Interesting findings from this Young Adult conference:
Author Gail Giles was the keynote speaker. She writes children's horror/suspense fiction. Her presentation was humorous and interesting, and I'd really like to try reading one of her books.
I attended two discussion groups: Multicultural Books, and Real Life. We discussed five books in each group. Who Am I Without Him(African-American girl/boy relationships) by Sharon Flake, A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life(judaism and adoption) by Dana Reinhardt, and American Born Chinese(a graphic novel) by Gene Yang, were favorites of our Multicultural group.
Boy Proof by Cecil Castelluci and Girl Stories (graphic novel) by Lauren Weinstein were favorites of the our Real Life group.
Mark Siegel, the chief editor at First Second publishing, spoke about The Art of Graphic Novels. He was a very captivating speaker, and he made me want to explore and read more graphic novels. He illustrated the graphic novel To Dance. His wife, a former ballerina with Balanchine's American Ballet Theater, is the author of this autobiographical novel. Hopefully we will purchase some First Second titles. One is American Born Chinese, which we own.
Most importantly, I picked up some wonderful young adult reader's advisory lists: Historical Fiction, Multicultural, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Suspense/Horror, Non-fiction and Real Life; plus Books Too Good To Miss, 2005-2007. Send me the teens!
I had a great time. Thanks for sending me!
Kathryn Gower, Children's Librarian
Rockville Library
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Maryland Library Leadership Institute
Riverfront Conference Center
Donaldson Brown Estate, Port Deposit, Maryland
October 29 – November 2, 2007
Nancy Chiu Sillcox
At the Maryland Library Leadership Institute I had 5 full days (the day ended at 9:00 p.m.) of intense workshops on developing leadership skills and learning strategies that will help me to promote positive change in libraries and to implement innovative ideas to meet the needs of our customers and community. I also had ample opportunities to meet with other Maryland librarians, many who are leaders in their profession, to discuss openly about their successes and failures and to create a continuing network of support.
We had sessions on discovering our leadership style through analyzing enneagrams (personality test, similar to the Myers-Briggs); setting strategic priorities that will make the most impact for libraries, our customers and community; creating a personal vision that will define the future of libraries; analyzing personal reactions to change and how to help the team through the stages of transition; creating community partnerships; taking risks.
In our Learning Groups we had the guidance of two Mentors whose real life experiences gave us valuable insights about leadership. They candidly shared what worked and what didn’t and how they would have changed their strategies to better meet their goals and objectives. Many of the mentors were either Library Directors or Heads of University/College libraries.
And to top it all off – the food was fabulous, rooms were spacious, the beds were comfortable, the setting was gorgeous (I felt like the rich and famous) and I didn’t even have to make my bed in the morning.
Donaldson Brown Estate, Port Deposit, Maryland
October 29 – November 2, 2007
Nancy Chiu Sillcox
At the Maryland Library Leadership Institute I had 5 full days (the day ended at 9:00 p.m.) of intense workshops on developing leadership skills and learning strategies that will help me to promote positive change in libraries and to implement innovative ideas to meet the needs of our customers and community. I also had ample opportunities to meet with other Maryland librarians, many who are leaders in their profession, to discuss openly about their successes and failures and to create a continuing network of support.
We had sessions on discovering our leadership style through analyzing enneagrams (personality test, similar to the Myers-Briggs); setting strategic priorities that will make the most impact for libraries, our customers and community; creating a personal vision that will define the future of libraries; analyzing personal reactions to change and how to help the team through the stages of transition; creating community partnerships; taking risks.
In our Learning Groups we had the guidance of two Mentors whose real life experiences gave us valuable insights about leadership. They candidly shared what worked and what didn’t and how they would have changed their strategies to better meet their goals and objectives. Many of the mentors were either Library Directors or Heads of University/College libraries.
