Katie Saves the Circus

Google Docs and Netbooks

2010-04-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

I just love using Google Docs. It makes my life so much easier and keeps my work lap top much neater. Create a new document at home- work on it on my sister's lap top - open it up on my work desk top. No flash drive to misplace, no disorderly desk tops, and no attachments too big to upload to an email.

This love for Google Docs is getting me thinking about our future family computer. Currently we have a MacPro which we love, however it is over five years old and Logan has picked off several keys. Needless to say- our Mac is on its last legs. Right now we are saving for a house so we do not have the money to spend on a new Mac. After talking to several librarian friends and doing some research- I think a netbook maybe our next family computer. Matt is the only one saving anything to the computer (I do everything via Google Docs, Shutterfly, and Snapfish) and I am slowly teaching him how to use Google Docs so we do not need a huge hard drive. Just need something to upload our Logan and Otto pictures and get on the web.

Anyone out there with a netbook? What are your thoughts, raves, criticisms?

We the People Bookshelf Grant

2010-04-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I received an email from NEH:
Congratulations!

Your library is among the 4,000 libraries selected to receive the We the People "More Perfect Union" Bookshelf. The books and other materials will be shipped to libraries on April 13, 2010. Within a few weeks, you will also receive under separate cover a formal letter from Jim Leach, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, recognizing your library's participation in the We the People “More Perfect Union" Bookshelf project.
NEH is grateful to the United States Congress for its strong support of the We the People Bookshelf program. We are alerting your Senators and your United States House of Representatives member that you have received this award. In the past, some Members of Congress have held public events to publicize the award of books. Before you announce your award publicly, we would encourage you to contact your district’s congressional office to see if your Member of Congress would like to be involved.
On Tuesday, April 13, NEH will issue a press release to notify the press and the public about the Bookshelf awards. We ask that you not make a public announcement of your award before then. You will find a sample press release at http://publicprograms.ala.org/bookshelf/resources.
Thank you for your interest in the “More Perfect Union” Bookshelf. We look forward to hearing more about how you use this opportunity to promote discussion in your library, school or community about our nation’s history, aspirations and ideals, as reflected in these outstanding works of literature.
This is the third year in a row that I have received this grant for my Library and I cannot say it enough- the We the People Bookshelf grant is amazing. Twenty beautiful books, plus curriculum gifts, and bonus goodies. The applying process is simple- one hour max to apply, as well a simply final report. These books are wonderful gifts especially for libraries with a limited budget. This year's grant includes the following books:
Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni
A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution by Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Una unión más perfecta: la historia de nuestra constitución by Betsy and Giulio Maestro (translated by Aída E. Marcuse)
When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Muñoz Ryan
César ¡Sí, se puede! by Carmet T. Bernier-Grand (Spanish edition)
César ¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Eagle Song by Joseph Bruchac
The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz
Darby by Jonathon Scott Fuqua
Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Beals
Lincoln Shot: A President’s Life Remembered by Barry Denenberg
Hitch by Jeanette Ingold
The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. DuBois
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph Ellis
Lincoln in His Own Words by Milton Meltzer
Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson
Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose
Ángeles asesinos by Michael Shaara (translated by Manuel de los Reyes)
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
And GOODIES!!!
The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns
The Civil War: An Illustrated History by Geoffrey Ward, Ric Burns, Ken Burns
Declaring Independence: The Origin and Influence of America’s Founding Document edited by Christian Y. Dupont

ALA Midwinter Booty

2010-01-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in this post- Matt and I went away for the weekend and I had limited internet access. Midwinter was a blast. I'm sorry I only had one night but I had wonderful time staffing the MSLA booth and I met a number of LMS from out of state and I got to talked to Deb Logan (she's swell). It was opening night on Friday so there was a ton of free (good) food- the Sisters in Crime booth was even passing out wine (which they refused to give to me because I did not have my license on me- grrrr- but I still love them). I cannot believe all the free stuff I got at ALA Midwinter. I received a number of preview copies from a number of publishers. Including:
A Whole Nother Story
Fat Vampire
Green Witch
Bone: Tall Tales
Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf (new Kathryn Lasky)
The Last Summer of the Death Warriors
The Suburb Beyond the Stars

I also got a number of free posters, children's games, and an adorable Very Hungry Caterpillar cut out for the first day of Spring. I am a little bummed because I cannot go to ALA in DC but there is always next year.

ALA Midwinter

2010-01-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

Guess who is going to ALA Midwinter in Boston. This LMS!

And- I will be working the MSLA booth on the Exhibition Hall on Friday night. All my Library peeps come over and say "Hi."

