AUTHOR, GINGER WADSWORTH ROARS FOR LIBRARIES

Happy July! Author Ginger Wadsworth has agreed to swing by to share her books and her Library Love with us here on Library Lions. Take it away Ginger.

 

Ginger at Yosemite National Park. Half Dome in the background.

Hello! My name is Ginger Wadsworth, and my newest book is Yosemite’s Songster: One Coyote’s Story, illustrated by Dan San Souci and published by the Yosemite Conservancy. 

Yosemite’s Songster just won the Spur Award in Storytelling from the Western Writers of America. Dan and I are teaming up for the second title in the series! 

Besides being a nonfiction author, I am a sister, wife, mother, grandmother, cousin, aunt, and a friend.  My favorite things to do: read, walk, body surf, enjoy nature, garden with California native plants, bird watch, go to the library, travel, hang out with family and friends, collect information, cook, and did I mention I like to read?  I live in Northern California with my husband, Bill, our three dogs (Oreo, Scout and Willa), our chickens (Egg-O-Land Farm), and rooms full of books . . . too many to count!

 

Library Love When You Were a Cub

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need," Cicero

 

Ginger getting ready for Brownie Camp, 2^nd grade

Going to our local library was a regular family activity. I remember walking along the low brick wall edging the building, up the steps, and inside to the children’s room on the left.  Tall stacks invited me to search for the perfect titles, usually about horses or dogs. We always lugged home armfuls of books. Every night, my father read library books to my two brothers and me before we headed off to bed.

 

After my parents said goodnight and closed my bedroom door, I scurried beneath my 4-poster bed with my flashlight, pillow, and a book to read. And I wonder why I’ve been wearing glasses since the fourth grade. J

“Libraries raised me.” ― Ray Bradbury

More Library Love
I write nonfiction for young readers, so I always begin my research at my local library.

Ginger at her local public library, Orinda, CA

Google is great, but there is nothing better than perusing a real book. I usually start by reading the back matter, where a treasure trove of information waits . . . where/how the author did research, the individuals that he/she contacted, and a bibliography of titles for further reading. I’ve traveled around the United States to do research in libraries in Yosemite National Park, the Beinecke Library at Yale University, the Bancroft Library at the University of California/Berkeley, Herbert Hoover’s Presidential Library, and many more. Each spot is different, and I feel so lucky to “work” in one of these amazing edifices.

 

 

Author’s Roar
Funding for libraries, especially school libraries, is currently under threat. As an author, what are your thoughts about that?

“When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.” ― Isaac Asimov

This quote pretty sums up my feelings!  The only way I know how to help is to suggest that you join your local Friends of the Library group. I did, and now I’m actually a board member. There is a smorgasbord of ways to volunteer from sorting donating books to working at a monthly Friends book sale. I’ve written the Friend’s newsletter and found speakers for various programs. For the past twenty years, I’ve also run and helped judge our Friend’s creative writing contest for local high school students. I currently participate in the Paws toRead program. Along the way I’ve met some totally dedicated library folks and our universal goal is to serve our library, i.e. our readers and our community, and to make sure the building is open, staff is in place, and a plethora of books, etc. is ready!

 

At a library with my golden retriever, Willa. Children learning about the summer reading program.

 

A Lion’s Pride of Programs
With Lin Look from the Orinda (California) Library, I helped start the first Paws to Read in our county. Now there are programs in many other local libraries. Elementary schools are also initiating similar afterschool reading sessions. Children in grades K-5 sign up to read out loud to a trained therapy dog.

Nicholas reading to Willa in Orinda Public Library, taken by Michelle Bea (his mother) and used with permission.

Children get to practice their reading and hang out with a dog. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, and it’s actually part of a national program called R.E.A.D.  With my golden retriever, Willa, I have been doing this for eight years. We visit three public libraries and two afterschool programs. Willa can’t wait to prance into the library in her yellow vest that denotes that she is working.

