The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Adam Rex

photo from parnassusbooks.net

The Review...

Steve Brixton is fully prepared to become a real detective, just like his heroes Shawn and Kevin Bailey of the Bailey Brothers Mysteries. The Bailey Brothers Detective Handbook has taught Steve all he needs to know to catch goons and baddies, including how to set traps, find the best hiding spot and, of course, pull off the old “Flex-Your-Muscles-While-You’re-Getting-Tied-Up Trick.” But when Steve is assigned a report on early American needlework, there is no way he’ll be putting all his knowledge to good use… or is there?  Mac Barnett, a.k.a. Mac, has written a hilarious, action packed mystery, full of traps, chases, escapes, window jumping and, of course, badge carrying Librarians with a cause. The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity is a high energy adventure recommended for ages 8-12.

The Opinion...

So a few weeks ago I attended ALA and had a lovely, albeit brief, encounter with Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen as they were signing Extra Yarn. At my first day back and the Pub, I decided we’d have a Mac Barnett party in the children’s office. We took turns reading his books aloud to each other. And in the midst of my Mac Barnett party, I discovered the Brixton Brothers. How had I missed the fact the Mac Barnett had written a few novels?? Naturally, I immediately checked out the first one.

Clearly, Mac’s goal in this first book was to make every librarian ever immediately love him. It worked. As if he needed this. I mean, have you read any of his picture books? They’re funny, imaginative, chaotic and wonderful.

On the back of the book is a quote from Jon Scieszka calling this book the “craziest, funniest book you will read all year.” He might be right. I laughed out loud and gasped out loud multiple times. And at the point when Steve had solved the case, I laugh-gasped so excitedly I literally scared a few patrons.

Listen, Mac. Can we be friends and you tell me stories every day? K, thanks. 

How To by Julie Morstad

How To, by Julie Morstad. Simply Read Books, 2013.

photo from parnassusbooks.net

The Review...

In this beautifully crafted how-to book, Morstad’s illustrations give vibrant expressions of childlike thought. The text alone is simple, with no capital lettering and limited punctuation: “how to go fast” or “how to watch where you’re going.” But the illustrations allow the text to take on completely new meanings. A page that reads “how to wash your face” shows a little girl standing face up in the rain. The illustrations seem simple, leaving vast amounts of negative space, yet the artwork is lovely, creative, and humorous. How To is recommended for ages 2-6, or anyone who wants to reconnect with their inner child.

The Opinion…

Loved it. Loved. It. 

I may end up buying this as a coffee table book. Because I want everyone I know to take a moment, relax, and flip through. 

The Magic of a Well-Loved Book... Or: Passive Aggressive Is Not My Love Language.

This week I experienced a first at the pub. Now any of you who have worked in a library for a while have probably already experienced this, but I’m still relatively new to the Pub world.

What was this new experience, you may be wondering?? Was it that wonderful moment when a patron thanks you for all your hard work? Or when a child draws a picture of your story time for you to hang at your desk? Or when a teen comes back to tell you that he or she loved that book you recommended?

Oh no.

It was that magical moment when a patron writes a passive aggressive note and tapes it to the cover a book before dropping it off at circ.

This particular note was not addressed to me specifically, but the library as a whole. But since I found it, I'd like to claim it.

It was written by a mom of a young girl who recently came to check out some picture books. She notes that they are “saddened that ½ or 6 of the 12 books needed repairs.” I’d like to first point out that I am aware that ½ of 12 is, in fact, 6.

She also “taped pages and repaired one spine” because she does not want her daughter to see “destroyed books.”

She goes on to tell us how many thrift store books she has repaired and that she brought her daughter to the library because she wants her daughter to “care deeply for your books.”

She has underlined this last line, as if to point out that we need to learn to do so as well.

While I appreciate anyone who cares deeply for books, I do not appreciate someone assuming that just because there are worn out books on my shelves then I must not actually care about books. If I didn’t care about books, I would not be a librarian. 

Period.

When books are worn out, that is typically a sign that a book has been checked out by many patrons. In fact, I daresay it is a sign that a book has been deeply cared for and well loved by many, many other children and families.

Sure, there are books on our shelves that are falling apart. That happens. Unfortunately, we cannot inspect every book as it is reshelved. Most likely, if we are not told it is damaged, we don’t know to fix it. Nor can we afford to replace every book with a torn page. Your public library, as in any other business, has a (likely very limited) budget. And believe me, we are open to any and all donations. Feel free to buy us some new copies of your favorites!

So, dear patrons, if you come across a damaged book from your local Pub, tell a librarian. We will be glad to do our best to repair or replace it if at all possible. As our head of tech services put it “Please don’t put scotch tape in my book. Just tell me!” 

