scholarly journals Big Brothers Don't Take Naps by L. Borden

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Sivak
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Elementary Education ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Big Brother ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Family Secret ◽  
The University ◽  
Actual Size ◽  
Older Siblings

Borden, Louise. Big Brothers Don't Take Naps. Illus.Emma Dodd. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. Print.A sweet, playful look at what older siblings do for their adoring youngers. The book is large-format, and Dodd often draws the children actual-size, which can make for an immersive feel of being in the page. The drawings are fairly simple ink drawings, which emphasize the emotions of the characters well, and they use much colour. The design also plays with fonts and text layout, making space for the adult reader to be a bit more playful in the reading – for example, the rocket ship countdown. As well as naming all the things big brothers can do, the story hints at a family secret: a new baby sister is coming, so Nicholas can himself now be a big brother. The book is a warm, positive story that children up to Kindergarten age will love.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Allison SivakAllison Sivak is the Assessment Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.

scholarly journals Tinybop. Me: A Kid’s Diary by A. Seixas

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Sivak
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Young Children ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
The University ◽  
Colour Hair

Seixas, Ana. Tinybop. Me: A Kid’s Diary. 2016. Apple App Store, https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1126531257?mt=8.  Ages 3-7 (depending on parent assistance)Cost: $2.99 This app allows young children to create a digital diary filled with their own writings, photos, audio recordings, and drawings. The child creates an avatar from a varied array of options for skin colour, hair colour and style, facial features, and accessories. The app then encourages the child to respond to prompts, such as, “A song about me would be titled…,” “This is an interesting fact about my family,” and, “If I were an animal, I would look like this.” Some questions require a textual response, while others ask the child to draw, record, or take a snapshot of their response to the prompt, thereby taking advantage of the affordances offered by a tablet or phone. Other activities include the option to create a family tree, to create avatars of the child’s friends, and to answer all kinds of questions about the people in the child’s life. A child can draw, record, and photograph daily activities, such as their life at school. Children can use the app to explore their own ideas, experiences, and feelings through both serious and silly questions. A Kid’s Diary takes a simple process and makes it even more accessible to quite young children. Ana Seixas’ illustrations use eye-popping colours, with good use of contrast and negative space to make clicking easy. The language of the questions is simple and displayed in a large font. Younger children should be able to use this app with the help of caregivers reading the text for the children’s answers. Caregivers should know that the company foregrounds their privacy policy on the developer site, noting that the app does not collect information about the users through the application itself. It is highly recommended as a fun way for children and their caregivers to learn more about themselves and the world they observe around them. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Allison Sivak Allison Sivak is the Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.

scholarly journals A Photo for Greta by A. Alter

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tami Oliphant
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Country Music ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Photo Album ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Important People ◽  
Professional Photographer ◽  
The University

Alter, Anna. A Photo for Greta. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.  Print. A Photo for Greta is a warm and appealing paean to paternal love. Alter’s personal memories of her father, a professional photographer, appear to be the source of inspiration for Greta’s story. Greta is a bunny whose father “travels all around the world taking pictures of very important people” which means he is away much of the time or he comes home from work after Greta has gone to bed. While her father is working, Greta often dresses up like the characters her father is photographing such as a ballet dancer or a circus performer. When her father decides to turn his lens on Greta, “It was the best day she could remember.” Two important themes are raised in the book:  how do kids cope when someone they love is away and they miss them? And, what makes parents, and particularly Dads, special? A list of activities found at the end of the book such as making a photo album of loved ones or interviewing parents about their lives can help children address these questions. Alter is both writer and illustrator. The soft-coloured and tender paintings are exquisite. Interspersed throughout the book are smaller illustrations and vignettes as well as arresting two-page spreads. Many of the illustrations are gently humorous such as the painting of Greta in full cowgirl regalia plucking a guitar and singing her solitary country song while her father is away photographing a country music band. The book is meant to be savoured and is aimed at readers between the ages of 4 to 7. The reassuring narrative, the exploration of a father and daughter relationship, and the sumptuous illustrations make A Photo for Greta a recommended purchase. Highly recommended: 4 of out 4 stars Reviewer: Tami OliphantTami works as a research librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries and for the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta and her doctorate from the University of Western Ontario. She has worked in academic libraries, public libraries, communications and planning, and as a sessional lecturer and researcher at the University of Alberta and the University of Western Ontario.

scholarly journals Who Do I See? by S. Yoon

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tami Oliphant
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Black Spots ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
The University

