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May we know them, raise them, be them and READ them!

3/19/2018

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I love March. It starts to get warmer, the dreariness and the grey begin to seep out of the world and color returns once again. Red robins, blue skies, green grass – and then it's officially spring! But March gets even better, because it means one of my favorite times of the year is here . . .
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March means National Women's History Month
​and International Women's Day!


​One of my favorite things about being a librarian is getting to do book displays – which not only help match every book with its reader; they also give librarians a chance to boost circulation and highlight important parts of their collection that might otherwise get lost in the stacks. So naturally, March yields some wonderful Girl Power book displays.

I must point out, of course, that March shouldn't be the only time of the year strong girls and women are highlighted in your library – this should be happening every month, just as books about people of color and/or different cultures should be found in book displays year-round, not just during the months designated to honor them.

Whether you're a librarian or not, March can serve as an annual reminder for all of us about *just how important* it is to see ALL girls (and boys and others – but largely, girls) of ALL kinds represented in the media we consume and willingly and/or otherwise allow the future generation to consume!

So without any further ado, here are some of the titles I've been paying extra attention to displaying this month! Broken down into five categories, these are a few of my favorite picture books that promote women's history, feminism, bravery, strength and independence to our youngest library patrons – male, female or anything beyond and in-between!

​Brains, Beauty AND Bravado 

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"Beautiful" written by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff / Published by Running Press Kids, 2016
Here are some of my favorite picture books that inspire girls to be bold, smart and strong, in addition to helping them find/embrace self-love and the true, inner beauty of themselves and others.
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I Am Enough (2018)
by Grace Byers

A self-affirming text featuring girls of all colors, sizes and abilities, this book reminds girls that regardless of what others say (or what you might sometimes think about yourself): YOU ARE ENOUGH! This lyrical ode to being yourself, loving who you are, and treating others with kindness and respect makes it a picture book that I think everyone could use right now!

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon (1994)
​by Patty Lovell

This endearing story (only a few years younger than myself)  is about a little girl who proves she's "big" in lots of other, special ways – much in thanks to her healthy and loving relationship with her wise grandmother. This book provides excellent reinforcement about the power and importance of nurturing healthy relationships between multi-generational women.
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Beautiful (2016)
​by Stacy McAnulty

A truly adorable book with tremendous, inclusive illustrations that show the many different ways girls are beautiful. As the back of the book explains, it's not all about your clothes, your hair, your style. It's all about WHO YOU ARE.

NOTE: This one may be my all-time favorite Girl Power picture book EVER! I've bought this book multiple times as birthday presents for the young girls in my life, because it is a book that could and should be shared aloud together, again and again.
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Future Leaders & Early Activists

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"The Pink Hat" written and illustrated by Andrew Noyner / Published by Random House/Schwartz & Wade, 2018
Here are a few of my favorites that emphasize taking the power to the streets (and polls!), and will surely inspire future generations to be politically active, stand up and be heard, and whenever possible – lend a literal or metaphorical mic to someone else's voice that isn't otherwise being heard, perhaps maybe even because of the sound of your own.

Grace for President (2008)
by Kelly DiPucchio

Perhaps one of the better known contemporary Girl Power picture books, Grace for President serves as a fun and understandable childhood introduction to the American electoral system. But even more importantly, this book also teaches children the value of supporting brave and hardworking leaders who listen to and fight for their constituents. And in this book, that leader just so happens to be a young black girl​ named Grace, not her white, male opponent.
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The Pink Hat (2018)
​by Andrew Joyner

The Pink Hat was inspired by the 5 million people (many of them children) in 82 countries who participated in the 2017 Women's March. This timely and adorable story is empowering and promotes strength in a diverse and active feminist community, beginning at a young age.

NOTE: I'm willing to bet that this will be one of my favorite picture books of 2018, and we're only a quarter through the year! The first time I read this book after I ordered it for my library, I could not stop smiling, almost cried, and then ran around showing it to my colleagues before reading it again. 

Malala's Magic Pencil (2017)
by Malala Yousafzai

I mean . . . is it even an option to not include a book about (AND BY) Malala in this section? If she hasn't exemplified what a Phenomenal Woman can be . . . I just don't know who has!

Malala's recent book details how her desire and drive for equality and girlhood education ultimately almost cost her her life, but it also led to her becoming the youngest recipient of Nobel Peace Prize at just 17 years old.

