Good Books; or Titles that Every Elementary School Library Needs

When I took over the elementary school library where I currently work, the collection was (and still is to some extent) in shambles. The nonfiction section was severely outdated. The Reference section was still in possession of encyclopedias from the 1950’s. And the Easy section was moldy. No seriously, there was mold growing in the books.

After I purchased a dust mask and a pair of rubber gloves from the hardware store, I went to work weeding out all of the unused and potential biohazards from the collection. While I worked, I kept on a loop in my head a line from a presenter at a recent workshop, “the school library is not an archive, the school library is not an archive…”

One of the things that I discovered while weeding out picture books in the easy section was how strong the collection was with Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Berenstain Bears and how weak it was with original picture books and stories that teach. Aside from obtaining a few of the classics from well known authors, my goal was to purchase good down-to-earth children’s literature that would support the curriculum, provide instructional opportunities for staff, and motivate youngsters to read.

Over the last two years I’ve made my share of mistakes when purchasing books. I’ve bought books that were too hard, too long, too edgy and even a few that landed my butt in the principal’s office. I often found myself wishing that I had access to an annotated list or something similar that recommended “must haves” to new school librarians. Here is a short list of books, in no particular order, that every new school librarian should consider having in their clip.

Wolves by Emily Gravett – Clever. Very clever. A rabbit that goes to the public library to research its biggest fear: WOLVES!! Very well put together with excellent illustrations. Could be used to introduce research to lower level (K-3) grades.

Once Upon A Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O’Malley- The story is told from the perspective of a young boy and young girl who argue back and forth about how to put together a fairy tale for their English project. Students will indentify with at least one of the characters, and will be drawn to the illustrations. I don’t read many picture books to 4th and 5th graders but this book is extremely popular.

Where Did Daddy’s Hair Go? by Joe O’Connor- A great character education book that discusses how every individual is unique. I blogged about this a few weeks ago.

Dogzilla and KatKong by Dav Pilkey - Dogzilla is included in the Houghton Mifflin reading series. Students love the animals as the main characters and the illustrations are uncommon.

How the Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac- Bruchac is the author of many pourquoi tales but this is one of his better books. Students love this genre and there are many avenues to pursue if you’d like to make it an extended unit of study.

Biscuit (series) by Alyssa Capucilli- A great set of lower level (step 1 &2) books that have one or two sentences per page. Features an adorable golden retriever puppy as the main character.

Henry and Mudge (series) by Cynthia Rylant- Another set of lower level chapter books, perfect for students in younger grades. I use these books to talk about how to select a “just right book” and often recommend them to emergent readers ready to make the next step.

Dog’s Rule by Daniel Kirk- This is considered a poetry/song book and it’s put together very well. Every other page contains a new song and story about dogs. In the back of the book there’s a CD with the rhymes put to music, so students can follow along while reading. In my few years as a librarian, I haven’t seen many books that utilize this concept.

The Shelf Elf by Jackie Hopkins- A great book to talk to students about library etiquette and book care. You’ll want to use this one in September and October when you’re talking to the little ones about taking care of what they take out.

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens- Another great character education choice. Prairie Dogs take the main stage as their community is turned upside down when a dog’s tennis ball invades their home. Numerous discussions and activities about the characters and their actions can take place after reading this book.

Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems- Youngsters will be able to identify with Willems’ style. The “pigeon” has turned into a series with numerous activities that can be found here.

Bone (series #1-#4) by Jeff Smith- A graphic novel series with a main character that’s a hybrid between Snoopy and Casper the Ghost. The storyline and writing are excellent and will hook students at any level, especially those in Grades 3-8

Food for thought: the complete book of concepts for growing minds by Saxton Freymann- Lots of possibilities with this one…math, ELA, science.

Late for School by Mike Reiss- Excellent illustrations, a great selection to to read at the start of the school year.

So, what’s it like to be a cat? by Karla Kuskin- A story that’s conducted as an interview. Perfect for introducing interviewing as a strategy to acquire information.

Traction Man is here! by Mini Grey- A story with a hilarious superhero. Boys will love this one.

Snow Dude by Daniel Kirk- It’s the gingerbread man only with snow. If you live in the northeast, its a must have for the winter months. It’s also a safe choice to recommend to your principal for a read-aloud.

