Once Upon a Thread

Okay, this is another post for you crafters and kildit fans.

Patti turned me on to the website MADE (of course she's from Austin) which posted yesterday about Once Upon a Thread which I loveloveloved the last time they did it. OUT is sewing inspired by children's literature! 

It started Nov 14 with this cute skirt inspiration from the wonderful The Black Book of Colors. If you haven't read this book go check it out right now.

Nov 15 featured those adorable overalls from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Nov 16 was making your own Pigeon from the Mo Willems series.

Nov 17 created a transportation tote inspired by School Bus and I Love Planes!

Today, November 18, is inspired by Caps for Sale. How fantastic are these hats?!

The fun continues until November 24. Check out and contribute to the Flikr Group.

Kids with Glasses in Books

Today I'm back with another post about a useful resource for librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers. My littlest dude wears glasses. He started wearing them when he was 2 and I never really noticed before but there aren't many babies and toddlers in glasses. Case in point - people would stop and ask me why he wears glasses and how it was determined at such a young age that he needed them.*

With this new adventure, I set out to learn about kids in glasses and had the wonderful fortune of finding an excellent and informative community called Little Four Eyes. Bonus: it's founded and managed by a librarian. 

Little Four Eyes has a resource page of books depicting children in glasses and other vision needs. Please check it out for your own collection development.

If you're in a library, you probably have the winner of the 2011 Schneider Family Book Award, The Pirate of Kindergarten,  which tells the story of a girl with glasses and an eye patch. What else do you have? What are we missing on this page?

This recent picture book by one of my favorite illustrators caught my eye:

Big Little Brother by Kevin Kling and illustrated by Chris Monroe

Check out the group's active Facebook and Pintrest pages.

*In our case, he has congenital unilateral cataract. His lens was removed when he was 1 and he currently wears a contact lens with glasses to improve his vision. For more info: Aphakia and Aphakic Yahoo Group.

A Lovely Surprise, Part 2

Happy Halloween!

Patti and I were tagged by our blog friend Dog Ear as one of her 5 selections for a Liebster Award which highlights blogs with less than 200 subscribers. We'd like to pass on the goodness by recognizing 5 more blogs. Thank you, Dog Ear!

Printz Picks : Mock Printz discussions. What's not to love here?

Pinot and Prose : This blog is by a former library marketer turned freelancer and food writer. Laura mostly writes about food, so take a break from all your book blogs and let your eyes feast on this one.

Awesome Storytime : This one is a storytime treasure! Librarian, teacher, parent - so many good ideas here.

BookMoot : A long-time kidlit blogger. Camille is a Texas school librarian.

Bookish : A newish blog on the book scene. Check them out.

The award requirements:

• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
• Reveal your 5 picks on your blog with links.
• Let the winners know by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Post the reward on your blog.

(A Lovely Surprise, part 1)

Pintrest: Book & Library Activities

Hi, All!

I'd like talk a bit about my latest online time waster: Pintrest. In addition to looking at lots of pretty pictures and wishing I a) had a sewing machine/knew how to sew b) had a craft closet of unlimited supplies AND a totally cool workspace that I -of course- made myself from Ikea hacks and goodwill finds c) had lots of time to putz around the kitchen ...there are loads of great ideas to use in a classroom or library.

I find fun craft ideas that I wish I knew about when I was doing storytime or having a teen craft.  Here's a sampling of library, book, kid related pins.

Have fun and remember - it's for work! :) 

Pintrest: a beginner's guide

PAGE CORNER BOOKMARKS

Bottle Cap Snowmen Craft

Stay Put Puzzle (or, another use for book jackets!)

My Life According to Books Read So Far in 2009

Thanks to the lovely Educating Alice for this. Some are fun just for the book titles, some more for the content of the book. What's yours?


Describe yourself:
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination

How do you feel?
Anything but Typical

Describe where you currently live:
Salamander Dream

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
A Northern Light

Your favorite form of transport:
Along for the Ride

Your best friend is . . . ?
The Last Invisible Boy

You and your friends are . . .?
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd

What’s the weather like?
Catching Fire

Favourite time of day?
When the Whistle Blows

What is life to you?
The Treasure Map of Boys

Your fear?
The Graveyard Book

What is the best advice you have to give?
Peace, Locomotion

Thought for the Day?
So B. It

How I would like to die:
Magic Trixie and the Dragon

My soul’s present condition?
A Season of Gifts

Book-A- Minute

You know, for when you want all the jist, but none of the boring reading. I have to say it is funny stuff. My favorite? Catcher in the Rye. Classic.

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
"Angst angst angst swear curse swear crazy crazy angst swear curse, society sucks, and I'm a stupid jerk."

For more Book-A-Minute synopses. Thanks Rachel!