YAACING Fall 2021

YAACING is the quarterly newsletter of the Young Adults And Children’s Services section of the British Columbia Library Association. We publish articles by librarians and library para-professionals serving children and teens.

Topics range from library programs and events, to book reviews, storytime ideas, literacy tips and more! If you would like to submit something for consideration, please email yaacing@gmail.com

CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORS NEWS Time to check if you're a YAACS member!

COLUMNS Jbrary: We’ll Link to That! - Lindsey Krabbenhoft New & Noteworthy Books - Sadie Tucker FEATURES Programming Girls into STEAM Opportunities: A Scratch Coding Contest to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 - Dalia Levy Kick Back Report Back: Teen Summer Challenge: Feels Like Summer Launch Event Stephanie Usher Summer Reading Programs in a Pandemic-Conscious World - Victoria Ellis Vietnamese Storytime Meet and Share - Chau Ngo Virtual Storytimes: The Other Side of the Screen - Jane Whittingham Building an Arabic Children’s Literature Collection - Part 1 - Anita Fata From Apple Pies to Astronauts: A Chronology of Alphabet Books with Aphorisms, Amusements, and Anecdotes – Part four - Sarah Bagshaw

YAACING's editors would like to acknowledge that we work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples - Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam) Nations. This issue features pieces from all over the province known as British Columbia. If you would like to learn which territories you occupy, we recommend native-land.ca Cover Art by Dawn Lo Editors: Raoul Fernandes and Sabrina Gurniak Acting Artistic Director: Sabrina Gurniak Next Deadline: January 15, 2022

Message from the Chair Happy Autumn! My favourite time of year! The weather is cooler, the leaves are changing and everything in the land is pumpkin spice. I’m looking forward to seeing what literary treats Raoul and Sabrina have compiled for us in this fall issue of YAACING. Now that we are in November and the back-to-school rush is behind us, we can focus on all the exciting things to come like fall programming, spring programming and YSI. Please keep an eye out for a survey which will soon be circulated on the ListServ for feedback on what you would like to see at YSI 2022. BCLC 2022 will be a combination virtual and in person conference, so we are trying to determine if we should follow suite or offer another virtual only conference. Your input is valued, so please share your feedback with us!

In this issue, I would like to draw your attention to the instructions for how to ensure that you are a member of YAACS. Did you know that if membership in the YAACS section doesn’t represent 10% of BCLA membership we would no longer be able to continue as a section? Presently, we are at 6% so are extremely close to our target. It would be a tragic loss to all of us if we had to close our section, so please, I urge you, take the few quick minutes it requires to check your status on the BCLA website which simply requires ticking a box. It truly can’t get much easier!

At this time, I would like to give a special shout out to Sadie Tucker who is our social media administrator extraordinaire! She has been doing a terrific job of keeping our social media platforms busy with content and it is truly appreciated. If you have something that you would like to see on our social media channels, please send Sadie an email at yaacsweb@gmail.com. Thanks for all your work, Sadie!

Lastly, I would like to invite you all to attend our next YAACS meeting on Monday, December 20 at 7:00pm. Further details about how to join our meeting will be coming out soon. We are hoping to make some serious headway on our planning for YSI at this meeting, so would appreciate it if you could attend.

In the meantime, have a happy autumn, enjoy the cooler weather and as always, try to take some time for self-care.

Be well, be safe, and happy fall!

Kate Wood YAACS Chair 4 YAACING | Fall 2021

Message from the Editors In keeping with harvest season, we have a huge feast of an issue this fall! We are so impressed by all who submitted great and timely articles. It’s really been a delight to hear your thoughts and voices, and we’re grateful to be able to amplify them here.

As pandemic burnout has become a very real thing, many of us are more than relieved to be seeing some return to in-person activities and events, while also exploring the possibilities of what the virtual space can offer. Stephanie Usher and Victoria Ellis both write about cool and crafty in-person events that took place over the summer. Dalia Levy shares her experience running a coding contest to empower STEAM learning for girls and women. Children’s Librarian Jane Whittingham reflects on her experience attending virtual storytimes as a mother with a toddler. We see how virtual spaces can help support the Vietnamese community in “Meet and Share” events. We are also thrilled to present the first part of Anita Fata’s three-part feature on building a collection for Arabic-speaking children, and the part four of the Alphabet Book chronology from Sarah Bagshaw. All this, and the consistently delightful columns from Sadie Tucker and Lindsey Krabbenhoft; there’s a lot to sink your teeth into here.

Special thanks to co-editor Sabrina Gurniak for taking on the design work for this issue, and to Afton Shindel for doing the design and layout for so many of the previous issues.

We hope you are all keeping happy and healthy and looking forward to connecting with you in a brighter and safer new year.

On behalf of your YAACING editors, Raoul Fernandes Sabrina Gurniak Children’s Librarian Vancouver Public Library Raoul Fernandes Library Public Service Associate Vancouver Public Library

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News Do you love YAACS and all it has to offer? Did you know that in order for YAACS to maintain our designation as an official BCLA Section, we need to meet minimum membership requirements? This is separate from the YAACS listserv so if you're a BCLA member, please take a moment to make sure you're an official member of the section.

1. Log in to your BCLA account at bclaconnect.ca 2. Click on My BCLA in the top right corner 3. From your MyBCLA Home page, click on "Sign up for Sections, Committees, Interest Groups"

4. Make sure that your email address is correct and that the box for the Young Adults and Children's Section is ticked! You can also sign up for any other Sections, Committees, and Interest Groups you'd like here.

5. Click "Save" at the bottom of the page.

6. Congratulate yourself for helping to continue the work that YAACS does to support library staff in the provision of high-quality library services to children, youth, and families in BC. 7 YAACING | Fall 2021

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We’ll Link to That: Recent Research for Media Mentors

By Lindsey Krabbenhoft It’s time to check in about our role as media mentors. In a time when media use has become more prevalent and oftentimes necessary for working and learning during a pandemic, how are we embracing our role as media mentors?

First let's remember the definition of a media mentor. In ALSC's 2015 white paper called Media Mentorship in Libraries Serving Youth, they say the fundamental role of a media mentor is "to assist families to make choices about media and learn to use that media in developmentally appropriate ways" (7). Media includes apps, video games, e-Books, movies, and everything else that families interact with on a screen.

To be able to fulfill this role we need access to recent research from established sources and knowledge of quality digital media. Here are some recent findings from the medical and library field to discuss with your colleagues as you continue to find ways to serve your community in this realm.

Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award Every year ALSC gives this to creators of interactive media content aimed at kids ages 2 - 8. Find out the 2021 winner! The committee specifically looks for apps that allow for joint media engagement between caregiver and child. Reference this award when recommending apps to families or listing choices on your library's website.

Association Between Physical Activity, Screen Time and Sleep, and School Readiness in Canadian Children Aged 4 to 6 Years In this article from the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics researchers tried to determine if kids who met 24-hour movement guidelines were associated with school readiness measured using the 5 developmental domains of the Early Development Instrument (EDI). Results found an association between following screen time guidelines and language and cognitive development.

The Impact of E-Book Reading on Young Children’s Emergent Literacy Skills: An Analytical Review From the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, this article looks at the effectiveness of interactive e-book interventions for young 8 YAACING | Fall 2021

COLUMNS children's literacy development compared to print books, non-interactive e-books, and school programs. The authors conclude that "When e-books are properly selected and used, children develop literacy skills equally well and sometimes better than with print books."

