Category Archives: Youth Services

New SLJ Blog.
School Library Journal has a new blog for teen librarians to explore. It is called “Adult Books 4 Teens.” Along with bibliographic information, the bloggers give some information on a personal level about the title. Then they give a good review, covering plot as well as why they believe it will appeal to teens. To view the blog go to SLJ and click on the word “Blogs” listed across the top of the page. This gives you a drop-down menu to find “Adult Books 4 Teens.” Hope you find it helpful!
I just finished The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens. It introduces us to a 12-year-old couch potato, Kevin, and his likewise-minded dog, Cromwell. Athletics do not go well for Kevin even though his father is a famous former player for the Chicago Bears. While clicking through the channels one day, Kevin happens on a televised dog agility trial. Cromwell sits up, watches, and suddenly becomes a fanatic, even trying to jump through the tire swing in the backyard and getting stuck. After deceiving his parents, Kevin and Cromwell begin agility classes, where the dog crashes into the obstacles and Kevin trips over the leash and equipment. Cromwell is not going to give up. Includes humor and finding one’s abilities. — And is dog agility a sport, or not?
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Madeline, in parody.
Picture book fans, and especially fans of the Madeline books, need to take a look at Nathan Hale’s blog . He is the illustrator of Rapunzel’s Revenge, that wonderful graphic novel by Shannon Hale. He is posting the pages of his parody, Frankenstein, on his blog; two or three pages a day to have it all posted by Halloween. You will need to extend the size of your window on the side to see both pages, let it hang off the edge while you chuckle. There are no plans to actually publish it, as far as I know now. Great fun! His rhythm and rhymes truly echo the original. (I learned about this via the School Library Journal blog: “A Fuse #8 Production.” )
And let’s celebrate picture books. A recent article in the New York Times stated that parents are by-passing picture books to get their children into chapter books sooner. Sigh. Picture books provide children with great stories, varied and beautiful art, and often a chance to snuggle up with Mom or Dad. Let’s hope this story is an exaggeration of reality.
So, what else am I reading? I can’t believe I forgot to include the hilarious Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka in my “Best Youth Books of 2010” for last week’s NLA/NEMA conference. So far I have read three of the ten stories included (plus the introduction) and they are unique and incredibly funny. The next time someone asks you for a funny book, hand them this! (And a couple of others because, as we all know, not everyone loves the same thing.)
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Be a Read Aloud School or Read Aloud Community!
Read Aloud Nebraska invites you to apply now to be a Read Aloud School or Read
Aloud Community. The deadline is November 1, 2010.
Read Aloud Schools and Communities receive:
• Recognition on the Read Aloud Nebraska website
• Opportunity to request FREE books for children in your school (deadline Oct. 1,
2010) (more opportunities will be offered)
• Press release and other PR materials
• Certificate signed by the Governor
• Communication regarding reading activities/updates in Nebraska
• Placement in a drawing for a Read Aloud Party in your school or community during Read Aloud to a Child Month in November
Annual renewal includes everything above, plus:
• Eligibility to apply for annual RAN mini-grants ($250)
Visit the website at www.readaloudnebraska.org to fill out the short application form today!
I am currently reading Cosmic by British author Frank Cottrell Boyce and it is great fun! Liam is 12 years old but is tall and has some beard fuzz starting. He is frustrated because his height makes people think he is older and “should know better.” A series of circumstances put him on an experimental rocket with four children, he is supposed to be the responsible adult. Something went wrong and they are continuing out into space with no way to get home. Liam is recording the story to his parents on his cell phone. They think he is attending a Gifted and Talented week in the Lake District. Can’t wait to find out what happens!
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Golden Sower, Youth Grants, and Mockingjay!
I hope you have already heard that the nominee lists for the 2011-2012 Golden Sower are now available on the Golden Sower web page, click on “Nugget” then click on the booklists. Or you could go directly to:
http://www.goldensower.org/nugget/lists/2011_2012nominees.pdf
There are still a few I need to read!
