It's Been a Wild Week!!!

I have spent the past week getting to meet authors!! This is one of my favorite things to do.  I love meeting them, getting pictures with them, having my books signed, and hearing about how they come up with their ideas and their writing process.  I started out the week hosting an author visit at school.  Josh Bleill, author of One Step at a Time, gave an all-school presentation at the high school where I teach.  I arranged the visit so it was a little stressful, but also fun at the same time.  I was able to spend time before and after his presentation talking to him more about his experiences.  I would definitely recommend him and his book.  Many of my students really enjoyed his book and his presentation.  He even let me wear his Colts AFC championship ring.  Josh now works for the Colts organization as a motivational speaker.  Here is a link to more information about how to set up a visit with  Josh Bleill

Me and Josh Bleill

On Monday evening I headed to Indianapolis to attend the Indiana Library Federation Conference.  I presented my session on Tuesday afternoon and was able to meet with Neal Shusterman and Ashley Hope Perez.  They both have written books that have been on the Rosie list.  Neal's book Bruiser was the winner last year.  Ashley had What Can't Wait on last year's list and this year she has The Knife and the Butterfly.  I was also able to attend a session where Neal explained how he came up the ideas for some of his books and a session with Ashley where she busted some of the myths about hosting an author visit.  It is now my goal to schedule a visit with her for next year.

The theme for the conference this year was Everyday Superheroes in the Library.  So, of course I had to wear a cape when I did my presentation.  Here is a link to the annotations and reviews for the top ten books that we each presented.  Hope you find lots of good things to read!! Mission: Share YA Titles     I'm currently reading Forgive Me Leonard Peacock and listening to the third book of the Divergent series, Allegiant.  My listening time has recently gone up, mostly due to the fact that Mr. Sinus Infection kicked my tail  for a couple of weeks, and only left me with enough energy and breath to walk rather than run.  I have listened to the whole series and this is definitely one of my favorite series that I have read.  Once I finish with these books I will probably turn my attention to reading the rest of the Rosie's for this year that I have not read yet.  I always try to read all of them.

Book Review

One Step at a Time

Josh Bleill with Mark Tabb

Publisher: Triumph Books

Lexile: 820L

      One Step at a Time is the story of Josh Bleill.  As a marine serving in Iraq, Josh had a bad day.  At the end of his bad day, he had lost of his both of his legs, three inches above the knees.  He also lost two of his very close friends.  In this very inspirational memoir Josh explains how he went through many highs and lows during the healing process. Not everyday was good.  There were many times he was ready to give up on walking and participating in life activities again.  However, each time he hit a low he tried to remind himself to take one step at a time and rely heavily on his faith and family.  As a wounded veteran, one of the big things he worried about was his ability to become a productive member of society again.  The Colts organization has played a key role in making this happen.  After his rehab and return home, Josh became a motivational speaker for the Colts organization.  He tells his story to school, civic, and church organizations across the country.   

     I have heard nothing but positive comments from my students who have read his book and who attended the presentation last week.  Many reluctant readers stated that they also enjoyed the book and it has been one of the few books they have actually willingly finished.  One Step at a Time is currently on the Rosie list for this school year.  I highly recommend this book.  

Author visit: Who would you choose?

Wow!  This is a tough one!  Of course if money were not an issue I would love to host Stephanie Meyer.  Twilight was such a huge phenomenon that I think it would be awesome to ask her questions about the writing process, the books, how her life has been impacted since the movies, and what she is currently working on.  What about you?  Who would you like to have an author visit with in the future?

Happy Reading!!

Jennifer

               

I'd Rather Be Reading!!

     Today is the last day of my fall break.  I must say I'm a little bummed!  However, I have read some great books these last two weeks.  I read one last book, Diverse Energies, that was on my assigned reading list for the Eliot Rosewater committee meeting that took place on October 10, 2013.  I also read a couple of last minute books The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr and Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan,   to prepare for my upcoming presentation at the Indiana Library Federation Conference this next week.  On Tuesday I will be a part of a five person panel.  We are presenting our top ten YA titles for various genres. My partners will be presenting on contemporary realistic, fantasy/science fiction/dystopia, graphic novels, verse novels/christian literature, while I will be doing LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender). Because the organizers are expecting a large turnout for our session, they have placed us in the ballroom at the convention center.  Needless to say, I'm a LOT nervous!! Although my top ten are all fiction titles, two of nonfiction titles did make the additional titles I am including on our annotations and review pages.  Those titles are Mom Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family and Oddly Normal: One Family's Struggle to Help Their Teenage So Come to Terms with His Sexuality.  When I get home from the conference I will add a comment to this post with the link so you can see our annotations and review pages.

    Currently I am still listening to The Girl of Fire and Thorns, I have about an hour and twenty-four minutes left. My goal is still to finish it tonight.  I'm not sure I will make it since the Colts and Broncos game is only three and half hours away, but I'm being an optimist.  I'm also currently reading Boy 21.  Although I'm not very far into yet, it seems pretty good so far.  

