Rambling Thoughts: More books, as always. I’m trying my best to wrap up at least a few projects on my never-ending to-do list. Some of that is finally trickling to blog posts–I’m going to start a two or three part series on our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program this week! Back in reading news, I read a lot this week, though there wasn’t anything (except the We Are Little Feminists board books) that I was overly excited about. I’m hoping one of my upcoming audiobooks is as engaging as City of the Plague God or Amari and the Night Brothers.
Reading by the Numbers:
40 Books Read This Week
25 Books with Main Characters of Diverse Backgrounds (63%)
16 Books by Authors of Diverse Backgrounds (40%)
13 Books by Own Voices Authors (33%)
Favorites of the Week:
Ana & Andrew Titles by Christine Platt (first chapter books)
A lot can change in a few months! I last blogged about Virtual Reader’s Advisory and my video book talks in September. Since then, we’ve tried other methods of virtual reader’s advisory, including the Virtual Book Displays I shared a few months back and even a few Virtual Book Talks directly to classrooms.
But the biggest change since any of those previous posts is that–like many of you I imagine–my library is now open to the public! Real displays are once again a regular part of our service, and it feels like our patrons want them more than ever before, with displays quickly being emptied and a few requests last week for more face out picture book options.
However, many people still aren’t coming into the library, so we are continuing to look for ways to virtually promote books. Read on for some information on Overdrive Curated Collections and new video book talks.
OverDrive Curated Collections
Our OverDrive system (part of the larger Ohio Digital Library collection) lets us create collections of books to highlight on the Libby app and Overdrive website.
The backend looks a little drab, and the process for adding books to the list isn’t my favorite:
To add books to your list, you need to search for them one at a time in Overdrive Marketplace (or search for subject headings and filter).
Adding to the frustration of that system, many kids books, especially picture books, aren’t available as ebooks (or we don’t own them, and since I am not in charge of purchasing, I can’t add them).
But even with those struggles, I had a lot of fun making lists for this service. I use Libby a lot personally, and it feels great to see something I created front and center on a service like this.
From what I can tell, you should be able to see these collections through the links below, even without an account at my library. The exact books you see will be randomized, with available titles showing up first. Check out some of the collections I’ve made:
And of course, video book talks continue on our YouTube channel. I’ve streamlined this process a bit, but these still have a similar vibe to the ones shared in my original video book talk post as well as my virtual reader’s advisory post.
Find some of my newest highlighted titles below (and subscribe to my library’s YouTube channel for at least one additional video book talk each week!).
13th Street: Battle of the Bad Breath Bats by David Bowles
American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar
Becoming Muhammad Ali by Kwame Alexander and James Patterson
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
Best Babysitters Ever by Caroline Cala
The Best of Iggy by Annie Barrows
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Count Me In by Varsha Bajaj
Craftily Ever After by Martha Maker
Dave the Unicorn by Pip Bird
Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol by Andres Miedoso
Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed
Dramatic Life of Azaleah Lane by Nikki Shannon Smith
Farah Rocks Summer Break by Susan Muaddi Darraj
I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
Keep It Together Keiko Carter by Debbie Michiko Florence
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano
The Land of Cranes by Aida Salazar
The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney
Locker 37: The Rewindable Clock by Aaron Starmer
Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Magnificent Makers: How to Test a Friendship by Theanne Griffith
Max Meow: Cat Crusader by John Gallagher
Measuring Up by Lily Lamotte
Mellybean and the Giant Monster by Mike White
Mia Mayhem is a Superhero! by Kara West
Not Your All-American Girl by Wendy Shang and Madelyn Rosenberg
The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Meija
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Museum by Renee Treml
Shirley & Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz
Sparkleton: The Magic Day by Calliope Glass
Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillain
A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi
Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
Ty’s Travels: Zip, Zoom by Kelly Starling Lyons
Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse
Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker
Zoey & Sassafras: Dragons & Marshmallows by Asia Citro
Agent 9: Flood-A-Geddon! by James Burks (graphic novel) Gr. 2-3. Agent 9 has been put on probation for some reckless choices while on missions for the Super-Secret Spy Service (completing a mission probably shouldn’t come at the price of an avalanche that destroys a town). But when the rest of the Spy Service team is taken hostage, Nine is the only one left to battle the evil King Crab and stop his plans to take over the world.
Lots of fun, fast-paced action, and laughs. This will be perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGATORS, feeling ideal for those 2nd-3rd graders. Looking forward to more.
Allergicby Megan Wagner Lloyd (graphic novel) Gr. 3-5. Maggie is so, so excited for a puppy to call her own. Her parents have the new baby to worry about, and her twin brothers always have each other. It’s Maggie’s birthday, the shelter has the perfect puppy, and Maggie is about to bring it home–when she passes out.
