Booktrailer Tech Tip Mondays! Topic: Attribution

I've been asked time and again about where the link is to the blog post about how I create booktrailers. It's in the archive somewhere (I'll tag it after finishing this), but as I was thinking about all the questions someone may have, I decided to start a booktrailer tech tip of the week. Always on Mondays because it's just easy to remember.
These are going to be small things that I may miss during a workshop or just find out on my own! Not only will there be tips, but links, highlights, favorites and something a little juicy to (hopefully!) whet your appetite...so here's BTT#1!!



THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON YOUR TRAILER...attribution! I use creativecommons flickr pretty much for everything I use. (and when I use caps, I'm not yelling...promise!) You can find these at: www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ or on the creativcommons.org website. If going that route, make sure you click on the flickr tab and CLICK ON THE FIND BUTTON IN THE GREEN.

Here's what a typical attribution looks like. You find this in the "Additional Information" on the right hand side hyperlinked by the "some rights reserved" words:


(click on the image to get a bigger view of the full link)
But all you need to truly attribute it on your trailer is this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgermony/808766644/

It's found within that huge first link towards the front....it gives the name of the website, name of the imageholder, and number id of the image.

Hope this helps!!

The Less- Dead by April Lurie

Noah may not be famous, but his dad is. It seems everyone wants to meet the "Bible Answer Guy," one of the top-rated radio broadcasts on Christian radio in Austin, Texas. That is an oxymoron unto itself, but Noah can't run from his upbringing, although he tries.

Which is why he and his best friend Carson (who's dad is a DPCP - Demon Possessed Capitalist Pig) ended up at an alternative school for breaking school policy. And it's there that Noah's life takes a decidedly interesting, and perhaps deadly course. Because its at alternative school that Noah meets Will...

Will looks to be a typical, average Austinite teen, but there's more to him than Noah first realized. He meets Will on the Drag, while doing double duty at trying to win back his girlfriend Aubrey. The two form a friendship, tentative at first, but then slowly growing. Noah's buddy Carson sees what's happening and is the first to clue Noah in on the fact that Will is gay.

Noah has always seen himself as open, honest...not "uptight" like his Dad. But when he thinks about his reactions to Will, he knows what he thought isn't who he thinks he is. And Will will be one to test him on his levels of beliefs and bibilical teaching, as well as his emotions.

But their friendship doesn't last long...Will has been murdered. And his death is just another of many from a serial killer stalking the city. Noah has a clue the killer left behind, but who can he trust? With so many around him saying one thing and becoming another, who is telling the truth and who is lying?

April Lurie writes a YA fiction that combines prejudice against gay teens with the biblical teaching against homosexuality in one well-written and balanced book. The title suggests that while gay teens are considered less human, thus less-dead, the Bible and its scriptures say something else. The interpretation is what Lurie compiles on both sides very nicely. It's a book that not overtly heavy-handed one way or the other, but delivers a great mystery that will keep YA readers guessing, always the best quality of a well-written suspense novel.
There is an author's note where Lurie seems to state her opinion, pointing to scriptures about homosexuality, but that is the reader's option and doesn't impede on the actual novel itself. Recommended.

Booktrailers and Resources

So, I put this website out on the listserv today, and I can see so many possibilities with it! The little "let google help" button comes in handy!! Here's my binder, which is just a beginning attempt at putting together resources....there is so much out there!

Book Trailer Resources

Not quite book reviews...

But just as important. I'd like to share with you websites I found while searching online for the next greatest web 2.0 to explore. There are just so many, I enjoy finding sites dedicated to web 2.0 and scrolling around in them. This is a great site I like:

www.feedmyapp.com - Your daily web 2.0 dose. And boy, does it give you an injection of web 2.0 to kill your boredom! Over 9000 sites to pick and choose from. It'll take awhile to go through it all!! I'm actually looking forward to it and sharing the best of the best with ya'll!

http://www.seomoz.org/web2.0 - (search engine optimization) best sites by category. Of course, these are from 2008, but if they're still around, that means they're keepers. This has things from online storage to games to collaborative writing to books. One that will also keep you busy, but better that it's classified. That way I can skip the retail and go straight to what I want to find.