Screen time use impacts low-income preschool children's sleep quality, tiredness, and ability to fall asleep The authors of this Child: Care, Health, and Development article looked at parent’s reporting of their child’s screen time use and sleep quality and found that “children who engaged in more screen time were significantly more likely to have more trouble falling or staying asleep, be tired during the day, and had worse quality of sleep.” The note the need for more rigorous measures of screen time and sleep quality, as well as longitudinal studies to track these effects.

The Use of Mobile Applications to Support Indigenous Youth Wellbeing in Canada The International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience shared this look at the emerging use and research of mental health apps with Indigenous youth and how they can provide easy-to-access intervention with a cultural and holistic health lens.

They note that “few mental health apps have been implemented in Indigenous communities or created with them in a community-based manner” but they point to the JoyPop app as possibly the first example of a resiliency app developed in partnership with Indigenous community partners. They argue that youth in the community must become involved in the creation process for them to be successful.

Adolescents’ digital screen time as a concern for health and well-being? Device type and context matter The authors bring to light the concept of “screen stacking” amongst the adolescent girls in the study and how this behaviour complicates our understanding of adolescents’ screen behaviours and the potential implications for health and wellbeing. They argue that “the relationship between screen time and physical activity is more nuanced, depending on the type of screen behaviour and mode of physical activity.” While much of the research has focused on a negative association between screen time and physical and mental health, they posit that some screen-based interventions can support positive outcomes for youth. A nuanced approach is key.

Looking for even more research related to digital media and children and teens?

Make sure to check out HELP Reads, the Human Early Learning Partnership’s monthly child development citation list.

Lindsey Krabbenhoft is a Children’s Librarian in Vancouver, British Columbia and one half of Jbrary, the online children’s librarian treasure trove. She is also the co-founder of the Library Services for Children Journal Club and encourages any other research nerds to join. You can find Jbrary in its own little corner of the internet at https://jbrary.com 9 YAACING | Fall 2021

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New & Noteworthy Books

By Sadie Tucker So many books, so little time. This column gets longer with each issue, but I just can’t help myself! Here are some (okay, a whole bunch of) recent titles that I am excited about.

Picture books - Babies & Preschoolers FRED GETS DRESSED Brown, Peter 2-6 years Fred is having a grand time running around the house naked as his parents relax on the couch. When he charges into his parents' bedroom he has a great idea: He can try on their clothes! His dad's stuff is too big, but his mom's blouse fits just right (as a dress). As he moves on to his mom's makeup and jewelry, what will his parents do when they find out he's been rummaging through their stuff? Sweet, exuberant, and loving.

POOJO’S GOT WHEELS Charrow 3-5 years Poojo was born without legs and uses a wheelchair to get around. He is well-equipped for whatever may come up (he has pockets!). When his wheelchair hits a rock and loses a wheel, will Poojo have what he needs to fix it? A simple, joyful story that embraces the advantages of using a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the art is less than astounding.

MY FAMILY, YOUR FAMILY! Cole, Kathryn 1-3 years A sweet board book all about different types of families.

Simple, brief text makes this ideal for the very young.

Disability representation includes someone using a wheelchair and a girl with a prosthetic leg.

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COLUMNS THE NIGHT WALK Dorléans, Marie 3-7 years A pair of siblings are woken up by their parents and the family sets out on a night time hike. As they walk through their village and then into the woods, one can't help but wonder where they are going. A quiet, lovely book that is an ode to the beauty of the night.

WE ALL PLAY: KIMÊTAWÂNAW Flett, Julie 3-6 years Animals do many things to play, just like humans! From hopping to bubbling, there are plenty of ways to have fun. Illustrations and limited text make this a great contender for group storytimes. Resources are provided to guide the pronunciation of Cree words.

HELLO, RAIN! Maclear, Kyo 3-7 years A girl and her dog relish a rainy day. From the sounds to the smells, the text describes the rain using plenty of evocative and rare words. You can almost hear the "plink, plunk, plonk" outside while you read it.

IT’S A NO-MONEY DAY Milner, Kate 3-8 years A young child lives in poverty with their mother and today is a no-money day. The young narrator assures the reader that there is still plenty that you can do if you don't have money, but on this day they and their mother need to go to the food bank. A gentle, sensitive exploration of what it is like to be poor.

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COLUMNS THE SUITCASE Naylor-Ballesteros, Chris 3-8 years When a strange creature arrives carrying a suitcase, a group of animals can scarcely believe what he says it contains: a teacup, a table and chairs, and a house. After he falls into an exhausted sleep, the animals break into the suitcase and discover that he wasn't lying. What can

they do to make amends and help the stranger out? A deceptively simple story.

THE RICE IN THE POT GOES ROUND AND ROUND Shang, Wendy Wan Long 2-7 years A celebration of family meals to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus". A pronunciation guide and tips on Chinese meal etiquette are provided as back matter.

Illustrations are eminently suitable for group storytimes.

MY HEART BEATS Singh, Rina 0-3 years Whether you say "thump thump" or "dugeon dugeon" for the beat of a heart, you will smile at these delightful photos of babies.

PRIDE PUPPY! Stevenson, Robin 3-6 years A family brings their exuberant puppy to the Pride parade. When the puppy gets away, will they be able to find them in the crowds? An alphabet book where each illustration contains numerous items that also start with that letter, adding a fun search-and-find element. The illustrator obviously made a conscious effort to depict diversity in many forms and one spread includes a flag that reads "The future is intersectional".

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COLUMNS THE BARE NAKED BOOK Stinson, Kathy 1-4 years This update to the 1986 classic is quite possibly the most inclusive picture book I have ever read. What you will see in the illustrations: Several visible disabilities (no notable facial differences, however); scarring; an array of skin tones and hair textures; a diversity of gender expression (including scarring indicative of a mastectomy); and a small selection of accessories and clothing associated with various religions. What you will also see: Plenty of naked bodies. An affirming, inclusive tour of the human body that is sure to spark conversation.

MEL FELL Tabor, Corey R. 3-7 years Mel, a baby bird, has decided that today is the today that she will fly. Her siblings are worried and Mel is admittedly scared, but also determined. After jumping off of her branch, she falls... and falls... and falls.

Various creatures try to catch her, but none can. What will happen to Mel? A neat little story, made unique by the creative use of the book's orientation (profile, to landscape, to profile again).

LEOPOLD’S LEOTARD Wallace, Rhiannon 3-6 years Leopold loves to dance and is excited about an upcoming recital. Unfortunately, the theme is less exciting than he would like and he finds his outfit suffocating. There is only one thing to do: Take it all off and dance as nature intended. A charming, gently funny story that has absolutely no moral whatsoever.

MUSTACHE DUCKSTACHE Young, Amy 3-7 years It's a mustache competition and animals from all over are ready to participate! Who will win? The text is comprised of energetic voice bubbles saying "mustache" or punny variations. Pair this with a make-your-ownmustache craft and you've got a program!

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Picture books - Big(ger) Kids MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD de la Peña, Matt 5-9 years Milo and his sister are on the train, both nervous about their destination. During the ride, Milo imagines and sketches the lives of the other passengers. He is particularly interested in another boy with bright white

shoes, who Milo imagines is a prince. When they arrive at their destination, Milo is surprised to see the boy also going through the metal detector at his mother's penitentiary. He realises that it is impossible to know another's life just by their appearance.

EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS Ho, Joanna 5-10 years A beautifully worded and illustrated ode to "eyes that kiss in the corners". Using simile and some metaphor, a girl describes the appearance of her eyes, what they represent, and how it connects her to her family and heritage. Simply lovely.

HOME FOR A WHILE Kerstein, Lauren H. 4-8 years When Calvin arrives at yet another foster home, he has a voice in his head that tells him repeatedly that nobody wants him. Every once in a while, Calvin's feelings get the best of him and something breaks. Surprisingly, Maggie (his foster parent) never gets mad. Instead, she models breathing techniques, provides activities to redirect Calvin's frustrations, and respects his boundaries.

