What is Mix It Up at Lunch Day? This program, now in its tenth year, was developed by Teaching Tolerance, a project of The Southern Poverty Law Center. Since the cafeteria is common ground to all school students, it also is the place where most cultural and social lines are drawn. By encouraging kids to sit at a different table and hang out with someone new, these divisions can be broken down through the simple act of breaking bread together, and sharing a conversation.

Teaching Tolerance has many resources available, from posters to discussion guides. You can also register your school as an official Mix It Up participant—over 2000 schools have already registered. Plan now to take advantage of this free and easy-to-implement program.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

This weekend, thousands of educators, parents, and kids of all ages will join the crowd of DIY enthusiasts flocking to New York City’s 4th annual World Maker Faire New York to see more than 650 makers present original projects celebrating such areas as technology, education, science, arts, crafts, engineering, and sustainability. The family-friendly festival of invention and creativity—what its organizers at Maker Media call “the greatest show (and tell) on earth”—will also be offering a one-day  immersive “How to Make a Maker Space” workshop ahead of the main event.

“There’s a lot of magic and discovery and exploration to be found just walking around each corner, finding what’s there, and engaging in it,” Sherry Huss, vice present of Maker Media, tells School Library Journal ahead of the event. “We encourage people to come with an open mind and see as much as they can see.”

A production of Maker Media’s Make magazine, the NYC faire—September 21 and 22 at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Flushing Meadows, Queens—is modeled after the group’s original faire, now in its 15th year, the last eight of which were located in the Bay Area.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

NYC attendees this year will have their pick of three zones of activity offering seven different “stages” or presentation areas, both inside the Hall of Science and out, tailored for how-to demonstrations, discussions, hands-on learning workshops, interviews, and play from individual makers—adults, teens, and children—chosen by Maker Media for their creativity, invention, and resourcefulness.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

Activities range from tried and true “making” projects (soldering, model vehicle building, arts and crafts, and science play) for younger children to the exploration of emerging technologies and advanced projects in design, robotics, or sustainability for teens and adults. Attendees can learn the latest in electronics, 3-D printing, and science/engineering activities and their practical applications for sharing with kids and teens, or explore more creative angles with kinetic sculptures, LEDs, and projection art.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

For the first time ever this year, a stage devoted to 3-D printing will debut, featuring 34 sessions on the present and future of digital fabrication, materials, and making, while the stage devoted to electronics will showcase experts and innovators behind all leading micro-controller and robotics platforms. Another stage, devoted to innovation, will offer deeper research and high-level perspectives from best-selling authors, educators, designers, historians, and maker entrepreneurs.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

About 30 percent of exhibits are specifically designed for children, Maker Media’s marketing director, Bridgette Vanderlaan, estimates, including the Young Makers Pavilion, sponsored by information technology provider Cognizant. During the weekend, young makers who participate in Cognizant’s Making the Future after-school and summer programs will conduct workshops, with their instructors, for other children in the pavilion as part of the company’s continuing initiative to provide hands-on learning opportunities that inspire kids in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and the arts.

In addition to the two large NYC and Bay Area World Maker Faire events, there are 80 other smaller events—“mini Maker Faires”—being planned and organized for 2013–2013 around the world, Vanderlaan says.

Vanderlaan confirms that in May, about 120,000 people attended the World Maker Faire in the Bay Area (with more than 900 makers present and more than 60,000 projects either offered or completed by attendees), while at least 70,000 attendees are expected this weekend in NYC. Vanderlaan also notes that more than half of Maker Faire’s attendees typically participate in demos and hands-on projects.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

Specifically for educators and other community leaders, Maker Media is offering the “How to Make a Makerspace Workshop” all day Friday, September 20. At press time, Vanderlaan says, there are still a few seats available for this unique, immersive event, which is being co-sponsored by Artisan’s Asylum. The takeaways include creating a business model, the permitting/insurance process, building community, and the challenges of incorporating education into one’s mission.

Tickets for World Maker Faire New York, which range in price from about $10 to $35, can be purchased at the event or online in advance. If you can’t attend in person, you can view the live stream, or follow the event and NYSCI on Twitter. You can tweet about the event via #MakerFaire.

The event, which will run at Tulsa’s Cox Business Center on September 27 and at the Lloyd Novel Center in Norman on September 28, is the brainchild of Jeff Kinney, award-winning author/illustrator of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, who wanted to help Moore’s kids and teachers regain a sense of normalcy after the tragedy.

Kinney reached out to friends and fellow book creators Dav Pilkey of the “Captain Underpants” series, Lincoln Peirce of the “Big Nate” series, and Stephan Pastis of the “Timmy Failure” series, who all signed on without hesitation. All proceeds will benefit the Moore Public Schools Foundation for rebuilding the three school library collection that were damaged or completely destroyed by the tornado.

The two events are sponsored by Tulsa City-County Library, TulsaKids Magazine, Universal Uclick, GoComics, The Preservation Framer, The Metropolitan Library, The Pioneer Library, Scholastic Books, Abrams Books, HarperCollins Publishers, and Candlewick Press.

“These authors have never been together under one roof before,” says Gary Shaffer, Tulsa City-County Library’s Chief Executive Officer.  “This is going to be an awesome event for a most worthy cause.  It’s exciting to present these best-selling authors in Tulsa for the first time and to share in the rebuilding of school libraries.  Libraries Change Lives.”

The event will include the sale of autographed books—200 donated from each author’s publishing company—along with one-of-a-kind posters featuring artwork from each author. There will also be raffles of autographed original artwork from each author and other cartoonist memorabilia.

Each of CCL’s one-hour programs in the series, known as “Inside the ABC of It,” will feature a panel of experts focusing on key aspects of the kid lit exhibition, and will offer audience members an opportunity to ask questions as well as attend a post-program book signing. The programs are scheduled for September 18, September 24, and October 2. Notably, the final program will examine the kid lit from the writer’s perspective, featuring  acclaimed children’s book authors Robie Harris, Jon Scieszka, and Rebecca Stead.

BookFest, meanwhile, is an event “devoted to the celebration, discovery, and discussion of books for children and teens,” says CCL. It will include authors, illustrators, editors, reviewers, and scholars on panels and breakout sessions focusing on specific genres and topics in children’s literature.

Keynote speaker DiCamillo is author of the forthcoming Flora & Ulysses (September, Candlewick), and the Newbery Medal–winning The Tale of Despereaux (Candlewick). Additional authors and illustrators include NYPL’s Betsy Bird, Grace Lin, Jen Bryant, Melissa Sweet, Brian Floca, and Christopher Myers.

Teen Read Week is an national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It’s aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults.

Espresso Book Machine final product

With the recent installation of the Espresso Book Machine at our Rust Library, and the popularity of self-publishing with Kindle Direct Publishing (or another of the myriad self-publishing platforms), anyone can be an author. We are often approached by authors (both popular and self-published) as well as book agents and publishers asking if we would like to host them for a book discussion, reading, or signing. Our inclination is to say yes because “Libraries are in the reading business,” as marketing librarian Nancy Dowd said at our Staff Development Day last year. But many authors leave the program details to us, putting us in a tentatively enthusiastic position of figuring out what to do. While that is stressful—Will anyone come? Will the author hate what we did?—it is also a fun opportunity to engage our audience by trying something new. No two books are the same, so neither should two author events.

Teens waiting for Jay Asher to begin

So how do you plan an author event that is more than a C-SPAN-like reading and Q&A session? First you should know the book. And by “know” I mean read. I rarely recommend a book that I haven’t read, so there is no way I would ask someone to take the time to read the book and attend the event when I have not made the effort to do so. Knowing the themes, parental guidance factors (sex, drugs, violence), and style of the story help me recommend the book to the right audience. I didn’t give Thirteen Reasons Why to every teen girl who came into the Teen Center looking for “a good book.” Instead I probed, asked what their favorite books and hobbies were, and suggested from there. Do we want hundreds of people in the audience? Yes. Am I willing to lie to readers about how much they would like a book, just to get them there? No. My library’s Teen Center has a bigger tween scene than teen one, so inviting Jay Asher and his tale of suicide was a tad worrisome for us. Luckily, a perfect mix of young readers and adults attended the event, quelling our fears.