Yoon, Salina. Who Do I See? New York: Random House, 2011. Print. Identifying five adorable animals and remembering five eye-catching colours are the challenges for toddlers and preschool children in Yoon’s book, Who Do I See?. The colourful illustrations are simple two dimensional cartoon drawings of familiar creatures including a fish, a tiger, a turtle, a ladybug, and a parrot. The illustrations of the animals are framed, and partially hidden, by cleverly placed cut out windows. The cut out windows allow readers to feel the shiny foil on the animal illustration such as scales on a fish, and, because the rest of the animal is hidden until the reader flips the page, children can try identifying the animal by thinking about common animal colours and shapes such as the black spots and red wings found on a ladybug. The text does not rhyme but playful repetition of the question and of the typical colours found on these animals will keep children engaged. The thick cardboard pages ensure that the book is not easily damaged. This interactive, guessing-game book will assist children in learning about different animals and different colours. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Tami Oliphant Tami works as a research librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries and for the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. She earned her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta and her doctorate from the University of Western Ontario. She has worked in academic libraries, public libraries, communications and planning, and as a sessional lecturer and researcher at the University of Alberta and the University of Western Ontario. 

scholarly journals How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear? by V. Bayer

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenn Laskosky
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Realistic View ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Bayer, Vanessa. How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear? Illustrated by Rosie Butcher. New York: Macmillan Publishing, 2019. Vanessa Bayer’s How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear? provides young readers with advice on how to deal with and help their friends who are facing a difficult illness. The book offers suggestions and advice for young children, but also reminds them that even though their friend is sick, they are still their friend. Bayer’s story provides examples of the simple gestures that friends can make when helping each other. The illustrations by Rosie Butcher are bright, colourful, and simple. Butcher illustrates common activities that friends would do together, which makes them relatable to children even though the characters are bears. The illustrations take up most of the page and provide young readers with a lot to explore. The text throughout the book is simple and easy to read. Bayer’s story tackles a difficult topic, but she presents it in a way that is easy for children to understand. Her use of bears as her main characters helps to soften the impact of a difficult topic to approach with children. However, Bayer is also honest with her portrayal of illness, which offers children a realistic view of what to expect. This book can be very useful for children who have a friend facing a difficult illness. Additionally, it can be useful to parents when explaining illnesses to their children. With that in mind, I would recommend it for elementary school and public libraries. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Jenn Laskosky Jenn Laskosky is a masters student at the University of Alberta in the Library and Information Studies program. She has an interest in health sciences librarianship and international librarianship. Her passion for reading has continued to grow throughout her education.  

scholarly journals George by A. Gino

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Paulsen
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Master's Program ◽  
True Self ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Excellent Work ◽  
Written Word ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The University

Gino, Alex. George. New York: Scholastic Press, 2015. Print.George is a bright, funny, and somewhat shy girl. Her main problem? Everyone thinks she’s a boy. She looks like a boy, she was born with all the parts of a boy, but she knows that she is a girl. She believes that she will have to hide her true self forever until the chance to play Charlotte in the school’s production of Charlotte’s Web arises and, with the support of her best friend Kelly, changes everything.There are few characters in George that perform with complete virtuosity or complete viciousness. Instead, Gino presents a cast that reflects our own society: some are confused, some say the wrong things, some are cruel, some supportive, and some just worry about George’s safety as she moves into a frequently victimized population. Gino’s prose throughout the novel refers to George as “her.” This pronoun choice in addition to the powerful insight that readers gain from seeing into the mind of George, make it clear that George simply is a girl. Gino does excellent work to create this connection and understanding between George and the reader so that the reader can feel how wrong it is when George is treated as if she’s a boy. The incessant gendering of everyday life is apparent and absurd when it is forced upon George. People, being such visual animals, often focus on the appearance of transgender individuals or can find it difficult to reconcile seeing a “boy” and being told that they are actually a girl inside. But because George’s story has taken the form of the written word, we are not so distracted by what we see and we can instead be more open to understanding.Not just for those questioning their own gender identity, this novel works to inform and inspire empathy for all readers. It is an absolute necessity for a collection that strives for diverse representation.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Emily PaulsenEmily Paulsen is recent graduate from the School of Library and Information Studies Master’s program at the University of Alberta. She is born and raised in Edmonton and enjoys travelling, food, and photography.