The extinct files: my science project by Wallace Edwards- A book about dinosaurs that is written as a research project. If you follow Big Six or a similar information problem solving program, this book would be a perfect launch-pad to start discussions about research.

Image Citation:
Smith, Jeff. “Bone #1″ Cartoon Books. 2007. 21 Feb 2007 <http://www.boneville.com/gallery?file=ScholasticCovers/>.

Up Next

After my first full year of being a school librarian, I promised myself that I would take time in the summer to rest and recharge my batteries. Other than the central New York weather (High of 54 degrees today), summer has been great. I spent a few days on the shores of New Jersey and a few weeks in the mountains of Northern New York.

One of the brightest spots of the last few months was working with the fine folks at School Library Journal on my very first published piece. It is a 1500-word article addressed to all first year school librarians and is going to be in the September 2006 Issue of SLJ.

So keep your eyes open for that.

A plea from the trenches

When I read professional blogs like, David Warlick, Wes Freyer, & David Jakes I find myself trying to think and write like they do. They’ve inspired me to start my own blog, subscribe to more scholarly publications, and strive to teach 21st century information literacy skills to students. They are all in positions of leadership and their influence comes from keynote addresses, roundtable discussions, and the written word aimed directly at the bureaucracy.

I’d like to think that I’m a little bit different.

One of the ways my message strikes a different pitch from the finely informed gentlemen listed above is my capacity to work directly with students on a daily basis. What I teach, and the learning experiences that I craft, directly impact the way in which students interact with information.

When I start in on creating a blog post, I often get caught up trying to outblog myself. I ponder ideas that are far beyond me, and way beyond my intellectual capabilites. I’d like to see more blogs that discuss what’s going in classrooms. I want to hear more about the lessons that were victories, and especially more about the one’s that were defeats.

I’d love to see a different type of blogging. A type of blogging that is aimed towards teachers and instructional specialists that roll up their sleeves and work in the trenches.

That’s right all you teachers and librarians, I’m calling you out! I want to see you start blogging! Let’s create a community of informed professionals. Let’s get on the ball!

Image borrowed with permission from nico’s Flickr Photostream.

Fin

Take a deep breath in. Good. Now, let that deep breath out slowly. The school year is over. 185 instructional days have finally come to a conclusion for the 2005/2006 school year. This morning, I find myself experiencing a wide range of emotions: exhausted, pleased, encouraged, and a bit anxious for what 06/07 will bring.

Having my last few conversations with colleagues from work on Friday helped to provide closure, and I was able to find solace listening to the ‘war stories’ from their first year’s of teaching. Every story seemed to include some form of panic, some form of tears, some victories, and lots of defeats.

I walked away learning that throughout much of your first year teaching, you are in survival mode, and that’s to be expected. The victories will peril in the face of so many defeats. Your strength, your determination, and your immunity will all be tested, and at times they will appear absent. At times, you’ll swear your teaching preparation program didn’t prepare you. At times, you’ll just plain swear.

I’m Justin Ashworth. I am a library media specialist and I just survived my first year of teaching.

 

The First Year Practitioner Part VII

While I was on the message boards last week, discussing my experiences as a newbie school librarian, I had plenty of engaging conversations. I'm impressed with how forward-thinking certain library school's are becoming; the vision and the research is on the bleeding edge.

The students came pretty hard with all different types of questions. Big questions and little questions. Interview questions and lesson plan questions. By the end of the week, my eyes were worse from staring at the monitor and my keyboard a bit more bloodied from pounding out responses.

Here's an example of one students line of questioning:

 

Hi Justin,

Thanks for sharing your experiences and taking the time out of your busy schedule to provide us with great information.

My list of questions:

What would you look for to tell whether a school/district cares about its LMC and the position of the LMS? They can talk the talk but…..

Did you get a tour of the library when you interviewed? Is that a standard
practice?

What do you believe helped to make you a “standout” from a large pool of candidates aside from the SU degree/education (not to minimize it)?

XXXXX

 

Dear XXXXX,

Great questions! I'll try to go through them one by one.

 

What would you look for to tell whether a school/district cares about its LMC and the position of the LMS? They can talk the talk but…..