Jay Asher with It’s All Write promo

Jay Asher’s visit in the spring was a two-day experience that took him to the juvenile detention center, a high school, my library, and the It’s All Write short story contest awards ceremony. His presentation at the high school was only for students who had submitted essays to their teachers. A local bookseller sold Ransom Riggs and Tahera Mafi novels at their co-headlining event, which was candid and hilarious as they introduced each other and gave out swag to anyone who asked a question. Prior to Bruce Coville’s book reading and Q&A, young readers were encouraged to create “fan art” at a table set up in the Juvenile section. We usually offer pizza, free stuff, books for sale, or activities as a way to break the ice between staff, the audience, and the famous person standing at the podium. All parties involved seem to appreciate this approach because it keeps everyone engaged instead of sitting around waiting for the author to make the first move.

We are currently working with a local author to plan a YA Writer’s panel, which includes giving ARCs of some of the authors’ debut novels to our teen book club members. Elise Nader, author of Escape from Eden (Merit Pr.), has already committed to five copies for the giveaway. Working directly with the teens is a great way to determine if we should continue with the program, as their input is the most significant. The relationships we have established over the past six months with our teens are helpful in planning future programs.

Fresh Paint traces the development of teen services for a new public library in an underserved community.

The Printz Award committee flanks honoree (front row, from left to right) Beverly Brenna, winner Nick Lake, honoree Benjamin Alire Sáenz and honoree Elizabeth Wein. Photo courtesy of YALSA.

The event is a chance for honorees to celebrate and speak about their books, then mingle with fans over drinks and dessert. This year’s author speeches, like the books recognized, ranged in topic from the personal to the intellectual—but one central theme emerged: the power of storytelling and its ability to connect kids to larger truths about the world.

The Young Adult Library Services Association gives the Michael L. Printz Award each year to the “best book written for teens,” and the award committee can also name up to four honor titles. In January 2013, five books published in 2012 were recognized: winner In Darkness, by Nick Lake; and honor books Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz; Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein; Dodger by Terry Pratchett; and The White Bicycle by Beverly Brenna.

Sáenz opened the evening, and he could have closed it as well. His incredibly touching speech left the audience sobbing. His book is a coming-of-age tale about two Latino boys in Texas. He shared with the audience his own painful journey to coming out at age 54, “a wounded man—but what are wounds to a writer?” He spoke about how he nearly abandoned Aristotle and Dante because it was “too close to home,” and explained that he ultimately, accidentally, came back to the novel. “There should be roadmaps for boys who were born to play by different rules…born gay. I suppose I became a cartographer.” His speech was personal, painful, and passionate, much like Ari and Dante’s journeys, and in the end, he thanked the committee and the audience, saying “today I feel like a boy again.”

He was greeted by a spontaneous standing ovation, prompting Elizabeth Wein to start her own speech with a good-natured grumble about the agony of following him. Fortunately for her—and for audience, still sobbing—she moved away from deeply personal topics (which she had previously covered in her USBBY speech the day before) and started with history. Her own history, yes—but even Wein’s journal, which she read from, is a crafted, precise piece of accomplished writing, laced with literary references, sly humor, and an astounding wealth of detail.

In the reading, it became clear just how deeply Wein poured her own self into the creation of Julie, the narrator of Code Name Verity. “Like me,” Wein said, “she’s writing because it transports her.” As she spoke, it became clear that in fact this speech was just as personal and Sáenz’s, but focused on the act of writing. Code Name Verity is “about voices being silenced and found,” Wein said, and while it’s easy to see that it’s a story of friendship and World War II, it’s also about “the power of words.”

The theme of words as power—and literature as a means to a deeper truth—echoed throughout the evening; Sáenz brought it to life and Wein made it explicit. Terry Pratchett’s speech (given by his US editor Anne Hoppe) touched on the same ideas, in different form.

Dodger was written as a testament to the real Henry Mayhew, a man whose words, in the form of a comprehensive study of the poor of Victorian London, changed the world. But because it was written by Terry Pratchett, who admits that his “mind packs more rats than Hamelin,” the testament to Mayhew might have morphed a bit; Victorian London, after all, “is cut in the mold of fantasy.” Pratchett’s speech was laced with his customary wry humor, clear even when voiced by someone else, and, while he was missed, appreciative chuckles sounded throughout the audience, along with a murmur of agreement at a piece of truth: “you don’t have to invent that much if you have a good grasp of social history.”

Next up was Beverly Brenna, who started by thanking the audience for being there—because she’s actually shown up a night early, only to be greeted by empty chairs! Following up on the thematic scope of the evening (leading a few listeners to speculate that there might be a secret online forum for Printz winners and honorees where they had planned this perfectly aligned set of remarks), Brenna said “stories are important. Stories can change the world.”

And as she recounted a story her own mother told her, it became clear that Brenna is a consummate storyteller; she had the rhythm down perfectly, changing inflections and intonations for different moments. It’s no surprise that the aspect of The White Bicycle the committee and readers always reference is the voice. And indeed, Brenna admitted that she wrote her book with purpose: to give voice to those on the Autism spectrum, whose voices are still too rarely heard.

Speaking of the voiceless, Brenna was followed by Nick Lake, whose In Darkness gives voice to the poor of Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the terrible earthquake of 2010. Lake’s speech was laced with philosophy—Nietzsche, Campbell’s hero’s journey, and the idea of magical truths: “the shaman and the geneticist both would say, ‘My ancestors live inside me.’”

Above all, Lake spoke about circles and connections, within his book and within the world. “Something small can contain eternity,” and a book can contain a universal truth, he said. He spoke about how hard it is to grow up, and—winning the hearts of every listener, said “reading is an incredibly important part of young adults becoming functional adults.” He also managed, remarkably, to work in references to The Hunger Games, Daniel Kraus, John Green, and—of all things—“poo.” Because nothing puts life in perspective like winning an award and immediately having to deal with a 2-year-old’s diaper: the circle of life made all too real and much less intellectual in one fell swoop.

The speeches should be available on YALSA’s website in the near future.

Youth services division presidents Gail Dickinson (AASL), Shannon Peterson (YALSA), and Starr LaTronica (ALSC) pose with the ALA’s new Declaration for the Right to Libraries.

Right out of the gate, Barbara Stripling, ALA’s incoming president, drew upon the theme “Libraries Change Lives” in kicking off the organization’s “America’s Right to Libraries” campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the variety of services that libraries provide throughout the country. As part of her presentation, Stripling unveiled the Declaration for the Right to Libraries and reminded attendees that ALA is hoping librarians from all types of libraries will gather hundreds of thousands of patron signatures in the coming months. ALA plans to structure a one- or two-week window later this year when school libraries in particular across the country can host signing ceremonies, creating opportunities for ALA to leverage strong national media coverage and public support for the cause.

In the meantime, the initial promotion of the declaration is proceeding as planned. “At Board III, I signed [the declaration] flanked by immediate past-president Susan Ballard and President-elect Terri Grief,” AASL President Gail Dickinson tells School LibraryJournal.  “It was also  presented at Affiliate Assembly, so that our state affiliates are also aware. I am sure that both the legislation and the advocacy committees are working to publicize it.”

As promised by ALA last month, a new implementation task force has already been formed to continue the work of the School Library Task Force. The new committee will be co-chaired by Gina J. Millsap, CEO of Topeka Shawnee County Public Library (KS) and Terry Kirk Grief, AASL president-elect.

“The increased emphasis on preparing all students to be college and career ready and the widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards and integration of technology have opened an unprecedented door to school library leadership,” the ALA leadership says.

Adds Margaux DelGuidice, a 2013 Movers & Shaker, “Meeting with fellow members of the AASL/YALSA/ALSC Joint Task Force on the Common Core in person and making out the work we will do together,” was one of the key moments in her conference experience this year.

Technology was also front-and-center, with recommended lists for apps and websites creating lots of buzz, attendees say. For the first time ever, AASL announced its list of Best Apps for Teaching and Learning; the committee’s selections were made using the AASL’s Standard’s for 21^st Century Learning as a guide. And for the fifth year, the organization announced its Best Websites for Teaching and Learning in six categories, including media sharing, curriculum collaboration, and social networking.

