Kobe Bryant's Top Pick for Summer Reading

If Kobe Bryant recommends a series for young adults, my guess is that this series is going to hold adolescent's attention.  Bryant said the he became aware of the series when his twelve year-old daughter "came home raving about the book and said, "Dad, you've got to read this."

The series is Jason Reynold's Track series, a set of four books which follows track and field athletes as they stuggle with challenges on and off the track. Ghost, the protangonist in the first book, Ghost, has a dark past and a lot of anger to overcome.  Can he funnel this anger into a positive outcome?

The value of this series, as Bryant notes, goes beyond setting goals in athletics.  It is about teens developing resiliency to get them through the big battles in life. Ghost was awarded  Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (2019) and many other coveted awards.

For more information and professional reviews, consult:

Cooper, Llene. “Top 10 Diverse Fiction for Youth.” Booklist, vol. 113, no. 11, Feb. 2017, p. 38. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=120969943&site=ehost-live. Accessed 25 May 2019.

Njoku, Eboni. “Ghost.” Horn Book Magazine, vol. 92, no. 6, Nov. 2016, p. 86. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=118807605&site=ehost-live. Accessed 25 May 2019.

“The Must List.” Entertainment Weekly, no. 1430, 9 Sept. 2016, p. 3. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=117822080&site=ehost-live. Accessed 25 May 2019.

Epic! Provides December Suggestions for Kids Who Don't Know What to Do With Themselves

https://cdn.getepic.com/website/educator-resources/BTS_Calender_December.pdf

This truly is the greatest time of year. At our school, our students have participated in wonderful, philanthropic activities that serve our community and convey the spirit of the holiday season. 

First, they raised money for our new playground equipment. While this may have been a bit self-serving, the equipment will last beyond the attendance of any child at Brookhaven.  All children who helped raise money can proudly point to the playground and tell younger children, "I helped build that."

Just yesterday the school wrapped up it's annual food drive.  The student council, under the direction of Mrs. Melanie Gore and Mrs. Hope Kelly, collected, sorted, counted and boxed a seemingly endless supply of canned goods.  Besides the management of the donated supplies, the student council was responsible for marketing this event, too.  It would be interested to me to find out what they learned in this process, if they thought they learned anything at all.  Trust me, they learned leadership and collaboration skills, with some marketing skills thrown in.  They are good kids who are going to be fantastic leaders.  They have wonderful teachers that set high expectations for completion of any project undertaken.

The classes have earned well-crafted rewards for their participation in these activities, and as usual, spirits have been (deservedly) running high, atop of the usual, understandable  Christmas merriment.  Each day I hear many excited tales of what the Elf on the Shelf did the night before, along with tales of what all children want Santa to bring.  It is wonderful to hear, but every now and then, kids need to unwind and decompress a little.  Here are some ideas from Epic that may help.

Epic!  is an ebook site that is free for teachers and librarians.  Parents may try a 30-day trial.  If wishing to continue, the cost is less than $8.00 a month.  Of course, parents should be reminded of the wonderful ebook resources provided by Monongalia County Schools and Morgantown Public Library.  If you need help accessing these resources, let me know in the comments. 

Greetings!

I recently ran across a post by Erica of WhatWeDoAllDay.com that listed her favorite 51 books every child should read.  That made me think of all the wonderful books I have read, wondering if I could even come up with a Top Ten, as new books come to fore and old favorites go out of print. But here is a shot of my favorite chapter books.  Hope you enjoy!

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.  "The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older."  I read this book to both of my girls between their fifth and sixth grade year and also to a study hall full of seventh grade boys.  This book is amazing.  It has the most lyrical language of any book I have read.  Behold the first paragraph: 

"The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from the balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot.  It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after."