Another reminder: the Library Commission’s Youth Grants for Excellence are now available and are due on October 1, 2010. Go to the Introduction and from there you can read about the requirements, criteria, etc., and scroll down to look at the application forms, the FAQ, the Application Evaluation Form, and more. Please contact me, if you have any questions.
I am about one fourth of the way through Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and am frustrated that I didn’t take today as a vacation day to relax at home and finish it. So far, I have every reason to believe it will be as good as I hoped. Katniss is recovering from her injuries from book two, Catching Fire, and learning about District 13 and all that it holds.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Coming in September:
“Bridging the Gender Gap: Enticing Boys to Books” with presenter Carole Fiore. What a great opportunity to have Carol Fiore come to Nebraska! She will talk about materials to purchase, activities to offer, and the developmental stages of boys. The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at two locations: September 14th at Aurora Public Library and 15th at Ole’s in Paxton. This is a terrific opportunity to hear a knowledgeable librarian speak on a topic of importance for children and teen librarians. The registration form is here. Scroll down to the entry titled “Boys and Books” and look for the link to the Carol Fiore flyer.
I just finished reading The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry. I have always loved fairy tales and this new, original fairy tale is fun and heart-warming. Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored. Her 16th Birthday Ball is a week away, and there she will have to choose one of her suitors to be her husband (and they are all humorously (but also sadly) repellent). But first, she decides to take on the persona of her maid and attend school in the village as a peasant. Her experiences at school for that one week may help to change her future, and that of the kingdom.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

‘Choose Your Own Adventure!’
Those of you who have been in children’s library services as long as I have will remember this series of books and how popular they were. According to an item on NPR, they are back in a new form as an iPhone application. See the article and interview of Edward Packard here. Kinda fun to be around to see such changes and adaptations, wonder what will be next?
I am currently reading Amazing Monty by Johanna Hurwitz. It is 106 pages and I just picked it up (it is a thin book with big type, sometimes just what I need!). Monty is a first-grader and he is an excellent reader. He is also quiet and shy but has been developing some confidence in himself. This is the third title about him, following Mostly Monty and Mighty Monty. Quiet books with some everyday action – a loose tooth, a substitute teacher, etc. – these titles will appeal to first graders who are also reading well, and slightly older readers who don’t mind that Monty is in first grade.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Mockingjay!
The third and final book in the Hunger Games series will be out on August 24, 2010 and Scholastic is promoting it with some give-aways. They are holding a Hunger Games 13 District Tour; you are invited to visit 13 different blogs, each on a certain date, and register to try to win some terrific prizes. Visit Scholastic’s blog to learn about the sites and get started on your tour of the 13 Districts. I hope some Nebraska libraries win prizes!
I picked up a library copy of Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley, inspired by the contest won by Lindsey and Gordon (see my blog posting of 7/23/10). Mina is 16 and a junior in high school. Her parents are vampires, but they have regular jobs and serve regular food at dinner time. Mina finds out she must attend vampire lessons twice a week for a month, and then she’ll have to decide if she wants to remain human or become a vampire. Great fun so far!
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Congratulations!
Let’s all give a cheer for Lindsey Tomsu and Gordon Wyant who are the lucky winners of the recent Still Sucks to Be Me Launch Contest and have won a visit to the La Vista library from the author Kimberley Pauley. The author combined their entries when she learned how close their libraries are. Visit her announcement here and find out what percentage of the vote the Nebraska entry received. (Woo-hoo!)
I checked out a copy of Sucks to Be Me from the Lincoln City Libraries so I can catch up with all the teen readers in La Vista and Bellevue. (And be ready for the sequel!)
