Children's Book - Sonia's Digital World

Title: Sonia's Digital World

Author: Shannon McClintock Miller

Illustrator: Clara Reschke

Publisher: Picture Window Books

Publication Date: August 1, 2023

Pages: 32 pages

Interest Level: Grades K - 2

Reading Level: Ages 5 - 7

About the Author
Shannon McClintock Miller, an international speaker and author, is the K-12 district teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School District in Iowa. She earned the Making it Happen Award by the International Society for Technology in Education in 2016 and was named the American Association of School Librarians Social Media Superstar Leadership Luminary in 2018. 

Sonia Uses Technology for Communication, Collaboration, and Learning
Sonia is a very tech-savvy young lady.

She uses technology (cell phone and camera) to stay in touch with friends and family. Her grandparents are far away but watch a school play on their laptop computer.

Sonia learns how to share new things she is learning by collaborating with other students on her tablet.

Sonia's teacher connects with classrooms across the world with technology. 

Sonia can look up information on the Internet and find answers to millions of questions.

Sonia learns how to use technology to help others in her community and the world.

The book ends with five questions that focus on the main ideas presented in the story.

My Thoughts
Most school-age children have an abundance of experience using technology for entertainment. They have watched videos and played games for many years.

This book emphasizes the use of technology for bringing people together and increasing knowledge. The author defines collaboration in a kid-friendly way...."We can put our minds together." 

The book contains very diverse characters. There are children of different races and nationalities. There is a boy in a wheelchair and several children wearing glasses. There is also generational diversity with children, parents, and grandparents participating in the story.

The story takes place in many different settings where technology is used. The color illustrations are excellent and add value to the story. If you take a close look at the pictures you will see examples of technology that are not mentioned in the text...cell phone tower, a drone, and an Internet dish on a building.

The questions at the end of the story are excellent for discussion. There is also a chart that displays the ISTE Standards.

I think this book provides a wonderful learning experience for young children. It combines learning and fun...a great combination!

RATING: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.

Los Angeles Central Library Fire 1986

The Library Book

Author: Susan Orlean

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: October 16, 2018

Length: 336 Pages










About the Author
Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the author of seven books, including Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation.

Fascinating History of the LA Public Library
This true story begins on April 29, 1986...the day of a devastating fire at the Los Angeles Central Library. Susan Orlean investigates a mystery that has never been solved: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library...and if so, who?

Ms. Orlean shares extensive research in this riveting book about the history of the library, the library architecture, the library employees, library patrons, the library culture and the accused arsonist, Harry Peak.

My Thoughts
I worked as a school librarian for many years, so the title of this book piqued my curiosity. The author tells of her childhood love of reading and her frequent visits to a public library in her neighborhood. She wrote this book as a tribute to libraries and the important role they play in our society.

They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and that is certainly the case with this book. In her quest to investigate the library fire, Ms. Orlean traces the history of the library back to 1926. She explores the library culture and the personalities of the people who held leadership positions at the library and the librarians who spent their days performing the duties required to serve the library patrons. She investigates the challenges the library has faced in recent years and shares her thoughts about the future of the library.

The author can't understand why anyone would intentionally start a fire in the library. She is not convinced that this was actually a case of arson. However, she admits that this is probably a mystery that will never be solved. Harry Peak, the main suspect in the arson case, was arrested but released because of lack of evidence. He later died of AIDS.

I found this book extremely informative, enlightening and even entertaining. The author did an amazing job mixing the intrigue of the fire mystery and the more unremarkable history of the library.

I believe this book will be on the shelves of many libraries and all library enthusiasts will devour the pages and be hungry for more. Highly recommended!

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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Book Review: I Murdered My Library by Linda Grant

One Word Book Review: POIGNANT

 Title: I Murdered My Library (Kindle Single)

  Author: Linda Grant

  Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

  Publication Date: May 6, 2014

  Length: 28 Pages


About The Author
Linda Grant is an award-winning novelist and non-fiction writer. She lives in London with fewer books than she used to.

Books Are Your Friends
What happens when you have too many books?

At the end of 2013, novelist Linda Grant moved from a large house to a two bedroom flat with a tiny corridor-shaped study. The trauma of getting rid of thousands of books raises the question of what purpose personal libraries serve in contemporary life and the seductive lure of the Kindle.

My Thoughts
I chose the word "poignant" to describe this essay about a bibliophile and her beloved books. Ms. Grant describes the bittersweet experience of having to weed the books that she has collected since childhood.

