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