We’re affiliated with arfnet, a local animal rescue foundation. I hand out Willa’s business card to each reader. Many children have read to her; she even has her own little fan club!  My goal as a writer is to put books—any good books—in the hands of children. And to have them be able to read!! What could be more perfect than at the library with a trained, gentle therapy dog lounging beside a young reader! 

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”  ― Maya Angelou

Roar For Librarians
I’m going to ROAR for Lin Look, Youth Services at Orinda Library, part of the Contra Costa County, California library system. 

 

Willa with Youth Services Librarian, Lin Look, from the Orinda, CA public library.

I just spent several days with her at our local elementary schools, helping her introduce the countywide, summer reading program and prizes our many libraries are offering young readers.  I won’t go into all the details of what she does, but as you can probably imagine, she wears multiple hats as she works with toddlers on up! 

"At the moment that we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold, that magic threshold into a library, we change their lives forever, for the better." Barack Obama (Keynote Address, ALA Conference, 2005).

ONE LAST ROAR
"A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them." - Lemony Snicket

I love this quote in so many ways because this describes how I feel about my community library AND about my library in my home.  Or should I say my home, which is actually a library.  You get the picture . . . books everywhere!!

Let’s Link Up
http://www.gingerwadsworth.com

http://www.facebook.com/ginger.wadsworth

Thanks for the interview, Ginger!

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. The calendar for 2015 is currently wide open J

Note to Authors: If you’re interested in Roaring for Libraries on this blog, contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

 

 

 

AUTHOR AIMEE REID SHARES LIBRARY LOVE

Welcome to Library Lions interviews. Author Aimee Reid is stopping by LL this month to share her  books and her Library Love.  

Aimee is a mom, children's author, former teacher, avid reader, and library lover. Her book, Mama's Day with Little Gray is published by Random House Children's Books. Aimee's next book, Welcome to the World, will release from the Nancy Paulsen imprint of Penguin Random House.

 

School Visit

Library Love When I was a Cub
Thanks to the wonderful Beginners Books series from Random House and regular storytimes at home, I was reading when I entered Kindergarten. My teacher discovered this about me when she noticed me squatting by the classroom shelves, turning pages and moving my lips. She asked me to read the books to her, which I did. At first, she thought I had memorized them. Gradually, she realized that I had read all of the books in our classroom library.

[Beginners Books from Random House]

My teacher called home and arranged to take me to the bigger school library so that I could pick out more books to read. Wow! I clearly remember looking up, up, up at the tall shelves filled with books of every size and description. "How many books can I take out?" I shyly asked. "As many as you like, dear," was the answer. I'll always be grateful to that teacher for noticing my appetite for books and feeding it.

 

More Library Love
From the moment my first book sold, I knew that I wanted to have my book launch in a library. I wanted to throw a party to which everyone was welcome. I wanted to celebrate all that is good about connecting children with books. And my wonderful local library system said yes!  

We had a wonderful time! Friends new and old enjoyed music from a local children's musician. We read and made crafts and sang and rejoiced. So many people came to enjoy the fun that we couldn't all fit in the room at once! No matter— we ran two programs so everyone could be included. This spirit of offering welcome to all is a key reason why I love libraries. 

 

Author's Roar
Libraries are equalizers. As a former teacher, I have at times been keenly aware of the disparity between the high level of resources--computers, books, and enrichment opportunities--available to some students from their homes versus the restricted supports available to others. I was proud to be a part of a public education system that offered learning for all regardless of socio-economic status. I can tell you this: books and access to knowledge are essential. We need to make certain that all students can readily find the resources they need to thrive. What better way to do this than to keep school libraries healthy and pay librarians to be the expert guides our children need? I am proud to roar out my support for libraries.

 

A Lion's Pride of Programs

  NYPL Lion

Libraries are places of discovery and opportunity. I enjoyed taking my children to story times when they were younger. Now that I am a children's author, I love visiting libraries. My visits are highly interactive. After all, I learned from those wonderful librarians who entertained my children!