I just started Crunch by Leslie Connor and it is already intriguing. The parent left on a semi truck delivery route and are now stuck close to Canada since the gas shortage went from a shortage to nothing – no gas anywhere. It is now a gas ‘crunch’ according to one character. The kids can handle things at home; Lilly is 18, Dewey (the main character) is 14, Vince is 13, and the twins Angus and Eva are 5. And… they have a bike repair shop and business is booming. (Maybe too much…)
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Have You Heard the One About…?
One of the posts on YALSA-BK contained information about the new, upcoming Jon Scieszka book Guys Read: Funny Business. Here is a link to a YouTube video promoting the new book, due out September 21! If you can, take a look at it, great fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCd9ln6Y5Cs
Titled: Guys Read: Funny Business – The Joke
It has a number of well-known authors telling a joke. In alphabetical order (not joke telling order) are:
Mac Barnett, Eoin Colfer, Christopher Paul Curtis, Kate DiCamillo (the only female), Paul Feig, Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, Adam Rex, Jon Scieszka, and David Yoo.
I’m looking forward to reading the book!
I’m in the middle of Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman. I am a fan of her titles Catherine, Called Birdy, The Midwife’s Apprentice and Matilda Bone and this title is in the same vein. Meggy, unable to walk without her two sticks, has been sent to London to live with her father, an alchemist, and someone she knew nothing about. He was expecting a boy and is quite disappointed with Meggy. London is very different from her former home of village and countryside, but she is trying to fit in and find her place.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Carnegie Medal:
Congratulations to Neil Gaiman, who has won the Carnegie Medal with The Graveyard Book. The Guardian notes in their column of Thursday, June 24: He is “the first author ever to win the Carnegie and the Newbery medals with the same book.” Quite an accomplishment!
For more information on England’s top award for children’s literature, visit their home page, http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/home/index.php.
You can watch his acceptance speech, if you wish, it contains some great quotes:
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2010awards/media_ceremony.php?file=1.
I just finished Rikers High by Paul Volponi. Martin (17), was accused of ‘steering,’ telling a police officer where to buy marijuana. He has been waiting for his court date for five months, a long time due to some unusual circumstances. While he waits, he does his best to avoid conflict and ends up going to school on the island. The author has reworked his adult novel Rikers, into this book aimed at teen readers. Volponi taught for six years on Rikers Island and much of what is in this book actually happened, though the reader does not know which of the events are true.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Free audio books download
Take a look at SYNC , part of a new social networking site for people who enjoy audio books. Starting July 1 and running through September 1, you and your patrons are welcome to download one young adult title per week and one classic title paired with that book’s theme. There is no charge and you do not have to join the Audiobook Community, sponsor of the downloads, in order to download the titles through Overdrive. They are in MP3 format and are compatible with Windows and Mac. Go to the SYNC website to see the list of titles and the dates they will be available.
I just finished Far From Gringo Land by Edward Myers. Rick (17) travels from his home in Colorado to spend the summer living with some family friends, the Romeros, in Santo Domingo, Mexico. He is there to improve his Spanish and help them build a new house. He has a little culture shock and some discomfort at first with the family, he hasn’t seen them for ten years. The work is back-breaking, but he is determined to work as hard as his hosts. A look at another culture through the eyes of an American teen. The novel is based on the author’s own experiences.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Girls’ State
Girls’ State was held in Lincoln last week and the Library Commission hosted a visit from seven attendees who were representing the Commission director and our six Commissioners. They only had an hour with us but it was a wonderful visit. Rod Wagner and I talked a bit about services the Commission provides and asked them some questions about libraries. All seven are enthusiastic library users and supporters. When I asked them what they would like to tell librarians, here was the answer from the entire group, “Ask us what books and authors we would like you to add to the library, and then buy some of them for us to use.” I mentioned budget cuts and they know that is the case, but please buy a few titles suggested by teens. So, please get out an old Suggestion Box or find another method to ask teens (and children) to let you know of any books or authors they would like to see in the library. Thank you, from Girls’ State. 🙂
I borrowed This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer from the library. (her blog: http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/ ) It is the third book, following Life As We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone. In the front the author says, “For Anyone Who Ever Wondered What Happened Next” so this is the first book dedicated to me! (and to everyone else). We rejoin Miranda, her mother and brothers, Matt and Jon in May, and soon the first year anniversary of the event is noted. Miranda and her brothers begin to scavenge the empty houses in town for clothing, heaters (sometimes there is electricity) and toiletries. Not sure how much to give away… Miranda’s father, step-mother and baby brother appear on their doorstep one day, with some friends in tow, including Alex and Julie Morales.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Win a chance to have Sharon Flake visit your school!
