The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

After failing his chance to become a Rithmatist at a young age, a gifted young man uses his talents to help uncover the crimes happening at his school.

General Information:

Age Range: 12 – 18 years
Price: $13.70
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Tor Teen; Reprint edition (May 13, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765338440
ISBN-13: 978-0765338440

Plot:

The Rithmatist is a book that follows the journey of Joel Saxon. Joel lives in a world where there Rithmatists who can draw special chalk creatures and infuse them with magic in order to make them come to life (usually use them to attack). In the beginning of the book a young rithmatist named Lily gets attacked and disappears. Joel has always wanted to be a Rithmatist but his original inception which allows him to train as one was unsuccessful. He is above average in his subjects and has the makings of being a great Rithmatist. He meets a Rithmatist named Melody who would rather be anything else. At first they do not get along but she convinces Joel to have a second inception. Eventually Melody also gets abducted. Joel thinks that the school has been arresting innocent people and ends up helping his professor free all of the abducted people (who got turned into chalklings) and duel with Melody to defeat the criminals in the end thus becoming a Rithmatist.

Reading and Interest Level:

This book is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14. I agree with this assessment as the writing isn’t overly advanced and it will likely appeal to those in the upper years of middle school and early high school in general.

Evaluation:

The story is well written though very straightforward. It is a fun read that is clear and concise, not overly difficult to read or understand. That is where this book falls a little flat for me. I think of this book as a for fun book as it does not really have a significant amount of depth in my opinion. The messages it does spread such as never giving up on your goals is very well portrayed throughout the book. The book does a great job of highlighting that subject matter throughout. Again the book is a quick read and does share some good messages for the teen audience that it is intended for but overall this was more of a relaxed read than anything else. It is valuable in the since that the message shared for the teens is significant and it has great entertainment value.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic usefulness of this book really revolves around the idea of pursuing your goals and being who you strive to be. This is a common theme among teens, as being a teen is a time of transition and self discovery. In this book Joel wants to become a Rithmatist and Melody who is a Rithmatist wants to pursue other things. Melody in her search to pursue things other than Rithmatist things is the initial driving force that convinces Joel to redo his inception in a pursuit of becoming a Rithmatist. This strong message is something that many teens can relate to.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book revolve around the premise of the world. The world revolves around Rithmatist who draw chalk figures (with precise measurements) and breathe life into them with magic. This book can be challenged by religious groups as a book that condones unholy themes and satanic/cult worship.

Defending the Title:

To defend this book is similar to many books that have instances of magic through drawn symbols. The book if you believe does not follow your religious principles does not have to be read by those teens. However there is nothing graphic and it does not endorse following cult like initiatives within the text themselves.

Book Talk Ideas:

Book talk ideas for the Rithmatist would be to follow Joel and Melody’s interaction. This is where a lot of the growth and relatable material for teens will occur. Pages that this occur happen on 95-99, 159-161, 211-213, 235-241, 355-361 to name a few.

Genre:

The Genre of this book is fiction with it more specifically being fantasy. There is fantasy in a magical world that uses a combination of math and magic in order to create chalklings.

Similar Reads:

Awards:

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013 A New York Times Book Review

Notable Children’s Book of 2013

Professional Reviews:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-rithmatist

http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Brandon-Sanderson/The-Rithmatist.html

Why did I chose to read it?

The Rithmatist is a book that my younger brother had read for school in this year so I picked it up to see what it was about. Also in this class I had recently read in article on religious groups on book bannings and the title had come up as a challenged book so I decided to read it based off of that as well to see why it was challenged. The hook of the book that got me into it after starting the book was the somewhat similar idea of using specific math oriented circles and magic to bring creatures into the world which was similar in certain ways to one of my favorite children’s books of all time which was the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

A young girl loses everything and must put herself back together after her boyfriend opens fire on the local high school before shooting himself.

General Overview:

· Paperback: 432 pages

· Price: $13.93

· Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (Oct. 5, 2010)

· Language: English

· ISBN-10: 9780316041454

· ISBN-13: 978-0316041454

Plot:

The Hate list follows the recovery of a girl named Valerie Leftman, whose boyfriend Nick was a mass shooter at her high school five months prior. To make things even more convoluted the names of the victims he chose were on “The Hate List” a notebook that she and Nick kept to vent their frustrations. On top of all of that she was the one who stopped him by saving a girl who was on that “Hate List” getting shot in the leg. She is confronted by bullying, domestic disputes and a family that no longer trusts her, threats to her life, trying to understand who Nick was and the confusion of feelings she has for him after the event, and on top of it all she finds a friend and support from unlikely sources. This book is not about the shooting itself but the aftermath and recovery from the shooting, and how nothing is actually black and white but people are complex shades of grey whether they be the shooter, victims, or family/society.

