New Windows, New Mirrors

Fantasyland has long been the realm of fairy princesses, knights, wizards, dragons and unicorns, fairly exclusively reflecting a Northern European model.  J. K. Rowling was good enough to include Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dean Thomas, and Cho Chang (whom the movies gave a delightful Scots accent) in the Harry Potter saga, letting us know the wizarding world was not exclusively Caucasian. But lately fantasy and sci-fi have been quietly expanding the imaginary universe to reflect many more of the colors our students come in.  Many more stories are suggesting that the 'chosen one' who saves the world, the boy who is knighted, the brave princess who protects her people -- even vampires, werewolves, and demon hunters -- can come in a variety of hues. Imagination is colorblind. And, of course,  Disney wants to sell princess costumes to every little girl! But while culture is important in the realistic setting, the constructed settings of fantasy do not necessarily tie colors we recognize to cultures we know.

Adam Rex, in The True Meaning of Smek Day" gives us a young heroine of mixed parentage.Though she expresses her annoyance at people who wonder why she and her mother are different colors (duh -- you might want to check your biology textbook) she is more absorbed in her roadtrip with her new alien friend, J Lo, who has racial identity issues of his own.

In The Golden Hour by Maiya Williams two sets of siblings from Caucasian and African-America families time-travel together to save another sibling who has become trapped in the French Revolution by mistake. The new friends had not touched on racial issues at all until they had to figure out how to keep a low profile in 1790s Paris -- and issues of class, servitude, and slavery are introduced.

The Hunger Games trilogy includes young people of all colors. In fact, the movie created quite a stir when speed reading fans loudly complained about the casting of a young black actress as Rue, which is just as the book described but not not, perhaps, as they had imagined. Other readers were unhappy that a large and (initially) aggressively mean male character was written as black, insisting that this was stereotyping. But the young, whipsmart, but very sweet character of Rue did not read as 'black' in some readers minds?  Hmm, damned if you do. . . 

Stealing Death by Janet Lee Carey is set in a fantasy universe that includes elements of various African as well as Aboriginal cultures. The dark-skinned native population includes a range of classes from the wealthy & powerful  to nomadic people living close to the earth. Our hero is the interloper: a white refugee from a war-torn northern country whom the natives expect to be feckless, dirty and unskilled. The white kid gets to be the failed, exploited sharecropper.

The delightful and funny Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce stars an interracial couple and their children, not because there's any plot point that revolves around this issue, but just because such families are typical, normal, expected, and unremarkable. So why not?

Not every character should be expected to be an example of his or her race, to represent a culture, to be a token, or indeed be anything but a complete and unique character of his or her own. It is nice to see authors embracing characters whose hues are as varied as their individuality. Just because they are.

A New Romantic Era

No, Miss Shelved has not suddenly discovered the Harlequin backlist. Rather YA is enjoying a literary turn from the realistic to the fantastic, with all the dark sociological implications thereof.

Briefly, in realistic YA lit, the protagonist is finding him-or herself: establishing an identify and finding an affinity group, despite the requisite twists and dead-ends in the course of the discovery. In romantic YA lit, yes, there is self-discovery, but what is uncovered is the protagonist's otherness: why he or she cannot and never will truly fit in in. These young characters are damaged, maybe even damned, and their relationships are doomed. They are vampires, werewolves, angels, demon hunters, nephilim, warlocks, just to name a few. Not that there aren't some advantages, including the odd superpower, kicking weaponry, cheekbones to die for, and really good hair.

Lately there has been some buzz about how this trend reflects the hell that is the typical American high school, full of typical American teens, afflicted with typical teen angst. That angst boils down to a sense of being different, misunderstood, unable to fit in -- but with a passionate hope that all this makes one somehow special rather than cloddish. Heavens, we've all been there.

Deep and guilty pleasure as these books are, we hope authors bring on more of these doorstops, and pick us up another bag of potato chips on the way. Bet you can't eat just one.

It's not over . . . really

Much media ink has been expended on the 'end' of the Harry Potter cycle. Miss Shelved admits sheepishly to having spent way more time than her friends might expect watching the London premiere coverage. She was also seen reading articles in magazines she would normally see only on grocery shelves. Clearly, Pottermania has been a worldwide phenomenon -- and sometimes it's fun to just roll with it.

