Bout of Books Progress Day 4

I read five books on day four: two in the wee hours of the morning, one during the day, and two more in the evening. It's becoming clear that I'm probably not going to complete all the goals I set for myself, but I have read a total of 24 books so far, so I can't be disappointed. Here's the list for Thursday:

• Lola Levine Is Not Mean! by Monica Brown (chapter book)
• On the Road with Mallory by Laurie Friedman (MG) 
• The World From Up Here by Cecilia Galante (MG; digital ARC)
• The Trouble with Ants by Claudia Mills (MG)
• Jess's Story by Ron Koertge and Christine Heppermann (chapter book; digital ARC)

I also participated in the If You Like This, Try This challenge on Instagram.

#ArmchairBEA Day 3: Ten Bookish Things I Do (Besides Blogging)

One of today's topics for Armchair BEA is Beyond the Blog. Though a lot of my book-related work does happen here at Story Time Secrets, I also do plenty of reading, writing, and celebrating books in other ways. To respond to this topic, I want to share ten bookish things I do besides writing this blog.

Rating Books on Goodreads

I have been rating and occasionally reviewing books on Goodreads since 2008, and as time has gone on, I have become more and more precise about how these books are categorized. I have dozens and dozens of shelves, indicating what year I read each book, when it was published, whether I posted a review on my blog, which of my daughters has heard it, and whether it reflects a particular theme, reading level, genre, or format. I am also a Goodreads Librarian, so I spend some of my time correcting errors in the details about books, especially series.

Curating Books on Pinterest

I am also very meticulous about my book-related Pinterest boards. I categorize all my reviews according to their intended audience, and I also have separate boards for special features like Old School Sunday and Fumbling Through Fantasy. Other boards are devoted to children's book lists from other blogs, and themed collections of picture books and related activities.

Participating in Picture Book of the Day 

This is my second year as a member of the Picture Book of the Day team. We used to share picture books on Facebook, but in January, we made the move to Instagram. Under the #PictureBookoftheDay hashtag you can see our creative photographs featuring new and classic picture book favorites. (My most recent contributions were this picture for Rain by Robert Kalan and Donald Crews and this one for The Mouse Who Ate the Moon by Petr Horacek.)

Performing Story Times for Moms Club

I left library work in late 2013 and have been home with first one daughter, and now two, since then. Thankfully, though, my moms group has a fondness for story time, and I usually perform one story time for them per month. It's a great way to give back to a group that makes it easier for me and my kids to make friends, and it keeps my skills sharp. (Click for blog posts about these story times.)

Listening to Nonfiction Audiobooks

Now that my oldest is a busy two-year-old, I don't have a lot time to read during the day. After listening to podcasts, I discovered that I really like to listen to nonfiction content, even though I don't really like to read it on the page. And it turns out that both my kids will tolerate very long stroller walks, so while we stroll, I listen to adult nonfiction books. The first two books I completed this way were Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV, by Warren Littlefield and T. R. Pearson and Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis (narrated by Carol Spinney, who plays Big Bird!)

Judging and Organizing Cybils

Since I started this blog, I have often been involved with the Cybils: Children's and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards. I was a judge for the category of easy readers and early chapter books in 2011 and 2012, and then after taking a break to have my older daughter, I returned as chair of the category in 2014 and 2015. My favorite part is having discussions with other readers about why a book works or does not work. I wish I had more opportunities to talk about books like that year-round!

Talking About Books on Facebook

I am a member of two great Facebook groups for talking about kids' books: a children's book bloggers support group (which is private), and Read Aloud Resources. Many of the members of Read Aloud Resources are homeschoolers, and also have Christian/conservative views about what their kids read, which really meshes well with my parenting style. I enjoy trading recommendations and learning more about how non-library people view the library. I also maintain a Facebook page connected with this blog, but most of what I post there is not "beyond the blog" but directly from it.

Visiting Used Bookstores and Sales 

As a family, we often go on weekend adventures to used bookstores and book sales. We have a list of books we are looking to buy, but we also enjoy browsing and finding unexpected treasures. My favorite book sale find so far has been The Secret Language, the only novel of  HarperCollins editor, Ursula Nordstrom, who worked with so many famous authors, including Maurice Sendak and Charlotte Zolotow.

Reading to my Kids

Though I have a monthly feature here talking about reading to my daughters, Little Miss Muffet and Little Bo Peep, I read to them more than what is mentioned here. Both my kids heard novels as newborns, and they continue to enjoy a wide variety of material. I sometimes even read blog posts aloud as I'm proofreading them!

Writing A Book 

Finally, the most bookish thing I did over the past year was write a book! Story Time Success: A Practical Guide for Librarians comes out in July. It is a step-by-step guide for learning how to perform story times, and also a refresher for veteran performers.

For more on how and why I read, check out this post from the archives: Five Reasons I Became a Reader.