Turns out, Maggie is allergic to everything with fur and feathers. While she can get allergy shots to help long term, she will never be able to own her own dog. Terribly disappointed, Maggie creates a list of pets she could have, determined to find the perfect one for her. But pet after pet simply doesn’t work out, and soon her allergies start to affect other parts of her life too. Her new class at her new school has a pet guinea pig that they have to give to another room because of Maggie’s allergies. No one wants to be friends with the new girl who cost them a class pet, and Maggie is feeling lonelier than ever. Can she find the perfect pet and also make a friend or two?
Sweet, fun, and a little heart wrenching, this is sure to be a winner with all readers looking for readalikes to Raina Telgemeier, Shannon Hale, Baby-Sitters Club, and the other assortment of realistic fiction friendship and family graphic novels. Perhaps because this is based on the author’s own experiences, this feels a little deeper and more nuanced than some other recent additions to the realistic fiction graphic novel genre, managing to still be funny while also balancing real feelings of sadness, frustration, and loneliness. This will be hard to keep on the shelves.
Amari and the Night Brothersby B.B. Alston Gr. 4-7. Amari Peters just wants to find her brother. Quinton Peters was the favorite child of their local community, with perfect grades, involved in all the right clubs, and he even ran a local tutoring group for younger kids. When he vanishes, the police don’t seem to really care. No one is looking hard enough. Everyone is out of leads…until Amari discovers a briefcase left for her in her brother’s closet.
The briefcase opens Amari’s eyes to a magical world she never knew existed. Amari’s brother nominated her for a special summer training program for the secret Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari is swept into a world filled with all kinds of amazing and incredible things, but she also knows that this place has to hold the secret of what happened to her brother.
So, in between getting to know her weredragon roommate (and best friend), studying for her training exams, and dodging the racist and classist remarks of the “legacy” kids whose rich families have always been a part of the supernatural crime fighting force, Amari does everything she can to find information about her brother’s last case before he disappeared. That isn’t particularly easy when she is revealed to be a magician–an illegal type of supernatural being that is known for harming and killing Bureau agents–including Amari’s own brother.
THIS BOOK THIS BOOK THIS BOOK! This is going to be my go-to fantasy series recommendation from now on. The world building is fantastic, with so much here to explore that many series could easily be spun off of this one title. The plot is fast-paced, giving the reader just enough time to get comfortable before moving on to the next twist–but not in a way that feels overwhelming or too unrealistic. And of course there is Amari–spunky, cunning, sarcastic, amazing Amari. Where is the sequel? The movie adaptation? Add this to your library, throw it at every child, and someone buy the film or TV rights to this series now because this is going to be big.
(This is going to get compared heavily to Harry Potter–as any magical school book does–but I think this book deserves better. If you must compare it to something, Lockwood and Company has the fast-paced supernatural mystery and Rick Riordan’s mythology worlds have the summer-experience and the talking inanimate objects. But really–let this shine on its own.)
InvestiGators: Off the Hookby John Patrick Green (graphic novel) Gr. 2-4. Gators Mango and Brash are on another crime-fighting spree. This time they are determined to track down the missing snake-armed-plumber all while trying to figure out who could have robbed a local bank. Costume changes, travel by sewer, and fantastic spy tech help our heroes prevail. But when it comes to saving their partner or capturing the villain–which will the InvetiGATORS choose?
More InvetGATORs fun. This series continues to be ideal for Dog Man fans, capturing the humor, puns, and sometimes non-sensical combination of mystery, adventure, and action. I appreciate how even the villains show character development through the Dog Man series; that hasn’t happened yet here, but I hope it does soon so these books don’t begin to feel too repetitive.
The Leakby Kate Reed Petty (graphic novel) Gr. 4-5. Ruth Keller might be twelve, but she is already a passionate journalist, running her own email newsletter sharing fun rumors and stories about her community. When she runs into something very real–and very strange–at the local lake, she knows she has a story to find. This shiny black slime surely doesn’t belong here (and really it probably isn’t from aliens, as she first assumed). After she tells some adults about it, she finds a mysterious clean-up crew at the lake removing all traces of the strange sludge.
Ruth’s mind jumps to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, but surely nothing like that could happen here. Her endless cavities might be a mystery (since Ruth brushes AND flosses every single day), but this water issue can’t be related…right? Soon Ruth is forced to take matters into her own hands when the adults around her try to bury any controversy and avoid her questions. Ruth is on the brink of something big–she just needs to find the evidence to make everyone believe her.
This was good–really good. The mystery leaves clues in the words and the illustrations, with the reader spotting clues along with the main character. The comparison to the Flint water crisis (and the cover up) was on point. And I love a strong, smart heroine who isn’t about to let anyone bully her into silence. Really well done!
Quincredible Vol. 1: Quest to Be the Best! by Rodney Barnes (graphic novel) Gr. 5-8. Meet Quin. After a meteor shower, he (and many other people in New Orleans) were given special powers–the powers of superheroes. Quin is invulnerable–but that doesn’t feel very useful when you can’t run fast or throw a punch (it just means you can take a lot of punches from a lot of bullies and get back up again afterwards).
But after catching the eye of another local superhero, Quin decides he wants to use his super talent and his brains to try to be an actual hero. But where there are heroes, there are always villains, and Quin finds himself trying to keep his identity hidden while figuring out who the real villains are as racial tensions mount after more and more disasters strike his hometown.
