2017 Pesky Reading Challenge Celebration

Yesterday afternoon we celebrated with our 2017 Pesky Reading Challenge participants at the library; a brief but festive meeting centered on a love of books that included discussion, prizes, and gorgeous cupcakes. Five readers completed all 25 categories--what an achievement. Everyone was invited to share with the group a favorite book, a book that surprised them, or any that they would have never read without the challenge categories. One of the best things about a challenge with 25 diverse categories (from a book that takes place on an island to a steampunk novel) is that it forces readers to choose books outside of their comfort zone. And although many of our categories were directed at potentially older works--a classic, a book published before you were born--I was still struck by the books our students chose to talk about. It warms these librarians’ hearts to see young people speaking passionately and intelligently about books in general, and especially some old favorites. I thought I would highlight a few of the books that came up in our discussion.

1984 by George Orwell

A modern classic if there ever was one, Orwell’s dystopian novel greatly inspired one student. He spoke of its amazing ability to speak to students today even 60 years after it was written, and how brilliant and insightful the story was.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Our youngest reader managed to fulfill all 25 categories in 4th grade! When asked to speak of her favorite book from the list she mentioned The Princess Bride. Known mostly from the 1987 movie, the book holds its own among audiences and critics for its humor, romance, and swashbuckling story. The book is always better than the movie, right?

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This beloved fable fit a number of our categories including book under 100 pages and a book translated into English. It was heralded by one reader for its surprising universal message and standing up to all that she had heard about it in the past. There is a reason that it has been translated into over 200 languages and more than 70 years after being written it remains one of the world’s bestselling books.

Thanks again to all of the readers who participated, and we look forward to announcing our 2018 challenge soon.

Martin Luther King Day

We had a fantastic program of Martin Luther King Day events here at Governor’s Academy. Darryl Davis spoke to the entire community in the morning about his lifelong quest to understand racism, and then we broke into groups for various trainings and workshops. After lunch and advisory meetings we came together again for an open mic opportunity where many students chose to read poetry. Their courage and incredible voices impressed me, and reminded me of what a potent medium poetry can be. In the past few years I have been especially moved by a number of Young Adult books written in verse by authors of color that I thought I would share for MLK Day.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

This book won heaps of awards in 2014 and deserved every one of them. The phrasing and use of language is gorgeous, dynamic and paints a picture that stays with me even years later. It is autobiographical about growing up in 1960’s and 70’s, and her beginnings as a reader and writer. Woodson recently became the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess

Blade is about to graduate from high school when faced with many typical teen issues--like girlfriend problems--and some not so typical--like dealing with his alcoholic rock star father. When he learns life altering information he travels to Africa to find out the truth. The language is beautiful, the characters are original, and the story is captivating. Alexander is the author of many books written in verse including The Crossover which won the Newbury Medal.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Reynolds is a poet motivated to “NOT WRITE BORING BOOKS” according to his Amazon bio, and he succeeded with Long Way Down. On his way to possibly avenge his brother’s death, Will endures a fantastical elevator trip that questions his memories and his motivation. Reynolds plays with structure and voice to create something unique while telling a difficult story about loss the cycle of violence. Reynold’s style and the challenging story make this a quick page-turner and good introduction to books in verse for a reader that wants to try something different.

I am also really looking forward to the March release of Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X. This will be Acevedo’s first foray into YA literature, but her award winning slam poetry style and feminist slant seem a sure bet for a great read. We already have it in the cart and I for one can’t wait to get my hands on it.

PK

The Moons of January

This week, we will look in on DDC section 523.3, aka the Moon. Just so you know, the whole 520 section (in the big room on the second floor of the library) is about astronomy in general. Math, physics, and paleontology are nearby subjects.

This is kind of an awesome time to look at the Moon, both in books and in real life. So far in the month of January, we had a 3-day long full moon which was also a Supermoon. It was 14% wider and 30% brighter than your normal full moon. Some names for this first full moon in January are the Wolf Moon, the Ice Moon, the Old Moon, and the Long Night Moon.

The next full moon, on January 31, will be another Supermoon. It will also be a Blue Moon. Not to be outdone, there will be a lunar eclipse that will turn the moon reddish. This makes our Blue Moon a Blood Moon as well. So, right at the end of the month, you can see a super blue Blood Moon. Stop by the astronomy section for books that explain the whole thing better than this. If you want to grapple with this whole moon thing in detail, try NASA’s online project to make a moon phase calculator of your own (https://goo.gl/tFfUzq).

-MJD

Winter Books

January 5, 2018

            It’s no secret that I really hate cold weather and all of the nasty by-products that come along with it. It’s also no secret that I really like to read--a lot. So I take winter as open invitation to cuddle up under multiple layers and read to my heart’s content with no feelings of guilt that I should be doing anything else. As the coldest weekend of the year approaches I am thinking about places and times when people had it much worse than we do. Like watching an episode of Hoarders to feel better about my house, why not read books to make me feel better about the weather? Here is a short list of books that might just fit the bill:

Call of the Wild by Jack London

 Sled dogs have it hard, and Buck certainly survives horrible treatment and conditions in Alaska. Originally serialized in The Saturday Evening Post, Call of the Wild may be too brutal and dated for some readers, but is still thought by many to be a classic.

The Shining by Stephen King

Stuck in a cold, empty, haunted hotel during a brutal winter with a crazy writer? Not for me, but a much beloved scary read.

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

I read this a long time ago, but the setting of San Piedro Island in the Pacific Northwest always stayed with me. A murder mystery with a large serving of historical fiction that takes place in a cold, wet, rainy climate.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

A childless couple living in 1920’s Alaska attempt to stave off their sadness by building a child out of snow are surprised when she seems to come to life. Beautiful book about love and family while homesteading in the unforgiving Alaskan wild.

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Winter is coming…

For these books and more come check out our winter display, and keep warm!

PK