Additional AASL business included updates from Dickerson on the search for a new AASL executive director. “Conducting a search for this position, which is so important to school libraries, is a thoughtful and reflective process, with a lot of discussion to ensure that the person selected is our best candidate from a pool of highly qualified applicants,” she tells SLJ.

In addition, ALSC announced three Summer Reading Lists for kindergarten through eighth grade. Each of the lists has 25 titles selected by the organization’s Quicklists Consulting Committee and its School-Age Programs and Services Committee.

Generating a stir during the conference was Chris Harris, coordinator of the school library system for the Genesee Valley (NY) Educational Partnership, who introduced the new “Here Be Fiction” program during the “Maintaining Teen E-Collections” presentation. The program makes fiction available in ebook format to school librarians. August House, Bancroft Press, Picture Window Books, Lerner, and Stone Arch Books are the first publishers to be involved. With the program, librarians will be able to download such titles as Kate McMullan’s Nice Shot Cupid (Stone Arch, 2011) to a mobile device or reader. The program will go live on July 15, when selected school librarians around the country will have free access during their summer vacations to read and review ebook fiction.

ALA also spotlighted a number of authors are helping libraries have access to digital media through its new “Authors for Library Ebooks” campaign, which aims to assist ALA in its negotiations with publishers on reaching a sustainable solution for library ebook lending. Cory Doctorow, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Jodi Picoult are just some of the participating authors who have sign on in support of great access to ebooks through libraries.

Says Le Guin, “So, dear reader, if your library doesn’t have the e-book you’d like to read, please don’t complain to your librarian. Complain to your publisher. Tell him to wake up and get real.”

Adds Picoult, “Whether it’s a digital file or a paper copy, I want readers to find my books—and all books—in their libraries. I stand with libraries—and I invite other authors to join me in the campaign for library e-books for all.”

Inaugural brunch attendees build with blocks to illustrate Stripling’s collaboration theme.

A highlight of the conference, youth librarians tell SLJ, was the programming centered around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, which was presented by the ALA Public Programming Office in conjunction with NASA and the Space Science Institute. Two sessions introduced new resources now available to libraries to introduce students and patrons to STEM topics: a traveling exhibit, Discover Tech: Engineering Make a World of Difference, and a new STEM online community, STARnetLibraries. The exhibit will be traveling around the country for the next year, while the site’s goal is connect libraries with STEM professionals.

Some conference attendees also enjoyed last Tuesday’s inaugural brunch to welcome Stripling and the new division presidents, with tables were decorated with Legos and building blocks to illustrate Stripling’s call for collaboration and building connections.

The close of the conference also marked the retirement of Julie Walker, AASL executive director.  The association is in the process of selecting her successor.

10. Artist Alley

Graphic novelists Dave Roman and Raina Telegemeier in ALA’s Artist Alley.

In ALA’s artist alley, attendees had the opportunity to hear and meet such graphic artists as Gene Luen Yang—where he spoke about Boxers & Saints (First Second, 2013), his two–volume graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion—and Dave Roman and Raina Telegemeier, graphic artists and spouses.

9.  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Arthur Levine on the exhibit floor unveils the new cover.

On Saturday, June 29, publisher Arthur Levine unveiled the new cover for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by award-winning illustrator Kazu Kibuishi, the fourth of seven trade paperback editions with new covers illustrated by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Kazu Kibuishi. The covers are being reissued in celebration of the 15^th anniversary of the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first book in J.K. Rowling’s bestselling series.

8. Paws to Read

The Illinois Library Association was on hand during the conference to share details of its planned 2014 Summer Reading Program, “Paws to Read,” which features Tad Hills as its sponsored illustrator and his character of Rocket as the program’s mascot. The campaign is part of the children’s outreach efforts of the Illinois Reading Enrichment and Development (iREAD) program.

7. StarWalk Kids Media

Amy Kellman, retired head of children’s services at the Carnegie Library, Seymour Simon of StarWalk Kids, and Scholastic’s Lori Benton share a few moments on ALA’s exhibit floor.

Another fascinating exhibit was that of StarWalk Kids Media, an eBook company founded by award-winning children’s science author Seymour Simon. The company showcases the work of award-winning authors and illustrators such as David Adler, Stephanie Calmenson, and Doreen Rappaport.

6. Newbery Superstars!

Newbery Medalists Katherine Paterson, Katherine Applegate, and Patricia MacLachlan.

HarperCollins hosted three of its Newbery winners at the same time at its booth on the exhibit floor: Katherine Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia, 1978 and Jacob Have I Loved, 1981); Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan, 2013); and Patricia MacLachlan (Sarah, Plain and Tall, 1986).

5. Gareth Jones Sings

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Gareth Jones, British children’s author of Constable and Toop (Abrams, 2013) and the “Ninja Meerkats” series (MacMillan), brought his ukulele to serenade librarians in the exhibits.

4. Movers & Shakers

2013 Movers & Shakers Margaux DelGuidice, Matthew Winner, and Rose Luna.

I ran into many terrific librarians throughout the conference, but it was a special treat to spend time with some of the school and children’s services librarians who have been named Movers and Shakers by Library Journal over the years. The opportunity to mingle and meet with many of the Movers & Shakers was also a highlight for one of the 2013 honorees, Margaux DelGuidice, she says.

3. Live @ Your Library

Ellen Hopkins presented 26 authors on the exhibit floor to promote the work of  Live @ Your Library.

Live @ Your Library, a national initiative from ALA’s Public Programs Office, provides grant opportunities for libraries looking to present cultural programming for adults and families to explore important issues. The group’s offerings at ALA this year were quite rich, with 26 critically-acclaimed and best-selling authors being brought to the exhibit floor to read from their books and answer questions.

2. Scholastic Readers Theater

Authors Gordon Korman, Brandon Mull, Kirby Larson, Kat Fall, Kathryn Erskine and Jeffrey Brown

Not content to simply announce its new titles, Scholastic hosted a star-studded Sunday brunch event with authors Gordon Korman, Brandon Mull, Kirby Larson, Kat Fall, Kathryn Erskine and Jeffrey Brown each performing excerpts of their newest kids’ titles in a version of Readers Theater. The award for best performer goes to Brandon Mull for his versatility.

1. Giada De Laurentiis

Rocco Staino, SLJ contributing editor, and Giada De Laurentiis.

It is always wonderful to meet a celebrity at ALA, and this year it was the chef Giada De Laurentiis, who was there to promote Recipe for Adventure: Naples (Grosset & Dunlop).  It is the first in a series that will bring her characters around the world on adventures centered around food.

Send your pictures of the week to sdiaz@mediasourceinc.com

In celebration of its 25th Anniversary of children’s publishing, Chronicle Books hosted a cocktail reception at the American Library Association Annual conference that included a raffle of original artwork inspired by the company’s spectacles logo. The pieces were created by many award-winning and bestselling illustrators, including Tom Lichtenheld, Sophie Blackall, Taro Gomi, and more. The artists presented the prizes to the raffle winners.

Illustrator Tom Lichtenheld and children’s literature professor Susannah Richards. Photos courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Illustrator Vladimir Radunsky presented original art  to Susan Faust, librarian at San Francisco’s Katherine Delmar Burke School.

By Lisa G. Kropp

Do you know STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)?  From hosting “parties” with traditional building blocks to using science kits with young children, ideas for STEAM programming in libraries were discussed at a recent panel at the ALA (American Library Association) annual conference.

The panel, “What’s Hot in STEAM Education: How Using ECRR2 Supports Literacy, Common Core, and School Success,” also honed in on using hands-on activities to build skills outlined in the updated Every Child Ready to Read initiative.

At the packed, standing-room-only event, moderator Christy Estrovitz, early literacy coordinator of the San Francisco Public Library, hosted panelists including Dr. Judy Cheatham, vice president of literacy services at the organization Reading is Fundamental (RIF), along with Eva Mitnick, coordinator of children’s services at the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and Susan Anderson-Newham, early learning supervising librarian at the Pierce County (WA) Library System, and a 2013 Library Journal  Mover and Shaker.

Judy Cheatham of Reading is Fundamental: Resources for teaching STEAM and ECRR

What does STEAM programming mean to public libraries and early literacy services? According to Cheatham, STEAM has the potential to help position public libraries at the forefront of language and literacy development, particularly when working with parents, young children, and teachers.