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COLUMNS THAO Lam, Thao 4-9 years The name "Thao" is constantly mispronounced and misspelled. It would be so much easier if Thao had a regular English name like "Jennifer"! A short, snappy read that would do well as a classroom read aloud.

There are a couple of allusions to racism (for example, one of the names she is called is "China Girl") that darken the tone but add a tangible sense of realism.

HOME IS IN BETWEEN Perkins, Mitali 5-8 years Shanti and her family have recently moved to the United States from India. As Shanti finds herself frequently transitioning between Indian culture at home and American culture in her diverse and open community, she finds the experience both exciting and exhausting.

THE MIDNIGHT FAIR Sterer, Gideon 3-9 years When a fair closes down for the night, local animals sneak in, turn the lights and rides back on, and have a great time. The artwork is beautiful and repeated reads will reveal new details every time. Elizabeth Bird has called this book, "One of the best wordless books [she's] ever read. Full stop. Period." With a recommendation like that, how can you not give it a read?!

WATERCRESS Wang, Andrea 5 years and up Having spotted watercress growing in a ditch, a girl's parents stop the car and enlist their children's help in harvesting the free bounty. The girl is resentful and embarrassed at the thought of a classmate seeing her.

Back at home, she refuses to eat any of the harvest. Her mother then reluctantly shares the tragic reason behind her enthusiasm for watercress. A simply told, powerful story.

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School Age – Primary BILLY MILLER MAKES A WISH Henkes, Kevin Contemporary fiction Grades 2-5 Billy has just turned 8 and the wish he made while blowing out his candles was to have more excitement in his life. This wish ends up having the unexpected impact of helping Billy notice the little things in life that provide minor excitements (like a bat getting trapped in the basement). Reviewers have commended the title for providing a true-to-life reflection of the emotional lives of children as well as the kid experience overall.

HARRY VERSUS THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF SCHOOL Jenkins, Emily Contemporary fiction K – grade 2 Harry is entering grade 1 and is kind of nervous.

Fortunately, he has plenty of supportive grown-ups to help him along the way. As he navigates the first 100 days of school, he will encounter bullies, social emotional learning, the silent e, and a not-so-terrifying guinea pig. A warm story about starting school with plenty of references to bodily functions to keep the target audience engaged.

DEFINITELY DOMINGUITA: KNIGHT OF THE CAPE Jennings, Terry Catasús Contemporary fiction Grades 2-4 Dominguita has decided to become a knight and help people around her neighbourhood. Will she find adventure good enough for her brother to write about?

With the help of a sidekick, a trusty dog, and some luck she will!

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COLUMNS MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM: BORN TO BE BAD Lamug, Kenneth Kit Humorous fiction/Adventure (graphic novel) Grades 2-5 Missy longs to be a superhero but has no powers. After being uncovered as a fraud at a superhero bootcamp, she is kicked out. Only one friend stands by her, Melvira.

But Melvira has super plans of her own and they aren't heroic. Will newly named Mischief and her cat Mayhem be able to follow through on Melvira's dastardly plans or will they switch sides once again? Recommended for fans of Dog Man.

School Age Fiction – Intermediate STARFISH Fipps, Lisa Contemporary fiction (verse novel) Grades 5-8 Ellie is fat and has been brutally informed in most facets of her life that her size is unacceptable. As a consequence, she does her best to go unnoticed and to take up as little space, both literal and figurative, as possible. The only place she feels at peace is in her swimming pool, where she can spread out as much as she likes. When she becomes friends with a new neighbour and gets an awesome new therapist, Ellie realises that it's time to work on taking up as much space as she darn well pleases.

AHMED AZIZ’S EPIC YEAR Hamza, Nina Contemporary fiction Grades 4-8 Ahmed's family has moved from Hawaii to his father's hometown in Minnesota so that his father can get an experimental treatment. Now Ahmed is in a predominantly white school where he is bullied. On the other hand, he has the opportunity to learn about his uncle, who died at age 12, and discovers that he actually doesn't hate reading after all. A moving story about family, school, and life changes.

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COLUMNS GIRL GIANT AND THE MONKEY KING Hoang, Van Fantasy/Adventure Grades 3-7 Thom's mom has just moved them to Georgia, where Thom discovers that she's pretty much the only Asian kid in her new school. To make fitting in even more difficult, she has super strength for some reason. To avoid calamity, she does her best to stick to the sidelines.

When she accidentally frees the Monkey King, Thom sees an opportunity: She agrees to help him retrieve his magical staff and he agrees to take away her super strength. What could go wrong?

OPHIE’S GHOSTS Ireland, Justina Historical fiction (1920s)/Paranormal fiction Grades 4-8 Ophie and her mother live with a family that they barely know (and barely tolerate) and are saving up to move out. Able to see ghosts, Ophie discovers that the mansion she works in is full to the brim with restless souls, including one of a young girl who doesn't remember how she died. Hornbook says that the story "thoughtfully explores issues of race, privilege, and historical injustice, while also being a well-paced and shivery supernatural page-turner."

WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER Keller, Tae Fantasy/Magical realism Grades 4-7 Lily and her family have moved in with her beloved Halmoni to support her as her health fails. After moving in, Lily begins to see a tiger and eventually makes a deal with it to improve her grandmother's health. What she doesn't know is that the stories she has agreed to share are ones that Halmoni has kept buried inside for a long time.

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COLUMNS STAND UP, YUMI CHUNG! Kim, Jessica Contemporary fiction/Humorous fiction Grades 3-7 Yumi is shy and struggles to make friends, but inside she is hilarious and vivacious. Her dream? To become a stand-up comedian. Forced to attend an academic summer camp by her family, Yumi experiences a case of mistaken identity and suddenly has the opportunity to participate in a comedy program. Easy peasy, right? All she needs to do is pretend that she's someone called "Kay Nakamura" for the entire summer.

PITY PARTY Lane, Kathleen Short stories/Humorous fiction Grades 3-7 From literally dying of embarrassment to choosing your own catastrophe, this collection of weird and wonderful short stories highlight the agony of middle school. Selfconscious readers everywhere will get a kick out of these tales of misfortune and weirdness. One delighted tween tells me that this is a book adults just won’t get.

THANKS A LOT, UNIVERSE Lucas, Chad Contemporary fiction Grades 4-8 Brian has always struggled with anxiety, but when his family life implodes and he and his brother are placed in foster care, his struggles intensify. Ezra notices that his basketball teammate seems extra withdrawn lately, but he isn't sure how to address it. He likes Brian. As in, "likes, likes" him, but Ezra isn't ready for his friends to find out that he's gay. As Brian's life spirals out of control, Ezra and a trusted teacher will step in to help.

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COLUMNS TROUBLE IN THE STARS Prineas, Sarah Science fiction/Adventure Grades 4-7 This adventure in space follows Trouble, a shapeshifter who has lost their memory. They know what they are and they know that they are on the run, but that's about it. When they find themself on a cargo ship, they end up discovering a crew that feels like family. Will that bond survive when the crew sees just how terrifying Trouble can become?

AMBER & CLAY Schlitz, Laura Amy Fantasy/Historical fiction (novel in verse and prose) Grades 5-9 Rhaskos is a slave, desperate to escape his position in society. Melisto is a noble, hated by her mother but beloved by her nurse. When Melisto dies by lightning strike, her nurse anchors her spirit to the living world and tasks her with freeing Rhaskos from his enslavement. Narrated by multiple characters, including deities, this well-researched novel-mostly-in-verse will engage fans of lyrical fiction and complex narratives.

WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT I KNOW Solter, Sonja Contemporary fiction (verse novel) Grades 4-8 After Tori is molested by her uncle, Tori struggles to deal with both the emotional and familial aftermath. As she slowly heals with the help of a counselor and the support of her mom and sister, Tori eventually begins to enjoy life again.

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COLUMNS THE FABULOUS ZED WATSON! Sylvester, Basil Contemporary fiction/Mystery Grades 4-7 Zed, who is non-binary, their friend Gabe, and Gabe's sister are on the adventure of a lifetime: Tracking down a mysterious never-published manuscript called "The Monster's Castle". But the three travelers find being in such close quarters more challenging than they anticipated and a competitor is also hot on the trail. Will they manage to work around each other's quirks and solve the mystery?

High School PERFECTLY PARVIN Abtahi, Olivia Romance/Contemporary fiction/Humorous fiction Grades 7-10 Parvin is super excited to be starting high school with a boyfriend. But then she's dumped a couple of days later.

Determined to get another bf stat, she decides to change her loud and boisterous personality into something more demure. Her friends think she's out to lunch, but Parvin knows what she wants and is pretty sure she knows how to get it!

WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS Anderson, Cory L. Thriller Grades 9+ To keep his little brother out of foster care, Jack decides to track down the suitcase of money his father supposedly hid before his arrest. But he's not the only one looking for it. Meanwhile, Ava, the daughter of his dad's accomplice, has resigned herself to being under her father's thumb for the rest of her life. But when she catches wind of Jack's plan, she decides to help the brothers in a final attempt at escape.

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COLUMNS YOUR HEART MY SKY: LOVE IN A TIME OF HUNGER Engle, Margarita Historical fiction (1991, Cuba)/Romance (verse novel) Grades 7-10 Liana and Amado have both opted not to participate in the government's "volunteer" teen farming program.

While this comes with risk of punishment if they are caught, staying in the city and looking for food to supplement their insufficient food rations seems like a better use of time. When the two meet, they are brought together not only by their hunger for food but also for connection.

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS Gong, Chloe Historical fantasy (1926, Shanghai)/Mystery/Thriller/Romance Grades 8+ Juliette has recently returned from New York, ready to lead her family's powerful syndicate: The Scarlet Gang.

She is also intent on avenging her ex-boyfriend's bloody betrayal. When members of both the Scarlet Gang and their rival, the White Flowers, begin to scratch out their own throats, Juliette must join forces with her ex to put a stop to the magical reign of terror impacting both gangs' businesses.

THE CROSSROADS AT MIDNIGHT Howard, Abby Horror/Short stories (graphic novel) Grades 8+ An assortment of chilling tales for the brave of heart.

Creepy and includes "grotesque visuals", according to Publishers Weekly.

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COLUMNS THE FOREST OF STOLEN GIRLS Hur, June Mystery/Thriller/Historical fiction (1400s, Korea) Grades 9+ Five years ago, Hwani and her sister were found at the edge of a forest, unconscious and near the body of a young woman. A year ago, her father returned to that forest to investigate the disappearance of thirteen other young women. He never came back. Determined to find out what happened, Hwani returns to the area and reunites with her sister. But there is a reason they can't remember what happened to them.

LUCK OF THE TITANIC Lee, Stacey Historical fiction Grades 7+ Both of Valora's parents are dead and she is desperate to leave Britain behind and to become a circus acrobat in America. Getting onto the Titanic is vital to this plan: It is headed to America, has a prestigious circus owner on board, and her twin brother is on the crew. When she is forbidden entry due to her race, Valora impersonates a rich white woman and sneaks aboard.

AN EMOTION OF GREAT DELIGHT Mafi, Tahereh Historical fiction (2003, US) Grades 9+ Shadi's world is falling apart. Her brother recently died and her parents are mired in their grief, her best friend has cut her off, and recent events have horribly exacerbated the Islamophobia in her school. Shadi's strategy for coping is to keep it all inside, but how long can it be before she bursts?

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COLUMNS THE COST OF KNOWING Morris, Brittney Grades 8+ Magical realism Alex can see the future of anything he touches, which causes distraction and anxiety. When he touches his younger brother and sees Isaiah's imminent demise, Alex is understandably terrified. Will he be able to prevent a tragedy or be doomed to witness it again?

Heads up, the story contains some frank discussions about sex and self-harm.

THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE US Schrefer, Eliot Science fiction/Romance Grades 9+ Two young men, each from one of the two remaining countries on Earth, have been tasked with rescuing a long-lost colonist on Titan. As they journey through space, they know that something else is going on. Their memories are hazy and things just aren't adding up.

Amidst the mystery of their circumstances, they also find themselves falling in love with each other.

THE GIRLS I’VE BEEN Sharpe, Tess Thriller/Contemporary fiction Grades 9+ It's been five years since Nora escaped her mother's clutches and began to live a normal life. Her mother, an accomplished con artist, used Nora as her sidekick which has left Nora uncertain about who she really is.

When she, her girlfriend, and her ex-boyfriend are among the hostages taken during a bank robbery, Nora must remember the skills she learned at her mother’s knee.

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COLUMNS THE HAZARDS OF LOVE Stanley, Stan Fantasy/Horror/Romance (graphic novel) Grades 9+ Amparo just can't seem to get things right and has recently struck out with their crush, Iolanthe. Making a deal with a talking cat to become a better person seems like a good plan until the cat takes over Amparo's body and sends them to someplace called Bright World - a place filled with horrors. Does Amparo have the wits and guile to make it out in one piece? Will anyone even notice that Amparo's body is acting differently?

WYND: THE FLIGHT OF THE PRINCE Tynion, James Fantasy/Adventure (graphic novel) Grades 6+ When his pointy ears become too big to hide, Wynd is forced to flee his home. If anyone were to discover his magical ancestry, he could be killed. His departure marks the start of a surprising quest, accompanied by friends old and new. Comic Book Resources says, "The queer allegory is admirably relevant and important, and the story is still strong enough to exist on its own."

A SITTING IN ST. JAMES Williams-Garcia, Rita Historical fiction (1860s, US) Grade 10+ From the elderly mistress to the slaves upon whom the family depends, this novel explores the lives and experiences of all who live and work at the Guilbert plantation. Well researched and not for the faint of heart, as the author does not shy away from the physical, emotional, and sexual violence that permeated the time and setting.

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COLUMNS INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING Yoon, Nicola Magical realism/Romance Grades 7+ Evie no longer believes in love. Suddenly cursed with visions that show her how romances will end, be it break ups or death, she decides that love is a fool's game. When she begins to take dancing lessons and is paired with take-life-by-the-hands X, she finds herself falling. Is it possible to have love without pain? If not, is the pain worth it in the end?

Sadie Tucker is a Children and Teens’ librarian at the Vancouver Public Library.

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FEATURES Programming Girls into STEAM Opportunities: A Scratch Coding Contest to Celebrate International Women’s Day 2021

By Dalia Levy Our pandemic world has meant we’ve had to change or cancel our library programs. Being creative about reaching diverse audiences of youth can be challenging at the best of times. Virtual programming can take many forms and after a year of MLIS courses online that were supposed to be in-person (I’ll spare you the sob story), I felt up to the task of devising new and exciting ways of engaging under-served demographics in library programs, especially for children. As we all know already, children and teens have been hardest hit from the pandemic from troubling child abuse statistics to new levels of

The poster for the contest.

academic underachievement. A cornerstone of what libraries offer in times of crisis is a safe place for learning and discovery. How might this translate online for schoolaged youth? And who’s missing from the STEAM lab?

