Storytime: Robots

I haven't been posting my storytime lineups because I have been reusing themes I already did at my previous job, many of which I already posted on this blog. However, today was a brand-new theme for me: robots.

Opening Rhyme: Open Them, Shut Them

Fingerplay: Two Little Blackbirds

Book: Big Bot, Small Bot by Marc Rosenthal

Book/Song: If You're a Robot and You Know It by Musical Robot (We sang the song and I made the pop-up pieces in the book move as the kids did the actions.)

Book: Boy + Bot by Amy Dyckman

Rhyme: Little Mouse, Little Mouse

Song: "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes"

Book: Beep, Beep, Go to Sleep by Todd Tarpley

Craft: We made robot vests using paper grocery bags. Our local grocery store donated the bags, I had a volunteer cut out the head and arm holes, and the kids went to town decorating them.

You may have noticed that my lineup style has changed quite a bit from when I was at my previous library. This is because my patron base is quite different. In my last library, storytime was attended by mostly K-2nd graders with some younger siblings. Here, storytime happens during the school day, so usually the oldest children are 4 and many are 2 or 3. I've reduced my books from five to three and added in more action rhymes and songs, because these things hold the kids' attention the best. We also repeat the rhymes and songs each week, so they don't always (or usually) match the theme. This consistency helps my young patrons to become used to the routine and learn the songs and rhymes so they can participate more fully in storytime. 

Passive Programs for Teens: Book in a Jar

It's been fairly simple for me to create passive programs for the children at my library. Scavenger hunts, coloring pages, animals to observe - these are all things children would enjoy doing at the library. It's a bit harder to figure out what can be done for teens, but I finally stumbled upon an activity that works for my teens (and any adults who might stumble upon it as well): book in a jar.

The concept is simple: find a weeded book (or purchase a Dover thrift edition if you'd prefer), shred the pages, stick them in a jar, and let the teens guess what book it is.

When I shredded my book, I made sure to leave out any parts of pages that had the title listed on it - one of the books I chose had the title at the top of each page. I also tried to use mostly pages that were completely covered in text. Blank strips do not help at all for guessing!

I tried using the office shredder to make my strips, but it turned the pages into mush, far too unreadable. Instead, I used our paper cutter and cut all the strips that way. I could cut 3-4 pages at a time, and this way I knew the strips actually had readable words on them.

For books, I obviously can use books we weed due to condition, but I also try to choose fairly well-known or popular titles. For December, I used Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. For this month I have chosen Through the Looking Glass, which is also the book the teens are reading for their book club.

I made sure to inform the desk staff of the answer, and I have left Hershey's kisses as a prize for those who guess correctly, but many will be intrigued by the mystery simply for the sake of guessing and may not care about any kind of prize. And even though I have not yet observed anyone actually using the book in a jar, I have been told that our patrons have been guessing and enjoying it, which was the whole point.

What kinds of passive activities do you set out for teens?

Princess Princess Ever After

O'Neill, Katie. Princess Princess Ever After. 2016

Amira rescues Sadie from a tower and the two become good friends and go on adventures - defeating an ogre, rescuing a prince, and saving Amira from Sadie's evil older sister. This colorful graphic novel is full of action and fun and is sure to delight readers of all ages. I love that neither princess needed or wanted a prince to rescue her, and that they end up married in the end even though this is a book about their friendship and not their romance.

Recommended for: tweens
Red Flags: some "fantasy violence" - Amira is kidnapped, etc.
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

False Hearts

Lam, Laura. False Hearts. Tor Books, 2016.

Tila and Taema were raised in a cult outside of future San Francisco. Conjoined twins, they escape the cult at adolescence and are surgically separated in order to save their lives. Now banished from the cult, they start new lives in San Francisco. But when Tila shows up on Taema's doorstep covered in blood and is immediately arrested, Taema begins to discover the seedy underbelly of San Francisco as she goes undercover to find out the truth about her sister and the man she murdered.

I picked up this book for lots of reasons: the main characters had been raised in a cult, which I found interesting; the setting of San Francisco was definitely interesting; and I enjoy both science fiction and mysteries, so I thought I'd like this one.

I did like it, although the mystery aspect is completely predictable. Fans of mystery stories will likely figure out the secret sooner than Taema as well. As with many mysteries, this one took a while to end, and I found myself skimming simply to confirm my suspicions. Also, most of the San Frnacisco details are spot-on; however, those familiar with the city will scratch their heads when reading that the protagonist was living near the panhandle and was able to see Grace Cathedral from her window. Nonetheless, this is a good read and was worth the time.

Recommended for: adults
Red Flags: violence, language, etc - this is a book for adults
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Running Out of Time, My Life with the Liars, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

A Wish After Midnight

Elliott, Zetta. A Wish After Midnight. CreateSpace, 2016.

Genna wants to get out of Brooklyn and away from her bad neighborhood. She makes a wish in a fountain and her wish is granted - she is transported back to Brooklyn during the Civil War. She tries to survive in this new time, when she has significantly fewer rights. Eventually her boyfriend shows up in the past as well, and together they try to return to their own time period.

This book was extremely similar to Kindred, and I could easily recommend it to a teen who enjoys historical fiction or time travel. The insta-love between Genna and her boyfriend did not thrill me, nor did the fact that Genna returns to our time period on 9/10/01 - that date is mentioned specifically. I think the book itself had enough going for it that the reference to 9/11 was unnecessary.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: racial slurs, violence toward people of color
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Kindred, The Freedom Maze