Separation Anxiety

I think separating books into subgenres permanently can be a slippery slope. Very rarely do books fit into one category and doing so can make searching difficult for patrons. I especially don't agree with separating books based on community complaints, as mentioned in the Iowa Library article. For me, that inches way too close to censorship. I believe positively highlighting books that belong in certain subgenres on end caps or book displays is a more efficient way to manage the collection. It's all about the intention behind the separation that is important.

Using end caps or book displays brings attention to certain books without having to assign a subgenre to each one. Patrons looking for a specific book or browsing will still be able to find titles that interest them. Librarians can also navigate away from bowing to community pressure and separating books that contain questioned content from their rightful place with the other books in their genre.

The one reason I could see separating a subgenre is if the books themselves are in high demand and the library wants to highlight them permanently and make them more easily accessible to interested patrons. In my library in Elkhart, we have the Urban Fiction at the very front of the Fiction section because it's in such high demand, our librarians wanted to make sure our patrons could go right to it and browse. I see this as a positive reason for separation.

Library Journal

Hey all! Check out my first review for Library Journal!

https://www.libraryjournal.com/?reviewDetail=the-silence

Right after we discussed book reviews in this class, I applied to be a reviewer for Library Journal. I got my first assignment right before social distancing and working from home started. I was so thankful to have something like this to occupy my time. It has been a really fun experience!

A huge thank you is owed to Erin for mentoring me during this process!

Graphic Novels

Last year about this time I visited my friend, Chelsie who lives in northeast Michigan. We live about 4+ hours apart, so I only make it up there 2-3 times a year if the weather holds up. We made our usual trip to Barnes & Noble and spent a few hours browsing and reading. I'd gotten married only a month before this trip, so this was the first time our husbands, also avid readers, joined us! Instead of starting at the front and slowly making our way back, Chelsie hurried off in search of the graphic novels. When I asked what was going on, she responded by telling me she comes by every so often to buy graphic novel versions of the classics: Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, etc. She then told me about her students who can't make it through word heavy classics but devoured the story when it was put in graphic novel form. I was amazed at her genius, as I frequently am.

I think Chelsie's students are proof that graphic novels have an important place in our library collections, for teens and adults. Ultimately, we read books for the story. Our purpose is to get the story to the patron. Why should the mode it's delivered make the story any less important? Graphic novels are written to make stories more approachable. The concepts, the plots, the character interactions will all still be there. Teenage boys WANTING to read Jane Austen. That's a win for graphic novels in my book!

The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Summary:

When Starr Carter wakes up every morning, she has to remember which Starr she's supposed to be. When she's home with her family, or helping out her dad at his shop, she's Garden Heights Starr; the one who lives in a poor neighborhood that is riddled with drugs and gang violence. But when she goes to school, she's Williamson Prep Starr; one of only a few black students, cool and collected, who plays basketball and dates a white boy named Chris. Starr never lets her worlds seep into each other, until a tragic incident forces them to collide. Her childhood friend, Khalil is shot by a police officer while driving Starr home from a party. Suddenly Khalil is national news and everyone wants to know the identity of "the witness." It throws Starr into a new world, one where her bravery and her loyalty are continuously questioned and tested. One thing is for sure: Starr can't keep her worlds separate anymore. 

Young Adult Characteristics:

Addresses Real World Problems: The Hate U Give does this especially well, highlighting the physical and emotional struggles Starr has to face within her community and her school.

Fast Pace: The beginning especially was fast paced but the rest of the book slowed and quickened based on what was happening in the story. It definitely kept the reader's attention throughout.

Reader/Character Relation: While not every teen who reads this story can relate directly to Starr, she deals with more common issues, such as girl dynamics in high school, having a boyfriend, getting good grades, etc. Living in a neighborhood like Garden Heights also makes Starr a much more relatable character for teens in her specific situation as well. The danger of living in a community that is as at war within itself, learning to be aware of your surroundings, listening to your parents about safety, etc.

Read-a-likes:

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
The Education of Margo Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: A Visual History

Readers' Advisory Matrix

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose)

2. What is the subject of the book?

The book focused on the personal and professional life of Fred Rogers and how his television show effected it's viewers.

3. What type of book is it?

Biography

4. Articulate appeal

What is the pacing of the book?

The pace depends on the reader. There are pictures and quotes as well as the text for the reader to peruse.

Describe the characters of the book.

The book focuses on Fred Rogers, his family, and the many characters and guests on the television show.

How does the story feel?

Nostalgic, uplifting, friendly

What is the intent of the author?

To honor Fred Rogers and highlight his wonderful work.

What is the focus of the story?

Fred Rogers' television show and the characters.

Does the language matter?

No.

Is the setting important and well described?

The setting is important and very well described with pictures and personal anecdotes from crew members, directors, and actors.

Are there details and, if so, of what?

This book is full of details. The majority of the details are about the sets, the content Fred Rogers' covered on his show, and the impact he had on his viewers. The book also chronicles every character that appeared on the show.

Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear?

There are tons of pictures, including pictures of letters between Fred and his wife and scenes from the show.

Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience?

All three.

5. Why would a reader enjoy this book?

1. Nostalgia
2. Pictures of the set and characters
3. Quotes and letters from Fred's family

Ebooks & Audiobooks

I've always been the first person to defend reading a physical book over a digital one...until I had to travel for work and reading for pleasure became something I hardly ever had time for. I decided to try an audiobook--Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone read by Jim Dale--and I never went back. Even now, when I get to read for a living, I still turn to audiobooks.

Listening to audiobooks has allowed me to read more and have encouraged me to try genres I wouldn't normally be interested in. As I'm writing this post, I'm listening to the 3rd installment of Lauren Willig's The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, a delightful historical romance series I picked up for this class. The reader, Kate Reading, is wonderful and she is one of the many reasons I have continued through this series. The narrator, for me, and I'm assuming others, can make or break an audiobook. Jim Dale, who narrates all seven books in the Harry Potter series, did set the bar pretty high for other audio actors. Readers that are able to do different accents, tones of voice, etc. really can add to the experience the reader gets when reading. Books with a full cast of readers, such as Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones and the Six, almost give the reader the experience of a live play. It's a fantastic way to digest a story.

Another reason for the benefit of audiobooks, and in this case ebooks as well, is the convenience. Digital materials are more portable and available with the invention of iPads and Kindle Fires, as well as apps such as OverDrive and Hoopla. If a patron wants to start a new book at midnight on a Saturday night (wait, is that just me?), they don't have to wait until Monday morning to feel satiated. As much as we want patrons to come into the library physically, our goal in the long run is to promote literacy and love of reading. Digital materials are helping us make that happen.