At a recent library visit, the children and I moved like elephants and chanted elephant poems. We got creative with elephant crafts and tried on elephant tattoos. The children (and the adults) loved meeting Mama Gray and Little Gray in the form of my wonderful Folkmanis puppets. Finally, we read my story together. What a rich time of connecting to story and to one another.   

 

Let's Link Up

Aimee's blog, Good Books to Share, celebrates the good that sharing children's books brings to the world. Follow along to gain inside information from children's authors and illustrators and hear about how sharing children's books has changed people's lives for good.

Website: http://www.aimeereidbooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aimeereidauthor

Twitter: @AimeeEReid

Thank you, Aimee for sharing your books and your library love with us.

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. The calendar for 2015 is currently wide open J

Note to Authors: If you’re interested in Roaring for Libraries on this blog, contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

 

BRAVO FOR TEACHER-LIBRARIANS!

Welcome to Library Lions interviews Raising a Roar for libraries and the outstanding librarians serving youth in schools and public libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest, Stuart Levy.

 

(Stuart pictured here on left with author Chris Crutcher.)  

I am the teacher-librarian at Inza R. Wood Middle School in Wilsonville, Oregon.

 

I have been a teacher at Wood for the last 21 years, and this is my 10^th year as the librarian. According to my computer, as of the time of this writing, we have had close to 150,000 checkouts during that time. Wow!

The Skinny
 I love that I get to work with all of the students in the school, plus all of the staff. It’s a great feeling to connect someone with just the exact resource that they need – especially when they didn’t even realize that what they needed existed! Libraries can be amazing places. I also love reading young adult literature. There are some incredible authors out there, and the books nowadays are so much better than the ones that were written back when I was in middle school. I love the fact that buying books is part of my job.

 

A Mighty Roar!
Libraries are the great levelers in our democratic society. In a library, everyone is truly equal in a library. Regardless of how many books people have at home, everyone has access to all of the books within the library catalog. For free! It’s truly an amazing concept that I think people take for granted. And, not only do they have access to the “stuff” for free, but they have access to people who can help them get the “stuff”, explain the “stuff”, and train them how to use the “stuff”, all for free. Libraries are not just repositories of information; they are the keys that unlock the doors for all of our citizens.

 

(Students playing Rock-em Sock-em robots as a part of the lunchtime activity conducted by Wilsonville Public Library to promote their evening teen event.)

Library Laughs

I always find it amusing when students ask if they can “rent” a book. I ask them how much they are willing to pay, and this puzzled look appears on their face. I tell them that they can rent from Redbox, but our materials they get to borrow for free.

 

(Students checking out the new books.) 

A Lion’s Pride of Programs
There are tons of great non-fiction for students to just read. It’s amazing to me that students completely overlook some really interesting non-fiction books that I buy – except, of course, for the sports, biographies, and Ripley’s books. When I purposefully give some of those books to students, they eat them up. But, when they are on their own, they typically don’t pull books from those sections.

 

I want to plug the importance of having teacher-librarians in schools. Our numbers have dwindled over the years. There are about half the number of teacher-librarians in Oregon from about 20 years ago, and the number of schools, and students, have increased. Some people, outside of the system, think that all you need is someone to check in and check out books. But, anyone who has actually been in a school with teacher-librarians knows that we do a heck of a lot more. We actually are teachers, and we understand students. We understand instruction, curriculum, and assessment. We work with all of the people involved in the community to create a place where everyone feels safe and supported, and we provide the resources that allow everyone – everyone – to succeed in what they need to do. School libraries are magical places, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Readers Roar
“Libraries are the awesomest place on earth. Even though you are supposed to be quiet, you can have lots of fun.” Abigail, 8^th grade.

“They are a place full of wonder and thought.” Willow, 8^th grade

“It’s a place where you can escape reality.” Emily, 8^th grade

 

(Students entering our weekly Librarypalooza  that gives them a riddle or puzzle to solve.) 

Book Brag: What three books are hot this year? Why?