This doesn’t hold up quite as strongly as some other recent superhero comics, but it feels like a realistic origin story that makes me want to dig more into this character. I want to read Vol. 2–I feel like this story has created a setup that gives it plenty of room to develop and stand on its own as more issues are released.
Welcome to Wagmireby Melody Mews (first chapter) Gr. 2-3. Itty is so excited to visit her friend Prince Pip in his kingdom of Wagmire! Itty wants to spend time with her friend, but things sure are different in Wagmire: there are dog toys everywhere, a giant castle that touches the sky, and everyone travels by dragon (instead of cloud). When Itty and her new friends get stuck in a treehouse, can Itty figure out a way to help them get down?
Another cute Itty Bitty adventure! This series is sure to please with its friendship-filled stories, messages about kindness, and kitty, unicorn, fairy, and glitter-filled illustrations. Lots of puppy love in the newest addition!
Rambling Thoughts: AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS! I will be singing about this book from all the library rooftops forevermore. Weekly posts are going to be focusing on some non-“programming” content for a while, as I don’t have as many programs to talk about since my work time is currently consumed by a bunch of other projects (but never fear, weekly book posts will continue, and there are some more program posts planned for a few weeks from now).
Reading by the Numbers:
42 Books Read This Week
19 Books with Main Characters of Diverse Backgrounds (45%)
Long before the covid pandemic, books have been a core part of library services. Getting those books into the hands of kids and families while the physical building has been closed has been a challenge. My library decided to try a service that many libraries already offer in some capacity: subscription bundles.
Subscription bundles are similar to the concept of a subscription box (except free and no box). Readers fill out an online form and library staff pull 5-8 books for them, based on age and interests, each month for three months (with the option to renew).
The concept is simple, and the reader’s advisory work can be a lot of fun too. You are limited by what is on the shelves at the time, but you aren’t rushed by a grown-up who only has a few minutes in the library. You can promote different kinds of materials a family may not always consider (or find)–graphic novels, nonfiction, and more. And there is a small benefit of sometimes being able to squeeze into a bundle an on-topic book that is a hard sell in person–but a kid might give it a try when they are looking at it on their own.
Subscription Bundle Form
Families sign-up for the subscription bundle service by filling out a Google form found on our website. The public-facing description of this service, crafted by our marketing department, is:
Spend more time reading, and less time choosing! Let your favorite Westerville librarians bundle together 5-8 books for you each month, based on your interests. For ages 0-18.
You’ll receive an email when your bundle is ready to pick up at the drive-thru. (After 3 months, you’ll have the option to continue your subscription.)
Recipient’s Age (changed from an initial grade range)
Tell us about 3 things the recipient is interested in. (Examples: trains, dinosaurs, fairy tales, comics, mysteries, favorite authors, series, etc.)
Is there anything else you’d like us to know? (Optional: book you enjoyed recently (or didn’t), reading level, etc.)
The form has stayed the same for the last few months with a few small updates including an increased time frame of expecting your bundle to be ready in 5 days (started at 3 days) and a change to the age question. Initially, this question had been a drop down based on grade (Baby/Toddler, PreS, K-3, 4-6, Middle School, Teen). This worked for most age ranges, but the K-3 age range could be particularly tricky, since the books a Kindergartener may want to read or have read to them can be very different than the books a 3rd grader is looking for. So, we changed this to a fill-in-the-blank general age question.
Subscription Bundle Organization
This is where things can get tricky, particularly at the incredibly high volume we are operating at.
The Google form populates a spreadsheet of responses. The spreadsheet looks a bit like this. (Columns with any patron identifying information are hidden. Filter is only on to highlight bundles I’ve personally filled.)
The left part of the spreadsheet contains the rest of the columns that match the form–date the form was submitted, email address, recipient’s name, library card, etc.
We fill in the columns starting with “Bundle 1 Staff Member.” Each round of bundles has its own set of columns, including:
Bundle 3: Staff Name (the staff member who took the bundle)
Bundle 3: Date (the date the bundle is supposed to be filled)
Bundle 3: Books (books pulled for that bundle)
Done: Initials of staff member who processed the bundle and took its contents to the drive thru
Bundle 3: Email Sent? (labeled when an email is sent the next morning to the people whose bundles were filled)
You may have noticed that, unless you cancel or don’t pick up two bundles, families are automatically set to receive three bundles, and then they can renew for an additional three months (and so on). This makes for a very long spreadsheet.
Since part of the perk of a bundle is to make sure a child doesn’t receive the same books twice, we don’t want to delete old columns or start a new spreadsheet for renewals (since that means more places to check for titles that were shared before). And we can’t hide columns that aren’t as necessary later (such as the name of the staff member who filled the first bundle when you are filling bundle four, because, at the very bottom of the spreadsheet, new forms are being filled out–meaning some people on the spreadsheet haven’t received any bundles yet.
