One World, Many Stories ... and Hats From Around The World

Have you ever witnessed a child playing with hats? It's fun to see how their moods can change from serious to silly simply by putting on a hat. With a Fireman's hat, children imagine they are racing in a firetruck to get to a fire quickly in order to save the day. Very serious work indeed. However, with a wizard's hat, the mood changes from serious to magical as they wave their imaginary wand in the air and exclaim "Hocus Pocus"! Whimsical mayhem made to order by a little wizard. Of course the same can be said for children of all ages. Hats can have that kind of effect. To help librarians come up with unique story time programs here is one that incorporates, stories, songs, rhymes and culture. In other words it has it all.

In a typical story time programs, a hat is a perfect prop for an inspiring half-hour of reading to the young ones. Hats can also come in handy when working with teens, as a way to draw them out of their shells and let them express themselves without fear of rejection. Hats are wonderful, but they can also teach wonderful lessons on cultures. Just think what a Viking Warrior's hat can do for a story time. My Great-graet-great-grandfather.... was a Warrior is the inspiration for a unique One World, Many Stories Summer reading program. The cover of this book is humorous and inspiring. The Viking's helmet is all it took to generate the idea of hats and what they say about a culture.

The books that were chosen for this program besides the title mentioned earlier, are fun as well as informative. For example, Ann Morris' Hats! Hats! Hats! provide colorful photographs of different people from around the world and their hats. Paul Hoppe's book Hat is an imaginative story of a boy who finds a hat and can envision its unique uses, including doubling as as a boat or a sled. The last book selected, Eileen Spinelli's Do You Have A Hat? is is perfect for setting the mood for festive hat changing, wearing and hopefully giggles. This is where poetry and pandemonium may collide.

Before the poem begins, carefully lay out a sombrero, beret, ushanka, paddy hat, cowboy hat and a fez. (These items are easily found in costume stores or online.) Explain to the audience that hats from around the world are on display and will be used during the action poem/song. Every time a hat is named, a volunteer from the audience needs to model that hat. At the end of the poem, other hats are distributed to those who wanted to model but did not get the opportunity. Once everyone has a hat to wear, invite them to gather around in a circle for a new game. Explain to the audience that when they hear music they must take off their hats and pass it to the person to the right of them. When the music stops they must then wear the hat they are now holding in their hands. Start out slowly with the music, but eventually speed up it up to encourage the hats to be passed faster. Favorite music to use with this game is the Chicken Dance or the Mexican Hat Dance. Adding some spice into the game, on slips of paper write down the names of the hats. When the music stops, the leader will randomly draw a hat's name and the person who is wearing that particular stye will win a small prize. If this program does not generate giggles, it would be very surprising!

The poem/song that can be used is available below. It can be sung to the tune of This Old Man.


This big hat from Mexico
it is called a sombrero
with a wide brim from here to there
Wouldn’t you like one to wear?

This fury hat from Russia
It is called a Ushanka
With flaps over the ears just like so,
Wouldn’t you like one, yes or no?

This flat hat its from France,
it is called a beret, by chance
you see one, it looks like a pie
Would you wear it or should I?

This straw hat from Japan
it is called a paddy hat, it can
be worn for work or play
Would you wear one today?

This sturdy hat from USA
Everyone knows its a cowboy’s hat,they say
it’s worn by brave guys and gals,
Wouldn’t you like to wear one pal?

This tasselled hat from African land
it is called a Fez and
it is short and made of felt that's red
Would you like one on your head?

All these hats from every country
they tell us a wonderful story
of people from here to there
Do You have a hat to share?


Hats can be a children librarians' best tool. They are easy to find and in many cases very economical since they can be used over and over again. Don't be surprised if children ask for a repeat of the games or the entire program. It generates that much enthusiasm. Which should be the ultimate goal for every children's library program.

*the poem published here is written by Lisa Valerio-Nowc.

One World Many Stories Geography Comes to Life!