Divergent series by Veronica Roth: very hot! I think it’s because it’s an Oregon Reader’s Choice Award, plus the movie is coming out (and, it’s a very engaging book).

Wonder by Palacio is also very popular, probably because it’s well written and a very compelling story.

Maze Runner by Dashner continues to be very popular in our school. The author visited about 3 years ago, and, ever since, it’s stayed as one of our top checkouts.

Author! Author!
The best author visits I have had are the ones when the author truly connects with the students. Sometimes that is done by simply talking about when they were young, or even from reading from one of their books. But, it’s the simple act of talking “with” the students instead of “to” the students. I have also have had some authors who are willing to not only speak to the large student body but also to do writing sessions with smaller groups of interested students. That has been very powerful for that group.

Thank you, Stuart for your terrific interview!

Let’s Link

Mr. Levy’s Blog   

Library Website  

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot. 

 

SHARE THE LOVE BOOK GIVEAWAY @ ONLINE AUTHOR VISITS

Today we're Roaring for the terrific Share the Love Book Giveaway @ Online Author Visits

This delightful contest gives you the chance to win books not only for yourself, but also for your library! Our lucky winner will get to choose 3 books from among works by our incredible pool of authors, which includes Dia Calhoun, Deb Lund, Martha Brockenbrough, Janet Lee Carey, Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams, Lisa L. Owens, Claire Rudolph Murphy, and Trudi Trueit. In addition, a collection of books will go to a U.S. library selected by the winner.

 
Roar for OAV (Online Author Visits)
Inviting one of our Online Authors to your classroom, library, or book event is a great way to motivate students to read and write. Virtual visits allow students to learn more about the craft of writing, discover what really goes on behind the scenes in book publishing, and peer into an author’s world firsthand. Plus, with virtual visit fees a fraction of the cost of a live presentation, it’s an affordable option that helps support a worthwhile cause (OAV authors donate 25% of their virtual visit fees to charity).  

Joan Holub
“. . . Connecting with kids is my favorite part of any visit, be it virtual or on-site. . . .

Trudi Trueit
“The incredible thing about virtual visits is that no matter how far apart you are from your audience, once the creative juices get flowing the miles between you melt away. . .

Deb Lund
“I’ve Skyped with classes, library groups, and whole schools, but my favorite online visit happened on a blustery evening in Ohio . . .


Want to hear More??  
Read the rest of these virtual visit stories and more from all the OAV authors.  

The Share the Love Book Giveaway contest runs from February 14, 2013, through midnight (PST) Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Swing by and enter to win free signed copies for yourself and more for the library of your choice -- a way for us all to share the love.

 
Happy Valentines

KAY WINTERS ROARS FOR LIBRARIES

I've known Kay Winters online for years, but we didn't get a chance to meet until ALA this summer. When I asked if she'd like to stop by this blog to share her Library Love, I got an enthusiastic YES!   

 

 

Please start by telling us a little about yourself. Take it away, Kay!

I am a children’s book author, who was a classroom teacher, reading specialist and teacher of teachers.

I was fortunate to be a consultant for the American International Schools in exotic places like Egypt, India, Nepal, Italy, Jordan, Israel and Greece. I was also an adjunct instructor   At Marywood College and Lehigh University, teaching graduate courses in Reading and Language Arts. But I always wanted to write children’s books. I took early retirement in 1992, after 29 years of teaching, and started my new career. Since then 18 books have been published. Many have won awards, prizes, and been put on state reading lists.

 

One of my favorite parts of being an author is doing school visits and speaking at libraries and conferences. I feel really lucky to be able to follow my dream.

(School visit in El Segundo,  California) 

 Library Love When You Were A Cub:

The first time I went to the library, I was five.
I couldn’t believe my luck.
All those books!
You could pick out ten, take them home, read them and get new ones.
And it was free!

