Take a Hike! - Kids' Books About National Parks

Happy Earth Day and National Parks Week!

Another bibliography inspired by my recent travels. In the last few years I've gotten into hiking, which then led to visiting & exploring national parks. The National Park Service has reported record numbers of visitors in the last few years, so clearly I'm not the only one! This bibliography includes fictional stories as well as non-fiction informational books about the parks, their histories, and the people who helped create and take care of them.

Fiction

*Highly Recommended Series!*
National Park Mystery series by Aaron Johnson

Currently 5 books of a planned 10-book series

Self-published, 2022+

260-346 pages, a few illustrations

Ages 9-14

This mystery-adventure series is one of those rare unicorns - self-published books that are really good! I am personally really enjoying this series and *highly* recommend it. This series follows Jake, his cousin Wes, and friend Amber (along with their parents) on a road trip visiting 10 national parks and completing a scavenger hunt planned by his late grandfather. However, what Jake thought was a simple scavenger hunt for fun turns out to be far more important, with precious artifacts to protect, villains to outwit, and ties to one of Jake's ancestors.

This series is well-written, and includes descriptions of several sites and trails in each park, along with clues, puzzles, and secret codes to solve. There are also lessons in teamwork, safety, frienship, and dealing with fears and strong emotions. There is also a story-within-the story set in the past that makes it all the more interesting. Each book in the series begins with a short recap of what has happened in the previous books, and there is factual information and discussion at the end. The books are best read in order. The author's website has a few free resources for teachers, an online scavenger hunt, and bookmarks with codes to solve, a coloring book, and other items to purchase. The parks covered so far are: Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Yosemite. The next five books will take place in Mount Rainier, Olympic, Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons.

*Series For Younger Readers*
The Campground Kids series by C. J. Fulton

Currently 12 books in the series

Bakken Books, 2022+

170-200 pages, very few illustrations

Ages 7-10

Another mystery-adventure series following Isaiah, his sister Sadie, their parents, and cousin Ethan as they visit various national parks, encountering challenges from nature as well as man-made mysteries. This series is more for younger readers as they are short with simple, linear plots. The writing could be better; the moralistic lessons are rather heavy-handed, the characters don't feel authentic at times, and there are some potentially problematic characterizations, such as referring to a senior citizen as "ancient". In my opinion, the quality of this series is nowhere near that of The National Park Mystery series, but it is also aiming for a younger demographic and still worth reading for those who aren't ready for something longer and more complex. Books do not necessarily have to be read in order; though they occasionally refer to previous events, the stories stand alone. The parks covered thus far are: Grand Tetons, Smoky Mountains, Zion, Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Acadia, Glacier, Arches, Olympic, and Joshua Tree.

Where the Sky Lives by Margaret Dilloway

HarperCollins, 2022

336 pages

Ages 9-12

Tuesday lives in Zion National Park where her mother is the park archaeologist, and where her late uncle taught her astronomy. But now a new development is threatening the dark sky stargazing at Zion, as well as the habitat of an endangered animal. This story deals with loss and grief, mother-daughter relationships, science, and environmentalism, all set against the backdrop of Zion National Park.

Camp Time In California by Mary Pope Osborne

#35 in the Magic Treehouse series

Random House, 2021

112 pages

Ages 6-9

Jack and Annie's latest magical adventure takes them to Yosemite National Park to save the wilderness! A beloved modern classic beginning chapter book series for transitional readers.

*Available in Prose or Graphic Formats*
I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 by Lauren Tarshis

#17 in the I Survived series/#5 in I Survived graphix series

Random House, 2018/Graphix, 2022

144 pages/160 pages

Ages 8-11

This installment from another beloved transitional series tells a fictionalized story of the 1967 grizzly bear attacks in Glacier National Park, from the point of view of fictional 11-year old Melody Vega. In real life, these attacks led to many changes in policy and management of national parks to reduce human-bear interactions and prevent future attacks. Also available in graphic format.

