100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader

from Bitch magazine.

And remember, feminists are raised, not born.  So start 'em early.

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Save the Date: Hunger Games Movie to Release Marsh 23, 2012!

There's no cast yet (minor detail), but according to Entertainment Weekly, the release date for the Hunger Games movie has been set.  Mark your calendars.  Take off from work (because you know you're going to a midnight show). Get ready for the fun to begin!


The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Let the Battle Begin! SLJ's Battle of the Kids Books is Back

Well, ok, not yet exactly. But soon!  The announcement of titles went out on twitter (follow them: SLJsBoB) today and Educating Alice was kind enough to copy down a complete list.  As always, I've read over 50% of the books (maybe even 75%), but there are still a bunch of titles I'm going to need to read before the battle begins, which is usually in March.  Better get reading!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

To eRead or Not to eRead (and if so, with which machine?)

The first day back to school after a glorious two-week holiday break brought streams of students to the library gushing about the ereaders they had received for Christmas.  From Nooks to Kindles, to PanDigitals, it seemed everyone had an ereader.  Then the kids started asking about what I had, and I was forced to admit that though the idea of an ereader really excited me, I had yet to take the plunge.

"The NookColor is awesome!" they squealed.  "I love my Kindle; you should get one," they said. Students even brought in their ereaders to school and encouraged me to play around with them, in hopes that I would deem their ereader best and immediately run out and buy one.  Three weeks back to school, and I've yet to commit.

So what's holding me back?  Uncertainty.  I know that I want an ereader.  But after all of my research and test driving, I'm still at a loss to figure out which ereader I want.  Here's my thinking:

Barnes & Noble Nook (specifically, the NookColor)
Pros:

• Nook loves libraries!  You can borrow books from your library via OverDrive
• Ability to "share" books with other Nook friends 
• Available in color = appealing for reading magazines and picture books
• Greater internet capabilities
• I'm always getting B&N giftcards

Cons:

• $249 is a lot of money
• What if B&N goes out of business or simply loses the ereader war?
• What if the next Kindle plays well with libraries and is color and is cheaper?

Amazon Kindle

Pros:

• Attractive $139 price tag
• E Ink is perfect for beach and poolside reading (which I plan to do a lot of during summer break)
• As the dominating ereader, it probably isn't going anywhere

Cons

• I don't really buy books. I check them out from the library.  Kindle does not like libraries.
• E Ink is great for outdoors, but bad for reading in bed, which I do every night.  Buying a book light for a fancy ereader seems silly and kind of obnxious.
• I never get Amazon giftcards.  What will I do with all the B&N giftcards if I buy a Kindle?

PanDigital (looking at 7" color)

Pros:

• Compatible with B&N ebooks and OverDrive
• Available in color = appealing for reading magazines and picture books
• Greater internet capabilities
• $199 price tag falls right in the middle, and seems to offer the most bang for your buck

Cons:

• Less popular brand = doubts about winning/continuing to participate in the ereader war long term
• Haven't gotten to play with one of these yet, so unsure about pageturning, etc.
• Edited to Add: Reviews like this don't make it sound so nice. Yikes!

So that's where I'm at.  A large part of me is sick of carrying a weighty separate bag of books every time I travel.  And not being an active participant in the ereader craze makes me feel a disconnect with my readers (students) and fellow librarians.  But part of me thinks I should just continue to wait and see what happens before wading into the marketplace, because I'm afraid of making a bad decision.  What to do?

All opinions are welcome.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

The Glee-ful Library: Books, Movies and Music for Gleeks

Call me a Gleek.
Call me a Gleetard.
Call me a Gleeject.

Just don't call me on Tuesdays between 8pm and 9pm, because I'm watching Glee.

Fox's hit musical dramedy Glee cleaned up big at Sunday's Golden Globes.  It started with Chris Colfer's shocking (mostly to him!) win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, continued with Jane Lynch's win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and was topped off with the Best Television Show - Comedy or Musical award.  True, Lea Michele and Matthew Morrisson didn't win for Best Actress or Best Actor, but a clean sweep would be just too much to ask for, wouldn't it?

But I'm getting away from the point of this post!  Yes, it's terrific to have so much success to celebrate, but how does the library best respond to the Gleeks they serve?  Here are some must-haves for any library - public or school - that serves middle and high school students (and yeah, adults like me) who just can't get enough Glee!