Reading/Interest Level:

The book is advertised for those between 10^th and 12^th grade and 15+ age’s group as its intended audience. After reading the book, I agree with the marketed age group as the book though not overtly difficult to read per a writing standpoint does have some very heavy topics discussed within it. I think this book would interest anyone in High school and college as that is the age group of the main characters and much of the dialogue is written in a dialect similar to those in that age group. Both males and females should be interested in this book as well regardless of the fact that the main character is a female.

Evaluation:

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown was one of the best books that I have read recently in all honesty. This book is written in a way that you get invested in the story and the characters and you want to keep reading to see what will happen next. The book deals with many heavy topics all at once and it does a great job of keeping everything realistic and yet shows how things can be dealt with and how no matter what happens during your recovery there will always be points of contention and struggle after going through a traumatic event. I think the most prevalent thing that this book does that really engaged me as a reader is how they humanized each character. No one was 100 percent good and no one was 100 percent evil (not even the shooter, actually especially not the shooter). It was highly refreshing and many of its teaching points come across strong and clear.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

First off this book is a wonderful tool and resource for anyone who was unfortunate enough to be involved in a school shooting situation. It is a book that they can read and relate to and know that they are not the only ones experiencing such feelings. This book however is not just useful to that group of people but to teens as a whole. The book is in in depth look at the mind of a teen that is in the midst of recovering from a traumatic event, it describes bullying, and social anxiety. It describes family problems and various uses of drug/alcohol use as a minor. Most importantly in my opinion it describes the fact that everyone has different levels to themselves. Nick the shooter wasn’t a murderer as a whole; he was also someone who was affectionate and easy-going and a person that Valeri could confide in. The people on “The Hate List” that were victims were not perfect angels that were killed and though they obviously do not deserve to be killed, they were flawed in their own ways. Many times Teens may think linearly about individuals when really there is much more to them and their actions have an effect on all of those involved whether in a positive or negative way.

Issues Present:

The controversies in this book are plentiful. There has been challenges about the very strong language being used throughout, there was extensive bullying as well throughout the book. The other large issue was of the violence depicted not only in the shooting itself but to the young girl Valerie after the incident as people could not figure out if she was a victim or a hero.

Defending the title:

To defend the issues presented as a librarian would be to explain the importance of this novel. Unfortunately our reality is that school shootings are a real and viable issue in our world at this time. It is a strongly confusing issue and something that is difficult to explain or comprehend. This book takes a inside glimpse of the mind of Valerie after incident and trying to make sense of exactly Nick was. Was he a killer, a good boyfriend, both? It allows readers to try to make sense of a very confusing and hard to comprehend subject matter? That is why this book is necessary to have in the library. None of the violence though graphic in nature is graphically depicted with unnecessary details. In all for a book on such a grim subject matter it keeps it clean.

Book Talk ideas:

If I was leading a book discussion on this book I would have the readers focus on the reactions of residents, surviving victims, and Valerie’s family to her as the book progresses. This young lady almost dies after witnessing her boyfriend killing people she knew right in front of her and yet she is treated as a villain and a possible suspect by everyone including her own family. In fact the only person who does not view her as that is the person she hated the most before the shooting. Pages, 40, 76,100, 123, 127, 150, 178, etc.

Genre:

The Genre is Teen Fiction: Realistic Fiction as it was about a school shooting in a high school.

Similar Reads:

Author’s Website:

jenniferbrownauthor.com

Awards:

American Library Association 2010 Best Books for Young Adults
Young Adult Library Services Association 2012 Popular Paperback
Michigan Library Association’s Thumbs Up! Award
2012 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award^[
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2009
A 2009 Children’s Indie Next Pick
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
A Young Adult Library Services Association Teens’ Top Ten Nominee
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
A VOYA Perfect Ten
A New Hampshire Flume Award nominee
An Arkansas Teen Book Award Honorable Mention
An Iowa High School Book Award finalist
A Louisiana Teen Readers’ Choice Award Winner
A Missouri Gateway Readers Award Winner

Professional Reviews:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316171-hate-list

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jennifer-brown/hate-list/

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/8530-Hate-List

Why I Chose To Read This Book?