The Growling Bear Mystery 

#61 in The Boxcar Children series created by Gertrude Warner

Random House, 1997

128 pages

Ages 7-10

In this installment of the popular Boxcar Children mystery series the Alden's are on a treasure hunt in Yellowstone National Park, searching for the legendary lost gold of the Lost Miner's Cabin. However, it seems that someone doesn't want them to find it, and all are not as they seem!

*Picturebook*
Travel Guide for Monsters by Lori Degman & Steve Szalay

Sleeping Bear Press, 2020

32 pages, illustrated

Ages 3-6

Just on the off chance you were planning to take a monster with you on your road trip across America, you should read this book! Little kids will love this humorous book with travel tips for accompanying monsters, which includes visits to several national parks, as well as various cities, historical sites, landmarks, and other sites of interest.

Encyclopedias & Atlases 

These are good if you are interested in learning a little about multiple or all parks, and may be the only books with info on some of the lesser-known parks. For more info about specific parks, try the series non-fiction below.

*Tried & True*
Eyewitness National Parks by DK

DK/Penguin Random House, 2023 

72 pages

Ages 8-12

This classic packs a lot of information in in a small space, though some of the less popular parks are relegated to half a page. One thing that I really like about this book is that it includes a small map of each park; they aren't detailed, but a really nice addition that none of the other encylopedias have. One thing I really don't like is that there doesn't seem to be a logical order, maybe roughly east to west?? At least there is an index and all 63 parks are represented.

*All 63 National Parks*
The National Parks Encyclopedia by Allison Lassieur

Abdo Books, 2023

192 pages

Ages 8-12

One of the more recent publications, this encyclopedia includes all 63 National Parks, with 2-4 pages of photos and highlights for each. It is a smaller format than other encyclopedias, so photos are smaller and fewer, and may not have as much information as others, but it has an attractive, modern aesthetic.

*Good Info & Photos, Confusing Order*

The National Parks by Stefanie Payne

DK/Random House, 2020

128 pages

Ages 8 and up

This book is fairly recent, but it is missing the newest national park, New River Gorge in West Virginia, which was designated a national park at the end of 2020. The first spread is a general introduction to national parks, followed by nice map of the U.S. showing the locations of all of the national parks, with size of the park indicated, and color-coded by the type of habitat. That is followed by 1-2 pages for each park, with a few interesting facts, photos, and illustrations with a few full-spread photos for selected parks. The one thing I *really* didn't like is the parks seem to be listed randomly, with no rhyme or reason that I could figure out; they are not listed alphabetically, chronologically, or geographically. Fortunately, there is an index at least. The book finishes with a few tips for wildlife spotting and a glossary.

*A Mix of National Parks & Other Landmarks*
National Parks: A Kid's Guide to America's Parks, Monuments, and Landmarks

by Erin McHugh (author) & Neal Aspinall, Doug Lean, Brian Maebius (illustrators)

Workman Kids, 2019

128 pages

Ages 8-12

I have a bone to pick with the author and publisher for entitling this book "National Parks" when it only includes some of the actual National Parks. However, it does include several other parks, forests, landmarks, monuments, and historical sites that you might also be visiting on your road trip, or be otherwise interested in learning about.

*Artistic Illustrations & Companion Activity Book*
National Parks of the U.S.A. 

by Kate Siber (author) & Chris Turnham (illustrator)

Wide Eyed Books, 2018

112 pages

Ages 8-12

This book is truly a work of art, with illustrations rather than photographs and a lovely embossed cover. The downside is that it only covers 21 of the now 63 national parks. But for the parks it does cover, it packs in a lot of information, particularly about the wildlife, which will appeal to kids. You can also purchase an accompanying activity book with activities, a fold-out poster, and stickers to go with it.

*More Great Sights to See*
National Monuments of the U.S.A.

by Cameron Walker (author) & Chris Turnham (illustrator)

Wide Eyed Books, 2023

112 pages

Ages 8-12

A companion to the book of national parks above, this book features a wide variety of national monuments, some natural and some man-made, including the Statue of Liberty, the National Mall, Dinosaur Monument, Devils Tower, and many more. Beautifully illustrated with an embossed cloth cover. A great complement to any National Park encyclopedia. There is also a companion activity book available, with more than 25 activities, a fold-out poster, and 30 stickers.