But the wonderful truth is that it is not over. After all, it all started with a book. A truly wonderful, readable, re-readable, shareable, discussable, enduring book. Miss Shelved had the irreplaceable experience of encountering the books alongside two sons who were just the right ages to enjoy Ms. Rowling's creations as they were published over the past decade. Now, one is in absolutely no rush to have grandchildren (do you hear, me? I mean that) but the prospect of diving into the story again at the side of a new generation is worth hanging around for. Indeed, a privilege of being a children's librarian is that one can relive that first discovery again and again.

Meanwhile, Miss Shelved has entered the lottery for early access to PotterMore. We will keep you posted.

Common (Sense) Media

WE were delighted to read the letter from author Todd Strasser in the November School Library Journal about the marks his book received from Common Sense Media. The website's approach is less about the value of the total work than about searching out individual problems and concerns. This is a 'baby with the bathwater' attitude if there ever was one. Any reviewing forum has to work with a stable of varied -- and variable--reviewers. Generally there is a thoughtful editor assigning titles to individuals based on expertise or affinity. But at CSM reviewers are self-selected moms who seem to choose their targets pretty much based on an ax to grind. Hence the three "bomb" rating for "scary/violent" awarded to Are You My Mother? One wonders who is the one worried about being lost? Even more astonishingly delightful is the no big red lips for sexual content awarded to Twilight. Now there is a mom whose head is buried in the sand. Can one safely assume one's 4th grader will not recognize the sexual situations? Define the . . .

Please: use the site if you like to make decisions about what your child reads. But do not use the site to decide what other children read. Even better: read the book and decide for yourself.

Picturebooks Biz Bust

The Sunday papers bring news that publishers' profits from picturebooks are in freefall and that new offerings are to be cut back. Of course, the economy could be part of the problem, but the bigger concern is that young children are being pushed (too soon? by striving "helicopter" parents?) into reading chapter books. "Where the Wild Things Are is a nice enough little book, but it won't get you into Harvard, dear."

Miss Shelved has mixed feelings about this. Undoubtedly, student checkouts of picturebooks has been declining: users tend to be either kindergarteners or staff planning read-alouds. 1st graders are already being urged to move to the easy chapter section. There, readability is controlled, whereas picturebooks, despite their accessibility, may not always be particularly easy to read. It is a bit of a shame that we so quickly push children away from that section. In our zeal to promote literacy, we give the impression that picturebooks are babyish, which, as any aficionado will attest, is far from the case.

On the other hand, in our humble opinion, picturebooks are becoming a lot like baby clothes: the world would probably be able to keep on spinning if no new ones were made for a very long time. So many of these items (whether cutesie-poo dresses or baby bunny books) are of questionable design and quality, outgrown quickly, and not worth revisiting. They are chosen by adults and foisted on children, until the tykes are old enough to begin to form and communicate their own preferences, at which time a few favored items get used repeatedly and others ignored. Granted, there are picturebook staples more in the line with the basic white onesie: used until they fall apart and then replaced with the same again.

Our book order list, even for a small elementary school, will always include at least half a dozen classics being replaced. Recent such titles would include Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock, The Lorax, Superhero ABC, and The Little Old Lady Who was not Afraid of Anything. Though the continued health of the publishing business is certainly of concern, we are not too sorry to have perhaps a slightly smaller list from which to choose. Perhaps the onslaught of celebrity titles and unneeded sequels will fade away. Perhaps art quality be become more selective. Here's to a healthy backlist and the best of the new. One can never outgrow a truly beautiful picturebook.

The iPads are here!

We have received our 30 iPads (thanks to our district's educational foundation) and prepped them for the first introduction to staff. At 8:30 this morning, 16 teachers answered the call to come in, play around, and check one out. Not a great turnout in a school with 26 classrooms, plus a dozen or more support teaching staff. But it's been a hard fall, what with building wide renovations -- which ran way over schedule (what else is new) -- including new interactive whiteboards that have been a serious source of frustration. So we prefer to view 16 as a great turnout.

A number of these intrepid souls also participated in a brief pilot last spring, thus were already eager to get their hands back on the iPads. Last spring these tools proved very popular with our most struggling students. There will be some happy little guys in the building today.

Hot apps: Dragon Dictation (wow!), Tell Time, and Chicktionary.

As we keep telling the classroom teachers (who range from the happy adaptor to the technophobe): iPads are so high tech, they're low tech. One really doesn't need to teach a child how to use it.

