Recent historical fiction

I really enjoy historical fiction. For me, it makes me really think. I think about the reality of then and the aspects of what we should have learned or even what we thought we learned, but perhaps it was erroneous! I also get caught up with the writer's choices while writing. The line in the sand between fact and fiction and the research, it is so interesting and makes the book so much more enjoyable for me. I just completed a very light audio book called, THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES. ( The author's last book had been popular, P.S. I LOVE YOU. ) I just couldn't get excited about it. However, I am in the midst of THE HOTEL AT THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET and I can't wait to get into the car again so I can listen to it. The history is very appropriate to today and yet filled with information about a time I have no comprehension of. I spent 4 hours on Tuesday in the car and the time just flew by while I was listening to it. Anyway, the book begins in 1986 on the West Coast with a discovery of many artifacts from the Japanese people who were evacuated to internment camps right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Then we get alternating flashbacks to when the main character was a young boy in this same town. I haven't finished it yet so I can't say for certain I will be satisfied at the end but the reviews have been great. The author is Jamie Ford and I believe this is his first novel. Will do a followup post as soon as I finish.

New Job New Research

Sat in on an interview last week, and the gal told us she loves research. So what you say? Well, she wasn't a librarian, she wasn't a librarian wannebe, she wasn't even an education major. She was however, a doctoral student. I know loving research really helped her get as far as she has. Hopefully, I will be working with this young woman in my new job. Well, just a part time temp job, but really cool. In this job I will be managing a grant to promote multicultural literature. Through my own recent research I am learning a lot. For instance, I have learned that several learned folks do not agree on a definition for multicultural literature. And get this, it is not in wikipedia!!! In fact, I have challenged some of my grad students to add it. I hope by the time you read this post, there will be an entry!!!! Feel free to check it out and add to it. Along we researching what others think is the definition, I have been trying to read some of the latest and greatest books by and for other cultures. We are doing a much better job but we still have a ways to go. One of the aspects of this new job will be to look at the new stuff and provide training on and off line for LMS, private, public, and school, to help them improve their collections. I think this is going to be fascinating research. If you have anything I should read, please post those titles! I hope to be able to share some really good titles with you, but you may have the best ones right on your shelves.

Books!

As I sit here listening to the terrible rain storm, my thoughts are with all my friends who have to start school today. I can hear the wet tennis shoes rub on the slick floor, see the puddles from coats and umbrellas, but what I am really thinking about is where they will read to their kids today. There is something special about reading to kids and gets even more magical when you are in a room full of students. I just love it. I have been really hurrying to read my VRC books, the meeting is, yikes, next month.
Have you read any of these?
Skunkdog by Emily Jenkins
Wild Boars Cook By Rosoff and Blackall
Mrs. Crump's Cat by LInda Smith
My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle or
Boris and the Snoozebox by Leigh Hodgkinson
These books are very creative and they really are unique, not just a twist on an old theme.
Have a great day today, teachers and librarians! You have the best job in the world.

Scheduling

What a hot topic! Library scheduling seems like a short and sweet topic! Some folks think all school libraries are like public libraries, open access to all as long as the doors are open. Others think it is like the high school they went to, open access to all as long as the doors are open. Then one thinks of the elementary schools of the 1950's, you can't go to the library unless it is the scheduled time( which was probably a random time selected by an administrator who just has to get the job done). Elementary school librarians learned about open library schedules way back in the late 80's to early 90's. Open those doors, let teachers bring in students at their point of need. Schedule multiple time periods depending on the length of research time needed. Teachers and LMS were creating meaningful products which were utilizing Bloom's upper level thinking skills! We had it 'going on'! There were a couple of bumps in the road, Balanced Literacy with their huge book rooms, Standards of Learning skills which left out research components at several grade levels, but our creative and dedicated librarians worked hard to show teachers and students the right path. But alas, a new tiger is blocking the road. Did I say new? This tiger is an old tiger, he used to have a sheep overcoat! His name is Teacher Break Time. I see you smiling from here. Some teachers felt instinctly libraries were their break. They signed up for a library time and might even have discussed it with you, but it was cut and run at the door when it was their time slot. Others begged for a break time just to got to the bathroom (what is up with that anyway, shouldn't it be a right to use the restroom?). The tiger has a new promoter, well, not exactly. I see you nodding. Some nice folks in the big house in Virginia said, Elementary teachers should have 150 minutes of PLANNING TIME per week ( read break time). Oh, the teachers were so happy. Don't get me wrong, I was an elementary teacher for 20 years before I returned to school to complete my library coursework, I know it is hard to be locked in a small room for 6 hours with small children. My point here is bigger than that. The library is not part of that break time! To utilize one of the best and most expensive resources the school has, in the most MINIMAL way is not a sound instructional decision. I have seen scheduled library classes over and over again fail. Fail? Yes, fail. Fail to provide the utmost in strong library lessons. Lessons without the collaboration. Lessons without the appropriate time frame attached. Lessons without team interaction with the LMS and the teacher both teaching in the same space at the same time. Lessons where the content and the informational skills are not totally integrated. I would love to ask for your help, but the problem is you are way to busy making inappropriate schedules work the best you can for the students!