I chose to read this book because of how they portrayed Valerie and Nick. The characters are not portrayed as black and white. They are not perfect angels nor are they raging psychopath killers. It is a very realistic portrayal and no it does not justify the killer but it also does excuse the the actions of the victims either. I think this book was a very interesting view into such a traumatic experience and the aftermath recover of it as well.

Loser’s Bracket by Chris Crutcher

A young lady who is in the foster system is in the process of finishing high school and going to college while continually being dragged back in to her biological family.

General Information:

Hardcover: 256 pages
Price: $9.99
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (April 3, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062220063
ISBN-13: 978-0062220066

Plot:

Loser’s Bracket by Chris Crutcher follows the story of a young lady as she is finishing up high school and having to deal with being a child of the state as a foster child and yet having her life intertwined with her biological families lives and problems. As the story progresses we learn more about Annie both through the telling of her story but also by her therapists notes, which are told from the therapists point of view. Annie’s intertwined life leads to problems on both fronts in her foster home and with her biological family while also highlighting the world of foster care and adoption from both viewpoints of the adopters and the adoptees.

Reader and Interest Level:

The Loser’s Bracket is marketed for Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14. The story will likely appeal to older high school students likely grade 10-12 for ages 15-18.

Evaluation:

When evaluating this book I would say that it was extremely well written. Both from the perspective of how the story flowed and kept me engaged as a reader but also from the perspective of how accurate the portrayal of the foster system is through the eyes of Annie. Chris Crutcher clearly did his background research and it was obvious to tell due to my own personal experiences with the world of fostering and adoption. I myself was in the foster system and was adopted at the age of 4 years old but the legal battles and biological family trying to pull me back into their family has followed me throughout the years. As such, I know what Annie is going through and how it affects a person as I was Annie. Based off of that alone I can safely say that not only was this story effective in explaining this world to those who have not experienced it, but also valuable due to its effectiveness. Loser’s Bracket is valuable to the individual who has lived and experienced this world by letting them know that they are not alone and that this world has its issues but also has potential to be successful as well. The value of this book also extends to those not familiar with the system by introducing them to the true nature of the system, not just the glorified side that is often portrayed in the media especially when they are showing people of stature or wealth adopting or fostering children.
“Annie’s life in the Loser’s Bracket is her trying to escape quicksand. Unfortunately for Annie that quicksand is two whirlpools of quicksand, one her biological family, and one her foster family, doing their best to drag her away from success.”

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

This book has multiple uses of bilbiotherapeutic usefulness. The greatest example of this that would portray towards Teen readers would be the way that Annie works out her self-worth in the therapy sessions (which are told from the therapists’ point of view). Many teens are in a constant state of change and flux as they are trying to figure out who they are supposed to be and in many instances that can lead to doubt and worry about ones self-worth. Throughout this book they work through these doubts and feelings and in the end Annie learns a lot about herself and whether or not she can succeed at life with gentle nudging’s from her therapist along the way. Teen readers will be able to relate to Annie’s feelings but also follow her path on towards her realization of self-worth.

Issues Present:

Why may this book be challenged or considered controversial in nature? First off this book is written by Chris Crutcher who is a well-known YA author that has not been shy about writing on controversial topics which will lead to people challenging the book purely based off its author. As for challenges with any merit, it may be challenged for drug and alcohol reference and use, domestic abuse, adultery, strong language, racism, anti-lgbtq, and overall inappropriate material for targeted age group.

Defending the Title:

How should those issues be countered? A potential reader cannot presume negative thoughts about a title purely based off of a previous reputation an author may or may not have. As for drug, and alcohol usage being challenged within the book, as well as sensitive topics such as domestic abuse, adultery, and strong language, this book is a great example of realistic fiction. It is about a young girl the same age and grade as what they target audience for the book would be and the situations that are happening within the story are classic examples of the things that people go through in real life. Many of the issues portrayed may not be pleasant to talk about yet they are subjects that must be understood as a part of growing up. Many teens that may be interested in this book may have seen these instances whether it be personally or through a close friend or family member. As such it is of the utmost importance to provide them a window to view these problems and how they can be dealt with in real life.

Book Talk Ideas:

If leading a book discussion with a group of teens I would focus upon the character Annie but more importantly how she approaches her problems. Essentially how she grows up and learns not only about herself but what she is capable of. As such I would really focus on those session summaries that are told by her therapists throughout the story and really highlight not only Annie’s mental state of mind but also how she progresses throughout her senior year of High school. These therapy session summaries can be found on pages: 31, 52, 159, 239 etc.