The obvious question is, "What do I do with all of these books?"
The first thought might be to give them to friends and family members. I found this quotation very poignant and real;

"The idea that I was building a library to bequeath to the next generation is one of the greatest fallacies of my life. The next generation don't want old books - they don't seem to want books at all. This is very painful to me".

When Ms. Grant looked at her new bookshelves with empty spaces glaring at her, she thought:

"My library is denuded. It doesn't seem like a library. It feels...like the house of a person who reads, but not the house of a person for whom books have been everything".

The author purchases a Kindle and is resigned to building a new digital library that she can carry in her purse. She discovers the advantages of the Kindle...it's portability, the quick ease of buying a book and the mutable font size (great for aging eyes).

I am an avid Kindle fan but I also have a stash of print books "cluttering" my home. It is difficult to adjust to change but you have to move forward. Very poignant.

MY RATING: 5 stars out of 5

FYI ~ I purchased this ebook with my Kindle Unlimited subscription on Amazon.com.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Interactive Elementary Library Rules Video With ThingLink

When I was a school librarian, I was always looking for creative and clever ways to teach the library rules at the beginning of each year.

This video illustrates basic library rules for elementary children. I used Thinglink to embed links to some of the most informative and entertaining videos on YouTube that teach children how to use the library.

As you watch this video, click on the blue tags and the video on YouTube will start playing. This video will resume when you finish watching the embedded video.



Here is a link to Interactive Elementary Library Rules on Thinglink.

Here is a link to Elementary Library Rules without the embedded links on YouTube.

Here is another link to Elementary Library Rules without the embedded links.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Don't Mash Your Banana In My Book!

I thought I would do something different today.

When I worked as a school librarian, I was always teaching the students how to take care of their books. I told them it was very important to keep books safe from babies, pets and pens.
One day, I discovered a book had been returned to the library with a banana mashed in the pages. I never solved the "case of the mashed banana" but I wrote this rhyming story about that unforgettable experience.

My little brother took my book,
He hid it in his room.
When I found it on his bed,
I knew that I was doomed.

I slowly turned the pages,
I had a funny feeling.
What I saw made me cry and shake,
I felt my body reeling.

This book came from the library,
My teacher said it was new.
Now I had a big problem,
I didn't know what to do.

I ran to find my mother,
I couldn't think what to say.
She took one look and gave a big sigh,
I knew I would have to pay.

My brother took a banana,
And mashed it in my book.
He thought it was very funny,
He liked the way it looked.

I put the book in a plastic bag,
And carried it under my arm.
I gave the book to my teacher,
And told her I meant no harm.

She slowly opened my library book,
Her face turned ghastly white.
She stared at the mashed banana,
It was an awful sight.

I waited for my teacher to yell or scream,
I didn't know what she would say.
She slowly removed the banana,
And quickly threw it away.

My teacher asked what happened,
"Who did this to your book?"
I told her my little brother,
Just wanted to take a look.

I used the money from my bank,
To pay for the gooey gook.
I just have one thing to say to my brother,
Don't Mash Your Banana In My Book!
Copyright 2013 by Janette Fuller.

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Children's Book Review: Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown

Waiting for the Biblioburro

Author: Monica Brown
Illustrator: John Parra

Publisher: Tricyle Press

Date: August 9, 2011





About The Author
Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the author of award-winning bilingual books for children.

Taking The Librarian Out Of The Library
Ana lives in a small village in Colombia. Her teacher moved far away so now the children of the village do not go to school. Ana spends her time reading the one and only book that she owns over and over.

One day, Ana looks down the hill below her house and sees a man with a sign that reads "Biblioburro". The man has two burros with him and the burros are loaded down with Libros! Books!

The children all come running out and greet the man. He tells them he is a librarian and the books belong to his moving library. He spreads out the books under a tree and the children sit around him. The librarian reads a story, sings songs and invites the children to choose a book.

When the Biblioburro returns several weeks later, Ana presents the librarian with a book that she wrote. He reads Ana's book to the children under the tree and takes it with him to share with other children.

This book is based on the life of Luis Soriano Bohorquez who lives near La Gloria, Colombia. This librarian and his two donkeys deliver books to children who live in remote Colombian villages.

My Thoughts
I remember visiting the Bookmobile when I was a child. I went to a very small country school and we did not have a school library. The teacher would pick four or five students from our class to go out and choose books for our classroom library. I still remember how excited I was when I was chosen to go out to the Bookmobile.