During my MLIS in 2020 I completed a research project on makerspaces in libraries and found that young women often feel unwelcome and uncomfortable in makerspaces focusing on engineering, science and traditionally male-dominated fields of exploration. One study by Betser et. al. (2019, Doi: 10.18260/1-2—31925), found that girls attending STEM programs outside their home communities exclusively with other girls were more likely to feel exuberant when exploring what STEM identity means to them. This resulted in positive learning outcomes breaking down oppressive gender norms. And, as Australia’s chief scientist (Busting Myths About Women in STEM, 2016) highlights, Western nations lag behind greatly in lessening the gender gap when it come to female participation in STEAM fields.

The government publication addresses the need for building a culture of acceptance for women to identify with science, engineering and computing like in many Asian countries. Implementing culturally inclusive environments starts at a young age and means educational spaces like libraries need to tailor to girls’ learning best practices by holding equitable space to empower and teach this under-represented demographic.

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FEATURES One way to do this without feeling exclusive is to tie it in with International Women’s Day. There’s still lots of work to be done when it comes to recognizing women’s accomplishments and gains especially in unconventional roles. This includes STEAM fields and to empower self-identified girls and young women to recognize their skills and abilities, build confidence and realize an overall gender-inclusive culture for STEAM, a coding contest fit the bill! Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) is an entirely online interface so would adhere to COVID restrictions while opening up wider participation across VIRL’s service area that includes rural and remote areas like the North Island and Haida Gwaii. Girls and young women could create animations, video games, or art pieces using pre-generated block chain codes which users can program into oneof-a-kind creative projects. These are shared with other Scratch users building a community of coders, collaborating and learning together. This open source coding platform was made at MIT and is a great 21st century learning tool for computational literacy development in libraries. Problem-solving and creative planning/design skills are part of learning to code, abilities that are essential 21st century life skills. The “drag and drop” block chain interface makes coding less daunting and more accessible for diverse abilities.

Takeaways: it was a success! We received close to a dozen entries over the course of 3 weeks and probably would have received more if girls had more time to work on their projects.

Entries were from across our service area where most participants were from a tween age group. Press coverage helped raise community awareness and it was great timing to fit in with March Break programming. The media attention even led one local coding education company to donate a prize! The program has also led to potential future coding education partnerships. Library staff also benefited from learning about the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion, coding and 21st century literacies and how to incorporate block-chain coding into library programs postpandemic.

Evaluative feedback from participants showed an eagerness to engage with the library further. They expressed how the contest was an exciting challenge that made them feel noticed, identifying the library as a space where they see themselves as active participants.

Terra McGhee,* 12, with her prize at VIRL’s Port Hardy branch. Terra was the grand prize draw winner of the coding contest for girls. Terra’s impressive coding entry can be viewed here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/4760671 56 *I have parental approval to use this photo in the newsletter.

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FEATURES For some, the coding contest geared toward them brought them to the library and are exploring VIRL for the first time, many times from home. Bridging 21st century learning with equity mandates doesn’t have to stop because of a global pandemic.

Our creative, resourcefulness can herald new and engaging learning. While many young people face barriers without home internet, this initiative is in no way perfect, but it is one example of how we can be impactful in our communities among a struggling demographic in this pandemic and diversify the STEAM lab.

Dalia Levy has over a decade of experience working in libraries including as a Library Technician with UBC's X̱ wi7x̱ wa Library, Vancouver Public Library and more recently with Vancouver Island Regional Library, where she works as an Information Technician III, Creativity Commons. Dalia just completed her MLIS @ Western University furthering her passion for social justice, community engagement and EDIinformed children’s and teen services. Dalia lives, works and crafts textile art on unceded Snuneymuxw territory on beautiful Vancouver Island. She tweets @wildcraftedwool and blogs at permacultureartisan.com. She can also be reached at dlevy@virl.bc.ca.

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Kick Back Report Back: Teen Summer Challenge: Feels Like Summer Launch Event

By Stephanie Usher Since 2018, the Vancouver Public Library has been hosting Teen Summer Challenge, a fun summer-long initiative to connect with teens throughout the summer via weekly thematic programs and various reading and creative challenges. Like many libraries, we’ve moved to a virtual programming model in the wake of COVID-19, but also like many libraries, we’ve really missed connecting with teens in-person.

So when it came to planning for 2021 and as Public Health Orders began to relax, we opted for a hybrid model this summer with a mixture of outdoor in-person and virtual programs.

While past TSCs have been focused on “other realms” (think fantasy worlds, gaming, and virtual realities), we really just wanted to focus on having a chill and relaxing summer and thus, Teen Summer Challenge: Feels Like Summer was born. And what better way to launch the program but with an in-person kickback filled with a variety of DIY crafts, where teens could try something new, get to know one another, and (re)connect with the library.

For our first in-person program, in what felt like forever, we knew we wanted it to feel like a proper kick off to the summer and we knew we couldn’t miss the opportunity to use the beautiful rooftop garden at the Central branch. We are so fortunate to have access to this space and it was the perfect place to welcome 20 teens for a fun and safe event with some pretty phenomenal views of our city.

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FEATURES We set up three spaced-out stations for teens to craft to their heart’s content, which included DIY terrariums (with mason jars and air plants), tie dye, and block printing with artist Nicola MacNeil. Teens had approximately 35 minutes at each station and were able to revisit stations if they needed more time. There was also a Speed Dating with Books station set up to promote our BINGO reading challenge and each teen got to take home a DIY bubble tea kit created with supplies from a local Asian grocery store. While all the supplies were provided for teens, we also wanted to promote sustainability and asked teens to bring in their own item to tie dye and jars for the terrariums.

While a fair number of our typical TSC programs are set up with a competitive element, we wanted to provide a space for teens to relax and get creative with easy craft projects that they could make and take home, and possibly explore on their own later on. It was wonderful to see some familiar (masked) faces and welcome some teens to their first in-person VPL program. And while we were focused on getting the teens prepared for an in-person program, it was also very much an opportunity for our team to gather together again and get back to doing what we love.

If you have questions about this program or about Teen Summer Challenge in general, please feel free to email Stephanie at teens@vpl.ca.

Stephanie Usher (she/her/hers) is a Library Technician in Teen Services at the Vancouver Public Library on the unceded homelands of Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. You may also know her as the Provincial Coordinator for the BC Summer Reading Club.

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Summer Reading Programs in a Pandemic-Conscious World

By Victoria Ellis Every year, the Prince George Public Library hosts a Summer Reading Program (SRP) filled with activities that promote literacy, independence, and creativity in children.

In the past, this took the form of various weekly themed, in-person activities. Now, fast forward to the present COVID-19 reality. Having recently joined the library’s programming team, I was tasked with designing and implementing a SRP and was admittedly nervous about organizing this year’s offerings. The program is a beautiful opportunity for libraries to connect with children; my hope was to provide families a safe space to learn and, just as critical, to have fun!

Filled with ambition, I started brainstorming how to implement a pandemic-friendly SRP that would be safe and accessible to anyone who wanted to attend. Ultimately, our youth team settled on a combination of inperson and virtual programming.

Necessity is the mother of invention, is it not? Many of our patrons were eager to physically attend programming and expressed that they missed human interactions. Others exclaimed that they were feeling cooped up in their homes, especially after a cold winter with limited social gatherings. Staff were also burnt out from only hosting online programs which, although beneficial, were more often one-way conversations with less organic interaction than in-person events.

