Category Archives: Library

My time at the NYPL

Javaka Steptoe

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While volunteering at the New York Public Library, I became interested in children’s literature. Almost every week I was reading a new book to a new child. Every child I worked with, was able to pick out a book of their interest for me to read to them.

It didn’t take long for my journal to be filled with children author’s, illustrators, and photographers. When the year was up and I started to work, I missed working with children and reading children books. To fill this void, I contacted all the artist that I could, offering my services for almost nothing but experience in return.

Javaka Steptoe, an African-American children’s book artist, replied to my email almost immediately. We begin working together.

A little after I began to work for him, his recent book, Jimi: Sounds like a Rainbow, (written by Gary Golio and Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe) was listed on The New York Times Best seller list.

Working with Steptoe gave me a better view of the “children book world” and has allowed me to meet legendary artist like himself. Some of them assumed that I was also an illustrator or at least an author. Well, not yet.

One of the most exciting  book events I’ve been to so far happen at the beginning of this month.

I was blessed to attend the 19th Annual African-American Children’s book fair held in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Community College of Philadelphia gymnasium.

As a little girl, I always enjoyed going to book fairs.  However, I never been to one as grand as this one.

For starters, there were a good amount of authors and illustrators there to meet the children: Javaka Steptoe, Sean Qualls, Bryan Collier, and Renee Watson just to name a few.

Imagine being in third grade and meeting the person who wrote your favorite book? I didn’t even imagine that when I was a third grader. There was also gifts for the children which I think the kids enjoyed the most.

I enjoy working with Steptoe and look forward to more projects in the future.

Pictured here is Me, the Orange, and Steptoe
(Steptoe left an apple, a banana, a pear, a orange and a bottle of water on the table during the fair….these hungry kids came by and asked for everything…I kept the water and Steptoe kept his orange.)

The Library

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A year ago I was volunteering at the Library and loving it.

I went there yesterday and read to a younger sibling of two children I used to work with. The older siblings were still in school and their little sister was in the library waiting for her mom who was using the computer.

She spotted me first and showed me the two books she was reading, so I sat down with her and we read them out loud.

Reading with her brought back a lot of fun memories and made me realize how much I missed those kids.

I plan to make a year book and donate it to the library.

Last year was the year I volunteered at the library and all neighborhood children became my brothers, sisters, students, teachers, miniature parents, informers, and most of all my friends.

The Dandelion

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I was walking to the library one day and little Tammy* came running towards me. She had so much to say.  A mouth full about her life.

My brothers are in the library. I want to stay but I have to go home now. Look what I did in school!

She was talking so fast I could hardly get in a word. Finally I asked her what she was holding.

A flower.

Really? What type of flower is it?

I don’t know.

Well, it’s a Dandelion. And it’s not a flower it’s a weed.

***

Two weeks ago when I went to Gustiamo*, I was talking to Martina and Anne and they were talking about childhood and growing up in their countries (Martina is from Italy and Anne is from Germany) and the foods that they ate growing up. Can you believe that they both said they used to eat Dandelion when they were children??

What? I said, you mean you ate the yellow flower that grows by the wayside?

Yep.

I always thought it was a weed. I used to pick it when I was a child and my mom always would tell me to stop picking weeds.

Well, this was my time to learn.

So, next time I see little Tammy, I can tell her that not only is the Dandelion a weed- because it still is- but it is also edible.

 

* name changed for protection

*Gustiamo is an Italian Warehouse that sells organic food straight from the farms in Italy. Check them out at:

http://gustiamo.com/

The Dandelion

 

Mummy Never Told Me

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Mummy, Never Told Me

There are certain things I would never tell a child. In this fast world their innocence is already robbed from them too early in life. Why tell them everything right away?

I was looking through the books on the shelves in Books Of Wonder, one of the best children book stores in the city, located on 18 West 18th Street. (The store is amazing! If I was a child, that store would be my favorite place on earth. I am not even a child and I enjoyed it! It had every child book you could think of and the staff were a great bunch of people.) I felt as if I was back in my childhood days for a while. I kept having flashbacks of elementary school and how much of a joy it was to get lost in a storybook as a little girl. Then, all of sudden and I came across Mummy Never Told Me by Babette Cole and I snapped out of it. I could not believe what I was seeing and reading in this “children” book. The illustrations are kiddy but the material is far from it.