I heard about this opportunity on the YALSA-BK mail list. The contest is open from June 1, 2010 – August 13, 2010. First, interested students should read any or all of Sharon Flake’s books. Then they need to write a 500 word essay about how one of Flake’s novels, short stories, or poems has affected his or her life or changed the way he or she looks at their community. This reading contest is open to students in grades 5 – 12 who live in the lower 48 states. All essays are due by Friday, August 13, 2010. Email essays to flake.sharon@gmail.com. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. For details, check out the contest page: http://www.sharongflake.com/4u/contests/ It would be great if a student in Nebraska won!
I am in the first third of The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan. Gabrielle (Gabry) lives in Vista with her mother, Mary (from The Forest of Hands and Teeth). Gabry is frightened of the world outside the village’s walls, but one night her friends talk her into climbing the wall and exploring with them, with horrible consequences. As a result of this terrible event, Gabry and her mother talk; Gabry is shocked to hear her mother’s whole story, and chides her for not trying harder to find and rescue her friends after she was safe. Mary leaves the next day to do just that. Now Gabry must decide what she will do.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Fantastic Fiction
Recently Kathryn here at the Commission mentioned another useful site to me. It is called Fantastic Fiction and the URL is http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ . She said “It is wonderful for finding books in series as well as providing bibliographies in general and I have found it to be very accurate.” So I took a look and she is right! It is full of information. I especially enjoyed the times that authors recommended books (not all do). Enter an author’s name on the search button and when you scroll down to the bottom of his or her page, there may be a “so-and-so recommends” section. Rick Riordan recommends two books on his page. Kathryn noted that Stephenie Meyer recommends some titles too. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/stephenie-meyer/). Thanks, Kathryn!
And while I’m at it, I would like to mention (again) the place to go to learn how to pronounce an author’s name: http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronunciations.cgi?nid=3792&rid= There are a lot more authors represented there since I first heard about it in March of 2008!
I just finished Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret. A lot of the story takes place in Nebraska, although not many towns are named. (Alliance is!) Sunny, 13, has been in foster care since her mother and grandmother died in a car accident when she and her twin, Starr, were three. The twins were separated and Sunny went through two relatives before ending up in Nebraska. She has been in several foster homes, always hoping someday to reunite with her sister. When she finds some cash on a trail she tries to find the owner, and then runs away using the money to finance her trip to find her sister. A rescued dog, boys playing a trick, and a tornado make the trip harder. A strong determined girl who always tries to do the right thing is unwilling to give up on her dream, though it may not turn out as she wishes.

Super Summer Sweepstakes
Listed under the Parents section of the HarperCollins web page, is an opportunity to win eight picture books by various authors including Mo Willems, Neil Gaiman, and Jane Collins. Visit Super Summer Sweepstakes to see the titles and to enter, and let me know if you win!
I checked Savvy by Ingrid Law out of the library and am enjoying it immensely. Mibs is about to turn thirteen, and in her unusual family that is the day they each get their “savvy,” something special they are able to do. One of her brothers can affect electricity; another can bring windy, rainy weather. No one knows what Mibs will be able to do on her birthday. Then her father is badly injured in a car accident two days before her birthday and all Mibs can think about is if he will get well. An exceptional, touching story deserving of the Newbery Honor it received last year.