 

   

 

(Kay - first time with library book – at 5)

In the 40’s when I was in elementary school, children’s books were not as plentiful as they are now. Neither was the money to buy them. I roller skated to the library with a big blue sack on my back filled with books to return and filled it with new ones to bring home.  At the library I found fairy tales, poetry, and realistic stories about children, and books that brought history to life. Treasures! The next week, more tantalizing tales were waiting to be discovered.

I was an only child. We moved frequently. I was in three first grades. Books were my companions. At the library I always felt at home.

More Library Love: Can you share your present day love for libraries from an author’s perspective?

Today my love of libraries has only increased. As a classroom teacher, college instructor, and now a children’s book author, I depend on libraries for ideas for new books, for reference materials for books I am currently developing and for my daily diet of learning about the past, the present, and the future.  Because of libraries and their riches I am never bored. We go to California for a month in the winter and New Mexico for a month in the summer. I read e-books on my ipad on the plane, but as soon as we arrive, we drive straight to the local library where I get my temporary card and fill up my sack with books to savor in our new surroundings.

I am a frequent presenter with my writer’s group at the NJ- SLA conference in the fall.

And this year I also presented at the Pa. SLA conf. with Pat Brisson.

(photo with some of the members of Bucks County Authors Books for Children: Wendy Pfeffer, Pam Swallow and Pat Brisson our panel for the  NJSLA conf. )

Author’s Roar: Funding for libraries, especially school libraries, is currently under threat. As an author, what are your thoughts about that?  

Unfortunately most politicians, the general public and even some school administrators have no idea what school librarians actually do. Librarians as a group are generally not publicity oriented. They are busy doing their job, not describing it with specific details to the press, and the public. Hence the popular assumption is… well we don’t need a trained person to do that job, librarians just check out books.

 Nothing could be further from the truth.

The school librarian is key to helping students and teachers delve deeply into their curriculum's, key to suggest sources and resources for students and teachers to use, key to introducing busy teachers to new books and materials, and helping students move beyond Wikipedia to do their research. Education is not about scoring well on tests, or filling in the blanks.  Education is about learning how to learn, and creating an environment where students catch the excitement so they want to learn. A school librarian is a key component in that equation.

 

(Rita Wingle librarian  from Conrad Weiser Elementary School in Pa.)

She even drove to my house on a Saturday  to collect the books she had pre-ordered for the students. There were too many for me to sign at the visit.

Hooray for ALA! 
I have gone to ALA many times. Twice I signed and autographed my own books there. Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books was signed  at the Simon and Schuster booth and  in June 2012, Pete and Gabby: The Bears go to Town..at the Albert Whitman booth.  I go because it is so nourishing to be at a convention where the focus is on books and love of books. The educational conferences these days seem to focus on testing.

 (ALA at the Albert Whitman booth.)

A Lion’s Pride of Programs:

School librarians are often the people who book me for school visits. They are usually the staff members in the school who prepare the children for the visit by introducing them to my books before I arrive. Some encourage students do projects. Others share the books with the teachers, and they supervise activities that connect to the books.  The immediate recognition from the children when the familiar titles flash on the screen, the writing projects the children have created themselves, or the bulletin boards using the format or theme from one of my books make the visit so worthwhile for both the author and reader.

(K with librarian Sharon Edelberg, Burnet Hill Elementary School under welcoming banner… and she marked my parking spot with balloons! A great way to start the day.)

Library Lion’s Roar: ONE LAST BIG ROAR
My local library is my favorite place to go! I depend on the librarians to get me copies of reference books from other Pennsylvania libraries for various research projects that precede a new book. I read other children’s books to get ideas for new ones. Going to the library, which I do on a weekly basis, makes my day!

Let’s Link Up : 

Website: http://www.kaywinters.com  

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/public/Kay-Winters  


Thank you, Kay for sharing your Library Love with us!

Love Libraries? Give a Roar in “Comments” below.

Note to Librarians: If you’re a Youth Librarian working in a school or public library we’d love to hear about you and your library. Contact Janet at jlcarey@hotmail.com for an interview slot.