Founded in 1966, RIF is the oldest, and largest, children and family literacy non-profit in the US. Its mission is to motivate young children to read by working with them, their parents, and  community members to make reading a part of everyday life.

Cheatham noted that the RIF site offers a multitude of resources to use when planning library STEAM programs. RIF’s 2012-2013 Multicultural Book Collection focuses on books that enhance STEAM education, and related four-page resource guides feature a wealth of information and suggested activities for parents, librarians, educators, and community coordinators.

The resource guides suggest simple ways to add STEAM activities to literature-based projects. “Teachers don’t have to be Albert Einstein’s offspring to do STEAM activities,” Cheatham noted, challenging the audience to infuse more STEAM into their programming.

Why focus on STEAM education at such an early age? Cheatham explained that in order for U.S. students to compete in a global economy and job market, we needs to improve their math and science skills. Middle School is the wrong time—too late—to introduce complex science and math terms and vocabulary, she said. Research shows that young children’s brains are like sponges, she noted: eager to absorb information on a wide variety of topics.

Cheatham cited statistics showing that 75 percent of students who are poor readers in third  grade remain so in high school. After third grade, cognitive demands increase yearly, as does the pressure to master  the new Common Core State Standards. If we don’t start introducing scientific vocabulary to kids at a younger age, she argued, we are going to lose the war on literacy and set students up for failure down the line.

Children’s librarians can serve their communities by creating STEAM programs for parents with young children, and by offering educators access to STEAM-rich materials and activities, Cheatham noted.

RIF recommends using Z is for Moose with STEAM activities.

She also stressed the need to target learners earlier through workshops incorporating ECRR best practices: talking, singing, writing, reading, and playing. One book that RIF recommends for STEAM activities is Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinksy (HarperCollins, 2012). RIF’s suggested related activities for the book listed included all five STEAM subjects.

Books that encourage STEAM allow librarians to teach complex vocabulary to parents, teachers, and young children in a fun way, Cheatham reiterated. Ending her inspiring talk, she reminded the audience that vocabulary needs to be heard, used, and practiced.

STEAM at the Los Angeles Public Library: Partnering with the California Science Center

During Mitnick’s presentation, she described a new STEAM program hosted by LAPL in partnership with the California Science Center. LAPL has 72 branches and a central library, all of which follow ECRR practices. Their recent collaboration with the California Science Center introduces preschool children to science concepts using the ECRR principles.

“Preschoolers are natural scientists” because they question everything, Mitnick noted. The goal of the  project was to create a program promoting STEM activities across the curriculum and referring to the California Preschool Curriculum framework. Also, she said, parents were provided with resources to support their child’s STEM experiences.

In January, four LAPL branches began working with preschoolers and their parents, using science kits created by California Science Center. Librarians received training during workshops at the Science Center, whose staff created six kits around the following topics:

• Rocks and Minerals
• Insects
• Habitats
• Seeds to Plants
• Balls, Ramps, and Rollercoasters
• Build It!

Each kit contained plenty of manipulatives and tech devices including iPads, digital scales,  microscopes, and a mini projector.

Mitnick created a Preschool Science Program Form for library staff to fill out  when utilizing the kits. This way, they could keep track of materials and equipment used, including books. The form features a description of the program and its learning activities along with examples of ECRR activities and skills. Finally, Mitnick asked staff to include anecdotal information and comments on the program by children and parents, feedback to keep in mind while the pilot prepares to expand to three more LAPL branches in the fall.

Mitnick said that reading the RIF-recommended STEAM books prompted LAPL librarians create additional booklists. The preschool science series involved a lot of dialogue among parents, librarians, and preschoolers: “What is an inclined plane? Can you find one at the library?” Librarians introduced science topics in other fun ways, like singing songs related to the kit’s theme. Library staff used the downloadable site Freegal Music to search key science words in children’s songs.

The young learners “wrote” their hypotheses by drawing their thoughts and ideas out on large pieces of paper. There was also lots of playing with the kits’ manipulative devices. Preschoolers created art using scientific principles, such as gravity painting. “The paint always goes down!” Mitnick deadpanned.

Librarians and parents used vocabulary terms such as observe, predict, and check, knowing that the kids, modeling adult behavior, would start using them too. Wrapping up, Mitnick said that LAPL hopes to expand their science programming with another grant next year for elementary age kids.

Block Play at the Pierce County Library System

Anderson-Newham started her talk by exclaiming, “Block parties are completely addictive!” She was referring to once-a-month events in which reps from the local Head Start center came to co-lead play sessions, using traditional maple blocks, with trained librarians.

Like Cheatham, Anderson-Newham emphasized that STEM activities should start in early childhood settings, when children are at their most inquisitive. During the block parties, librarians announce two simple rules: participants cannot throw blocks or knock down anyone’s structure.

She went onto explain the seven stages of block play:

• Carrying blocks
• Stacking–both horizontal and vertical
• Bridging
• Enclosures
• Patterns and Symmetry
• Early Representational
• Later Representational

Anderson-Newham noted that once each stage is mastered, youngsters move backward and forward through them during play. The different block units feature labels—arches, columns, squares, rectangles, triangles, cylinders, and circles, as well as the basic, half, and double unit blocks—to teach children this vocabulary.

Each block party starts with a brief story time with picture books such as Christy Hale’s Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building (Lee & Low, 2012) or Shape Capers by Cathryn Falwell (HarperCollins, 2007). There are also pictures of famous structures from around the world to inspire the kids.

After some time, librarians add more elements to the block play–transportation vehicles, farm and zoo animals, scarves, and clothespins. “Library meeting rooms are perfect for blocks,” noted  Anderson–Newham, because they are large spaces easily emptied of furniture, offering ample room for big structures.

Participating Head Start teachers said that the sessions enriched block play back in the classroom as well. Students began looking around the room wondering, “‘What else can we use with our blocks?’” said Anderson-Newham.

Some Head Start sites invited parents along, many of whom were not previously library users. Spanish-speaking staff gave library tours. Many parents applied for library cards and are now coming to the library on their own, Anderson-Newham said.

Every participating child receives a free set of 100 wooden blocks to take home, along with information sheets explaining what children learn while playing with blocks. Participating libraries have added blocks into their existing Lego building programs for older students.

Anderson-Newham ended her talk by quoting Frank Lloyd Wright, whose mother once gave him a set of wooden blocks for his birthday. “‘The feeling of those simple maple blocks is in my fingers to this day,’” he said.

The event was sponsored by PLA (the Public Library Association) and ALSC (the Association for Library Service to Children) ECRR Oversight Committee.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Margaret A. Edwards Award, given annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association to an author in honor of work that makes a “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” The award, which is sponsored by SLJ, was presented Saturday during the American Library Association’s annual conference in Chicago to Tamora Pierce for her “Song of the Lioness” and “The Protector of the Small” series.

As is tradition, the winning author is the featured speaker at the event―and this year, the feisty and mischievous Pierce did not disappoint. After introductory remarks from Jack Martin, YALSA president, and Jamie Watson, chair of the 2013 Edwards committee, Pierce took to the microphone. She spoke in a soft monotone about how honored she was, mentioned her experience of attending conferences and listening to librarians and readers, and paused frequently to cough.

The audience was initially confused; where was the feminist personality they had come to see? Where was the warm, outsized writer whose online persona so many knew? There was a hush in the room, an almost palpable sense of disappointment. This was Tamora Pierce? This was the woman whose books had, for many attendees, been transformative reading in their own teen years?

And then Pierce dropped her punchline: she’s not that dull, robot-voiced speaker―but she likes to see the discomfort. “The thought of your pain and suffering makes me happy,” she said gleefully. The audience laughed appreciatively, thoroughly warmed up, and Pierce’s real speech began.

Readers familiar with Pierce’s work will know that she focuses on strong, spunky female heroes in well-realized fantasy worlds, a theme she discussed at length. Pierce spoke passionately about her own childhood reading of heroic tales and a few bright, bold girl books, and the tensions at home that tore her in two directions and at one point almost made her give up writing.She described discovering fantasy novels, where “women could be warriors. Except, well…”

In the fantasy of Pierce’s childhood, women were sword fodder or “over-sexed trollops.” So Pierce set out to write real fantasy: books in which chainmail bikinis would never make an appearance, featuring women “who would not surrender who they had fought to become. Even if they fell in love.”