And to top it all off – the food was fabulous, rooms were spacious, the beds were comfortable, the setting was gorgeous (I felt like the rich and famous) and I didn’t even have to make my bed in the morning.
Christine Conway
Kensington Park Library
I attended the “Books for the Beast” conference sponsored by Enoch Pratt Library on October 27. This young adult literature conference features lectures and group discussions focused on quality literature for teen customers. I attended 4 sessions: the plenary session at which YA author Gale Giles spoke: two breakout sessions on fantasy/science fiction and real life YA books; and a final session with Mark Siegel, editor for First Second graphic novels.
YA author Gail Giles, often called a dark, edgy, contemporary writer, gave an eclectic and fascinating talk. Her books include Shattering Glass, Playing in Traffic, Breath of the Dragon, and Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters among others. She spoke of her sensitivity to teen choices and consequences after living her own “unsafe at home” childhood. Young people, she said, want to look at the dark side…they feel betrayed by all the “good guys” winning stuff in the media…so I wanted, she said, to write about the last thing that happens to young people…the consequences (not always good, but real) of their choices.
Giles also spoke eloquently about the librarian who “saved my life.” Giles was a dark, edgy teen, very wild, living in a difficult home. “Nancy Drew will never be your friend,” she says the librarian told her and recommended a book called The Runner about a boy and his father trying to catch a wild horse on a Montana ranch—they couldn’t tame him, but they could “gentle” him. “What about the book would you change?” the librarian told Giles, respecting her opinion. From there this relationship led Giles to more and more titles suited to her “quirky” ways.
Recommended titles read by participants this year in my groups include:
Witch’s Boy by Michael Gruber. Kirkus says… “Threading recognizable but artfully altered fairy tales throughout, Gruber crafts a hefty bildungsroman that takes an ugly foundling child from dour innocence through an utterly hellish adolescence to joyful maturity.”
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan. School Library Journal… “Every selection in this rich collection is strange and startling, a glimpse into weird, wondrous, and sometimes terrifying worlds.”
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Kirkus… “With a beginning and ending that pack hefty punches, this introduction to a dystopic future promises an exciting series. Tally is almost 16 and breathlessly eager: On her birthday, like everyone else, she'll undergo extensive surgery to become a Pretty. She's only known life as an Ugly (everyone's considered hideous before surgery), whereas after she "turns," she'll have the huge eyes, perfect skin, and new bone structure that biology and evolution have determined to be objectively beautiful.”
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar (very good on CD). Kirkus… “Scott's wacky life always plays out in totally unexpected ways. His excitement to be a freshman, finally, is overturned by the horrible reality where he's whacked on the head on the bus, his spare change is stolen, he's totally ignored by all females and he constantly suffers being the lowliest of the low. Even at home, things have turned upside down with older hunky brother's return to base and Mom's surprise announcement of a new sibling to come. Scott nicknames the new arrival Smelly—a combo of Sean and Emily appropriate for either gender, and writes a "NOT a diary" journal with advice and tips for the future.”
Girl Stories by Lauren Weinstein. “A full-length graphic novel documents one girl's journey through adolescence, where she deals with embarrassing parents, bullies, best friends, boyfriends, breakups, and trying to fit in.”
Mark Siegel, afternoon speaker talked of the changing world of graphic novels. One needs a new “vocabulary” to read such novels successfully, he says. Siegel compared this to learning how to “read” and experience ballet. His wife was a ballet dancer and he really wasn’t a ballet guy, he said. Once he learned the pieces of what makes up dance and its catalog he reached an “entry point” able to see ballet’s “vocabulary” appreciate a particular ballet or ballet performance…to “get” meaning and beauty. Graphic novels have moved beyond comics and storyline narratives, Siegel says, to become something else… with its own visual cues and literary history…something that is not read in a linear way as non-graphic novels are. Siegel is hoping and seeing he says, that if one likes to read, graphic novels are becoming more and more part a one’s regular reading diet. There is a lot of talent bubbling up just now with scripts for graphic novels that in 3-5 years, graphic novels will be solidly part of our literary canon, says Siegel.