Darkest Light by H. Goto

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Sivak
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
The World ◽  
Physical Presence ◽  
Wise Woman ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The University ◽  
Good And Evil

Goto, Hiromi. Darkest Light. Toronto: Razorbill Canada, 2011. Print. Darkest Light is a sequel, of sorts, to Goto’s 2009 fantastic allegorical work Half World. However, Darkest Light takes on a more nuanced approach to its characters’ struggles, asking the question, ‘Can a person who has done wrong rehabilitate himself?’ Half World drew its lines of good and evil in a more traditional way, with an outcast heroine battling an evil force living in the world between the dead and the living. In contrast, Darkest Light slowly unravels the mystery of the life of its protagonist, Gee. We see the recurrence of some of the same characters from Goto’s first book in the series, including the knowledgeable wise-woman, Ms. Wei, and the outcast heroine, Melanie Tamaki. But Darkest Light turns its focus on Gee, the baby brought out from Half World by Melanie, and who is now sixteen, having lived with Ms. Wei since. Illustrator Jillian Tamaki has collaborated on this book as with the Half World, and the style of her shadowy sketches captures Goto’s descriptions of Gee. Gee has grown up lonely, his Popo (Ms. Wei) his only friend; there is something about his ghostly physical presence and his deep-black eyes that put off almost all others, humans and animals alike. After a confrontation with two classmate bullies, he meets neo-Goth, Cracker, a young lesbian who feels some kinship with Gee’s physical and emotional difference. When Ms. Wei’s life is endangered by some of the demons of Half World, Gee and Cracker enter the world to save her. Goto has taken an interesting path to investigate the question of how to atone for one’s wrong actions by going into the world of fantasy, where the most evil of all the Half World demons tries to change, tempted by his old lovers and friends, as well as by the power he used to wield. Goto’s writing can, at times, read as flat, and the demons in Half World are exaggerated enough to be more cartoonish than frightening. But the emotion she evokes between Gee and his grandmother and Cracker is quite moving, and her book is likely to appeal to young readers who recognize the struggle to find their own paths in the world that doesn’t welcome difference. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Allison SivakAllison Sivak is the Assessment Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.

scholarly journals Granta 114: Aliens

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Sivak
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Visual Art ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Reading Materials ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Cover Design ◽  
Roberto Bolano ◽  
The University

Aliens. Thematic issue of Granta: The Magazine of New Writing. 114 (Spring 2011)   Granta is a quarterly magazine of new writing from both established and emerging writers; although aimed primarily at adult audiences, it could easily be considered as a journal with appeal to young adults particularly due to its diverse content and style, offering readers a greater scope of choice. Granta could often, I suspect, serve to pique the interest of older adolescents  due in part to the periodical's contemporary approach to cover design, and its integration of visual art and poetry with prose, along with the obvious diversity and strength of the writing in general. An issue organized around the theme of 'Aliens' seems tailor-made to easily cross over from an adult to an adolescent audience. The black and silver cover with the hovering planet suggests science fiction; however, on closer look, the figures walking towards the planet wear suits and head coverings, and suggest displacement in earthly realms rather than within the final frontier. Indeed, most of the writings in this issue speak to feelings of alienation and alien environments. While stories are united by the emotional impacts of the characters’ strangeness in new environments, the works cover a broad scope; compare, for example, Chris Dennis’ fiction piece on a young drug addict facing life in prison, with Ann Patchett’s observations of a nun who taught her in childhood, who is now facing life outside the convent.  The writing in this issue is strong, and at times, explicit in its sexuality and violence, although not gratuitously so. Librarians and teachers may feel some hesitation in subscribing to Granta for their students due to restrictions around students’ reading materials; this would be unfortunate, as such a publication provides students exposure to such important contemporary writers as Roberto Bolaño, Madeleine Thien, and Paul Theroux. Recommended: 2 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Allison SivakAllison Sivak is the Assessment Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.

scholarly journals The Summer I Learned to Fly by D. Reinhardt

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tami Oliphant
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Coming Of Age ◽  
Assistant Professor ◽  
The Novel ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
True Meaning ◽  
The University

Reinhardt, Dana. The Summer I Learned to Fly. New York: Ember, 2012. Print. The enthusiastic endorsement from Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, on the cover of The Summer I Learned to Fly was persuasive. I picked up this coming-of-age novel with high expectations and it did not disappoint. Reinhardt’s heroine, Drew Robin Solo, aka Birdie, doesn’t have many friends and spends most of her time hanging around her mother’s cheese shop. It is 1986, the summer before Birdie begins grade eight. One night after closing the cheese shop, Drew meets a mysterious young man named Emmett Crane who eats the day-old bread and leftover cheese that Drew puts in the garbage. Drew learns the true meaning of friendship as she finds out who Emmett is, why he is there, and the sacrifices she is willing to make on his behalf. Over the course of the summer, Drew’s friendship with Emmett and his eclectic group of friends develops and when tragedy strikes, Drew must also cope with changing relationships with her Mom and her co-worker and surfer dude, Nick. Reinhardt’s characters, both teen and adult, are flawed, fully drawn, and gloriously human. Drew’s emotional progression throughout the novel is encapsulated in a quiet and profound way: “I didn’t want to be the sort of friend who dashes dreams. Friends, I was pretty sure, lift their friends up; they don’t weigh them down like a sack full of stones.” The Summer I Learned to Fly is a heart-warming and worthy reminder of the choice we all have: to weigh each other down, or to lift each other up. It is highly recommended for a broad audience, but for young girls this book will particularly resonate. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Tami Oliphant Tami Oliphant is an assistant professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta.

