I have done countless "book talks" with students as an English teacher, but I recently did my first official book talk as a librarian-in-training. I think it went pretty well, so I'd like to share it with you... but in writing. So I guess it's a "book write."
Have you been waiting for a book that combines the magic of Harry Potter, the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, and the epic battles of the Hunger Games? Well, look no further: I give you The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern.
Morgenstern will captivate you from the very first page when she describes the night circus itself. Imagine you are living in the middle of nowhere, on a farm maybe, and one day a giant black and white tent appears in a field. You have no idea what it is or how it got there, but there is a sign that says "opens at nightfall." You have to go, right? And when you do go, it is so perfect, so magical, that it becomes the best night of your life.
The night circus is the backdrop for the tragic love story of Celia and Marco. Forget Romeo and Juliet, these are truly star-crossed lovers. Celia's father, Prospero, and Marco's father-figure, Chandresh, are locked in a feud to prove who is the better magician. Celia and Marco have both been training since childhood in the art of magic. They know that they are to play some sort of game, but they don't know the rules...or the consequences.
When Celia and Marco meet, they soon realize that they are each other's adversary. They also quickly fall in love. And while there are only two contestants in this game, they fight with magic, and the love story is much more romantic, the key similarity with the Hunger Games is that there can only be one winner. As the story progresses, it becomes clear to the reader that this story cannot have a happy ending...yet we can't help hoping that, in this world of magic, anything is possible.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Girls & STEM: Rosie Revere & Ada Twist
Today I'd like to tell you about two of my favorite children's books: Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist. Both are written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts.
The two books are about precocious young girls with big questions and big dreams. Rosie loves to build things to solve problems, but feels discouraged when grown-ups laugh at her inventions. That is until her great-great Aunt Rose, with her signature red scarf, comes to town and teaches Rosie an important lesson:
“Your brilliant first flop was a raging success! Come on, let's get busy and on to the next!" She handed a notebook to Rosie Revere, who smiled at her aunt as it all became clear. Life might have its failures, but this was not it. The only true failure can come if you quit.”
Meanwhile, Ada Marie (named for Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie) has a thirst for knowledge that cannot be quenched. In her story, it is actually her parents that learn a lesson: that little scientists should be encouraged, not suppressed.
All parents and teachers of young children should run out and get these books today! It is so easy to get exasperated by the never-ending questions, and the mess that seems to materialize every time you leave a kid alone for five minutes. My own daughter literally wants to stop and smell the roses every day as we leave her school. It's so annoying! But it's also so important to let her do it, because curiosity and creativity have to be cultivated, or they will not survive the impending apathy of adolescence!
The world of education has been placing a lot of emphasis on STEM these past few years, but it's disturbing to see how few women and girls enter these fields. Growing up, I always loved math and consistently scored well in my classes, but was never once told to take an advanced math class or asked about pursuing a STEM career. I have no regrets about the path I took--I also always loved to read!--but I can't help but wonder why no one saw that potential in me.
But things will be different for my daughter's generation! With characters like Rosie and Ada, and real world role models like Danica McKellar and Dr. Karen Panetta, I hope we will see more girls entering STEM fields and changing the world for the better!
“Your brilliant first flop was a raging success! Come on, let's get busy and on to the next!" She handed a notebook to Rosie Revere, who smiled at her aunt as it all became clear. Life might have its failures, but this was not it. The only true failure can come if you quit.”
Meanwhile, Ada Marie (named for Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie) has a thirst for knowledge that cannot be quenched. In her story, it is actually her parents that learn a lesson: that little scientists should be encouraged, not suppressed.
All parents and teachers of young children should run out and get these books today! It is so easy to get exasperated by the never-ending questions, and the mess that seems to materialize every time you leave a kid alone for five minutes. My own daughter literally wants to stop and smell the roses every day as we leave her school. It's so annoying! But it's also so important to let her do it, because curiosity and creativity have to be cultivated, or they will not survive the impending apathy of adolescence!
The world of education has been placing a lot of emphasis on STEM these past few years, but it's disturbing to see how few women and girls enter these fields. Growing up, I always loved math and consistently scored well in my classes, but was never once told to take an advanced math class or asked about pursuing a STEM career. I have no regrets about the path I took--I also always loved to read!--but I can't help but wonder why no one saw that potential in me.