Thank You, Reader Advisors

Usually Miss Shelved has a full slate of books-to-read at hand at all times. This summer, however (due to a temporary misdirection of our review journal subscriptions) we ran a little short. Quelle horreur! Desperate to avoid running low during critical beach-reading season, we turned to our public library's webpage and sought out the reader advisory section. Well! Not only do our wonderful public librarians post extensive and thoughtful lists, as one knew they would, but provisions have also been made to allow "civilian" readers to share their passions.

Now, as with any open "wiki" system, there is gold and dross. A quick reccy down the postings may eliminate a few of the lists. One sensed that "awesum books i luv" was unlikely to appeal. But once one has honed in on subgenres of interest, or found favorite titles in common, one may find a few lists -- or better, a name or two with multiple postings (thank you, "JodiM") -- with lots of new ideas. Best of all are the old ideas. We were delighted to make the acquaintance of several authors, some in print for years, who had hitherto escaped our attention.

Potential posters are advised to stay focused. Narrow one's topic or genre: presidential biography or steampunk (not the too-broad biography or fantasy). Or take a favorite title and propose "read-alikes." And get off the beaten path. A reiteration of the NYTimes best seller list (yes, we are suitably impressed that you have read them...) is not terribly helpful. Annotations are a little more work but essential if one really wants to inspire new readers. Thanking you in advance --

O ye readers and writers, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye reviewers and enthusiasts, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye geeks and MMORPGers, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye librarians and techies, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs. Worthngton

Why is it that authors are drawn, like moths to a dangerous flame, to depict the world of the theatre? And why is it that most do it so very badly? We just bailed on reading the latest Laetitia Talbot mystery (A Darker God, by Barbara Cleverly), unable to stomach further abuse of amateur theatrics. Could anyone who has ever set foot on a stage (even carrying a broom) believe an entire cast could carry on with no clue that an actual murder has been committed? Those bloodcurdling and totally unrehearsed screams and death rattle? Geoffrey (who else?) is overacting, again, darling! Amazing how a tailor's mannequin and wig look so completely, believably life- (or death-?) like. Must be the theatrical lighting. After all hell has broken loose and everyone onstage finally has noticed all is not well, yet another clueless character attempts to make his belated entrance, spouting poetry, huffy that his proper cue has not been uttered. Minutes after that, the director finally wades into the rehearsal, annoyed that everyone appears to be 'improvising' rather than sticking to the script. Worst yet, the detective steps out of the chorus and feels the need to introduce himself -- by name -- to fellow cast members with whom he would obviously have been rehearsing for weeks.

Authors who pride themselves on (and flaunt) the minutest details unearthed by their research into period or professional milieus trip themselves up the moment they step backstage. Why does a good ear go all to tin when trying to catch the tone of a realistic rehearsal or performance? One cannot imagine there is any lack of opportunity to observe the natives in their aboriginal state. Perhaps one might consider asking an insider to vet the copy before making a total shambles of it? After all, theatre folk are also in the business of creating alternate realities and are smart enough to know when they need to consult an outside expert. As a teacher, one is all too aware that anyone who has ever been to school fancies himself an expert at running one. Does a similar phenomenon occur when dealing with the theatre-going public? One shudders to think that, at least with mystery authors, this seems to be the case.

We have achieved iPad

Thanks to a generous grant from our district's foundation, our Media Center will be acquiring 30 iPads in the near future. We are interested in seeing how well they work for our smallest students (K-2) for whom a laptop is a tad delicate. We also hope to connect with those students falling behind and lacking engagement -- tactile learners, anyone?

But, in great part, we are interested in checking out how reading from an electronic tablet works out. Fear not! Miss Shelved fully expects a printed work of literature to be pried from her cold, dead fingers when the time comes to meet her maker. But we are ready to concede that electronic readers may have their place. College students spending $100-200 a pop for textbooks spring mostly easily to mind. Even K-12 textbooks would be nice -- if they are actually designed for reading online, not just digitalized images of pages that do not fit the screen. Our students' backpacks -- not to mention backs -- would be the better for it.