I do wonder if there is a way to streamline this a bit more–maybe with a tab based system? Maybe bundles could be moved to a new tab when they move on to bundle 2 or bundle 3–that might allow for some columns to be hidden for bundles farther down the renewal process, while still allowing first bundles to be added to the original tab. That would involve checking more places, but they would all still be in one spreadsheet–and we still have to scroll a ton to check each column when we are receiving a mix of bundle 1, 2, 3, and 4’s to fill each day. (Sorry if that didn’t make sense–figuring out a way to make this process flow a little smoother still flummoxes me).
Keeping Track of Bundles
There is another step here as well. The spreadsheet doesn’t auto-populate bundle 2 and bundle 3 dates, and we had quite a rush of bundle form submissions over the course of just one week in early January. Those renewals have since been spread out using our Google Calendar.
Whenever we fill a first bundle, we also create an appointment on our department’s Google Calendar. This lets us see (and print out) a list of all of the bundles to be filled on a particular day. This looks a little like the image below (much of it is blurred because of kids names).
During pandemic hours, we are closed on Sundays, and we moved bundles off of Saturdays due to how many other responsibilities we have on those days.
Our manager works on assigning bundles to various days to spread out the workload.
For many of us, our first step for the day is adding the dates for bundles to be filled that day to the spreadsheet for easier searching. This isn’t a permanent part of the routine, but for myself and many of my coworkers, we’ve found it really useful to see those dates in the spreadsheet too instead of having to look back and forth between the calendar and the spreadsheet multiple times a day.
Cancellations, Renewals, and No Shows…Oh my.
There are many more components to this service too including:
keeping track of patrons who have chosen to cancel their subscription
keeping track of patrons who failed to pick up their bundle repeatedly
asking if patrons want to renew their bundle after their first three months are up
My manager has been keeping track of all of these moving parts in separate spreadsheets.
Subscription Bundle Creation
A few hundred words later, and I haven’t actually talked about making a bundle yet! Each bundle takes time–I’d estimate about 20-30 minutes each from start to finish. Sometimes more, sometimes less–more if someone has particularly nuanced requests, and you can’t select books used in the last 2-3 bundles; less if someone more generally wants “series for third graders.”
Filling a Bundle:
Look at the calendar and spreadsheet for bundles assigned to that day. Type your name in the appropriate “Staff Name” column for any bundles you are claiming.
Look at the reported age and interests, as well as previously selected books if this is a bundle that has been filled previously. Either use the catalog or walk the shelves to find 5-8 books that fit those interests that haven’t been given to this person before. *To save time, I’ve been intentionally picking bundles that are for a similar age range and interests, if possible. For example, if there are 30 bundles that day, and 6 kids say they want Dog Man readalikes, I start by claiming all of those bundles. This lets me sweep the shelves for anything that applies, divide them up by kid, and then look for more specific titles to flesh out remaining gaps. This has also helped me from “competing” with my fellow coworkers for titles–if we are all looking for the one “available” copy of the newest InvestiGATORS book, only one of us will find it, and the rest will need to find a new book to fill our bundle.
Once I’ve found all of my books (and sorted them by kid), I type the titles of the books into the Google Spreadsheet column for that bundle’s books. I double check that anything I pulled wasn’t used before.
At this point, if this is the first bundle, I add appointments to the Google Calendar for the next two bundles.
At a service point with access to our ILS, I put the books on hold for the appropriate library card. There may be some rearranging if a book I pulled off the shelf is on hold for another patron.
After putting the books on hold, I check them in, processing hold slips for each book.
Books are bundled together using a H-band. Shortest in the front for easiest check out at the drive thru window.
If this is a first bundle, the bundle gets a manila envelope with some goodies–a bookmark, a sticker, a library flyer, and more.
Whether this is a first bundle or a later bundle, a card is added to the front of the pile with the recipient’s name.
H-Bands:
Our bundles are secured with H bands. These four-way rubber bands work well for holding big stacks of books together.
These Amazon ones are more brightly colored, but they can be a bit floppy depending the size of the stack you are filling. (See the lack of fit over the smaller, thinner first chapter books.)
These DEMCO H bands fit better to essentially any size stack of materials, but they do have a different texture that I’m not personally a fan of.
Giant rubber bands have also worked in a pinch when we run out of h bands. We don’t ask patrons to return the h bands, though they sometimes do.
Subscription Cards:
Each bundle comes with a subscription card taped to the top book. These have room for us to write the recipient’s name:
These were designed, printed, and cut by our amazing marketing department.
Bundle Contents:
What kind of books might make it into a bundle? There are some pictures above, but I’ve also pulled some title lists of bundles that I’ve created over the last few months. I aim for the same selection principles I use for my book talks — a variety of types of materials, some easier and some harder, and lots of diversity, but I’m also trying to meet each child’s needs and interests with what we have on the shelf at that moment. This can make some bundles frustrating to pull when all of my favorite books are checked out!
18 months. Board books, lift the flap, really any topic.
Ah, the hardest part of this to write, buried at the bottom of an already lengthy post.