NOTE: I sometimes hear/see parents steering their child(ren) away from particular books, not dissimilar to this one, because they address "more adult topics" like violence and oppression. OK. It's your child – it's your right. But wasn't Malala herself just a child when what she writes about took place? Clearly, some children don't have the privilege to ignore those "adult topics," and can still flourish and grow into someone as amazing as Malala.
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Full STEAM Ahead, Girls

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"Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire" written by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville and illustrated by Brigette Barrager / Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics – they're all important fields that no child should be dissuaded from pursuing on the grounds of their identifying gender. Here are a few STEAM books that show young girls that female success in male-dominated fields is possible and important!
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Ada Twist, Scientist (2016)
​
by Andrea Beaty

"'Why does it tick and why does it tock?' 'Why don't we call it a grandDAUGHTER clock?' 'Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose?' 'Why are there hairs up inside of your nose?' 

She started with 'Why?' and then 'What?' 'How?' and 'When?' By bedtime she came back to 'Why?' once again. She drifted to sleep as her dazed parents smiled at the curious thoughts of their curious child, who wanted to know what the world was about. They kissed her and whispered, 'Figure it out,'" -Ada Twist, Scientist
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For another endearing and aspirational book about girls and STEAM, be sure to check out another of Beaty's books: Rosie Revere, Engineer! They both make great gifts for the curious and knowledge-hungry youngsters in your life.​

The Girl Who Thought in
Pictures: The Story of
​Dr. Temple Grandin
 (2017)
​by Julia Finley Mosca

As such a great, colorful and rhythmic piece of Girl Power nonfiction, The Girl Who Thought in Pictures just has to be included in this section.

​When young Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in a field like modern science, which is heavily dominated by men. But yet, somehow the determined visual thinker did just that, and proved that people on the autism spectrum can and will accomplish incredible things!
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Pocket Full of Colors: The
Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire 

(2017) by Amy Guglielmo and
Jacqueline Tourville

This story reinforces the idea that well-behaved women seldom make history. Disney artist Mary Blair was a renegade and a rule breaker from the start. During a time when movie studios wanted to hire men and think only in black and white, Mary shook things up by painting twinkling emerald skies, peach giraffes with tangerine spots, and magenta horses that could fly. Without her contributions, today's Disney products might not ever have become quite so magical.

Pretty Princess in Pink & Beyond

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"Not All Princesses Dress in Pink" written by Jane Yolen and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple and illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin / Published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2010
There's nothing inherently wrong with girls liking pink or wanting to be a princess when they grow up. But when the vast majority of mass media and popular culture teaches girls that this is what they are SUPPOSED to like or that girls are the only one's who can like it . . . that's where I take issue. Here are a few not-so-pink and perfect stories to show just how bad ass princesses can be.

Not Every Princess (2013)
by Jeffery and Lisa Bone

This lovely book asks children who they want to be and where would they like to play, rather than what they are ascribed or told. What makes this selection even more useful is the included is "Note to Parents and Caregivers" that is filled with useful advice and strategies to help children engage in imaginative play, and ultimately envision and inspire themselves beyond the limited roles and expectations that gender stereotypes create.
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The Paper Bag Princess (1980)
​by Robert Munsch

In traditional princess books and movies, the seemingly helpless girl is always waiting for her Prince Charming to arrive and save the day – but not The Paper Bag Princess. Not only does she spend little time worrying about her material possessions or appearance (something that causes great alarm to her perspective suitor Prince Ronald), she also doesn't wait around for a man to come solve her problems. Instead, our princess uses her brains to outwit a scheming dragon, and eventually tells her hopeful Prince Charming to buzz off!

Not All Princesses Dress in Pink​ (2010) by Jane Yolen and Heidi
Elisabet Yolen Stemple

Another personal all-time favorite, this book proves that girls can jump in mud puddles, climb trees, play sports and make messes – all while wearing their tiaras if they want! As the Goodreads book summary states, "Not every girl has a passion for pink, but all young ladies will love this empowering affirmation of their importance and unlimited potential." What makes this story even more special is that it was co-written by a mother and daughter! How sweet and lucky they both must feel to have each other and to have created this book together.
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Our Foremothers & Trailblazers

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"I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark​" written by Debbie Levy and illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley / Published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016
Girls are so often told to be nice, quiet and obedient while growing up. But thanks to a few noisy and persistent women banging the drum and demanding to be heard throughout history, we now are in a position where we are having mainstream conversations about equality and representation. Without these brave women paving the way for us, I don't know that we would be able to say the same.
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Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the
​World
 (2018) by Susan Hood

This new title from Susan Hood not only talks the talk – it walks the walk. The entire book was written, illustrated, edited and designed entirely by women. How cool is that? What's even cooler is the book introduces readers to 14 revolutionary young women – each paired with a noteworthy female artist – that will inspire the next generation of activists, trail-blazers, and rabble-rousers.

