It might not be perfect, but here's our first book talk! I hope to do more as the years go by, and hopefully production value will only be on the rise! I also want to encourage students to film book talks for the website, too...with proper signed permissions in place, of course.
This first, original Library Land book talk is on Colleen Gleason's The Clockwork Scarab. Here are a couple of notes on method:
1. I downloaded a free teleprompter app for the iPad, so I didn't have to memorize a script. Once I did this, my anxiety about filming was alleviated 110%. The app was great, easy to use, and you could control the speed of the text. It's simply entitled Teleprompter, and I found it through the Apple App Store.
2. I wanted this video to double as a readers' advisory/read alikes opportunity, too. That is why I've surrounded myself with genres I've mentioned in the book talk.
3. Even though I had other props around, I still made sure the book was the highest element on the table.
I hope you all enjoy!...Or, at least TOLERATE my first attempt.
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Don't be a Fool! Celebrate National Poetry Month!
That's no joke, people: April really is National Poetry Month. To celebrate I created a display I've known I would do since the beginning of the school year: a display that combines novels written in verse and poetry collections.
I tried to get a wide range of books for this display (as I always do). There are poetry anthologies ranging from a WWI Graphic Novel collection to the Vietnam War experience to 20th Century Poems; collections by "classic" authors, like Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edgar Allan Poe; collections by musicians (Patti Smith and Jim Morrison); and some awesome new contemporary works, by authors like Naomi Shihab Nye and Mel Glenn. The novels in verse are all young adult and would all be considered realistic fiction.
To go along with the display I made a small sign to encourage students to take our Poem of the Whenever quiz. So far, only two students have taken it. They both "passed"...AND walked away with candy and a pencil. Talk about awesome prizes!
Now...stop reading this, and GO READ SOME POETRY!!! Check out poets.org for new poems everyday, and there are also author interviews and a plethora of other poetry resources.
I tried to get a wide range of books for this display (as I always do). There are poetry anthologies ranging from a WWI Graphic Novel collection to the Vietnam War experience to 20th Century Poems; collections by "classic" authors, like Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edgar Allan Poe; collections by musicians (Patti Smith and Jim Morrison); and some awesome new contemporary works, by authors like Naomi Shihab Nye and Mel Glenn. The novels in verse are all young adult and would all be considered realistic fiction.
To go along with the display I made a small sign to encourage students to take our Poem of the Whenever quiz. So far, only two students have taken it. They both "passed"...AND walked away with candy and a pencil. Talk about awesome prizes!
Now...stop reading this, and GO READ SOME POETRY!!! Check out poets.org for new poems everyday, and there are also author interviews and a plethora of other poetry resources.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Fancy a February Display?
Oh, I have to admit...I kind of REALLY loved putting together our two February displays.
Our Author Spotlight is on THREE authors this month. I knew I wanted to have a female author. I was super stoked when I found three awesome YA female authors with birthdays in February: Meg Cabot, Donna Jo Napoli, and Jane Yolen. I love the varied styles and themes of these authors' works, but they all have one thing in common: they champion female characters and give girls something amazing to read.
I didn't want to do a humdrum Valentine's Day display. I'm not anti-Valentine's Day: it's all about the LOVE, people! But, at the same time, I didn't want to do drippy, sappy romances, or anti-romances, or anything like that. Then, I finally hit on it: BOOKS WE LOVE. Since Valentine's IS all about love (as I previously stated), I wanted students and staff to celebrate the books they love. I sent out a couple of emails asking for titles. All that was needed was a simple reply: no summary, no huge effort, just the title. I think this helped drum up initial support.
I think the display looks great. I wanted to give props to all the books that I was sent, even if they aren't in the Uni collection. I took old magazine boxes, attached construction paper to dress them up a bit, and made little book bouquets for the ones we don't have in our onsite collection. I think these book bouquets add an extra fun element to the display, and if someone is interested in those books, we can still get them from another library.
The coolest part about Books We Love? As more and more students notice it, they want to add their own favorites to the display. I love this participation! Yippee!!!
Our Author Spotlight is on THREE authors this month. I knew I wanted to have a female author. I was super stoked when I found three awesome YA female authors with birthdays in February: Meg Cabot, Donna Jo Napoli, and Jane Yolen. I love the varied styles and themes of these authors' works, but they all have one thing in common: they champion female characters and give girls something amazing to read.
