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READING STYLE GUIDE

Book Deserts: Another View

2/18/2020

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Recently schools and libraries have considered the problem of “book deserts.” These are generally described as geographic areas where there are few books for young people and families to read. This is a serious issue which certainly needs to be addressed.  The research of Susan Neuman and the United for Literacy's quantified literacy landscape interactive map are well-worth studying.

I have been considering another type of book desert. It's an abundance of bound and printed material sitting on shelves. Books remain silent and static. Untouched. Never noticed.  The books are there. But they have been deserted. Why?

The Problem

I work for two nonprofit organizations serving specific populations. Both receive large quantities of donated books. Many beautiful brand-new volumes are offered by generous donors. Previously books were piled onto shelves. This resulted in enormous chaotic stacks of reading material.
​This post describes the changes that I implemented in the Book Shop at Ronald McDonald House.
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My first order of business was to change the arrangement from massive piles of books to neatly shelved books with all spines facing out. I also limited the selections to children's books. It looked better. Afterward, there was a slight increase in reading activity.
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I decided to take book organization one step further. Approximately half of the books were displayed with covers facing out. The remaining half were shelved by topic or series, with the spines facing out. Altering the display resulted in increased use of books. 

Could I Do More?

I was convinced that there was a better way to offer books to these children. I began tracking usage. I asked: What made a book inviting to these young readers? Why were children attracted to certain displays? What books held little interest? Which books were in high demand?
Here's what I discovered:
  • It is better to have fewer books. An overabundance of books is difficult for youngsters to browse. Especially when dealing with nausea and other side effects,  selecting a book should simple, not a chore. This requires frequent monitoring of the selections, replenishing and refreshing stock as needed.
  • Pay attention to what the youngsters are interested in. Fill shelves with books that tie-in to popular TV shows, movies, games, and other forms of media. Consider the entertainment factor. Interacting with text and/or illustrations should be fun.
  • Make book displays attractive and engaging. Place as many books as possible with the covers facing out. Include some board games, puzzles, activity and coloring books as well as wearable items such as book buttons, paper crowns etc. A local book shop donates cardboard display stands. This gives the area a dimensional effect which invites youngster to come and explore. I modify the stands slightly to fit the space and the interests of the children.
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It defeats the purpose of creating a book area if shelves are brimming with books but no one is reading them.  
It is important to carefully curate the books offered to youngsters. Frequently ask readers what they like. Try new books and display approaches.
When a child finds "just the right book" that will help them through a tough round of treatment, it's a good day.
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Book Fandom

3/26/2019

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The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli

"You'll...read a book...with me?"
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What's with all the pink? Lately there has been a resurgence of pink, strikingly pink books. For the record, I like pink books. In fact, pink book cover groupings were one of our most popular library displays. People seem to like their book covers pink.  
But let's get back to Greg Pizzoli's latest title for young readers. This charming little piggie travels around town on his Vespa, searching for books. (Okay the vehicle is green. But is serves as a nice color contrast to the omnipresent pink.) 
But here's the kicker: although he has an extensive collection of books, Hog doesn't know how to read.
One day, he happens upon a long low building filled with books. He's in hog heaven! When he attempts to abscond with an armload of books, the gentle librarian, Miss Olive offers to read with him.
He has found unlimited books and a caring person who will share books with him. He is hooked. He brings books from home, borrows books from the library, and with the patient tutelage of the librarian, Hog learns to read. Readers will find several PIzzoli books make cameo appearances: Owl, Number One Sam, Templeton, The Watermelon Seed. The bedtime stack of book spines reveal an extensive reading assortment. Everything from classics such as Harry Potter and Charlotte's Web to the graphic novel El Deafo and picture book Du Iz Tak?  Readers may choose to create their own visual stack of favorite books.
The Book Hog is a celebration of books, stories, reading, learning to read, libraries, librarians, storytime, and Summer Reading. Let the good times begin.  Note: Contrary to Hog, it is best not to read while operating a moving vehicle.
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Go Hog Wild for Pizzoli Books

Can't stop with just one book by Greg Pizzoli? Try these classic picture books.  Also be sure to check out his illustrations for the My Little Cities board book series by Jennifer Adams. The San Francisco book is featured in the Spring 2019 Reading Style Guide.
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Bonus: Buttons!