Genre:

Genre-Subject Matter: Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Foster/Adoption, learning to accept one-self.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.chriscrutcher.com/

Awards:

N/A at the moment as this is a relatively new book

Professional Reviews:

http://bi.galegroup.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/essentials/article/GALE%7CA529863600/3ee5f8d6acf812bbf83a7c656303913f?u=csusj

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-222006-6

Why I chose to pick this book up?

I was intrigued by the concept of a book involving adoption and the foster care system that was written by an author that is well known for pushing the “boundaries” and writing terrific realistic fiction. It was especially interesting to me personally after looking at the summary as I myself am adopted.

Bloom by Kevin Panetta

A young man exits high school and enter the real world completely unsure of who he is and what he wants to do until he meets his new boyfriend.

General Information:

· Paperback: 368 pages

· Price: $17.14

· Publisher: First Second (February 12, 2019)

· Language: English

· ISBN-10: 1626726418

· ISBN-13: 978-1626726413

Plot:

The book Bloom follows the story of Ari a Greek-American who lives with his family as he is graduating from high school and does not know what to do with his life. His family owns and works the Kyrkos Family Bakery where he also helps out working there. Ari at the time is a part of a band and thinks that he wants to follow them to the city to continue playing in gigs until they make the big-time. However, his father tells him that they need him home to help out with the bakery now that his older sister has left after her marriage. Ari in frustration puts out a flier trying to find some help for the bakery and eventually stumbles along a boy named Hector. Hector is a top chef that dropped out of culinary school and is around Ari’s age. This story is one of self-discovery, growing up, and falling in love in the LGBTQ community. It really is a wonderful read as Ari goes on to grow as a person throughout the story and finally figure out exactly what he wants.

Reading and Interest Level:

This book is marketed for 7^th-9^th graders and ages 12-14. I think that that is a fair assessment of the book, though I think anyone from 7^th through 12^th grade would like this book. It is an easy read as a lot of the story is told through images rather than words but there is nothing graphic within it and it is a relatable tale whether you are LGBTQ or not.

Evaluation:

I would say that this book is well written but perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that it was well illustrated. The authors of the book have done an impeccable job of using the images and little dialogue to create this story and give it depth. The intricate line work and they terrific use of facial expressions really push the emotions and thoughts that are running through Ari at a given moment throughout the book. It also allows the author to use limited text bubbles as much of the story is conveyed through its images. The text bubbles do a lot of work themselves as each line of text really pushes the story and leads towards an aspect of importance. It helps guide the reader to the intended meaning of the images on the page without having to explain everything word by word like a novel would need to do. This is a valuable piece of work as it is a serious yet fun graphic novel. Many times graphic novels get the reputation that they are for kids and cannot be used for serious topics. Yet Bloom proves otherwise as it discusses the topic of growing up and how to find what a one truly wants within themselves, all wrapped around a budding love story set in the LGBT community. This book is effective in the way that it reaches out to multiple communities all at once with various messages and yet can be enjoyed by all of those communities simultaneously. Though it is yet to hit the markets fully, I think Bloom will end of being a very valuable and much sought-after graphic novel, especially by teens.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The Bibliotherapeutic usefulness of this book is varied in multiple categories. First and foremost this book is most broadly useful to teens in the sense that it helps portray and teen that is finishing high school and does not know what he wants to do with his life. Ari is restless at home and wants to go out into the world or at least that is what he thinks he wants but in reality he doesn’t know. This sense of unrest at a time of transition is a feeling that many teens face and is very relatable. The other Bibliotherapeutic usefulness of this book would be aimed at teens in the LGBTQ community, especially for guys. Ari is male who ends up falling in love with another male named Hector as the story unfolds. Though this is a time of transition for Ari he is supported by his parents and they never question the fact that he is in a same sex relationship. The book is great at supporting the fact that you never know where and who you may fall in love with or even when it will happen. They don’t flaunt the gay relationship in your face either but rather subtly tells us about it just like any other story about someone falling in love.

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book are about its strong ties to the LGBTQ community. The book visually shows two males falling in love and at one point kissing each other passionately. The fact that it is visually shown throughout the book will drive people of certain religious orientation and thought processes to want the book banned. The LGBTQ community is a hot topic issue for certain people and with it will bring along many challenges from people who do not agree with that lifestyle.

