I can't give away holiday secrets but I will reveal that I have started my holiday shopping at my local bookstore. I have purchased "just the right gift" for several individuals on my shopping list. I can't believe how perfect each book is: just the right size, color, and shape. It's the ultimate Readers Advisory!

Local bookstores are celebrating with special events. Locate events near you. You can search for activities by state. You can also find activities with this alphabetical listing of participating stores.
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​See you at the bookstore this holiday season.
It's a great place to spend some quality time with your child and together find "just what you're looking for."

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?

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.

Happy Book Lover Day to all those whose shelves are spilling over with volumes and whose library hold list is longer than the grocery list. This is the day for those who can remember characters and scenes from books as if they were a part of real life because for this reader at least, they are a part of real life.
I owe the origin of my ongoing love of books to my mother. Books were an integral part of my childhood. In our home the bedtime ritual consisted of bath time, tooth brushing, donning snugly pajamas (with footies), and then curling up close to mother as she read us a story. Eventually mother would close the book. We'd beg for more. But mother remained firm. The next chapter would be waiting for us tomorrow night. She would tuck each of us in, kiss us goodnight. I would sigh and close my eyes, wondering what would happen next in the Hundred Acre Wood, if Jim Hawkins would escape Captain Long John Silver, and what magical place Mary Poppins would next take her charges to visit. It was the stuff of dreams. The perfect way to end each day.

​Ah, summer days with new books to read, a shady spot in the park and popsicles. Could there be anything better?

A doll created by my grandmother keeps company with a few of my childhood favorites. The pages are old and worn, the bindings are loose. In the case of my well-loved and well-used fairy tale collection, I covered the broken binding with strong adhesive tape because I refused to give up the book. These were my stories. I loved rereading them multiple times. Eventually I loved the cover completely off the book. 
Such books are some of my dearest and truest childhood friends. These books have shaped my life.

​Mother always made sure that we each received a gift-wrapped book for every holiday and special occasion. She took great care to select a book that she thought each of her children would enjoy and was immensely pleased when her selection became one of our favorites.
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I continue the tradition with my own family.  However now I also use spreads from picture book galleys as gift wrap. Here I used pages from Blizzard by John Rocco.

​Meet Madeline, the girl who likes many things, but never, no never reading. The struggle to make sense of the marks on a page is difficult. It becomes especially agonizing when she is asked to read aloud.  Her frustration becomes unbearable until one Saturday morning when the public librarian introduces her to a new friend, Bonnie the dog who enjoys sitting and listening. As it turns out,  that is precisely what Madeline needs to succeed at reading.

​There is much about Madeline Finn and the Library Dog that is reassuring: soft realistic images with muted page background color are warm and inviting. Her sense of isolation is evident in placement of figures. The face of a classmate making fun of her intensifies her pain. Notice her defiant pose on the title page and her face registering discouragement when she attempts to read, 
However, it's the images of Madeline and Bonnie sharing a book that tug at one's heartstrings. Papp has captured the wonder on Madeline's face and the patient attention of Bonnie as they read together.

​A group of teens met Miracle, a dog who spends her days visiting with children in schools. They were enchanted with this charming canine and wanted to give back some of the love that she shares with youngsters. They decided to organize a used towel and blanket drive for animals at a local shelter. It was a joyous day when they showed up at the shelter, arms laden with towels and blankets.
Miracle, like Bonnie, makes miracles happen in the lives of young children. These teens enjoyed sharing in that miracle.

From the time that he was an infant, Lucas was obsessed with one thing: flying. Looking towards the heavens, he dreamed of taking flight like a bird.  He tried creating his own sets of wings and then launching into the air from off of his bed. Failed attempts did not deter him. Lucas wanted nothing more than to take flight. It was his only wish. 
​One day, his mother places a book in his hands. Lucas is captivated by the contents of the book and begins to read voraciously. He discovers another way to fly.His world is filled with information and ideas and books. Lots and lots of books. He owns so many books that his stack of books becomes The Highest Mountain of Books in the World. 

Wouldn't it be fun to build a mountain of books?
It's a daunting task and not particularly practical.
I searched for an application for the "mountain of books" concept.
There are many charts of various configurations to log books read, but most involve filling in boxes on a sheet of paper.
Why not think vertically?
It would be possible to create vertical charts, similar to those used to record a child's height?  While such an idea is possible, it seems awkward and unwieldy to maintain. 
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But what if...
A log of reading was a length of string and books read became "kite tails"?  Book titles could be added to the string and suspended from the ceiling or top of a bulletin board. Because the tail is relatively lightweight and doesn't require staples or glue to maintain, it can be a simple visual recognition and celebration of books read.
The kite tail fits well with the concept of flight and creating a vertical record dovetails nicely with the message of this book.

Let reading take flight!
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