I highly recommend the “Books for the Beast” conference generally held every two years in Baltimore. Great insight into what’s new in YA lit.----Christine Conway/Kensington Park
Kensington Park Library
I attended the “Books for the Beast” conference sponsored by Enoch Pratt Library on October 27. This young adult literature conference features lectures and group discussions focused on quality literature for teen customers. I attended 4 sessions: the plenary session at which YA author Gale Giles spoke: two breakout sessions on fantasy/science fiction and real life YA books; and a final session with Mark Siegel, editor for First Second graphic novels.
YA author Gail Giles, often called a dark, edgy, contemporary writer, gave an eclectic and fascinating talk. Her books include Shattering Glass, Playing in Traffic, Breath of the Dragon, and Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters among others. She spoke of her sensitivity to teen choices and consequences after living her own “unsafe at home” childhood. Young people, she said, want to look at the dark side…they feel betrayed by all the “good guys” winning stuff in the media…so I wanted, she said, to write about the last thing that happens to young people…the consequences (not always good, but real) of their choices.
Giles also spoke eloquently about the librarian who “saved my life.” Giles was a dark, edgy teen, very wild, living in a difficult home. “Nancy Drew will never be your friend,” she says the librarian told her and recommended a book called The Runner about a boy and his father trying to catch a wild horse on a Montana ranch—they couldn’t tame him, but they could “gentle” him. “What about the book would you change?” the librarian told Giles, respecting her opinion. From there this relationship led Giles to more and more titles suited to her “quirky” ways.
Recommended titles read by participants this year in my groups include:
Witch’s Boy by Michael Gruber. Kirkus says… “Threading recognizable but artfully altered fairy tales throughout, Gruber crafts a hefty bildungsroman that takes an ugly foundling child from dour innocence through an utterly hellish adolescence to joyful maturity.”
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan. School Library Journal… “Every selection in this rich collection is strange and startling, a glimpse into weird, wondrous, and sometimes terrifying worlds.”
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Kirkus… “With a beginning and ending that pack hefty punches, this introduction to a dystopic future promises an exciting series. Tally is almost 16 and breathlessly eager: On her birthday, like everyone else, she'll undergo extensive surgery to become a Pretty. She's only known life as an Ugly (everyone's considered hideous before surgery), whereas after she "turns," she'll have the huge eyes, perfect skin, and new bone structure that biology and evolution have determined to be objectively beautiful.”
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar (very good on CD). Kirkus… “Scott's wacky life always plays out in totally unexpected ways. His excitement to be a freshman, finally, is overturned by the horrible reality where he's whacked on the head on the bus, his spare change is stolen, he's totally ignored by all females and he constantly suffers being the lowliest of the low. Even at home, things have turned upside down with older hunky brother's return to base and Mom's surprise announcement of a new sibling to come. Scott nicknames the new arrival Smelly—a combo of Sean and Emily appropriate for either gender, and writes a "NOT a diary" journal with advice and tips for the future.”
Girl Stories by Lauren Weinstein. “A full-length graphic novel documents one girl's journey through adolescence, where she deals with embarrassing parents, bullies, best friends, boyfriends, breakups, and trying to fit in.”
Mark Siegel, afternoon speaker talked of the changing world of graphic novels. One needs a new “vocabulary” to read such novels successfully, he says. Siegel compared this to learning how to “read” and experience ballet. His wife was a ballet dancer and he really wasn’t a ballet guy, he said. Once he learned the pieces of what makes up dance and its catalog he reached an “entry point” able to see ballet’s “vocabulary” appreciate a particular ballet or ballet performance…to “get” meaning and beauty. Graphic novels have moved beyond comics and storyline narratives, Siegel says, to become something else… with its own visual cues and literary history…something that is not read in a linear way as non-graphic novels are. Siegel is hoping and seeing he says, that if one likes to read, graphic novels are becoming more and more part a one’s regular reading diet. There is a lot of talent bubbling up just now with scripts for graphic novels that in 3-5 years, graphic novels will be solidly part of our literary canon, says Siegel.