Understand that when a book appears to be falling apart that it has likely been read over and over and over. Rather than assuming that books are not being cared for, perhaps you could teach your children that when a book looks like that it means lots of children have held and read and loved that very book. 

If that isn’t magical, then what is?! 

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool

Navigating Early, by Clare Vanderpool,

photo from parnassusbooks.net

Delacorte Books, 2013.

The Review…

Shortly after his mother’s death, Jack Baker is sent to an all-boys boarding in Maine. Faced with unfamiliar people, climate, sports, and terrain, Jack finds himself in a sudden friendship with Early Auden. Early, “that strangest of boys,” who has rules about which records can play on which day of the week and counts jelly beans to calm himself, is obsessed with the number pi and a certain black bear that has been stalking the Appalachian Mountains. When Early sets off on his own journey into the Appalachian wilderness to find pi, Jack has no choice but to follow. Vanderpool successfully weaves mystery, suspense, grief and fantasy into a poignant tale of two boys desperately searching for something to hold on to. The wistful journey leaves both the boys and the reader with a sense of friendship and hope. Recommended for ages 10-13, Navigating Early is an excellent piece of storytelling.

The Opinion…

I really enjoyed this book. Clare Vanderpool is a deep and detailed storyteller. Her debut novel, Moon Over Manifest, won the Newbery Medal in 2011. Any time a debut novel wins such an award, I get nervous that it was just a one-time thing, a one hit wonder. But Vanderpool has proved herself here with another great novel. Definitely worth checking it out of the pub and giving it a try.

I audio’ed it (because I love.love.love audiobooks) and I’d recommend picking up the audio if you have a roadtrip coming up soon. Or, if you’re like me and you’ve found that you also like listening to audiobooks while making dinner or doing laundry or cleaning your room.

Who am I kidding, I don’t clean my room…

The Watsons Go To Birmingham... The Movie!

So excited about this. If you have never read The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis, then you need to go pick it up from the pub. And if they don’t have it at the pub (because it tends to be on a lot of summer reading lists) then swing by your local bookstore and grab a copy. Its well worth the $7 you’ll pay for it.

And then after you’re finished reading it, set your dvr for the hallmark channel. That’s right. I said the Hallmark Channel. I honestly think a book/film like this could easily go to the big screen, but it was made for tv. Nonetheless, you should watch it.

You may be thinking “she didn’t tell me anything about the book!” Of course I didn’t! All you need to know is that I recommend it. 

And also you could watch this and find out for yourself…

And yes, that is Julius from Remember the Titans as the dad. And the mom is the voice of Tiana in Disney's The Princess and the Frog. 

#getexcited 

Super Hair-O and the Barber of Doom by John Rocco

Super Hair-O and the Barber of Doom, by John Rocco. Disney-Hyperion, 2013.

photo from parnassusbooks.net

The Review…

“Every super hero gets his powers from somewhere.” The hero of our story gets his from, where else? His hair. That is, until he is captured (by his parents) and taken to the “villain’s lair” (barber shop). Back at headquarters (the playground), our hero discovers that his superfriends’ powers have also been stolen. They are all sure their powers will never return until an onlooker devises a plan of her own to help the superfriends become heroes once more. Hair-O is a humorous story of children playing superheroes, from tearing down towers of blocks to saving stuffed animals on the playground. With illustrations reminiscent of classic comic books and his use of both black and white and color illustrations, Rocco brilliantly uses the art to bring out another layer of the story. Recommended for ages 3-6.

The Opinion…

Well done, Rocco. Very funny. The use of a child’s voice over the illustrations really was perfect. Anyone reading this blog should definitely swing by your pub and check this book out. If not for the story, for the picture of John Rocco in the back… #hair 

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kevin Cornell

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kevin Cornell. Disney-Hyperion, 2013.

The Review...

photo from parnassusbooks.net

All right, kids! Are you ready to count the monkeys? Or… at least, count? In this hilarious counting adventure, Barnett introduces us to quite an array of characters. With the reader’s help, you may be able to get rid of all those pesky creatures and actually count the monkeys… or you may run out of pages! Reminiscent of his sneaky work in Guess Again!, Barnett leaves you thinking you know what’s next, only to be surprised by the another zany twist. Inviting the audience to “cover your eyes while you turn the page” or “tell these guys to ‘scram’” in order to move the story along is sure to excite any story time. Cornell’s detailed illustrations add just the right touch to this rowdy counting quest. Count the Monkeys is recommended for ages 3-6, or anyone with a sense of humor.

The Opinion...

Mac Barnett can do no wrong.