The Glee Celebrity READ Poster - The latest (and greatest) from ALA Publishing provides an immediate "Glee fans welcome here!" feel to any library.  I ordered mine today.

Glee: The Complete First Season - Obvious.  And why not pre-order Season Two while you're at it.

Glee: The Music - Yes, get Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4, but don't forget that the Madonna and Rocky Horror episodes have their own discs,  and life wouldn't be complete without the Christmas Album.  And then there's Love Songs, Journey to Regionals and the Best of Season 1.  Just sayin'.

Glee Karaoke Revolution - There are going to be video games programs in your library, aren't there?  Ensure that the Gleeks aren't left out.  That happens enough at school.

Fame - The original Glee.

High School Musical - It also came before Glee, and its success is probably the reason Glee was created.  This one is a personal favorite of mine, mostly for the catchy music.

Of course, the core of the library's collection is the reading material.  Gleeks read too!  And here are some titles that are sure to please...

Glee: The Beginning - The first in the official Glee book series.  This one is a "before the show" look at the characters.  The second one Glee: Foreign Exchange is due out in February.  I'll confess to not having read them and not putting too much stock in their literary quality.  But they're a must-have for die hards.

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner - This one is for the 16+ Glee crowd.  No, it's not about a glee club.  It's about a summer theatre program for drama kids.  There's lots of overlap.  The plot: Playwright Olivia has sworn off men.  Actor Max is determined to get Olivia.  Olivia writes her first musical, Castration Celebration.  Max is the lead.  Raunchy and hilarious, it'll have you singing the songs in your head, and possibly out loud.

Dramarama by E. Lockhart - Yep.  This one's theatre camp as well.  Sarah/Sayde is the overly dramatic "lead" actress and Demi is the gay black actor.  Both are trapped in smalltown Ohio, until the opportunity to express themselves at theatre camp arrives and changes everything.  Well, almost.  Demi is in his element, but Sayde learns she's not the only one with Broadway dreams.  Drama ensues.

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford - Awkward situations and non-stop laughs at the characters expense? Check.  Perfect for male Gleeks.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman - A great choice for middle school Gleeks.  A football player forced to attend rehearsals for the school play turns into something of a drama kid, much to the dismay of drama queen (and Drama Club President) Rachel.  Snappy dialogue.  Humor.  It's got everything.

For more recommendations, GreenBeanTeenQueen Sara and Sno-Isle Libraries have some great additions to this list.

Talking about Glee in the library wouldn't be complete without the Glee cast singing and dancing to U Can't Touch This in the library, would it? Nope.  Here ya go!



The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Judging A Book By Its Cover: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I was a fan of If I Stay from the moment I heard about its premise: A talented musician and her family are in an awful car wreck that kills everyone.  Everyone except teen cellist Mia, who lies in a hospital bed in a coma, where she debates whether to stay on earth or let herself pass into death.  Mia narrates her experience of the accident and the aftermath, flashing back to happier times and observing how those who are left behind - her boyfriend, grandparents and other extended family - are dealing with the tragic loss.

Happily, the novel lived up to the emotionally gripping story it promised.  Sadly, the original cover looked more like it belonged on an inspirational Hallmark card than a tragic tale of love, loss and letting go.  Luckily, the paperback cover (see top right) conveys the novel perfectly.  As proof, I offer to you Caleb Nation's review of If I Stay, which aired on NPR's All Things Considered.  I don't know how I missed hearing the story when it aired, but thankfully, someone on the YALSA-bk listserv directed my attention to its existence.

Already read and loved If I Stay?  Look forward to the release of its sequel, Where She Went, in April.  I was lucky enough to get an ARC of it this past weekend at the ALA Midwinter Conference, and am very much looking forward to its arrival via FedEx Ground later this week!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

And the Winner of the 2011 John Newbery Award is...

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

with honors going to...

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

For more information about this award, click here.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

And the Winner of the 2011 Michael L. Printz Award is...

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

with honors going to...

Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
Nothing by Janne Teller

Click here to learn more about the Michael  L. Printz Award.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

And the Winner of the 2011 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award is...

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

To learn more about the five finalists and the award, click here.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.