 

** Look at their facility. Get to the location 20 minutes before the interview and ask for a tour of the library/ computer labs. By looking at the physical location, amount of resources, and types of available technology you'll get a good sense of where the school is headed with their library program. If you have a broom closet for a facility, three or four Apple II GS computers, and an automation system that still runs MS DOS, be very careful. Lack of commitment to a library program is usually evident in the facility.

Did you get a tour of the library when you interviewed? Is that a standard practice?

 

** Like I mentioned above, go early and ask for a tour before the interview. This will
help you gain insight regarding the types of resources you will have available to you if
you're hired. By looking at the facility beforehand, you'll have the option of sharing ideas and possibilities during the interview. For example, a question that asks, "How would you use technology your library?" You'll be able to say something like, "Well, the facility is very equipped. The LCD projector coupled with the computers will allow me to introduce and model the research process, as well as promote literature. I can see myself using technology to improve my instruction and enhance student learning.

 

What do you believe helped to make you a “standout” from a large pool of candidates aside from the SU degree/education (not to minimize it)?

 

** My education background did work as an advantage for me, but you need not have
the same credentials in order to find success. I don't think I can pin it down to one thing that made me a standout; I truly believe it was a combination of doing all the little things right. For example, I practiced my interview questions seven to ten days before the interview. I had friends ask me questions in a round-table format (I even practiced responses for questions I had no idea how to answer…come up with something diplomatic.) I had a neat but simple resume and cover letter. I spoke positively about all my fieldwork and treated them all as learning experiences. I read a few educational journals so I was up to date with current issues and trends. I dressed in suit for the interview. I smiled a lot. I made solid eye contact with each member of the committee.

One thing that a lot of candidates forget and that the interview committee really looks for is: "How well will you work with children" and "How well will you work with staff?" Think of yourself as a teacher librarian; you’ll be working with everyone in the school.

 

Photo borrowed with permission from Crystl's flickr photostream.

The First Year Practitioner Part VI

Tip Sheet for All First Year Librarians

1. Stay positive- There will always be ups and downs. It’s important to plow through any negative experiences and treat them all as learning experiences. As a school librarian you will need to be working with every teacher, every teaching assistant and every administrator in the building.

2. Make friends with the other two – At a recent conference I attended, the keynote speaker polled the audience. The question was regarding the three most powerful people in a school. Unanimously, everyone agreed that the people with the most power in any school are: the head secretary, the head custodian, and the school library media specialist. These three people interact with all of the students, all of the faculty and staff, and all of the administrators. Get to know your secretary and custodian. It’s amazing what they can do for you.

3. Information overload will happen to you- Even the most detailed oriented person will be trudging through the paperwork, procedures, passwords, committees, etc…Throughout much of your first year, you’ll be on information overload. And when you think you have everything to the automatic level, something you don’t expect will be at your doorstep. Have an efficient filing system and be good about saving documents, like reproducibles and lesson plans.

4. Recognize that you’ll never catch up- Face it, it’s your first year. You’ll spend the first few months trying to keep your head above water. Each school day I want to desperately slow down the clock, just a little, so I can finish everything. There will never be enough time to read all the books you want, teach all the lessons you love, turn every kid into a book hound, and make your library paradise on earth.

5. Develop yourself professionally- Make a point of establishing a connection with your School Library System (SLS) via BOCES, attend conferences, and network with other’s while at conferences. Remember that your SLS is there to support you – they need you as much as you need them.

6. Read journals and possibly start your own blog- Reading and contributing to school library oriented blogs has been quite possibly, the most rewarding undertaking of my young professional career. I’m confident that if more school librarians blogged, the profession would benefit from its increased amount of transparency. Reading blogs, and possibly starting your own, will help you to get a great idea of current issues in school librarianship and better prepare you for your career. Here is a listing of the blogs that I frequent

a) http://www.schoolof.info/infomancy/

b) http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/index.php

c) http://www.andycarvin.com/

d) http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/rss.xml

e) http://deepthinking.blogsome.com/

f) http://fromtheinsideout.squarespace.com/blog/

g) http://www.beiffert.net/wordpress/

h) http://nlcommunities.com/communities/wanderings/default.aspx

 

The First Year Practitioner Part V

Budget-

I once heard somewhere that running a school library can be a lot like running a small business. They weren’t kidding. My budget is rather generous and offers me a considerable amount of money for books, periodicals, A-V software and electronic media. Whether its your mission to bring your library up to the 21^st century or maintain what your predecessor left you with, spending budget money can be quite the task.

