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My Favorite Picture of the Year (So Far)

Travis Jonker, May 25, 2009 | Articles



There are a number of things I could say about this photo, but I’ll just let it speak for itself (click to see full size): A Wild Thing and Curious George coming to visit my school.

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I Was Bitten by a Radioactive Book

Travis Jonker, May 24, 2009 | Articles



Do you ever wish you had a cool backstory? You know, like how Spiderman was bitten by a radioactive spider or how how Superman was… born super (bad example). I wish I had a better school librarian backstory, other than “I really enjoyed reading and hanging out in my high school media center”. I want […]

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Terrible, Terrible Books

Travis Jonker, May 20, 2009 | Articles



Have you had enough of all these “good” books? You know, the ones that are all well written, nicely illustrated, and up to date? Because everywhere I go and in everything I read, that’s what I see. Best Books of the Year, Recommended Books, Starred Books, it’s about time we started tipping the scales back […]

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Book Order Highlights: May 2009

Travis Jonker, May 19, 2009 | Articles



One of the best parts of my job is selection. I get to choose and purchase the books for four elementary schools serving Pre-K up to 6th grade. Indeed, I’ve learned to always have a big list going. Today, our last book order of the school year came in to my K-4 building, and looking […]

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Nonfiction Monday: Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths

Travis Jonker, May 18, 2009 | *Best New Books*, Reviews



Nic Bishop Butterflies and Moths By Nic Bishop Scholastic ISBN: 9780439877572 $17.99 Grades 1-4 In Stores *Best New Books* Nic Bishop is quickly becoming a household name in the world of children’s lit. A bio: Photographer Author PHD-level biologist Sibert Honor recipient New Zeelander Current Michigan resident I’m especially pleased with that last one. Bishop […]

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Pull the Shade… Like a Librarian

Travis Jonker, May 17, 2009 | Articles



If you’ve got piles of card catalog cards sitting around since the switch to computers, it’s craft time: Card catalog shade. (Thanks to Boing Boing for the link)

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A Common Catalog Mistake

Travis Jonker, May 14, 2009 | Articles



I can relate to misspelling. You scanned this blog lately? Once I finally figure out how to consistently spell recieved (or received, or whatever it is) it will be a big, important, memorable day. If you’ve ever watched kids search for books on a computer then you know that things can often get tricky they […]

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Using ‘Unshelved’ in Your Library

Travis Jonker, May 13, 2009 | Articles



Back in the Golden Days of Aught Five, I was excited to be starting my first elementary school library job. One of my favorite early discoveries was the web comic Unshelved. It kinda blew my mind when I first saw it. A comic devoted solely to libraries and librarians? Really? My job? Well, I guess […]

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Book Review: Hee-Haw-Dini and the Great Zambini

Travis Jonker, May 12, 2009 | Reviews



Hee-Haw-Dini and the Great Zambini By Kim Kennedy Illustrated by Doug Kennedy Abrams Books for Young Readers ISBN: 9780810970250 $15.95 Grades K-2 In Stores When I was younger I liked magic. I still kinda do. Really, what’s cooler than walking through walls and flying, all while wearing heavily bedazzled leisurewear? Siegfried and Roy will tell […]

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Cover Controversy: Battle of the Books that Move

Travis Jonker, May 11, 2009 | Cover Curiosity



Most of the time, I don’t believe that two books having similar covers is intentional. There are trends that come and go, and when two covers end up looking the same, I usually chalk it up to fate. Visit a local high school and you’ll see what I mean. No one is trying to dress […]

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