The persistent women featured in the book include the following: Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland and Melissa Sweet.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark​ (2016)
​by Debbie Levy

There's a living legend on the Supreme Court who goes by a lot of different names: Some call her "Ruth," others say "Justice Ginsburg," but I'll always prefer "the Notorious RBG." And boy, what I wouldn't give to shake her 85-year-old hand!

In this first picture book about her life, RBG proves that girls can say no(!), and that disagreeing does not make you disagreeable. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime as a woman dissenter in a male-dominated world, and her story is one that is truly incredible. When asked if there will ever be enough women on the Supreme Court, RBG replied: "When there are nine." Think of how many times in history there were nine men on the bench and no one though anything of it! If that quote alone doesn't already make you love her, then this book will fuel your feminist fire even more.
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She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History  (2018) by Chelsea Clinton

Earlier this month Chelsea Clinton published a new follow-up to her highly acclaimed 2017 nonfiction children's book called ​She Persisted. Similar to its predecessor, this book offers another collection of great biographical information about real women who never took no for an answer, and who always, inevitably and without fail – persisted. It is these women who helped rewrite history (*HERstory) around the globe, and they are surely worth celebrating. 

NOTE: This book is a great resource for learning about international female leaders and activists who children aren't generally taught about in school. For slightly older readers, I also recommend: Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by ​Kate Schatz 

What are some of your favorite Girl Power books? Share them with me using #TessaFoxReads

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Replacing the children's books adults fear and kids hold dear

6/12/2015

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First published in 1942, "The Pokey Little Puppy" is one of the best-selling and most overrated books of all time.
I was recently reading something posted in a Facebook group for librarians in which a bunch of my fellow book lovers were discussing the stories they dreaded reading aloud to children. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly to some, quite a few of the mentioned titles were some of the most iconic books for kids, including Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Marcus Pfizer's The Rainbow Fish. Even Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree was mentioned!

These titles, and others like them, were generally brought up by librarians because they felt that the books were too slow, too dull, or sometimes just plain old creepy. And while it would go against my moral code to say I could hate reading a book to a child ... I can see what my colleagues are saying – and they're not the only ones.
Gabriel Roth recently published a Slate article called, Why So Poky? The Scourge of Terrible Canonical Children’s Books, in which he shares his experiences reading with his young daughter. In the hilarious article, Roth unabashedly states:

"The problem is that young children have terrible taste and enjoy garbage. Another problem, which compounds the first problem, is that they want to hear the same books hundreds of times in a row. So for all the joys that storytime can offer, it frequently entails a kind of dismal self-abnegation that’s too excruciating even to describe as tedium – an actively painful sense of my precious time on earth being torn from my chest and tossed into a furnace," – Roth, Slate.

In his article, Roth is referring particularly to The Poky Little Puppy, one of history's best-selling children's books. And while kids may enjoy the story of the cute little canine, adults oftentimes see the book as being pointless, boring and lacking any real moral. As one of the original 12 Little Golden Books first published in 1942, this story has been passed down from generation to generation – but not because it is a captivating story. As Roth explains, the book's popularity and sales persist solely because of nostalgia. He goes on to write:

"Millions of people enjoyed The Poky Little Puppy as children, because it was cheap and because, being children, they had no standards. They grew up to be parents, remembered the book fondly from childhood, and purchased it for their own children," – Roth, Slate.

This "inter-generational cycle of crap," as Roth so aptly calls it, is what makes a lot of popular children's books be read over and over again (maybe to the chagrin of their parents and librarians). So what can we do to break the cycle? Replace those books with better suggestions!

A FlavorWire.com article written by Emily Temple picked up where Roth left off and recommends some great alternatives to those canonical classics adults dread and children love. Instead of The Poky Little Puppy, Temple suggests The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg – "A highly satisfying story in which a mean dentist gets his due AND there’s a cute dog to look at AND there are Van Allsburg’s typical hazy-wondrous illustrations," writes Temple.

As the article suggests, maybe it's time to retire Robert Munsch's Love You Forever in exchange for Wild by Emily Hughes, an adorable picture book about a little girl who has known nothing but nature from birth. Perhaps one should swap out Hans Christian Andersen's The Princess and the Pea for The Princess Who Saved Herself by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa, a book inspiring girls to be their own heroes. After all, shouldn't storytime be enjoyable for everyone involved?