*Fun Scavenger Hunt*
The National Parks Scavenger Hunt by Stacy Tornio

Timber Press, 2023

236 pages

Ages 5-11

This book turns exploring national parks into a fun scavenger hunt with items to find or activities to do at each park to score points. All 63 national parks included.

*Best Atlas*
Atlas of the National Parks by Jon Waterman

National Geographic, 2019

432 pages

Ages 12 and up

Ok, this is not a kids' book, but is far superior to the children's atlas below. I would skip the kids' maps and use this one. Because it was published in 2019, it is missing the two most recent National Parks, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and New River Gorge in West Virginia.

*Disappointing*
National Parks Maps by Abby Leighton

Gibbs Smith Books, 2021

80 pages

Ages 6-12

I was so excited when I first came across this title, but was very disappointed after I got my hands on a physical copy. I really question the artistic choice to represent the maps in such a cartoon-y graphic style with fonts and color-schemes that make them very hard to get much useful information from them, especially with some of the color choices. Some are better than others, but overall such a missed opportunity in my opinion, though reader reviews on Amazon are much more favorable, so it may just be a matter of aesthetics and personal preference. 

National Park History & General Info

*Graphic Novel*
The National Parks: Preserving America's Wild Places

by Falynn Koch

First Second/Roaring Books Press, 2022

128 pages

Ages 9-13

Part of the publisher's History Comics series and narrated by Sasquatch, this book tells the story of how the concept of national parks and the resulting National Park service developed. As Sasquatch explains it to his bald eagle friend, readers will learn about the process of how national parks are designated, other types of federal parks and lands, and how parks may lose national park designation. This book is not so much the history of specific parks (though some are touched on) but of the idea of national parks as a whole. The author has served in the national park service as both a park ranger at various parks, monuments, and historic sites as well as an administrator. (Readers may also be interested in The American Bison: The Buffalo's Survival Tale by Andy Hirsch from the same series.)

*Picturebook*
The Camping Trip That Changed America

by Barb Rosenstock and Mordicai Gerstein

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012

32 pages

Ages 6-10

This non-fiction picturebook tells of the camping experience with John Muir that inspired President Theodore Roosevelt to lead the development of legislation to protect wilderness areas and wildlife, leading to the creation of national parks, forests, wilderness areas, and wildlife sactuaries and today's National Park Service. 

50 True Tales from Our Great National Parks

by Stephanie Pearson (author) & Madeline Kloepper (illustrator)

Wide Eyed Editions, 2024

128 pages

Ages 7-12

A collection of 50 short stories. Some tell of historical events, others about an interesting plant or animal, how parks were formed, and a few are folklore. Interesting, but the stories are a bit too short, in my opinion, and leave the reader wanting to know more. Good supplement to an encyclopedia or other non-fiction.

*Graphic Novel*
Major Impossible by Nathan Hale

#9 of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series

Amuelt Books, 2019

128 pages

Ages 8-12

People are divided on whether books in this graphic series are historical fiction or non-fiction; I'm leaning toward historical fiction, based on factual events. With a limited color palette, this graphic novel tells of Civil War veteran and explorer John Wesley Powell's harrowing expedition to ride the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1869, long before it was a National Park. Powell is portrayed as a heroic explorer in this story, but in real life Powell's legacy as a man who "never saw a river he didn't want to dam" is more complex.

*Picturebook*
If I Were a Park Ranger 
by Catherin Stier & Patrick Corrigan

Albert Whitman & Co., 2022

32 pages

Ages 3-6

A non-fiction picturebook that introduces children to an often under-appreciated and under-represented occupation. Children will learn a litte about what a park ranger does and how they help make state and national parks more accessible and enjoyable for us all.

*Boardbook*
B is for Bison by Greg Paprocki

Babylit, 2021

32 pages

Ages 0-5

This cute little alphabet boardbook features wildlife and scenery from 26 different national parks. Readers may also be interested in C is for Camping by the same author. There are actually a surprising number of national-park themed boardbooks available; too many to include here, but easy enough to find if you search online.

Series Non-Fiction

For more detailed information on selected national parks. 