I highly recommend the “Books for the Beast” conference generally held every two years in Baltimore. Great insight into what’s new in YA lit.----Christine Conway/Kensington Park
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Books for the Beast
It's always energizing to be part of such a large group of librarians, teens, and teachers who have all gathered to learn about YA literature. The Books for the Beast training started with a keynote speaker whom I didn't know, but whose work I'll be reading soon, Gail Giles. She spoke about why her books are called "edgy and dark" and seemed to really be tuned to the teen experience.
Next were book discussion groups, where we discussed the books that we had read in preparation for the conference. My groups tacked the themes of "Real Life" and "Multicultural Reads." I found it very useful to hear what other people had to say about these books, both in terms of remembering and appreciating them, and because it was interesting to hear from people in other libraries, other systems and other settings ( such as schools) who work with teens and books. People shared their own experiences, and that also made the experience rewarding. One of the main goals of the conference is to improve our readers' advisory skills, and this exercise certainly will contribute to my expertise.
Our final speaker of the day was Mark Siegel, who illustrates books, has designed books for a publisher, and now runs an imprint for a major publisher. I found his life story pretty amazing because he has actually written and illustrated a book based on his wife's childhood experiences.
In addition to talking about this book, To Dance: A Memoir, Siegel also showed some of the publications from his company, First Second (:01), which specializes in graphic novels for young people.
I came back from the conference enthusiastic about YA books, and eager to read more. I also have several "If you like" lists which the organizers put together, which should be very useful in doing readers advisory to teens. The only downside to this conference (other than having to drive to Baltimore!) is that it's only held every two years.
Submitted by Barbara Shansby
Chevy Chase Library
Next were book discussion groups, where we discussed the books that we had read in preparation for the conference. My groups tacked the themes of "Real Life" and "Multicultural Reads." I found it very useful to hear what other people had to say about these books, both in terms of remembering and appreciating them, and because it was interesting to hear from people in other libraries, other systems and other settings ( such as schools) who work with teens and books. People shared their own experiences, and that also made the experience rewarding. One of the main goals of the conference is to improve our readers' advisory skills, and this exercise certainly will contribute to my expertise.
Our final speaker of the day was Mark Siegel, who illustrates books, has designed books for a publisher, and now runs an imprint for a major publisher. I found his life story pretty amazing because he has actually written and illustrated a book based on his wife's childhood experiences.
In addition to talking about this book, To Dance: A Memoir, Siegel also showed some of the publications from his company, First Second (:01), which specializes in graphic novels for young people.
I came back from the conference enthusiastic about YA books, and eager to read more. I also have several "If you like" lists which the organizers put together, which should be very useful in doing readers advisory to teens. The only downside to this conference (other than having to drive to Baltimore!) is that it's only held every two years.
Submitted by Barbara Shansby
Chevy Chase Library
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Kids are Customers 2007
Since Beth Isaacson did such a good job summarizing the whole day, I think I will just post some highlights of it for me. I am new (9 months on the job) to children's librarianship, so going to Kids are Customers was a great opportunity to gather with other J staff, and learn about some things going on in children's services in Maryland. In particular, the preview of next year's summer reading program was an excellent heads up and info source for what to expect of the new program we'll all be using in Summer '08. Also the Blue Crab committee's presentation really helped me to better understand what characteristics to look for when evaluating beginning and transitional books. I was intrigued by this year's winning titles and will definitely be checking out Pirate Mom for my son!