Defending the Title:

The defense of these potential controversial issues is relatively straight forward. First off the book is much more than an LGBTQ book as it should be easy for teens to strongly relate towards as the book is also about Ari in a time of transition and trying to discover what he actually wants. Second off the book does have a Gay couple in it and yes it visually shows them kissing but nothing more. It does not push the LGBT “agenda” on to its readers and the scenes of falling in love are no different than those that would be shown in other novels such as John Green or Sarah Dessen besides the fact that it is visually shown and happens to be of a gay couple. The argument that it is LGBTQ is one that has no substance and should be taken care of rather easily in the sense of controversy.

Book Talk Ideas:

The plot line that I would focus on the most is when Ari and Hector are together. Not only do these scenes show the relationship growing but they also mark important moments of growth for Ari as he gets more deeply intertwined with Hector. Some of the pages that show this are 28, 29, 60, 61, 80, 81, 82, 99, 100, 126, 127, 138, 139, 158, 160, 184, 185, 224, 225, 248, 264, 265, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 350, 351, 352, 353

Genre:

The genre of this book is realistic fiction/romance graphic novel. It is about a teen (Ari) who is trying to find his own way and find what he want for himself while falling in love with another teen boy (Hector).

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://kevinpanetta.com/

Awards:

N/A Will be officially published in February 2019 though many reviews have been implemented on sites such as good reads.

Professional Reviews:

This is limited to the book being new:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250196910

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29225589-bloom

Why did I choose to pick this book up?

I saw Bloom in a pile of prepub books that are given to our Youth Department all the time and immediately was drawn towards the art style and the blue wash over the stories illustrations. As I was reading I got more pulled in by the images and how the images really progressed the story with little conversation bubbles within the story itself. Though it is a simple and slow moving story with romantic ties within it, I found my drawn in and wanting to know if Ari and Hector get together and if they both finally figure out what they want to do with their lives.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Katniss and other former winners are rounded up to fight in the Hunger Games again as the totalitarian rule of the capitol squeezes its grip.

General Information:

Age Range: 12 and up
Price: $10.19
Grade Level: 7 – 9
Series: Hunger Games (Book 2)
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; Reprint edition (June 4, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545586178
ISBN-13: 978-0545586177

Plot:

The whole Suzanne Collins Trilogy is filled with challenged and controversially viewed books. Catching Fire is the second book in the trilogy and it picks up from where Katniss Everdeen left with her and Peeta Mellark living in the victors home. As victors they have to go on a tour of the districts speaking on behalf of the government in “anticipation” for the Quarter Quell which is a special Hunger Games that is held every 25 years. On their tour certain districts start holding up the salute Katniss give Rue in the first book causing riots, and clearly there is strong discontent in many of the districts. Also on the tour the economic disparity of the different districts and the Capitol is clear to see. The Quarter Quell also has a surprise as the government wants one male and one female winner from each district to perform in the Quell. All of these victors already had to go through the horror’s of the games where they are pitted to the death on live television against each other until there is one survivor left. In general the participants are always children though in this book they range from really young to very old in the games. At the end of the book the Quarter Quell ends with a surprise escape and a full blown rebellion against the government ensues.

Reading and Interest Level:

Catching Fire is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14. In reality the writing style suggest that those ages are correct, however I believe that this book due to its content will also appeal throughout high school so I would have the range be 8th-12th grade ages 13-18.

Evaluation:

Catching Fire is a well written book with clear messages within it. The central theme of the book is a dystopian world and a very anti-government message within the book. More than that however you see a young lady torn between two possible love interests, trying to stay alive herself, and trying to keep her family specifically Prim her 7 year old sister alive. There are issues of government brutality and economic disparity that are also touched upon. All of these issues are intertwined within the second book and shown in a creative way without it being “preachy”. Its value is the ability to actually show all of these messages but also by showing that yes you are a teen an you have your daily problems with love interests and getting through your day. But you can also be an activist for larger causes and you do not have to agree with the government on everything and you can make a difference. It is almost a case to let teens know that they can handle their personal lives and make a larger difference at the same time.

Bibliotherapeutic Value:

The bibliotherapeutic value of this book is very varied due to the large number of issues presented within the book. Ironically the issue of children killing each other and the psychological impact of that is not one of those issues covered in great detail. It does however help with an example of how a teen can work through what may seem like trivial problems such as relationships with overbearing outside pressure on them. It also helps teens understand that they can have a voice in government and larger societal issues, and they can make a difference if they desire to (maybe don’t start a rebellion though).