*Most Recent*

U.S. National Parks series by Bellwether Media

Multiple authors & illustrators

Published in 2023 & 2024

32 pages

Interest Level - Grades 3-8

Reading Level - 4th Grade

This is the most recent series to the market and thus should have the most up to date information. The covers are fresh and modern, evoking the classic arrowhead logo of the National Parks. Inside you'll find lots of info-bites about the park: where it is, the geography, how it was formed, wildlife, plants, things to do and see, human impact, stats, timeline, food web, glossary, index, and a few suggested books and websites for more information. It is heavily illustrated with beautiful photographs, with a few infographics. This series is perfect for readers who want to get a brief overview of the park and see lots of photographs. Though publisher recommends for grades 3-8, I think younger children would also enjoy sharing it with a caregiver, and 6th grade and up might find it too superficial.

The downside of this series is that as of now, only 12 of the 63 National Parks are included: Acadia, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Everglades, Grand Tetons, Joshua Tree, and Olympic. It is unclear if more titles will be added.

*Favorite Overall Non-Fiction Series*
"A True Book" National Parks series by Scholastic
Multiple authors & illustrators
First published in 1997, latest editions 2018/2019

48 pages
Recommended for ages 3-10

Very similar to the Bellwether series above, with lots of color photos, some infographics and stats, and brief tidbits of info about the park, things to see, things to do, animals, plants, glossary, index, and suggestions for more info. However, this series has several more pages and tells a bit more of the history of the park, and scores major points for including a decent map of the park. I would probably say this I like this series the best of all, with Bellwether's U.S. National Parks a very close second. One downside is that this series is older, so some of the information will be outdated and I'm not sure if it is still in print. Hopefully new, updated editions are coming soon! 

Again, doesn't include every national park, and some that are included are actually national monuments or historical sites rather than official "National Parks". Included parks are: Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Cuyahoga Valley, Death Valley, Everglades, Gettysburg, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawai'i Volcanoes, Joshua Tree, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Mt. Ranier, Olympic, Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion. Also note there is also a Scholastic "Rookie"  national park series for younger readers.

*Best for Older Readers*
Preserving America series by Creative Education
Multiple authors & illustrators
2016

48 pages
Recommended for ages 10-14

This series is not for someone who wants quickly-digestible tidbits of information and to be able to flip through a book a quickly get a good "feel" for a place. However, if you need a source for a school report or project or want to do more in-depth reading, this series fits the bill. While these books do have plenty of color photographs, they also have pages of dense text written at a higher reading level. A glossary and index are included, as well as a more detailed map and longer bibliography of books and websites for additional information. 

Note this is an older series, so information may be dated, but it does include some parks not found in other series. Parks included are: Badlands, Big Bend, Death Valley, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

*Most Artistic*
Earth's Incredible Places series by Flying Eye Books
Multiple authors
2023/2024

80 pages
Recommended for ages 8-12

This series currently includes two U.S. National Parks, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. These books are absolute works of art, with lovely illustrations throughout, gorgeous endpapers, and beautiful emobssed cloth covers; just beautiful! They would be great for a personal collection, but the covers aren't going to hold up well in a public or school library as they will hold onto dirt and stains and can't be easily cleaned. This series is for the older reader, with more pages and more text per page, and provides more in-depth info about the history, geography, and ecology of the park, and also includes a map, albeit heavily stylized. However, while it gives a general idea of things to do in the park, it doesn't give any specific sites, and though the illustrations are absolutely lovely, they don't give one as good of a "feel" for the park as photographs so best to pair with a book from one of the other series.

*Fold-Out Map*
Where Is... series by WhoHQ
Multiple authors
Penguin, 2024
Around 100 pages
Ages 10-14

This series also currently only includes two national parks, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, and is for older readers who want information and don't care about photographs. Like the original and oh, so popular Who Is/Was...? biography series, this book is written in a more narrative, chapter book format with only black & write drawings. However, it scores points for the color fold-out map, detailed timeline, and bibliography in the back.