But most intriguing are the possibilities for class and small group reading. How many classrooms and libraries have bins and bins of "class sets" of ancient paperbacks. When investing in such a large number of copies, one can only imagine being swayed to make an easy choice. Don't go out on a limb, don't court a challenge, go for the least common denominator. Once purchased, there is a certain obligation to use the set, despite how uninspiring. How can one justify spending money on a new title before the old ones are worn out? With digital readers one can share a single digital purchase with as many readers as sync to the account-bearing server. Trust us: Miss Shelved checked this very thoroughly with her vendors. How lovely to spend $9.99, or even $19.99 and have a book students are keen to read -- and have enough copies for a literature circle or two or an entire class if need be. And if it is not one's cup of tea next semester, or next year, so be it.

Side issue: But WHAT (one may ask) about the CLASSICS? We bow to none in our appreciation of the classics of children's literature. However, like antiques of other kinds (and we use the term in all reverence and good intent) they go in and out of fashion. Many are, like other delicate items, designed for children to enjoy best under the direct supervision of a caring and responsible adult. This is where teachers get to indulge their own delight in sharing the text with students, so that intonation (and occasional sidebar discussions) might clarify dated or complex vocabulary and syntax. One hopes that old favorites will continue to entertain and enlighten children for years to come. But they are not always the best choices to encourage developing readers to go solo.

As school librarians, we cannot afford to be too snooty about children's choices. Yes, they will continue to sniffle along with us at Charlotte's death every year. But even avid readers will tear through a lot of potboilers on the way to fluency. Even better, there's a lot of really good writing for children coming out every year. With all the new ebooks available we can afford (now literally) to mix it up a little without lowering standards.

Summer Reading Time -- again, already

The time of year is fast approaching when librarians across the country are starting to think about the dreaded SUMMER READING LIST. It is a mixed blessing. Of course one wants our little darlings reading as much as possible over the vacation. Of course one has tons of wonderful suggestions for them. Still, no child in his or her right mind wants to read any book s/he thinks it required. Or educational. Or "at grade level." It is a delicate dance. The best research on developing readers suggests that children are most likely to read when possessed of materials they both can and want to read. And the "can" is stretchy -- amazing what leaps ability makes when matched with desire. And that is where the librarian comes in. Children's librarians live to spark that desire:

Adult librarians are like lazy bakers: their patrons want a jelly donut, so they give them a jelly donut. Children’s librarians are ambitious bakers: You like the jelly donut? I’ll get you a jelly donut. But you should try my cruller, too. My cruller is going to blow your mind, kid. -- John Green (The Future of Reading)

So, if one might offer a word or two of advice to ambitious parents: reading is not a competitive sport. It is a life's delight. Please do not obsess about reading "4th grade books" -- especially if your student is a second grader. Worried that your child is bypassing "good" literature? Read it to them. Worried that they read too much junk? Like you read Proust every night? In fact, try picking up the book about which s/he is so enthusiastic. We deigned to try Diary of a Wimpy Kid recently (how good could it be when everyone is reading it?!?) and were most pleasantly surprised. We laughed. A lot. Out loud. And kept reading. Isn't that the point?

Graphics for Elementary

We recall a meeting of our district media folk during which graphic novels were discussed, lo, not so very many years ago. These titles were just hitting our shelves, having shed their status as lowly comic books (trouble right here in River City!) and gained cachet as serious works of art. The upper schools had bought several new titles, then been shocked to note that a few of the pages were, well, fairly graphic in content. "You have to look at every page," it seemed. Still does. The nature of the format is to be graphic in every sense of the word. Still, there are wonderful titles, which elementary students are snapping up enthusiastically, that are perfectly and delightfully age appropriate. Some of the most loved-to-death titles sprinting out our doors include:

Jeff Smith's Bone series
Scott Morse's Magic Pickle series
David Steinberg's Loud Boy series
Emmanuel Guibert's Sardine in Space series
Jimmy Gownley's Amelia Rules series
Max Axiom (science series) from Capstone
Jennifer Holm's Babymouse

Newer (we haven't picked up past book one) is The Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi, which skews a little more in the manga direction. A popular, and covertly educational, non-fiction choice is Howtoons by Saul Griffith. There are also some nice new titles for the primary set coming from Top Shelf Productions -- which are also interesting enough for older students reading below grade level who rather read nothing than be caught with Biscuit's New Friend.

But do check out a terrific new graphic title: Wonderland by Tommy Kovac (art by Sonny Liew). It revisits Alice in Wonderland from the viewpoint of the much maligned (but never, in the original, seen) character of Maryann, the White Rabbit's parlormaid. Weird and wondrous, it might even send a few readers back to the Lewis Carroll books.