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. "As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space."  What would you do if you could correct a horrible mistake from your past?  What if you needed help?  Whom could you trust?  Miranda is troubled by the notes that ask her to keep this correspondence a secret, but it seems someone's life is in danger.  As the first note says, "I have come to save your friend's life and my own...I won't be myself when I reach you."  This Newbery Award winner is nothing if not thought-provoking.

Cherokee Sister by Debbie Dadey.  In the 1830s in untamed rural Georgia, Allie is friends with a Cherokee girl named Leaf, whose family runs the local trading post.  One day, as Allie is trying on Leaf's traditional buckskin dress, the Army arrives to drive the Cherokees away from their homes, on what would become known as "The Trail of Tears." Despite all the Cherokee efforts, no one can convince the soldiers that Allie is not Cherokee.  Allie realizes her family has no idea where she is and wonders if she will ever see them again. This novel clearly illustrates the brutality and inhumane conditions the Cherokee faced on their march.

Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff.  Can you imagine being so hungry that you would scrounge the rocks at the edge of the ocean looking for seaweed to eat?  When the potato crop fails, Nory's family is on both the brink of starvation and losing their home.  From Amaon's website:

"Nory Ryan's family has lived on Maidin Bay on the west coast of Ireland for generations, raising a pig and a few chickens, planting potatoes, getting by. Every year Nory's father goes away on a fishing boat and returns with the rent money for the English lord who owns their cottage and fields, the English lord bent upon forcing the Irish from their land so he can tumble the cottages and clear the fields for grazing. Times are never easy on Maidin Bay, but this year, a terrible blight attacks the potatoes. No crop means starvation. Twelve-year-old Nory must summon the courage and ingenuity to find food, to find hope, to find a way to help her family survive."

Can Nory find a way to help her family survive without sacrificing herself?

 
Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos.  We met big-hearted Joey as he was struggling to succeed in school and life.  With his mother's return and new meds for ADHD, Joey learns that he is a good kid who has made impulsive decisions as a result of his condition.  Now in the Newbery Honor sequel, Joey is visiting the father he has never known and understands more about his alcoholic family and things he must do to stay in control.

Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka.  Jon Scieszka is a genius when it comes to writing absurd stories that appeal greatly to boys.  In the first of the Time Travel Trio series, Joe and his friends are sitting at his kitchen table when they suddenly are transported to mideval England and find themselves facing a real black knight!  If your child enjoys action with a little bit of silliness, this book will be for your child.

Frindle by Andrew Clements.  Everyone has had that strict humorless teacher, and every class has the kid that thinks he can outsmart her.  Nick is that guy, and on the very first day of school it's on between him and Mrs. Granger. Nick's attempt to distract Mrs. Granger before she can assign homework backfires, and Nick is given a special assignment on the history of the dictionary. No one is more surprised than Nick when becomes interested in his topic.  His experiment to invent a new word catches on quickly, and before he knows it, the whole world wants to buy a Frindle.  Everyone but Mrs. Granger, who refuses to allow the world frindle in her classroom.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt.  From the online catalog:  

"In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie BrightGriffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers--and Turner's--want to change into a tourist spot".

 This is the most difficult book on this list.  It is on 7th grade level, but more difficult than the reading level is the emotional toll on the reader.  Turner is the son of the town's new minister, but the young people in the congregation are anything but welcoming.  They don't hestitate to let Turner know he is an outcast. Turner ends up with two friends - an eccentric old woman the town thinks is crazy and Lizzie Bright, a young black girl who teaches Turner to sail and accepts him the way he is.  Unfortunately, the town fathers disapprove of these friendships, making things harder for Turner. Schmidt has written a timeless book of power and prejudice in which the reader can palpitably feel the characters' pain.

Redwall  by Brian Jacques. Redwall is one of many books in a series by the same name.  It is an animal fantasy in which a young mouse named Martin must save the castle from an influx of cats and rats, led by Cluny the Scorge.  Can Martin and his friends turn back the invaders before Cluney overtakes Redwall?

