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Favorite Picture Book

I didn’t have a favorite picture book as a child. I had a favorite author: Mercer Mayer. Every time I was at the bookstore I beg and cajole my parents to get me a new one. They were so popular with me, that 30+ years later my mother has a picture hanging in her guest bathroom that features Mercer Mayer’s characters. For this blog post I borrowed one of the books that my nephew inherited to remind myself of the story.

In Just a Mess, the Little Critter is trying to find his missing baseball mitt. He asks his family to help, but ultimately needs to clean his room by himself in order to find his missing mitt. The book concludes with him victoriously finding his missing baseball glove.

The whole series was always enjoyable to me, I loved the artwork, which always had a spider or grasshopper hidden like a little Easter egg for the reader. In addition, the situations that the characters got into, the navigation of what felt like major problems to a 5 year old were extremely compelling and enjoyable to read with my parents or by myself. I would like to believe this book inspired me to clean my room, but I’m sure it did not.

Mayer, M. (1987). Just a Mess. Western Publishing Company, Inc.

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Social Media Experience

I chose TikTok because it is so often spoken of by the students at the school I work at and seems to be everywhere online. It was difficult at first to figure out how to navigate the app, to search for people/organizations that were interesting. As for what went well, once I had the hang of it, the app was fairly easy to browse and find new content. To start with and being unfamiliar with what is popular on TikTok I did a few google searches of some of the most popular TikTok posters that teens like. All of these lists that I found listed young people, predominately women, that were all attractive. Seeing this it was easy to understand the appeal of the app, but also the harm it could do. Just like any other media form, following only people that fit a very narrow definition of beauty will have detrimental effects on a person’s self-image and esteem. While there is some wholesome, funny, and entertaining content on the app, it certainly seems the most popular posts are people dancing or showing off their wealth.

               Personally, I wasn’t overly impressed with the app, but watching countless 10 second (or so) videos does not appeal to me. However, I can see the appeal to some. Watching little, short videos instead of being invested in long videos, tv shows or movies makes it easier to put down, walk away and come back whenever you want. It is less of a time investment, although probably results in more wasted time. My experience did not change after using the app for a week. The app, like most online/social media experiences, rewards the influencers, the beautiful people. One would think the internet would allow for a greater diversity of people to be popular, but just like print media, attractiveness is the main component. The only way I could recommend teens to use the app is by very carefully selecting who they follow, being sure that the content they are consuming is appropriate for their development. The app does allow to keep TikTok “family-friendly” however, I am sure an industrious teen would find a way around the parental controls.

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Reading Log 6

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Call Me American: The Extraordinary True Story of a Young Somali Immigrant

Genre: Informational (Non-Fiction)

Bibliographic Citation: Iftin, A. N., & Alexander, M. (2020). Call Me American: The Extraordinary True Story of a Young Somali Immigrant. Delacorte Press.

Summary: This book chronicles the life of Abdi Nor Iftin, the son of nomads and born in Mogadishu, Somalia. He tells of his survival during the Somali civil war, seeing dead bodies and militiamen everywhere he went in the city. He eventually leaves Somalia, first to a refugee camp, and eventually winning the lottery to apply for a green card.

Personal Comments: The imagery of this book was both beautiful and terrifying, contrasting the nomadic life his parents lived to the tragedy and carnage of the Somali Civil War. It was at times hard to read, trying to imagine a 7-year-old boy living through the horrific experiences that occurred in Mogadishu.

Library Use: This book would be extraordinary in demonstrating overcoming adversity, coming from nothing in a war-torn country. The book also exemplifies following one’s dreams, which is a great lesson for teens to learn.

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YA Librarian Interview

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed interviewing the YA Librarian at one of the public libraries in my area. I spoke with Ken, and it was a very comfortable setting, in part because it was snowing outside, and the library had a very calm and cozy feel.

Talking to Ken, he mentioned using resources I had not necessarily considered. When asked how to keep up with young adult books, there were the obvious answers: Booklist and School Library Journal, book conferences and listservs, what was less expected for me was the use of websites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, as well as Marvel and DC comics to see what new movies and comics are coming out. It makes sense to keep on top of pop culture and the comic books and graphic novels seem to be very present now.

I was also impressed with the library’s reading programs. This library sponsors teen book clubs (one for summer and one for when school is in session), movie programs, game nights (which sounds amazing since the library possesses board games), there is a tech night throughout the year (the library does not have a maker space, but they do have a 3d printer that teens can use). They also host craft nights and various celebrations, one of which is they invite a chalk artist to come and teach how to do street art with chalk.

