#ILoveNYLibrariesDay

Growing up in Queens, I frequented two branches of the Queens Public Library.  It was always fun to go down to the main branch in Jamaica on the weekends. They had bins and bins of albums that you could check out.  Being a kid (copyright?) I remember playing and recording the songs I liked on my portable cassette player.  The Briarwood branch was more like home.  I could walk over there after school, do my homework, dive into random subjects in the World Book Encyclopedia (so much more kid friendly than the Encyclopedia Britannica set in my living room) and chill.

When I moved back to New York from stints in Maryland and Maine in 1996, I landed in the Capital Region without a job. My boyfriend, now husband, and I lived in an apartment. I spent a lot of time at the Guilderland Public Library searching for jobs. This was way before I became a librarian. Since 1999, the Castleton Public Library has been my home library.Yeah, I'm not feeling old right now.

I met some good friends at that library once I became a mom.  We would go for story hour and stay. And stay. And stay. We started making a lunch pot luck. "I'll bring the PB and J." "OK. I'll bring the goldfish."  "I got the juice boxes."  It got so crazy that one of my friends sewed a special tablecloth just for us to keep down there. Good times.

Today, more than ever, New York libraries have a lot to offer.  Have you checked out the Castleton Public Library website lately?  There are so many free resources.  Even if you don't have a library card, you can still check out books   They have additional databases (ie, Tumblebooks math) and even ideas for virtual field trips. Check out this LINK for a curated list  of activities and ideas for kids and teens.

Want more? Check out the New York Public Library page for tons of remote resources for parents, families, kids, and educators.

Of course, I have to include resources from my original home town library, the Queens Public Library. Check out their Facebook page for a calendar of all their virtual events. Just have to throw this out there--growing up in Queens that has made me who I am today.  Anyone from Queens can probably agree.  I am forever grateful for that and I love the Queens Public Library.

But we can't leave our upstate friends out.  Gosh, in just a few clicks, I'm realizing that you could go to any public library website and find virtual things to do.  After reading a tweet from my Buffalo friend, Maria, I went to the Buffalo Public Library page and woah! They have a ton of activities in their calendar! Between all these libraries, you could be busy literally every minute of the day! And we didn't even mention reading! If that doesn't make you love New York libraries, I don't know what will.

Yes, I love my friends in Texas. I proudly wear my Texas Bluebonnet award shirt. I have a Texas flag postcard by my circulation desk. But, I am undeniably a born and bred New Yorker and I love ALL my NY libraries. The ones from my childhood, my 20s and now. #ILoveNYLibrariesDay

PS: I got some amazing snail mail today from my friend, Elisha Cooper.  Could it BE more appropriate for #ILoveNYLibrariesDay ?  I don't think so. And a great way to end a celebration of #NationalLibraryWeek.  Thank you, Elisha.

I was hoping you could get a bag, too! So I went searching, sadly unsuccessfully, on NYPL's website.  Maybe when this is all over you can purchase one at the branch? However, I did find a link to free downloads of crosswords, wordfinds and coloring pages for kids and adults. Check it out.  And if you still need more to do, you know where to go! I 💙 Libraries!

My Love for Texas

I am often asked, "Why Texas?"  I still need to figure out a pat answer that I can use over and over again.  It's almost an obsession.  My own kids call me on it all the time.  I dare you to find someone else (not from Texas) who has a postcard of the state flag hanging in her library, more Texas t-shirts than from any other state and whose working on her twang.  I'm proud to be from NoNo Texas.

Where did it stem from?  I can't exactly pinpoint the date but somewhere between a #txlchat and a book stand.  I had already been mildly obsessed when I posted on Twitter a picture of a new book from my library.  It happened to be on a book stand that caught Fort Worth librarian, Kirsten Murphy's eye.  The conversation went something like this:

"Where did you get that book stand?"

"Borders.  When it went out of business, I snagged a bunch of them."

"Can you take a few pictures of it from different angles for me?  Maybe my husband can build me some."

And so our friendship began and so did my love for Texas and all the Texas librarians, authors and illustrators. (I did love Barbara Jordan way before that, Chris Barton). That was nearly three years ago. Since then I have attended two TLAs, made many more Texas friends, fall hard for any character or book that takes place in Texas (thank you, authors Julie Murphy and Benjamin Alire Saenz) and know how to eat queso the right way.