While the International Children's Digital Library session was going on in the afternoon, I went to "Making the Shoe Fit--Discussing difficult situations and creating policies to address them." This was basically a really handy brainstorming session. The presenters had come up with a variety of problem scenarios with which many of us are familiar, and we sat in groups of 6 or 8 at tables discussing them and coming up with ways they might be handled. Each table had a different set of scenarios and a representative from each group got up after the discussion period to present some of the solutions his or her table had come up with to the larger group. I thought this was really useful and, like many other attendees, I went around at the end gathering the extra copies of scenarios discussed at tables other than my own. It was interesting to hear that libraries vary widely in whether they require registration for events and, even if they do, if they stick strictly to their registration policy. It brought up a thorny question about equal access and the question of whether it's fair to people who take the time to register if in the end we just take any and all comers. There wasn't really time to get into anything in too much depth, but it was definitely interesting and provided some food for future thought that I might bring back to my own branch.
I've probably said enough at this point, but also wanted to mention that the Caldecott presentation and the talk by Emily Blumental from the Walters Art Museum were both fascinating. It was amazing to hear how the Caldecott winners are chosen, and it really sounds like a grueling process. I will pay more attention now to the lists of winners and honors as almost equivalent things, and encourage customers to take a look at honor books as well. There are a lot of great picture books out there, and, as our own mock voting session proved, which books ultimately win is a bit of a capricious thing. Finally, being a relatively recent Maryland resident, I had not heard of nor been to The Walters, and came away from Ms. Blumenthals' presentation thinking that it sounds like a really phenomenal museum for kids. She emphasized how much they have incorporated books into their exhibits, from small racks of them in the galleries to their "art carts" that have craft materials for the kids as well as books on different topics covered in their exhibits. She also recommended some good books for kids on the basic concepts of art such as color, line, and form. I can't seem to find the list right now, but will post it if I do. Visiting The Walters is now definitely on my list of things to do, and will hopefully turn out to be something I can recommend to customers.
While the International Children's Digital Library session was going on in the afternoon, I went to "Making the Shoe Fit--Discussing difficult situations and creating policies to address them." This was basically a really handy brainstorming session. The presenters had come up with a variety of problem scenarios with which many of us are familiar, and we sat in groups of 6 or 8 at tables discussing them and coming up with ways they might be handled. Each table had a different set of scenarios and a representative from each group got up after the discussion period to present some of the solutions his or her table had come up with to the larger group. I thought this was really useful and, like many other attendees, I went around at the end gathering the extra copies of scenarios discussed at tables other than my own. It was interesting to hear that libraries vary widely in whether they require registration for events and, even if they do, if they stick strictly to their registration policy. It brought up a thorny question about equal access and the question of whether it's fair to people who take the time to register if in the end we just take any and all comers. There wasn't really time to get into anything in too much depth, but it was definitely interesting and provided some food for future thought that I might bring back to my own branch.
I've probably said enough at this point, but also wanted to mention that the Caldecott presentation and the talk by Emily Blumental from the Walters Art Museum were both fascinating. It was amazing to hear how the Caldecott winners are chosen, and it really sounds like a grueling process. I will pay more attention now to the lists of winners and honors as almost equivalent things, and encourage customers to take a look at honor books as well. There are a lot of great picture books out there, and, as our own mock voting session proved, which books ultimately win is a bit of a capricious thing. Finally, being a relatively recent Maryland resident, I had not heard of nor been to The Walters, and came away from Ms. Blumenthals' presentation thinking that it sounds like a really phenomenal museum for kids. She emphasized how much they have incorporated books into their exhibits, from small racks of them in the galleries to their "art carts" that have craft materials for the kids as well as books on different topics covered in their exhibits. She also recommended some good books for kids on the basic concepts of art such as color, line, and form. I can't seem to find the list right now, but will post it if I do. Visiting The Walters is now definitely on my list of things to do, and will hopefully turn out to be something I can recommend to customers.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Kids Are Customers 2007
The Maryland Library Association’s 2007 Kids Are Customers was a great experience. Seven sessions were offered; everyone was able to attend six of them as there two sessions were offered at 2:00.