To view all of Temple's suggestions to replace those lovable but lackluster titles, click here.


Instead of this ...

... Try this!

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"Well, obviously, real princesses are SO delicate that they’d feel a pea under 20 mattresses. And only the most delicate ladies are worthwhile marriage material for princes. That all aside, there’s not even a twist to this one," – Emily Temple, FlavorWire.com
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"Now there’s a princess worthy of marriage (later, whenever she wants to get married) (and also, who cares, because marriage is not a prize for women or a benchmark for life). Let’s just say, that’s a real princess," – Emily Temple, FlavorWire.com
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500,000 books distributed to kids across the United States

3/31/2015

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Earlier this month, Scholastic announced that 500,000 books were successfully distributed to young children wellness checkup sites across the country. This donation was made through work of the Scholastic Possible Fund and Reach Out and Read, a program focused on educating parents and caregivers about the importance of reading aloud to children from birth. 

This generous donation of books is essential for even the earliest of learners, with research showing the massive amount of brain development that takes place in a child's first three years of life. These early years of development are primed for parents and caretakers to help their babies' brain develop by doing things like reading aloud, talking, singing and rhyming (Remember, your child will not receive the same benefits by watching T.V. or listening to a CD about rhyming – they need your human contact)!

What better way to educate parents about the importance of promoting early literacy skills than to encourage parents to read to children at the doctor's office?

According to Scholastic's blog On Our Minds, "The book donation and distribution are part of a national partnership announced by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the fourth annual Clinton Global Initiative America Meeting (CGI America) in June, 2014. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Reach Out and Read, Scholastic and Too Small to Fail are using a multi-pronged approach to ensure that medical caregivers have the information, tools and books they need to help families make reading aloud with their infants a daily practice."

Massive book distributions like this are one of the many reasons I absolutely love Scholastic and miss being able to say that I work there (even if it was only a summer internship). The organization's belief that literacy is the birthright of every child is something that I could not agree with more. The right book at the right time can change a child's life! And the benefits of reading go far beyond the actual skill of literacy. The beauty of building strong readers is watching their young minds flourish and their confidence grow. 

Scholastic prides itself on striving to “Open a World of Possible” for every child around the world, and for that to be possible, access to the books kids want to read is key. 

To view the distribution details of the first shipment by state, click here. According to Scholastic, the second shipment is scheduled for early summer.
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Little-known children's books by adult fiction authors

2/16/2015

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Q: If I gave you a group of names, like Paul, George, John and Ringo would you be able to tell me what they have in common?  
A: Duh! They're all members of The Beatles!
Q: What about something a little harder ... what about Mark, James, Virginia, T.S., Leo, Oscar and Mary? Need a hint? Here's some last names: Twain, Joyce, Woolf, Eliot, Tolstoy, Wild and Shelley. 
A: They are all authors!
Q: Of what?
A: Books!
Q: What kind of books?
A: Fiction books!
Q: For what audience?
A: Adults!
Q: INCORRECT! 
A: What?

They've also all written books for kids! 

The previously mentioned authors are of course most popular for their more "grown-up" material, but their lesser-known children's books are nothing to be glanced over. I recently discovered some of these literary gems, and can't wait to get my hands on the rest of them! To view all seven authors' children's books, click here. Otherwise, here's a look at my top three favorites!

Mark Twain's Advice to Little Girls

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In 1865, the man behind Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn did something totally unexpected – he wrote a children's book. Written in a scaled-back version of the trademark satire Twain is known for in his adult work, Advice to Little Girls serves as a sort of manual for what to do (or not do) in normal situations that everyday girls might find themselves in. As if the words themselves weren't comical enough, Vladimir Radunsky's illustrations elevate the book's humor even higher.
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"If at any time you find it necessary to correct your brother, do not correct him with mud — never, on any account, throw mud at him, because it will spoil his clothes. It is better to scald him a little, for then you obtain desirable results. You secure his immediate attention to the lessons you are inculcating, and at the same time your hot water will have a tendency to move impurities from his person, and possibly the skin, in spots."
"If you have nothing but a rag-doll stuffed with sawdust, while one of your more fortunate little playmates has a costly China one, you should treat her with a show of kindness nevertheless. And you ought not to attempt to make a forcible swap with her unless your conscience would justify you in it, and you know you are able to do it."
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Images via brainpickings.org

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Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince and Other Tales

What can I say, I'm wild about Wilde. Written before his most iconic plays and essays, Wilde wrote The Happy Prince and Other Tales, an 1888 collection of five children’s stories about happiness, life and death. Readers see an unknown side of Wilde in these gentle, moralistic, and at times, sardonic fairytales that aren't to be missed!