I should have known that it was going to be a controversial book by its title but I thought, how controversial can it get?! It’s a children book! But Babette Cole did not bite her tongue in letting children know where they came from, why girls and boys are made the way they are, what goes on in a parents room at night, why some men like other men and more hard-to-talk-about- subjects. The book open up subjects to children that are not supposed to be opened up. It is a reason why children don’t know as much as adults. It’s to keep them children.

If a child is asking ‘challenging’ questions, the wise thing to do is to tell them that they are not ready for the answer instead of giving them a book that will confuse them.

Time Spent

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Student

A lot of the children who I volunteered with last year at the West Farms Library stopped going to any library at all when West Farms closed for renovations. The Fordham Library is to far away and very few if any know about the Tremont Library; however, they all still read or say they still read. And I believe them because these are children who read when no one tells them to read.

Yesterday, the West Farms library open. The sad thing is I will not have time to go back to keep up with the children like I used to…I only get to chat with them when I am blessed enough to bump into them. Like James. I saw him playing in the park when I was on my way to work. The good thing is we all live in the same neighborhood and I will run into them or their parents. I can say, not a week goes by without me seeing someone who I volunteered with at the library. Now, I am trying to think of a way to keep up with the children.

Library Kids, Back to School

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Back to School

Hi!

Hi!

How are you?

I am sooo happy Lilly! I started school at a new school! My teacher is the best teacher in the world! I am the top student in my class. Today I stayed over to help my teacher after school and she gave me more stars…

This is the voice of   Tyquasia, one of my students from the Library. Lately, I have been seeing my students from the library in the neighborhood. They all seem pretty excited about school and are loving their new grades. All of them passed to the next grade and a few of them are in new schools. The transition is good for them. They are very happy. They all miss the library too. Tyquasia said that she have to go to the Fordham Library which is about 15 minuets away. I told her about the Tremont library which is only about 5 minuets away. But we all can not wait till the West Farms library open back up.

Here is a photo of  Tyquasia with a few of her friends, Kasam and Shyanne

Littering

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Bicycle

The Library is closed until November because of renovations. I wish there was a place for the children in the mean time. I met Adam* leaving his building one day.

He came out and had a plastic bottle in his hand. I was far away up the block but notice that it was one of my old students. He took the bottle and threw it down the block, like it was a ball,  then turn to go back inside. That’s when the teacher in me came out.

yo, Adam!!

He turned around really quick and waved. He acted like he was in a hurry all of sudden.

Hi, Miss Lilly!

I waved at him. I was still a little far way.

Wait Adam!

When I caught up with him I was out of breath.

How’s your summer going?

Good.

What are you up too?

Nothing much.

I can tell.  You still reading?

Well….a little…

For real? Are you still reading?

Hee, hee…no.

Try to keep reading….Adam, why don’t you pick up that bottle?

He gave me a sheepish grin.

okay….

He turned and got his bike. He threw it so far, he rode his bike to pick it up and came back to me.

Now, let’s go to a trash can. You love your neighborhood right?

Yeah, I guess.

Then, why would you make it look dirty? You know what happens when you litter? It piles up and up and soon floats away to the beach and no one can enjoy the water. That’s why it’s so dirty now. Try not to litter.

Why?

Well, do you want your friends from cleaner neighborhoods to come to your house and see how you treat your living space?

No.

Well, try to keep it clean!

We threw his bottle in a dump and then he started showing off on his bike (which I raced him on feet before and beat him).

Look at those tires!

* name is changed for privacy*


Summer Time

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ParkThe entire summer I have been working with children, trying to keep up with the library children and devoting most of my time to Mary Mitchell,  and now it is almost over. This Friday is the last day of summer camp at the Mary Mitchell. Then next two weeks after that I work with children from my church. (whew).

The summer has been a great experience and a learning one. I went places I have never been and even went ‘out of my self’ in ways I haven’t before. My imagination has grown or either I just used it more often. I know more about my surroundings and community. I even help out in my church in a different way. This summer I feel like I did not waste anytime but made sure and I am still making sure I do something positive with every minute that God has blessed me with.