Five on Friday: Readingjunky

For today’s Five on Friday we interviewed Sally over at Readingjunky.  Sally teaches Children’s Lit and Adolescent Lit at Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI.  Her students post book reviews every week here.  Be sure to check them out!

What was your favorite book last year (2013)?

ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell – To be totally honest, I passed it by for months thinking it just didn’t seem like something I would like.  I finally purchased a copy, read it, and still find myself thinking about it months later.

What advice do you wish you could give to your younger self?

Be confident in who you are!  I stayed in the shadows and didn’t realize I had a lot to be proud of and a lot of great stuff to offer.  You don’t have to be an athlete or a popular kid to be a great kid.

What super power do you wish you had and why?

My name would be Timesaver and I’d wear a huge clock like Flavor Flav.  My super power would be add hours to your day when you are faced with time commitments that don’t allow you time for yourself or time to relax with family and friends.  I could grant your wish for more than a 24-hour day.

What are three things you always have with you?

A book, a backup book, and a backup for the backup book.

What's your favorite season of the year?

I am completely enjoying our record-breaking Michigan winter because the snow days are great for added reading time. 

Sally, keep enjoying the snow and writing the book reviews!

ABOUT THIS BLOGGER

Jessica Donbrosky lives in Richmond, VA, and is the youngest of 6 children.  She has a BS in Sociology from Brigham Young University – Idaho.  She spent her teenage years writing hundreds of horrid poems that she can’t bring herself to burn.  Now she uses her creativity to write YA and New Adult fiction.

When Jessica isn’t writing or reading she’s running local races in the Richmond area, working on developing her photography skills, and trying out new recipes for anything sweet.  You can check out her blog.

Celebration of Authors

 The Young Alberta Book Society and the Children’s Literature Roundtable are partnering once again to present the Celebration of Authors. Meet Judith Graves who’ll present her books and chat with librarians, teachers, and readers in general.

When	Thursday, November 4, 2010
Where	Alberta, Canda (map)   You'll also get to hear more about Judith Graves' next book in the series, Second Skin, coming out in 2011. Cool cover, eh??

SCBWI MD/VA/WV -- A Great Success

Author Bonnie J. Doerr is back after speaking at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference in Maryland, where she had a great time meeting fellow writers and discussing how she balances her mystery plot with factual information about endangered animals.

She now has many fans waiting for Book 2 in her eco-mystery series: Stakeout. And Book 3 is underway, so all the teachers and librarians at the conference will have more great books for their schools and libraries. Keep an eye out for a sneak peek at Stakeout, which is coming soon. Kenzie's back and this time she's rescuing sea turtles--in a stolen boat, no less.

The Secret Lives of Librarians - Part Two

We continue our series exploring the secret lives of people who turned their passion for reading into a career. Check out today's guest's take on teens and technology.


Next up: Linda W. Braun, president of Young Adult Library Services Association and author of Teens, Technology, and Literacy;

 Or, Why Bad Grammar Isn't Always Bad

Secret passions: Coffee and Technology

What turned you into a reader?
I was surrounded by books when I was growing up. My parents were avid readers and we had books all over the house, in every room including the basement and attic.

If you hadn’t become a librarian, what might you have done instead?
Television producer – probably news or documentaries.

What can booklovers and publishers do to help with the current library funding crisis?
Ask good questions about what a library in 2010 should be doing for the community and don’t make assumptions about what a library is all about. The library is more than a place that members of a community have because they think they should, or because it has sentimental value. The library is a living breathing organization that has a lot to give to a community. Find out what that is and make sure that you get it.

What kind of books are most popular at your library?
I am a consultant and library school educator, so don’t work in a library currently. However, in conversations with teens and librarians I know that a wide-variety of titles are currently popular. There is still interest in supernatural stories with werewolves, vampires, fairies, and so on. These stories that take place in a world which teens can relate to and with which they are familiar has something to do with their popularity. Manga and graphic novels are popular with many teens and these titles span a variety of genres. Non-fiction on topics related to contemporary interests and web-trends are popular as well.

Most people picture librarians sitting around reading all day. What’s wrong with this picture?
Libraries are a customer service institution, just like a bookstore, coffee shops, or computer stores. That means that librarians working on the front lines are always helping people find what they need, answering questions face-to-face or virtually, and making sure that the services provided meet the needs of the community.

