Professional Reading

Bird writes in a chatty tone reminiscent of her popular blog, A Fuse #8 Production, and her love of children’s literature shines through on every page. This slim volume is not meant to be an in-depth textbook, but rather a brief overview of the field and an introduction to the stars of children’s literature. There are several lists of recommendations, most notably the “100 Children’s Books That Belong in Every Library.” Shorter lists cover baby books, overlooked novels and picture books, middle-grade titles to booktalk, and great picture-book read-alouds. Highlighted boxes throughout feature questions and answers from seasoned professionals on how they handle various parts of their collections and aspects of their work. Readers who are new to the field may find this a comforting basic guide to managing their collections. For instance, the chapter on how to use your materials touches on displays, reference and readers’ advisory, storytimes, storytelling, booktalking, and book parties. A chapter on professional development outside the workplace is also included. Practical advice in a compact form.–Renee McGrath, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY

An essential guide for any librarian who plans on embracing the video-game phenomenon, or at the very least, understanding it. Gallaway opens with the question, “What Are Video Games?” and takes readers all the way through to hypothesize on the future of gaming. The chapters, labeled in levels in true video-game form, are well organized and contain an abundance of practical information. The sections on selection, collection, and circulation of video games include relevant advice on policy, cataloging, marketing, storage, and displays. “Gaming Resources” includes an invaluable list of online resources, podcasts, lectures, gaming conventions, conferences, and gaming vendors. The annotated list of video games for a core collection is wonderful for selection purposes. The helpful forms include checklists, floor plans, rules, guidelines, evaluation worksheets, permission slips, promotional fliers, tournament charts, etc. The book offers innovative programming ideas with a step-by-step guide on how to carry them out successfully. The companion Web site includes forms and fliers from the book, along with core-collection links and workshop and program ideas. Whether you plan on hosting a gaming tournament, developing a collection, or simply finding the right book for a gamer patron, this extensive resource is the only one you will need on this topic.–Jessica Tymecki, North Bellmore Public Library, NY

As an extension of his column in Book Links, Reid has collected 200 titles published between 2000 and 2008 that have both readability and general kid appeal. The titles are organized alphabetically by author, and the book includes subject and age-level indexes. Each selection has a cursory summary, grade-level range, and a suggestion for a 10-minute read-aloud, which either provides an introduction to the main characters or a glimpse into the story, usually enough to and make young readers want to pick up the book on their own. This last part is what makes the book so useful. Many librarians rely on the collective knowledge of their peers to create bibliographies, make recommendations, and share books with readers, and a resource such as this makes that job a bit easier. As the field of children’s literature continually expands, bibliographies that offer a focused view become more and more valuable.–Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

This brief book uses case studies to illustrate real-life scenarios that school librarians are apt to confront, countering each situation with a recommended course of action that focuses on protecting students’ First Amendment rights, intellectual freedom, and privacy. Scales includes useful documents, or links to documents, that support suggested resolutions. They include ALA resources, and court decisions and legal statutes most of which have been condensed or edited for length and include an explanation of the salient points. Each chapter offers valuable insight and will impel librarians to reflect upon the practices and policies in their own libraries. The section “Internet Access” provides useful information about dealing with the technology department to unblock sites by explaining the “harmful to minors” clause in the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). However, the focus of this section is on filtering and accessing information and there is little mention of Web 2.0 tools and a student’s right to use the Internet as a forum to create and share information. While this book was published before ALA’s July 2009 document “Minors and Internet Interactivity,” which encourages librarians to champion intellectual freedom and advocate for student access to Web 2.0 tools so they can actively participate in online learning communities, it is still a useful compendium. –Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA

This companion to York’s Booktalking Authentic Multicultural Literature: Fiction, History, and Memoirs for Teens (Linworth, 2008) targets readers in kindergarten through seventh grade. The author highlights 101 contemporary books by a variety of U.S. authors. Arranged alphabetically by title, entries include the cultural background of author, illustrator, and translator; their Web sites when available; reading and interest levels; genre; related titles; and the single-paragraph booktalk itself. Over 20 ethnic groups are represented–the larger being Mexican Americans (19 titles), American Indians (17 titles), African Americans (12 titles), and Chinese Americans (10 titles). Arab, Filipino, Hmong, Pakistani, and Vietnamese Americans are among those represented with a single title. Librarians will find this book helpful in expanding their collections to reflect our global society.–Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN