Lauryn's Bookish World

        Folklore is passed down from generation to generation. Most of the stories I was told centered around Irish folklore. It mostly involved fae creatures, and most of these tales had lessons. A couple of them were as follows:  1. Don't go into the forest by yourself.  2. Be nice to your parents.  3. Always have a bowl of sugar outside your front door.  4. Don't be greedy.       One thing I noticed about folk tales is that they always have a lesson. Whether it's a cautionary tale about arrogance or a story about spreading kindness, folk tales should be used as teaching tools.       Folklore varies by culture. In many cultures, it is passed down verbally, usually from an older person to a younger one. Tales and stories like Tales Our Abuelitas Told by F. Isabel Compoy and Alma Flor Ada, and The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton, were usually told verbally. They also have different themes. Some includ...

       Poetry is one of my favorite ways to engage with young patrons. The rhythmic quality of poetry makes it easy to understand and engages with patrons. Although we think poetry is just putting rhyming words together, it is more than that. Every word choice is deliberate, which is why I love reading poetry in different formats. For both of my selections, I decided to pick different formats. I wanted to see how reading it on the page is different from listening to it.  Gorman, A. (2021). Change Sings . Viking Books for Young Readers. Change Sings by Amanda Gorman          For poetry, I try to listen to the audiobook. I want to hear how the author reads their work, and how the work is supposed to be read. Change Sings by Amanda Gorman is fantastic to read, and Gorman does an exceptional job of drawing the reader in. Each word is deliberate and conveys a strong message about the importance of using your voice. Gorman encoura...

  Starling-Lyons, K., & Minter, D. (2018). Going Down Home With Daddy . Peach Tree.  From Going Down Home With Daddy Going Home With Daddy stars a young child named Lil Alan visiting his family at his grandmother’s ancestral home. Although he is excited to go, Lil Alan is unsure what he will share. Using poetic language, Lyons paints a story about connection, familial ties, and reclamation.  Despite their history of slavery and racism, they still have the power to dream and build a life of their own. We also see this theme in the art. Illustrated in watercolor, each page feels free-flowing. Minter’s art feels connected to the other, making each page blend. With purposeful imagery and color, Going Home With Daddy is a powerful story about family and the reclamation of land.  From Going Home With Daddy Cordell, M. (2017). Wolf in the Snow . Macmillan.  From Wolf In The Snow                 M...

       When I was younger, I remember reading board books with my parents. Literacy was huge in my household, and despite my siblings' many complaints, I always enjoyed storytime. For context, my mother majored in English, and my father was a Chemist, so education was pushed in my household. All of the books I picked reminded me of my childhood. Each one was picked because it had a hint of nostalgia.  The first one I read was One by Ruth Foreman.  Foreman, R., & Gaines, K. (2023). One . Little Simon.       One by Ruth Forman can teach children how to count, but it's also about accessibility. Since my last blog post, I have noticed a trend in children's books. There are so many board books about animals and white children, but barely any books about BIPOC children. One by Ruth Forman was one of the first board books that features black girls.  Even though this book is about counting, it can also be a window or a mirror for t...

  Hello! My name is Lauryn. I love all things books, whether children's or adult literature. I'm extremely passionate about it. Some of my favorite children's books are Pet by Awkwaeke Emezi and Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan (of course).  My goal for this class is to explore more children's fiction. Although I have a few favorites, I want more options for recommending books to patrons. It would also be nice to read more middle-grade books.  I also love to watch people discuss books. Here are some YouTubers who discuss middle grade/children's books:  Meag's Reads   Book Times                                                                          Gavin Reads It All

 Diversity in literature is extremely important to me. I recommend a book or a piece of media to a friend at my job. I think about it when I purchase a book from the bookstore. Reading diversely is an active choice, which is extremely rewarding and beneficial for me as a librarian and a reader. Despite this, finding books with diverse perspectives is difficult. Publishing is overwhelmingly white, cis, and straight, and this can make it difficult for marginalized authors to succeed in the publishing world. We see this in children's literature as well.  Diversity in Children's Books   I remember reading Nancy Larrick's article on young adult literature for Dr. Janice's class. Despite its focus primarily on children's literature, it profoundly impacted me. Larrick's article was written in 1965, but these issues of representation still impact children's literature today. How can we encourage literacy when the books we have don't represent our patrons? It...