a humorous but sincere look at how babies grow into amazing children every day.

Milgrim’s success with this book is in its tone. It is funny but really honest and truthful about what makes each of us smart. The best part is that it is about normal children, who all grow in their own way, who all explore, who all invent. Every child will see themselves here and relate effortlessly to the book. Milgrim’s illustrations add to the humor. They also bring the necessary bright colors and charm.

Perfect spring reading for classes of children who are advancing to the next grade. This reminds everyone that they are special and smart. Appropriate for ages 4-7, older as a treat read-aloud around graduation time.



Sylvia's Long Thumbelina
by: Sylvia Long

Enter the world of Thumbelina as depicted by award-winning illustrator Sylvia Long. This is a classic tale of the tiny Thumbelina and her birth to a woman desperate to have a child. Thumbelina is beautiful and is stolen by a toad to marry her son. She is kept on a lily pad until the wedding is prepared. The fish in the pond chew her lily pad free. She then seeks shelter from the winter cold with a field mouse who decides that she should wed her neighbor, a mole. Thumbelina discovers a bird in the tunnels that is supposedly dead, but that she nurses back to health. In the spring, the bird returns to save her from a marriage to the mole. He carries her to a special place where winter never comes and where she discovers others just her size, including a handsome prince.

Long has not only beautifully illustrated this classic tale, she has also created a very readable version of the story. It is cleanly written, making if useful for classrooms or families looking for a version to share. Long’s illustrations are jewel toned and delicate. The small details that fill the book help tell more of the story. The closeups of dragonflies, the bird and fairies are entrancing. She has created a tale filled with color and beautiful perspectives and compositions.

Highly recommended, this book with its small heroine and classic story will entrance those new to the story and become a favorite of those of us who already love the tale. Appropriate for ages 4-8.

~ by Tasha Saecker, Menasha Public Library
Read more of Tasha's reviews on her KidsLit blog.

CCBC Presentation on June 9

The CCBC will be doing its "Choices" presentation on Wednesday, June 9, from 1 - 3:30 pm!

Sign up with us today!

PSA for "Make a Splash"

I just received the PSA DVD for the Summer Reading Program.

A copy will be sent to each Green Bay station.

If you would like a copy for your library, please let me know.

The PSA's are now available to order

through the CSLP/Upstart order outlets.

These may be ordered on-line (through the CSLP website),

by fax (800-448-5828),

or by phone (800-448-4887).

The available formats and product item numbers are:

o       DVD format K2W-H165187 @ 2.75 each

o       VHS format K2W-H165188 @ 3.50 each

o       Continuous VHS Loop format K2W-H165189 @ 5.00 each

o       Beta format K2W-H165186 @ 35.00

o       Digi Beta format K2w-H172898 @ 55.00 each

DVD Pro format will be available in the near future. Please call customer service at

1-800-448-4887 if this is the format you need to order.

The PSAs are also loaded on the CSLP website to preview or download.

If you have questions, please contact Karen Balsen, Karen Day, or Upstart.

----

Karen M. Day, Administrative Service Agency

Collaborative Summer Library Program

22 North Georgia, Suite 208

Mason City, IA 50401-3435

karen.day@cslpreads.org

641-423-0005 - voice/fax

866-657-8556 - toll free

http://www.cslpreads.org

Bits from Barb

Water Songs and Finger Play Resources

If librarians are looking for a last minute finger play or song about mermaids, sailors, or star fish they might find it on the list compiled for the fall SLP Workshop. The list is available on the YSS web page.

Materials Alternate Formats

Books in alternate formats are available through the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library. Enid Gruszka developed the lists for the state based on work done by the CSLP Diversity Committee. The list is available at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/slp.html.

Every system will be receiving a set of tactile graphics created for the 2010 theme at the Special Needs Meeting in May. These sets are available through the Wisconsin School for the Blind Outreach Office. They were created under the direction of Stacy Grant who is the Director of the Outreach Services Office. The sets cost $20 each.