Issues Present:

The issues present in this book when it comes to it being challenged are straightforward in nature from the main plot lines. Anti-government dissent, children killing other children/adults, “police” brutality, and graphic violence. All of these issues are common reasons for books to be challenged and Catching Fire has all of them front and center throughout the book which will be the cause of concern.

Defense of the book:

How can these concerns be countered/explained? Anti-government consent and “police” brutality shown within the books are real concerns in today’s america. This book is an example of how things can escalate without checks but it doesn’t necessarily promote anti-government sentiment. The graphic violence and children related violence is not shown in great detail in throughout the book with unnecessary details. The book is also oriented for older teens not 6th graders.

Book Talk Ideas:

The plot line I would follow as a reader would be scenes of anti-government dissent. Acts of rebellion throughout the book and what drove them to this point and how could the government have prevented it or allayed some of the problems. This can be viewed on pages 52-57,106-107,160-162,247-251, 385-391 to give some of the examples.

Genre:

The genre is Dystopian Fiction, could also be labelled as science fiction. The main theme is the struggle of Katniss in a futuristic dystopian world where children are forced to participate in fights to the death.

Similar Reads:

Authors Website:

http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

Awards won:

2009 – Goodreads Choice Awards Young Adult Series

2009 – Goodreads Choice Awards All-Time Favorite

Reviews:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/sep/10/review-catching-fire-suzanne-collins

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-02349-8

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/catching-fire-the-hunger-games-book-2

Why I chose to read it?

I am a large fan of science fiction so when I read the summary of a gladiator style games in a futuristic dystopian society I was instantly interested. Also as this was the second book in the series some of my initial interest was to see the continuation of Katniss story as how does one just go back to a “normal” life after surviving those horrors. We find out that she doesn’t go back to a “normal” life and that was a huge point of interest for me. Also I had seen the movies and not read the book which is very unlike me as I almost always read the books before watching the films.

Conclusion

In the course of creating the year long early literacy plan for 2019-2020 at Warren Newport Public library, it was wonderful to see all of the different teachings, research, and implementation of various ideas that were brought up in class within the yearly plan. After talking with my coworkers, who have much more experience than me, and showing them my original plans, they said that it was great that I had all of these ideas but at the end of the day it was impractical for our library to run all of those programs. It was unlikely that I would be able to get a large impact out of them while also serving our community to the best of our ability. So by the end of my research and interviewing early literacy librarians, I whittled down my crazy calendar to a much more reasonable schedule that still reaches out to all parts of our community. I learned that sometimes more is not better when offering programs but excelling at the ones that our library does offer, with proper research and planning, we are much more likely to have a positive impact on the early literacy skills of our community. Overall, I increased the number of our programs versus what we normally offer and included some great ideas that were brought up in our class discussions and meetings! I think that the plan I was able to create really takes Saroj Ghoting’s teachings to heart and will have the most impact for my patrons. I hope that you are as excited as I am about our 2019-2020 schedule and I can’t wait to see you all at Storytime!

Budget

The following is a breakdown of the 2019-2020 program budget for the Warren Newport Public Library Early Childhood programs.

Stories in the Park & Library $250.00

Gurnee Days – 40.00

Nursery Rhyme & Monster Mash Storytimes – $60.00

Sensory Playtimes – $300.00

Baby Play Days – 100.00

Baby Steps – $600.00

Terrific 2’s & 3’s – $300.00

Fantastic 4’s & 5’s – $300.00

Steam Storytime – $400.00

Early Literacy Fun Fair – $300.00

Baby Sensorama – $150.00

Toddler Drive-In Movie – $100.00

Summer Reading – Up to $3000.00 depending on the theme/prizes/events

Staff Training/Conferences – $1100

Total Budget for 2019-2020 = $7000

*Any leftover money may be used for other events on this list.

Research

“A solid foundation in early literacy before kindergarten plays a critical role in ensuring that a child has a strong start in formal schooling, regardless of socioeconomic status, home language, or ethnicity” (Ghoting & Martin-Diaz, 2013, xii). This qoute summarizes the reason why Warren Newport Public Library has tried to provide such a terrific early literacy program for our community. Our programs really focus on the six skills using the five practices mentioned by Saroj Ghoting her book Storytimes for Everyone! These skills that are to be practiced within our programs are oral language, phonological awareness, print conventions and awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulry, and background knowledge. They will be practiced using the methods of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing (the five practices).