These are just some of the books related to national parks that are available. There are several more encyclopedia-type books that I was not able to get copies of to review, as well as a number of boardbooks (though surprisingly almost no picturebooks) and stand-alone books on individual parks. In addition, there are several activity and coloring books that can be purchased online. 

To find more on national parks, try searching for "National Parks" or the name of a specific national park, then narrow your search by fiction or non-fiction, and age group/intended audience. Or ask your local librarian or bookseller for help! You can also check the official websites for each park, or download the official National Park app. Don't forget, there are many other federal parks, forests, wilderness areas, wildlife sactuaries, monuments, and historical sites that are not designated as "National Parks", plus a plethora of state parks and historic sites!

UFOs, Aliens, and Flying Saucers - Books About the Roswell Incident for Middle Grade Readers

This fun little bibliography was inspired by a recent trip to New Mexico. The original plan was to fly into El Paso, Texas, and drive a loop to visit three national parks: Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands, but I later decided it would be fun to add a day in Roswell, New Mexico, to see all the kitschy alien stuff as well, and it was! 

Since this little detour was inspired by having recently read a really good middle-grade book with a fictitious story about the Roswell incident, I decided to put together a few other titles of fiction and non-fiction related to the Roswell Incident, flying saucers, and other UFOs. This bibliography would be perfect for those intrigued by UFOs, those who enjoy science fiction, or those who may also be planning a visit to Roswell.

Non-Fiction 

What Do We Know About the Roswell Incident?
Ben Hubbard (author) & Andrew Thompson (illustrator
WhoHQ, Penguin/Random House, 2023, 112 p.
Ages: 8-12

The Roswell Incident and subsequent myths and hoaxes related to it is really too complex of a topic for this series to tackle, and results in a superficial and over-simplified story. While a more simple overview of topics and biographies is the hallmark of the WhoHQ brand and is more appropriate for the intended audience of younger middle-grade readers, in this case it results in a less than clear distinction of fact from fiction that may leave some readers confused about what really happened. 

However, it is one of very few books on the subject for younger readers, and would be ideal for lessons in critical thinking and information literacy, with adult guidance and discussion. Though reportedly for ages 8-12, with its larger font, greater amount of white space, and illustrations, it is more likely to appeal to ages 8-10.

⭐Crash from Outer Space:
Unraveling the Mystery of Flying Saucers, Alien Beings, and Roswell.
Candace Fleming (author)
Scholastic Focus, 2022, 288 p.
Ages 8-12

Fleming does an excellent job of presenting all the various stories, alleged evidence, and the social, political, and technological conditions that led to the development and spread of tales of flying saucers and alien beings that began with the Roswell incident in 1947, and how they have been de-bunked. This book does a much better job of separating fact from fiction that the one above, as to be expected since it is approximately three times as long and written at a higher level. The text is supplemented by numerous photographs to help maintain interest and support the information in the text. Fleming also supplies a lengthy bibliography divided into primary and secondary sources, as well as source notes by chapter and photo/illustration credits.

Due to the length and higher reading level, I would recommend this book for ages 10 and up; it would also be good for teens or adults who are interested in reading an objective, fact-based account of the Roswell Incident and subsequent saucer-mania, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories. Highly recommend! 

Fiction 

⭐Eyes On the Sky
J. Kasper Kramer (author)
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024, 256p.
Ages 8-12

This a story of historical science fiction, set in 1947 outside of Roswell, New Mexico, and has strong themes of family and friendship. And flying saucers! 

Dorothy lives with her older brother on a small ranch outside of the small, decidedly boring town of Roswell where nothing ever happens. Until it does. A budding scientist with a particular interest in rockets, Dorothy keeps herself busy with various scientific experiments. One stormy night there is an explosion in the sky, which Dorothy fears may have been the giant weather balloon she had just launched. Fearful of getting in trouble and being removed from her brother's custody, Dorothy urgently searches for the remains of her balloon, hoping to find them before authorities do, and instead discovers a flying saucer and alien life-forms!

This is a fun, sometimes suspenseful, read with a great plot twist perfect for older middle-grade readers who are interested in UFO's and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Highly recommend!