The morning began with a presentation by the 2007 Blue Crab Award committee. The Blue Crab Awards seek out well-crafted books that will appeal to beginning and reluctant readers. Topics covered by this year’s winners and honors included penguins, dinosaurs, pirates, and physics. See the Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Award web page for a complete list of 2007 winners.
The 2007 Blue Crab Awards presentation was followed by a preview of 2008 Summer Reading. Expect to see all varieties of bug books, bug crafts, and bug-centric programs next year. The move to the national summer reading consortium will mean spending less time and money creating posters and marketing materials (hooray for economies of scale!) and more time planning programs and creating bug costumes. My favorite craft ideas: encluse tissue paper in a Ziploc baggie and cinch the middle with a pipe cleaner. Attach 2 antenna and faster than you can say “pupa,” you have a butterfly. I also loved the ladybug hat worn by the presenter – it wasn’t part of the craft parade, but it could have been. A definite crowd favorite: an adorable and incredibly expressive mosquito puppet. Note to self: Keep eye out for equally adorable and expressive bug puppets.
Lulu Delacre presented story time rhymes and songs from her collection of Latino lullabies and games, Arrorró, Mi Niño. An easy one to remember goes “Pon, pon, pon el dedito en el pilón” or “Put, put, put your little finger in the cup.” While saying this rhyme, tap your index finger in the cupped palm of your other hand. Delacre’s book is full of classic Spanish-language nursery rhymes, lullabies, and little games, which are accompanied by gentle oil wash illustrations and include English translations.
Ms. Delacre also presented illustrations she created for next spring’s The Storyteller’s Candle (La velita de los cuentos), by Lucia Gonzalez. The story centers on Pura Belpré, New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, and the Three Kings Day celebration she organized at the 115th Street branch of the NYPL in the early 20th century. Delacre includes subtle collage work in her oil paintings for Candle by incorporating pieces of an original copy of the January 6 New York Times from the year Belpré first organized the celebration.
Three presentations comprised the afternoon. First, Emily Blumenthal, the Senior Education Coordinator from The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, gave us a summary of the programming the museum conducts for children. Based in a philosophy of free learning, The Walters has partnered with Enoch Pratt to bring books and art together in museum galleries.
While some attendees participated in a problem-solving discussion focused on programming challenges, I attended a presentation the work the International Children’s Digital Library has begun conducting with upper elementary and middle school students. The prototype, Alph, which was created through the ICDL’s participatory design work with these students, creates a dual-use space where the narrative space of the book exists within the social space of the web. That is, participants not only read a traditional narrative as you’d find in a print book, they also interact with other children in a reading group, posting comments to one another on plot and characters, connections between their life and the novel, and posing questions to one another. As a result, a community conversation coexists with the novel. The long and short of the presentation by University of Balitmore’s Nancy Kaplan: Kids read – and they will lead us into the future format. What we might consider a private leisure activity, kids enjoy most as a shared one.
Finally, the entire conference gathered back together for an explanation of how Caldecott voting works and a mock Caldecott vote. We learned that once a book is off the table it cannot be discussed again and that point spreads and tiered voting are involved. The presenter successfully demonstrated how voting results are affected by the pool from which the books are chosen – in two separate votes by conference attendees, two different books were given gold medals. From a pool of 10 past Caldecott gold medalists, Zelinsky’s Rapunzel ran away with the overall win; from a pool of just three, Henke’s Kitten’s First Full Moon edged out Rapunzel for the gold. The presenter also made sure to emphasize that the Medal honor books are as good as the gold medal winners.
I’m incredibly glad I went to Kids Are Customers. I will pull ideas from my notes not only for buggy programs next summer but even now as I plan story times and give book recommendations to patrons. This state-wide gathering of children’s librarians, children’s literature enthusiasts, educators, and authors proved inspiring and invigorating.
