UFOs, Aliens, and Flying Saucers - Books About the Roswell Incident for Middle Grade Readers

This fun little bibliography was inspired by a recent trip to New Mexico. The original plan was to fly into El Paso, Texas, and drive a loop to visit three national parks: Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands, but I later decided it would be fun to add a day in Roswell, New Mexico, to see all the kitschy alien stuff as well, and it was! 

Since this little detour was inspired by having recently read a really good middle-grade book with a fictitious story about the Roswell incident, I decided to put together a few other titles of fiction and non-fiction related to the Roswell Incident, flying saucers, and other UFOs. This bibliography would be perfect for those intrigued by UFOs, those who enjoy science fiction, or those who may also be planning a visit to Roswell.

Non-Fiction 

What Do We Know About the Roswell Incident?
Ben Hubbard (author) & Andrew Thompson (illustrator
WhoHQ, Penguin/Random House, 2023, 112 p.
Ages: 8-12

The Roswell Incident and subsequent myths and hoaxes related to it is really too complex of a topic for this series to tackle, and results in a superficial and over-simplified story. While a more simple overview of topics and biographies is the hallmark of the WhoHQ brand and is more appropriate for the intended audience of younger middle-grade readers, in this case it results in a less than clear distinction of fact from fiction that may leave some readers confused about what really happened. 

However, it is one of very few books on the subject for younger readers, and would be ideal for lessons in critical thinking and information literacy, with adult guidance and discussion. Though reportedly for ages 8-12, with its larger font, greater amount of white space, and illustrations, it is more likely to appeal to ages 8-10.

⭐Crash from Outer Space:
Unraveling the Mystery of Flying Saucers, Alien Beings, and Roswell.
Candace Fleming (author)
Scholastic Focus, 2022, 288 p.
Ages 8-12

Fleming does an excellent job of presenting all the various stories, alleged evidence, and the social, political, and technological conditions that led to the development and spread of tales of flying saucers and alien beings that began with the Roswell incident in 1947, and how they have been de-bunked. This book does a much better job of separating fact from fiction that the one above, as to be expected since it is approximately three times as long and written at a higher level. The text is supplemented by numerous photographs to help maintain interest and support the information in the text. Fleming also supplies a lengthy bibliography divided into primary and secondary sources, as well as source notes by chapter and photo/illustration credits.

Due to the length and higher reading level, I would recommend this book for ages 10 and up; it would also be good for teens or adults who are interested in reading an objective, fact-based account of the Roswell Incident and subsequent saucer-mania, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories. Highly recommend! 

Fiction 

⭐Eyes On the Sky
J. Kasper Kramer (author)
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024, 256p.
Ages 8-12

This a story of historical science fiction, set in 1947 outside of Roswell, New Mexico, and has strong themes of family and friendship. And flying saucers! 

Dorothy lives with her older brother on a small ranch outside of the small, decidedly boring town of Roswell where nothing ever happens. Until it does. A budding scientist with a particular interest in rockets, Dorothy keeps herself busy with various scientific experiments. One stormy night there is an explosion in the sky, which Dorothy fears may have been the giant weather balloon she had just launched. Fearful of getting in trouble and being removed from her brother's custody, Dorothy urgently searches for the remains of her balloon, hoping to find them before authorities do, and instead discovers a flying saucer and alien life-forms!

This is a fun, sometimes suspenseful, read with a great plot twist perfect for older middle-grade readers who are interested in UFO's and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Highly recommend!

Out There
Seaerra Miller (author/illustrator)
Little Brown Ink, 2023, 232 p.
Ages 8-12

Julia is going on a road trip to Roswell, New Mexico, with her father to attend the 75th Anniversary UFO festival, but not just for laughs. Julia's father believes he was abducted by aliens, and is looking for answers. Why was he abducted? For what purpose? Why him? Though initially Jules accepts her father's story of alien abduction without question, over the course of the trip she begins to have doubts.

This graphic novel weaves a story about family bonds, loyalty, and realizing parents are only human. The format will allow readers to experience some of the sights of the southwest and the saucer-mania of Roswell along with Julia, and the story portrays the complexity of family relationships  with humor and sensitivity. I would suggest this is more appropriate for ages 10 and up in most cases.

The Area 51 Files 
Julie Buxbaum (author), Lavanya Naidu (illustrator)
Delacort Press, 2022, 304 p.
Ages 8-12

After Sky's grandmother dies, she is sent to live with an uncle she barely knows. Imagine her surprise when she finds herself living in Area 51 [the site in Nevada where the mythical saucer and alien bodies from the Roswell incident are supposedly kept], a top-secret military base that is so classified, not even the President knows its secrets! Namely, that it is full of aliens! As Sky begins to adjust to her new surroundings and get to know her unusual neighbors, a mystery develops that threatens them all.

This is a light-hearted, illustrated, fun sci-fi adventure inspired by the lore and theories surrounding the mysterious Area 51 that is perfect for leisure reading and will likely appeal to fans of The Last Kids on Earth, Eerie Elementary, Notebook of Doom, etc. This is the first book of a series which currently has three volumes, with the fourth to be released in July, 2025. 