I didn't want to do a humdrum Valentine's Day display. I'm not anti-Valentine's Day: it's all about the LOVE, people! But, at the same time, I didn't want to do drippy, sappy romances, or anti-romances, or anything like that. Then, I finally hit on it: BOOKS WE LOVE. Since Valentine's IS all about love (as I previously stated), I wanted students and staff to celebrate the books they love. I sent out a couple of emails asking for titles. All that was needed was a simple reply: no summary, no huge effort, just the title. I think this helped drum up initial support.
I think the display looks great. I wanted to give props to all the books that I was sent, even if they aren't in the Uni collection. I took old magazine boxes, attached construction paper to dress them up a bit, and made little book bouquets for the ones we don't have in our onsite collection. I think these book bouquets add an extra fun element to the display, and if someone is interested in those books, we can still get them from another library.
"Book Bouquets" on the top shelf.
We put our three picks on the bottom shelf, so the students could see their peers' selections easier.
The coolest part about Books We Love? As more and more students notice it, they want to add their own favorites to the display. I love this participation! Yippee!!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
New Year, New Displays
After a sluggish start to the New Year I finally got up two new displays this week.
Our January Author Spotlight is on Isaac Asimov...& Friends! I found out a few interesting facts about Asimov in my research:
Finally, I updated our Let's Go to the Movies display sign. This month I re-introduced some titles from November and January that are still in theaters. In lieu of the recently aired Golden Globes, I also indicated which titles were nominated or won.
This is just practice for the BIG SHOW at the end of February...the Oscars! I don't know quite yet what that display will be, but I'm excited to start thinking about it!
I can't wait to see what other displays come to my mind in 2015. If you're interested in them as well, keep checking back!
Our January Author Spotlight is on Isaac Asimov...& Friends! I found out a few interesting facts about Asimov in my research:
- His date of birth could be anywhere from October 4, 1919-January 2, 1920. He chose to celebrate his birthday on January 2, hence the Author Spotlight status for this month.
- He died from complications from AIDS. He contracted HIV from a blood transfusion, but his doctors advised his family not to publicize this at the time of his passing in 1992, since there was still extreme prejudice about AIDS at the time.
- Amy suggested making the display "& Friends," which is perfect, since Asimov is considered one of the "Big Three" of hard science fiction (sci-fi that is steeped in scientific accuracy). The others of the Big Three are Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein.
Finally, I updated our Let's Go to the Movies display sign. This month I re-introduced some titles from November and January that are still in theaters. In lieu of the recently aired Golden Globes, I also indicated which titles were nominated or won.
This is just practice for the BIG SHOW at the end of February...the Oscars! I don't know quite yet what that display will be, but I'm excited to start thinking about it!
I can't wait to see what other displays come to my mind in 2015. If you're interested in them as well, keep checking back!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Winter Reads
All of a sudden it's winter in these here parts. We're bundling up, most are cursing the light snowfall that's already occurred (not me!), and it's the perfect time to talk winter reads. Cause, seriously, what is better than curling up with a good book, a hot cup of something, and a fleece blanket? Not much, I can tell you that! (I'm just sad I don't get to do that too much anymore.)
At the beginning of the semester I saw a bulletin board on Pinterest with the title "I Read a Latte!" Of course, I've had it in the back of mind to use once it got chilly. I thought I'd save it for January, but it was just too good not to do now.
Here's the method...I found several lists of winter reads--Goodreads, other Pinterest boards, and my own mind (ETHAN FROME! THE SHINING! LITTLE WOMEN!). I used these as a starting point. After creating a list of chilly reads (that included MANY genres!), I made sure we had the books on the list in our Uni Library. Then, the real fun began! I hunted down book covers of the titles, and I got to make them into lil MUGS! That's right: MUGS! For lattes...GET IT!?!
Because I was too cheap to buy new border, I just used a book border I already had. I justified this to myself, because the title is "I Read A LATTE," so a border with a lot of genres present makes sense. (I do really wish I had a border with snowflakes, though. But, like I said, not a lot of cash what with kids' birthdays and holidays coming up.) The final touch was procuring Starbucks cups this morning for the board. Those were free (as they should be with all the money I spend there).
This is one of my favorite boards yet. I hope you like it, too!
At the beginning of the semester I saw a bulletin board on Pinterest with the title "I Read a Latte!" Of course, I've had it in the back of mind to use once it got chilly. I thought I'd save it for January, but it was just too good not to do now.
Here's the method...I found several lists of winter reads--Goodreads, other Pinterest boards, and my own mind (ETHAN FROME! THE SHINING! LITTLE WOMEN!). I used these as a starting point. After creating a list of chilly reads (that included MANY genres!), I made sure we had the books on the list in our Uni Library. Then, the real fun began! I hunted down book covers of the titles, and I got to make them into lil MUGS! That's right: MUGS! For lattes...GET IT!?!