Calling All Volunteers

Here it is July 31.  School is fast approaching.  Many parents have mixed emotions about the school year beginning and will deeply miss the summer's opportunity to spend extra time with their kids.  Other parents haven't had the opportunity to be home with their kids this summer and will be grateful to get their kids back into "routine."  All parents want to stay connected with their children, and regardless of work schedule, volunteer opportunities allow parents to be a part of their children's school community.

There are many ways a parent could help in the library.  Here are a few, but I am sure past volunteers could point out many needs that I may overlook:

• Shelving returned materials is the least glamorous and most necessary job in the library.  Just like dirty dishes and laundry, books don't shelve themselves.  I could conceivably use a parent volunteer every morning or afternoon.
• Preparing date due cards is an activity parents could do on weekends or evenings at home.  Each school day requires a new set of cards, so this is needed from the beginning of school until mid-April, when we usually have enough prepared to finish the school year.
• Running the circulation desk.  Parents could check in and check out materials to students while I engage in other tasks- helping students find materials, teaching, cataloging, consulting with administrators or other teachers, breakfast duty, lunch duty, planning.  It would be wonderful if our library could be open from 8:30 to 3:20 each day without closure for any reason.  Volunteers are needed for this to happen.
• Covering new books.  I have been a librarian for 30+ years and still cannot put on a decent book cover.  If you are a precise person who enjoys crafty-type activities, this job could be for you.
• Labeling the picture book and fiction sections for Reading Counts.  Sadly, after at least 5 years of using Reading Counts, the fiction and picture book sections have not been labeled.  
• Creating seasonal or theme-based library displays. Kids always want books about holidays or certain sports.  Displays help the children access books and also create interest.
• Helping on Open Library Nights. This year I would like to bring back open library night and expand its scope to include STEAM activities, book clubs and preschool storytimes.  I cannot do this without help. 
• Volunteering with the Book Fairs.  There are many opportunities to help during the book fair.  We always need help when the kindergarten through second grade students are making their wish lists.  In addition, we need at least three helpers every morning, and usually one or two after school and during open evenings.  Help is needed to prepare for the fair, readying materials to send home to parents.  Setup and tear down help is also needed.
• Being my teacher helper.  I very seldom use "seat work" when teaching skills classes.  Most of the skills lessons involve location or using laptops to find information in the library database and then using that information in some purposeful way.  Extra hands are always nice.  Teacher helpers can prepare materials, too.

I am excited for this school year and am looking forward to seeing you and your children soon.  I hope there will be a volunteer opportunity that is right for you, but regardless, I look forward to working with you to make your child's school year the very best!

To contact me, you can email me at lsmartin@k12.wv.us or call or text me at (304) 873-6452.  I will respond as soon as possible.

What You Probably Don't Know About Me

This blog serves as a forum for some of my communication with parents concerning our library.  For the most part the writings have focused only on our school library, as they should.  Today, however, I want to tell you about me.

I am a militant.
I am a militant about school libraries.

And here is why.

There is a lack of information and understanding about what school libraries can be and what school librarians SHOULD be doing.  Most of us tend to equate school libraries with books and story times, quiet and overdue books.  Most of use think of librarians as the keepers of the books, who are more than a little obsessed with keeping things neat.  These visions are not necessarily untrue, but there is a great deal missing.  

Future Ready Schools, in conjunction with many leading education think tanks, has developed the term Future Ready Librarians.  The idea is that school librarians are poised to lead the digital transformation in schools.  I am very thankful for this national acknowledgement of the roles we can play, because frankly, being a militant is tiring.

The graphic above outlines the capacities that Future Ready School envision the School Librarian as we transition to digital learning.  Frankly, the only thing in this graphic that I have no control over is the infrastructure.  The rest I have been doing for years.

For years.

That's the point.  Any school librarian worth her or his salary has been ahead of this curve for years.  Now, hopefully the rest of the academic world is looking beyond the stereotypes, positive or negative, to see the real, and mostly untapped, value of school librarians.