Heads nodded. This was the speech people had come to hear!

Tamora Pierce addresses librarians at the Edwards Award luncheon. Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux.

Pierce wrote realistic fantasy―with bathrooms, contraception, and consequences―because she wanted to live in it. Her books reflect her whole self: Alanna comes from Pierce’s adolescence, but Kel comes from a deeper, adult understanding of the complications and challenges that face women in the military and other typically male-dominated, physically challenging jobs. The verisimilitude of Kel’s experiences reflects research and dedication: martial arts, interviews and conversations with women in the military, and a reflection on 9/11 which occurred as the final book in the Kel quartet was being written―all played a part in making the series ring true.

It’s this dedication to reality that makes Pierce’s books so enduring, and guarantees that she has “the coolest fans of anybody,” a statement in evidence at the end of the luncheon when several librarians who had come of age on Pierce’s books approached her, crying, to finally meet in person the hero who had taught them all about female heroes.

For those who missed the Edwards luncheon, there is another opportunity to hear from Pierce coming up: she will be keynoting SLJ’s free SummerTeen online event.

The Caldecott Medal was awarded to 32-year-old Jon Klassen for This is Not My Hat (Candlewick). In accepting the award, Klassen fondly referred to his book—about a sneaky fish and the stolen hat he adores—as his “little guy,” and said he was happy that its subtle humor and message had resonated with readers. Klassen is also a Caldecott Honoree this year for Mac Burnett’s Extra Yarn (HarperCollins); he is only the second illustrator with this achievement in the award’s history.

Katherine Applegate, winner of the John Newbery Medal for The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins), spoke about her long road to the Medal after a varied writing career, commenting that she was not ‘a late-blooming” success. The 56-year-old winner read from a Harlequin Romance novel that she once wrote. “A woman’s body is like a piano,” she said. “You are definitely a Steinway, baby.”

Unlike her early work, Applegate’s Newbery-winning turn is a poignant YA story of a long-captive gorilla. In her remarks, Applegate recalled her youth and specifically the time that she was introduced to Doctor Doolittle and Charlotte’s Web, books in which, like the Ivan of her book, the principal protagonists were talking animals. “You have to write the book that has to be written,” she quoted Madeleine L’Engle. “And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”

Applegate went on to praise the optimism of children and to thank the members of the Nerdy Book Club, whose online enthusiasm brought recognition to Ivan.

In accepting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, Katherine Paterson thanked “all the librarians and teachers,” noting, “many children would never know my books if it was for you.” The award is given to an author whose books have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature. The 80-year-old Paterson is a two-time Newbery and National Book Award winner, and has served as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. The Wilder award comes forty years after the publication of her first book, The Sign of the Chrysanthemum. In closing, Paterson praised the audience and the event, which she said was for “celebrating all of you who nourish the lives of the young.”

Librarian Suzanne Walker donned pins representing the 75 Caldecott Medalists.

The evening’s entertainment was not only found on the stage. The audience was filled with many librarians dressed in their Caldecott-themed fashions and accessories, such as Starr LaTronica, youth services/outreach manager at the Four County Library System (NY) and president-elect of ALSC, who sported earrings and shoes adorned with Caldecott Medals. Elizabeth Bird of the New York Public Library, picture book author and SLJ blogger, wore an outfit that featured all of this year’s Caldecott books. And all 75 Caldecott winners were present on the dress of Suzanne Walker from the Indiana State Library in the form of individual pins that she created for each winning book.

Katrina Taylor and Charlene Mckenzie, librarians from St. Paul, MN, are annual attendees of the dinner; both enjoy the event for different reasons, they told School Library Journal. While McKenzie appreciates getting to see the authors and illustrators who “create the magic of the book,” Taylor says, “it is so inspiring to have a celebration of children’s literature.”

The exhibit spans five centuries with one of the earliest items being a rare copy of Aesop’s Fables with His Life: In English, French & Latin illustrated by Francis Barlow dating from 1666. Visitors are taken through the history of children’s books as it relates to history, the arts, popular culture, and technological change.  A children’s book is a “message in a bottle” that shows the “hopes and dreams of each generation,” Leonard Marcus told a group of reporters who previewed the exhibit recently.

Both children and adults can step into the Great Green Room of Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon (Harper & Row, 1947) or answer questions relating to children’s books that appear on a monitor.  Children can also slip through Alice’s Rabbit Hole or pet a fur wall devoted to Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are (Harper & Row, 1963).

While researching objects for the exhibit, Marcus solved a mystery. He had come across an ivory carving of Tweedledee and Tweedledum (characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) without any documentation. Photos of the objects were sent to other children’s literature collections to solicit information. A letter from Carroll in the collection of Philadelphia’s Rosenbach Museum & Library explained that it might be from a parasol handle originally given to the “real” Alice by Carroll. Marcus turned the carving over to find the hole for the umbrella handle.

The familiar names of Garth Williams, Madeleine L’Engle, Maurice Sendak, and Judy Blume are featured in the section entitled “Raising a Ruckus,” which focuses on books that caused controversy in their day.  Superman, the Avengers, and the Justice League make an appearance in the “Lights Out: Reading Under the Covers” area, which is devoted to kids and comics.

At the turn of the last century it was common for libraries to have signs stating “No Dogs or Children Allowed.” Some of the librarians who helped change that custom are featured in the exhibit. Anne Carroll Moore, a New York Public Library’s children’s librarian, is featured; she began the library’s Best Books List, co-founded Children’s Book Week, and helped launch the Newbery and Caldecott Medals. Also included is Pura Belpré, the New York Public Library’s first Puerto Rican librarian. She began bilingual story hours and, in 1996, the American Library Association and its affiliate REFORMA began an annual award named in Belpré’s honor to recognize outstanding Latino writers and illustrators.

The exhibit, which is free to attend, opens June 21, 2013, and will run through March 23, 2014.

Authors and illustrators on SLJ‘s Day of Dialog “Informational Picture Books” panel. (l. to r.) Jonah Winter, Kathleen T. Isaacs (moderator), Thomas Gonzalez, Jim Arnosky, Jennifer Berne, and Elisha Cooper.

Nearly 250 librarians got an information boost from the first panel of authors and illustrators at School Library Journal’s annual Day of Dialog, the pre-BEA event. Moderated by Kathleen T. Isaacs, author of Picturing the World: Informational Picture Books for Children (ALA, 2013), the lively discussion offered Jim Arnosky, Jennifer Berne, Elisha Cooper, Thomas Gonzalez, and Jonah Winter the chance to share more information about their creative processes, who they write for, and why they choose to create nonfiction for young readers.

The prolific Arnosky said he gets inspiration for his work as an outgrowth of his interest in the natural world, which can be seen in his recent Shimmer and Splash (Sterling). “Once I learn about one animal, I wind up learning about a dozen more. My wife and I just get in a truck, go where they live, and stay there for months. It’s a self-perpetuating thing for me.” An illustrator as well as an author, his creative process sometimes starts off as a movielike stream of images, which later gets populated by facts. He knows he’s latched onto a future project when a subject continues to occupy his thoughts. “A book is a special medium; it’s like a poem, or a good song. And it stays with you and becomes a part of your mind,” he shared.

Jonah Winter

Winter also compared writing an informational title to another art form. “An author is like a sculptor. You scrape away at the marble until an actual figure appears.” While writing picture book biographies such as You Never Heard of Willie Mays?! (Random), he is conscious of the images that go along with the story, mindful of the pacing and the format’s usual 32-page count.

Berne agreed with the sculptor motif, and added that, as an author carves away, “somehow the right path appears” which allows you to figure out “what needs to go and what needs to stay.”

Cooper said he relishes working on a project because, “you start off ignorant at first, but then your curiosity takes over, and you fall in love with it.” He added, “there’s an art in the gathering, but an art in the carving down.”

Illustrator Gonzalez, who recently completed work on Alice B. McGinty’s Gandhi (Amazon), spoke from an artist’s point of view. “The pace is given to me, which is a little bit of a challenge, but at the same time it forces me to resolve any issues. I do like to sneak things in here and there; working on a book then becomes like leaving your fingerprint.” Winter responded, “And, that’s what makes a picture book interesting though, the liberties the illustrator can take.”