Roswell Johnson Saves the World!
Chris Colfer (author)
Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024, 464p.
Ages 8-12

Roswell Johnson is obsessed with UFOs, extraterrestrial life, and government conspiracies, which is no surprise considering he was named after a city famous for its alleged flying saucer crash. But after a disappointing response to his UFO-themed science fair project, Roswell swears he is done with believing in aliens. That is, until he is accidentally abducted by a pair of friendly alien life forms and finds out the earth is in danger of being invaded by a very unfriendly alien species! 

This light-hearted adventure is the first of a duology, with the second book, Roswell Johnson Saves the Galaxy, due to be released in September, 2025. This series will appeal to readers who like light-hearted, but fast-paced adventures and are not intimidated by longer books. Note there are also illustrations sprinkled throughout to help bring the story to life. 

We Are Not Alone
Katryn Bury (author)
HarperCollins, 2024, 320 p.
Ages 8-12

This is a more serious story that doesn't specifically relate to Roswell, but is included since one of the themes that helps tie all the characters together is an interest in UFOs, and it is a recent publication. Sam is a cancer survivor, but dealing with grief and survivor guilt after the death of his best friend Oscar, and having trouble fitting in back at school after someone spreads a rumor that he lied about having cancer. He finds an unexpected friendship with popular girl Cat, who also has an interest in UFOs, an interest he had shared with Oscar. Their search for information leads them to a surprising connection to the past.

This book packs a lot into one story - being yourself, making friends, cancer, loss, survivor guilt, and of course, UFOs - and does it very well. It is all well-integrated into the story, and nothing feels extraneous or forced. While it does deal with some heavy topics, it doesn't feel like a heavy read overall. Because of the varied themes, I think this book could appeal to a wide range of middle-grade readers who enjoy or are open to realistic fiction. 

For more informational books about aliens and UFOs, check the beginning of the non-fiction section at your local library, in the 001.942s. For books about astronomy and space, look in the 520s, and for vehicles used in space exploration try the 629.4s. For fictional stories, try searching the catalog for the following: Roswell, aliens, UFO, extraterrestrials, flying saucers, space, spaceships, or astronauts; or ask a librarian!

If you do have the opportunity to visit Roswell, be sure to check out the International UFO Museum and Research Center (complete with research library) and other fun attractions and shops in town, and walk and drive around to see how many aliens and murals you can spot! The collage below features just a few of the ones I saw during my visit. 👽🛸

Where Are the Younger Middle-Grade Books?

In December I aired my Festivus grievance against the lack of really good, engaging, and developmentally appropriate books for toddlers, particularly those that would be good for group read-alouds, i.e. toddler storytime. But that is not my only frustration with kid-lit. In the last year I have come to realize how challenging it is to find *new* middle-grade fiction for the younger end of middle-grade after a restructuring changed my collection development focus from birth through teen to birth through age 11, and expanded the teen department to include upper middle-grade, which used to be included in the juvenile collection.

That has left me with quite the conundrum. "Middle Grade" is generally considered ages 8-12 (though that range varies depending on who you ask, and many erroneously conflate "middle grade" to mean "middle school"), and this re-structuring resulted in middle-grade being split between two locations and two selectors.  As I shifted my focus to the younger end of middle-grade and tried to search out books that were for elementary ages and had protagonists that were closer to 10, I had a really hard time finding anything beyond beginner/transitional chapter books and graphic novels/comics.

Apparently, there is an unwritten rule that middle-grade protagonists must be 12 years old and in 7th grade. I really didn't realize just how consistent it was until I began purposefully looking for books for the younger end with younger protagonists. Lists of hot and upcoming middle-grade books are predominantly for the older end of the range, almost always with 12-year old characters and frequently featuring subjects and situations that are a little mature or complex for elementary kids. Using the "ages 9-11" audience filter on the vendor site yields, once again, books with 12 year-old protagonists and often more mature/complex subject matter, but when I use the "ages 8-9" filter, I generally get few results and more of the really short, highly illustrated transitional and beginning chapter books, and even still get books more for middle schoolers.

Of course I know kids generally like to read about kids slightly older than themselves, but can an 8 year old in 3rd grade *really* relate that well to a 12-year old seventh-grader dealing with all the angst of changing friendships, peer pressure, and budding romances of middle school? That's a big difference in development and life experience. And while there are books with 12-year old characters that are clearly written for a younger audience, they can often be difficult to find and identify. I feel like it shouldn't be so hard to find "meatier" MG fiction, something beyond transitional/beginner chapter books, that is truly written for the younger middle grade audience of strong readers.

It hasn't always been that way, has it? I can think of a number of great middle-grade classics, many of which are still popular, that are for the younger end of the MG range. Beverly Cleary's Ramona series follows Ramona from age 5 to age 10, Henry Huggins ranges from age 8-11, and Keith is 8 years old at the beginning of The Mouse and the Motorcycle series. Fern in E. B. White's Charlotte's Web is also eight, and Peter from Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is 9, while Margaret from If You're There, God... is 11. Dorothy's age is never explicitly stated in The Wizard of Oz series, but can be extrapolated from comparison to another character to be 11. 

While there are some more contemporary middle-grade fiction books for younger readers, they seem to be few and far between and often have non-human main characters. Some that come to mind are A Boy Called Bat by Elana Arnold, Katherine Applegate's The One and Only... series, Odder, Dogtown, and Crenshaw; and Peter Brown's The Wild Robot series. Gordan Korman's books typically have older characters, but appeal to a younger audience, as do series like The Last Kids on Earth, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Dork Diaries. I know there are others I'm forgetting, but I could easily throw out dozens of titles and series for the top end of MG fiction without have to think too hard or browse the collection. 