No discussion of graphic novels would be complete without a harangue about their general lack of durability. There seems to be a large subset of elementary boys who are "active readers," for lack of a better term. These are the readers who wear away the edges of paperbacks, break the spines, loosen all the "flip-o-rama" pages in the Captain Underpants books (thank you SO much, Dav Pilkey . . .) Now, we would not for a moment think of barring these readers from touching our precious books (we are NOT that kind of librarian) but some sort of preventative action is required lest we spend our few and dwindling book dollars on constantly replacing the same old favorites. Here we go in for some unabashed product placement: buy Permabound. One starts out gleefully noting that the company swears to replace any book that doesn't hold up. Aha! one thinks: they haven't met our boys! Then one discovers that . . . the books actually do stay in one piece. Who'd a thunk it? Worth the price.

It may be that we are getting older, but recently we are more likely to put down a book unfinished, whether reading for pleasure or in our capacity as school librarian. Too many cute anthropomorphic animals?: cut. Know where this is going?: cut. Jumping the shark 3 chapters from the end?: cut. Just plain irritating?: cut. Maybe it's spring and we'd rather be out in the garden. Still, it is a disturbing trend for this normally rather eclectic reader.

Recently we read of a formula for giving each book a chance. The number of pages required for a fair shot was reduced as one aged. Wise --although we are of an age where now we can't remember the formula...

Particularly annoying are sequels. Are publishers insisting now that every good book has a sequel in it? The City of Ember was, for example, a terrific story, but one that has inspired now 3 rather tepid and didactic follow-ons. There are even some authors who have turned out several nice books in series, but who may need to know when there is nothing new to be said. For example: Colfer's Artemis Fowl, Riordan's Percy Jackson, or Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom. Though it is tough if one commits to a book for each day of the week. I fear we were tired out by Wednesday.

There are some wonderful stories out there that make just one wonderful book. And then end.

Books & Movies

Movies and television these days are rife with versions of children's literature. One can hardly pass the shelves of a Barnes & Noble without noticing new paperback covers that push the videos at least as hard as the text inside. Miss Shelved noticed at least one (very thin) "novelization" of a movie made from a (rather thick) book! Sigh. One tries not to fret over which book the potential buyer will select. We also remind ourselves that movie versions can be delightful and even lead an enchanted viewer back to the text, eager for more. It happens.

There are are sad moments when a borrower returns a book unread because, "I don't need to read it now -- I saw the movie." In this case, Hiaasen's Hoot. Ouch. On the other hand, some young readers of our acquaintence were quick to point out how inadequately one new movie treated the book they loved (The City of Ember and, yes, we saw it too and agree with them). What a terrific reminder of the power of the word and of the imagination -- and the vast difference between verbal and visual storytelling.

This reader's advisor will continue to place all possible moral suasion behind "read the book." Every reader should have the chance to decide for herself what Hogwarts or Narnia looks like, to put faces to names, and provide an emotional context for a story. Clearly it is hard for moviemakers to resist realizing the visual richness of texts like those of Rowling and C.S. Lewis (for the 2nd time in the case of the latter). Authors should not be condemned for being willing to accept a check for movie rights -- one would have to be awfully strong-minded to say no. But one cannot help wishing that Hollywood had kept its hands off the delicate, moody Tale of Despereaux.

Part of media literacy should include both verbal and visual storytelling. How to show it is not the same as how to tell it. Three cheers for Pixar Studios for choosing to create their own stories and distinct visual style. Now, if they could resist accepting checks for cheap "novelizations" of their wonderful movies! . . .

Obsession, Preteen Style: The Twilight Saga

Romance is a time-honored genre, from Wuthering Heights to Barbara Cartland. Though not a personal favorite, romance novels have provided us guilty pleasure from time to time --enough to recognize the standard of identity: the dangerous, anhedonic hero, the heroine who cannot believe her good luck, the heating of blood, and the bruising of lips. Typically, any serious bodice ripping is reserved for after the wedding, though the couples' troubles are rarely resolved by that event. Indeed, Miss Shelved suspects romance novel central relationships must border on the abusive in order to be worth reading about. Romance is a special form of fantasy, an escape in which no mature reader truly believes. Much as we adore them, we cannot imagine asking Heathcliff to pick up the dry-cleaning or Max DeWinter to carpool for soccer. Nor would we want to.

