#SOL A Little Free Librarian

 Happy Tuesday!  Today is Slice of Life (#SOL) Tuesday!

Photo by Amy Soto

A Little Free Librarian

About a year ago, my church was looking for someone to manage their Little Free Library.  Of course, I jumped at the4 opportunity to help out!  Each week or every few days, I stop by the LFL to organize its contents and add new titles to its shelves.  I am now called the church librarian.  I love the title and love taking care of the adorable little library.  I have ordered a mini flag and hung it on a flag holder next to the library.  The flag reads, “Read, Return, Repeat.” 

Photo by Amy Soto

 Next to the library, there is a bench.  I live across the street from the church and its little free library.  I am able to look out my window and see people sometimes sitting on the bench with a book.  Last summer, there was even an older lady with a young girl in a stroller that visited the library weekly.  Each week, the pair would select books, sit on the bench and the woman would read to the child.  This brought me such joy.  

In a small room of the church, I have a store of donated books that I draw from each week to stock the library.  I often donate my own books as well.  The top shelf usually holds adult books and the bottom shelf contains children’s books, middle grade, picture, and even board books.  It’s fun to see what books get borrowed, what books are donated by LFL patrons, and which books return.  

I follow little free libraries on Instagram and recently saw that someone had decorated the window of the library with shamrocks.  I loved this idea and have decided to do something similar with my little free library.  I think that I will make a seasonal shape, such as umbrellas, bunnies, or eggs and place them on the inside window of the library.  I will encourage library patrons to take one to use as a bookmark.  

Being the librarian of my church’s little free library is so much fun!  Since I am a retired elementary school librarian, it allows me to still enjoy some aspects, in a very small way, of my former position.  

Photo by Amy Soto

                                                              

It’s a beautiful spring day, so I will stop over to the church, visit my book room, and organize and restock my little free library.  It is time for a spring cleaning.  It is also spring break week for the local schools.  So, maybe the little free library will have some extra visitors who might need something good to read while on break from school!

Photo by Amy Soto

Photo by Amy Soto

I hope you have an opportunity to visit a little free library!  Happy Reading!

What is Slice of Life?  Visit Two Writing Teachers to learn more.  To read other Slice of Life stories, please visit here.

Slice of Life Story: Finding My Way Back to Books

Last week, I wrote about, How Children's Books Saved My Life.  While this is true, the day that my husband passed, I entered what I call "The Reading Slump of a Lifetime."  I've been in reading slumps many times.  I can't seem to figure out what to read and nothing seems appealing, or to be able to live up to what I had just completed.   "The Reading Slump of a Lifetime," began that fateful day and lasted for about 2 years. For many months I had no interest in reading anything at all.  Then when I tried to pick up the pieces of my reading life, I began with picture books.  I just couldn't do it- picture books didn't appeal and I couldn't even fathom reading a middle grade or YA, not to mention and adult selection.  I was simply not interested in reading in the voracious manner that I once had.  Books seemed to be of the past, having to do with my previous life- before I was a widow.  Reading and books were lost to me.  I just couldn't fathom living the same bookish life.  

Talking about the reading funk didn't help, so I decided to give myself the gift of time and repeated attempts at reading whatever I thought it might help.  Eventually I realized that the bookish life that I so longed for, WAS my life.  I just wasn't the same person as I once had been.  What I needed was time. Time to heal and become the person that I am today.  That person is the bookish girl who loves everything about books, and reading, bookstores, libraries, and anything book-related.    

I am happy to report that I am back- the true book nerd that I always have been!  If anything, I believe that I am today, an even bigger bibliophile.  I read daily, continuously add to my TBR list, blog about books, bookshop regularly, seek out bookish adventures, care for a Little Free Library, visit LFLs, collect bookish knick knacks, talk about books, and decorate my home with bookish decor.  

I used to read as many new books as I could.  Although reading new releases is something that I do often, I no longer try to "keep up with the Jones'" of the book community.  I spend my time reading what I want, when I want. One of my pursuits is to catch up on the wonderful books that I may have missed over the years.  So, if you can recommend your favorites from the last 4 years, I'd love to hear about them and possibly add them to my ever-growing TBR list.  Please leave the titles in the comments. Let's talk books!  Thank you!

Happy Reading!  

What is Slice of Life?  Visit Two Writing Teachers to learn more.