So, what's going on? I can only speculate, but I'm sure part of it is that I just haven't figured out the best way to find what I'm looking for. I also think part of it is that previously there were not enough transitional and beginning chapter books, and to meet that demand the focus shifted from publishing short novels for the younger end of middle grade to the much shorter, highly illustrated transitional books. In addition, the rapid rise in popularity of graphic novels combined with parents and teachers becoming more accepting of this format further shifted focus away from prose to graphic formats. And finally, I suspect that publishers know kids are more likely to read about characters older than themselves than younger, and therefore decided to set the age of all middle-grade characters at the top end of the age range, figuring younger readers would still read about 12-year olds, but the 12-year olds aren't going to read about a 10 year old. 

Has anyone else found selecting new fiction that is not graphic novels or transitional books for older elementary kids to be a challenge, or is it just me? Know of any great books to fill this niche that have been published in the last year, or will be published this year?

Time Audit Continued - Another Month in the Work Life of a Children's Librarian

 

In a previous post I described conducting a time audit and the results of the first month (November). I found the time audit helpful and decided to continue tracking my time. I made a few changes to make it easier and less time consuming, and combined some categories. Before I was logging everything on paper and doing calculations by hand, which took a lot more time that I had expected. I liked being able to have a paper log on a clipboard that I could keep handy, so I came up with a hybrid method using a simplified paper log to quickly jot down what I was doing and for how long, and then would enter it into a spreadsheet later, and set up a pivot table to figure out all the totals, and a pie chart that I could update as I went along.

Once again, the categories and sub-categories I used are below:

• Programming
• Researching - Looking for ideas, checking out performers, testing activities, etc.
• Planning - When, what, and how activities will be done, making written plan, ordering/buying supplies
• Prep/Set Up - Prepping materials, setting up room, putting things out, making signs, writing & printing directions, making slides, etc.
• Execution - The actual program
• Clean Up/Take Down - Putting things away, cleaning, putting furniture back
• Administrative - Putting events in calendar, recording attendance, compiling stats, marketing 
• Outreach
• Researching - Looking for potential clients/partners and making initial contacts
• Planning - Planning specific activities and making written plan
• Preparation - Getting everything ready to go, pulling books to take
• Execution - The actual outreach visit or event
• Administrative - Scheduling, recording attendance, compiling stats
• Collection Management
• Maintenance - Weeding, ordering replacements, un-"NEW" ing
• Development - Selection, patron requests, ordering
• Marketing - Displays, bibliographies, reviews, social media spotlights, etc.
• Customer Service
• Children's Desk - assigned to children's service desk
• Main Circ Desk - assigned to main circ desk
• Spontaneous - When stopped by patrons needing help while on the floor or walking through, stepping in at desk during busy times to help.
• Professional Development - conferences, webinars, courses, workshops, reading professional journals, trade magazines, blogs
• Training & Supervising of Staff - Providing training for, giving instructions to, answering questions from, or evaluating direct report and other staff
• Administrative - Time spent on time audit and any other paperwork, reporting, or managerial duties not specifically related to programming, outreach, collection work, or supervising direct report; general meetings, email, and phone calls.
• Breaks - brief paid breaks taken on the clock, not counting quick trips to the restroom less than 5 minutes
• Other - All the unexpected miscellaneous stuff that comes up, all the conversations with coworkers not directly or exclusively related to any of the other categories, decorating the department, cleaning, organizing, etc. Anything that doesn't fit the above categories but is still work-related. Conversations that were exclusively social in nature are recorded as breaks.

And here are the results for January, which ended up being closer to 3 weeks than 4 due to holidays and snow days:

This month was more balanced that the previous one, with a little less time spent on programming and more spent on collection work and outreach. This is pretty close to what I think it should be, though ideally, I would like to spend more time on customer service and less time in meetings. Logging time spent at the service desk was also a bit of a conundrum, since I often work on other projects when it's slow. I ended up logging time spent on projects while at the desk under the relevant categories, so the actual time spent at the service desk isn't accurately represented here. 

Taking a closer look at programming shows once again that time spent in the execution of the program is only the tip of the iceberg:

Compared to November, I spent even less time on the execution of programs and more on researching and planning. This is due to one of the weekly storytimes being taken over by another staff member and my spending a lot of time on booking performers for summer and researching ideas for in-house programs for summer, in addition to planning programs for March and April. During this time period I did the weekly toddler storytime, monthly Pokemon and Lego programs, a family craft program, and 2 Kidbrarians for a total of 8 programs.

I really found continuing the time audit to be very helpful. Updating the pie chart each day was very helpful in setting priorities and deciding what to focus on when I found I had a nice chunk of un-scheduled time with no urgent deadlines, This kept collection work and professional development from being inadvertently pushed to the back burner, and forced me to be more decisive in programming and collection development, rather than over-researching and going down rabbit holes.

Now that I have a system set up that works for me, I am going to continue until I have a year's worth of data. I think it will be interesting to see how much the distribution changes from month to month, and the yearly averages over all. 

January Toddler Storytimes

Rather than writing up individual storytimes, I decided to write a whole month's worth in one post, since I use the same songs all month and don't really have over-arching themes. [For more details about how I structure toddler storytime and why, see my basic toddler storytime plan.]