Goodreads book review- A Thousand Shades of Blue

2010-01-10T18:41:00.001-08:00

A Thousand Shades of Blue by Robin Stevenson

Rachel is living out millions of high school students dream- sailing to the Bahamas (with her family), going to the beach everyday, and doing her schoolwork via correspondence. However, her life is not what it seams. First- Rachel's family is leaving behind her older sister Emma (who was left brain damage after a car hit her when she was six). Second- her mom starts having an affair with another "cruiser" named Will. Rachel's distant father- Mitch- continues with the facade that they are the perfect family, her younger brother, Tim- prefer books more than anything and Rachel finds herself smother by her family's dishonesty. Her only solace is her friendship with Becca- a nineteen year old on her on sailing trip and her crush on twenty-five year old Col- a well know player. When everything comes to a head when Tim runs off one night- Rachel let's everything all out- her resentful towards her parents, her guilt towards Emma, and her feelings for Col. Her parents take a short break from each other and her mom takes the kids to Nassau to figure things out. On their mini 'vacation" Rachel confronts her mother about her affair. While her mother is uncertain about the future- she is clear that she does not want Tim and Rachel to slip away from her like she thinks Emma did all those years ago.A Thousand Shades of Blue is ok at best. Rachel is the token want to be rebellious teen with the dyed black and blue hair hanging with the "not so right" crowd. Her angst makes it impossible for her to like her father and confront her mother about her affair (she just lets it build up inside of her). Stevenson has too many plot lines going on at once- Emma's accident, Mitch's work, and Rachel's relationship with Becca and Col. Too many things going on at once for a fairly regular size YA novel (231 pages). The mini getaway with Mom, Rachel, and Tim was too packed (it only was twenty pages long but it was too intense). Ending was not satisfying- the family agrees to continue to sail on together but there is no real resolution. View all my reviews >>

Congrats to Katherine Paterson

2010-01-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

Ok- so it was a rough day for me. Professionally- it was my first day back from Christmas Vacation (although it was a great day at school). Personally- my favorite part of the morning (besides Starbucks)- the Sandbox is no more. WFNX cancelled my morning radio show. NOT COOL WFNX. Follow Bostonians can read more on Boston.com.

However excited news in the world of children's literature today. Newbery Award winner Katherine Paterson was appointed National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Gasps:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6713507.html?desc=topstory

Yay for Katherine Paterson.

Grants keeping us a float

2010-01-01T19:05:00.001-08:00

This school year I have been looking for small grants to help maintain my LMC's collection. My budget is zero but that is expected during this recession (hey- I cannot complain, I still have a job). There is money out there but one needs to look and apply. Grant writing- it can be a thankless task. You have to write the proposal on your own time and you may not get the award. However, if you are rewarded the grant- it makes it all worth it.

If you haven't written a grant before- start small- start locally. Some city and states have small grants for libraries or literacy. On a national level- the Laura Bush Foundation will award up to $6000 for books and magazines (the deadline was December 31st but start thinking about next year). NEH and ALA's We the People Bookshelf Grant awards 20 books to libraries that will do programming around the titles (the grant also comes with extras like curriculum kits, art books, and DVD). Small grants will have a simple application and require a brief abstract and a general budget.

When you are awarded the grant- most sponsors will require a simple letter after a year stating the impact the grant had on the Library. If you are not awarded the grant- ask to see the scoring rubric so you know where you went wrong. Do not let it discourage you from applying to other grants.

Grants are a great way to get recognition from your administration, especially during these tough economic times. Try it out- apply for a grant. Trust me- when you are awarded your first one- you will be hooked.

New American Girl Doll

2009-12-31T09:48:00.000-08:00

Lanie

Needless to say- I am very excited about this. I love NWF and their publications for kids (Ranger Rick)and American Girl- so I feel this is going to be a giant Katie C. love feast! Hmmmm- how long will I wait to get Lanie.

samantha's herstory

2009-07-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

i spent my night reading the complete samantha parkington books from the american girl doll series.

yup- admit it you are all jealous.

and for the first time ever i read the looking back. they only girl that i read the "looking back" information was for the addy series for the book club i ran but i never read it for the rest of the girls (which is weird because i love history). the "looking back" section for samantha was very disappointing. samantha's birthday / spring story probes into the suffragists (remember aunt cornelia was one of the speakers at the rally). however the "looking back" barely talks about the women's rights movement. sad face.
i still love you american girls.