You can only imagine my feeling when I opened up my New York Times Book Review (yes, I am still a Queens native at heart who thinks the NYT is the only paper to read) this morning to see the cover article. It's a review by David Oshinsky of God Save Texas: A Journey Into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright.  It has ME written all over it. Even if you don't read the article, check out this pool I NEED to swim in!

♥

The article (and book that is already on my TBR pile) just validates all the reasons why I love Texas and why my liberal Yankee self belongs there.  Maybe not to live but certainly to visit often.

A side and very embarrassing anecdote

On Friday, Mrs. DeMassio's class held their "Celebrity Ball."  We worked for a month on this project, reading biographies, diving deep into one special person's life and then ultimately dressing up and sharing ourselves as that person to families and friends.  It was a great event.  And no surprise here, the biography I chose to introduce and model the project to the class was of course, a Texan, Lady Bird Johnson.

When Dolley Madison came up to the mic to be interviewed by me, I could tell she was nervous. And maybe I was too.  Or just distracted by the SHeDAISY version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" Whatever it was Dolley ultimately became a mashup of Dolley and Lady Bird.  I asked her about the parties she hosted and her fourth president husband, James.  We talked about the War of 1812.  It was all going so well until I looked down at her paper and saw the student had written she went to the University of Texas.  Oh boy.  You know where this is going! In that moment, it didn't seem odd to me. So just like that I said, "You went to the University of Texas? You know I love Texas! Go Longhorns!"  Parents laughed and no one said anything afterwards.  Maybe they didn't catch it. It was only yesterday that I realized what happened and so today, rather than die of embarrassment, I will just chalk it up to my ongoing Texas obsession. Lone Star State rules!

#TXLA18

My "In It to Win It" co-presenters and just fabulous people, librarian Kirsten Murphy and illustrator/author Emma Virjan

I apologize in advance if this post is too lengthy.  You already know how I feel about Texas so it only makes sense that I write a Texas sized blog post about my 2018 TLA conference experience.  There. Said it. Done.  Moving on...

Last year my colleague, friend and mentor, Dr. Jen Cannell and I, had an amazing time in San Antonio at #txla17.  We were looking to repeat the experience once again. Those Texas librarians, now friends, did not disappoint.

Snow was falling during my commute to the airport. That's how I knew it was time to get out of North North Texas and head to just plain ole "North Texas."  Thankfully our trip was uneventful and flights all on time.  Can't say the same for our trip home, but that's another story.  In fact, our trip there was made even better since we met poet/author Laura Shovan at BWI which was the start (continuation?) of a great friendship.  It's confusing because Laura and I never met IRL but after two Skypes and many emails later it almost feels like we had.

We shared our first meal in Dallas with Victoria Coe, Emma Virjan and Laura Shovan.  Ok.  Time to go home.  Seriously.  Between the laughs, coincidences and storytelling, a good time was had by all.

Tech Camp Tuesday

Liv of TheLivBits was our keynote speaker and Kristina Holzweiss was the closer. The workshops I attended were inspiring and engaging.  I am ready to do the Global Read Aloud 2019, BreakoutEdu on a budget and more! You did an awesome job, Becky Calzada and team! I was proud to be a part of the pre-conference.

And how did I do? Well, it's not like I haven't presented before but whose crazy idea was it to rely solely on technology in order to have a successful workshop? Yeah, me.  I was counting on Skype to work FOUR times within a 55 minute session.  I felt like my heart was going to actually explode from all that nervous beating.  BUT...THE TECHNOLOGY WORKED! If you happened to be at TLA, my slides are up or just email me for more information.  A BIG Texas thank you to my virtual panel: Towboat pilot Stephanie, Poet/Author Emma Otheguy, CEO and Co-founder of Codespark Grant Hosford and Washington Post journalist, Jacob Bogage.

Thanks Kristina for inviting us to the Scholastic dinner where not only did we enjoy a delicious meal and conversation but we got to make glow bugs and talk about all the different ways we could incorporate them at school, not just in a Makerspace but in our science curriculum, too.

Conference Day 1

Then the nerves started up again Wednesday morning.  However, this time I had two partners in crime so my thumping heart was more manageable.  And we rocked it.  Presenter extraordinaire, Kirsten Murphy and illustrator/author (did you check out our t-shirts which we wore confidently with WHITE pants!?), Emma Virjan were amazing to work with.  IN IT TO WIN IT people!  That's what it's all about!  And, if used the right way, social media really can help you move mountains.