But things will be different for my daughter's generation! With characters like Rosie and Ada, and real world role models like Danica McKellar and Dr. Karen Panetta, I hope we will see more girls entering STEM fields and changing the world for the better!
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Making a Portfolio
I some of the things I've been making as part of my Masters in Integrated School Library Media and Technology. Some of the pieces have been used in the library as part of my practicum; others are mock-ups for events I'd like to do in the future.
Most of the pieces in the portfolio were made with an amazing free program called canva.com. It is a real game-changer for anyone who makes flyers on a regular basis. I also love that you can make infographics, menus, postcards, and programs. It will make you feel like you learned how to be a graphic designer overnight!
Also included in the portfolio is a tutorial I made to solve a very specific problem. My daughter's school district bought iPads for every pre-K classroom...and then failed to provide the teachers with any training. As a result, many of the teachers have downloaded an assortment of passive apps that children can play during their free play time. This is not the purpose of tablets in the classroom! Children should be creating content with tablets, not just consuming it. Also, children should be playing during play time, not sitting in front of a screen!
I love my daughter's school librarian, but she doesn't have any more time than the teachers do to create this kind of training. So I took it upon myself to put a little something together. I hope my daughter's teacher finds it useful!
My practicum is wrapping up soon, and I'm sad for it to end. Hiring season is upon us, and I don't know where I'll end up, but I'm really excited for the next chapter (pun intended!) in my career.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Love & Anxiety: Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell is quickly becoming my favorite Young Adult novelist. I read Eleanor and Park two years ago and was moved by her depiction of two teenage misfits who fall in love while dealing with abuse, poverty, and general teen anxt.
In Fangirl, Rowell sets the scene a little later--freshman year of college--but includes many of the same elements. The protagonist, Cath, suffers from social anxiety; she prefers the magical world of her fanfiction to reality. She reluctantly befriends her sassy roommate and ultimately falls in love with a "normal" boy who sees how cool she is behind her shy, geeky facade.
In a unique twist, Cath has a twin sister, Wren, who has a very different personality. The twins' mother abandoned them in third grade, and as Cath puts it, "Wren acted out, I acted in." While Cath lives off protein bars because she's embarrassed to ask where the dining hall is, Wren goes out and parties every night. While Cath struggles to even make eye contact with strangers, Wren becomes instant friends with her superficial, airhead roommate. It's refreshing to see a depiction of twins that is complex and nuanced; despite their differences, Cath and Wren are no Sweet Valley Twins.
Maybe I loved this book because I was an English major, and I spent my freshman year writing bad poetry and listening to earnest young people play guitars at coffee shops. I identified with Cath when she stayed up all night with a classmate, writing just for fun, at the expense of her homework. I enjoyed the descriptions of Lincoln, Nebraska too--a college town in the middle of farm country, much like my hometown of Iowa City.
Another aspect of this book that I think is really important to think about is its depiction of mental illness. Not only does Cath suffer from anxiety, her father is bipolar and has a manic breakdown about half way through the novel. Rowell depicts these illnesses with compassion, but also doesn't shy away from how difficult it can be to care for someone with a mental illness.
When their mother attempts to contact them, Wren is open to reconciliation, while Cath insists that they shouldn't see her because of the irreparable damage she did to their lives:
"Do you think I absorbed all the impact? That when Mom left, it hit my side of the car?" [...]
"But it didn't break me. Nothing can break me unless I let it."
"Do you think Dad let it? Do you think he chose to fall apart when she left?"
"Yes!" Wren was shouting now. "And I think he keeps choosing. I think you both do. You'd rather be broken than move on."
That did it. Now they were both crying, both shouting. Nobody wins until nobody wins, Cath thought.
This idea, that depression and anxiety are somehow a choice, is a misconception that is hard to dispel. I know there have been times when I haven't been as patient as I should have been with my own loved ones who suffer from mental illness. It's terrifying and frustrating and exhausting when someone you love is afraid to leave the house, unwilling to get out bed, or frantic in a bout of mania. It makes me wonder if Wren is willing to reconcile with her mother because she too has wanted to run away from her family. It couldn't have been easy to grow up always on edge, waiting for the next episode.