Thomas Gonzalez and Jennifer Berne

With the current resurgence of nonfiction, especially in light of Common Core State Standards, the need for accuracy in informational books is as important as ever. While the panelists believe that getting the facts right is always a goal, some of them had different opinions on the level of accuracy needed for a children’s title. Gonzalez makes sure to steer clear from anachronisms in his illustrations, “I do spend a lot of time researching on the time period and the subject’s background. You don’t want to include an iPhone in a picture book about Gandhi.”

Berne said she felt strongly that authors are charged with presenting someone’s life to the world, and it’s a crime to change historical facts. “You can see a life through 100 different kinds of lenses, but it still has to be the truth. I feel a real responsibility to the person I’m writing about.” Her On A Beam Of Light: A Story Of Albert Einstein (Chronicle), offers a different look at the famous scientist’s life.

Winter argued, “I believe in staying true to the essence of the figure, but there may be some details that need to be excluded or even altered for the condensed picture book format, which I’ll mention in the author’s note. I know this is a bit controversial, but I want to tell a good story.”

Cooper quipped that in his picture book Train (Scholastic), the trains actually run on time, as opposed to real-life schedules. He shared that the author’s goal is to be factual, but he or she has to move the story forward, and there are countless choices to be made. “We have to draw a line in a certain way.”

(l. to r.) Jim Arnosky and Elisha Cooper

Arnosky, who writes about the natural world, also noted that he treats, “a tree as if it were a historical figure. I feel a responsibility to that tree. And, I don’t want to add anything in my books that kids will have to unlearn later.” Arnosky said he is also very aware of his audience, and is sure to include vocabulary found in everyday conversation. He said candidly, “I don’t use a dictionary. I never did, because if I were talking to my grandsons I wouldn’t try to find a better word, I’d just talk. I make these books for children that are waiting to see another story about animals.”

Berne shared that she writes for kids, and for the adults who read the books to young readers. “It absolutely has to be as good for the adult reader. I try to imagine a whole crowd of people at different ages,” she said, adding that she likes to take into account what the subject of the biography would think about the work as well.

Cooper pictures a smaller audience in his head: “I write for a small group of people who are close to me, who I love and respect.”

Photo courtesy Choose Chicago/© César Russ Photography.

By Leah L. White

Unique eateries, bars, and sights to see

There are two things I love very much in this world: Food and Chicago. Here are some of my favorite places to eat around the city, at varying price levels, locations, and ambiances. Also included are a few recommended bookstores, bars, landmarks, and concert venues. When you aren’t stuffing your librarian brain with knowledge at McCormick Place, see what this amazing city has to offer.

Price key: Approximate cost per person for a meal, not including drinks.
$=under $10; $$=$11-30; $$$=$31-60

Food

Wow Bao With several downtown locations, this fast-food Asian bun shop is a tasty option for lunch or a quick dinner. A combo meal comes with two bao buns, a salad, and a drink for under seven dollars. Most locations close early, but the Water Tower plaza restaurant stays open later. Vegetarian friendly. Try the whole wheat edamame bao and homemade ginger ale. $

Protein Bar This low-priced, healthy option has multiple downtown locations. Wraps, salads, and smoothies dominate the menu. A great option for vegans and vegetarians. $

The Doughnut Vault There’s almost always a line for these gourmet doughnuts. Line up and cross your fingers they don’t run out. Weekdays, they open in the morning and stay open as long as they have doughnuts. Follow on Twitter (@doughnutvault) for line length and availability. $

Café Iberico Always busy, this huge, family-style space is a good option for groups. Generous portions, and the tasty sangria comes in pitchers. Plenty of vegetarian choices. $

Hot Dogs and Italian Beef An official Chicago-style hot dog is an all-beef frank with lettuce, tomato, onion, a pickle spear, peppers, mustard, and emerald-green relish with celery salt on a poppy-seed bun. Our famous Italian Beef sandwiches consist of sliced roast beef on a French bread roll, covered in beef stock and topped with peppers. The sandwich should be a dripping mess. For both, try Portillo’s. $

The Gage With an impeccable beer list and excellent upscale bar food, this gastropub is located in the heart of the Loop, across from Millenium Park. Highlights: The Gage’s famous Scotch Egg and Guinness-battered fish and chips. Lunch is served every day, and brunch on weekends, with vegetarian options always on offer. Vegans may want to avoid. Reservations suggested on weekends. $$

The Purple Pig The motto here is cheese, wine, and swine. Once you’ve waited for your table (no reservations), you choose from a variety of meats, smears, paninis, cheeses, and more. Local favorite: pigs’ tails—that’s right, pigs’ tails. Not for vegetarians, vegans, or people in a hurry. $$

Fox & Obel Technically, this is a boutique grocery, but in the back, you’ll find two amazing dining spots: The cafe, a great option for breakfast or lunch, and the more upscale Bistro, which takes reservations. Both delicious menus appeal to vegetarians and omnivores alike. Try the tuna melt or the grilled cheese. $$

Park Grill Slightly touristy, but the location makes it worthwhile. Perched in Millennium Park, all seating here is outdoors. Take in city views while sipping Three Floyds beer or noshing a burger. Park Grill can get busy, but there’s usually room at the bar or a seat after a short wait. $$

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

Pizza Let me tell you about Chicago pizza. It’s huge, cheese-filled, sauce- topped goodness. I recommend Lou Malnati’s, though Gino’s East and Giordano’s get more attention. The pizza takes 30 minutes. $$

The Publican  When The Publican hit the scene in the late aughts, it changed Chicago’s food scene. Now there are little Publican-ish places throughout the city, trying their best to serve gourmet pork rinds and charcuterie. Skip those and head to the Fulton Market area to check out the OG in smoked meats. Chic and laid back, with stripped-down, Mission-style decor and community-style seating. Make reservations or head over early and plan to sit at the bar. $$$

Girl & the Goat Chicago is the lucky home of Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard. The menu is separated into three sections—vegetables, fish, and meats—and there’s something for most eaters. Servers ask about food restrictions. Reserve now and consider setting up a Rezhound (www.rezhound.com) to get a table. $$$

Frontera Grill It’s easy to love Rick Bayless’s upscale Mexican cuisine, and his Frontera Grill won the 2007 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant. Try the ceviche trio and the Topolo Margarita. Vegetarian friendly. Reservations required. $$$

Perennial Virant  Paul Virant can pickle that—It’s his specialty. He even wrote the book on the process, The Preservation Kitchen. With a focus on seasonal Midwestern foods and preservation, this menu is diverse, delicious, and pescatarian-friendly. The menu also evolves frequently and is on the small side, making each dish a real winner. Another highlight: gracious service and a welcoming atmosphere. $$$

The Aviary Since you won’t get into Grant Achatz’s restaurants Next or Alinea, come here. There are food “bites” on the menu, but it’s really all about the cocktail. To reserve, send an email and follow instructions. The Aviary “randomly selects” reservations. Drinks, $15-$30, live up to the hype. $$$

Bars

Clark Street Ale House A little dive with a great beer menu and an outdoor beer garden. No kitchen, but patrons can order pizza or bring food in. Look for the big neon sign: “STOP & DRINK.” $

Buddy Guy’s Legends  A great place for Chicago blues, Buddy Guy’s Legends, in the South Loop, is casual, fun, and loud, with a nightly band. An alternative to the overrated House of Blues. $$

Blue Frog This unassuming dive bar has some of the best karaoke in the city. Most nights are karaoke night, with board games and great drink specials also happening. Of the two locations, the one on LaSalle is the place to be. The sign is tricky to locate, so look for the white building in a parking lot at the corner of LaSalle and Huron. $

Rooftop bars

Plymouth is easy to get into, with decent bar food. The view of the Harold Washington Library Center of the Chicago Public Library will make any librarian drool. $$

The Signature Room  This bar sits atop the very famous—and very tall—Hancock Building. Touristy? Yes. Worth it for the view? Absolutely. Skip dinner and order a cocktail while enjoying Chicago’s famous skyline from the 95th floor. Those who fear heights should take a pass. $$$

Worth the Cab Fare/Train Ride

Ask any local what makes Chicago so great and you will hear, “the neighborhoods!” Here are a few excursion options.