Book review Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond

2009-05-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond by Steve Voake

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Daisy Dawson is back in her second adventure! Daisy has a unique gift- she can listen and talk to animals. This talent comes in handy for Daisy's habitat project for school. Daisy's animal friends- Boom the dog and Cyril the squirrel, help Daisy get a picture of Spray and Dampsy, the very shy otters that live in the river by her home. Daisy Dawson is a very likable female heroine- she smart and compassionate. Students that are avid animal lovers will love her and her animal friends. The one flaw with the book is the reading level versus the interest level. The reading level is more for intermediate grades (3-4); however the interest level is more for the primary grades. Voake's writing style is more on the sophisticated side for emerging readers. Daisy does make a great read-aloud though

View all my reviews.

Sigh

2009-04-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/04/23/school_cuts_put_libraries_in_danger/

Three district are looking to cut their media programs. I have been down this word and it is rough. What administrators and school committees realize that when they lay off media specialists- they are losing more- money and expertise wise. For example, when my position was cut in Peabody, the school lost $10,000+ in databases. $13000 in grants, and countless of free books and database trials. In addition- I was the only one that knew how to truly utilize the schools technology. GRRR.

bursting with good news

2009-04-07T19:34:00.001-07:00

but i cannot yet reveal- all in good time...

Vote Vote Vote!

2009-04-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

My fellow MSLA-ers-
Please cast your 2009 Leadership ballots! You are voting for Secretary, Treasurer, and Regional Directors. I am on the ballot for Northeast Director along with Christine Steinhauser.

And- if you haven't already- please mail out your postcards. Let your voice be heard! It is a wonderful way to support yourself, your library, your fellow msla-ers, and libraries if you can not be at the Statehouse tomorrow (like me).

MSLA 2009

2009-03-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

I will be speaking at the MSLA Conference this year (October 4th and 5th). My session is entitled "Web 2.0 Made Easy (even a 2nd Grader could use it). I will be talking about how to use Web 2.0 applications in elementary libraries. Trust me- it will be a very good time.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

2009-03-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Logan is the luckiest boy- who else gets a present for Dr. Seuss's B-Day!

Too bad the snow cancelled school and the guest readers :(

Don't foget

2009-01-11T06:08:00.001-08:00

New Gossip Girl this Monday!

I finally did it!

2009-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the 1st string of the Gossip Girl series. And I loved it! OK some Katie highlights:

*Favorite Main Character: Blair (of course she is so bitchy)
*Favorite Secondary Character: Chuck Bass (as mentioned in a previous post).
*Favorite Book of the series: you're the one that i want. Blair gets rejects to almost all of her schools and is wait listed at Yale, Serena yet again gets everything and is accepted into all the school she applies to (ditto for Nate). Vanessa works on her documentary and gets back together with Dan. They move in with disastrous results. Jenny becomes a model (hehehe). And Nate and Blair finally do it!
I am currently working my way through the It Girlseries, then I'm thinking about starting Twilight.

First the Egg (book review)

2008-12-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
my mil gave this book to our son for christmas and i absolutely fell in love with it. the book takes a very basic look at various life cycles. the illustrations are beautiful- simple, tasteful, do an excellent job of telling the story. this would be an excellent addition to any pre-k - grade 2 science lesson on life cycles!

View all my reviews.

chuck bass

2008-12-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

i love gossip girls- both the tv shows and the book series. my favorite character in both the books and the show is chuck bass- the richest, most spoilest young man. if you follow the show and do not read the books- they are pretty different. the books are pretty light compared to the tv show and there is definitely more of a careless, we are rich and rule the world attitude among the characters.

i love the way ed weswick portrays the current heir of bass industries (whoops- spoiler but if you did not know this by now- then you are not a true fan)- dark but with a little but of heart and of course arrogent.

needless to say- in the book chuck is different. first of all- in the book chuck sports around a monkey named "sweetie," who is chuck's best friend. sweetie sports a monogrammed sweater and accompanies chuck to class.

in the book- chuck did not get into any college. what does he do- he starts sporting a cadet beret and plans to enter military school.

chuck bass in the book does not pine after blair- but decides to turn gay and during one point- bleaches his hair.

i love you chuck- so this blog entry is dedicated to you!

2008-12-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Emma-Jean is not like most middle school students- she prefers study trees and other flora. She uses logic and rationale to solve problems. When she finds Claudia crying in the girls room- her life slowly begins to change. Emma-Jean believes she can solve Claudia's problem with her best friend Kaitlyn. When she proves to be successful, Emma-Jean believes she can solve other's problems, like finding a wife for her mothers border Vikram or solving Will's science grade issue. Then Claudia's solution backfires and Claudia gets mad at Emma-Jean. Emma-Jean decides she does not need to solve everyone's problems and she slowly tries to relate to her follow students.