Conversely, some patrons preferred to solely attend virtual programs. This delivery method was more convenient for families with limited transportation and who had difficulties physically coming to the library for programs. Moreover, some felt safer staying at home due to the pandemic, while others simply preferred virtual attendance as they could stay in their comfy pajamas. If I could live in my pajamas, I certainly would so I completely understand the logic behind these points, especially the latter. Ultimately, having both in-person and virtual options provided everyone an opportunity to attend in a way that worked best for their unique needs.

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Activity Plan With an in-person and virtual game plan, it was time to prepare the activities: Sea Creatures: I started off with an easy jellyfish craft. This allowed me to gauge if the activity difficulty level was appropriate and was a good icebreaker for everyone.

Build-a-Bug: This was a slightly more technical craft that resulted in a ladybug wind spinner. The kids were fascinated to learn that ladybugs come in different colours besides red and they loved making a craft that could be used as a hanging ornament as well.

Bird Buddies: We made adorable pop-up bird puppets with paper plates, construction paper, and popsicle sticks. The dynamic nature of this craft really appealed to all ages. The older participants were very detail oriented while the little kids were enamored by the moving puppets they created.

Catapults: This was an engineering inspired theme where we made paper airplanes and marshmallow catapults out of popsicle sticks and rubber bands. This program had the highest attendance out of the bunch! The kids loved competing to see who could throw their airplane the farthest or who could launch a marshmallow in the most creative way. One virtual participant even got her cat involved and used it as an obstacle for launching marshmallows. Thankfully, the cat was indifferent to our antics.

Constellation Station: This was a cosmic themed session where kids learned about stars, astronomers, and how the constellations came to be. We made ‘telescopes,’ constellations with toothpicks and marshmallows which were left over from the previous week, and concluded with a little spaceship craft. The participants really let their creativity shine through with this craft all the while we discussed what scientists use to study outer space.

Dinosaurs: No need for fanciful alliteration or a catchy title here. The dinosaurs were hugely popular with the kids and their parents alike! We made fizzy dinosaur eggs with small dinosaur toys, baking soda, and vinegar. I am very grateful that we did this activity outside as it was wonderfully messy and got everyone laughing.

Each activity was accompanied by a book list and colouring sheets to keep the themed fun rolling after the program had concluded. All of the crafts were chosen as they were cost effective, contained simple components, and were easily translated into take-and-make bags for both in-person and virtual programs. Additionally, I read a short story each week and especially relied upon these for the virtual component.

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Program Location With a program delivery game plan and activities sorted, it was time to figure out where to host the in-person program. Our usual indoor space had been temporarily repurposed due to the pandemic and was unavailable so, our programming team looked outside. There is a garden directly adjacent to our library, which was ripe for the taking. The Knowledge Garden also has a built-in amphitheatre that was well suited for delivering instructions to socially distant attendees. With the addition of a large event tent, the garden served as a perfect space to host COVID-friendly programs and was used not only for our library’s SRP, but also for storytimes. I did run into the issue of getting rained out or worse, smoked out due to poor air quality on account of forest fires but, besides that, the green space was welcomed by both the participants and library staff alike. I did manage to move indoors when necessary and having an indoor backup plan is a necessity. Being outside also had the issue of wind. On several occasions, I helped kids chase their crafts around the garden, which resulted in much giggling from onlookers. I would strongly recommend taping down everything that you can, regardless of wind.

Tips and Learning Opportunities Talk to your colleagues. More heads are better than one and I could not have done this without their expertise!

Go with what you know. If you are passionate and having fun, this will translate to your audience. The idiom ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ holds true. My background is in sciences so I played to my strengths and curiosities.

Don’t be afraid to try something new. This may sound slightly contradictory following the previous statement but hear me out. It is difficult to grow without pushing barriers. We tried doing the SRP outdoors when possible and I am so happy that we did. There were some minor hiccups such as having to contend with the wind or roving beetles, which the kids found fascinating and resulted in entomology discussions, but I would not have had it any other way.

Research. See what other libraries have done in the past and Pinterest to your hearts’ content for inspiration.

Registration worked very well for in-person activities. My colleague, Sierra Cook, designed and implemented a registration system on Google Sharepoint. Prepandemic, many in-person programs were simply drop-in but our library has adopted this registration method in light of COVID-19. It is user friendly and has proven to be a valuable tool that we have used and will continue to use going into autumn.

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FEATURES Plan activities that can be performed both in-person and virtually. If there’s anything that this pandemic has taught me, it is that flexibility is key.

Where possible, incorporate activities that are multisensorial.

This year’s SRP was a unique challenge that lent itself well to a combination of inperson and virtual attendance. Hosting programming outdoors was a welcomed change for both program participants and library staff alike but was not a requirement. Working with available spaces and being flexible, while following health mandates, ensured everyone had fun and stayed safe. Next year will undoubtedly be different but libraries will continue to adapt and provide engaging programs for all ages.

Victoria Ellis is a Library Assistant in Children’s Services at the Prince George Public Library. She can be contacted at vellis@pgpl.ca if you would like more information about this program. She has worked as a tutor for the library’s free Homework Help Program for three years and has recently joined the Children’s Services team.

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Vietnamese Meet & Share

By Chau Ngo The pandemic has given us the opportunity to do an impossible thing that we had never thought to do before. Since the pandemic started, the Vancouver Public Library, where I work, has transformed from traditional in-person programming to adaptable virtual programming and it was a success. The virtual storytimes on VPL’s Youtube Page and similar resources from other libraries have reached out to audiences from as far as we could imagine, creating audiences without borders.

One day, the Vancouver Public Library received an email from Mrs. Nguyen, an Associate Professor at California State University. She wanted to set up a virtual meet-and-share for Vietnamese storytime facilitators who are librarians and volunteers who facilitate bilingual English-Vietnamese or immersive Vietnamese storytimes in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Why did she come up with the idea of “meet and share”? - Because during the lockdown, Mrs. Nguyen was asked to partner with the Los Angeles Public Library to facilitate the Vietnamese storytime for the community. She was struggling to find resources and materials and YouTube and Facebook became her two rescue channels. At that time, she found out that it was challenging to facilitate Vietnamese storytime because of limited resources. And she wondered whether the other Vietnamese facilitators felt the same as she did.

And, how could she find us? - Through virtual storytimes on YouTube and Facebook.

Eighteen Vietnamese storytime facilitators including librarians, volunteers, ECE workers, a math teacher, and community workers met virtually for the first time in July 2021. Some are native proficiency speakers of Vietnamese, the others are professional working proficiency because they were born and raised outside of Vietnam.

During an hour-long meeting on Zoom, I had the opportunity to learn from other facilitators and got to know what they have done and for how long they have been facilitating the storytimes in Vietnamese.

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FEATURES Ideas were shared from Melbourne, Vancouver, Iowa, Texas, Portland, San Jose, Orange County (CA), and Los Angeles. The majority of the participants are library workers, and the rest are volunteers and community workers who the public library approached to ask for help in facilitating Vietnamese storytime for the community.

We talked about the challenges that we had when facilitating Vietnamese storytime, from limited resources including quality and suitable books, songs, and rhymes, to the challenges of bringing in Vietnamese families to the storytime sessions, and of convincing the Vietnamese parents that children can learn the Vietnamese language in a fun and interactive environment. Because of the challenges of selecting quality materials, many of us decided to facilitate bilingual storytimes rather than monolingual Vietnamese storytimes.

Obviously, one hour was not enough for 18 people to share their experiences and learnings with each other. So, we created a Google group named “Vietnamese Storytime Meet-and-Share” so that we can upload our handouts, templates, and stories that we’ve translated from popular English titles. It will be the go-to resource for us when we brainstorm and get our minds ready for preparing new storytimes.

