Thanks to an LSTA grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, we got some great new books for the IFLS professional collection. If you want to borrow them, you can do so via the staff side of the MORE catalog. If you aren’t on MORE, contact me or the Interloan office to borrow.

Reading is Funny! Motivating Kids to Read with Riddles. by Dee Anderson.
This book includes great ideas for using riddles with bulletin boards, games, public relations and programs. There are suggestions for getting kids to share their own riddles, hundreds of riddles to use (with suggestions for fitting them in to themes), and even suggestions about how to make up riddles of your own.

Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap. by Michael Sullivan.
An update to his book from 2003, this give suggestions of tried-and-true programs, argues for the need to recognize the differences between boys and girls, and nurture the reading skills of boys in particular.

Poetry Aloud Here! Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library. by Sylvia Vardell.
An argument for the importance of poetry in our lives, and concrete suggestions for including poetry in programs, how to share poetry, what to do next, and what poets work well with kids and why.

Public Library Services for the Poor: Doing All We Can. by Leslie Edmonds Holt and Glen E. Holt.
“For many poor people, the library is their only resource for information, literacy, entertainment, language skills, employment help, free computer use, and even safety and shelter…this book offers concrete advice about programs and support for this group, showing you how to: train staff to meet the unique needs fo the poor, including youth; cooperate with other agencies; and find help, financial and other, for your library.” (From the book jacket)