What advice do you have for turning non-readers/reluctant readers on to books?
I have advice for the adults that live and work with reluctant readers. Be willing to recognize that reading on a computer screen or a digital device is reading. Help kids and teens that don’t think they like to read see themselves as readers by acknowledging that reading happens in lots of different forms and formats in 2010. When we start to recognize that kids and teens are always reading, and are willing to call that type of reading reading, kids and teens who don’t think of themselves as readers, but who are because they are constantly reading in non-traditional formats, will begin to think of themselves as readers and begin to be more interested in reading as something they like to and want to do.

Here's the secret stuff about Linda:

What book character are you most like and why?

Harriet the Spy because I’m curious.

What 3 things would you never walk out the door without?

iPhone, Starbucks Card, Sunglasses

Did you ever sneak out a window? No fair only answering yes, you have to tell us when and why.

I snuck out of a second floor porch when I was a freshman in high school in order to meet my boyfriend.

What was the worst clothing disaster you ever faced?
It wasn’t a disaster when I was a teen but when I look back now I see it that way – a halter top that was short in front as well as missing in back.

Do you have a tattoo?
Don’t have one and am too scared of the pain to get one.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and why?
Adults would recognize teenagers as human beings that are valuable to a community and have brains that work. Adults would not treat teens as second-class citizens and would support teen development and not pretend, in many cases, that teens don’t really exist.

If you could star in any TV show or movie, what would it be and why?
Gilmore Girls because I loved the relationships between the characters.

The Secret Lives of Librarians

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to turn a passion into a full time job? Well, that's what librarians have done. They've turned their love of reading into a career. Imagine getting first crack at all the new releases while the rest of us have to put our names on the reserve list. And if someone's annoying you, you get to tell them emphatically to Shush. Sweet!
We decided to talk to some of our favorite librarians. We get them to dish on what a great job they have and maybe even get them to share a few secrets.  Shhh!!! Don't tell!

First up, Dr. Leigh Ann Jones
Coordinator of Library Services, Frisco ISD, Frisco, TX

Obsession: book covers (subject of her dissertation)
Loves: libraries, family time, YA books

What turned you into a reader?

My mom claims I'm a reader because she liked to sleep late. When I'd wake up really early as a toddler, she'd change my diaper, give me a bottle, a banana, and a Life magazine. She swears the Life magazine was worth another hour's sleep for her.

Tell us about your most disastrous author visit. (No names please.)

We host several authors a year and thankfully the great majority are warm, gracious, and interesting. Unfortunately divas do exist. I have frantically driven all over town at 10:00 on Sunday evening looking for "ruby-red grapefruit juice, no sugar." I have been summoned with an imperious wave and told, "Your author is hungry, and I don't do fast food." One author showed up late with his Botoxed wife in tow, was rude, and had his manager call and cancel the afternoon sessions with an hour's notice.

Most people picture librarians sitting around reading all day. What’s wrong with this picture?

That we don't actually get to do it!

What advice do you have for turning non-readers/reluctant readers on to books?

I think it takes the reader finding just the right book. And to find that book, it normally takes a caring librarian or teacher who reads like crazy and is willing to get to know the kid well enough to say, "Hey, I think you'd really like this book."

What can an author do to ensure a successful visit/booksigning?

Like kids. Smile. Get rid of the canned presenation. The best author we've hosted lets the students ask him questions the whole hour, so every session is fresh and it's what the kids want to know.

Here's the secret stuff:    

Did you ever sneak out a window? No fair only answering yes, you have to tell us when and why.

Yep. In high school I crawled out my window to meet this guy who had already graduated and was still hanging around (there's one in every small town). My sister told on me, and my dad followed me to the square where we were sitting and talking. Humiliating. My freshman year in college the guy actually called and asked me out, saying "Maybe your dad won't follow you this time." I was too freaked out to go.

Tell us about a paranormal experience you’ve had.

In middle school I got on a kick of reading books about ghosts, ESP, and reincarnation. I badly wanted to see a ghost, but the closest I ever came was pretending to feel something in the room after playing with the Ouija board at a sleepover.