Also, we will meet every quarter, and a specific topic will be covered during our future meet-and-share gatherings such as books, felt stories, art and crafts, songs, fingerplay and rhymes, culture learning, translation and language learning, outreach ideas on how to encourage participation (for example, we were thinking of making a YouTube video to promote for Vietnamese storytime), storytime structure and format consideration. And we will take turns to present the topics that we are comfortable sharing with others.

“Meet and Share” has brought us together, sharing experiences, learning from others, and brainstorming ideas so we can do better and better at meeting the community’s needs.

Below are the links to the Vietnamese virtual storytimes: It's Vietnamese Storytime! by Multnomah County Library Bilingual Vietnamese Storytime by LA Public Library Wee Story Adventures Bilingual Vietnamese Storytime by Harris County Public Library Vietnamese collections can be found at local public libraries throughout BC.

Chau Ngo, a senior library public service associate at the Vancouver Public Library, fell in love with the public library when she immigrated to Canada 16 years ago.

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Virtual Storytimes: The Other Side of the Screen

By Jane Whittingham My son was less than a year old when the world shut down in March 2020. Prior to the start of the pandemic our days had been filled with a host of baby-centric activities – storytimes and play groups, family times and drop-ins – and we suddenly found ourselves at home, all day, every day, with an active young child. Those early lockdown days felt very long, indeed!

Being a new parent can be lonely and isolating at the best of times, but remove all the social and community support and it’s easy to feel like you’re treading water alone in the deep end. Add to that a whole host of worries about the impact of the pandemic on your child’s social and language development, and you have some very stressed out caregivers desperate for some help.

Public libraries rose to the challenges presented by the pandemic and found creative and inventive ways to bring programming back to the people who needed it most.

We first experienced “virtual storytimes” through YouTube, where we discovered dozens of pre-recorded programs from libraries at home and around the world. One of our favourites has been the weekly Storytime at Home and Baby Rhyme Time programs from Maribynong Libraries in Australia. They upload programs weekly, and the fabulous librarian Christine keeps the programs short, snappy, and perhaps most importantly for us, consistent.

For my socially isolated and language-delayed toddler, seeing the same face and hearing the same voice every week provided comfort and reassurance, and hearing the same songs every week helped his language development immensely – the first time he started to clap and touch his toes along with the familiar opening song I was so happy I could have cried. One-off programs are wonderful, especially when you’re looking to fill time during those very long days stuck at home, but there’s nothing quite like having a storytime routine to look forward to.

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FEATURES Still, as convenient and awesome as pre-recorded storytimes are, they just don’t provide the same opportunities for interaction as in-person programs. Enter Zoom storytimes! When my son was about a year old we participated in a Zoom babytime, a weekly small group program that in many ways mirrored a regular baby time. To see other moms and babies face to face (albeit through a screen) and chat about our experiences was absolutely wonderful. For the first time in months I could talk to another mom about sleep training, baby led feeding, teething, and other nonpandemic, baby-related things, just like in the “old days”. We (I) had so much fun that I promptly registered for the toddler series of Zoom storytimes, which is also a registered program. There my toddler was able to look at other toddlers, share his favourite toys and stuffies, sing along with songs and explore new books, just like he would have in a regular in person storytime.

Virtual storytimes aren’t perfect. I do find my toddler’s attention tends to wax and wane, and keeping him focused on a screen for 30 minutes can be a challenge. As a parent I also feel a nagging sense of guilt about all the screen time he’s been having.

He can’t physically interact with other children, and there are often technical glitches that interrupt the flow of the program. But the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks.

Just being able to connect with other parents has been a real blessing, and the social benefits of virtual programming really can’t be overstated, both for caregivers and kids. While much has been said about the impact of the pandemic on kids, these kinds of programs also provide a lifeline to isolated caregivers, who might not have even realized just how lonely they were before storytime came into their lives.

Moving forward, I do hope libraries continue to provide virtual programs of some kind. For families who can’t easily or affordably access a public library or for whom in-person programs might not have been a comfortable fit, these programs make storytime truly accessible. For families who may have felt that storytimes were simply out of their reach, virtual programming can make a world of difference, and support the library in its mission to be as accessible and inclusive as possible.

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FEATURES So a massive thank you to all the libraries whose creativity, ingenuity and hard work helped keep kids and families engaged, connected, entertained and informed. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but you truly made a difference in the lives of countless people in your communities and beyond. Libraries have always been the “living room” of the community – thanks to virtual storytime, you moved into the living rooms of the community, and I hope you’ll make yourselves comfortable and stay a while.

Jane Whittingham is a children's librarian, picture book author and mum from Vancouver.

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Building an Arabic Children’s Literature Collection - Part 1

By Anita Fata Welcome to a 3-part series on building an Arabic children’s literature collection at your local library. The next issue will feature challenges facing non-Arabic speaking librarians in Canada, followed by a booklist of recommended Arabic titles.

Introduction As patrons change, so do libraries. When faced with an increasing Arabic-speaking population, public libraries need to meet the needs of this community with Arabic-language materials, especially for children. Just as it does in English, the children’s section of the library plays a pivotal role. By building an Arabic collection for children aged 0 to 5, public libraries can help support Arabic-speaking families with children that are native speakers of Arabic, as well as heritage learners.

Arabic-speaking and reading patrons come from a wide variety of ethnicities, cultures, and circumstances, and are a diverse group of Canadians, immigrants, and refugees. Some patrons may have been born and raised in Canada, in Arabicspeaking families, while others may have immigrated many decades ago. Some may be more recent immigrants or refugees fleeing conflict. Fluency levels may differ as well. Some may be fluent Arabic speaking adults raising children in multilingual environments, while others may have the ability to speak, but not read Arabic. Some patrons may be heritage learners looking to improve their Arabic skills or teach their own children Arabic. In a Canadian context, Arabic heritage learners are learners that are learning or have learned their family’s dialect of Arabic as a minority language due to immigration. Heritage learners learn Arabic by its speakers at home as children, but often never fully develop their language skills due to insufficient support from their social environment, which is dominated by English. Libraries can support heritage learners by valuing Arabic and making it visible in displays, in the catalogue and library websites. By including Arabic, heritage learners can turn to the library not just for language study materials, such as dictionaries, but also diverse reading materials for all levels, as well as audiobooks, and digital offerings, such as newspapers. For children in these communities, whether native Arabic speakers or heritage learners, an Arabic book collection can serve multiple purposes.

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FEATURES Arabic-speaking children also need to seem themselves represented, especially if they have recently moved to an English-speaking environment. American librarian Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphor of books as windows into other perspectives, sliding glass doors that readers can walk through, and books as mirrors reflecting a reader’s world, can help us understand the self-affirming role Arabiclanguage materials can fulfil. Providing materials in Arabic encourages children to see themselves mirrored in the books at their local public library, as well as in their larger community.

As has been established when it comes to English literacy, reading children’s literature to children has a positive effect on their early literacy skills, vocabulary, and their understanding of writing systems. While more research is needed, initial studies reveal that in families that read Arabic children’s literature to their kindergarten aged children, those children later showed higher levels of early literacy in grade one. A rich Arabic picture book collection can also help parents, caregivers and schools support earlyliteracy in Arabic-speaking children (both native and heritage learners). With Arabic picture books, caregivers can teach children about book handling and the right-to-left orientation of Arabic. By pointing to Arabic words on the page and discussing experiences from the book, parents can convey the connection between the Arabic letters on the page, their speech, and their own lived experiences. Arabic materials can help Arabic educators and caregivers support early literacy in Arabic-speakers through storybook reading, support for emergent reading, and shared book experiences such as Arabic and bilingual English-Arabic storytime.

