Saturday, January 31, 2015

This week at the library; or, I cannot think of anything clever because my head is so full of panic and loud noises


What's happening in my head and at the library
  • I am feeling rather frantic as a large number of things I have been putting off while working on other things are now coming home to roost and I have a gazillion things that are happening soon and so these things need to be planned but to plan the things I need other things to happen...
  • So, in the midst of my frantic panic, it was really nice to get a present for my library! I opened a mysterious package on Monday and discovered that Jason Fry had sent us the first two books in the Jupiter Pirates series! 
  • I completely finished the Neighborhoods, sent the last replacement order, set up a new delivery system for my remote collections with the schools, planned programs, started going through the repairs and paper stacks on my desk, put together training materials for my new associate, updated some of the series labels for juvenile fiction, processed a huge stack of new titles (put on new stickers, uploaded to pinterest, pics on facebook etc.).
  • I went home around 2 on Friday (theoretically I could have taken the whole day off because I was going to ALA Midwinter on Saturday, but in reality HA HA HA HA HA) and did laundry and started working on the sensory blankets for babies for next Wednesday.
  • Also, I have 9 NINE kids registered for Bookaneers, my new book club for 1st-3rd grade that starts on Tuesday! Woo! I had to change the format a little.
  • I wasn't really feeling enthused about ALA Midwinter, but once I got there I enjoyed it. I picked up a medium selection of books - almost exclusively beginning chapters, which was all I wanted. My phone refused to take pictures after only about an hour, so I just resigned myself to knowing that I will miss a few of the great books coming out soon. I got an ARC of Princess Hamster, Ursula Vernon's newest series, which I am VERY excited about - I read half of it while I ate lunch - and I got to talk to an editor about beginning chapters and what librarians are looking for, which was nice. Also, I met Meg Cabot totally by accident, so those of you who are fans can hate me that I, who am not a fan, did not have to stand in line (-:) (not that I don't like her, I'm just not really fan-ish about others). Also, which I didn't know until I saw the galley, ATTACK OF THE FLUFFY BUNNIES 2!!! Very excited about that too. I also enjoyed Guerrilla Storytime and the Flannel Friday petting zoo, although I just watched this time around.
What I brought back from ALA (not including a lot of miscellaneous paper - posters, stickers, activity kits, publisher catalogs, etc.)
  • Sprout Street Neighbors by Anna Alter- recommended by a publicist. Looks cute, but might be too cute. We'll see. Art reminds me of Peter McCarty's animals
  • Case of the missing carrot cake by Robin Newman - this is part of an imprint from a small publisher, supposed to be bridge books between easy readers and beginning chapters. They're in the format that's becoming popular - slightly larger easy readers.
  • Nina in That Makes Me Mad by Hilary Knight - this was a freebie, which I'm pleased with b/c we don't have this one. I reviewed this for No Flying No Tights
  • Where triplets go, trouble follows by Michelle Poploff - this is a beginning chapter from Holiday House. I like the cover, which I don't always for their books so I'll try this one.
  • The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett - I'm interested in trying this one. Not sure if kids will go for it or not.
  • True Talents, Hidden Talents by David Lubar - I've read and really liked these. I couldn't remember if the library owned them or not. If not, they'll be prizes.
  • Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon - I've been meaning to read this and was pleased to get a free copy so I can add it to the library.
  • Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliott - this is a new Branches series I've been wanting to look at.
  • Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal - this one is just for me! polite society fantasy
  • From the notebooks of a middle school princess by Meg Cabot - I happened to be walking by the booth and thought "oh, new Meg Cabot book". and then, looking up, "oh hey, Meg Cabot!" Sorry to all the rabid fans who arrived a few minutes later and had to stand in line. This will make a nice summer reading prize.
  • Pip Bartlett's Guide to magical creatures by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater - I hadn't actually noticed the authors until just now - I was just picking up anything that looked short and vaguely beginning-chapter-ish.
  • Frank Einstein and the electro-finger by Jon Scieszka - this is a sequel and I haven't read the first book, but I have a kid I want to give it to.
  • Ranger in time by Kate Messner - I've been wanting to read this before buying
  • Appleblossom the possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan - a publisher gave me this. I'm skeptical, since A. I find possums disgusting and B. I think this is too long for a cutesy book, but I'll try it.
  • Amazing Stardust Friends - this is a new Branches series which looks very....Disney-esque. Um...I think I picked this up by accident.
  • Fatal Fever by Gail Jarrow - I was telling the publisher how utterly fascinating I found Red Madness (many of my friends regret that I read this, as they now know more about pellagra than they really wanted to and I didn't actually buy it for the library as we wouldn't have an audience for it) and she offered me Jarrow's newest. Very pleased to read this!
  • Wild by Emily Hughes - the Flying Eye publisher gave me this. I may have to keep it and touch it for a while before I give it up. I was kind of dismissive of this one when I first saw it, but the art has really grown on me and I'd like to see what else she can do.
  • HAMSTER PRINCESS BY URSULA VERNON EEEEEEE!!!!! I have already read it. I will read it again. LOVE.
  • Anna Banana by Anica Mrose Rissi - this is a double of the first two books in the series. I was just picking stuff up, saw it and though "yet another red-haired heroine with a dark-skinned friend" but now that I look at it....Anna is the dark-skinned girl! YES!
  • Maybelle goes to school by Katie Speck - the editor absolutely assured me that it is really coming out. The Maybelle books have been delayed for so long!
  • Tales from Maple Ridge by Grace Gilmore - a brief look says "beginning chapter Farmer Boy" to me. could be good. can't think of many books of this type that feature boys.
  • We can work it out by Elizabeth Eulberg - for a friend
  • Prudence by Gail Carriger - for me! I like Gail Carriger, although I fell behind on her series.
  • Woof by Spencer Quinn - I would love more funny mysteries but it will probably end up being depressing.
  • The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan - not the type of book I usually read/like, but I LOVED Cupcake Cousins, so wanted to try this one.
  • Rutabaga the adventure chef by Eric Colossal - graphic novel. Might be too quirky though.
  • Super Fly by Todd Doodler - although the perpetual dirty tighty whities on Bear in Underwear drive me crazy, Doodler definitely appeals to kids
  • FLUFFY BUNNIES 2!!!! I have no idea this was even planned and then I saw it! A sequel to Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies! Woo!
Programs
  • Request for a new series - he described the last book he'd read and it was something funny with aliens, so I gave him the Alien Agent series by Pamela Service.
  • Browsing neighborhoods, I asked what she was interested in and she said "frogs" so I showed her the Animals/Amphibians section and her whole face lit up. Although this kind of proves my cataloger's point, that nobody knows what amphibians are, so I better stick a frog picture up there.
  • Rocks and minerals
  • 14 year old who loves Dashner - recommended his new series, Eye of Minds, and Dowswell's Sektion 20
  • Mallory books (I don't own this series)
  • Pokemon easy readers/easy chapters (I think they're all out of print...)
  • Transformers rescue bots dvds - added to order list
  • A car book. Not just ANY car book, it had to have a RED car. It took me a while to find the right one, but I eventually found Hubbell's Cars. Then his sister needed something she couldn't rip, so we picked out some board books and an Indestructible.
  • Harry Potter (why can nobody find Harry Potter? must have had 3 questions for that this week)

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