Out There
Seaerra Miller (author/illustrator)
Little Brown Ink, 2023, 232 p.
Ages 8-12

Julia is going on a road trip to Roswell, New Mexico, with her father to attend the 75th Anniversary UFO festival, but not just for laughs. Julia's father believes he was abducted by aliens, and is looking for answers. Why was he abducted? For what purpose? Why him? Though initially Jules accepts her father's story of alien abduction without question, over the course of the trip she begins to have doubts.

This graphic novel weaves a story about family bonds, loyalty, and realizing parents are only human. The format will allow readers to experience some of the sights of the southwest and the saucer-mania of Roswell along with Julia, and the story portrays the complexity of family relationships  with humor and sensitivity. I would suggest this is more appropriate for ages 10 and up in most cases.

The Area 51 Files 
Julie Buxbaum (author), Lavanya Naidu (illustrator)
Delacort Press, 2022, 304 p.
Ages 8-12

After Sky's grandmother dies, she is sent to live with an uncle she barely knows. Imagine her surprise when she finds herself living in Area 51 [the site in Nevada where the mythical saucer and alien bodies from the Roswell incident are supposedly kept], a top-secret military base that is so classified, not even the President knows its secrets! Namely, that it is full of aliens! As Sky begins to adjust to her new surroundings and get to know her unusual neighbors, a mystery develops that threatens them all.

This is a light-hearted, illustrated, fun sci-fi adventure inspired by the lore and theories surrounding the mysterious Area 51 that is perfect for leisure reading and will likely appeal to fans of The Last Kids on Earth, Eerie Elementary, Notebook of Doom, etc. This is the first book of a series which currently has three volumes, with the fourth to be released in July, 2025. 

Roswell Johnson Saves the World!
Chris Colfer (author)
Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024, 464p.
Ages 8-12

Roswell Johnson is obsessed with UFOs, extraterrestrial life, and government conspiracies, which is no surprise considering he was named after a city famous for its alleged flying saucer crash. But after a disappointing response to his UFO-themed science fair project, Roswell swears he is done with believing in aliens. That is, until he is accidentally abducted by a pair of friendly alien life forms and finds out the earth is in danger of being invaded by a very unfriendly alien species! 

This light-hearted adventure is the first of a duology, with the second book, Roswell Johnson Saves the Galaxy, due to be released in September, 2025. This series will appeal to readers who like light-hearted, but fast-paced adventures and are not intimidated by longer books. Note there are also illustrations sprinkled throughout to help bring the story to life. 

We Are Not Alone
Katryn Bury (author)
HarperCollins, 2024, 320 p.
Ages 8-12

This is a more serious story that doesn't specifically relate to Roswell, but is included since one of the themes that helps tie all the characters together is an interest in UFOs, and it is a recent publication. Sam is a cancer survivor, but dealing with grief and survivor guilt after the death of his best friend Oscar, and having trouble fitting in back at school after someone spreads a rumor that he lied about having cancer. He finds an unexpected friendship with popular girl Cat, who also has an interest in UFOs, an interest he had shared with Oscar. Their search for information leads them to a surprising connection to the past.

This book packs a lot into one story - being yourself, making friends, cancer, loss, survivor guilt, and of course, UFOs - and does it very well. It is all well-integrated into the story, and nothing feels extraneous or forced. While it does deal with some heavy topics, it doesn't feel like a heavy read overall. Because of the varied themes, I think this book could appeal to a wide range of middle-grade readers who enjoy or are open to realistic fiction. 

For more informational books about aliens and UFOs, check the beginning of the non-fiction section at your local library, in the 001.942s. For books about astronomy and space, look in the 520s, and for vehicles used in space exploration try the 629.4s. For fictional stories, try searching the catalog for the following: Roswell, aliens, UFO, extraterrestrials, flying saucers, space, spaceships, or astronauts; or ask a librarian!

If you do have the opportunity to visit Roswell, be sure to check out the International UFO Museum and Research Center (complete with research library) and other fun attractions and shops in town, and walk and drive around to see how many aliens and murals you can spot! The collage below features just a few of the ones I saw during my visit. 👽🛸

Where Are the Younger Middle-Grade Books?