Today is the book birthday of Juana Martinez-Neal's book Alma and How She Got Her Name.  I was sprinkled with luck-dust again when I received the invite to a lovely luncheon with Juana, her publishing people and a few librarians.  We will be celebrating ALMA on Wednesday with a party, Skype and pink frosted cookies.  Although we didn't have pink cookies at lunch, I have to say that I was not disappointed when I copied Andie's meal of choice.

(Ok...so I haven't even been in Dallas for 24 hours and I've written more than you ever want to read.  If you want to leave now, I'll never know.  Austin or Bust 2019.)

Strolling down the Exhibit Hall I chatted with Macmillian editor, Grace Kendall, who I've been a fan of since Gertie's Leap to Greatness, finally leaped with my buddy at Penguin, Trevor Ingerson (everyone LOVES Trevor!) and snagged some books.  I promised myself I wasn't going to go crazy with the books.  Yeah, I broke that promise pretty early into conference.

The Penguin Random House cocktail hour was a blast.  I was on a mission to attack Hilo's Judd Winick, catch up with my idol and sharer of the best birthday ever, Jenni Holm, update Candace Fleming on her number one fan, the boy with the pink hair and others.  My friend, Jayce and I met many new friends, including the debut YA author, Arvin Ahmadi.  I haven't even read his book yet but can already tell that he is going to go far.

In between we had a great dinner with some of my most favorite Texans with our lovely server, Robert, while facing the big EYE. It was chilly but we still ate outside.  I hear it was grey and snowy back home at that exact time.

After a dark (not stormy), quiet (scary?) walk over to Reunion Tower, we got to see Jewell Parker Rhodes at the Little Brown dessert event.  I just wanted to hug her (and I did). Like the rest of us, Jewell still remembers our special day together last June and her visit to Castleton. We will forever love Jewell.

I also got to meet IRL library folks who I follow on Twitter and Facebook.  The theme of the week was definitely IN IT TO WIN IT and I felt like a winner all conference long.

Thursday

Do you use the Rosen databases?  If you don't, I highly recommend the PK Science Suite.  It seems unrelated but Miriam of Rosen, and I met for breakfast on Thursday.  Seriously, this is not a sales pitch, just a "trust me" this is a good databases and a perfect next step for all your PebbleGo fans. We love it!

I swooned over Jenni and Judd one more time during their session.  In the exhibit hall it was all MORE. MORE book creators, MORE friends, MORE items for my carryon and of course, MORE leaps. It was an afternoon well spent.

The conference hashtag helps when you just can't get to every workshop.  There were a lot of posts about Typorama so I had to try it out! What a great app to make cool posters!

But wait there's more:  Bluebonnet luncheon, Junot Diaz, chatting with all the wonderful Texas librarians in the author signing lines (Keith Barrow, Barbara Moon...), dinner with John Hendrix, reuniting with editors and, and, and...

...and then there was Friday...

I attended three workshops on Friday, beginning at 8:30! What was I thinking?!  A panel on using picture books to teach empathy, a middle grade author panel and "Fairytales with a Modern Twist."  That was all before the closing luncheon with Kwame.  No wonder I slept well (?) on a bench at BWI when we missed our connection Friday night.


Oh, TLA, thank you AGAIN for a wonderful week!

1-2-3 LEAP!

I snuck in a tiny bit of time with my cousin!

The incomparable Trevor Ingerson and Arvin Ahmadi and Jenni Holm

Chris Barton and Adam Gidwitz

My new friend, Keith with Adam
BTW, the first book in Adam's new series comes out today! It's great!

Isn't Becky so cute?!

Nancy Jo!

Mr. Pat, TLA President Dr. Jeng and Pat
They are quietly leaping!

My favorite TLA travel companion, Jen and Becky.
THIS is going on my car!

I can't say it enough--Thank you again TLA and the Texas librarians for continuing to welcome us into your organization, your conference and making us feel like we really are from NoNo Texas! xo Austin or Bust! #txla19

Are you lucky?

Today is the day of the "luck of the Irish." Green is everywhere and I'm feeling lucky.

