I hope that her stories make each reader more compassionate and aware of the students around them. I hope they are inspired by the few friends that stand with Paige and try to stem the tide of ignorance and abuse she ignores. I hope they think twice about name calling and judging. I hope they can learn to not be defined by what they cannot control.
Read MoreI am a relatively newcomer to the enjoyment of nonfiction. After becoming a librarian in 2008, I became a reader of nonfiction through necessity. I never realized how many of my students would prefer "real" stories over "made up" ones. I needed to be able to book talk it, to help students choose well. I have come to both appreciate and enjoy the genre. Finding the Right Nonfiction Book For You explores one librarian's own experiences with nonfiction. We share a respect for Jon Krakauer, Marc Aronson, and Erik Larson. Because of that I am anxious to explore some of author Andrea Lipinski's other suggestions.
Set in 1981 Guatemala, a lyrical debut novel tells the powerful tale of a boy who must decide what it means to be a man during a time of war.
Read More“Oakhurst Hall is a box, sir,” I said,” But the rest of the world isn’t boxed in anymore. There aren’t any boxes. There are clouds”
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I was happy that someone in social media linked me to Five Questions for A.S. King. As always upon completing Glory O'Brien's History of the Future, I am impressed and in a bit of awe at King's work. I am also a bit challenged as well. I run a 7 -12 library and am also left at a bit of a loss about how I feel about a 7th grader taking one of her books home. I know that makes me controversial in the library world, but I am governed by an administration and a board and a community that demands I think carefully about how I spend my limited budget.
One question answered- "Why the bat?" I was simultaneously entertained and confused when I read the novel. But her answer made me love the premise of the bat even more. And that Glory's visions come from the fact that King sees "those visions all the time when [she] reads the news." Indeed.
Certainly, more answers would help me in a defense of the novel in my library, but it is not King's responsibility to give them to me. It is my job as a reader to read and understand. Nonetheless, I am glad I came across these five answers.