In December I aired my Festivus grievance against the lack of really good, engaging, and developmentally appropriate books for toddlers, particularly those that would be good for group read-alouds, i.e. toddler storytime. But that is not my only frustration with kid-lit. In the last year I have come to realize how challenging it is to find *new* middle-grade fiction for the younger end of middle-grade after a restructuring changed my collection development focus from birth through teen to birth through age 11, and expanded the teen department to include upper middle-grade, which used to be included in the juvenile collection.

That has left me with quite the conundrum. "Middle Grade" is generally considered ages 8-12 (though that range varies depending on who you ask, and many erroneously conflate "middle grade" to mean "middle school"), and this re-structuring resulted in middle-grade being split between two locations and two selectors.  As I shifted my focus to the younger end of middle-grade and tried to search out books that were for elementary ages and had protagonists that were closer to 10, I had a really hard time finding anything beyond beginner/transitional chapter books and graphic novels/comics.

Apparently, there is an unwritten rule that middle-grade protagonists must be 12 years old and in 7th grade. I really didn't realize just how consistent it was until I began purposefully looking for books for the younger end with younger protagonists. Lists of hot and upcoming middle-grade books are predominantly for the older end of the range, almost always with 12-year old characters and frequently featuring subjects and situations that are a little mature or complex for elementary kids. Using the "ages 9-11" audience filter on the vendor site yields, once again, books with 12 year-old protagonists and often more mature/complex subject matter, but when I use the "ages 8-9" filter, I generally get few results and more of the really short, highly illustrated transitional and beginning chapter books, and even still get books more for middle schoolers.

Of course I know kids generally like to read about kids slightly older than themselves, but can an 8 year old in 3rd grade *really* relate that well to a 12-year old seventh-grader dealing with all the angst of changing friendships, peer pressure, and budding romances of middle school? That's a big difference in development and life experience. And while there are books with 12-year old characters that are clearly written for a younger audience, they can often be difficult to find and identify. I feel like it shouldn't be so hard to find "meatier" MG fiction, something beyond transitional/beginner chapter books, that is truly written for the younger middle grade audience of strong readers.

It hasn't always been that way, has it? I can think of a number of great middle-grade classics, many of which are still popular, that are for the younger end of the MG range. Beverly Cleary's Ramona series follows Ramona from age 5 to age 10, Henry Huggins ranges from age 8-11, and Keith is 8 years old at the beginning of The Mouse and the Motorcycle series. Fern in E. B. White's Charlotte's Web is also eight, and Peter from Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is 9, while Margaret from If You're There, God... is 11. Dorothy's age is never explicitly stated in The Wizard of Oz series, but can be extrapolated from comparison to another character to be 11. 

While there are some more contemporary middle-grade fiction books for younger readers, they seem to be few and far between and often have non-human main characters. Some that come to mind are A Boy Called Bat by Elana Arnold, Katherine Applegate's The One and Only... series, Odder, Dogtown, and Crenshaw; and Peter Brown's The Wild Robot series. Gordan Korman's books typically have older characters, but appeal to a younger audience, as do series like The Last Kids on Earth, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Dork Diaries. I know there are others I'm forgetting, but I could easily throw out dozens of titles and series for the top end of MG fiction without have to think too hard or browse the collection. 

So, what's going on? I can only speculate, but I'm sure part of it is that I just haven't figured out the best way to find what I'm looking for. I also think part of it is that previously there were not enough transitional and beginning chapter books, and to meet that demand the focus shifted from publishing short novels for the younger end of middle grade to the much shorter, highly illustrated transitional books. In addition, the rapid rise in popularity of graphic novels combined with parents and teachers becoming more accepting of this format further shifted focus away from prose to graphic formats. And finally, I suspect that publishers know kids are more likely to read about characters older than themselves than younger, and therefore decided to set the age of all middle-grade characters at the top end of the age range, figuring younger readers would still read about 12-year olds, but the 12-year olds aren't going to read about a 10 year old. 

Has anyone else found selecting new fiction that is not graphic novels or transitional books for older elementary kids to be a challenge, or is it just me? Know of any great books to fill this niche that have been published in the last year, or will be published this year?