So, with two gems to keep you busy, enjoy! And speaking of technology, get ready for booktrailer tech tips weekly. I've learned that there are so many tweaks and tricks when it comes to booktrailers, that instead of writing a rather lengthy article, I'll share a bite one week at a time. Watch the labels and tags! I'm going to start on Monday : )

A message to everyone....

We all have had successes...personal, relational, enotional, professional. And this favorite quote of Matt de la Pena is a reflection for everyone to sit back and tell themselves, "Yes....I remember the time before I..." It's easy to get caught up in the moment, but it all starts with a humble beginning. And in my view, if after that moment before your success you still live in that humble state, your successes become nothing more than a full life of a succession of interesting stories.

I've enjoyed TLA. This year has been vastly different for me, but this is a moment before. Thank you EVERYONE who voted for me....I will do you proud...

Highlights thus far...

One more day of conference, and this one has been a doozy! So, in a nutshell, here are my fave parts of TLA:

1. Forget dinner and a movie. At TLA, it's about dinner and an author! Last night was, bar none, the best dinner I've had. Sitting at my table was Teri Lesesne, Marc Aronson (author of Witch Hunt, War Is..., Race) and a Texas librarian that had experience with the Prinz committee. Talk about intellectual conversation!! It ran the gamut of school library cuts in New Jersey and California, to the history of sugar and its ties to slavery, to MLK Jr and Edgar Hoover, to writing. I was mesmerized with everything Mr. Aronson talked about. And being a lover of non-fiction, I couldn't ask for a better dinner guest. And all this time, I thought Alex Trebek would be great...Marc and Teri were just - words can't describe.

2. Presiding over a presentation about private school libraries and their issues/best practices with advocacy, collaboration, programs and intellectual freedom went beyond the scope to seeing this implemented at public schools too. We are ALL in the same boat with the same passions and capacities. Going to buy this professional book - Independent School Libraries: Perspectives on Excellence. Twenty essays that target all of the topics from in the trenches librarians.

3. This is the first year in a long time I didn't spend a lot of time in the exhibit halls, and believe me, I was always first in line. But I found what I wanted...the galley for Ellen Hopkins newest book, Fallout! Time to read!!!

4. Meeting people I know from all my travels and seeing them bloom with what I've taught in workshops (Annaline Johnson, Sherry Thompson et al!) Getting to meet more new faces and the digital book trailer workshop I did on Wednesday, and bumping into people I've never met but now I can put names to faces. Ivey from Argyle, nice to meet you! Ms. Davis from Sabinal, great to see you again after all of these years...the list goes on!

So, one more day and a couple more meetings to add to all the other meetings that I never knew happened when you become an officer for a division of TLA. The TASL people are exceptional, and my stress level is slowly turning around. I don't think I need to worry about ulcers now : ) Just need to think about catching up once I get home and start implementing new ideas!!

The best con in the world!! TLA, that is...

So, I'm sitting here in the hotel room tweaking my presentation for tomorrow, and thinking how fortunate I am to be attending Texas Library Association's annual conference. The authors, the programs, the galleys, oh my! So much to do and see. But with all conferences, I challenge all attendees afterward to use what they've learned!! Putting handouts in a folder doesn't count. What's the use? That is a mantra I've been practicing for a long time, and have used many ideas from great TX librarians like Ty Burns, Angela Steagall, Nancy Kubasek, Rene Dyer, Jennifer Smith, Dr. Teri Lesesne, Dr. Mary Ann Bell and so many gifted others.
I am surrounded by greatness, and that makes me a very very lucky person. And this year will be a busy one for me. Looking forward to the challenge.