What could make geography interesting to patrons of all ages? A Globe? A map? An insteractive video game? The first response to these suggestions is usually greeted with a yawn and mutterings of boring. However, when working on a shoe-string budget for fabulous summer reading programs, the ordinary run of the mill objects will have to become extraordinary tools. How do you ask? One simple way is to use Uri Shulevitz' How I Learned Geography. In his short biographical tale, Shulevitz describes his father's gift as something that was quite awful that turned into a tool to ignite his imagination. What could be so awful yet turn out to be so wonderful? A map. This title is intriguing in so many ways, and can lead to interesting programming ideas for librarians looking for a creative hook to lure patrons in this summer.

Using maps, pictures of famous landmarks, and manilla envelopes the perfect geography game is ready to be played children. The questions can range from really simple to complex depending on the age group of the children. Children can form teams of two to see who can correctly identify the landmarks and place them on the right country. The team to correctly place the pictures The team to correctly place the picture on the right country. First team to correctly place ALL countries on the map wins a prize. To add a level of difficulty and fun, time the event to see who can finish first.

Everyone dreams of going of to a far away place. For teens who are natural hams and even for those who are wanna be hams and just need a push in the right push in the right direction, a travel video contest could be the creative outlet they need this summer. Simple instructions, such as the length of the video clip should be no longer than 2 minutes and 30 second long.. In the travel video, teens must describe a destination of their choice. It can be a real or fictional place and be as serious or funny as they would like. the point of the video is to convince the audience that their heaven on earth is worth going too, again an, again. Videos can be uploaded to the library's webpage or viewed at a final party. This is where the fun begin as the community will have a chance to vote on the best video. The travel video with the most votes wins a "spectacular" prize. (Cheap replicas of the Academy Awards Statue is one that teens should love to win but gift cards work well too!)

Once upon a time Mapquest had a sense of humor and allowed directions requests for finding one's way to Hawaii. The detailed instructions would include going to the coast and crossing the Pacific with a kayak. It was amusingly creative. Tapping in on that idea, give your young patrons the opportunity to become a Cartographer or map maker. This activity, if they choose to accept it, will demonstrate how creative young patrons can be on mapping out directions to their favorite place in the world. There are no restrictions on the types of vehicles to use, or the length of time they suspect it will take to get to the destination or if the final destination is real or imagined. What counts is creativity. This is loads of fun and it might surprise some librarians that "mapping" out directions is a fun activity. Even for them!

Geography does not need to be boring. With a few simple items, and one terrific book, ideas for keeping children busy this summer are not hard to find.

Part 2: One World Many Stories: Getting there for Juvenile & Young Adult Readers

Juvenile and teens are no stranger to travel. In some point in their lives, they have gone on family trips by car or plane to visit relatives, go to amusement parks or in some cases Europe and other exotic travel. Books that relate the stories of going on a trip can feel quite natural and familiar. While other books spin the tale of wild adventure to far away places that most readers dream about going to one day. Either way, the authors draw out the travel in each of us and takes readers along on a trip they won't soon forget. For wonderful examples in juvenile and young adult novels of characters' unforgettable travel, keep reading.

Christopher Paul Curtis' award winning book The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 gives the reader a little bit of a history lesson along with getting acquainted with the Watsons, who are warm, funny and likeable. They could very well be the reader's neighbor down the street. Kenny narrates the story of his family's trip from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama. What was in store for them on this family trip was something that would change their lives forever. One of the most chilling moments in America's history, where four little girls died inside the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church, as it burned to the ground.

On a less serious note, Gordon Korman's Born to Rock is a different twist on the family trip. Leo Carraway's life is turned upside down by events that are out of his control. First he loses his scholarship due to a "cheating" incident. Then Leo learns that King Maggot, the top punk singer of the 1980s and leader of the band Purge, may be his biological father. What else can he do but confront the King, asks him to help him pay for college and become a roadie in Purge's comeback tour. It's one big adventure after another on the tour route. Leo finds that his own beliefs are challenged because they clash with the "rocker" world, but ultimately he has more in common King Maggot than he originally thought.