Escapism, even sublimation, is rife in children's literature as well. Just think of all the adventures made possible by the absence of parents (dead, kidnapped, or what-have-you) -- none of which make children yearn to be orphans. From time to time some pious infant will bring a book to Miss Shelved's attention for its bad words, violence, or depiction of naughtiness. We gently suggest that it is possible to read about misbehavior without running out and committing it. Reading about things one might never do is part of what makes a book exciting. The better part of children's fiction involves scrapes that would whiten a parent's hair, yet we see few budding Artemis Fowls, Alex Riders, or even George and Harolds amongst our young readers. So why are we suffering such qualms over Stephanie Meyer's Twilight books?

One supposes the first issue is how much romance is appropriate for the preteen reader? Much fine kid-lit includes the first fumbling attraction between a boy and girl, even a little gratuitous snogging (Lavender and Won-won, anyone?) But it is peripheral to the plot, not the center. The Twilight books, now being picked up by many 10-11 year olds, have all the standards of identity of adult romance novels. The setting is high school -- indeed there is far too much verbiage wasted on who sits with whom at lunch and other minutia. The vampire hero exudes all the self-loathing and sexual heat of an Anne Rice character. Yet nothing happens despite his regularly spending the night in the same bed with the 17-year-old heroine. It is a melange of High School Musical, The Vampire Lestat, and Fear of Flying. Much is made of the old-fashioned morality of the tale: no pre-nuptial congress (human or vampiric) will be countenanced by the gentlemanly Edward, no matter how much Bella wants it. Still, time and again the couple comes to the brink before Edward pulls back and makes the wise choice for the both of them. It is worth noting that the most overused adjective applied to Edward (other than gorgeous) is smug. The most overused adjectives applied to Bella, on the other hand, are sullen, glaring, and pouting. Indeed.

So, do these books belong in an elementary school library? Can they reasonably be viewed as escapism for 10-11 year old girls? Can girls at that age distinguish between the reality and the fantasy of the relationship? Do they see the abuse? Or will they learn to expect "true" romance to include 24/7 attention, stalking, emotional blackmail, not to mention lots of unsupervised private time in rooms with large beds? Miss Shelved does not have the answers -- but would prefer to defer the questions until at least junior high.

Latest from Terry Pratchett

It is tough on one's significant other to hear hysterical laughter and get no coherent explanation of its cause. Clearly there are times when one can easily read aloud a book's jokes and laugh together. This can be difficult with Terry Pratchett, who embeds his jokes so ingeniously that punch lines may hit
pages after the setup -- and are all the more hilarious for this patience and care.

Miss Shelved admits to enjoying the raucously silly DiscWorld series Pratchett writes for adults. However, there is something especially magical when Pratchett pulls onto the PG highway and writes for a younger audience. He remains at least as funny, but also becomes quite joyful, thoughtful, and astonishingly moral -- in a completely non-denominational, non-sectarian, non-political, non-judgmental sort of way. In other words, he asks great questions, and doesn't hit anyone over the head with the answers.

In his latest, Nation, Pratchett confronts the issue of why bad things happen to good people. We have a boy, Mau, who expects to paddle his canoe back to a triumphal coming-of-age celebration and instead runs straight into a tsunami which wipes out his entire island population. He meets Daphne, a European girl whose shipwreck on that island is only the latest in a string of personal disasters. Together they rail against the gods, remake the world, help the needy who continue to wash up on their shores, and try desperately to find some meaning in it all.

Bad things happen to good people, Mr. Pratchett knows. Less than a year ago he made a public announcement of his early-onset Alzheimers. He admits to his own railing against the gods, and to a certain level of desperation. So far he continues to write, continues to think outside the box and play delightful games with the English language. But clearly he, too, is trying to find the meaning of it all. In Nation, we see that Pratchett still finds considerable beauty and goodness. The sheer wonder and pleasure of thinking makes life worth living -- and makes us worthy of the gift. Terry Pratchett intends to use his gifts to the fullest, and we stand among many devoted readers who are pulling for him to continue to do so for many years to come.

MEMO Conference!