The collection's namesake The Happy Prince can be read online in its entirety, courtesy of The Literature Network.

T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Some may know his as the most important English-language poet of the 20th century, others by his more endearing title of "Old Possum." In the 1930s, good Old Possum himself wrote a series of letters to his godchildren , including a few poems regarding the complex science of feline psychology. Those letters were later turned into what is now known as Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. This is one of the more bizarre items on my bookshelf, but as a cat owner/lover, I must say it is quite the enjoyable read. 
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Observing the magic of a public library's storytime program

2/2/2015

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With the first week of grad school under my belt, I'm already feeling even more connected to the library and information science field, particularly to public libraries. For the first week of my Library Services for Children and Young Adults class, we were instructed to observe a children's storytime at our local library. So, last Monday, I went to the Northside Public Library in Kenosha to observe its weekly toddler storytime and the only way I think I could have enjoyed it more is if I was the librarian interacting with the kids. 

Here's a look at what the storytime looked like from my perspective:

At just before 10:30 a.m., approximately 25 children and their parents, relatives and caretakers gather in the small, colorful storytime room in the southeast corner of the library. The excited hum of the children spikes every so often with a shrill shriek until the librarian enters the room and starts preparing the kids for storytime with the welcome song.
"Welcome, welcome everyone! Now you're here, let's have some fun!" she sings.

The kids all get settled in their places – on their parents' laps, on the floor nearest the librarian and a few of the shyer kids sit on chairs near their caretakers in the back of the room.

The first title of the day is Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn, a book about a young girl's visit to – you guessed it – the library. As the librarian reads the story aloud, she pauses every once in a while to ask the kids a question about the story, keeping their attention.

"Lola and her mom walked to the library, how did you get here today?"
"Do you have a library card?"
"Do you like to find new books at the library?"
"Do you get a snack after you visit the library?"
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Some budding bookworms and their caretakers at the Northside Public Library, 1500 27th Ave., Kenosha, Wis.
Some of the kids answer enthusiastically in mumbled toddler talk, others simply nod or shake their head; one girl continues to twirl her mother's hair, completely unfazed by the activity around her.

"Great listening!" the librarian exclaims as she closes the now finished book. "I'm feeling sort of happy, how about you?" She begins to sing "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands," and the kids soon begin to chime in.

After the song ends, the librarian picks up a brown, potato-shaped fabric cut-out and places it on a felt board.

"Who do you think this is?" she asks.

A few youngsters pick up on it immediately.

"Mr. Potato Head!" they giggle.

"He looks a little different ... I think he's missing a few things. What does Mr. Potato Head need to be able to see you?"

"EYES!" yell a few kids, as others nearly poke themselves in the pupils, pointing to their own peepers.

The activity goes on as the librarian asks them to identify the body parts used to do things like smell, taste, hear, run and clap. The kids are almost all smiling by now, fully attentive to what their beloved librarian will have them do next. She picks up another book, this one called Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won.

The book is about a group on animal friends who cheer one another up by giving each other fun hats to wear. Every few pages big, colorful letters encourage the children to shout aloud with the librarian, "HOORAY FOR HAT!" as they throw their little arms up toward the sky.

"Good reading! Give yourselves a hand!" the librarian says. "Now let's get up and moving!"

She leads the children in a rousing group rendition of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," repeating the song three times – faster and faster with each repetition.

After the story, we pick up another hat-themed activity. This time, the librarian uses a felt board to put up different types of hats, such as a red firefighter helmet, a blue policeman's hat, a puffy white chef's hat, a sparkly crown, a purple sombrero and more. After identifying all the hats, the librarian brings out a small felt cut-out of a sleeping gray cat, who she explains likes to sleep underneath hats.

As the children close their eyes and count to ten, the librarian hides the cat under one of the hats. When the kids open their eyes, she has them attempt to find the cat by identifying the color of the hats.

"Little cat, little cat, are you under the green hat?" the children croon along with the librarian. "NOOO!? Little cat, little cat, are you under the black hat?"

They eventually find the cat sleeping under the orange construction hat and all rejoice excitedly.

With the sleeping cat now safe and sound, the group jumps along to a counting CD and uses their fingers to get all the way up to ten before sitting back into their seats.

"Look at the time!" the librarian says. "It looks like storytime is over! But not before we sing the thank you song!"

