And Now, Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...Sort Of

Sometimes, life is like...

and then it just...

and you feel like...

and so you take a short break from the blog.

Okay, okay, so life wasn't that dramatic. But I have added quite a bit to my to-do list with two kids to raise and an elementary school library to run. So there will be some changes coming to the blog. First and foremost, you can see my new review policy here. Basically, I won't be posting as many reviews here, just my top choices each month. I'll still be welcoming guest posts, however, and posting the occasional helpful tidbit I've learned on the job (including displays, lesson-helps, and such).

Also, look forward to a new advertising policy page coming your way and the creation of a newsletter.

SO...it's still going to be Literary Hoots, just with a tad fewer hoots... cool? Cool.

A Laughing Librarian - Vol. 4

Because sometimes, January is just a drag. So we better get some laughs going, right? And if this isn't enough, don't forget about Volumes 1, 2, and 3.

If that yoga doesn't help, by all means, continue on:

Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived Will Never Die

It's practically Friday, right? What with a wonderful holiday tomorrow. So I'm just going to do a Fun Friday post today. Mainly because I found this comic online and it made me laugh really hard so I had to share it.

Harry Potter, my friends. His awesomeness will never die. In both the sense that the excellent series will continue to garner fans in years to come and...because people will want to keep making a buck off of it by creating all sorts of spin-offs. For instance, the recent release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (yes, both the movie and screenplay book). A return to the wizarding world and the writing of J. K. Rowling for Harry Potter fans everywhere! (...and sadly, I have not yet seen the movie or read the screenplay. Soon to be remedied! Thanksgiving-tradition-of-going-to-a-movie to the rescue!)

Which brings me to the subject of this comic. Apparently, the only way to make a really excellent movie out of J. K. Rowling's work...is to have her write the screenplay itself.

But hey, it makes for a funny comic strip...

Behold, George Rottkamp's comparisons between the Harry Potter books and movies.

22 Awesome Children's Book Character Costumes

You've probably already figured out what costume you'll wear for Halloween this year, but I still want to highlight some of the most awesome literary costumes I've seen. Heck, wear these anytime! Dr. Seuss Day, World Book Day, book reports...any book-themed event, really.

1. The Man in the Yellow Hat from Curious George (Haute Apple Pie)

Fun Friday: Grammar Jokes

I love reading books, but man, if I ever had to write one, I think my editor would have a fit. I'm notoriously bad with grammar, as many may be able to tell by reading my posts. Verbally, it's even worse, such as the time I asked my brother, "Is these my bees?" Yeah, long story *shudder*. He still won't let me live it down. BUT. That all being said, I still love grammar jokes. Go figure.

So enjoy this little break on your Friday to enjoy some funnies.

11 Banned Books Week Display Ideas

Ah, Banned Books Week. It's coming up, just next week! Remember when I shared my library's display from a couple years back? Well here's where a lot of the ideas came from. In honor of the banned and challenged books, I thought I'd share many of the displays and posters that I find to be most inspiring or intriguing.

It's not about forcing books on people or celebrating negativity, but merely reminding patrons that they have the freedom to read what they want. So please don't take that right away from others.

I love this quote from Roberta Stevens (image from Ebook Friendly) because it really sums up that sentiment in one easy sentence. I would make this into a big poster and hang it front and center.

Here are some more display ideas!

The Problem with Loving Books

Sometimes, life becomes pretty difficult when you love to read. It's true. Look at all these issues I've found...

The View From the Carpet - ALSC Blog

Guess what?? I was a guest blogger on the ALSC blog yesterday! Yep, I feel so official. Here's the start of the article with the link at the bottom.

Picture this: Parents and caregivers scattered across the storytime room floor, with wriggly, adorable babies on their laps. There’s a “hello” song playing in the background and some books to peruse. Here I sit with my own baby, eagerly awaiting the start of storytime at my library.

And let me tell you, the view is pretty different from the carpet.

You see, I used to be that librarian, there, the one greeting babies with a fluffy puppet and big smile. But after getting a few years of paid labor under my belt, I traded my storytime hours for the good life: yep, I’m now a stay-at-home-mom.

Actually, let me amend that: I’m a stay-at-home-mom-who-is-still-a-children’s-librarian. 

...continue reading on the ALSC Blog

A Laughing Librarian - Vol. 3

You know when you get home from vacation and have to get back to regular life but your brain is still in vacation mode? Well, even if you don't know...I've now described to you whats happened to my brain. Hopefully I can kick things back into full gear soon.

In the mean time, I'm going to distract myself further with some more hilarious library memes. (See volume 1 and volume 2 if you also want further distraction)

Because obviously, this is the best solution.

Bookface Friday in the Library

Oh, the #bookface movement. It's genius, really. Recognized in an awesome article in the New York Times (and here's a campaign done by The Guardian), it's a hashtag that's taking book lovers by storm. And it was only a matter of time before I jumped on the bandwagon!

But first, let's look at some of the different applications with which a library or school or any ol' person could use bookface...

Social Media

I mean obviously, it's a hashtag. It's meant to be shared on social media. So here are some library's instagram/twitter finds...