Not all characters have the normal "family vacation". Characters such as Amy and Dan from the 39 Clues series have flown around the world to track down a family fortune. Along the way, they find out the truth about their family's role in history. Amy and Dan use every conceivable mode of transportation from helicopter to limo. Young Adult readers have their own series that includes adventures, chase and spies. Teens who love spy novels love Alex Rider, a teenage British secret service agent. In this series Anthony Horowitz takes reader's to every corner of the world and back. Alex accepts seemingly impossible missions, fights bad guys and in the end, comes out victorious. Could it be anything less for one of Britain's youngest spies?

With titles like the ones mentioned, there is no doubt that finding the right book to "travel" with should not be a problem. Okay, maybe one problem, which book to read first?

Part One: One World, Many Stories : Getting There By Plane Train or Automobile

Ah, summer is almost here. Children are smiling a little more, parents are bracing themselves for the annual ritual of summer vacations and YS librarians are gearing up for the “season” of reading programs. There is something magical about this time of year. The longer days provide plenty of time to enjoy the outdoors, hang out with friends and escape to special places that make summer months memorable. Along with programming, children's librarians busy themselves with compiling Reader’s Advisory handouts for eager summer readers. Bookworms wishing to escape to somewhere special know it is as easy as opening a book. However, even they need a little help with the decision on what books to read. This year’s SRP theme is perfect for guiding readers of all ages wishing to escape to a locale.

There are many books about traveling that invite the readers along for the “ride”. Whether it is by train, cars or planes the stories are colorful, creative and captivating. A few favorites mentioned here are perfect for story time or one on one reading. They are also good for discussion starters that prompt the question such as who has been on a plane? or When traveling, do you prefer to go by land, sea or air? The first title that invites the reader along for the “ride” is Karma Wilson’s Dinos on the Go! In this short tale, dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes are traveling by train, boat, or cars to get to a dino reunion. The fun rhymes make it an enjoyable journey for young readers. Dave Horowitz’s tale of Duck Duck Moose is about an unlikely trio, Moose, Duck and Other Duck going south for the winter. Moose is not really excited about the trip since he loves the North but figures since his friend Bear is hibernating he might as well go along for the ride. All ends well, when Moose is dazzled by the warmth and charm of Florida. For a true original tale that is based on an actual event, reader’s can not go wrong with Eric Carle’s 10 Little Rubber Ducks. The adventure for 10 bright yellow rubber ducks begins when they were loaded onto a freighter destined for faraway countries. Unfortunately, a storm hits and the 10 rubber ducks fall into the sea. Each duck floats in a different direction and each meet different animals along their way. The 10th one meets a mother duck with her offspring and bobs along with them to their nest. They many not have gone to their original destination but the reader is left with the impression that it was one swell trip for each of the rubber nautical travelers. Dinosaurs once roamed the earth but Deb Lund convinces young readers that they also used ships. In her rhyming tale Dinosailors, the dinosaurs are awfully excited about sea life when they first embark on their journey. However after a rough time at sea, some seasick dinosaurs decide that land is really where they were meant to be and perhaps trains would be a better form of transportion. This sets up the next book All Aboard the Dinotrain! Travel diaries are wonderful ways in which to share details about a trip. There is one book that comes to mind that teaches the concept of a travel journal to young children. In Jan Ormerod’s .Miss Mouse Takes Off a rag doll, Miss Mouse, gives a simple, yet engaging account of her trip by plane with her best friend.

Every picture book title mentioned describes a worthwhile journey and different ways in which to reach the final destination or in some cases an accidental destination. There are wonderful titles for juvenile and young adults that pick up on the theme of modes of transportation. Those titles are save for another time. in the meantime, enjoy the five favorites here. Remember, there may be one world, but the many stories will take readers to extraordinary places!

Librarians As Truth Detectors

It's interesting to notice the changes that have come about because of the Internet. In it's infancy, finding information was difficult and pinning down authority was a task in itself. Librarians working with students, patrons and peers, would instruct over and over again to discern if the information was accurate, authoritative, and accountable. These days the internet more pages, more pictures, more of everything that it has lead to information overload. This is how librarians can fill the role as truth detectors. To take it a step further, libraries can be the voice in the internet wilderness using social media as its megaphone.