In terms of promoting reading to teens, Ken said it was easiest during summer since that was the most likely to get casual traffic in the library. Social media was a big one, Ken specifically mentioned Instagram. He did mention that hearing from other librarians that using TikTok becomes almost its own job, so he is reluctant to use it. The library also collaborates with school librarians and by distributing fliers.

Lastly, when asked what skills/knowledge librarians should have when working with teens paralleled my own experiences working with children grades K-12. The main point Ken made was to be flexible and willing to communicate and compromise. He said, “Use what you’re interested in” to build collections, and to not be disappointed if it doesn’t work. He also said to not be afraid to learn with the teens. This builds rapport and helps improve what the teens want from the library.

On the whole, it was a positive experience and quite enjoyable to go in and have a conversation about being a Young Adult librarian.

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Reading Log 5

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Booked

Genre: Poetry/Verse

Bibliographic Citation: Alexander, Kwame. (2016). Booked. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary: Nick Hall loves soccer, it’s his one passion in life, until he is sidelined from surgery and distraught over his parents’ separation. He finds solace in a pretty classmate, April, who introduces to him to the joy and escape that reading can bring.

Personal Comments: It took a little while for me to acclimate to the book being broken into stanzas. It almost seemed as though it could have been condensed and written as a short story. The one benefit I did see to the stanzas was it allowed certain letters or words to be highlighted throughout the text.

Library Use: This book would be an ideal way to demonstrate that not all poems and verse have to rhyme and that they don’t have to be flowery, romantic verse. The author includes a character who once used to rap, so it reinforces that verse can be cooler than reading Shakespeare’s sonnets.

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Reading Log 4

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Looking for Alaska

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Bibliographic Citation: Green, John. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York, New York: Dutton Books.

Summary: Miles “Pudge” Halter is an awkward, friendless boy that goes away to boarding school to start new. Pudge makes a few close friends amongst the poorer of the students. They bond through pranks and smoking cigarettes, and finally through trying to understand the death of their classmate and friend.

Personal Comments: The book was surprisingly touching, bringing a tear to my eyes when their friend died. Green did an excellent job conveying the awkwardness and uncertainty that comes with being a teenager.

Library Use: This book would make perfect sense for any teen trying to fit in, trying to understand their romantic feelings, and especially for teens trying to cope with the loss of a close friend.

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Reading Log 3

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Daughter of Sparta

Genre: Historical Fiction

Bibliographic Citation: Andrews, C. M. (2021). Daughter of Sparta. Little, Brown and Company.

Summary: Daughter of Sparta chronicles the adventures of Daphne, a girl adopted by Spartan nobility. She is charged with a quest by the goddess Artemis to recover the waning power of Olympus and save the gods themselves. She is joined on her journey by her friend that is transformed into a wolf and by the god Apollo. The band travel across Greece and encountering heroes and mythological creatures as they pursue their quest. 

Personal Comments: The book is an enjoyable read, weaving in well-known characters and beasts from Greek mythology. The occasional use of Greek words comes off as a bit ham-fisted, but the brief glossary in the back of the book is a nice touch, saving the reader from regular searches on the internet.

Library Use: This book would be a good introduction to the world of ancient Greek mythologies, although the author notes at the end that the story is not perfectly accurate to some of the stories most know. This would also be good for people looking for a strong female lead, not giving way to the damsel in distress, the heroine demonstrates gritty determination.

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Reflection - Teen Reading Memoir

Thursday, November 13, 2021

Growing up, both of my parents were readers, so I grew up surrounded by books. My father had thousands of science fiction he collected during the 60s and 70s, which became my books. My strongest memory of reading happened when I was 15. At the time, I worked at a driving range, so I spent my days sitting in a shed listening to music and reading books. In addition to completing my summer reading, I read 36 other books that summer, which always felt like quite an accomplishment. I read Frank Herbert’s Dune, Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy. I felt so accomplished to have read so many books in just two and a half months.

Robert Heinlein quickly became my favorite science fiction author. This was, in part, because I knew he was my father’s favorite, but also because his writing gripped me. I would read his juvenile books as well as his adult books, enjoying the storytelling, the diverse settings, and political themes. Ultimately, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress became my favorite book. This was partly because of the political philosophy of one of the characters, Professor Bernardo de la Paz. He described himself as a “rational anarchist” which went along with my punk rock soundtrack throughout high school and college.

In addition to my father’s library, my mother regularly took us to the local libraries. I remember watching Benji in the basement of the Waterford Library and playing Oregon Trail at the East Lyme library. We would regularly rent movies on VHS from the library instead of going to Video World around the corner. Also, in the summers we would visit the library to get passes to local beaches and to some of Connecticut’s amusement parks. I would also go to the library on my own after school and before soccer practice started. Sometimes just to have somewhere to sit, but I would often browse the stacks, or tuck myself away and do homework until it was time to go run laps.