Because I was too cheap to buy new border, I just used a book border I already had. I justified this to myself, because the title is "I Read A LATTE," so a border with a lot of genres present makes sense. (I do really wish I had a border with snowflakes, though. But, like I said, not a lot of cash what with kids' birthdays and holidays coming up.) The final touch was procuring Starbucks cups this morning for the board. Those were free (as they should be with all the money I spend there).
This is one of my favorite boards yet. I hope you like it, too!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Trick or TREAT?
This Halloween Week I got a big TREAT in the Uni High Library: I got to look at, hold, and check in a 1967 Viking Press copy of S.E. Hinton's YA classic The Outsiders. I don't know if this is a first edition, but knowing that this library is part of the UIUC library and that today we get fresh, new books hot off the presses, I am going to make the assumption that it is.
I am also going to confess that it was very, VERY hard to put it back on the shelf and not slip it into my bag to take home forever (librarian problem #283). But, that would be beyond unethical. That would be taking away the enjoyment of others to hold, read, and possess that 1967 copy, if only for awhile.
As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I do love looking at original, vintage covers of books. It tells a story of the book and its history. I was beyond thrilled to see this copy when I came in earlier this week.
I recently read a New Yorker interview with S.E. Hinton and how she "gave birth" to the young adult genre. She said when the book was published in 1967, there was no market for a book like hers, and it was a flop at first...until teachers started to use the book in English classes across the country. All of a sudden, a new genre was born.
I love YA. There is definitely a need for this genre, too, for teens to see themselves reflected in the written word in genuine, powerful, awesome ways. I only worry about the YA genre when it becomes the butt of pop culture jokes. Twilight comes to mind instantly. It got so many young teen girls reading and devouring books, but it led to a less than optimal film adaptation and an explosion of vampire-erotic series. I still enjoy the series, and I won't back down from that, but I'm sad of some of the negative YA press that has popped up because of it.
Anyway...I digress. I got to handle a 1967 copy of S.E. Hinton's classic novel, widely considered the first YA novel. It's one reason I'm here, one reason why I love to teach YA novels, and because of it, I'll never give up on YA (even though Hinton herself says she doesn't read the genre anymore or feel compelled to write more YA), even when the media and others say grown ups shouldn't read YA.
I am also going to confess that it was very, VERY hard to put it back on the shelf and not slip it into my bag to take home forever (librarian problem #283). But, that would be beyond unethical. That would be taking away the enjoyment of others to hold, read, and possess that 1967 copy, if only for awhile.
Received in 1967!
As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I do love looking at original, vintage covers of books. It tells a story of the book and its history. I was beyond thrilled to see this copy when I came in earlier this week.
I recently read a New Yorker interview with S.E. Hinton and how she "gave birth" to the young adult genre. She said when the book was published in 1967, there was no market for a book like hers, and it was a flop at first...until teachers started to use the book in English classes across the country. All of a sudden, a new genre was born.
"About teen-agers...For teen-agers...By a teen-ager"
Priceless!
Anyway...I digress. I got to handle a 1967 copy of S.E. Hinton's classic novel, widely considered the first YA novel. It's one reason I'm here, one reason why I love to teach YA novels, and because of it, I'll never give up on YA (even though Hinton herself says she doesn't read the genre anymore or feel compelled to write more YA), even when the media and others say grown ups shouldn't read YA.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
New Author Crushes
(Shut up. Her bouquet was made of pages from Ransom's book. Cutest. Thing. EVER.)
I believe they should be deemed THE young adult power couple. I want them to come to my house and read creepy, dystopian stories to my children. That'd be OK...right? OK, OK...maybe they shouldn't come read to my children...YET. They should come read to the Uni High students, though. That would be awesome. That would be cause for a MAJOR high five.
They are all over social media, have a joint YouTube channel (ADORABLE!), and married in September 2013. HE is the author of the uber creepy YA book Miss Peregrine's Home for Very Peculiar Children. He loves to mine for vintage photos in flea swaps, and Miss Peregrine has just been adapted and published as a graphic novel.
SHE is the author of dystopian YA series Shatter Me. It was optioned to be a film even before it was published. And, while I am quick to judge another dystopian effort, hers seems to be interesting, and no, I haven't read it yet, but it is on my list of 100+ to read. Her blog posts are engaging, so I will definitely give her dystopian effort a try.
(Just look at how cute they are doing joint book talks! Awwwww!)
