7 Break-Up Books for Teens

	The Breakup Bible by Melissa Kantor High school newspaper staffer Jen gets dumped by her editor, then becomes obsessed with getting him back. It's only with the assistance of a self-help book given to her by her grandmother that Jen is eventually able to move on.
	Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald After realizing her affections are not returned, Sadie enlists the help of her fellow baristas in getting over Garrett Delaney once and for all.
	French Ducks in Venice by Garret Freymann-Weyr Seamstress Polina Panova grieves the loss of her handsome boyfriend Sebastian with the help of two ducks in this modern-day fairy tale.
	An Abundance of Katherines by John Green Colin Singleton has been dumped by nineteen girls named Katherine. Using math, he tries to predict the outcome of future relationships, the formula for which he tries to prove on a road trip with his best friend, Hassan.
	The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti All the women in Quinn's life have been hurt by men. Is she destined to resent them forever, or are there still some prince charmings out there?
	Breaking Up by Aimee Friedman Falling in love isn't as easy as Chloe expected in this Fashion High graphic novel.
	How I Broke Up With Ernie by R.L. Stine I read this book in middle school when RLStine was popular. I was afraid of his scary books, but this fluffy story about a girl who tries desperately to dump her annoying boyfriend became a favorite of mine.

Gettin' Crafty Post #15: Unity Rainbows

This craft project was part of my Martin Luther King Day story time. Unfortunately, the library was not very busy on that day, so not a lot of kids got to participate, but it was very well-received by the kids who did have the chance to make one.

I. Supplies 

• Rainbow Cereal (I used the store brand equivalent of Froot Loops)
• Plastic cups
• Paper plates 
• Crayons
• White glue

II. Prep

My library provides crafts on a walk-in self-serve basis. For this one, I took the trouble to separate out cups of cereal, so that each child could ask for a cup at the children's desk, and take it to a table to glue to their paper plate. I get nervous about things like cereal being ground into the carpet, so I though this was a good way to limit the mess. It also kept the adults from taking five cups of cereal for one child. I also provided an example, mainly so everyone would know the idea was to glue the cereal to the plate.

III. Process

It takes preschoolers a long time to glue small pieces, so a lot of the kids started before story time and finished up after. I saw rainbows of all different color schemes, which was great, and lots of creative coloring. I didn't do this, but you could punch holes in the paper plates, put ribbon or yarn through them, and  hang the rainbows up at home. I used the rainbow to represent unity and diversity, but it could also work nicely for a rain-themed story time, or for St. Patrick's Day.

Valentine's Day After School Story Time, 2/14/12

This program was really advertised for all ages, but attracted an age group very similar to the group I had last Thursday for Hugs and Kisses story time. I set up the tables again, this time with craft supplies for making Valentines.

While the kids colored, cut, and glued, I read the following:

3 Poems from It's Valentine's Day! by Jack Prelutsky (1983)

• I Made My Dog a Valentine
• Mother's Chocolate Valentine
• My Father's Valentine

This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid, and I couldn't resist sharing some of it! The kids are not used to me  reading poetry at story time, but a lot of them dropped everything to stop and listen. 

Book 1: Valentine's Day by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Lizzie Rockwell (2000)
I love this picture book series about a diverse early elementary school class and its various holiday celebrations. This book focuses on the different Valentines the kids make for their friend Michiko, who has moved to Japan. I'm not sure the group really understood that each illustration depicts not just a Valentine, but a fond memory the Valentine's creator has of Michiko, but even so, they seemed to enjoy listening to the story. If nothing else, it related well to our craft!

Book 2: If You'll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka (2005)
A little boy gives Valentines to everyone in his family, including his teddy bear! The best thing about reading this book was that one little girl, who is usually very quiet during our crowded toddler story times on Tuesdays shouted right out loud, "I have that book!"

Book 3: Yours Til the Ice Cracks: A Book of Valentines by Laura Geringer, illustrated by Andrea Baruffi (1992)
The cover image for this book doesn't seem to be online anywhere, so what's pictured is the title page. I chose to share it at story time not for the text, which went over the kids' heads, but for the neat illustrations. Each page shows a heart made of something different - everything from ice to cows! It didn't resonate with everyone, but at least two little boys were totally engrossed.

I still need to work on feeling less awkward using this format, but it really works well for the time of day, and for the wide age range. I'll be trying it again tomorrow (Thursday) with books about U.S. presidents.

Baby/Toddler Story Time, 2/14/12

I felt very discouraged this morning. The groups were small, which immediately made me wonder if they've moved onto something else, and the spirit and mood of the entire program was just very dull and not at all like its normal, vibrant self. I think it's partly because it's the middle of February and I've been doing the same songs and rhymes since early January, but still, I felt kind of weird and out of it during all three sessions. But I don't think it really showed to the audience - I had to try a little harder to smile than normal, but managed to maintain my Miss Katie persona nonetheless. Here's my Valentine-inspired repertoire, which I did three times.  (I suspect doing three in a row also contributed to my feelings of blah.)

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Book: Where is Baby's Valentine? by Karen Katz (2006)
A word to the wise - the flap for the lamp will fall down if you do not hold it up with a finger. This will create a major spoiler, which only the nannies will notice. 

Rhyme: Five Little Valentines
I made stick puppets for these - and they were a big hit! I think I might try to do some more rhymes like this, with the text that the object "says" printed right on it. If I do, I'll make a post about it!

Rhyme: Wiggle Fingers

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Book: All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri (2012)
This is my favorite Nancy Tafuri book to date. I love the animal sounds, especially "Eeep" for the mice and "Coo" for the doves.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out 

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: There's a Little Wheel a-Turnin' In My Heart 

Flannel Board: I Have Five Kisses
The kids loved this, but the nannies kept stealing my thunder and saying the next line before I was ready!

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It (a cappella)

Song: The Wheels on the Bus (a cappella)

Song: Tommy Thumb (sessions 1 and 2 only)

Song: ABCD Medley (session 3 only)

Song: One Little Finger

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

After writing all of that out, I've figured out my problem. I need more variety not just in content, but in types of content. My group used to skew a lot older, and many threes joined us, even though they were past the 36-month cut-off age. Now the group is made up of lots of one-year-olds, so I could probably do more of the simpler stuff I really like and cut back on the more complicated movements. Something to ponder as we move into Spring.