Time Audit Continued - Another Month in the Work Life of a Children's Librarian

 

In a previous post I described conducting a time audit and the results of the first month (November). I found the time audit helpful and decided to continue tracking my time. I made a few changes to make it easier and less time consuming, and combined some categories. Before I was logging everything on paper and doing calculations by hand, which took a lot more time that I had expected. I liked being able to have a paper log on a clipboard that I could keep handy, so I came up with a hybrid method using a simplified paper log to quickly jot down what I was doing and for how long, and then would enter it into a spreadsheet later, and set up a pivot table to figure out all the totals, and a pie chart that I could update as I went along.

Once again, the categories and sub-categories I used are below:

• Programming
• Researching - Looking for ideas, checking out performers, testing activities, etc.
• Planning - When, what, and how activities will be done, making written plan, ordering/buying supplies
• Prep/Set Up - Prepping materials, setting up room, putting things out, making signs, writing & printing directions, making slides, etc.
• Execution - The actual program
• Clean Up/Take Down - Putting things away, cleaning, putting furniture back
• Administrative - Putting events in calendar, recording attendance, compiling stats, marketing 
• Outreach
• Researching - Looking for potential clients/partners and making initial contacts
• Planning - Planning specific activities and making written plan
• Preparation - Getting everything ready to go, pulling books to take
• Execution - The actual outreach visit or event
• Administrative - Scheduling, recording attendance, compiling stats
• Collection Management
• Maintenance - Weeding, ordering replacements, un-"NEW" ing
• Development - Selection, patron requests, ordering
• Marketing - Displays, bibliographies, reviews, social media spotlights, etc.
• Customer Service
• Children's Desk - assigned to children's service desk
• Main Circ Desk - assigned to main circ desk
• Spontaneous - When stopped by patrons needing help while on the floor or walking through, stepping in at desk during busy times to help.
• Professional Development - conferences, webinars, courses, workshops, reading professional journals, trade magazines, blogs
• Training & Supervising of Staff - Providing training for, giving instructions to, answering questions from, or evaluating direct report and other staff
• Administrative - Time spent on time audit and any other paperwork, reporting, or managerial duties not specifically related to programming, outreach, collection work, or supervising direct report; general meetings, email, and phone calls.
• Breaks - brief paid breaks taken on the clock, not counting quick trips to the restroom less than 5 minutes
• Other - All the unexpected miscellaneous stuff that comes up, all the conversations with coworkers not directly or exclusively related to any of the other categories, decorating the department, cleaning, organizing, etc. Anything that doesn't fit the above categories but is still work-related. Conversations that were exclusively social in nature are recorded as breaks.

And here are the results for January, which ended up being closer to 3 weeks than 4 due to holidays and snow days:

This month was more balanced that the previous one, with a little less time spent on programming and more spent on collection work and outreach. This is pretty close to what I think it should be, though ideally, I would like to spend more time on customer service and less time in meetings. Logging time spent at the service desk was also a bit of a conundrum, since I often work on other projects when it's slow. I ended up logging time spent on projects while at the desk under the relevant categories, so the actual time spent at the service desk isn't accurately represented here. 

Taking a closer look at programming shows once again that time spent in the execution of the program is only the tip of the iceberg:

Compared to November, I spent even less time on the execution of programs and more on researching and planning. This is due to one of the weekly storytimes being taken over by another staff member and my spending a lot of time on booking performers for summer and researching ideas for in-house programs for summer, in addition to planning programs for March and April. During this time period I did the weekly toddler storytime, monthly Pokemon and Lego programs, a family craft program, and 2 Kidbrarians for a total of 8 programs.

I really found continuing the time audit to be very helpful. Updating the pie chart each day was very helpful in setting priorities and deciding what to focus on when I found I had a nice chunk of un-scheduled time with no urgent deadlines, This kept collection work and professional development from being inadvertently pushed to the back burner, and forced me to be more decisive in programming and collection development, rather than over-researching and going down rabbit holes.

Now that I have a system set up that works for me, I am going to continue until I have a year's worth of data. I think it will be interesting to see how much the distribution changes from month to month, and the yearly averages over all.