I'm trying to participate in the #Library30 on Instagram and Twitter, but... it's on Instagram and Twitter, which just make me tense and take soooo much time. Digital immigrant, here. I vastly prefer the long form of a blog!My library is the perfect size, and has great sight lines. The shelving used to be as tall as I was, which wasn't helpful for locating children, but we were renovated in 2010, and it's better now. All of the nonfiction is along the walls; all the fiction in the center. I do miss the standing circulation desk, since I'm up and down all day; sitting is silly most of the time. And it does get a little crowded in the work space, with all of the library helpers.
I've been looking back at my reviews from ten years ago; I miss being able to occasionally just put all of the things I've been reading up, with just a line or two. I read more than the one book a day I usually post, but there were comments years ago that I had TOO MANY books reviewed on my blog, so I've tried to be more concise and organized.
We have state testing coming up in April. The library will be open this week (I checked out 421 books yesterday!), and April 18 and 22, but closed every other day. I did offer the students a book delivery service-- they can fill out a form, and I will deliver a book the next morning to their homeroom class. I will spend testing sitting in a very strategic place in the hallway, ready to deal with any problems that occur. Teachers can pop their heads out the door and have immediate help with computers, restroom breaks, etc. Students only have about four days of testing, but because it is on the computers, we can only do one grade per day. On the upside, I read a lot of book reviews, work on orders, and try to be as productive as I can be in between supplying headphones and reconnecting the computers to the internet!
Some things I have read recently that I won't review completely because... I just am tired!
April 9th 2019 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
Copy provided by the publisher
These are fun comic strip collections; The Mutts Winter Diaries circulates well. Our paper doesn't run them, so they are new to me. They are cute, and have a 1930s vintage vibe to them for some reason. The only thing I didn't like about this volume is that some of the strips were printed in a way that made me turn the book sideways to read them. I don't remember that from any other comic strip collection that McMeel has produced, and it made it hard to curl up with the book.
December 26th 2018 by Scholastic Inc.
Library Copy
This series of Wish Novels are hugely popular in my library. I get Follett Bound editions, and they are great for the girls who read at least a book a day, and like the beach read sort of titles. This one wasn't my favorite-- there was quasi-magical baking (Was great grandma's Heartstring Pie really magical, or did people think it was? And there was a curse with the recipe. ) and a small town setting. Liked the setting, but there are so many books with magical baking. Doesn't matter. My students will read it.
April 1st 2019 by jimmy patterson
Public library copy
I was really looking forward to this, but glad I read it before I ordered it. The dogs and cats stood upright, and it was a decent enough story, but the negative stereotypes of the animals grated on my nerves. The dogs were portrayed as uncouth and loud, and the cats were snooty and rich, and everyone was mean to everyone else. That just seemed wrong. If I had all the money in the world, I would definitely buy a copy. The cover is great, the illustrations are fun, and kids check out anything by Patterson, but it feels like giving kids Froot Loops. Not bad for them, but not good, either.
I like your analogy of Fruit Loops. Hope testing goes well and not too many hiccups. Ours just finished up the pre ACT.
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