This month's songs/rhymes were:

• Welcome: "Hello My Friends"
• Warm-Up: "The Wheels on the Bus"
• Movement 1: "Shake Your Shakers" w/egg shakers
• Movement 2: "Colors" w/egg shakers
• Lead-In: "If You're Ready for a Story"
• Movement 3: "Roly-Poly"
• Movement 4: "Ten Little Bubbles" with bubbles
• Good-bye: "Storytime Is Over"

The books and activities for each week (only 3 because of snow cancellation one week):

1. Book: Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham. A great book for toddler storytime written by a fellow children's librarian! It has photographs of animals for kids to identify and imitate, naming body parts, as well as tips for caregivers. Love it!
   
   Activities: Animal pop beads, rabbit builders, fish builders, sensory balls & tubes, markers & paper.
   
   
2. Book: Mouse's First Snow by Lauren Thompson & Buket Erdogan. Join little Mouse and his father as he explores a winter wonderland for the first time. This "Mouse's First" series is great for toddlers and younger preschoolers, who are also experiencing many "firsts" of their young lives. 
   
   Activities: Felt snowflakes and snowmen on the flannel board, giant pom-pom snowballs & buckets to toss into, foam blocks, sensory tubes & balls
   
   
3. Book: Everything a Drum by Sarah Warren & Camila Carrossine. This is a perfect book for toddler storytime or a music & movement program. The story is narrated by a caregiver, and pictures a toddler using everyday items like a drum. After I read the book I led the kids through a few listen-and-repeat simple clapping patterns. While I clapped my hands, I told them they could clap their hands, pat their tummy, or slap their thighs.
   
   Activities: Assorted musical instruments along with bowls, pots, boxes, bins, and spoons. It was quite the cacophony, but the kids loved it! 
   
   
   

How It Went
These all went really well, though I've had to really dig to build up a list of good books for toddler storytime without repeating to often. I know repetition is good for toddlers, but I also feel that in addition to supporting developing early literacy skills, storytime should also expand caregivers' awareness of a variety of children's books, particularly those in the library's collection.

Time Audit - A Month In the Life of a Children's Librarian

 

As I mentioned previously, we were recently required to do a time audit where I work. If you aren't familiar with time audits, it involves tracking how much time is spent on different activities, tasks, and/or projects and analyzing to spot trends and improve efficiency. Time audits are a bit tedious, take time in and of themselves, and can make staff feel distrusted and micro-managed when assigned by management, but I do think they can be valuable. In fact, I'd coincidentally started doing one on my own shortly before all full-time staff were asked to do them by the director. I'll give a breakdown of how I did my time audit, how my time was spent over a four-week period, and how I hope to use this information.

We were asked to record everything we did all day long by task, duration, and category, and total each category by day and by week. I took it a step further and did totals and percentages over a month, as I felt that would be a more accurate representation since there is so much variation day to day, and even week to week. We were allowed to decide if we wanted to record on paper or set up a spreadsheet, and to set whatever categories made the most sense for our department and jobs. I found it easier and more accurate to set up a chart on paper on a clipboard I could keep handy, but then I had to do all the calculations myself, which was time-consuming.

The categories (and sub-categories for some) I used are below:

• Programming
• Researching - Looking for ideas, checking out performers, testing activities, etc.
• Planning - When, what, and how activities will be done, making written plan, ordering/buying supplies
• Prep/Set Up - Prepping materials, setting up room, putting things out, making signs, writing & printing directions, making slides, etc.
• Execution - The actual program
• Clean Up/Take Down - Putting things away, cleaning, putting furniture back
• Administrative - Putting events in calendar, recording attendance, compiling stats, marketing 
• Outreach
• Researching - Looking for potential clients/partners and making initial contacts
• Planning - Planning specific activities and making written plan
• Preparation - Getting everything ready to go, pulling books to take
• Execution - The actual outreach visit or event
• Administrative - Scheduling, recording attendance, compiling stats
• Collection Management
• Maintenance - Weeding, ordering replacements, displays, un-"NEW" ing
• Development - Selection, patron requests, ordering
• Customer Service
• Children's Desk - assigned to children's service desk
• Main Circ Desk - assigned to main circ desk
• Spontaneous - When stopped by patrons needing help while on the floor or walking through, stepping in at desk during busy times to help.
• Professional Development - conferences, webinars, courses, workshops, reading professional journals, trade magazines, blogs
• Training & Supervising of Staff - Providing training for, giving instructions to, answering questions from, or evaluating direct report and other staff
• Meetings - General meetings; any meetings specifically about programming or outreach are recorded under those categories
• Email/Phone Calls - general; emails/phone calls specifically about programming or outreach are recorded as administrative duties under the respective category
• Administrative - Time spent on time audit and any other paperwork, reporting, or managerial duties not specifically related to programming, outreach, collection work, or supervising direct report.
• Breaks - brief paid breaks taken on the clock, not counting quick trips to the restroom less than 5 minutes
• Other - All the unexpected miscellaneous stuff that comes up, all the conversations with coworkers not directly or exclusively related to any of the other categories, decorating the department, cleaning, organizing, etc. Anything that doesn't fit the above categories

I was told I should be spending 40% of my time on programming, 25% on outreach, 20% on collection management, 10% on professional development, and 5% on administrative tasks. However, this doesn't account for meetings, training & supervising direct reports, customer service, communication, all the "other" things I do as part of my job like decorating, cleaning and organizing, talking to coworkers, and yes, breaks. The math simply doesn't math, and I don't know how I'm supposed to reconcile that, but hopefully the time audit will help.