CSLP Rules of Use

Please ask your librarians to review the newest Rules of Use regarding the CSLP clip art. One change mentioned at the Annual Meeting earlier this month was that there is more flexibility in terms of allowing outside vendors to use the CSLP art to create custom items that are not offered by CSLP. This means if a library wants a specific cloth bag with the sponsors on it, they may be able to get permission to have another vendor do the custom work for them. The item must be substantially different than what Upstart offers. The process involves asking Upstart to do the work first, they have the right of first refusal. There is a form to complete if a library wants to request permission to go to another vendor. The form is available on the CSLP web page. If anyone needs help finding the form or has questions, have them contact me.

Another change is that libraries may now sell CSLP items at a small profit if the profit supports the educational purposes of the organization. In the past Friends Groups and libraries could sell CSLP items only at cost.

Grants

Target Grant For Literacy and Youth

Through its 2010 Store Grant program, Target will provide direct support to K-12 schools and other nonprofit organizations that foster a love of reading and provide art experiences. In the Early Childhood Reading category, Target will fund programs that foster a love of reading and encourage young children, preschool through third grade, to read together with their families. Reading grants support programs such as library storytimes and family reading nights. In the Art and Culture in Schools category, Target will fund in-school arts programs that enhance student's classroom curriculum by bringing arts and cultural experiences such as in-school performances, artist-in-residency programs, and workshops to schools.

To be eligible, an applicant organization must be federally tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, a school, a library, or a public agency. Grants in the amount of $2,000 each will be made for programs taking place between September 1, 2010, and August 1, 2011.

Teen Read Week Mini Grants

YALSA launched its Teen Read Week 2010 Web site on April 15 (Support Teen Literature Day). In addition to free registration, visitors to the Teen Read Week Web site can find activity ideas relating to this year's theme, planning resources, publicity tools and applications for Teen Read Week Mini Grants.Teen Read Week will be celebrated Oct. 17-23, with a theme of Books with Beat @ your library, which encourages teens to read poetry, audiobooks, books about music and more, for the fun of it.

- Barbara Huntington, System Youth Services Liaison Posting, April/May 2010

PLA Session: Equal Access Story time: Story times for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

I was very interested in attending this session, because one out of every 100 children falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. With this type of prevalence, libraries really do need to start looking at ways to serve these individuals in unique ways. Facilitators Jean Herriges and Ed Koetitz from San Jose Public Library really saw this need in their communities and decided to write for a grant to get materials to run an inclusive story time.

When they wrote for the grant, one big part of the funding was used to purchase Boardmaker software. Boardmaker is a system of pictures that is used to represent different concepts to individuals who have communication disabilities such as autism. Like sign language, these pictures are almost becoming universal, used in schools and therapy programs for children who qualify for services such as early childhood programs or line therapy. Typically, the pictures are printed on small cards with Velcro on the back and are placed on a hard folder to communicate a series of events or concepts. Children who may not often use, or have a good understanding of words can look at the pictures, and associate them with a certain action. These communication cards or “PEC” cards as they are called, not only assist in communication, they also establish a clear schedule or routine when they are placed in a certain order. A child can remove the PEC when the action has been completed and it reduces the anxiety of the next scheduled action or event.

The inclusive story time takes advantage of these PEC communication cards by using them in the stories. Large books used specifically for story times were torn apart, and specially laminated so that PEC cards would easily stick to the outside of the page. When the story was read, and concepts were introduced a PEC card would be adhered to the story so that the card that the child was familiar with was reinforcing a concept of the story.

But this wasn’t the only thing that the librarians incorporated into their inclusive story times. They offered a preregistration for parents concerned about auditory, visual or tactile issues their children may have. With close communication with the librarians, the story times could be adapted on certain weeks depending on the children’s needs (ex. No sticky glues would be used with children who have tactile issues, loud musical instruments for kids with sound issues, etc.). Other things that they incorporated included a “track” area in the back where kids could stand if they had difficulty sitting for long periods of time. Concrete and clear language was also used as part of the story times, as well as a PEC schedule so children would know what to expect.

This as a very informative session, and there were a few more ideas that were circulated because it was a round table. If you want more information, contact me and I can provide a list of other suggestions the libraries had.

~ Jennifer Thiele, Marinette Consolidated Library System

SRP Webliography

Rhonda Puntney from the Lakeshores Library System compiled a list of her favorite websites from the Summer Reading Program. You can access and download it on scribd. It's sorted by categories. Thanks, Rhonda!

MAKE A SPLASH ­ READ Webliography