First, the pros:
Subscription bundles are very popular at my library. We have had over 500 bundles to fill in one month.
During a time when people cannot or may not want to come into the library, this is a great way to get books into kids’ hands.
Circulation numbers are high!
Great books that aren’t always picked up can be sent home in bundles and given a chance at circulating.
I see the caregiver appeal, even outside of the pandemic. This is a great service for grown-ups-on-the-go with busy schedules, and for caregivers who simply can’t make it to the library regularly, especially bringing one or more kids in tow. There is a convenience to this service that can’t be beat.
The patron feedback is overwhelmingly positive. There is more positive feedback for bundles than many other services we offer.
Then, the cons:
Subscription bundles are very popular at my library. We have had over 500 bundles to fill in one month.
During this intermediary time, when the public is allowed back in the library but we are doing our best to stay away from them, pulling bundles is tough, since patrons get first use of the shelves.
Pulling bundles is time consuming. Selecting books for a child and all of the necessary processing can take 20-30 minutes per kid. Sometimes more (and sometimes less). In an effort to move through 30-40 bundles in a day, I sometimes find myself having to sacrifice finding the “perfect” book for a kid in place of finding something that is sort of related to their interests, simply because I don’t have enough time in a day to fill this many bundles and cover the rest of my responsibilities.
Long term, I wonder how this will affect weeding. We weed based on circulation numbers (and other criteria, but circulation is a big part). There are some books that I see get selected for bundles that are a bit dated and grungy looking, and that I know haven’t circulated on their own in a year or more. Will weeding stats still reflect kids’ interests if we are “forcing” (not the right word) them to check out books they wouldn’t have checked out otherwise? How will this reflect in physical space on our shelves in a few years?
Due to the popularity and patron feedback, subscription bundles can become what feels like the “most-important service” instead of one of many that serve different needs.
Before starting a subscription bundle service, here are some questions to ask:
Do you have the staffing to select, pull, and process bundles? If so, how many bundles can your staff reasonably do in a day while not detracting from other duties? If your staff doesn’t have the time to do each step of that process, is there a way to remove one or more steps to make the process easier? Do you need to set a cap on this service?
How does this fit in with what else you currently offer or don’t offer? There are some similarities in this service to teacher collections. Is there a way to merge the two?
Do you want this to be a subscription service? Do you have the long-term staffing to handle that? Do you have the current staffing to handle the additional organizational components of a subscription service–processing renewals, recording cancellations, scheduling future bundles?
What will your response be to families who want this service to be more frequent than your interval of choice? For example, each family gets a new bundle each month, but we have had many requests for us to pull new bundles for a family on a weekly or biweekly basis.
Where will people pick up their bundles? Do you have the physical space to put these bundles on holds shelves? What is the capacity of your physical space?
Who will handle cancellations? If your circulation staff normally processes cancelled holds, can they handle the increase in cancelled items created by this service?
Is there a way to make this service more accessible? For example, our service requires you to fill out a form online. You could call us, and we could fill out the form for you, but do people know that? For us, people have to pick up books at our physical location (for now anyway–schools might be an option long term). Can these bundles be picked up at other service points? Related–how easy is it for people in your community to get the library card required for sign-up?
Now, I’m going to be blunt. But, I also think you *really* have to be committed to this service to have read this far down the post, so if you have put the time in, you deserve to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Subscription bundles are great. Families love them. In small does, I love them. I love reader’s advisory, and I love picking out the perfect books for a child. More books check out than ever before. Our service are more convenient than ever before.
At the same time, my biggest pro and con for this service is what my particular library experienced: we got a little bit of social media promotion from some happy families, and we have been filling over 500 bundles a month. That means, in a month like February, we pulled at least 3000 books for patrons (estimating 6 books out of 5-8, though most bundles include 8 books). If each bundle takes 25 minutes (average) to work through all of the steps of selection and processing, we spent, as a staff, at least 200 hours pulling and processing bundles (in perspective, with four 40 hour weeks in a month, one person works about 160 hours a month).
We are lucky to have a very large staff, but with many hours work from home to accommodate social distancing, reopening to the public, desk and customer service hours, full programming schedules, and more–this has been tough. It makes work days even more exhausting, during a period of peak stress as we all adjusted to the library building being available to the public again, many personal questions about vaccines, and the reintroduction of services (or even just conversations around reintroduction of services), all on top of everything we have added to our plates since the pandemic began.
Bundles are great when everyone has time to handle the workload. Before starting something like this, really think about what you and your staff have time (and mental capacity) for. Maybe you need to set a cap–only 100 bundles at a time, with a waiting list of additional participants. Maybe you need to evaluate how to make each step of the process take less time by not getting quite this elaborate. Plan a way to back out if needed. Subscription bundles are a fantastic service–but make sure to be wary of the time and logistics before committing.
