What are the big books?

Although librarians and teachers often have a good sense of what children are reading, it takes Publisher's Weekly to give us the nuts and bolts of how many books in various categories are actually selling. The lead for their story of sales during 2010 is the news that series books rule as far as sales of children's books go, in hardcover, paperback and electronic format. Everyone who works with young people know the phenomenal success of the Twilight series, but as that set of books fades slowly (very slowly) away, they are being replaced by other series. It seems that knowing the characters and having a strong connection with them is what many children look for in choosing a book. Librarians may fret over the number of series going out, and worry about the outstanding non-series books that are passed up, but it's hard to fight against the trend. Of course, it's also true that bookstores--especially the big box bookstores and the big-box general stores--carry lots of series books and very few singletons. Libraries are pretty much the only place where children will find the type of book that wins Newbery or Caldecott awards, not to mention the more unusual books translated from other languages which introduce a new world to children. Surely we still have an obligation to offer children more than just the top sellers in the field. The early library leaders like Anne Carroll Moore and Lillian Smith were dedicated to the proposition that "only the best is good enough for children". Perhaps we ought to keep some of that spirit today and at least give children the chance to sample books that might really change their lives in a way vampires never will.

What about the universal library?

Big news in the literary world this week is the rejection of the settlement between Google and the Authors Guild over the development of the universal library. Even though he rejected the arrangement, the judge emphasized the value of having someone develop a facility where most of the world's English language literature could be found online. The New York Times today published an op ed piece by Robert Darnton advocating a public institution to collect and make available access to these books. Children's librarians may feel far removed from this argument, because most of the books being scanned are meant for adults. It won't be long though until someone realizes that we have a wealth of important classic children's books that should be preserved in digital format and made available to adults and children alike. With more and more children finding their favorite reading on their iphones or iPads, digital books for children and young adult are a growing format. Librarians should keep a careful watch on what is happening to the Google settlement and what arrangements are being made to protect the heritage that belongs to all of us.

Can we learn from museums?

Both libraries and museums are institutions dedicated to making enriching experiences available to their communities. For a long time both institutions tended to remain behind their high walls, offering riches but not advertising them very much and not pushing them to the forefront. All that has changed over the past half century, but the pace of change has accelerated greatly particularly in museums. New technology makes it possible for museums to invite their publics to participate in the selection and evaluationg of art and to see exhibits that may be otherwise inaccessible. The N.Y. Times recently produced a special section on museums outlining the initiatives taken in New York, Brooklyn, Indianapolis, and San Francisco. Libraries have been expanding their web presence too, but perhaps not as spectacularly as museums. What ideas can children's librarians borrow from the museums to offer their patrons? Well, clearly announcing events and posting slideshows of visiting authors, illustrators, and performers is one way. Perhaps some events can be streamed live through Facebook or other social media. Teenagers and tweens would probably find this congenial. Offering glimpses of new acquisitions in the picture books, or excerpts of books, as amazon.com does, would surely attract readers. Following library accounts of programs and PR work is valuable, but it's time to reach out further and take our cues from sister institutions which may offer fresh ideas.

Order more copies

The Wimpy Kid series of books has proved to be a durable favorite with tweens. Last year's movie based on the first book was a quiet success--no Oscars, but good solid returns--now the second film Diary of a Wimpy Kid--Roderick Rules will be released as a film on March 25. According to a Publishers Weekly report, the books themselves will be available in tie-in versions soon. Libraries that keep tabs on what the local movie houses are showing may be able to offer events based on the Wimpy Kids titles. At the very least they can put a link to the movie on their website and be sure some of the new titles are posed in high visibility spots in the library. With very few objections from parents or other adults, this series is a winner for libraries, so let people know they don't have to spend money on the books--they can find them at their local library.

Reading and/or writing

Kids often don't know where books come from They appear on library shelves or in their parents' hands complete with text and illustrations in place. It's not easy for a child to connect the beautiful book on the shelf with the smudged, sheet of paper on her desk. Now a teacher in Oaklnad CA has invided his third grade class to share to labor and rewards of writing a children's book. Hearing a story chapter by chapter as the writer puts it down in a first draft is a surprising and empowering event for a child. Joe Imwalla not only reads his story aloud to his class, he also invites comments and criticism. Of course, the best criticism comes from the children's behavior--do they giggle or do they yawn; do they gasp with surprise or do they poke their neighbor? These unguarded actions tell Mr. Imwalla whether he's reaching his listeners or whether he should go back for another rewrite. The exercise, of course, is not just about improving Mr Imwalla's writing, it's also about letting children know more about the process of writing. They become inspired to write their own stories, perhaps with the help of a friend, and suddenly the class is not a task, but an exciting challenge. Maybe public libraries could try this kind of program with writers in their communities. You can contact a local writers' group and ask whether any members would like to preview their work for children (after the librarian has a chance to see it). Learning that a book does not spring from a writer's or illustrator's brain in its glorious final format but is a document forged with thought and effort can give children a new respect for books as well as a new ambition to try writing their own. And doing this in a public library where there are no grades and no tests can be especially helpful to children whose self-confidence is not high. It's certainly something to keep in mind.

What are you doing this summer?

Sometimes we come across a book that deals with such an important topic that we, as librarians and teachers, think we should read it, but hesitate to take on the daunting task. James Gleick's new book The Information sounds like just such a book. Mr. Gleick writes about the basic matter of all libraries and educational institutions--information. How it developed over time, how it was disseminated in times past, and how it is produced and used today. Some of this may sound too heavy when we consider that we deal with such basic information as books on baby animals and trips to the zoo for three-year-olds.But gathering information is a human trait that starts in infancy and the says in which information is structured and passed on to others is fundamental to any society. We won't give up reading the children's books that brighten the collections of libraries and delight both children and adults, but sometimes when we have a block of time (summer is coming) we might want to take a look at this basic approach to our most important product.

Building ebook collections

We hear a lot about how important it is for children's librarians to build their collection of digital materials, but few sources get down to the nitty-gritty of buying and making available these resources. Now an excellent post in the ALSC blog goes into the details of choosing and obtaining e-materials for children. As the post points out, there are some excellent classic titles available on Project Gutenberg, the freely available treasure house of books, but recent titles must be bought and paid for. Questions about choosing a vendor and a format then come up, as well as the issue of integrating these titles into the library catalog. Be sure to read this post and follow the discussion about it. Ebooks are not going away and librarians must cope with the complexities of providing them.

Finally some reviews

The latest development in reviewing children's materials comes from Kirkus with the announcement that they will soon offer reviews of children's book apps. SLJ offers an overview of how parents, teachers, and librarians will be able to search for apps suitable for children of specific ages or using other criteria. Any librarian who has tried to use the i-Tunes store to search for apps knows the frustration of trying to sort appropriate offerings from those that have mangled familiar stories or put together careless apps that don't provide the kind of experience children need. The Kirkus app will be available first for the i-Pad, but it is expected that it will soon be designed for almost any e-reading device. This one sounds like a winner for librarians and teachers, so be sure to try it as soon as you can.

Death of a legend

We are getting close to the 100th anniversary of the great explosion of growth in children's publishing and children's libraries that started in the 1920s and hit its stride in the 1950s. Every year we lose another of the pioneers from the early pre-WWII days who left their stamp on both professions. Margaret K. McElderry, who started her career as a children's librarian, became one of the best known and most honored editors in the field. Both the N.Y. Times and SLJ paid tribute to her this week for her work in developing children's authors and illustrators throughout her career. She had a strong conviction of the importance of children's books, knowing that unless individuals become readers early in life, they are unlikely to ever follow that path. She chose carefully and published only books that she found worthwhile, but she allowed authors and illustrators to try out new formats and new content. For more than fifty years she was a leader in producing remarkable books for generations of children. She trained many younger editors, let's hope they will be able to continue the tradition despite the pressures of these difficult times.

Newer, shorter books

We all know how many students come into the library with a request for "a short book". A book report assignment often calls out this response. Now the makers of ebook reading devices are answering this call, for adults as well as young people. A few weeks ago Kindle announced plans to publish short books--somewhere between a novella and a novel--that will be sold for Kindle. Now more publishers are jumping into the game, often to provide materials to read on i-phones, i-pads and other small mobile devices. According to a N.Y. Times story, this trend may lead to some big changes in publishing as writers and editors learn to tailor their wares to the needs of today's readers. With magazines fading from prominence for many readers, there is a need for a detailed account of events or a complex story, but one that does not require a full book to recount. Another advantage of the short form is that the time from the conception of the idea to the availability of the text is much shorter than for conventional books. It will be interesting to see whether the revolution in Egypt and turmoil in other Arab countries will be detailed in some of these new, short, immediate ebooks.

For those who mourn the decline of the printed book, there is a cheerful sight in San Francisco this weekend as the lavish booths of the World's Largest Antiquarian Book Fair were on display. There were plenty of lovers of print books around to browse, enjoy, and even purchase the books, which range in price from under $100 to over a million.