You can get to their various social networking efforts via their websites, and I am tempted to join Twitter just to follow both of them. For now, I'll stick to just following them on Instagram (especially since Ransom has all the cool photographs). Until I get them over to my house for dinner, I'll just look for images of them online and watch how uber awesome they are from afar.
Friday, October 24, 2014
NEW BOOKS!!!!!
Oh, Mama Mia! Look at all of those new books we got this week! It's always exciting to get new books, but when we get this many at one time, my head reels. Not because it's a lot of work to process them, wrap them, put them on our blog, etc. Oh, no, not because of that. Because I want to read them all!!! (Mo' Librarian Problems, yo.)
Whenever we get new fiction in for our collection, I enter the title, author, call number, and publisher synopsis into Uni's What Should I Read Next? blog. It's good fun, but it usually ends up in at least ten new books added to my Want to Read List. Here are the top two on my list after this acquisition haul:
There's also a new book that shares a name with an awesome song from the 80s, and if you don't know the song, you shouldn't be my friend or be reading this. The book, however, has NOTHING to do with high school, John Hughes, or breakfast. It's about a town where every four years a child is released from jail and kills people. So...yeah.
I also get to enter new graphic novels into our online collection that we keep on LibraryThing. I am constantly trying to become more knowledgeable about GN's, and I still have no clue about Manga (what's good, what's isn't, etc). I am making strides in the GN arena, though, and a lot of it is thanks to this task I have.
We usually get a few good GN's with every new haul, and this time I wasn't disappointed. I can't wait to check out the new DC offering, Black Canary and Zatanna (love it when the females are let out to play), and Mimi Pond's Over Easy, (about the 70s, greasy spoons, and drugs), looks right up my bleak alley preferences.
When all of the books are entered, blogged, posted, etc (you know, all that work that makes me feel like I'm a real librarian already), they get to fill the New Book Rack. This rack, which Amy longs to get rid of, looks pretty nice when it's all filled to the brim with new acquisitions!
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
NO TIME!
I think the biggest problem I have as a [future] librarian is TIME. There's not enough of it. It's bad enough fighting against time with my kids, who are growing up way too fast. Now I'm constantly reminded...EVERYDAY...of how many great books are out there and how I'll never get to read all of them.
How do you choose the perfect book to read? How do you choose one that will be a good use of your time and one you won't regret reading when you're done? Adult mystery-crime author, Tana French, put it perfectly on her official website:
Today I started compiling book lists to be on display at the library. I took a cue from local uber librarian, Kim Anderson, for this project. She has folders in her middle school media center of different genre lists, what to read next lists, subject lists, etc. I want to try to incorporate those here at Uni High's Library. My first list to tackle is Asian-American YA, and let me tell you, I've already come across at least 10 new books I want to read. Here are just two:
Keeping Corner, by Kashmira Sheth
Jet Black and the Ninja Wind, by Shogo Oketani & Leza Lowitz (translator)
LIBRARIAN PROBLEMS!!! I don't want to do my course work! I want to sit in the corner and read some of these books! Right now imagine me throwing a tantrum and stomping my feet with huge tears rolling down my frustrated, red-cheeked face. Or, imagine...GRR ARGH.
How do you choose the perfect book to read? How do you choose one that will be a good use of your time and one you won't regret reading when you're done? Adult mystery-crime author, Tana French, put it perfectly on her official website:
There's one thing that no one I know, including me, ever has enough of: time. Everyone has at least three things they should be doing with every minute, and everyone could do with about six more hours in the day. So I'm very aware that when you take a chance on one of my books, it's not just your money that you're putting on the line; it's your time, which is probably even more precious. I want to thank you, so much, for taking that chance; for your wonderful support, which never stops taking my breath away. Here's to all of you. I'll do my absolute best not to waste your time. (www.tanafrench.com/about.html).
Today I started compiling book lists to be on display at the library. I took a cue from local uber librarian, Kim Anderson, for this project. She has folders in her middle school media center of different genre lists, what to read next lists, subject lists, etc. I want to try to incorporate those here at Uni High's Library. My first list to tackle is Asian-American YA, and let me tell you, I've already come across at least 10 new books I want to read. Here are just two:
Keeping Corner, by Kashmira Sheth
Jet Black and the Ninja Wind, by Shogo Oketani & Leza Lowitz (translator)
LIBRARIAN PROBLEMS!!! I don't want to do my course work! I want to sit in the corner and read some of these books! Right now imagine me throwing a tantrum and stomping my feet with huge tears rolling down my frustrated, red-cheeked face. Or, imagine...GRR ARGH.
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