After tracking my time for 4 weeks, I totaled everything and calculated percentages, which I've shown below for all the main categories. As you can see, the reality was very different from the expectations we were given:

Since over half of my time was spent on programming, let's take a closer look at programming specifically, and all that it entails. During this 4-week period I was responsible for 15 programs: 6 regular storytimes, 2 special expanded storytimes, Pokémon Club, Lego Club, homeschool hangout (in collaboration with YA librarian), a special STEM program, a Halloween party, and two Kidbrarians. In addition, I had the ongoing passive Dinovember program, which required staging our toy dinosaurs and posting photos twice a week, and had to plan upcoming programs. 

We all know that there is more that goes into programming than just the time spent in the actual programs, so I used multiple sub-categories in my time audit to reflect that and really get a clearer picture of where my time was going. Below is the breakdown of how much time I spent on each aspect of programming:

As you can see, the time spent in the actual program is only the tip of the iceberg, and more than two hours of additional time go into making every hour of program happen. And that's not including the labor from other staff assisting. If I didn't have any help, it would be at least a 3:1 ratio, if not more. This was no surprise to me, and I'm sure it is not a surprise to anyone else who regularly does programming. 

I'm not at all surprised by most of these results, in fact. I already knew I spent a significant amount of time on programming, at the expense of collection management, outreach, and customer service, and I also knew there were many "other" aspects to my job that the expectations above didn't account for. But now I have some data to back that up. 

I do feel the time audit has been useful, and being forced to write things down has helped me stay more focused and on task. I know I still need to work on better organization, time management, and advance planning, and as I improve in those areas I will be able to shift some more time back to collection development, which had been pushed to the back burner over the last year due to staffing issues. I am also turning the weekly preschool storytime over to the part-time children's assistant, as well as some of the summer programs, which will free up time for me to add 1-2 more outreach visits per month. I am expected to add more programs for 4th-6th graders in the fall, and I hope by that time I will be able to delegate at least one monthly program in order to free up time for that.

I'm told that I need to delegate more of the "other" tasks and more of the programming prep, and I'm trying, but it's hard to delegate when you don't have enough reliable staff with the right skills available when you need them. I really think we need additional qualified youth services staff besides myself and one part-time assistant to pick up some of the programming and "other" duties, as well as cover the children's service desk consistently to provide better customer service by having the desk staffed when people are in the department. Currently, the children's service desk is rarely staffed, and I think that besides not being very welcoming, it hurts our circulation by not having a qualified person readily available in the children's department to provide reader's advisory and other assistance, and doesn't allow us to build relationships with, and get valuable feedback from, patrons that use the children's department. In addition, I have observed that having a consistent staff presence also encourages more appropriate behavior and results in much less mess and destruction.

I plan to continue tracking my time to get a more accurate picture of how I spend my time by tracking over a longer time period, since every month is a bit different. One month might be heavier in professional development if I attend a conference, summer is heavier in programming, and some months just seem to have a whole lot of "other". This particular month was heavier in programming because of Dinovember, and heavier in "other" because of changing seasonal décor and unpacking and setting up the furniture and accessories for our new dramatic play area. My hope is that once I have improved my organization and time-management and I have more data I can demonstrate everything I am doing, how much time programming really takes, and that we really do need more staff in order to do more programming and outreach (which I agree the community needs). 

Has anyone else done a time audit? How did it go, and were you surprised by the results? What do you find taking up the bulk of your time? How were the results used? Any great time-management tips? Anyone know a great, flexible time-audit form/template that is easy to adapt to the categories you need and does all the calculations for you? I am finding doing it by hand takes far more time than I'd imagined, so I'm planning on switching to a digital format.

Annual Reflection & Goal Setting - 2025

 

I've now been working in public libraries for 12 years (in March), writing this blog for nearly 10 years, and have been a degreed, professional librarian for four years. Every year before I write my annual reflection and goal setting post I review the previous few years. Every year since 2020 I have hoped the new year would bring some peace, but it never seems to quite work out that way, and this year was no exception. 

2024 was another difficult year, with many changes and challenges, including an unexpected restructuring and changing of job descriptions so that I am no longer a youth services manager over birth through teen (that position was eliminated), and am now the children's librarian, for birth through 6th grade. A new YA librarian position was created for teens and new adults (now as a separate department), and the vacant adult services manager position was also re-classified as just a librarian position rather than a manager. I no longer have the same level of autonomy I had before and now have to work under a very autocratic management style, which is not a management style I personally thrive under. All the changes were very unexpected and have been difficult to get used to, but it is what it is and I'm adjusting my expectations accordingly.