The morning began with a presentation by the 2007 Blue Crab Award committee. The Blue Crab Awards seek out well-crafted books that will appeal to beginning and reluctant readers. Topics covered by this year’s winners and honors included penguins, dinosaurs, pirates, and physics. See the Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Award web page for a complete list of 2007 winners.
The 2007 Blue Crab Awards presentation was followed by a preview of 2008 Summer Reading. Expect to see all varieties of bug books, bug crafts, and bug-centric programs next year. The move to the national summer reading consortium will mean spending less time and money creating posters and marketing materials (hooray for economies of scale!) and more time planning programs and creating bug costumes. My favorite craft ideas: encluse tissue paper in a Ziploc baggie and cinch the middle with a pipe cleaner. Attach 2 antenna and faster than you can say “pupa,” you have a butterfly. I also loved the ladybug hat worn by the presenter – it wasn’t part of the craft parade, but it could have been. A definite crowd favorite: an adorable and incredibly expressive mosquito puppet. Note to self: Keep eye out for equally adorable and expressive bug puppets.
Lulu Delacre presented story time rhymes and songs from her collection of Latino lullabies and games, Arrorró, Mi Niño. An easy one to remember goes “Pon, pon, pon el dedito en el pilón” or “Put, put, put your little finger in the cup.” While saying this rhyme, tap your index finger in the cupped palm of your other hand. Delacre’s book is full of classic Spanish-language nursery rhymes, lullabies, and little games, which are accompanied by gentle oil wash illustrations and include English translations.
Ms. Delacre also presented illustrations she created for next spring’s The Storyteller’s Candle (La velita de los cuentos), by Lucia Gonzalez. The story centers on Pura Belpré, New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, and the Three Kings Day celebration she organized at the 115th Street branch of the NYPL in the early 20th century. Delacre includes subtle collage work in her oil paintings for Candle by incorporating pieces of an original copy of the January 6 New York Times from the year Belpré first organized the celebration.
Three presentations comprised the afternoon. First, Emily Blumenthal, the Senior Education Coordinator from The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, gave us a summary of the programming the museum conducts for children. Based in a philosophy of free learning, The Walters has partnered with Enoch Pratt to bring books and art together in museum galleries.
While some attendees participated in a problem-solving discussion focused on programming challenges, I attended a presentation the work the International Children’s Digital Library has begun conducting with upper elementary and middle school students. The prototype, Alph, which was created through the ICDL’s participatory design work with these students, creates a dual-use space where the narrative space of the book exists within the social space of the web. That is, participants not only read a traditional narrative as you’d find in a print book, they also interact with other children in a reading group, posting comments to one another on plot and characters, connections between their life and the novel, and posing questions to one another. As a result, a community conversation coexists with the novel. The long and short of the presentation by University of Balitmore’s Nancy Kaplan: Kids read – and they will lead us into the future format. What we might consider a private leisure activity, kids enjoy most as a shared one.
Finally, the entire conference gathered back together for an explanation of how Caldecott voting works and a mock Caldecott vote. We learned that once a book is off the table it cannot be discussed again and that point spreads and tiered voting are involved. The presenter successfully demonstrated how voting results are affected by the pool from which the books are chosen – in two separate votes by conference attendees, two different books were given gold medals. From a pool of 10 past Caldecott gold medalists, Zelinsky’s Rapunzel ran away with the overall win; from a pool of just three, Henke’s Kitten’s First Full Moon edged out Rapunzel for the gold. The presenter also made sure to emphasize that the Medal honor books are as good as the gold medal winners.
I’m incredibly glad I went to Kids Are Customers. I will pull ideas from my notes not only for buggy programs next summer but even now as I plan story times and give book recommendations to patrons. This state-wide gathering of children’s librarians, children’s literature enthusiasts, educators, and authors proved inspiring and invigorating.
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