Thank you, organizers, for a lovely and highly informative conference (Oct. 3-4, 2008). The keynote speakers were two young, male, YA authors who couldn't have been more different. Jordan Sonnenblick looks like a nice Jewish boy any mother would be proud of. As for Patrick Jones, well, his School Library Journal cover portrait says it all: long hair, beard, proudly caricatured wearing trunks in a pro wrestling rink (note: we are sure his own mother loves him all the same). The straight and narrow vs. off-the-wall. Yet one suspects they would have immensely enjoyed meeting each other. Each has a nice, wry sense of humor, easily directed at himself. And each was preaching the gospel of "let the kids read what the kids want to read." One of the best take-aways from the whole weekend was the reminder that if we want students to see themselves as successful readers, we have to stop criticizing what they choose to read.

A presenter from the U of M quoted Stuart Brand on the impact of new technology: "...if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road." Who of us has not felt part of the road from time to time? Well, thanks to "23Thingsonastick" we personally are feeling much more confident of a seat on the steamroller -- and said as much on the 23 Things panel on Saturday. Thank you, Patricia Post, for inviting Miss Shelved to participate. Thanks, too, to our generous and colleagial co-panelists, Zomo and Scott. One suspects the audience was at least as impressed by the fact that the three of us continued to share brand new ideas amongst ourselves as they were with the "things" we had planned to present to begin with. Ah, love of learning is so infectious.

Kindly friends, when apprised of the fact that Miss Shelved was attending a librarians convention, tended to respond with a sardonic "wheeee!" They don't know the half of it.

Read to your class

What classroom teacher wouldn’t like to start off the year with a sure-fire, glue ‘em to their chairs read-aloud? Most experienced teachers have a shelf full of old favorites – and we rely on them to keep each new generation of readers going back to those great old titles (more on this anon). But still, everyone likes a little novelty now and then. So here are some newer titles that have been well-accepted by the squirreliest of audiences.

No Talking by Andrew Clements tells what happens when the yakkiest class in the school pits the girls against the boys in a no-talking contest. To be respectful, of course, one can respond to an adult – but only using 4 words. So how does brevity (and thinking before you speak!) impact class communication, learning, and relationships? There are some surprising, funny, and sometimes enlightening outcomes. Optimal Audience: grades 4-5

Drita My Homegirl by Jenny Lombard is another school story. This time an unlikely friendship develops between Drita, a new immigrant from Bosnia, and Maxie, the 4th grader most infamous for speaking first and thinking later. You may be as surprised as Maxie to learn that Bosnian kids play some pretty competitive basketball. O.A. grades 3-4

Peak by Roland Smith starts with a literal cliff-hanger. Our hero (actually named Peak – it’s a long story…) is hanging by his fingertips to solid rock as the March wind threatens to send him flying to certain death. Then we discover that he is actually on the side of the Woolworth Building and heading right into serious trouble with the police. His deus ex machina is his famous (and notably absent) mountain climbing father – who has an interesting proposition for Peak. O.A grades 5-6

Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins is a charming set of interconnected episodes about a child’s favorite stuffed toys. They have interesting personalities: the know-it-all, the worrier, even one toy who isn’t quite sure what she is (the students love figuring THAT out!). The toys bicker and negotiate, have adventures in the washer and in the backpack, and annoy and love one another in ways students will recognize. O. A. grades 2-3

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker offers similar but somewhat more sophisticated humor than Junie B. Jones. Clementine’s daily talks with her principal are indescribably funny. But at heart we have a little girl all too aware that she is a “difficult” child having “not so good of a day” and desperate to find her niche. A unique voice! O.A. grades 2-3.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex is a wild sci-fi alien invasion story. Our heroine, Gratuity Tucci (nickname Tip) is on the run from the aliens, driving her mom’s car down the deserted highways with a can of creamed corn strapped to her foot to reach the pedal. She meets the alien “J Lo” (alien names being unpronounceable) at a convenience store and soon they are on the run together, finding Tip’s missing Mom, discovering why Disneyland is so clean, and generally saving the universe. Silliness was never so smart. O. A. grades 5-6

Please don’t ignore the old warhorses, however. Our students don’t need to know the book you’re reading is older than you are! Some of the books still getting excellent responses (thank you to every teacher I’ve ever met…) include:

Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
The Wheel on the School by Meinert DeJong
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
George’s Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl
Soup by Robert Newton Peck
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

And if you have never read Charlotte’s Web aloud to a class, you are missing out. Miss Shelved cannot think how many times it has been, but we still always tear up when Charlotte dies ("No one was with her . . ."). No child should get through elementary school without it.

Genres for Elementary Grades

For a full screen version, visit http://voicethread.com/#u134853.b178661.i949765

Asperger Lit: Is Mr. Darcy on the Spectrum?