The children sing along, clapping their hands and stomping their feet before they roll their hands in small circles in front of their tummies and wave goodbye.
To watch the group of diverse children all so eager to listen and learn was really special. As you can see, storytimes aren't just for reading to children; they're also to work on age-appropriate developmental skills! If not for free services like this offered at public libraries, I wonder how many of these kids would still be getting similar mental and physical stimulation at home, daycare, or even school?

Watching this tender and invaluable interaction between the librarian, the kids and their caretakers made me incredibly excited for my upcoming class assignment to propose with my own storytime program. Getting a first-hand look at some examples of intellectually stimulating (and fun!) storytime ideas reinforced a lot of the information I've been reading about for my class and gave me some new ideas for future literacy programs of my own!

To learn more about the Kenosha Public Library's weekly storytimes, click here. They're fun – and free!
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Scholastic report shows need for reading role models

1/23/2015

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Earlier this week, Scholastic released the results of the fifth edition of its national survey on the state of kids and reading known as the Kids & Family Reading Report, and some of the conclusions are a bit hard to swallow. 

According to Scholastic, key findings from the report include:
  • Half of all children ages 6–17 (51%) are currently reading a book for fun and another one in five (20%) just finished one.
  • Both parents of children ages 6–17 (71%) and kids (54%) rank strong reading skills as the most important skill a child should have. Yet while 86% of parents say reading books for fun is extremely or very important, only 46% of kids say the same.
  • Three-quarters of parents with children ages 6–17 (75%) agree “I wish my child would read more books for fun,” and 71% agree “I wish my child would do more things that did not involve screen time."
The report also shows that something needs to be done to sustain children's reading interest beyond age 8, after which it sharply declines. Another pressing issue raised by the report is the fact that boys aren't reading for fun as much as girls. In 2014, 56% of girls said reading was very important, whereas only 36% of boys agreed. Children's overall perception of reading importance even decreased by 5% between 2012 and 2014 – from 51% saying it is very important down to just 46%.

The fact that more than half of children surveyed are reading for fun is amazing, that is, if you're looking at the glass half-full. But to think that almost just as many kids aren't reading for fun is heart wrenching. And yes, it's great that most parents want to see their children doing things that don't involve a screen, but how on Earth has it gotten to the point that 71% of them are compelled to feel this way? How can parents get their children spending less time in front of a screen and more time reading for fun? 

We've all heard the expression "Monkey see, monkey do," and when it comes to reading, it's no different.

As someone who was raised as a bookworm, I will tell you from experience that my parents' reading habits served as the foundation for my own. I can still remember laying in the bed I shared with my sister, our mom sandwiched between us reading aloud while my dad laid at the end of the bed and listened along. I didn't know it then, but those countless nights spent reading with all four of us cramped on a tiny double bed would become some of my most cherished memories of us all together as a family. 

When it comes down to it, all it really takes to be a reading role model is a little effort. Here's a couple steps I would recommend to help get the children in your life reading.

Be seen: It's no secret that kids mimic the things they see others do, and this is particularly true for parents. Instead of coming home to plop down in front of a television or laptop, pick up a book and get reading. If you enjoy using eReaders, make sure you tell your kids that you're reading a book, not playing a game. The more kids see you interested in books, the more they will become interested too.

Read aloud: Even better than reading a book in the presence of your children is reading to them. Once your child is old enough, switch roles and have them read aloud to you! This is a great way to spend time with your children while having fun and improving their literacy skills.

Ask questions: When you read a book with your children, be sure to ask them questions to gauge their comprehension and interest in the book. Do you like this book? Who's your favorite character and why? What do you think will happen next? What is one thing you could ask the author if you could talk to him or her? Do you think this book would be a good movie?

The power of choice: According to Scholastic, 91% of kids say that their favorite books are the ones that the pick out themselves. What better way to do that than by bringing the children in your life to local libraries and book stores? 

Take a look at some of the graphs Scholastic generated showing what affects children's reading habits:
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Infographic via scholastic.com/readingreport/the-state-of-kids-and-reading.htm
To see the full results from the State of Kids & Reading report, click here. To view the Kids & Family Reading Report in it's entirety, visit scholastic.com/readingreport.

I invite you to share your experience of being a reading mentor with me on Facebook or Twitter, using #TessaFoxReads. Tomorrow is National Readathon Day and a great time to get your little ones (and yourself) reading!
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Timeless holiday classics to share with the children in your life

12/22/2014

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Whether you're looking for some last-minute gifts or brainstorming activities to do with your relatives while they are in town for the holidays, this blog post is for you! 