We have many specialists throughout West Virginia Schools, and I am not saying they are not needed.  School librarians, however, are often prepared to do the jobs of many.  Yet school librarians are the ones whose jobs will be cut if push comes to shove.  Here is a graphic I created that illustrates some of the jobs descriptions and responsibilities of academic coaches, school library media specialists, and technology integration specialists.

As you can see, there is a great deal of overlap.  The School Librarian covers most of the ground in each job description, although I admit it is not all inclusive.  I welcome suggestions for edits!

I was a Technology Integration Specialist before the term was invented.  I have chosen to stay ahead of the curve in technology, because I firmly believe "It is all technology."  Formats differ, but functions are what is important.

I may not consider myself an Academic Coach, per se, but I have been suggesting strategies to my colleagues for years.  And I am the only teacher in a school of phenomenal teachers, that is National Board Certified.

But most people, -parents, students, administrators, and coworkers - may not know that.  Hopefully now more do.

But about my militancy.  You don't know the things I do on a state and national level to advance the role of the school library and school library media specialist.  I:

• Founded and run a national group to help other school library media specialists achieve National Board Teacher Certification;
• Created and moderate Facebook and Yammer groups for state school library media specialists to share best practices and stay abreast of national initiatives;
• Served as chair of the School Library Division of the West Virginia Library Association;
• Write in other forums for teachers, administrators, and educational thought leaders;
• Lobby the West Virginia Legislature to ensure every child in West Virginia has access to a school library and a certified, knowledgeable school librarian.
• Provide professional development to anyone who will listen.

You didn't know this about me, because it has nothing to do with our relationship.  I am telling you this now not for my own self-aggrandizement, but because I truly believe that school libraries and school librarians are important to the whole education of your child.  I want to see us thrive, grow, and evolve to meet your children's and your grandchildren's needs.

Now that you now these things about me, I hope you will be an advocate for all that school libraries can be for your children.  Next time someone mentions school libraries and the need for school librarians, you can refer them to my graphic below. I am very proud of what I do, and it is a pleasure serving you.

A Behind the Scenes Look

Don't think I am complaining, because I really love this stuff.  I just want to give you a little snapshot of some of the "behind the scenes" activities that occur or need to occur to keep the library running efficiently.  A lot of these activities need to wait until summer, simply because I don't have time or won't take time to do them during the school day.

What I have done so far.

The picture to the right represents books that I have relabeled or recataloged so far this summer.  Labels fall off or are picked off, and often need to be replaced.  While the process is not hard, it is time consuming. It involves these steps:

1. Verify the proper call number;
2. Find a preprinted call number that matches the book ( I usually have a folder of these preprinted, just in case, or
3. Add the copy to a print list in Destiny and printing the needed labels..
4. Apply the label.
5. Apply the color-code label atop the call label (i,e., green for easy reading; purple for picture books.)
6. Tape everything down well.
7. Reshelve.

Recataloging requires an extra step or two and is sometimes necessary when the original cataloging is incorrect or no longer meets the needs of the children who are using the books.  An example of this might be a series of books written by different authors, like Scooby-Doo or Batman.  Rather than shelve these books by the author's last name, the books will be shelved under the series name.  It just makes more sense than sending a kid all over the library to look for more in the series at this particular age.  Maybe for all ages.  We should be convenient.

Deciding to recatalog is a decision that only I will make for our library, although I certainly accept input if someone, adult or child, thinks something is wrong.  Once I make the decision to recatalog, I can train volunteers to do the actual data entry to make the reclass happen.  Once books are reclassified, volunteers can follow the steps above to correctly label the book and get it ready for the kids.

Most of the books that are purchased for the library are pre-cataloged.  This means that the computer record (bibliographic MARC record) for the book is provided by the vendor, and that the information for the specific book is attached.  The books come with barcode labels and call labels in place.  In this case, my steps include downloading the MARC records and importing it into the Destiny database;
correcting any incorrect cataloging; stamping the new books; and applying a card pocket and Reading Counts label, if applicable.

