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 author, Christina Wilsdon, who’s stopping by to share her Library Love with us.

 

Welcome, Christina. Before we get started, tell us a little about yourself.

I write books and articles for kids ranging in age from 4 to 14, primarily nonfiction and mostly about animals, natural history, and biology. I write about these topics for grown-up readers, too, mainly on my blog Piccalilli Pie. And in between, I work on picture-book and middle-grade manuscripts whenever I get a chance.

Here are a few of my titles.

Library Love When You Were A Cub

Almost every Friday evening, my father would take me to the big library in the town of Huntington, Long Island, NY, and set me free in the children’s department. When we got back in the car, I’d spread my finds across the back seat and read their titles aloud to him as we drove home. He’d nod and murmur appreciatively and ask me questions about them. I realize now that he wasn’t familiar with any of the authors or titles, but that just makes me appreciate even more how he helped establish my love of books.

Library Love: An Author's Perspective

I can’t get enough of libraries. They make my whole career possible! There at my fingertips (literally, either in the stacks or online) are thousands of books on the topics I’m researching. If they’re not in my library system, librarians will fetch them from far and wide to bring them to me. Add in the many magazine, newspaper, and other databases that I could never afford to subscribe to on my own, and the world of information available to me is virtually limitless. It never ceases to amaze me—and the librarians who’ve helped me access material are always as keen to acquire it as I am.

 

 

Libraries are vital to a well-informed society. It’s imperative to provide citizens with access to knowledge. We need to fund libraries for all, from the person who just wants to pick up an enjoyable read for the weekend to the person who needs to do job-searching online on the library’s computer. Many a child’s first experience with storytelling and picture books occurs in the cozy atmosphere of a library’s children’s section. I’m very grateful to live in a city that values its libraries and usually votes to fund them adequately.

Do You Have a Roar for Librarians?  

Yes! My roar goes to the staff of the Ballard Public Library (except I still believe in keeping my voice down in the library, so I won’t roar while I’m in there).

 

The librarians working in the Ballard Public Library have always been extremely helpful and enthusiastic, and when interlibrary loans have arrived for me, they’ve often started up conversations about them, which really makes my day.

A Lion’s Pride of Programs:

I’ve only done a handful of school or school-library visits, but invariably they are illuminating because kids come up with such a wonderful array of surprising, insightful, or amusing comments and questions. Such visits always reinforce what I remember and what I know about being a kid—and also rearrange what I thought I knew!

 

Library Lion’s Roar: ONE LAST BIG ROAR

A library, to me, is like an old-growth forest—full of things ancient and new, ripe for exploration, ageless, eternal, and beautiful. Less mossy, true, and lacking in squirrels (except if you look up Dewey Decimal number 599.36177). It’s a place to visit again and again and make sure is around for future generations to enjoy.

Let’s Link Up

Blog:  Piccalilli Pie 

Website:  Christinawilsdon.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/christina.wilsdon.author

 

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

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. 

 

Einstein Kids Will Change the World!

Welcome to Library Lions interviews. Raising a Roar for Libraries and for the outstanding Librarians serving Children and Young Adults in Schools and Public Libraries across the U.S. Please Roar today’s guest, Anne Sandbo!



When asked about her job, Anne says “I have the best job in the world with the best kids in the world. I am the librarian at Einstein Elementary School in Redmond, Washington. We are the Einstein Otters and we will change the world!"



Einstein Library




The Skinny
I love that I am able to see each student in the school every week. We learn together. They teach me as much as I teach them….maybe I learn more than they do. I love that I am able to learn new ways to access information along with the students and we can share our favorite books.



Library Laughs
One day I was checking books out with a class. A little boy had an overdue book and he couldn’t remember what the book was. I pulled up the picture on the computer and showed it to him. He looked at me and asked “Does it tell you where I left it?”



Another day I was exploring encyclopedias with 3rd graders. We’d gone over Alphabetical order and how to make a good guess if you’ll find something at the back or the front of the volume. When I asked where I would look for the Japanese Beetle a student answered:
“Probably in Japan.”



A Lion’s Pride of Programs
I think my favorite program that we do with our students is Battle of the Books. Einstein has participated since the program began and even though we’ve only won the district battle once, we have teams of real readers. They form teams, read the books and above all, they have fun. In the 10 years we’ve been doing Battles, we have only had teams end the tournaments with smiles, laughing and handshakes all around. You can’t do any better than that.



Readers Roar: Let’s hear from the kids!

~I love that the library was open this summer. I got to read the books that are checked out all the time during school. ~ Jen grade 4

~ I don’t ever want to hear Mrs. Sandbo use her “librarian voice”. I think it would be scary!~ Robert grade 5

Book Brag: What's Hot This Year?
Our Greek Mythology Graphic novels are hot this year. We have multiple copies of three volumes and there is as long a waiting list for them as there is for the 2012 Guinness World Records.

Author! Author!
I had the perfect author visit a few years ago. Robert Liparulo’s (author of the Dreamhouse Kings series) publisher called me. He said Robert had looked at our web site and would like to come see the students at Einstein.



He came with free books, he didn’t charge us for the visit or travel. He asked students to submit ideas to him for future settings for his books. He stayed connected with the students for years after his visit. Several of them were readers for him before later books were published. He really motivated some of our reluctant readers to start reading!

Library Lion’s Roar: ONE LAST BIG ROAR
Our students are coming to the library during recess to add grains of rice on the free rice.com website. They read the stories of the difference it makes to kids around the world and they get practice with some vocabulary and know they make a difference.

Let’s Link
Library Website: As it says on our website: We know just about everything, just ask us.
http://www.lwsd.org/school/einstein/Library/Pages/default.aspx

Thank you, Anne for your terrific interview!

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.