In North America, there continues to be a serious lack of diversity in English picture books, and this lack of diversity also affects Arab and Arab-American children and how they relate to their local library. In 2019, the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) found that 71% of children’s and young adult books published were about white children, animals, and other creatures. The CCBC looked at the representation of brown main characters, as well as representation of Black, African, First Nations, Asian, and Latinx characters. Pacific Islanders characters were only added in 2019, and the Arab/Arab American category was excluded. Due to feedback from Arab and Arab American colleagues, this category was added in 2021. While the Arabicspeaking world is larger than the Arab world, this lack of representation in English-

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FEATURES language materials indicates a gap in collections. By having an Arabic children’s literature collection, library materials will be readily available to be in library programs and displays throughout the year, and not only highlighted at certain times, such as Ramadan.

An Arabic children’s literature collection can help increase visual representation of Arabs and other Arabic-speaking peoples.

Arabic book collections show Arabicspeaking patrons that their literature is just as valued as English-language materials and that they are a valued part of their community. When an Arabicspeaking family visits a library that has multi-lingual materials from a variety of cultures, this helps to affirm a child’s understanding of their place in their community.

For non-Arabic speaking children and patrons, visible and prominent Arabic collections expose patrons to the Arabicspeaking world, with bi-lingual books or wordless books serving as a metaphorical window or sliding door into that world.

Exposing young patrons to different characters, settings, cultures, and languages teaches all children how to exist in a world that is culturally rich and diverse.

In part 2 of this series, we’ll discuss some of the challenges of building an Arabic children’s literature collection in Canada.

Anita Fata is an MLIS student at the UBC iSchool and originally wrote a version of this work for the class, Survey of Literature and Other Materials for Children. She would like to thank Tess Prendergast for her encouragement, Waleed Nesyif for sharing his family’s books, and Marcia Lynx Qualey at ArabLit Quarterly and Gihan Faisal at Jeem Books for reading over the original report.

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From Apple Pies to Astronauts: A Chronology of Alphabet Books with Aphorisms, Amusements, and Anecdotes – Part FOUR Revisiting the curated display created for iSchool @ UBC LIBR594 – Directed Study done in conjunction with UBC Library’s Rare Books & Special Collections.

Adapted from the exhibit and case labels written by Sarah Bagshaw & Laura Quintana.

Exhibition poster = Jeff Porter Designs.

All photographs from Sarah Bagshaw.

In February 2017 I mounted a display of alphabet books in the Rare Books and Special Collections library @ UBC. This was done with Laura for a directed study project under the supervision of Kathie Shoemaker and Chelsea Shriver. The display was opened in time for attendees of the Vancouver Children’s Literature Round Table spring conference to visit on their breaks (held in Irving K. Barber building where Rare Books is). We had so much fun researching the development of children’s literature, ABC books, picture book illustration, and looking at some incredibly old books as well as many new ones. I thought I could share some of the writing and images from this display in a multi-part series with YAACing members as a welcome distraction from our Covid-influenced lives.

Our journey continues through the alphabet with the case representing J, K, and Land the Edwardian era to WWI.

JKL

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FEATURES The idyllic and pastoral portrait of nature is a feature that characterizes Edwardian children’s literature, prior to World War 1. The spirit of the time presents a landscape that is still valid for modern books, since the idea of childhood has not changed much since then. During those years between the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, and the murder at Sarajevo, children’s books construct a peaceful and bucolic idealization of the world. Writers of the time portrayed the world as if it were governed by order and ritual, but also included playfulness and laughter. The concept of child welfare became an important concern of the age and was reflected in the books of this era.

Many of the most significant children’s books of all times were written in this period: Peter Rabbit, Peter Pan, The Wind in the Willows, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, and The Railway Children to name a few. When WWI started, the world for children and adults changed dramatically. Tommy’s ABC is an excellent example of an ABC book put to other uses reflecting the context of the world and time of its creation.

Case Four representing J, K, and L contained the following items plus extra information about a few: Frisbie, W.A. ABC Mother Goose. Illustrated by Chas L. Bartholomew. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co, 1905.

The term “Mother Goose” comes from the phrase Contes de ma mère l’oye which is a French folk expression meaning “old wives tales”. This can roughly translates to Tales of mother goose. John Newbery attached this name to his nursery rhyme collection titled Mother Goose’s Melody or Sonnets for the Cradle in 1781. Mother Goose is now synonymous with nursery rhymes.

Many of the rhymes from this era express dark humour or are very different from the versions of our time. For example, Humpty Dumpty is not portrayed as an egg-man, but rather a man with a large back hump!

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FEATURES Johnson, Laura Rinkle. The Teddy Bear ABC. Illustrated by Margaret Landers Sanford. Boston and New York: H.M. Caldwell & Co, 1907.Part of the Arkley Collection of Early and Historical Children’s Literature.

The Christmas ABC. New York: Saalfield, 1910.

Harvey, J.G. Russell. Tommy’s ABC. Illustrated by Charles Thomas. Bristol: A.W. Ford & Co. Ltd, 1916. Part of the Beatrice Roslyn Robertson Collection.

This little paperback alphabet book was produced by the Red Cross Society during the First World War to make money for the war effort and the injured soldiers coming home. The propaganda role almost supersedes the educational role and illustrates the influence of time and context on creation.

“G is the Gramophone – early and late H stands for Huns and Hymn and for Hate…

Y stands for Youth full of courage and fire Z is Fame’s Zenith to which we aspire.”

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FEATURES

Farjeon, Eleanor. Country Child’s Alphabet. Illustrated by William Michael Rothenstein. London: The Poetry Bookshop, 1924.

Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965) was born in London, but also lived in the countryside of Hampstead and Sussex. Coming from a family of writers and composers, she created wonderful poetry and stories for children throughout her life.

Country Child’s Alphabet is a good example of how alphabet books were changing to become more artistic, and less moralistic and didactic. These early illustrations

by Rothenstein have an art deco feel and do not always portray the letter object as seen here, for the letter L.

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FEATURES Farjeon’s storytelling verses are whimsical and a good example of the idyllic and pastoral flavour of books for children in this era.

This alphabet is more for entertainment than learning.

Farjeon was awarded the 1955 Carnegie Medal for The Little Bookworm, the 1956 inaugural Hans Christian Andersen

Medal for lasting contributions to children’s literature, and the 1959 inaugural Regina Medal for lasting contributions to children’s literature awarded by the Catholic Library Association.

JKL To be continued in the next YAACing newsletter…

If you are interested in the full display text and accompanying bibliography, please e-mail Sarah directly: Sarah.Bagshaw@vpl.ca Sarah Bagshaw is a Children's Librarian at Vancouver Public Library, a book-lover, fibre enthusiast, gardener, and all-round geek.

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Call for Submissions YAACING is published quarterly and is always looking for submissions of interest to children’s and teen specialists in BC libraries. We accept articles, program descriptions and ideas, conference reports, reviews, felt stories and more. If you would like to write a regular column, send us a brief pitch. Submissions should be no more than 1500 words, and sent in an editable format (not PDF). Please include a byline with your job title and workplace; for students, please include a byline with your school/program.

YAACING invites your contributions to our Reviews and Felt Story sections.

Reviews: Please send us reviews of books, blogs, websites, or other resources.

Submissions should be no more than 300 words. Longer reviews may be considered for publication as featured articles.

Felt Stories: Share your creativity! YAACING is looking for felt story patterns.

Submissions should include a printable pattern, photograph of the finished product, and related rhyme or note about the origin of the story.

The deadline for the next issue of YAACING is January 15, 2022. Please email your submissions to the editors at YAACING@gmail.com