City of the Plague Godby Sarwat Chadda Gr. 4-7. Sik thinks its just another night at his parents’ deli–but everything changes when a couple of demons crash the place. Literally–they destroy the building, demanding a mystery item from Sik that he simply doesn’t have. Suddenly Sik’s parents are in the hospital with a strange illness, one of Sik’s classmates is behaving particularly strangely, and Sik is pulled into a world of gods, demons, and monsters from his family’s old stories. Sik isn’t alone–he has Ishtar, the goddess of love and war; Ishtar’s adopted daughter and all-around awesome warrior, Belet; and former hero Gilgamesh all on his side. To save his parents and all of New York, Sik just needs to travel to the realm of the dead, find his brother, and bring back the Flower of Immortality. Should be easy since Sik is apparently, somehow, already immortal…right?
Squee! I go through phases with the quality of the Rick Riordan presents books, but wow this imprint is on a roll lately. This is in my top three favorites (with Tristan Strong and Paola Santiago). A fantastic, fast-paced fantasy entrenched in Mesopotamian myth that masterfully captures the humor and snark of the Percy Jackson books. I’m going to be recommending this book to everyone and anyone. So much fun–I just need to know that there will be a sequel.
Home Is In Betweenby Mitali Perkins (picture book) Gr. 1-3. Shanti and her family move from India to the United States, and Shanti suddenly finds herself caught between two homes: her old village, stories in Bangali, delicious luchi, and her life in her family’s apartment; but also her life in her new town at her new school, with trick or treating, ballet, and snowball fights. Shanti feels caught in between–trying to figure out which one is really home.
Ohhhhh this book! I’ve heard great things, and boy does this deliver. Great, fun illustrations, and an excellent glimpse into the life of a child adjusting to immigrating to a new place and figuring out how cultures blend together. Pick this one up!
Laxmi’s Moochby Shelly Anand (picture book) Gr. K-2. Laxmi has a mooch (Hindi for “mustache”). She’s never really thought about it until her classmates tell her that her “whiskers” make her a perfect pretend cat. Laxmi gets upset, suddenly noticing the hair all over her body. When she talks to her parents, she is reminded that she is beautiful–and she realizes that everyone has something that makes them unique (and some girls’ “mooch” is easier to see than others).
So much body positivity here and a reminder to love who you are. I wasn’t personally quite as enticed by the part where Laxmi draws a mooch on kids who don’t have one (with their permission)–I sort of wish we would have had a kid who was okay without having a mooch, real or fake. But as a kid who was teased for dark hair on her arms–I definitely think this is a much needed book that needs to be shared in classrooms everywhere.
Mel Fellby Corey R. Tabor (picture book) Gr. PreS-K. Baby bird Mel is ready to fly! But rather than flying, Mel seems to fall…and fall…and fall.
Don’t worry, this book doesn’t end in the disaster you might think–it actually has a great lesson about kingfisher birds in the end, making this pair well with a science storytime. Author Corey R. Tabor gets creative with orientation here, which I think will also appeal to kids, changing the direction of the book depending what is happening on the page.
The Sea in Winterby Christine Day Gr. 4-5. Maisie lives for ballet, dreaming of being a ballerina someday…until a torn ligament means her dancing is put on hold. Now that Maisie doesn’t go to ballet practice, she doesn’t really see her friends anymore. She feels alone all the time, and Maisie is not very thrilled for the forced family bonding during a road trip to the coast near the Makah community where her mom grew up. As the pain in her leg seems to get worse, Maisie’s moods do too–will she ever dance again? And if she doesn’t, what does that mean for all of Maisie’s dreams?
A quiet, slice of life story. I appreciate that this blends Maisie’s Makah culture into the plot with stories, family history, and connections to the land–but it lets Maisie’s mental health take the forefront of the book. Great family dynamics, particularly Maisie’s relationship with her stepdad.
Shuri: The Vanishedby Nic Stone Gr. 3-5. Princess Shuri of Wakanda is back! Shuri is determined to focus on her training and earn her mother and brother’s permission to travel to an international conference where her country may be revealed to the world. But her dreams are haunted by girls–girls her age, with her passions, who need her help. Soon those whispered visions turn into reality when Shuri discovers that real girls from across the world–girls with extraordinary science and technology skills–are going missing. With the help of best friend K’Marah and the one and only Riri Williams (a young Ironheart!), Shuri is pulled into a mystery involving a secret base, a supervillian, and mind control. Will Shrui save the lost girls…or will she be lured in herself?
I LOVE this series so much. While it deviates a bit from the Marvel movie universe–as all of these kid superhero series seem to do–Shuri is just as strong and powerful, if a bit younger and more naïve. I love all of the nods for Marvel fans (especially Riri’s appearance here…Nic Stone can we have a Riri spinoff book, please?). Packed with adventure and mystery to pull in even more reluctant readers. I can’t wait for more!
Rambling Thoughts: I listened to a lot of awesome audiobooks this week, and I’m looking forward to highlighting Amari and the Night Brothers next week, once I’ve finished. It’s so good! Hoping to move through a lot of graphic novels and first chapter books before next week as well–but we will just have to see where the week takes me!