So tonight, on the eve of TLA, I made the four hour trek from Ft. Worth to SA and resisted temptation by NOT stopping at the outlet malls. San Antone is an old hat for me, and it's nice to know my way around. Met some peeps for a little aperitif at Pat O'Brien's, along with some dinner, took a swift tour of the Menger for those who've never seen it, and am now procrastining on my "homework" while everyone else it out having a great time on the riverwalk. Such is life....

But I still have dinner with some publishers and get to meet some amazing authors!! Adventures to follow : )

A presentation...

It's simple, but the delivery is what makes it : ) Enjoy!

Book trailers - Making students want to read created by Naomi Bates, Northwest High School on Prezi

My experiment with color...

So, yesterday I finally put up my displays by color. Have seven different colors and after the first day, the reds and the purple bookcovers were disappearing. Interestingly enough, today a lot of students came in to check out books as a class. And visually, they're catching on....
Here's what I had (and now have to find more!!)

By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead Trailer

The impact of displays

So...I think we all change around our displays. At the library I work in, I have books on the shelves, on floating displays and have separate shelving for the new books that come in. I go with different displays, the latest being the TAYSHAS titles. Before that, it was all about spring and spring break books.

Been doing the in-shelf displays too, like B&N does, with one book of a set sitting on top of them. Those have been eye-catchers as well. And it makes the shelving look pretty cool too - more like bookstore than typical library.

This past week I decided to do something different. I created a .wmv of my booktalk animotos that feature covers and a short blurb for the last two booktalks as well as this upcoming one and displayed it on a computer screen on the circ desk. Beside it, I have some of the books that are being shown on-screen. It did my heart good to see kids stop and watch...then go over and get a book. LOVED IT!

And then the playaways came in. Put those on display and in one morning, one display got wiped out! Yippee!! What caught their eye was the orange plastic covers and what exactly they were. I should do a side-by-side of book to playaway as well. Will work on that one tomorrow!

But as I commented on in a previous post, I'm going to do an experiment with color. Each shelf will get popular YA books and they're going to be by color. Displays on one shelf will be red, another shelf will be blue, another white, another black. Since these are more prominent they reflect school colors. Different displays around the library will be orange, yellow and purple. I'm going to see which one catches reader's eyes....

By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Dealyn is biding her time. She has been since the last time she tried to die (not her first), but this time she’s more determined than ever to play it out to a successful conclusion.

She loves her solitude. At this school, no one really bothers her. She doesn’t talk to other people or get involved with anything or anyone. She represses any feelings she may have for others, be it empathy for Emily, the girl everyone picks on because of her weight; or contempt, for JenniferJessica, who lives to ruin others’ lives. But her solitude doesn’t last long because of three people – Chip, Kim, and Santana.

Chip and Kim are Daelyn’s parents, and they walk a narrow path between obsessively keeping watch over their only child and allowing her freedom and trust. But how far does it go? Daelyn doesn’t trust her parents either – they have never understood her and only glossed over the terrible things in her life that have happened.

And then there’s Santana, who just won’t leave Daelyn alone after school. He comes to sit beside her on the bench, talking about nothing, entertaining himself and wanting her to see him. Santana wants Daelyn’s friendship because she’s intriguing… he likes her, but how can he bridge the chasm she’s filled with distrust for anyone? Should he tell her what’s wrong with him, or would it ruin a budding friendship he’s trying to create?

And the secrets…Daelyn doesn’t tell anyone about the new website she’s found called Through The Light. They don’t know about the DOD (date of determination), set at 23 days; the WTG (ways to go) that rate different ways to commit suicide; or the FF (final forum) where the J_Doe’s talk about the reasons why they want to die…and where Daelyn finally tells her story – the terrible, ugly side of humanity that has plagued her from junior high to high school. The bullying, the assaults, the humiliation, the abuse…

She has a countdown, a way to go, and a goal – will she finish it?