However, it wasn't all bad; some good things did happen and I was able to accomplish some of my goals, as well as others:

• I was finally able to fill the children's assistant position that had been vacant for a year.
• My programming budget, which had been slashed by the previous director, was returned to the previous level.
• Asked for and received additional storage cabinets in the program room, more than doubling our storage space, and finally have everything pretty well-organized.
• Also received an additional storage cabinet and shelving for my office. Still working on getting that all organized, but made significant progress.
• I was finally able to attend the ALSC conference. It was really great to spend a couple of days among my fellow children's librarians from all over the country and share ideas and experiences! (I was also very flattered when one person recognized me from my published research article and another recognized me from this little blog.)
• Finished the deep-dive into incentivized reading research I'd been wanting to do for a few years and wrote an article about the problems with traditional, heavily incentivized reading programs, as well as one on what we should do instead, complete with annotated bibliography.
• Had a very successful summer program, which though very busy, was also more enjoyable than stressful.
• Increased programming, developing a very well-received "Kidbrarian" program, adding a monthly Bricks, Blocks, Build! program for all ages (Legos, Duplos, Mega Bloks, and various other building sets/toys) and adding a monthly homeschool hangout-type program in collaboration with the new YA librarian.
• Was asked to give two presentations at our state youth services conference, one on STEM programming for younger children, and the other on my Kidbrarian program.
• Collection management was pushed to the back-burner a bit this year due to all the changes and staffing issues, but after having gone through several rounds of weeding the entire youth collection based on circulation the previous two years, I was able to review the board books, picture books, and early readers based on condition, and after weeding and shifting aggressively so that shelving followed best practices I freed up a significant amount of space to start expanding the picture book collection.
• Conducted a survey on youth services burnout, the possible factors contributing to it, and how youth services staff could be better supported. This is a major issue across the field, needs to be addressed, and we should be able to discuss it without fear of retaliation, though sadly that's not always the case.
• Developed collaborative relationships with the new YA and adult services librarians.
• Was finally able to clear out enough space and purchase furniture and accessories for the dramatic play area I've wanted to add since I arrived three years ago (pictured below)!!
  
  

Now, looking forward to 2025, some of the things I want to accomplish are:

• Work on organization, time-management, and planning further ahead. I've realized that to do this, I have to carve out dedicated time on my schedule for organizing and planning. Once I'm on top of that, I believe the time-management will take care of itself.
• Work on delegating more tasks, though this is very challenging because most of the time there isn't enough staff with the skills required who have the time and are available at the time I need them. 
• Keep my office reasonably neat and organized.
• Now that the new children's assistant is fully trained and ready, I am turning the weekly preschool storytime over to her in order to do more outreach, as well as having her take the lead on one program during spring and fall breaks, and a few programs during the summer, again helping me gain a more appropriate balance on where my time is going.
• Get back to spending an appropriate amount of time on collection management.
• Have summer reading all planned even earlier this year, by April 1st.
• Add regular programming specifically for 4th-6th graders in September.
• Attend the state public library and youth services conference, but probably not present. Though I like making a professional contribution to the field, it isn't supported in my position and presentation prep is done mostly on my own time.
• Continue tracking time and compiling data to document everything I'm doing and attempt to demonstrate the need for more staff in order to increase programming and outreach and offer better customer service (more on this in an upcoming post).
• As always, working towards a better work/life balance, trying to figure out how to leave work at work and not let work stress cause so much anxiety that it robs me of sleep, negatively affects my physical and mental health, and interferes with my life outside of work as it does now.

And once again, I hope for peace. I crave stability, calm, and a healthy work environment. But I don't know if that exists anywhere anymore. So I guess I need to instead hope for acceptance, being able to let go, not care as much, being able to compartmentalize more? The other thing I noticed in reviewing all my previous new year's posts is how the tone has changed and one can clearly see the trauma and burnout developing over the last few years. I'm not sure what the answer is, but in the meantime I'll keep trying to focus on the joy I find in working with the kids and families and building healthier boundaries. I still love being a children's librarian, just wish it wasn't as stressful and exhausting as it's been. 

Anyone else want to share 2024 accomplishments they're particular proud of? Let's normalize taking pride and voicing our accomplishments and celebrating each other!! Any exciting goals for 2025?

Happy New Year!!

Happy Noon Year's Eve! - Kids' Program

 

I once helped my supervisor with a Noon Year's Eve program several years back, and have been waiting for the chance to do one myself, and this year things finally aligned. Since this was a new thing for this library I wasn't sure how many families would attend, but I planned more activities than I typically do just in case everybody had cabin fever and decided to show up. As it turned out, we ended up with the perfect size crowd and we all had so much fun that we decided we definitely want to do this again next year.

I planned it as a family/all-ages program, with activities that were geared for elementary ages, but would also work for preschoolers, and a finale at noon:

• DIY Confetti Poppers
• Decorate a Crown or Hat
• Make a Noisemaker
• Fireworks Painting
• Mini-Megaphone
• Fizzing Confetti Chemistry
• Countdown & Balloon Drop

I had enough at each station for 24-36 participants, and the fireworks painting and fizzing confetti could easily be stretched for even more if needed. I did splurge a little on this program, mainly on confetti of all things (!), but you could definitely do it for less. Not counting craft staples or other materials we had already (markers, glue, tape, craft sticks, paper plates, hats, some crowns, a few extra cardboard tubes.) , I estimate I spent about $130, but I have confetti, pom-poms, jewels, and balloons leftover, and again, you could definitely spend less on confetti, balloons, and paint than I did.

Budget: $130, but had stuff leftover & you could definitely spend less

Age Range: Family, kids ranging from 2-10 years old.

# of Participants: 32 kids (plus 23 accompanying adults), could have accommodated a few more 

Staff: 1 Children's Librarian, with the help of 2 part-time assistants (one was in and out during the program because she was also covering the desk). 