As much as I enjoyed reading, I found it supremely difficult to read my assigned readings. The only books from school that came as easy reads for me were Animal Farm by George Orwell, and the Anglo-Saxon tale Beowulf. All others did not “speak” to me, and I struggled to plod through the books. The only other books I remember from high school were assigned in 10th grade. I was subjected to Dicken’s Great Expectations, Othello, and Romeo & Juliet, and quite honestly, I’m only certain I read these only because we watched the movie equivalents in class.

Once I went to college, I took an English course with a professor that (unfortunately), was in the Melville society. I had never been able to get through any substantial amount of Melville’s writings, so to have Billy Budd assigned was painful. I supplemented my reading with CliffsNotes from the local Barnes and Noble. To compound my struggle, I remember being assigned a comparative paper of Billy Budd and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of the Seven Gables. It felt like every sentence I read was immediately forgotten, and I recall nothing of the books 20 years later.

Additionally, while in college I took time out of my days to read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy. I had never read the stories when I was a child and being aware they were to be movies I was inspired to read them. I am certain there are times I sacrificed time to work on schoolwork so that I could delve deeper into Middle Earth. I was enrapt with the tales, even if some of the names used were nearly impossible to pronounce. Once the movies came out, I was thrilled to see the stories brought to life and to compare the movies to the books.

In college, I also dove headfirst into Terry Pratchett’s satirical Discworld series. I voraciously devoured Pratchett’s tales, initially out of order, losing myself in the absurd world he described as it balanced on the back of 4 elephants which in turn were on the back of a giant space turtle. Until his death in 2015, I would consume every new novel he released, rereading his tales many times over.

Certainly my teenage years were filled with fantasy and science fiction, losing myself in magical and absurd worlds. Bookended by Heinlein and Pratchett, these two still remain my favorite authors even at 39.

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Reading Log 2

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Monster

Genre: Graphic Novel

Bibliographic Citation: Sims, G. A., Anyabwile, D., & Myers, W. D. (2015). Monster: A graphic novel. Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. 

Summary: Monster: A Graphic Novel is an adaptation of the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers. It chronicles a young man’s trial for the robbery and murder of a drugstore owner. The book deals with the stress and anxiety the defendant feels, while he relates the court proceedings to a movie as he tries to cope and make sense of what is happening. 

Personal Comments: I found the book to be a bit difficult to follow at times, flashbacks were not always as clear as they could be, as well as when it was the character’s reality or perception. It was a very easy read, about 2 hours’ worth of time, with exceptional black-and-white illustrations.

Library Use: This book would be enjoyable for fans of gritty graphic novels and those who have read the original book; however, it does not seem well suited for people unfamiliar with graphic novels. For students interested in the legal system, this could work as a look into the legal system, although, the original may give a clearer view.

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Reading Log 1

Thursday, November 04, 2021

The End and Other Beginnings

Genre: Science Fiction

Bibliographic Citation: Roth, Veronica. (2019). The End and Other Beginnings. New York, New York: HarperCollins.

Summary: The End and Other Beginnings is a collection of six short stories. The stories deal with revenge, love, and friendship. The theme throughout all six tales is coping with loss in some capacity, while still including futuristic concepts either on (what seems to be) Earth, or some far-flung, fictional planet.

Personal Comments: The book is an enjoyable read, with the stories including different characteristics of science fiction. Several of the stories include speculative technology, from re-living memories with a friend, to predicting future events, while others include fictional worlds and extraterrestrial lifeforms. Each tale seems to be centered around loss and coping, and demonstrating different ways that life goes on after suffering loss.

Library Use: This book would be a good way to demonstrate to teens suffering with the loss of a loved one that while it hurts, life continues. Additionally, the book works as a good introduction to science fiction. It is not too heavy on the science, and the short stories allow for someone to try a few samples of the genre without committing to one large tome.

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Favorite YA book

Thursday, November 04, 2021

Tunnel in the Sky

Genre/Format: Science Fiction/Paperback

Bibliographic Citation: Heinlein, R. A. (1955). Tunnel in the sky. New York: Scribner.

My favorite Young Adult book of all time is Robert A. Heinlein’s Tunnel in the Sky, published in 1955 by Scribner’s. The story involves a group of students being transported to a frontier planet and having to survive on their own without adults and with only the supplies they can carry. The story bears similarity to Lord of the Flies by William Golding in regards to the survival of a group of children with minimal supplies. Through an accident, the children are cut off from Earth for far longer than was intended and create their own community with government and laws.

For me, the inclusion of science fiction ideas such as space travel coupled with frontier survival was captivating and generated a great deal of interest for me as a youth.