Longman & Eagle  Located in Logan Square, this inn provides both shelter and a wide variety of whiskeys. Winner of a Michelin star rating two years in a row and counting, it’s also one of the hippest and most delicious places to eat in the Chicago area. For omnivores, but there’s always one vegetarian item. $$

Hot Doug’s  Situated in the Avondale neighborhood, this tiny hot dog shop is one of Chicagoans’ favorite places to wait in line. Why? Duck fat fries, along with homemade sausages and franks with tasty toppings. Cash only. $

Hopleaf Bar This Belgian beer bar in Andersonville is considered one of America’s best by Food & Wine magazine. The beer menu is epic and the food delicious. No reservations. Consider heading to the “new bar” area in lieu of waiting for a table.$$

Pequod’s Three words: caramelized cheese crust. Add that to a Chicago-style pizza and you have a match made in heaven. In the heart of Lincoln Park, Pequod’s isn’t too far from the downtown hotels. Get there via public transit by taking the Brown line to the Armitage stop, or else take a quick cab ride. $$

Bridgeport This little south-side neighborhood is on its way up with cool coffee shops, galleries, and bars. It’s worth the cab fare to check out the hip bar Maria’s Packaged Goods ($$) and the neighboring Pleasant House Bakery ($$), which specializes in savory pies. Grab a kale and mushroom pie then head into Maria’s for some of the best beers on tap in the city and a great outdoor seating area.

Entertainment

Check out some of my favorite spots to hang out, catch a show, or buy a book.

The Chicago Cultural Center This free—yes, free—institution is one of my favorites. It generally has great art shows on view and is home to the largest stained-glass Tiffany domes in the world. A visit to this downtown establishment is fun way to spend some free time, even if your time is limited.

Harold Washington Library  The main branch of the Chicago Public Library is stunning. Make sure to ride the elevator up to the Winter Garden Room to take in one of the best views of the Chicago skyline.

Buckingham Fountain Yes, it is the one at the beginning of the Married with Children credits. Though a bit touristy, it’s worth seeing. The location is excellent, and a nearby crosswalk over Lake Shore Drive lets you view the lake and explore the Museum Campus, where the aquarium, planetarium, and Field Museum are located.

Photo courtesy of Unabridged Bookstore.

Bookstores Chicago has a few wonderful independent bookstores. For new books, check out Unabridged Bookstore in the East Lakeview neighborhood. This bookstore is in a fun location, has a great staff, a wonderful array of children’s books, discount books, and a strong LGBTQ section.

Concerts Get your hands on a copy of the Chicago Reader for a breakdown of what’s on. A favorite is the Metro, north of Wrigley Field. Just the right size, and even when the show is sold out, you can hear and see what’s happening onstage.

Also worth checking out is the smaller but delightful Schubas Tavern. If you are headed there, go early and eat first. Their food is impressive for a venue.

Millennium Park The crown jewel of downtown Chicago. Take your mandatory Cloud Gate picture and play in the Crown Fountain. If you’re lucky, there’ll be a concert and you can listen while wandering the Lurie Garden.

It would be easy for me to say Chicago has it all. But doesn’t it? Conferences can be intense. Take time to enjoy the city, too.

See also: Choices, Choices…For the Tech-Minded, ISTE May Be More Useful Than ALA

Leah L. White (@leahlibrarian) is reader services librarian at
Northbrook Public Library.

Illustration by John Corbitt.

This month, librarians across the country are building their lists of can’t-miss panels, lunches, unconferences (participant-driven meetings), and exhibits as they gear up for the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Chicago from June 27 to July 2.

Other librarians are questioning how much ALA annual really serves their professional development needs. In a time of contracting budgets, layoffs, and demands for tech expertise in the library, is ALA still the must-attend event for all? Or is the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference in San Antonio from June 23 to 26 a better choice?

For the ALA faithful, the panoply of offerings—not to mention the essential social component—makes ALA annual a necessity. “There’s definitely a lot of friends who connect at ALA,” says Gretchen Caserotti, director of the Meridian (ID) Library District, chair of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Children and Technology Committee, and a PLA (Public Library Association) and LITA (Library and Information Technology Association) member.

What else are ALA attendees looking forward to? For Caserotti, it’s the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet along with tech programs like “Apps, Apps, and More Apps,” “Top Technology Trends & LITA Awards Presentation,” and the LITA President’s Program speech by Cory Doctorow.

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) executive director Beth Yoke expects to be holed up in meetings for much of the conference, but she’s eager to see the 25 featured winners of the Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults awards, with programs ranging from one involving iPads and incarcerated youth to another called “Teen Fashion Apprentice.” What’s on Wendy Stephens’s ALA list? Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple, who’s delivering a keynote. The unconferences. And, “it’s a huge thrill to go to the Printz reception and the awards banquet,” says Stephens, a librarian at Cullman (AL) High School, ALA councilor-at-large, and the YALSA blog member manager.

Starr LaTronica, ALSC vice president and president-elect and youth services/outreach manager at the Four County Library System in Vestal, NY, will try not to miss “Think with Your Eyes!” a panel focusing on visual literacy. “In this heavily visual world, so much relies on being able to interpret visual cues,” says LaTronica, who praises the “serendipity” of the ALA conference experience, where the vast and varied offerings can lead to unexpected inspirations.

ISTE appeal

Serendipity, schmoozing, and star power aside, how critical is ALA to librarians’ needs? Not very, some librarians say. “Although I’ve gotten some great ideas at ALA, they’re still struggling to step up their game technology-wise,” says Gwyneth Jones, otherwise known as the “Daring Librarian” and a teacher librarian and technology specialist at the Murray Hill Middle School in Laurel, MD.

Particularly among tech-savvy school librarians like Jones, ISTE is now more of a draw. It’s not just that ISTE’s ed-tech focus provides more bang for their conference buck. School librarians—while often active in AASL activities within ALA—don’t always feel they’re taken seriously at ALA annual and prefer the vibe among ISTE’s mix of educators.

“I sometimes have problems with the way school librarians are treated at ALA,” says Jones. “When I went to ALA early on, I felt like people were thinking, ‘oh, you’re a school librarian, how cute!’”

By contrast, “when I went to ISTE, I felt embraced by everyone,” she says. “They didn’t care what kind of librarian I was.” Jones, now the PK–12 schools representative for ISTE and an ISTE board member, says it’s “a great way to represent my people.”

At ISTE, Jones found “inspiration to start my school library blog.” And, she points out, “there’s not just one blogger’s cafe but four” at ISTE, as well as an entire category of sessions on BYOD.

“I always make the choice to go to ISTE,” says Tiffany Whitehead, a teacher librarian at Central Middle School in Baton Rouge, LA, who blogs as the “Mighty Little Librarian.” “As a school librarian, I’m an educator first. The chance to network with other educators, classroom teachers, administrators, tech coordinators, and others is the most important thing I can do for myself.”

At ISTE, Whitehead will be hosting a tech playground where teachers and school librarians will informally present and share tips on tools and resources. Whitehead’s principal first suggested she attend ISTE, she says. “I would love to go to ALA for the atmosphere and the emphasis on books, but I feel that for my teachers and my students, ISTE is the best choice for me. I really am the technology person on campus.”

Whitehead is also president-elect of SIGMS, an ISTE special interest group (SIG) for media specialists. The many special interest groups within ISTE “play a large and meaningful role in what’s being put forward” during the conferences, according to ISTE CEO Brian Lewis. This year’s conference, for instance, offers more than a dozen sessions about educational video conferencing. The opening keynote speaker is gamification expert Jane McGonigal. “We’re trying to connect folks with what they say they want,” says Lewis.

Stephens, who is attending both conferences and presenting at ALA, points out that “there is a more eclectic crowd of people at ISTE” than at ALA. For instance, as a friend of hers said: “There are men there.”

Gender statistics aside, Stephens—whose school district has never paid for her to attend a library conference but did sponsor an ISTE trip—says, “more people at ISTE work in the educational enterprise. Maybe you feel a little more kinship with those people than a state librarian from another part of the country or an academic library director.”

However, she adds, ISTE inspirations can sometimes be frustrating. “You may go and see this wonderful app and find that it’s blocked” back at your school.