Book Review:

My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family

Author: Zach Wahls

Publisher:  Gotham Books

Date:  2012

Lexile Range:  Could not find

     Zach Wahls became an overnight YouTube sensation when he stated, " The sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character," as he testified in front of the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in January of 2011.  In this memoir, Zach talks about his life being raised by his mom and her girlfriend, and later wife.  He talks about what it means to be a family and how his family is not much different from all the other families in the United States.  In each of the chapters of this book Zach talks about a characteristic that his moms tried to teach him while he was growing up.  He then provides the reader with an excellent example of how they tried to teach him the characteristic.  These included such things as kindness, trustworthiness, helpfulness,  and  being courteous.  He argues that he has grown up to be a very successful young man, and that most people would not even guess that he has been raised by a lesbian couple if they did not know this fact already.

     At the end of this book Zach candidly answers the twelve questions that people most ask him.  Not surprising, the most asked question is, "Are you gay?"  He is a strong advocate of the legalization of same-sex marriages.  At the end of the book he also states his reasons for this legalization and the rebuttal to various views against the legalization of same-sex marriage.  

What Makes Me an Expert? What Makes You an Expert?

     As I was preparing my presentation, I mentioned it to my younger sister.  With her knowledge that I am in fact a heterosexual female who has been with my husband since I was fifteen years old, she asked me, "What makes you an expert?"  This question kind of caught me off guard at the time, but also really got me thinking.  I CARE!!! This is what makes me an "expert."  I work with teens every day.  I know and understand that this is a hard time for many of them without adding in the question of their sexuality.  LGBT teens have the highest suicide rate of any group of teens.  My hope is that a little knowledge, understanding, compassion, and resources, will lead them to understand that they are not alone.  There are people out there who care about them as a person, and want to help them.  My hope is that by speaking out, others will follow suit and become advocates for our youth.  As a librarian, I can provide my teens with resources and novels where the main character, supporting character, or any character is familiar to them.  So, what makes you an expert?

HAPPY READING,

Jennifer

"I was born with a reading list that I will never finish."  -Maude Casey

I'd Rather Be Reading

     Today is the first day of my Fall Break!!! More time for reading here I come!!  I am so excited to get started on some of those books that I have had stacked on my pile for quite some time.  Please don't judge me by the piles of books in my bedroom!  I promise some day I will get to them all...maybe?  The bad thing about my reading list is that seems as though for every book I read off that list, at least two more get added. At least I will never be able to say I have nothing to read.  

     I'm currently reading The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr.  This is the story of Riley and Dez.  Riley is dealing with the fact that her girlfriend has not only just dumped her, but did so in a very public manner, which also outed her at the same time.  Her good friend Dez has a big crush on Riley and we are slowing figuring out that he may have played a role in this public break-up and outing, in an attempt to get Riley to fall for him.  I have also resumed my listening of The Girl of Fire and Thorns.  My hope is to get a lot of listening time this week as I work in the house...I have to do something to make cleaning more enjoyable!!

Book Review

Grief Girl: My True Story

by Erin Vincent

Publisher: Delacorte Press

2007

Lexile Range: 660L

     This book is exactly what any teenager who is dealing with grief or loss needs to read.  Erin Vincent lost both of her parents, in a tragic accident, when she was only fourteen years old.  In this memoir Erin takes the reader on her journey of dealing with the death of her parents and trying to pick up the pieces of her life with her older sister and much younger brother.  Erin holds nothing back when she shares the heartache and the joys of living without her parents' love and support.  From dealing with a sister whose dreams have gone to the side so that she can raise two younger siblings, to a little brother who remembers very little of his parents, Erin is forced to accept and deal with these very harsh realities.  Although I personally did not lose anyone as a teenager, I can remember this fear being my worst nightmare.  By sharing her story, Erin is able to allow others who are experiencing the same situation know that they are not alone.  This is definitely one of those books I will recommend to students for years to come.

What's on your reading list?

     October is shaping up to be a very busy month for me with my reading.  For this class, I need to narrow my list down from about five to two nonfiction titles.  I'm still trying to decide between The Bomb, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, and They Called Themselves the KKK.  Of course this is subject to change depending on what I find next time I hit the shelves.  I have only about twenty more days to go until my presentation at this years Indiana Library Federation conference.  I'm trying to read at least a couple more titles for this presentation as well.  I still have Gone, Gone, Gone, Man Up!, Ham: Slices of Life, and Two Boys Kissing on my to-read shelf.  Of course this does not even include the bag of books I picked up at the ALA Convention in Chicago this past summer, the ROSIE titles I have to have read by May, or the books I have already downloaded to my Audible account.  Yikes!  Looks like I better get off here and start reading!!!  So, what's on your list to read?

Happy Reading!!!

Jennifer