Slice of Life Story: How Children's Books Saved My Life

Me as Pete the Cat

Photo by S.R. (a student library helper)

Me as the main character in Kevin Henkes's In My Garden

Photo by Sienna Merrill

Me as Harry Potter

Photo by S.R. (a student library helper)

Every week in my library was a celebration of children's books, storytelling, artwork, and of course poetry!  But in 2017, I shared with students and staff the wonderful celebration, Children’s Book Week, which began in 1919. We admired Christian Robinson's poster that he created for that year's celebration and discussed the theme: "One World, Many Stories". We had guest readers share their favorite books and talk about special memories surrounding their favorite books. I read various favorite books of my own and read aloud some lovely poetry. 

I love to booktalk and promote reading in lots of different and fun ways. On the first day of Children's Book Week in 2017, I decided to match my wardrobe to different books. It first began with wearing a favorite Dr. Seuss T-shirt that proclaimed the joys of reading.  The following days during that week, I coordinated my clothing to either match a book character's, or the colors of the cover art.  Students and staff enjoyed seeing which character or book cover I matched each day.  

Unbeknownst to my students and colleagues, my book-matching wardrobe was not only for the students but also for me.  I was going through an extremely traumatic time in my life - I was not only caring for my family, but also for my terminally ill husband.  Coordinating my wardrobe to match books and their characters and posting my photos to Instagram, became a way for me to distract myself from what was going on in my personal life and gave me reason to get out of bed each day.  My book wardrobe continued into the summer months and abruptly came to an end shortly before my husband passed.  

Although this Slice of Life story may seem depressing, it really is a story of how children's books help save my life.  

What is Slice of Life?  Visit Two Writing Teachers to learn more.

Collection

Me with a recent book purchase for a special collection.

Photo by Mark Soto

Poetry Ponderings

On Tuesday, I wrote a "Slice of Life" story called, My Bookish Book Collection.  It's a story about  the addition of a book for my collection of books about books, reading, and libraries.  As I reflected on this piece of writing, I began to wonder if I could turn it into a poem.  As always, my poems are works in progress, but I thought I'd share here.  

My Poem

Collection                                                                                                                                                          by Amy Soto

I have a special collection

of something I love -

books.

They line many shelves all through my house - books.

A  favorite, curated, compilation, stars treasured books about libraries, reading, books.

I have a special collection of something I love -  books.

After playing around with the lines, I thought maybe this could be a shape poem (you have to look at it sideways). What do you think? Does it qualify as a shape/concrete poem?

Some of my bookish bookshelves.

Photo by Amy Soto

Poetry Love

I always have a large TBR pile and have recently decided that my weekly reads must include poetry.  Now that I am not in the school library, I don't have the opportunity to share poetry with children on a regular basis.  I'm still thinking of ways that I can do so and will be sure to share here, on Poetry Friday, when I do.  In the meantime, I decided to ensure that I am at least reading poetry each week.  This week, my poetry reading is one of my new favorite anthologies.  

From my poetry collection.

Photo by Amy Soto

This week's Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe.  

Slice of Life… a Return to Stories

Last year, I left teaching and my beloved position as an elementary school librarian, I retired early due to some health issues. Since I’ve left, I hadn’t shared stories or read aloud to children in over a year.  Part of me missed it and another part of me made peace with the fact that I wasn’t meant to share books, poems, or tell stories anymore.  My friend and colleague had been asking me to be a guest storyteller in her virtual kindergarten class.  I avoided her invitation until recently when I accepted and looked at it as a challenge, of sorts.  

So, on a hot day in June, during the last week of school, I logged on to a Zoom meeting with my friend’s kindergarten class, to share some of my favorite picture books!  After I was introduced and the children were settled in, I began by previewing what I planned to share  I showed off my watermelon apron to let the children know I’d be sharing a book about eating watermelon (The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli).  I then introduced them to my friend, Corduroy.  I opened with an animated telling of Don Freeman’s Corduroy, as I showed illustrations from the classic picture book.  We then took a short dance break with the “Gummi Bear” song (Corduroy danced right along with everyone else, of course!).  I then shared The Watermelon Seed in an interactive way.  

The children, their teacher, and I all had a great time! It was as though I had never stopped telling stories and sharing great picture books!  I was surprised at how invigorated that I felt  I’m so happy that I agreed to come back to my love!Thank you, Raquel for not giving up on me!

Thank you for stopping by to read about my return to storytimes!  I’m happy to report that I will continue to volunteer for regular storytimes!  I’ll be able to share my love for picture books, poems, and all things story.  Stay tuned for more of my adventures in storytelling this upcoming school year.

Be sure to visit Two Writing Teachers to read other Slice of Life stories