#1 - DIY Confetti Poppers

I put all of the materials in containers in the center of the table, along with instructions with photos in a sign-holder. No one had any trouble, and everyone loved them!

Materials:

• Cardboard tubes (I purchased new white tubes), 30 for $12
• Balloons, 50 for maybe $5
• Masking tape (we already had several rolls in different colors)
• Various types of confetti (this was my big splurge*)
• Multicolored starburst - 2 packages, $15
• Gold and silver stars in two sizes - 1 package, $7
• Gold flakes - 1 package, $7
• Mini sparkly pom-poms - 1000 for $10, had at least half the package leftover
• Scissors
• Markers for decorating (could also add washi tape and/or stickers), optional
  
  

1. Tie the end of the balloon.
2. Cut off the top of the balloon.
3. Put the balloon over one end of the cardboard tube and tape in place.
4. Decorate tube if desired.
5. Put a little confetti and a few pom-poms in the tube.
6. Pull balloon, and release. POP! Confetti everywhere!

* I splurged on the confetti, buying several types. You could definitely spend less by buying a bulk package of just one type or mix, and you could make your own by cutting up bits and punching holes from colored paper if you have the time. That would be a good job for people working at the desk to do during less busy times.

#2 - Decorate a Crown or a Hat

Very straightforward, put out the materials and the decorated their crown or hat as much or as little as they wanted.

Materials:

• cheap, plastic top hats, (no cost to me as I inherited a bunch and only included them because I already had them, otherwise I would've just stuck with crowns)
• metallic cardstock crowns, assorted styles and colors, (I was gifted a dozen of these)
• gold cardstock crowns, assorted styles, 10 for $8, included sticker gems
• strips of construction paper (for bands around top hat)
• adhesive jewels (they came on 3x5 or 4x6 sheets, which I cut up into roughly 1 square inch pieces), $10

#3 - DIY Noisemaker

Again, put out all the materials in the center of the table with instructions in a signholder, along with an example.

Materials:

• Small paper plates (I think ours were 4"), 2 per noisemaker
• Large craft sticks
• Dried beans (we used black-eyed peas for luck), 2 lbs for $4
• Masking tape in assorted colors
• Markers or crayons for decorating

1. Turn both plates face down and decorate the bottom/underside of the plates as desired.
2. Turn one plate over, and tape a craft stick to the lower half to be a handle.
3. Place a spoonful or two of dried beans in the center of the plate.
4. Place the second plate on top, and tape all around the edges to seal.
5. Shake! 

Note - You could use a stiffer plastic plate and omit the handle and hold like a tambourine as well.

#4 - Fireworks Painting

These turn out really well if the kids follow instructions and stamp rather than swirl the cut straws.

Materials:

• paper
• washable tempera or craft paints (we used glitter paint, 8 4oz-bottles for $15)
• small 4" plastic plates to dispense paints on to (pack of 8 for $1.25 at DollarTree)
• assorted straws, we used both regular and boba tea straws

Prep: Unless working with kids over 10, I recommend prepping the straws in advance. Cut the bottoms of several straws into many small sections and bend back so that looks like a starburst/flower. We made varied lengths for larger and smaller fireworks. Dispense one color of paint in the center of each plater and tilt plate to spread it out some.

1. Press the cut end of the straw into the desired color paint, making sure the entire length of the slivers are coated.
2. Press the painted end of the straw onto the paper; lift up and rotate slightly, then press again. Use the straw like a stamp, not a brush. You can layer colors for some nice effects if you are careful.
3. Repeat with different colors to make more fireworks.
4. Let dry.

#5 - Mini-Megaphone

A super cheap and easy filler craft, but we could have skipped it.

Materials:

• Color-your-own mini-megaphone craft kits, 2 packs of 12 each, $15
• Markers
• Crayons
• Tape

1. Place included stickers if desired.
2. Color
3. Roll up, insert tabs.
4. Tape for less frustration

#6 - Fizzing Confetti Chemistry

A super simple STEM station using one the many variations of baking soda and vinegar experiments. We had this station staffed to prevent disasters, LOL! I did have a sign with the instructions and measurements, as well as the formula for the chemical reaction, which included the formulas, molecular models, scientific names, and common names. You will need to test and possibly adjust amounts from those given, as it will vary depending on the size and shape of the cups used. The baking soda and vinegar react to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide, the same bubbles that are found in carbonated soft drinks (along with water and sodium acetate).

Materials:

• plastic champagne flutes, 1 or 2 is enough, set of 2 from DollarTree, $1.25
• baking soda
• distilled vinegar
• Gold flake confetti - 1 package, $7
• trays to contain mess

1. Place the champagne flute in the center of a tray.
2. Put 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in the champagne flute.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of confetti.
4. Pour in 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) of vinegar, all at once.
5. Watch it bubble up, fizz and sparkle! (And possibly overflow.)

#7 - Countdown & Balloon Drop

I rigged up a balloon drop using a large cheap plastic tablecloth that I cut in half, then punched holes along the cut edges and threaded ribbon through the holes, leaving long ends hanging down to pull. I tucked the corners and a couple of points along the sides under the edges of the dropped-ceiling tiles, then filled with balloons.

I had a 30-second countdown video pulled up on the TV that I started as we approached noon, and then once we hit zero, the kids shot confetti and rattled their noisemakers, my assistant began blowing bubbles with a bubble gun, and I pulled the ribbon to drop the balloons. After the balloons were all down, I picked up a second bubble gun to add more bubbles, and started playing a New Year's Eve play list beginning with Auld Lang Syne. I forgot to take pictures of the balloon drop before or during, only thought to take one after.

