Books that make readers

McElroy begins reviews with The New Kid, in which 3rd grader, Carson, moves to a new community, and a new school. She was not as enamored with this book as with others reviewed which leads to a discussion of the concept of "for every book a reader and for every reader a book." Hauser reviews the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels. In this series, Scott, is a 20 something with little direction in his life, who spends his time playing in a band and living off the generosity of his friends, until he meets Ramona. An interesting aspect of the book is that many of the characters are not very likeable, but they are all interesting. Mauser finishes the review segment with Un Lun Dun, a modern fantasy set in an alternate London, where the fog has developed consciousness, milk cartons can become pets, and broken umbrellas join an evil army. Un Lun Dun is a fun book for grades 5 and up.

In the second segment we discuss the books that made us readers. It seems almost every reader has a favorite from childhood, whether a picture book or a series, that stands out from the rest. For us, My Puppy is Born, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Mists of Avalon, showed us the world through a different lens and connected us to reading. These magical books, wrapped in fond memories, helped us to become the readers we are today. Please share with us your books by answering the question, "What is the book that made you a reader?"

Resolutions, Romance, and Peculiar Children

Hauser begins reviews with Shot Through the Heart, a romantic comedy centered around friendships, new relationships, traditions, and an enormous water fight. A great light hearted read, Shot Through the Heart is recommended for middle school and high school libraries.
McElroy reviews the picture book, Squirrel's New Year's Resolution. This charming book, requested by a teacher at McElroy's school, was written by fellow librarian, Pat Miller. Through Squirrel's efforts to find a resolution, she discovers she doesn't need to create a new resolution, she can continue with something she already does well.
Mauser shares Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Written as a retelling of a family story, this book examines the strange happenings on an island once used as a home for "peculiar children." Filled with intriguing black and white photographs, this tale offers fun for those who like things that are a bit odd and creepy.

In the second segment we discuss New Year's Resolutions both personally and professionally and encourage readers to share their resolutions with us. Please leave your ideas in the comments!

Meanwhile, Gifts, and Mysteries

The weather has finally cooperated and we were able to record outdoors at Spiderhouse.  McElroy began the book reviews with Rabbit's Gift, a beautiful picture book about the riches of sharing.  Rabbit finds two turnips and decides to share with Donkey, who in turn shares with goat, and so on.  By the end, all the animals come together to share a feast.  Mauser continues with The Chronicles of Harris Burdick.  We all loved the original Mysteries of Harris Burdick, and as Mauser points out, one of the wonderful things about that book is that it leaves the stories up to the reader's imagination.  The new book seems to take the magic from the original book which sparked conversation about the possibilities of the stories.  Hauser reviews the comic, Meanwhile, which allows readers to choose a storyline.  In Meanwhile, the panels are connected by tubes which travel in various directions and back and forth across different pages. 
The second segment involves a discussion of what 21st century libraries means.  There are many resources online for librarians to refer to parents and administrators on the AASL website.