If you have the good fortune, like I do, to have a friend who recommends books that are so perfect for you that they are unputdownable, make you cry, smile, laugh, scream and leap,  then, you too, are lucky.

Oh, Alicia.  Sometimes I just wish I didn't listen to her. Why does she know me so well?  Her book recommendations get in my way! They make everything I do come to a complete halt. And they make me do what I thought was the impossible.  Like today. (And skip ahead if this is too much TMI) I brought my wireless speaker into the bathroom so I could continue listening to my book while I was in the shower?! What?! My 11 year old does that with the audio from TV shows but me?! And for a book?!

The book that I am currently obsessed with is Dumplin' by Julie Murphy.  It's TEXAS people! How could I not love this book.  Everything is big in Texas and this book has taken over my heart in a BIG way.  Honestly, I can't believe I stopped listening to write this? Huh?! To be fair, I'm supposed to be working on something else, so this is a distraction.

My daughter is on her way to the city right now.  Tomorrow she will come back via Metro North, which means my husband or I have to drive an hour and a half to pick her up.  I'm eagerly going to volunteer because there's not enough water in our system to get me through to the final chapter.

So yeah.  Alicia knows me so well and I am lucky.  Move over green beer and shamrocks.  I've got my own personal "Reader's Advisor" and that's all the luck I need. ☘☘☘☘☘

#txla17 post

We love that theme!

A week ago at this exact time I was sitting in a windowless room in awe of some of my new favorite YA authors. I know. YA.  I have my friend, Alicia Abdul, to blame for that.  I was fangirling Jeff Zentner after reading Goodbye Days and just finishing The Serpent King (oh, the tears...) The night before I followed (stalked?) Nicola Yoon into the elevator just to talk to her.

I had plans to write a blog post every evening of TLA.  Instead, on this glorious Saturday morning while I have brisket (Texas style?) in the oven for company tonight, I will write a belated one and share my reflections about the biggest secret in the library world, the Texas Library Association's annual conference.

My colleague and friend, Jen (we're from New York!) milked the conference for all it was worth only at the expense of lack of sleep (I think I am finally caught up?).   From early morning breakfasts and workshops to sticky buns with new friends and authors from our own neck of the woods to running a 5K in 88 degree weather and hanging out in the hotel lounges with librarians, authors and other rock stars (ie Donalyn Miller!) until even way past my bedtime, it was all worth it! On top of that, I HAD to finish The Serpent King before 8:30 Saturday morning, so reading in my spare (?) time was a priority as well.

I got this text

 from Mrs. Warland before I left and so just had to meet as many new BFFs as possible as per her charge.  I even ran into one of her bestest BFFs:

Why Texas?  Why TLA? Blame Kirsten Murphy from Fort Worth and many others on social media. The Texas school librarians are loud and strong. They are happy and positive. They advocate and are willing to take risks.  Heck, how can you not love a group of people who spend a whole year working on a routine for the annual "Book Cart Competition." Jen and I made lifelong friends and colleagues who we know we can now depend on for support, ideas and cheerleading.  Just before we left, we were given the honorary label of being from NORTH North Texas.  💞

With Rockstars Nancy Jo Lambert and Jennifer LaBoon

Beginning on Wednesday, I started working on Mrs. Warland's new BFF list.  From the Texas author speed dating to author panels to the Little, Brown reception, the late night/early morning chats, with an unlimited budget, I'd have visitors to CES at least once a month.

Walter, #flatwalter, Pat, Mr. Pat, Round Rock ISD, Cynthia Alaniz (p. 48), Carmen Agra Deedy, "Push that Cart!", TASL Executive Board meeting (thank you!), Camp Bluebonnet (I want to do that!), buying Bluebonnet spine labels for my library books in NORTH North Texas, sharing a three pound sticky bun at Lulus with two NY authors, one TX author and a mix of NY and TX librarians, pulling up pictures of student work based on the book by the Texas author next to me, fangirling Liz Garton Scanlon, leaping with Nikki Loftin (!), eating cake with our dear friend, Emma Virjan and the Texas Sweethearts and Scoundrels, meeting my Twitter friend, Barbara Moon, hugging Twitter friend and TASL chair, Becky Calzada, the Spazmatics, making a date for Mike Curato to have "Dinner at Doughs", finally meeting Victoria Jamieson, insightful author panel after panel, the YA Tea, Bluebonnet luncheon (what amazing students and roller derby friends), breakfast with Kevin Henkes...and the list goes and on...I'm sure I'm missing out key moments...