#ArmchairBEA Day 2: Favorite Middle Grade Book Covers of 2016 (So Far)

Today's Armchair BEA topic is aesthetics. As a reader, I tend to rely more heavily on reviews and descriptions than covers to direct me toward the books I will enjoy. However, as a librarian, though I am not working in a library right now, I am still attuned to those books whose covers are truly display-worthy. The four books below are newly published middle grade novels whose covers I especially like.

Just Like Me by Nancy J. Cavanaugh
Published April 5, 2016 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Cover illustration by Mina Price.

I like this cover because it invites the reader into the world of the story's three main characters before they have even been introduced. Though the title suggests that the girls in the story are similar, this cover illustration really highlights their differences, showing through small details the personalities and interests of each one. The boats on the water also connect directly to the summer camp setting. Girls who are scanning library shelves looking for beach reads will spot this one right away, and upon picking it up, they will find that it matches exactly what they had in mind. It's also fun trying to figure out who is who in this image as the characters are introduced.

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varajaradan
Published May 10, 2016 by Scholastic Press
Jacket illustration by Mark Elliott. 

The cover for Save Me a Seat also sets the stage for its story quite well. The cafeteria trays hint at the setting for the book (school) and its structure (chapters are organized around the lunch menu). The differing foods highlight the culture clash between the two main characters: Joe, a white boy, and Ravi, a new student from India. Since the book is written by two authors, the cover also makes it easy to identify who is writing which character. Gita Varadarajan's name is written on Ravi's tray, while Sarah Weeks's name appears on what is clearly Joe's tray. Just with a quick glance at the cover, the reader can gain a complete sense of the type of book this is and decide whether it suits his interests.

The Tiara on the Terrace by Kristen Kittscher
Published January 5, 2016 by HarperCollins
Cover illustration by Marcos Calo.

The soft color palette of this cover is instantly intriguing, especially for readers who enjoy mysteries and detective fiction. The girl on the left, Sophie, looks cautious and nervous, as is appropriate to her personality, while Grace, on the right, looks determined and unafraid as she invites the reader into the excitement of the murder the girls are about to solve. There isn't a lot of information about the story itself on the cover, but just the sly look on Grace's face is enough to make a potential reader stop and take a second look. The cover is also similar to that of the first book in the series, The Wig in the Window, a fact which will catch the attention of readers who are already fans.

Mission Mumbai by Mahtab Narsimhan
Published March 29, 2016 by Scholastic Press
Cover illustration by Kelley McMorris.

Finally, I love the cover for Mission Mumbai because it's so boy-friendly. The cover shows every major theme of this book: the hot, crowded streets of Mumbai, the warmth and good humor of the friendship shared by the two boys and the cultural and physical differences between the main characters that play a role in the conflicts which arise between them. I also like the sense of adventure and excitement signified by the angle of the bikes and the way the boys look as though they are just about to pick up speed. The illustrator really captured the personalities of both boys so well in just this one image. (The illustrator made a fascinating blog post about the evolution of this cover that shows some of her early sketches and the thought process behind this final product.)

Which new book covers have caught your eye? How did you respond to today's topic?

Bout of Books Progress Day 3

My reading for day 3 was broken up in several segments. I read one book between midnight and 1 a.m.  then went to bed. When I woke up I read another book between 8 and 9 a.m. In the afternoon, I powered through a really long YA ARC that took me several hours (with several interruptions.) Then I finished the day with two average-length middle grade ARCs, one of which I read before dinner, and the other of which spanned the rest of the evening. Here's the full list:

• The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (MG; 1971 Newbery Medal book)
• On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer (MG; 1987 Newbery Honor book)
• The Leaving by Tara Altebrando (YA, digital ARC)
• How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer by Taryn Souders (MG; digital ARC)
• Macarons at Midnight by Suzanne Nelson (MG; digital ARC)

I also completed the 5 Favorites challenge.

Here is how I stand so far with my original goals for the read-a-thon:

• Read three titles for Fumbling Through Fantasy.
  One read (The Gammage Cup), two to go (The Thief and Return of the Twelves).
  
• Read one Old School Sunday title.
  None read so far, several on my to-read list
  
• Read my 1960s and 1970s titles for Newbery Through the Decades.
  Read both (The Gammage Cup for the 60s, Summer of the Swans for the 70s.) I also read my 80s title (On My Honor). 
  
• Read ARCs for middle grade books coming out in June and July.
  Four read (Every Single Second, How to Almost Ruin Your Summer, Macarons at Midnight, Dumbness is a Dish Best Served Cold), two to go (The World from Up Here and Lucky Strikes)
  
• Read ARCs of chapter books coming out in June and July.
  Five read (Slingshot and Burp, Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?, Pearl's Ocean Magic, Meet the Bobs and Tweets, and Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: The Sea Pony), one to go (Jess's Story)
  
• Read all the YA ARCs I currently have.
  Three read (Anything You Want, This is My Brain on Boys, and The Leaving), two to go (Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories and It's Not Me, It's You).