Many of our programs strive to include all of these practices and skills in order to help the advancement of early literacy skills in the young children in our communities. One particular program that is an excellent example of this is the Toddler Drive-in Movie. The beginning of this program includes singing, and reading of various books pertaining to the subject of cars or trucks, with the songs providing repitive phrases referring to these objects that children experience on a daily basis. Then the children get to create a box with their parents. The parents are talking with the children explaining what the wheels and lights are and where they go, or maybe just describing the color of the objects and helping their child find the color needed for their cars. The cars are finished with a license plate that the children write on/draw on! Then the parent get to play with the children and “drive” them into the “movie” theater for a quick show (that is appropriate for that age group). One program, an hour long works on all of these aspects of early childhood literacy and its a fun program as well!

This leads me into the next portion of research that is extremely relevant to early childhood literacy and what our programs try to teach to the parents. One program that is an hour long is terrific to attend and help advance your child, but it is not nearly enough. “Through the early literacy model, Every Child Ready to Readdeveloped by the Public Library Association in collaboration with the Association for Library Services, librarians can provide important resources for parents. Through this, librarians can model the five basic skills: talk, sing, read, write, and play so parents can duplicate the activities at home” (Celano & Newman, 2015, p. 31). Duplicating these actions at home during their daily lives is where parents will see true advancement within their children. Our programs are meant to be supplementary education, and a chance to expand the knowledge of the parents, to help give ideas of how to approach early childhood learning outside of storytimes. The work done outside of our program using the tools and knowledge that we supply the parents will create a special relationship with their children to help their early childhood literacy/education advancement. This relationship is proven to be the source of rapid growth within young children. A quote that explains this comes from Maryanne Wolf: “A small child sits in rapt attention on the lap of a beloved adult, listening to words that move like water, words that tell of fairies, dragons, and giants in faraway places never before imagined. The young child’s brain prepares to read far earlier than one might suspect, and makes use of almost all the raw material of early childhood, every perception, concept and word. It does so by learning to use all the important structures that will make up the brain’s universal reading system…under the crook of an arm in the comfort of a loved ones lap” (John Hornstein, 2014). This qoute comes from the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, one of the leading organizations on early childhood education and how a young child learns and utilizes its brain.

Technology and early childhood literacy are intertwined as our world becomes more and more dependant on technology. Above our research indicated our libraries goal to help parents create a strong relationship with the child through the usage of early literacy skills outside of storytimes, however, a lot of times parents may find themselves in a busy week and try to shortcut this important one on one learning with techonology. Unfortunately many times that technology is their cell phone or tablet that is preloaded with a lot of “industry leading” early childhood videos and shows. A lot of these materials are overstimulating for the young, growing minds of children and this was backed by Fred Rogers, who not only created a show for young children (Mister Rogers Neighborhood) but also created The Fred Rogers Center in order to carry on his legacy. Now some people may interpret Mister Rogers incorrectly by assuming all technology is bad for young children, which is far from the truth. Technology and knowledge about technology is now necessary in order to keep up with other kids and the starting curriculum in elementary schools. The way we introduce that technology and in what amounts is key to our child’s success. That is where our Steam Storytime comes into play, as we use it to increase the childrens technological knowledge through various methods without necessarily putting them in front of a screen for hours at a time. We also use it in order to help teach the parent good screen time habits and how to help increase the content knowledge involving technology without over stimulating and overwhelming the child.

At the end of the day research shows that early school success depends on the readiness of the child. Our aim is to help support parents and children of our community in order to provide them the best chance to get ahead of the curve and succeed off of the get go in school. We strive to make our programs educational but also fun and engaging at the same time. Hopefully we reach people from all walks of life in order to help create an even playing field for the next generation of children that grow up using Warren Newport Public Library.

References:

Celano, D. C., & Neuman, S. B. (2015). Libraries emerging as leaders in parent engagement. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(7), 30-35

Colwell, Janet, (2018) In person interviews. Personal notes from previously taught classes and speeches.

Fred Rogers Center. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.fredrogerscenter.org/

Ghoting, S. N., & Martin-Díaz, P. (2013). Storytimes for everyone!: Developing young childrens language and literacy. Chicago: ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.

Hornstein, John (2014). Foundations of Early Childhood Development: It’s All about Relationships. Info people. Brazelton Touchpoints Center.

Institute of Museum and Library Services (Washington, DC). (2013). Growing young minds: How museums and libraries create lifelong learners. Inst. of Museum and Library Services.