Everyone loves a good story, especially the heart-warming tales you can share over and over again with the special people in your life. Why not take some time during your holiday celebration to step away from the latest family drama or the tray of assorted cheese and crackers to share a story with the children (or anyone, really) in your life. 

This time of year is all about traditions, so why not start a new one? Here are a few seasonal stories that I loved reading as a kid, and love re-reading even more as an adult.

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

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Despite not having any words, The Snowman is possibly one of my favorite stories to read this time of year. The book was also transformed into an animated film in 1982, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

The book: This picture book follows a young boy who builds a snowman one wintery day. To his surprise, the snowman comes to life and whisks him away on a snowy adventure.

The reason to read it:  
This story is perfect to share with anyone, no matter his or her age. The beautiful illustrations give off a warm and familiar feeling while somehow also allowing readers to imagine how the crisp winter air would feel on their cheeks as they float through the sky with their own snowman guide.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

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Like so many of Theodor Seuss Geisel's books, this one is a classic. Today, lots of kids have undoubtedly seen the film adaptations of the story, but have they sat in the lap of a family member and physically turned the pages of this feel good story with someone they love?

The book:
As many people know, this book is the story about the Grinch, a grouchy recluse who lives in a cave near a town called Whoville. When the Grinch decides he has had enough of the townspeople's Christmas joy he comes up with a "wonderful awful idea" to steal Christmas. 

The reason to read it: Dr. Seuss’ critique of the commercialization of Christmas is just as relevant now as it was when the book was originally published in 1957. Perhaps more important, the Grinch’s personal transformation reminds readers young and old that Christmas is about much more than gifts.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola

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From the man who brought you celebrated children's books like Strega Nona, Little Grunt and the Big Egg and Nanna Upstairs & Nana Downstairs comes this great retelling of a celebrated cultural legend.

The book:
 This book introduces readers to a young girl in Mexico named Lucinda, whose mother is asked to make a blanket for her church's statue of baby Jesus. When her mother gets sick, Lucinda is determined to finish the blanket herself, accidentally ruining it in the process. Embarrassed and ashamed, Lucinda is afraid to bring the blanket to church on Christmas Eve until she meets an old woman who changes her mind.

The reason to read it: This profound tale reminds readers that the size or cost of a gift is not as important as the love with which it is given – a reminder everyone could use now and again.


The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

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Jan Brett's stories have captured readers for decade, and big reason for this success can be attributed to her unique illustrative style.

The book: Meet Teeka, a little girl who works on Santa Claus’ farm and is tasked with gathering wild reindeer to prepare them to guide Santa's sleigh on Christmas eve. She eventually learns that being bossy doesn't get her very far with the large animals, so she must discover a different approach to win over the reindeer. 

The reason to read it: This behind-the-scenes look at Santa’s North Pole operation is unique, creative and – most importantly – wildly entertaining. PS: Be sure to pay close attention to the margins!

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

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How could I not include this wonderful poem turned children's book? I know a special little girl on my Nice List is getting a copy this year! 

The book: With the rest of the family fast asleep, a father suddenly hears a strange noise outside. When he goes downstairs to investigate, he finds old Chris Kringle himself. 

The reason to read it: No Christmas book list would be complete without this classic poem, and the story makes great for perfect bedtime story on Christmas Eve.


Have another Christmas classic or holiday tale you want to share with me? Tweet me @TessaFoxReads.
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French classic 'Le Petit Prince' to hit the silver screen

12/10/2014

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By now, you obviously know I have a thing for books, but what you might not know about me is that I'm a complete and utter francophile. 

I've always had a strange obsession with France and its beautiful language, which prompted me to take French all four years of high school and host three French exchange students for a couple summers during my teenage years. In college, I minored in French and had the incredibly opportunity to make my second trip to France, this time as an international student in Paris for six months.
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My boyfriend Taylor and I on a boat cruise down the Seine River when he came to visit me during my semester abroad in Paris. Photo taken by my dear friend Vincent, March 2013.
One of the first books I read entirely in French is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince, or "The Little Prince." And now, that story is being turned into a new CGI/stop-motion movie, set to release next fall.

The story involves a pilot who crash-lands in a desert where he finds a curious little prince who has fallen to Earth from a small asteroid. On the surface, the plot sounds like just another strange children's book, but it is actually quite philosophical in nature. The two characters discuss questions about life and the oddities of the adult world throughout the story. 

"Though it's often described as a children's book, one of the many beautiful things about the story is its universal relevance; adults can appreciate it, too, often differently than they did as children,'" states this Mic.com article about the upcoming film. And I couldn't agree more.