This topic is especially important in YA because anxiety and depression are definitely on the rise amongst teenagers today. (Click here for some statistics.) Parents, teachers, and counselors all struggle with the best way to help our students. As teachers, we don't want to our students to fall behind; our job is to help them reach their full academic potential! I often hear teachers complain about counselors and parents being "enablers," and maybe sometimes they are...but it's also their job to focus on the child's health and wellness above all else.
In the past five years or so, I've seen educators making a real effort to learn more about mental illness. We need to be vigilant about identifying students who need help and directing them to the proper resources. We need to maintain compassion, even when their circumstances are frustrating. We need to talk to all of our students about it until the stigma is no longer a barrier to getting help.
But I digress. Although Fangirl tackles the topic of mental illness, it is ultimately a book about young love, friendship, and sisterhood. Rowell has an uncanny ability to capture the swirling, confusing emotions of teenagers that will take you right back to that exciting-but-awkward time in your life. Read at your own risk!
In Fangirl, Rowell sets the scene a little later--freshman year of college--but includes many of the same elements. The protagonist, Cath, suffers from social anxiety; she prefers the magical world of her fanfiction to reality. She reluctantly befriends her sassy roommate and ultimately falls in love with a "normal" boy who sees how cool she is behind her shy, geeky facade.
In a unique twist, Cath has a twin sister, Wren, who has a very different personality. The twins' mother abandoned them in third grade, and as Cath puts it, "Wren acted out, I acted in." While Cath lives off protein bars because she's embarrassed to ask where the dining hall is, Wren goes out and parties every night. While Cath struggles to even make eye contact with strangers, Wren becomes instant friends with her superficial, airhead roommate. It's refreshing to see a depiction of twins that is complex and nuanced; despite their differences, Cath and Wren are no Sweet Valley Twins.
Maybe I loved this book because I was an English major, and I spent my freshman year writing bad poetry and listening to earnest young people play guitars at coffee shops. I identified with Cath when she stayed up all night with a classmate, writing just for fun, at the expense of her homework. I enjoyed the descriptions of Lincoln, Nebraska too--a college town in the middle of farm country, much like my hometown of Iowa City.
Another aspect of this book that I think is really important to think about is its depiction of mental illness. Not only does Cath suffer from anxiety, her father is bipolar and has a manic breakdown about half way through the novel. Rowell depicts these illnesses with compassion, but also doesn't shy away from how difficult it can be to care for someone with a mental illness.
When their mother attempts to contact them, Wren is open to reconciliation, while Cath insists that they shouldn't see her because of the irreparable damage she did to their lives:
"Do you think I absorbed all the impact? That when Mom left, it hit my side of the car?" [...]
"But it didn't break me. Nothing can break me unless I let it."
"Do you think Dad let it? Do you think he chose to fall apart when she left?"
"Yes!" Wren was shouting now. "And I think he keeps choosing. I think you both do. You'd rather be broken than move on."
That did it. Now they were both crying, both shouting. Nobody wins until nobody wins, Cath thought.
This idea, that depression and anxiety are somehow a choice, is a misconception that is hard to dispel. I know there have been times when I haven't been as patient as I should have been with my own loved ones who suffer from mental illness. It's terrifying and frustrating and exhausting when someone you love is afraid to leave the house, unwilling to get out bed, or frantic in a bout of mania. It makes me wonder if Wren is willing to reconcile with her mother because she too has wanted to run away from her family. It couldn't have been easy to grow up always on edge, waiting for the next episode.
This topic is especially important in YA because anxiety and depression are definitely on the rise amongst teenagers today. (Click here for some statistics.) Parents, teachers, and counselors all struggle with the best way to help our students. As teachers, we don't want to our students to fall behind; our job is to help them reach their full academic potential! I often hear teachers complain about counselors and parents being "enablers," and maybe sometimes they are...but it's also their job to focus on the child's health and wellness above all else.
In the past five years or so, I've seen educators making a real effort to learn more about mental illness. We need to be vigilant about identifying students who need help and directing them to the proper resources. We need to maintain compassion, even when their circumstances are frustrating. We need to talk to all of our students about it until the stigma is no longer a barrier to getting help.
But I digress. Although Fangirl tackles the topic of mental illness, it is ultimately a book about young love, friendship, and sisterhood. Rowell has an uncanny ability to capture the swirling, confusing emotions of teenagers that will take you right back to that exciting-but-awkward time in your life. Read at your own risk!