STEAM Storytime Activities for Preschool – Preschool STEAM -. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://preschoolsteam.com/steam-storytime-activities-for-preschool/

Rogan, C. (2013, May 29). The impact of technology on the developing child. Huffington Post. Retrieved October 8, 2018, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/technology-children-negative-impact_b_3343245

NAEYC. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2018, from https://www.naeyc.org/

Warren Newport Public Library (June 2018). Programming Budget Report

W. (n.d.). STEM IN LIBRARIES We’re Scientists… Library Scientists. Retrieved December 3, 2018, from https://steminlibraries.com/tag/storytime/

Early Literacy Fun Fair

The Early Literacy Fun Fair is a program that the library will be running on June 15th from 1-3 PM. This event is an open house fair that encourages families with children aged Birth-5 to come out and enjoy a variety of crafts and activities that are intended to work on the six early literacy skills. Each of the stations are set up ahead of time, in order for families to come and go as they please. They can stay and enjoy all of the stations or they can only partake in a couple. Each station has a sign attached to it that not only has intructions but also lets the parents know what this station is representing and how they can apply it in their daily lives. Below I have listed a couple of examples from that program!

Special Early Literacy Programs

Throughout the year our library offers two different special literacy programs, Toddler Drive-In Movie, Baby Sensorama. Both of these programs are geared towards early childhood literacy and approach it at different angles than a traditional Storytime.

Toddler Drive-In Movie

The Toddler Drive-In Movie takes place on Saturday March 16th from Noon-1. This program acts more like a Steam Storytime as the young children will be with their parents crafting a car during the Storytime! This craft works on letter recognition, hand eye coordination, tracking skills, phonological awareness, and content knowledge all at once. It also works on the various other skills as well through the rest of the program. This is an excellent program that always has a great turnout and is a creative way to teach early childhood literacy in a different way.

Toddler Drive-in Movie 2019

Welcome: Turn off Phones; No Photos; Exits

THANKS TO THE FRIENDS OF THE WNPL

SONG: “Good Morning to You”

READ: Meeow and the Big Box – Braun

CRAFT: Make your own box car

Get your Uline Box
Decorate the wheels (paper plates) with crayons and attach them (tape)
Tape on a Steering Wheel (paper plates)
Tape on cupcake liners for the headlights and the rear lights
Decorate and then tape on a WNPL License plate

DVD: Wheels on the Bus – Scholastic Video (During the video parents push the children around in their boxes for fun and interact with their children during the movie.)

SONG: SKINNAMARINK

Baby Sensorama

The Baby Sensorama program is on July 15th from 10-11:30 AM. This program is a sensory program that connects the senses to general content knowledge and the 6 skills of early childhood literacy. There are nine stations with different activities that will be described below. The tenth and last station is a really fun large motor skill activity.

Sight:

1.”Rainbow Colors” – pull out colored scarves from wipes boxes – count and name the colors

2. “Help Decorate our Window” – Tape clear contact paper (sticky side out) to window and remove the backing. Fill a basket with flattened cupcake wrappers, cut into halves and quarters. Show your children that the surface is sticky and how to push the wrapper so it will stick. Let them pull wrappers on and off.

Smell:

3. “What’s that Smell?” – Cotton balls dipped in peppermint, orange oil, lemon, cinnamon, baby powder are put into individual 8 oz. water bottles. Parents take off the caps and help the children guess the smell.

Hearing:

4. “Letter Music” – With bells. Ring each bell and say the corresponding letter. Parents can also help their kids count and name the colors.

5. “Sound Bottles” – The 8 oz. bottles each hold jingle bells, colored stones, googly eyes, or rice. Shake the bottles to hear and compare the sounds.

Tough:

6. “Squish Bags” – Ziploc bags filled with colored hair gel.

Bag 1 – Soapy Sparkle Bag = confetti shapes and glitter in blue gel
Bag 2 – Eye Spy Alphabet Bag = plastic letters in clear gel
Bag 3 – Ocean Bag = toy fish, starfish, seashells in a blue gel
Bag 4 – Button Bag = Different size/colored buttons in the gel.

7. “Sensory Board” – Large poster board with different textures glued on: fine sand paper, feathers, cotton balls, velvet, aluminum foil, memory foam.

8. Craft: Create your own Sensory Board for home!

9. Craft: Ziplock Painting – Put a card stock in a ziplock and the kids can pick two colors of paint that will be squirted into the bag before its sealed and they can shake it and squeeze the paint to create a design!

10. Large Motor Activity:

“Bubble Wrap Crawl” – Bubble wrap laid out in a “runway” on floor to crawl/walk on. Also an Air bed will be blown up partially so they can walk on it to work on balance.