How It Went 

It was a wonderful, chaotic mess, in the best way possible!

I had no idea what kind of turnout to aspect, as I haven't done a Noon Year's Eve party at this library before, and people were used to us not having anything going on during this week. Plus, all kinds of respiratory diseases are running rampant in our area right now: Covid, flu, RSV, and other unknown viruses. So I had the usual fear of either hardly anybody showing up, or way too many. But we had a perfect crowd of 55 kids and adults, who had so much fun! 

The biggest hit was the confetti poppers, which of course resulted in confetti everywhere! The kids loved it, and the adults were amazed that we didn't care about the mess. The fireworks painting was also a big hit, and also a big mess. By the end of the program, there were all kinds of confetti on the floor and on the tables, paint all over the table at that station, and a few balloons that people didn't take. Though it looked like a disaster, in all honesty it wasn't that hard to clean up. I know parents love the opportunity for their kids to engage in messy activities somewhere other than home, so I try to provide them as much as I can. Most of our programs are not this big or this messy, so we don't mind indulging every now and then.

The pictures below show some of the aftermath:

What I Would Do Differently

Really, the only things I would modify are (1) that we probably could do with one less station, and (2) the balloon drop. While the balloon drop worked, it didn't work as well as I'd have liked for a couple reasons. For one thing, one tablecloth really wasn't big enough to hold enough balloons, and I over-filled the first batch of balloons, so I ended up with only 36 balloons in the drop instead of 50. I should have kept them small in order to fit more of them in the drop. Also, between static electricity and being packed tightly, some of the balloons didn't fall and had to be knocked out with a broom. I will try to figure out a better method next year or invest in an actual balloon drop net, but we will do some type of balloon drop again. I'm also going to look into latex-free options next time. 

I had originally thought about serving cute mini-cupcakes with confetti sprinkles and water or juice, but ultimately decided against it, between having no idea how many people to expect and the amount of sickness going around. But next year I might re-consider now that I have a better idea of what kind of attendance to expect.

Where Are the Toddler Books??

 

In the spirit of Festivus, I'm going to air one of my grievances with the publishing industry - Where are the books for toddlers and younger preschoolers??

I find I am having more and more trouble finding picture books suitable for storytime, particularly for toddler storytime. I currently work at a smaller library and inherited a relatively small and poorly developed picturebook collection that was missing many of my favorite storytime books. Unfortunately, I found that many of these titles were now out of print, or available only in paperback, which is not suitable for a library collection, or board book, which is too small for storytime use. In addition I found that some of my old favorites that used to work in storytime no longer did because they were too long, text-heavy, and/or sophisticated for the younger audiences I was now seeing.

So I have been on a continuous search for picturebooks that are short and simple enough for the younger and/or less-attentive audiences of today, yet still engaging, and I am finding they are very rare these days. It seems that while storytime audiences have grown younger and attention spans even shorter, picture books have paradoxically become more text heavy and sophisticated. So many of them would be great for read-alouds for a slightly older audience of kindergarten or first grade or a one-on-one lap-sit read with a caregiver, but just don't work well in storytime. It is becoming nearly impossible to find good books for toddler storytime in particular, and I've had to resort to buying used copies of older favorites. 

So publishers and authors, this is what I'm looking for in a toddler storytime book:

• No more than 32 pages, 28 would be even better.
• No more than one sentence per page.
• Repeating phrases
• A good rhythm when reading aloud is key!
• Rhyming scheme helps
• Relatable content
• Bright, bold, simple illustrations
• Cuteness or simple, obvious humor is a plus
• Motions to imitate
• Not boring, more than just identifying things or simple statements
• Fun to read out loud
• Onomatopoeia is also a plus
• Reinforces basic concepts in a fun way
• Diverse representation - skin color, body types, disabilities, families, etc.

Here are a few examples of great toddler storytime books; I'm sure there are more, but I'm struggling to come up with titles right now, especially more recent ones:

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See and the other books in the Bear series by Bill Martin, Jr. & Eric Carle
• Wiggle, Stretch, and Bounce by Doreen Cronin & Scott Menchin
• One-osaurus, Two-osaurus by Kim Norman & Pierre Collet-Derby
• Clip-Clop and Jingle-Jingle by Nicola Smee
• There's a Dragon In Your Book and others in the series by Eric Fletcher & Greg Abbott
• Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep! by Bill Martin, Jr., Michael Sampson, & Nathalie Beauvois
• Ten Tiny Babies and others by Karen Katz
• Hello, Baby! by Mem Fox & Steve Jenkins

And finally, a quick note on board books. I'd love to see more large-size board book formats! These are great for storytime because the pages are easy to turn, people can see the pictures, and the kids can't tear them up if they get a hold of them. And, just like with picture books, I'm seeing a trend in very text heavy board books, often board book versions of books originally published in picturebook format. We need more simple board books that are developmentally appropriate for babies and toddlers with simple, bright illustrations or photographs, and either single words or very short (2-3 word) phrases. 

So please, dear authors and publishers, please bring us some great toddler read-alouds in the new year!

And dear readers, if you know of any great books for toddler storytime that are still in print in hardback picturebook format, please leave them in the comments!

Happy Festivus!