The most time-consuming scenario involves books that are purchased from the book fairs or from donations.  Sometimes I am able to find records for these books;  sometimes other records can be tweaked to work, but sometimes original cataloging is needed.  This is an involved process, if done properly.  It means completely as much of a MARC record, as shone at right, as possible.  Once the record is complete and the copy is added, labels can be printed. Complete processing includes checking for Reading Counts quizzes, added card pockets, stamping new books, applying section labels, and putting protective Mylar covers on the books.  When it is all said and done, processing one new book can take as long as 40 minutes.

So that is the long and short of maintaining a collection.  I am super-picky now as we are preparing to move into a new library in another year.  Taking time to fix these issues now will make for a smoother transition when the time come.

I Believe in My Profession

Relevance is a big word in education these days.  We wonder how relevant our curriculum is to our students' lives.  We wonder how relevant what we teach today will be to our students in adulthood.  We wonder if the skills employers are demanding us to develop in our children today will actually be relevant when they are in the workforce.

There are those who might question the relevance of a school librarian in today's day and age.  In fact, many school districts have eliminated librarians in favor of volunteers running their libraries.  After all, all librarians do is check out books, right?

I suppose in some cases this could be true.  I have known the librarian who feels safe in her fiefdom, sheltered from the reality of today's education environment.  These are the people who enter the profession because "they love to read" or because "the library is so quiet."  They are totally unprepared to be a school librarian.  They give the rest of us a bad name.

In economic downturns, "they" threaten the existence of "us" and the good work we do.

The School Librarian, or school library media specialist, has a lot to offer her school community.  She serves on committees that makes key decisions; she stays current on curriculum trends and provides professional development opportunities for her faculty and district.  She creates her own professional development opportunities to stay ahead of the demands of her job and to help the teachers with changes as they come.  She builds relationships with her teachers, students, administators and parents and is a visible, positive presence for her school and her profession in the community.

The school librarian serves as an instructional partner to her colleagues.  Whether she is coteaching alongside her colleagues or actively developing lessons and providing materials and assessments for learning activities, she is in the trenches.  She learns as much as she can about her faculties' teaching contexts and how she can support them.  She ascertains that the library's collection meets the needs of the faculty, as well as those of the students.

As an information specialist the school librarian creates virtual learning resources for her community.  She ensures that 24/7 access to information - and the school librarian herself -is available. She maintains a webpage, writes or blogs, collects electronic media for students' use.  She communicates the availability of information sources to parents, teachers, and students alike. She finds new ways to bridge information and service gaps.

The school librarian is a teacher in her own right.  She has a curriculum to be delivered to her students and abides by standards set by the American Association of School Librarians and the West Virginia Department of Education.  Her job is to teach information literacy as well as literature appreciation.  Sometimes we are asked to teach out of our subject areas as well.  We are master teachers and approach these responsibilities with aplomb.

Finally, we are program administrators.  We market our services, we attend to the day-to-day operations of the library, we supervise volunteers.  We develop long-term plans that illustrates the library's role in the school's mission. We carefully select materials so that our children get the best resources.  We carefully plan our budgets so that all groups and needs are represented. We plan reading incentive programs and contests.  We advocate for our programs. And yes, we check out, check in and shelve books.

I believe in my profession and am very proud to be a school librarian.  I do not always live up to the tenets and standards described above, but it is my goal to do my very best and to uphold the values of my profession in the most positive light.  When I fail to live up to these values, I must be held accountable.

My five year plan for our library is slated to be finished in August.  I will post it on this blog so that all parents and teachers can see my vision.  Changes and suggestions are welcome, because my goal is to be relevant to my users.

What Should an Administrator  Expect a School Library Media Specialist to Be?