There is apparently two versions of the film planned, one in English and one in French. Here is the first trailer for the film, in French. I've included a translation below.
Old Man: "Oh, oh! I'm here! Up here! Good evening!"

Girl: "Once upon a time, [there was] a little prince who needed a friend."

Old Man: "I've flown almost everywhere in the world, until something miraculous happened."

Little Prince: "Please, draw me a sheep."

Old Man: "I've always wanted to find someone to share my story with, but I think this world has become too adult. It's only the beginning of the story!"
This movie is going to be a must-see, just as the book is a must-read – for kids and adults alike. All there is left to do is re-read the book and wait until the film's release next fall!

"Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." - Le Petit Prince

"Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - The Little Prince
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Why I love B.J. Novak and his children's book too

12/4/2014

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I love every single thing about this video – including the elbow patches on B.J. Novak's jacket. But perhaps outshining his fashion sense is Novak's creativity and how he is using it to inspire children.

Novak's aptly named book, The Book With No Pictures, teaches children that reading stories without illustrations can be just as – and sometimes more – entertaining than their counterparts. But what is even more impressive is the way the actor and comedian conveys this important message to kids in a way that really speaks to them.

Through this book, Novak lets kids in on a little secret:  Whatever is written on the pages of the book must be said aloud by the reader, no matter how ridiculous. He goes on to tells kids that getting an adult to read them this story is a trick – one that comes with some unique onomatopoeias and classic child humor (i.e. "I'm a robot monkey" and "boo boo butt"). 

This approach is genius! After all, I'm sure you can remember being eight years old, giggling nonstop at what you thought was a hilarious answer to the age-old question: "Guess what?" (CHICKEN BUTT!)

The idea of The Book With No Pictures is a simple one, but somehow no one capitalized on it – until now. This unique take on a children's (anti-)picture book is one that I see having continued success. It will also surely be one that encourages children to ask – if not beg – adults to read to them.

If you wanted a great gift recommendation for a child you know this holiday season, this is it! Don't believe me? Here's what some critics have to say:

“This book is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and it’s perfect for one-on-one sharing with a parent or caregiver. Expect requests for repeated readings.” 
– SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Actor Novak’s expert sense of comic timing is on full display in his first picture book… sure to deliver big laughs.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Sure, it’s one joke, but it’s a great one, and kids will adore adults who commit to the ridiculous performance.” – BOOKLIST
To learn more about The Book With No Pictures, visit its official website. Or have I sold you so much with this blog post that you're ready to buy the book now? Just click your preferred vendor below.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books A Million
IndieBound
Powell's
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Help support this awesome children's book about activism!

11/20/2014

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With under a week left in its Kickstarter campaign, the Russell family is trying to finish fundraising $35,000 to write and illustrate The ABC's of Activism, a book aiming to inspire children to be activists.

As one of the founding members behind the nonprofit Invisible Children, Jason Russell has teamed up with his wife, Danica, to create a book empowering children to start thinking about kindness and pro-active problem solving from a young age.

"We wanted to write this book for our own children, Gavin Danger & Everley Darling, as a way of explaining to them what we believe is worth fighting for, while teaching and empowering them to do the same. That they may realize: We are doing our best as parents – to give them the world, and we are doing our best as people – to make that world something worth having," wrote the couple on the project's Kickstarter page. 

The couple goes on to explain that, "after spending over a decade teaching people to fight injustice by taking action, we decided to write about our lessons learned, in the form of a fun children’s book. It is our hope that this book will also prompt questions, conversations, (and more!) in your home."

I have had the pleasure of meeting Jason and listening to him speak on multiple occasions, and I cannot say enough about how wonderful he is. He's a dreamer – and more importantly, a doer – in a world where people consistently tell you to play it safe and go with the norm. The fact that he has found a way to incorporate his whole family into this project is truly a statement of his character.


 Jason and Danica have decided to create this book without using a publisher because they, "believe a book about grassroots needs be grassroots," and I couldn't agree more.

If you could spare any amount of money, this is an excellent and extremely important project to support. Not only is it a children's book (which I obviously love), but the book has a message that I think is grossly underrepresented in books – for all ages – in today's literary world. 

The Russells still have six more days to raise the remaining $11,748 to meet their fundraising goal. To help fund this project and show your support, click here.
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    Tessa Fox is a 26-year-old Early Literacy Librarian at the Grayslake Area Public Library in Grayslake, Illinois. After working in the journalism and publishing fields, Tessa decided to dedicate her life to books and public librarianship, and went back to school to get her Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she graduated in December 2016. Tessa has been working in public libraries for the past four years.


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