Statistics about Facebook and its users can be a real eye opener. For example, comScore reported that in 2010 1 out of every 8 minutes online was spent on Facebook. With this in mind, it would be logical to conclude that patrons are spending more time online. Articles have begun to surface asking the question, "Do you know your Facebook friends?" Some statistics indicate that for most users they do not personally know 20% of their Facebook friends. Perhaps its not who has the most toys that wins but the one with the most friends. One thing for certain, Facebook and other social networks like it, is the platform to reach out and connect with people. The opportunity awaits for libraries to bring information and people together. Many libraries have already made their own path through social networks. Their examples should be the blueprints for everyone to follow.

In this fast paced world, it is often assumed that everyone knows how to use the Internet. That assumption is based on the fact that computers have become imbedded in our society as a tool we can not live without. Libraries can not afford to make that assumption about their patrons. Which is precisely why social media is very important to use as a communication tool to reach out to the community. New technologies are always a hard sell to users in the beginning. The thought of learning something new can be intimidating, especially when there does not appear to be a "need" for it in everyday routine. When Twitter first began, there were skeptics who did not think this social network would fly. Gradually, users began to see the value of putting out an instant message as a way of marketing skills, products or opinions. Libraries found this network as a exciting way to blast out the word about library programs. Patrons who were not familiar with Twitter, would begin to ask questions about the network. What is Twitter? Why would I want to sign up for it? What types of information can be found there? With the librarians guiding them, patrons are becoming familiar and comfortable with tweeting, posting, and poking.

Bringing together people and information is what libraries do best. The library of the early 1900's did not have to deal with complex ways of finding information. The amount of information available to the community was limited to what the library's collection held. Added to that, verifying the sources of information was much less complicated. Now with new technologies it is the libraries responsibility to make sure that no citizens are left behind in the digital divide. Social media can be effective in finding out what patrons need and want of their libraries. It can also be the avenue to finding out how savvy patrons are on the computer. For example, are patrons finding the information they need quickly or are they spending too much time "googling" information that should have only taken a few minutes to find. If it's the later, librarians can take the step to get tips on internet searching instantly on Twitter or Facebook. When patrons see the tips posted, one of two things will happen. First they will be satisfied with the tips and begin using them immediately. Secondly, it may spur the conversation to go further when patrons post message asking for additional help. Its a win win for everyone involved.

At the same time as making information easily available to everyone, the Internet has made it more confusing to pick out the "correct" information. Being a truth detector is an important task in helping patrons become effective on the Internet. It also paves the way for an informed and educated society. It can only be hoped that with critical thinking skills, patrons will not only click on the "right" information. It will also eliminate all the misinformation out in cyber land because people would avoid visiting such sites.

SRP: One World Many Stories: Going On A Bear Hunt

This is the time of year youth librarians love because either they are crazy, creative or both. This year's theme One World, Many Stories provides many opportunities to set young readers off exploring their world. There are so many directions to point them towards, different foods, different ways of saying hello or different bears. Yes, bears can teach children much about the world. Inviting young children to join you on a bear hunt around the world is as easy as putting on a safari hat, gathering together great books about bears, hunting for Brown, polar and panda bears in the library and complete it with the perfect paper plate bear craft. What is wonderful about this story time plan, is that it can be done at anytime during the year

As all children librarians know, story times are not complete without props. (Which is why my basement is filled with hats, stuffed animals, wigs and tons of other stuff that will one day be the greatest garage sale ever.) Safari hats are optional, however if one is available it doesn't hurt to wear it during the "bear hunt". The list of stories that work well with this theme are: Karma Wilson's Bear Snores On, Bill Martin's Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?, Matthew Baek's Panda and Polar Bear and Helen Oxenbury's We're Going On A Bear Hunt. Colorful and brief nonfiction books may be used too. However, since this is an upbeat story hour, it may be better to trick children into learning something by making it a fun experience. The best trick ever known to sly librarians is using a story board to build up to the "highlight" of the program. On the board a children's map of the world is displayed. When children settle down, pass out several pictures of different species of bears. Begin the story time by briefly explaining to your audience that the habitat in which a bear lives can give clues about the continent in which they live. Then ask if anyone has a picture of a bear from China. Children who have pictures of Panda Bears are encouraged to come up and place the bear on China. Do the same for the polar bear and brown bear. Once the bears are on the maps, invite the children to listen to the stories. Afterwards, they will be joining you on a "bear" hunt through North America, the Arctic and China.

