Tales from a Loud Librarian

I was watching Human Comedy with Mickey Rooney on TCM tonight. He said the following to his teacher: "I never knew teachers are human beings like everybody else-- and better too!" — William Saroyan

Yesterday, ninety fourth graders visited Taylor to see the seventh graders demonstrate experiments. I helped with the event by reading Bones and Actual Size both by author Steve Jenkins. The books are outstanding science non-fiction. Then several ninth graders and a senior presented a quiz with a flipchart on the Promethean Board using facts from the two books. The elementary students used the Promethean Activotes to give us their answers. It was a lot of fun for me to get back in my reading aloud mode. Love it!!! My helpers were awesome. The whole event was planned by science teacher Katie Higgins. Thanks Katie for letting me be a part of your event.  Did you know that the python has 200 sets of ribs!   My helpers ask a question about the number of bones in a human's hands. The answer is 27. 

As part of the YA Galley Program for Teen's Top Ten, I have been receiving many books from publishers for my library book group to read. When I picked up a box that was sized for just one or two paperback books, I thought it was the single title from TOR that I was waiting for. I was wrong. Last April, authors J & P Voekel visited Taylor to promote their action adventure romp through the land of the Mayas called, Middleworld . This book was the first in the Jaguar Stones series. Okay back to my package---when I opened the box, inside I found a signed copy of The End of the World Club , the second in the Jaguar Stones series. By the picture on the cover, I can tell that Max and Lola will be facing more adventures. That is not really the exciting part of the whole thing. The package was sent to me by the authors with an amazing note which you can read below. I was intriqued by the P. S., so I opened the book to the last page to find the acknowledge...

I get so few comments on this blog that sometimes I think that no one is reading it. Actually, I am tracking visits through Google Analytics, so I know exactly how many people visit this site. Even with the stats I have no clue if anyone is really reading what I write. Yesterday a student, who rarely checks out books, told me that he totally agreed with my opinion on the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. He told me that he also got a bit confused with the voice of the story moving back and forth between characters. I had no clue that he was reading the series because he didn't check it out from the school library. Anyway, I asked him where he read my opinion of the book. He said that he read my blog. Yea!! Somebody is listening. Boy, that feels good. Thanks Brandon for making my day--I bet you didn't even know that you had.