Diagnosis in retrospect is all the rage in ASD circles. Was Einstein autistic? Isaac Newton? Thomas Jefferson? If one can attempt to label historical figures, why not try literary characters? In many cases there is at least as much evidence. Mr. Darcy comes to mind with his foot-in-mouth people skills. Bartleby the Scrivener and Sherlock Holmes are, without a doubt, classic examples. Could this become a new parlor game? Join in the fun and send us your candidates!

All this, however, is merely a headline grabbing intro to a discussion of the growing trend toward Asperger's characters in children's literature. Mark Haddon's adult best-seller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night quickly made the crossover into YA territory. Now there are a number of new children's novels that offer peeks inside the ASD brain. These are not didactic picture books aimed at developing clasmates' tolerance (though there are some fine examples out there: Ian's Walk comes to mind). These are three intermediate level novels with strong voices and highly readable stories.

The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous, a first novel by Suzanne Crowley, focuses on its heroine's quirky world view. Merrilee has a schedule, totem possessions, ironic verbal quirks ("Stupid. Stupendous."), and well-developed cushions against human contact -- none of which stand in the way of (or stand in for) a full-blown characterization. Merrilee is perfectly aware of the level of harassment she faces but has her pains and pleasure well organized. The conflict Merrilee faces is the intrusion on her "very ordered existence" (VOE in her own parlance) of three potential allies. Nurse Veraleen intrudes at home. Wannabe boyfriend (!) Gideon makes school confusing. And tenacious Biswick follows her around just about everywhere else. Biswick has fetal alcohol syndrome. Friendship with him, from Merilee's point of view, is just another nail in her coffin when it comes to being defined as a "retard" -- and yes, the word is bandied about freely. Can she overcome her irritation at these intrusions? Will she have somewhere to turn when her 'VOE" is inevitably upset in a big way? Crowley offers a delightfully off-the-wall Southern Gothic setting (who knew that Pigglie Wigglie stores had "butt spiders"?) but keeps Merrilee on solid ground throughout. Truly -- "stupendous."

Rules by Cynthia Lord takes the point of view of an ASD sibling. Catherine is an intensely caring and supportive sibling. Like many "sibs" she's had to earn her mensch-hood early in life. From hard experience, she's learned to be very specific about the "rules" she lays down for her younger brother: toys do not go in the fishtank, when outside you can take off your shirt but not pants, etc. Still, she longs for normalcy and embarrassment-free friendships. She shares the usual adolescent fears of being viewed as an oddball. A developing friendship with a young paraplegic, however, has the effect of putting a lot of self-consciousness into perspective.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd skews a little closer to The Curious Incident in that its ASD character is intent on solving an actual mystery. Ted takes a clear-eyed analytical approach to the disappearance of his cousin Salim after a holiday ride on the London Eye. Stressed-out family members shunt Ted aside to keep him from upsetting Salim's mom with what they are sure will be inappropriate comments. Older sister Kat has a particularly short-fuse where Ted is concerned, and takes pain to coach him in important people skills (aka, lying). Later she comes to recognize the value of his unique perspective. The mystery is a good one, with many clues a young reader can reason through, but enough twists to keep the pages turning.

With ASDs appearing in something like one in every 150 births, the ASD character is bound to turn up with increasing regularity in our classrooms and in children's literature. Get used to it. Better yet, appreciate it.

We're baaaaaack . . .

It isn't over! Blogging is fun -- and gives one an excuse for a "virtual high-five." We have been at our district tech camp for the past couple of days. This is an oasis of tech support with mini-lessons offered on demand but mostly the gift of time to get a handle on all one's onerous little tech projects.

This year we have managed to get all the critical documents (for which we are responsible) onto our website. Instead of sacrificing trees we will direct all our school staff to appropriate links for district policies on internet use, selection/retention policy, etc. Even better we have set up multiple accounts on Library Thing and placed links on the website: one is for students and parents, the other for staff, with appropriate tags for each. This way we can regularly update our new book offerings and alert teachers about new holdings in their curriculum areas, recommend new read-alouds, and let the community know that their tax dollars are being well spent.

We also took an hour or so and cleaned up the old bookmark bar -- and sorted everything neatly into MyDelicious. What a wonderful tool -- and frankly easier to navigate than the browser bookmark lists as well as accessible from any computer.

Next time: Voice Thread!