Stuffed animals are great props for story times such as this one. Hide each one of the bears around the library before the story time begins. When it's time to go on the bear hunt, instruct each participant that they are to be prepared to spot wild bears in the library. Once they are found, they must be captured and placed back in their cage. Instruct the children that they will need to put on their hats, their bug repellents, and their hiking boots. (All of which are make believe of course.) Once that task is completed they are to follow the safari leader to go find the bears. For each bear, describe the continent/countries where the bears live. For example, in North America where the Brown Bear lives, there are mountains, forests, lakes. Have the children pretend they are going up mountains, walking through a forest or going by a lake to see if bears are eating fish. Once Brown Bear is found it time to go someplace colder, the Arctic. Again, have children make believe that they are in the Arctic. Repeat the make believe for the Panda Bear hunt also.

End the story time with a paper plate bear face. Prepare in advance cut out bear ears in black, brown or white. Photocopy a coloring page of a bear's face, without the ears. Once children have collected two ears of the same color, a paper plate and a bear's face, they can begin their craft. With glue, place the two ears on the top of the plate. Next glue the face onto the center of the plate. Once these are in place, children may color the bears' faces. This craft should take no longer than fifteen minutes to complete.

Give this story time a try during your Summer Reading program. Consider it part of the "bear" necessities to making the program memorable for you and your patrons. Happy Bear hunting! Happy Reading!

P.S. Some additional titles to consider are:


Big Brown Bear’s Up and Down Day David McPhail

Little Polar Bear Hans De Beer

Polar Bear Nights Lauren Thompson

Little Panda Renata Liwska

Panda Whispers Mary Beth Owens

Virtual Library Legislative Day: A Quick Call to Support Libraries

Libraries should not be politicized for any reason. It should be one of the rare instances where the topic is truly bi-partisan. Republicans and Democrats alike should agree that a nation that is educated, able to freely obtain information and be independent should have libraries open to the public. It is the hallmark of a democratic society. Keeping this in mind, it should seem ironic that the very institution that promotes self-improvement, self-education and access to information is routinely targeted for budget cuts. If every politician believed in freedom of speech, they would not allow libraries to be the fall guy for the rest of government agencies. In fact they should be fighting tooth and nail to keep the library doors open.

An amendment to S. 493, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Reauthorization Act of 2011 was submitted by Senator Jim DeMint. This amendment would rescind all funds that are not obligated from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and send them back to the U.S Treasury. This would include funds to the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The slash in federal funds that libraries would face is $100 million for FY2011. That's a lot of money that would leave libraries across the U.S. to either cut programs like Summer Reading Club, database subscription, and other resources which help people find jobs. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Getting the attention of law makers does not necessarily mean a trip to D.C. (However, when given the opportunity, one should go to the nation's capital at least once. It is a worthwhile trip.)

The recession has hit many communities hard and libraries continue to be the anchor in the community with programs that help people to improve their lives and find government resources to help them in their time of need. Legislators who turn to the library as the first place to make cuts in the budgets are not getting the message that libraries bring stability to the community. This can not continue. Legislators of all political background should be educated in the important role libraries play in communities across the country. How can this be done if a trip to D.C. this week is out of the question? Using a cell phone or computer library advocates across the United States can participate in Virtual Library Legislative Day by contacting their representatives and Senator DeMint on May 10th or anytime during the week of May 9-13. At www.ala.org, a quick link to contacting Washington's lawmakers is available for anyone to use. If you have five minutes, that is enough time to get the message out. It's that simple.

The challenge is for every person who loves libraries to get involved in supporting libraries. After making the call or sending the email to your representative, invite family and friends to do the same. That extra call, or email might be the tipping point for Washington to wake up and respond positively to protecting library funding. A library is a terrible institution to lose. Don't let Congress take away funds that would help your library continue to thrive and help your community.