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The children that I often work with adore buttons. They can't get enough of them and I'm always running out of buttons to hand put into little hands.
This Book Hog button is the best!  I wish that I had a wholesale account and could order a dozen dozen, i.e. a gross. 
My little readers would snatch them up in a heartbeat.
​Any way to get these from a retail source?
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 26, 2019  Publisher: Disney-Hyperion  ISBN: 978-1368036894
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Black History Month

2/1/2019

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Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson ill Don Tate

The teaching of the whole truth will help us in the direction of a real democracy.
​Carter G Woodson 1944
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Deborah Hopkinson introduces young readers to an important historical figure: Carter G. Woodson.

​Born in 1875, the son of a formerly enslaved father and mother, young Carter grew up hearing the stories of his Virginian parents' struggles. Times were hard for this family. As a result, Woodson left school in his early teens to labor as a farm-hand, garbage collector, and coal miner. He and other West Virginia coal miners were often invited to the home of Oliver Jones, a Civil War veteran. Carter would read the newspapers to Jones and the other miners, researching and answering their questions.
​At age 20, he moved back to Virginia, graduating from high school. He went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees. At age thirty-seven, he was the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University. His life's work centered on researching and promoting Black history. This historian and educator established Negro History Week in 1926. He is recognized as the father of Black History Month.
Hopkinson sprinkles quotes from Woodson throughout the text, giving an immediacy and relevancy to the narrative. This biography stresses of the importance of education, reading, and research. Like Carter, young readers can learn more about their world and work for positive change.
Don Tate's realistic illustration style features slightly enlarged heads. Memories are rendered in a monochromatic palette and to the side of a full-color full color portrait. The book features full page spreads highlighting significant events in Woodson's life: a crushing mine incident, reading a newspaper, and wearing full academic regalia on receiving a PhD from Harvard University. The cameo portraits of important African American individuals feature a variety of occupations and a spectrum of skin tones. Line drawings of historical individuals from Nzinga of Ndongo and Joseph Cinqué to contemporary figures such as Katherine Johnson and Colin Kaepernick are a bonus.
The book's value is significantly enriched with extensive back matter which includes a bibliography of online and print resources, an Author's Note, an Illustrator's Note, a roster of the forty-three Black leaders pictured throughout its pages, a timeline of Woodson's life and accomplishments, and quotation citations. A rich resource for teachers and students.
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Carter Reads the Newspaper is an excellent introduction to African American History Month.
Use this poster with a display of books featuring biographies, historical accounts, historical fiction, and other works by Black authors and illustrators.  Download a copy of the poster featuring an inspiring quote and art by Don Tate.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: February 1, 2019  Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company  ISBN: 978-1561459346
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Because of Books

9/4/2018

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Turning Pages: My Life Story 
by Sonia Sotomayor ill Lulu Delacre

My story is a story about books
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Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, has penned a tribute to the power of books and the pivotal role that they have played in shaping her life. Born and raised in New York City, Sotomayor is the product of a vibrant Puerto Rican culture. 
Books played an integral role in her young life. Superhero comic books encouraged her to be brave in the face of daily insulin shots. The local library provided solace following the death of her father. Mystery books meant searching for clues and figuring out puzzles. Novels invited her to discover the importance of law. The Bible gave her an appreciation for the importance of distinguishing right from wrong. A set of encyclopedias, science fiction, and the university library opened new vistas. Books became her maps, mirrors, lens for viewing the world, and loyal friends.
Turning Pages: My Life Story highlights the importance of reading and the value that knowledge from books can have in attaining one's goals.
Delacre ingeniously incorporates references to books with each illustration. Images throughout the pages contain direct references to the written word including posted signs, copies of newspapers, and naturally,  books. Two images stand out. First, Sonia sails in a paper boat, constructed from a printed page and her library card. "books were little boats that helped me escape sadness at home." Second, wearing her black robe, Justice Sotomayer ascends the steps to the Supreme Court Building. The steps are created from pages of legal documents. "Justice means treating people fairly under the law. It's also the name of what I am now - Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States."
End papers feature a collage of personal photographs. A timeline following the narration neatly encapsulates the life of this significant figure in United Stars history.
Books are keys that unlock the wisdom of yesterday and open the door to tomorrow.

Bonus

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Pasando páginas: La historia de mi vida, the Spanish edition is also available.
Meet Justice Sotomayor in this interview conducted during the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: September 4, 2018 Publisher: Philomel Books  ISBN: 978-0525514084
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Stories for All

7/2/2018

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The Book Tree by Paul Czajak ill Rashin Kheiriyeh

Books are dangerous! I don’t trust them. They act like seeds, which grow into ideas, and ideas turn into questions.
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Imagine a world without books. Paul Czajak invites youngsters to visit the fantastical world of Arlo, a boy who loves to read. One day, while nested in the branches of a tree with his book, misfortune strikes. The volume slips from his hands and lands upon the head of the mayor. Furious, the mayor immediately calls for the destruction of all books, as he deems them dangerous.
Arlo is bereft  when all books are torn apart and the pages float away. He is not the only one missing books. There are no more stories for children at nap time. Meals become dull, as there are no cookbooks to consult. The theater ceases to perform as there are no scripts to enact. Arlo determines that perhaps he can create stories of his own. His writing germinates a torn book page, buried deep within the earth. A book tree begins to grow, nourished by the stories Arlo writes and shares. Eventually the book tree is filled with books and the town springs back to life.
Illustrations underscore the universality of stories. Kheiriyeh chooses to use a collage of text images from a variety of alphabets and languages as books contents. The fanciful residents of the town are depicted with different skin tones. The limited color pallet of a strong red, soft aqua, and muted ochre yellow span multiple cultures.
People grew hungry for stories again. Some wrote their own stories and became book gardeners themselves.
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Meet the Author

​Paul Czajak began his professional career as a chemist. Making the shift from science to children's book author seems like a quantum leap. Czajak neatly refuses this supposition. 
​"​When it comes to science people have this idea that it is all numbers and equations, but in fact science is filled with creativity.  Go look at a picture of the Hadron Collider and try to tell me that didn’t take some serious imagination."
He is the author the Monster and Me series.  Monster Needs Your Vote might be an appropriate selection to read during this national election cycle.
​Paul has created coloring pages, which may be downloaded from his website.
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Meet the Illustrator

Iranian-American artist ​Rashin Kheiriyeh brings her distinctive style to fine art as well as children's book illustration. She is the recipient of numerous international awards including 2017 Sandak Fellow Award, six-time winner at the Bologna Book Fair, and Golden Apple Award at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB), Slovakia. 
Review based on an electronic copy.
Pub date: September 30,  2018       Publisher: Barefoot Books    ISBN: 978-1782854050
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Because of Delia

8/24/2017

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Yes. There will probably be a wait.
Yes. I am a librarian and always try to be prepared for such contingencies. ​
I stepped into the hair salon for my regularly scheduled trim, sporting an ARC of this fantastic new book from Tracey Baptiste: Rise of the Jumbies.  A lovely young lady who introduced herself as Delia informed me that she was ready to shampoo my hair. But then she noticed my book and proceeded to ask me about Baptiste's middle grade novel. The cover is that eye-arresting. Take a look for yourself. We chatted for a few minutes, forgetting all about the scheduled shampoo. Seriously, why worry about your hair when there are jumbies to discuss?
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Eventually we made our way back to the shampoo area and as the warm water streamed over the back of my head, Delia's slender fingers began to massage my tresses. Okay, they are rapidly thinning, but still for the sake of the story let’s imagine a flowing head of hair. Delia began to tell me her story. She was not a reader. Never enjoyed books. Then one day she saw a movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. She fell in love with Harry and his fantastic adventures. She sought out the movie sequels and viewed each film several times over. She couldn't get enough of the story so decided to try actually reading the books from which the movies were based. She was totally captivated by the stories and proceeded to read the entire series. Something clicked for her. She began to ask friends if there might be other books similar to Harry Potter that she might enjoy. Her friends were happy to offer her reading suggestions. Today she reads some literature for children and teens, however now she primarily  reads books written for adults. Delia discovered that she is drawn to books with a heavy philosophical bent. I thought about the original Rowling title Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and wondered to myself if perhaps there were a connection.
But this was only the beginning. Delia noticed that her eleven-year-old brother did not enjoy reading. She wondered if perhaps Harry Potter might cast its magical spell over him in a way similar to her own experience. Unfortunately this presented a bit of dilemma. Delia lives in South Texas and her younger brother lives in Chicago. The resourceful siblings found a solution. Each Sunday they would read together via Facetime.
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They take turns reading aloud from a chapter. Sometimes she reads to him. Sometimes he reads to her. Other days they each read silently and then stop and discuss as they proceed through the selection. Occasionally they both read a chapter in advance and make a list of things they want to talk about based on their reading. They mix it up. Each week they decide what works for them. The important thing is that they share a part of a book together once a week, building connections with the book, and more importantly, with each other. ​
I had a glorious shampoo and subsequently a splendid haircut.  
​I also left the salon with a renewed appreciation for J. K. Rowling, the Harry Potter series, modern technology that can connect families, and most of all for an older sister who shares a chapter of a book each week with her brother.  My day, the life of a young boy in Chicago, and ultimately the world are better because of Delia.
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    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

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