On the other hand, in Stephens’s view, ALA is sometimes out of touch with the daily challenges of school librarians. While useful to people “in rarified situations, there’s not much trickle-down to people who are in a more typical situation.” That would be librarians “trying to tread water and keep programs running on a basic level,” and those working on “nuts and bolts advocacy to keep your job.” However, Stephens believes, “You can bring back more tangibles from ALA—advanced reader’s copies; posters; pictures of you with the Caldecott and Newbery winners. That can be very good for morale.”

AASL and ISTE

AASL president Susan Ballard acknowledges that some school librarians “don’t feel the love” at ALA and points out that ALA has taken steps to remedy this. “ALA is getting better and better at recognizing that we don’t exist in silos and we’re all interconnected,” she says.

How? Ballard refers to an ALA special presidential task force devoted to the current state of school libraries, as well as a focus on the Common Core curriculum. “I know when I go to AASL it’s not just your father’s Oldsmobile,” she says. “It’s as edgy as anything out there.”

AASL still holds appeal for Jones. “If I had to choose one, it would be AASL over ALA,” she says. And Whitehead will be presenting at AASL’s national conference in November.

In Ballard’s view, if librarians think that ISTE is more valuable to librarians than ALA, “we have a perception problem. People hear the word ‘librarian’ and they have a dated concept.” She adds, “I had a colleague in another state who said to his school librarian, ‘I have to think of another name for you, because when I say “school librarian,” I’m not getting any [financial] support.’ He understood what she did, but he couldn’t call her a librarian.”

However, YALSA’s Yoke points to ALA’s focus on “dynamic collaborations between school and public libraries,” the Common Core, and sessions on maintaining teen collections and new media, as huge selling points.

“A lot of the time we get this anecdotal information from school library members that the Association is more public focused,” Yoke says. However, she notes, a survey among 13,000 current, former, and potential ALA members showed evidence to the contrary. “There’s a perception that school librarians have different wishes and needs, but the survey did not bear that out,” says Yoke.

According to Lewis, “The library media specialist’s role is changing in terms of its interconnectivity across the school system.” He adds, “folks in school districts are looking for help, no matter where they are in the process of technology. They’re looking for clarity and support in how to effectively do what it is they’re expected to do.”

Among upcoming ISTE sessions, Lewis singles out “The Empowered Executive Team,” led by Steve Clemons of the San Diego Office of Education. The gist here is that better understanding and communication about what institutions are spending their tech-slated money on will ensure buy-in, communication, and shared decision making.

Caserotti, a technophile who’s gotten involved with ALA committees, says that ALA’s “support structure has been really empowering to me.” Broadly speaking, though, she worries that librarians are not keeping up with technology, despite high-visibility techies like Jones and Whitehead. Technology in the library is “like a car,” she says. “Some people will lift up the hood and take the initiative to learn how the car works.” But most people “take the car to the shop.” At ALA, she wonders, “how many people are stuffing their bags with posters,” and how many are saying, “yeah, I’m comfortable with tablets in the library?”

“Part of the beauty in ISTE is the connectivity to others,” says Lewis, who became CEO of ISTE last summer. “ALA’s conference is great and ISTE is great,” he adds. “Everybody who puts on an event like this works so hard to make sure that through whatever measures, we’re delivering terrific content.”

Simply put, “The pictures tell the story,” says David Wiesner. The three-time Caldecott Medal winner Wiesner shared his thoughts on visual storytelling,—along with fellow panelists, Lizi Boyd, Oliver Jeffers,  Matt Phelan, and Chris Raschka—at School Library Journal’s 2013 Day of Dialog held May 29 at Columbia University.

Starting with early sketches of his books, notably Flotsam, Wiesner demonstrated his method and how every inch of the book can be used, from endpapers to the spine. It’s “all a part of the storytelling process,” he says.

In this 12-minute clip, Wiesner gives us a peek at his upcoming picture book Mr. Wuffles, whose title character is an inscrutable feline—who encounters the world’s greatest cat toy.

The “Real World Horror” panel at SLJ‘s Day of Dialog 2013 included  (l. to r. ) authors Elizabeth Wein, Julie Berry, Elizabeth Scott, Matthew Quick, Adele Griffin, and moderator Karyn Silverman.

Following Holly Black’s keynote on her recent foray in horror, a panel of YA authors shared with nearly 250 children’s librarians what inspired them to write about “tough stuff” at SLJ’s annual pre-BEA Day of Dialog event. Moderated by Karyn Silverman—SLJ blogger and librarian and educational technology department chair of the Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School—the panel’s discussion flowed from dark to light, touching on topics such as school shootings and Nazi Germany.

Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook on which the Oscar-winning film is based, grew up in a blue collar town “where you didn’t talk about depression or mental health,” and where being a young man who cried about books meant that there was something “profoundly wrong with him.” Quick didn’t read much YA fiction as a teen, but revered Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Ernest Hemingway as father figures. His new title, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock (Little, Brown, 2013), centers on a potential school shooter, and was galvanized by a deeper look into recent alarming events. “Literature is the place where I can tell the truth as I see it. I’ve met so many kids that are like Leonard: kids that so many people would easily dismiss, when really they are dark storms on verge of crisis. I wanted to explore what happens when kids don’t pull the trigger,” shared the former educator-turned-author.

Adele Griffin took inspiration from a personal tragedy when writing Loud Awake and Lost (Knopf, 2013): very much like Amber, her main character, Griffin’s own brother experienced a life-altering car accident that left him and his family indelibly scarred. “Fiction can be so humbling. I don’t know why I got the privilege to write this story, but my brother had to experience the actual tragedy,” she confessed. She enjoys writing for teens because “they’re on the brink of their own lives, and have a certain suppleness to their character. They’re willing to be changed and can still be changed.”

Elizabeth Wein. Code Name Verity author, also endured a similar cataclysmic car accident that resulted in her mother’s death, and left her brother quadriplegic to this day. “This experience in my background is what drives me to write about horrible things, and how despite them, you go on living,” she shared. Wein’s new title, Rose Under Fire (Hyperion/Disney, 2013), is a companion novel for the acclaimed Verity, and follows another brave female pilot who is caught behind enemy lines during World War II and is detained in a Nazi concentration camp.

Known for her hard-hitting novels, Elizabeth Scott’s works are a far cry from the “issue-books” and frothy “Sweet Valley” series that were prevalent during her teenage years. The idea for Heartbeat (HarlequinTeen, 2013), about a girl whose mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the sake of the unborn baby, came to Scott when she read an obituary about a woman in a similar situation. The author opined, “everyone has a well of misery somewhere in their lives and some people are drawn to it more than others. Writing about the dark places that some of us don’t want to see is incredibly liberating, because you’re telling something that needs to be said.”

Quick shared that he tries to make order out of chaos in his books, and he hopes that readers can understand that “It’s not just chaos. We’re not alone.” His biggest fear is not connecting with people through his writing. “You just hope that when you stick your hand out someone will be there to shake it,” he said. Scott is most afraid of people’s inaction. “I’m afraid of people who look away when something bad is happening. How it can be obvious that someone is suffering, and how easy it is to look away.”

Despite the heavy themes, Silverman pointed out that in each of the panelists’ books, redemption came in the form of friendship, and that in these stories, making connections with other people continued to be a saving grace. Julie Berry, author of All the Truth That’s In Me (Viking, 2013), loves titles with romance, but “one of the things that makes me nuts is when romantic stories are spun so that the love interest is the total focus for the main character. Without friends we’re toast—girls should know that their lives gain richness not from some guy, but by a core of female friends.” The mostly-female panel emphatically agreed.

Friendship is the definitive theme in Wein’s Verity, and makes a comeback in her latest book, she noted. While conducting research on Nazi concentration camps for Rose Under Fire, she discovered a common thread: “From reading the survivor accounts, I gathered that if you didn’t have people to count on, then you wouldn’t make it. Friendship had to be present so that my character could survive.”

Wein added that the underlying theme for her new book is hope, something that the authors agreed the real world—and the teens they write for—need to see more each day. In a place where Sandy Hook and other tragedies continue to be in the news, YA novels can be conduits for teen readers.

And Berry argues that this is good for kids. “The scales are falling from their [teens’] eyes. They see the news; they see the truth in their communities. There is no guarantee that you can make it through life unscathed. There are no answers, but the novel is the closest we can come to approach them; there can be a messy resolution, or a blossom of hope.”