It is so inspiring to read about a librarian who is willing to get out of his comfort zone and deliver books to children in remote areas. Three cheers for this hero librarian!

If you would like to get a preview of this children's picture book, please take a look at this video book trailer.

I highly recommend this book for children of all ages. There are so many lessons that can be learned from this book...and it is a really fun read!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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Kindle Books For Kids: Little Library Mouse

A little white mouse explores the library in "The Library Mouse" by Stephanie Lisa Tara. Children will find this book charming and informative. The Library Mouse will have children begging to visit their local library and explore the many books that are housed there.



About The Author
Stephanie Lisa Tara believes that children's verse has the power to inspire a deep love of language and learning. Words tripping off the tongue in somersaults, rhymes that stick to your thoughts like taffy--that's the essence of her award-winning books.
Ms. Tara is the author of five children's picture books.

After The Library Closes
"Even when you are little, you can imagine big"....that is how this story begins. A little white mouse hears the key locking the library door after it closes for the day. The mouse and his friends explore the contents of many different kinds of library books and imagine that they are characters in the stories.

The story is written in a delightful rhyming prose that children will love. Each rhyme is written in five short sentences that include a wealth of book/library vocabulary words.

Alex Walton has done an amazing job illustrating this story. The pages alternate between simple line drawings and full-page elaborate color illustrations. The color illustrations show a white mouse in a purple suit becoming part of the library book that he is exploring. Children will be enchanted by the details in the color illustrations.

My Thoughts
When I was working as an elementary school librarian, I was always looking for books that encouraged children to visit the library. This is one of those books!
This book is an excellent resource for promoting the library to young children.

I really like the way the author incorporated many library/book vocabulary words in her rhymes. This book is a wonderful introduction to words like "page", "rhyme", "poems", "sentence", "glossy", "fable", "paragraph", "verse", "prose" and "images".

The color illustrations are outstanding. Children will be able to see much more in this story as they look at the pictures and use their imaginations.

This book was published as a print book in 2006 and released as a Kindle book in February, 2011. I read this book on my Kindle 3 (black and white illustrations) and on the Kindle for PC Application (color illustrations). I think the formatting for the Kindle is very good and children will enjoy reading the book on the small screens of a Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
I think this is a wonderful selection for teachers and librarians to share with their entire class by using the Kindle for PC Application and a projector.

This book is an excellent selection for reading aloud or independent reading. I highly recommend this book for children, teachers, librarians and parents.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free digital download. Please check the price before ordering.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Make A SlideShow From Old Illustrations

Last week I attended a local Friends of the Library book sale and found a real gem. Trades and Occupations: A Pictorial Archive from Early Sources (Dover Pictorial Archive Series), by Carol Belanger Grafton, is a collection of over 1100 illustrations. These pictures were found in publications that were printed between 100 and 350 years ago. The picutres feature different kinds of work that people have participated in over the past several centuries. These pictures remind us that work was for centuries a common subject for art, and particularly for illustration.

The fair use policy for these illustrations state that "you may use the designs and illustrations for graphics and crafts applications, free and without special permission, provided that you include no more than ten in the same publication or project".

Last week, I wrote a blog article about how I use Animoto to create slideshows from my personal photographs. Today, I used some illustrations from this book to create a slide show of illustrations featuring Victorian book sellers and libraries.

Dover Publications has published dozens of books of clip art and vintage illustrations. Most of these book are 20 to 30 years old. I think these books are wonderful resourses for graphics to use on blogs, social media sites and videos.

Please click HERE to watch the video and post your comments below. I love to hear from you!

What To Read When; A Book Review

What to Read When, by Pam Allyn, is a new book that will benefit parents, teachers and librarians. This book features an annotated list of more than 300 titles addressing childhood themes that range from friendship to thankfulness, courage, separation, creativity, spirituality, and more.

I really like the thought-provoking annotations that the author has written to accompany the recommended books. Many annotations include a "Talk About It" segment that include discussion questions and comments.

Ms. Allyn uses the acronym R(Ritual), E(Environment), A(Access) and D(Dialogue) to define four keys to helping your child become a lifelong reader. This article should be must-reading for every parent.

I checked out this book from the public library but I plan on ordering a copy to keep as a reference book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in children and reading. It will be a wonderful companion to your The Read-Aloud Handbookby Jim Trelease.