Tarshis creates amazing character! All the likable characters in the book are lovable! Emma-Jean is an unique character with a wonderful soul. Claudia is a relatable character whom any middle school girl with a heart can relate to. The unlikable character's you hate- Laura you just want to punch in the face- the way she picks on poor Claudia and puts down Laura. You want to push for Vikram to get together with Ms. Williams. I basically wanted to live in this book. I cannot wait to put the book on my Library shelves for students to check out!

View all my reviews.

energy / money saver library

2008-12-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

Today my principal sent out an email about energy and other cost saving measures. The big things covered- turn off lights when you are not in the classroom, limit copies, turn off the computers at the end of the day. The library has over 30 computers so I can see where we can help save by turning them off at the end of the day (I have SynchroEyes software, turning them off is no problem, turning them on is a pain but if it means it can save a few jobs- it is a sacrifice I am willing to make). Other ideas I'm trying out this year-

Doing one set of copies a week. That means more group projects and using my Quia subscription more. So far I love this- it cuts back what I have to grade and saves more time;
One set of crayons out per term. Each of my tables have a set of crayons and markers. In the past I replace the crayons when they start to break (this meant I was replacing them every other week). This has been rough so far but since I told the kids they have these the rest of the term- they have been taking better care of the books
Curbing used donations. I know this sounds snobby but by limiting what I take from used donations- I am saving bar codes, tape, and spine labels. Used books get two- five turnovers at most. Bar codes are expensive.

Any other cost saving measures out there? Please sure

To be Mona

2008-12-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

To Be Mona by Kelly Easton

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
High school Sage is trying everything to fit in- wear the right clothes, losing weight, and trying to make herself noticeable (in a good way). She wants everything to come together, just like it does for popular Mona. However, nothing ever works right for Mona. One of her major obstacles is her crazy mother who cannot hold down a setting job, pay the bills, or even fill the fridge. Mona's only escape is her best friend Vern and his perfect family. Only now, Vern wants to be more than "just friends". Vern constantly is bringing up going out on dates, going to the prom together, and even getting married. Things only get worse when in an attempt to make Sage jealous, Vern agrees to take the popular and over sexually Cassandra to the prom. Dreams to come true for Sage- the very popular football player, Roger Willis takes notice of her and ask her out. That dream soon becomes a nightmare for Sage, Roger is controlling and abusive. He tells her she cannot talk to Vern anymore. Eventually things come together for Sage- Vern's parents get help for her mother, Mona is not that perfect as she seems, Sage breaks up with Roger. Vern and Sage become best friends again!

Each of the chapters of the book are told by the books different characters- Sage, Vern, Roger, and one character referred as "Wal-Mart" but was at first only referred as to as Walter before (thus making me very confused), which makes the book very difficult to get into and to follow. The characters are very static-Sage is the school outcast that wants to be popular, Vern is the nerdy guy that does not know how hot his nerdiness is so he pines for the girl next door (who is Sage)... it feels like a typical YA book about fitting in. I definitely recommend this read for anyone into chic lit because it is not too heavy and it reminds me of a Lifetime movie

View all my reviews.

Strike a Yoga Pose

2008-12-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

Peaceful Piggy Yoga by Kerry Lee Maclean

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Who can do yoga? Anyone! Moms and dads do yoga to relax, ballerinas do yoga to help with their balance, and babies do yoga and they do not mean to do yoga. Pigs teach yoga poses that anyone, especially kids can do. From the candlestick pose to the warrior pose- kids can learn basic yoga poses.

Piggy yoga is a delightful fun books that promotes well being. Each page has a new pose and a different type of person that uses yoga and how yoga helps them. On the pose page, MacLean is a detail description on how to do the pose and includes a clear illustration of the pose. This book is a great way to get your health and gym teachers into your library!

View all my reviews.

Miss Arabella is a hit among caterpillars

2008-12-01T17:43:00.001-08:00

Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Arabella is thrilled when she finds a tiny caterpillar. The caterpillar crawls all over her, her mother and little brother. When her mother tells her to "put away her caterpillar," Arabella makes it a home complete with leaves and cabbage to eat. Soon enough her tiny caterpillar becomes big and creates its cocoon. Arabella waits for her new friend to emerge. When the cocoon cracks and her friend reappears, Arabella is pleasantly surprise to discover it is no longer a caterpillar but a beautiful butterfly.

Jarrett's work is beautifully written and illustrated. She does a wonderful job incorporating the life cycle of a butterfly into a picture book for young learners (Pre-K through 2nd). At the end of the book, a simple glossary of terms are included. The pictures are simple and colorful. They make it wonderful for a story time or a read aloud. This book is a definite have for a butterfly unit.

View all my reviews.