In my situation, the person I succeeded left little in the way of technology. Other than a 1992 JVC camcorder and a few cassette players, the library sorely lacks technological resources for students and staff. As you go through your first year, keep an updated word document of materials and supplies that you need or that have been requested. When it comes time to order, you can easily refer back to your running list. It seems rather simple, but just this last week I had to have every dollar in my budget spent, or else the library would lose it. School libraries are often struggling for adequate funding. Don’t let any money slip through your fingertips.

Photo borrowed with permission from nzdaver's flickr photostream.

The First Year Practitioner Part IV

Once the school year begins-
You will have a lot on your plate. Start with the essentials. The biggest is planning and teaching lessons and units of study. You’ll also need to become acquainted with your system of automation. If you have a library secretary or a colleague that runs the computer lab, get them onboard ASAP. You need to have a strong relationship with anyone that you’ll be working with closely.

As you grow into your role you’ll need to begin working and planning with classroom teachers. Go after the teachers that are open and willing to collaborate. You want to start small fires and have them spread. You want to have teachers talking about what comes out of the library. There will be at least one teacher in your building that won’t want to collaborate. Maybe it was a bad experience with your predecessor. Maybe the library doesn’t appeal to them. Whatever the case, don’t take it personally. Work with those willing to meet you halfway, especially if you’re in the first few years of your career. When you work with the willing and do a kick-butt job, they’ll be trumpeting the librarian, the facility, etc.. to all the other teachers. The metaphor of a wildfire is perfect, start it in one place and watch it spread.

Photo borrowed with permission from keithvass' flickr photostream.

The First Year Practitioner Part III

Before the school year begins-
Make sure you touch base with the school secretary about making a few stops in to your school before the year begins. When you arrive, there will be a lot waiting for you. Most of it will be junk mail, but you’ll have school documents, procedures, student information (like IEP’s) to look through. You will also need to get acquainted with your facility–What’s in your collection? What type of automation is the district running and how will you become acquainted? Do you have enough supplies? What is your schedule? It will all be there waiting for you…

Don’t feel bad if you do not have a decision on every procedure. You will need to learn a lot based on your successes and failures on the job. Be flexible and approach everything with an open mind.

Recommended Reading before school begins:

How To Be An Effective Teacher: The First Days of School by Harry K Wong & Rosemary T. Wong

This book does a great job providing advice and practical strategies for classroom management and lesson mastery. The book walks a teacher, either novice or veteran, through the most effective ways to begin a school year and continue to become an effective teacher.

The First Year Practitioner Part II

The Interview-

The interviewing process in the new age of education is difficult. With all the accountability from NCLB and the increased pressure on testing, school districts want to make sure that they are making the right selection when it comes to hiring you. They’re going to put you through the meat grinder.

I was informed, while at new teacher orientation at my school district, that for regular education jobs, they had 15 pages of names of applicants. Not 15 names, 15 pages of names. Granted the applicant pool for library jobs is drastically smaller, but be aware that the interviewing process is still the same. It’s competitive and rigorous.

One of the things that you’ll have going for you, is that you will be able to market your unique skill set. Syracuse University has a great library program, and you’ll be able use that to your advantage. Be sure to talk about all of your fieldwork and practical experiences. Most likely, the outgoing librarian will have been there for 25 years plus. Think of everything that has changed in libraries over the last 10 years. The interview committee will be looking for some fresh ideas and you will be able to supply them with plenty.

In my case, I was terrified of the interview process. I knew I could teach, but talking about my pedagogy was a completely different story. My best advice is to practice, practice, practice your interview questions. It helps if you sit down and write out your responses to sample interview questions.

If you make it through the initial interview, you will be asked to follow up with a performance portion of the interview, where administrators will observe your instructional strategies. The most difficult part can be deciding what to teach. Definitely go online and dig up as much as possible about the school district’s standards and benchmarks for the library media program and incorporate them into your lesson plan. At the very least, include a few standards from Information Power (1998) onto your written lesson plan. Do not leave them off. Administrators want to see that you have a working knowledge of the standards and are able to integrate them into your planning and instruction. Because of NCLB, schools have spent a lot of time and a lot of money developing new benchmarks for all curriculum areas, especially for the library.