scholarly journals Born Ugly by B. Goobie

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Sivak
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Elementary Education ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
The Novel ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Home Life ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The University

Goobie, Beth. Born Ugly. Markham, ON: Red Deer Press, 2011. Print. Beth Goobie writes unflinching books. Even so, Born Ugly may be the toughest of hers I’ve read yet. Narrated by Shir Rutz, a 15-year-old girl without friends or caring family, this novel is both a realistic portrayal of high school bullying and a thriller that plays with perceptions of “goodness” in people. Goobie spends most of the novel focusing on the story of Shir’s problems, however, ultimately to the detriment of the thriller plot, which subsequently blocked me from a full immersion into the latter section of the book. Goobie is at her best when she is staring directly into the tough situations in which Shir finds herself, primarily through her status as the ugliest girl at her school. Shir is relentlessly targeted every day by a group of popular boys who offer her quarters in exchange for kisses, with the punch line that it is worth paying to kiss someone as ugly as her. She is known around the school as “dog face,” and is forced to eat a sandwich of dog feces. Her home life is little better. Her mother clearly prefers her younger sister, who is prettier and better-behaved. Shir’s father has long since vanished, and Mrs. Rutz only mentions him when she is putting her daughter down, saying that Shir is an ugly drunk, just like her dad. Shir’s sister often knows about the pranks planned for Shir, and stands and watches from the sidelines without offering any help or comfort. While Shir drinks heavily to erase the pain of her days from her mind, she has two small lights of hope: her part time job for Mr. Anderson delivering groceries, as well as an unexpected friendship with a boy she meets at her favourite hiding place under a town bridge. However, the job is not all it seems; Mr. Anderson has started to ask her to deliver packages to people and places that seem shady, and acts nervous if she asks too many questions. About the last third of the book follows the mystery to its revelation and climax. Goobie’s descriptions of the dull inevitability of a bullied teenager’s life are extremely well-written, and painfully realistic. Shir is highly believable in her voice and actions, which gave me a real sense of the slow, awful path it can be through high school. It is also a relief to read the scenes between Shir and one of her delivery clients, an elderly woman who meets her with great kindness, and provides moving descriptions of how someone can respond to even the smallest bit of warmth. The slow pace of Shir’s daily life is the strongest story here, as compared to the mystery, which makes sense but is told far too quickly, and is wrapped up too neatly to seem authentic. Nonetheless, this is a book in which I think many teenagers will find some echo of their lives. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Allison SivakAllison Sivak is the Assessment Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.

scholarly journals Fostergirls by L. Shaw

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Sivak
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Foster Parents ◽  
Group Home ◽  
Information Design ◽  
The Novel ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Library And Information Studies ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Birth Family ◽  
The University

Shaw, Liane. Fostergirls. Toronto: Second Story Press, 2011. Print. The first-person narrator of this novel, Sadie, tells the story of her placement in a group home for girls with few options left open to them. She has lived with several foster parents over the years, and knows nothing about her birth family, other than that she has a brother, and they were both abandoned by their mother. Now Sadie is 15, and due to problems with her latest “pseudofamily,” as she calls them, has been moved to a small town, living in a group home with two workers and five other girls. Sadie is cynical about the move, and cynical that the move will bring any positive changes to her life; she is biding time until her next birthday, when she can apply for emancipation. Sadie's voice reads as authentically adolescent in tone and language, with the exception of the lack of actual swearing, which I find always renders teenage characters as unrealistic.  There is a density to the writing as well, in which Sadie’s thoughts are immediately followed by her explanation of those thoughts. This serves to tell too much about Sadie’s feelings, rather than allowing space for readers to interpret Sadie’s reactions on their own. In this way, the novel at times can read didactically, directing readers towards understanding; it would have benefited from more space for the writing and the characters to emerge without being pushed by the text. Novels about marginalized characters require a more delicate touch, in order to avoid presenting as heavy-handed. Overall, the novel is an honest effort to shine a light on some of the difficulties and stigma that foster kids face, which will likely be interesting for readers who have not had these experiences, and may very well appeal to those who have. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Allison SivakAllison is the Assessment Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content. 

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