Rockstar Cynthia Alaniz and TASL Chair (what SSL calls President) Becky Calzada

With TLA President Walter Betts

And ALA President, Texan Julie Todaro

Kate DiPronio (next year's TASL Chair) and Linda with #FlatWalter

From left to right: Liz Garton Scanlon, Donna Janell Bowman, Cynthia Levinson

Sharing the 3 lb. sticky bun!

From left to right: Nikki Loftin, Twitter friend Barbara Moon and Victoria Jamieson

2017 Caldecott winner Javaka Steptoe, incomparable Donalyn Miller and the super fun Mike Curato

My new friend, Jayce in a selfie and with fellow New Yorker, Sara Kelly Johns

With TLA Executive Director, Pat Smith and her husband, "Mr. Pat"

 

As a New Yorker, I thought folks might scoff that we were "invading" their conference and yet it was the exact opposite.  President Walter invited us to his suite so we could meet the executive council. Executive Director, Pat Smith, was very welcoming and willing to talk to us any time.  Everyone was thrilled to share what they realize, is the best conference ever.

Some of my favorite quotes that I heard throughout the week:

Hope is why when your ship sinks in the sea, you tread water.-Cory Doctorow, keynote

Libraries are the secret clubhouses of the resistance.-Cory Doctorow 

Heard from panel of graphic novelists:

Cartoons reach out and pull you in.-Nathan Hale

If I ever have an army, I want it made up of 12 year old girls-Shannon Hale

Teens who read graphic novels, read more prose novels, more genres...read more...Literally, my child wouldn't be literate if it weren't for graphic novels.-Shannon Hale

Every time you send a text, it's a word balloon.-James Sturm

At a panel of Lonestar authors:

Some part of you is still 12, 10...or whatever age you are writing for.-Steve Sheinkin

Eavesdropping is my favorite thing ever.-Lisa Graff  

Telekinesis would make my day much more pleasant.-Tara Altebrando

Lisa Graff likes to ask students, "If I had a treehouse I would..." One student would like a meat juice dispenser. Huh?!  It was great meeting her.  I've been a fan for ages.  And I was lucky enough to get her to personalize a couple of sheets of paper for her biggest fans in Castleton.  I bought them each a copy of Lost in the Sun and glued her notes inside.

Steve Sheinkin has a new series out that he likes to think of as "Magic Treehouse meets Captain Underpants."  Kids are going to love that.

Libraries are filled with other people's ideas.-Peter Reynolds at an Early Reader workshop

I got to meet Ruta Sepetys!  And remember Alicia from the beginning of this post?  I name dropped and Ruta says, "Alicia's one of my favorite people.  Tell her I said, "Hi!"  How cool is that?

Finally on Saturday I went to a YA panel and completely fangirled Jeff Zentner.

When I was writing Travis's story, I had to get off the bus and sit in a Kroger parking lot and compose myself because he had been living with me for six months.-Jeff Zentner on The Serpent King

(I read that part on the plane on my way to TLA sitting in the middle seat between two middle aged men with NO tissues.)

Even the airport was amazing.  We ran into, and chatted with, Kevin Henkes, George O'Connor and Emily Henry. Oh, and some Overdrive folks, too.

 

Thanks again to everyone for the amazing PD, your warm Texas welcome and your inspiration.  I look forward to meeting up again very soon.  Dallas is on my calendar.  But, until then, 5% TLA but just as 100% awesome is the NYLA SSL conference in Buffalo next weekend!  See you there in person or virtually!

Epilogue: The Leaping Pictures

Jenny Choy from Little Brown, with a giant Clayton Byrd and where we ate yummy breakfast tacos

After our sticky bun with Karen Hebert, Emma Virjan, James Preller and Kirsten Murphy

Middle: Emma Virjan and Nikki Loftin

Right:  Hmmmm....who could that be?

At the Little, Brown party with Javaka Steptoe, Diana Lopez and Drew Brockington

Leaps with Mr. Schu

Nicola Yoon, Mike Curato and Jeff Zentner

And to the woman who started it all over a book stand, Kirsten Murphy from Fort Worth.  I owe this fabulous experience and many more, to you.  Mwah! Thank you with a whole pile of queso!