Reading by the Numbers:
21 Books Read This Week
15 Books with Main Characters of Diverse Backgrounds (71%)
Claudia and the New Girlby Gabriela Epstein (graphic novel) Gr. 3-5. Claudia loves art just as much as she loves babysitting. Her fellow babysitters might not quite understand Claudia’s passion for art, but Claudia is fine with that until she meets new classmate Ashley. Ashley participated in an exclusive art program in Chicago, and she thinks Claudia has potential. Claudia is thrilled to have someone to talk to about art, but Ashley doesn’t understand why Claudia spends so much of her time babysitting instead of dedicating her time exclusively to her art projects. Suddenly Claudia is sitting with Ashley at lunch and missing BSC meetings–is Claudia’s time on the BSC over?
Another great addition to the oh-so-popular Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels. We are well past the chapter books I remember reading, so I can’t say how closely this aligns to the original book, but I appreciate Claudia’s recognition of her very busy (and sometimes too busy) schedule. This is the first book with new illustrator Gaby Epstein’s art, and she does a fantastic job blending with previous illustrators while also making these her own. Looking forward to more to come!
Family Reunionby Christine Platt (first chapter) Gr. 2-3. Ana and Andrew’s family adventures continue when they travel from Washington, D.C. to Georgia for the 75th annual Lewis family reunion! The siblings are so excited to see their cousins and relatives and participate in the family fun.
Another great edition to this fantastic beginning reader/first chapter book series. Looking forward to picking up the rest of the new releases.
Fighting Wordsby Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Gr. 5-8. Wow. This was so much more than I expected. Even when the book gives you quite a few hints as to where the story is going, the end result still packs quite the punch. Bahni Turpin on audio is phenomenal as always, and I will always associate her voice with Della’s now.
A must read, with a small caveat that I do wonder a bit about the author’s decision to make Della Black. The rest of the content of this story seems to be own voices based on the author’s note, but I can only imagine that there are layers to this experience added based on skin color that the author doesn’t have the same experience with.
I Dream of Popoby Livia Blackburne (picture book) Gr. K-2. A young girl loves playing with her popo (grandmother). When her family moves across the world from Taiwan to San Diego, she misses her popo terribly. When she returns to visit, she realizes she doesn’t remember Taiwanese the way she used to–making it a little harder to communicate. The story follows their shared love over time and distance, emphasizing the bond of family and the particular struggle of leaving family behind.
Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judgeby Ray Anthony Shepard (biography) Gr. 1-4. Uses the framework of a poem with gorgeous illustrations to tell the story of Ona Judge, a slave in President George Washington’s household. I like how this shows that Ona’s life was “better” than the experience of the average slave; but better does not equal good or free. Excellent all around.
The Story of John Lewisby Tonya Leslie Gr. 2-4. A short chapter-book biography of John Lewis, perfect for elementary school students and fans of the Who Is/Was books. Filled with colorful illustrations and pop-out boxes featuring questions, mini-timelines, and explanations of myth vs. fact. Detailed back matter includes a quiz, a summary of ways John Lewis made a difference, more questions, a glossary, and a bibliography.
I am very impressed by the quality of this biography series, and I especially appreciate the own voices authors. While the reading level is slightly under the Who Is/Was books, this is a much stronger work overall with a format that is more appealing for reluctant readers. Will be looking for the rest of the series.
Planet Omar: Unexpected Super Spyby Zanib Mian Gr. 3-4. Omar is so excited to use his saved money to buy a super awesome Nerf Blaster! But days before his big purchase, Omar finds out that his mosque is in trouble. The roof is collapsing, and if the mosque doesn’t raise enough money, it will have to close. Omar and his friends work hard to raise money with chores and selling some cool creations, but they think they might have found the best money-making option in a school-wide talent show. They raise so much money, and everything looks like it will turn out okay…until the money goes missing. Can they find it before it is too late?
This was a lot of fun! I remember not being a big fan of the first Omar book, but I am so glad to have picked up book two. Lots of everyday kid shenanigans, with a scattering of British terms throughout (Omar’s family lives in London). This series will appeal to fans of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate looking for books with some illustrations but a bit more text than those series.
We Say Good Nightby Salina Yoon (board book) Toddler-PreS. Learn to say good night in English, Madarin, Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog, Arabic, and French in this simple, brightly-colored board book. Lift the flap on each page to see the word “good night” in a different language. An excellent choice for storytime with bright, solid background colors that will make this easy to see even in a crowded room.
Where Are You Polar Bear?by DK Publishing (board book) Toddler-PreS. Where is polar bear hiding? Meet many arctic animals in this simple, plastic-free touch and feel book. Sturdy cardboard pages with simple cardboard cutouts create the textured experience without plastic. Muted colors lean into the cardboard design and overall tone of the book.
Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries (graphic novel) Gr. 4-7. Young witch Nyneve hides her hair when at school. The length of your hair determines the strength of your magic, and Nyneve’s hair is long–just like her father, who was killed for being considered a magical threat. When the Witch Guard tries to force her to join, Nyneve does the unthinkable: she cuts off her hair, severing her power. Soon she is running for her life and discovering new enemies–but maybe also a few new friends–along the way.