East Baton Rouge Parish Library

Explaining My Ratings Through GIFs

Ha! Another Fun Friday post. I'm on a roll.

If a picture is worth a thousand words...what's a GIF worth?  I think they're hilarious, really. And I often find myself laughing at the Goodreads reviews that include them. So when I found this post from Verbosity Reviews, I had to copy the idea. Yes, I'm showing my rating system in GIFs.

5 stars: ★★★★★

Awesome Book T-Shirts

Yep, time for another random Fun Friday post. And it's all about the best book t-shirts. There's so many good ones! But feast your eyes on these favorites...

Etsy

100 Quotes from 100-Year-Old Author Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary is quite literally a living legend. The author of more than 40 books (starting with Henry Huggins all the way back in 1950 and continuing to Ramona's World in 1999) and having sold more than 90 million copies (they're still in print!), she's a pioneer in children's literature. And do you know what next week is?? Her 100th birthday! YAY!!

Yamhill Valley News Register

Yep, April 12, 2016, Beverly Cleary will turn 100. And, to celebrate, I thought I'd collect 100 quotes from her various interviews over the years and post them here. I've included the links back to the original interviews (which I recommend reading/watching!) and, if you don't have time to read them all, highlighted a few of my favorite. Basically, I've found her to be remarkably funny, witty, and humble. Happy Birthday, Ms. Cleary!! (Oh, and don't forget about D.E.A.R.!)

A Laughing Librarian - Vol. 2

Yep, it's April Fools. And instead of doing some sort of cheesy prank or fake pregnancy announcement, I thought I'd give you a laugh through another installment of hilarious book/library memes. Yes, it's true, Volume 1 of Laughing Librarian was a hit, so it only makes sense to do it all again. Plus, it's Friday. So let's celebrate surviving another week!

from simplebooklet

Anybody else feel this way?? So. Much. Scrap. Paper! ...Ahem, moving on:

Announcement & Under Construction

Hello!

This post is for those (select few) who regularly follow the blog: it's time for re-construction!

If you haven't noticed, posting has been pretty random and sparse. Heavy on the sparse. Sad day, right? Well, not only do I have a newborn, but I was building my home office and new computer, and dealing with a whole lot of re-organizing.

New computer and home office, you say? Yep. Time for my announcement...

I am not returning to work at my public library. I am now a stay-at-home mom!

What does that mean for the blog? Well, there won't be too much change because my number one goal is to stay on top of "all things literary" so that I'll be ready and excited when it comes time for me to re-enter the library workforce.

But! This does provide an excellent time for me to restructure the blog a bit. Time for some moving around and tweaking! I have new and exciting things headed your way!!

So if the blog is wonky this weekend, or crashes, or does something weird...don't worry. It's supposed to.

Kind of.

I'm working on it.

Speaking of construction, and since this is a book blog...

Did you see Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is coming out with a glow-in-the-dark edition?? How cool is that?? That'd be super fun for a glow-in-the-dark storytime, like the one Tara did. So cool.

So thanks for sticking around. Even better things are on the horizon!

Literary Gift Guide Collection

With all the holidays coming up, I thought I'd pull out my old gift guides--blow off the dust, in a way--to help provide inspiration for gift givers.

If you're reading this blog, there's a good chance you like books. Or at least know somebody who likes books. This list is for such a book lover. It has all the cool things. Basically, it's my Christmas wish list.

Delving deeper into the book lover's wish list: all the best bookends. Technically, if you've got a book lover on your gift-giving list, there's a good chance they have a lot of books that need to be held up somehow.

But what about for those who don't love reading? Especially of the younger variety?

Talking about reluctant readers here. Yep. If you've got a child on your list who just isn't a fan of the written word, try loosening their reluctance with some of these book recommendations.

Hopefully you can find just the right something for that special someone on your list!

It Came From the Library Shelves! (Dun Dun Dunnnn)

Halloween is tomorrow and I was trying to decide what sort of scary post I could put on the blog. Well then I remembered all the stuff I found in and around juvenile fiction while I was weeding a while back.

Boom. The cult classic:

It Came From the Library Shelves!! Out of the primordial depths to destroy the world! (cue the creepy music).

The Top 10 Coolest Bookends (aka Gift Guide!)

Yes, yes, we all know that books all on their own sure are handsome and sophisticated and awesome all on their own, but why not encourage a little bit more flair with stylish bookends?

12 New Kids' Books with Delicious Food Ideas

Ever get a craving while reading a book? It usually happens when a character happens to be eating something delicious. Like in any book written by Laura Numeroff (honestly, I would not be giving the mouse a cookie or the dog a donut, I'd be eating them myself!).

And, over time, there have been a lot of ideas put out there of book-inspired foods. Plenty of children's books lend themselves to the project in the past (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Blueberries for Sal, Green Eggs and Ham anyone?) that I decided to create a list of food ideas from some of the newest in kids' books—from the youngest tot to teens.

See if any of these book/food pairings gets you salivating...

Storytime on Unshelved

Ever feel that drag right before a vacation that makes working impossible? I leave Friday and I'm sure getting stir crazy in here!

Luckily, I can look at comics to make me feel better. And since I normally talk about storytimes on Wednesdays, I made sure that they're all storytime comics.