Ohhhh I liked this! I haven’t heard much about this book at all, but this is an excellent readalike for Witch Boy, Amulet, Lightfall, and even Moonstruck and some slightly older middle school graphic novels. Great story, excellent characters, a good trans subplot–there is so much to appreciate. Where is book two?
Rambling Thoughts: As you can tell from the covers above, ALL the books are coming in now. I’m determined to get as many of them back out the door as quickly as I can before, I hope, at some point, I can leave the house again and do…something. LOTS of really great books this week, so make sure to stop by on Tuesdays for short reviews of some of these titles!
Reading by the Numbers:
50 Books Read This Week
26 Books with Main Characters of Diverse Backgrounds (52%)
Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketballby Jen Bryant (biography) Gr. 2-4. Learn about the life of the extraordinary Elgin Baylor, an incredible and innovative basketball player that helped shape the NBA and combatted racism with a one-man protest after not being permitted to stay in any hotels or eat in any restaurants in the segregated south.
Wow, this was a particularly stellar picture book biography! Great artwork and a well-framed story with high appeal.
Fair and Squareby Heather Ayris Burnell (reader) Gr. 1-2. Another excellent Unicorn and Yeti beginning reader. I can’t get enough of these–the vocabulary and simple sentence structure are on point, the illustrations are adorable, and the stories even teach simple concepts. This title focuses on shapes, being creative in your own way, and different ways to think about fair and equal.
Furiaby Yamile Saied Méndez (teen) Gr. 8+. Camila doesn’t just love fútbol–she is good at playing. Not just good, incredible. On the field, she is La Furia, destined to leave Argentina and play on an international team. But in Argentina, women are not expected to play sports. A few years ago it would have been illegal for her to play at all. Now, she plays in secret, tiptoeing around her abusive, short-tempered father. But when Camila has a chance to play in a game where her ability could catch the eye of a coach, she needs her parents’ permission. How can she make her dream happen?
This one was a little too long for me. I liked the moments of action. Surprisingly to me, this included the futbol games. But most everything in between practices and games felt like it drug on. While Camila’s story at home felt like a strong arc, her romance with Diego felt a bit predictable, down to the end result. I see a definite audience for this strong, feminist story, but I don’t think I am it. I will still be recommending this, but I may not be personally looking for a sequel.
If You’re Scary and You Know It!by Carole Gerber (board book) Toddler-PreS. A “spooky” version of the song If You’re Happy and You Know It. The illustrations are cute and appropriate, with the only reference to Halloween in the last spread’s Trick or Treat–which could be skipped if this was to be adapted for a holiday-less storytime.
The author does a great job reimagining the tune, though I wish the lyrics were as repetitious as the original song. Generally, kids seem to like to sing along to books like these, and that simply isn’t the structure here. While the verses keep to the beat and tune, almost every line in each lyric is different. The first and last lines of each verse do end with clear actions, good for an energetic crowd.
Never Touch a Snake!by Rosie Greening (board book) Baby-Toddler. Always a fan of these sensory board books. This book’s internal story showcases animals as circus performers (clown, acrobat, etc.). Not my favorite, but the sensory elements and bright illustrations still work well for the intended age.
Raven Squawk, Orca Squeakby Roy Henry Vickers (board book) Baby-Toddler. A gorgeous board book with lightly textured illustrations by Indigenous artist Roy Henry Vickers. Rhythmic text emphasizes the sounds found on the West Coast of Canada: thunder booming, big waves crashing, paddles swooshing, ravens squawking, orcas squeaking, and more. Add this one to your board book collection.
Slime for Dinnerby Geronimo Stilton and Tom Angleberger (graphic novel) Gr. 2-4. Lots of laughs and bad puns as Geronimo Stilton’s adventures continue in the Tom Angleberger graphic novel adaptation. Geronimo and friends are invited to a mystery dinner at Cacklefur Castle, competing to win a special trip. Geronimo doesn’t want to go to the dinner, and he really doesn’t want to win, but Thea pulls him into the spooky (and slimy!) fun, especially when the fake-mystery turns into a quest for a family heirloom that was really stolen.
A Thousand White Butterfliesby Jessica Betancourt-Perez (picture book) Gr. K-1. Isabella, her Mama, and her Abuelita just moved from Colombia to the United States. Her Papa, and all her friends, are back home. Isabella is nervous but a little excited for her first day at her new school–when her very first day is cancelled due to too much snow.
A sweet first-day-of-school story filled with lots of emotions and an adorable start to a new friendship. Plenty of Spanish words interspersed throughout with a glossary in the back. A great addition to your library collection.
Wheelsby Sally Sutton (picture book) Toddler-PreS. “Wheels go fast. Wheels go slow. Shout what’s coming if you know!” Read a hint and use the pictures to guess what vehicle is coming next.
Oh that was fun! A definite storytime read, though this is sorely lacking in diverse characters. Some words don’t entirely align with words most commonly used in the U.S. — words like “motorbike” for motorcycle. The repetition will make this a winner in a toddler or preschool program though!