What a powerful book, with an intriguing ending! Peters doesn’t sugarcoat anything in this book, but shows the dangerous side of something that plays out in people’s lives everyday – bullying. Through her writing, the readers can see not only the experiences Daelyn’s come up against, but how it’s affected her psychologically through the way she views herself versus the way others do. This book will keep readers turning the pages because Daelyn’s character evolves slowly but progressively, allowing the reading to, at first, puzzle about her and what she’s done, followed by the full story of why she’s done what she has. For those who enjoyed 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, get ready to go up a notch on this one. Recommended.

Whitewashing....colorwashing...and it's not about laundry

It's a hot topic right now, whitewashing on bookcovers and one I most definitely agree with, MUST be changed!! And that's when my mind started to wander. This is such a far departure from the serious topic, but if you've ever experienced a mind-wandering state, you'll understand. If not, then you must try it! Here's where my mind took me....
I was reading posts about whitetwashing, and all of a sudden, I saw something while sitting in the library. I saw colorwashing on bookcovers. I saw a cover and said, "Oh! That reminds me of another book I read." and when I thought why, it's because of the covers had the same color on it! I think purple is the new black. If you find a book with purple, it will probably be about something spooky or fantastical...
Have you seen any colorwashing of genres lately?

This is one book that was finger-lickin' good!!!

Just when I thought there was a stopping point, nay, a saturation point of how much YA lit one could read, along comes a book that cleansed my palate.

Enter Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer by Seth Grahame-Smith.

The author of the book lives in the most quaint town in New York. His passion of writing gave way to other more important things, like marriage and children, and he soon finds himself the sole employee of a small five-and-dime store. No one really comes by, except for wealthy Henry, who buys fifty bucks worth of things and goes on. But one night, something extraordinary happens when Henry delivers a treasure trove. Ten lost journals of Abraham Lincoln, which chronicles not only his life since childhood, but his involvement with the dark side...and his first encounter with vampires...

Read like a true biography of Abraham Lincoln, the reader becomes intrigued in the smooth segues between true history and absolute fiction. It's seamless and it's simply fascinating to read. From his early childhood in Kentucky to all the moves afterwards that Thomas Lincoln took his family through, the journals chronicle everything historical that happened to Abraham. His mother's death wasn't through disease, but by vampiric intervention. It details the historically arguable fact of his move to New Salem and his first true love, Ann Rutledge, who also died because of sinister political vampire motivation. Was Jefferson Davis a supporter of the Southern Vampire and did he actually try to kill Lincoln? What about John Wilkes Booth? Human or vengeful vampire?

The premise of this book is why the Civil War was actually fought, but the origination of vampires in America begins with John White in 1587 and his colonists who disappeared with only CRO carved on a tree. Henry Sturges was there in the beginning and is the man who gave the journals to the author working the five-and-dime. He was the guiding force behind Abe's career as a vampire killer and the force behind Abe's presidential nomination and win.

Grahame-Smith second book with this novel approach was more to my taste because of the historical nature of the book itself. What a keen and sharp mind this novelist had to create and capture what has been written by countless biographers of Abraham Lincoln's life and weave in fictional details that coincides perfectly with reality.

Could this be one teens would pick up? Absolutely! Pair it with James Swanson's Licoln's Killer, a great YA non-fiction book and you have a pair that's a winner. I am definitely putting this on my booktalk list! And the cherry on top? The "photos" interspersed within the novel as well as the cover....

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Gaia just delivered her first advanced. In a world that has been ravaged by the energy hungry people of the past, Gaia’s world at the beginning of the 25th century consists of months of no rain, eating mycoprotein, living on the shores of the unlake (once, one of the Great Lakes) and serving as a midwife. Every month, three babies from Wharfton, a town outside the walls of the Enclave, are taken from their mothers and given a better chance at life inside the protected walls of those with more wealth and privilege.

Gaia doesn’t mind too much. With the scar covering most of the left side of her face, she’s an abomination to others, but her parents still love her. And with dedication, Gaia is striving to become as good as midwife as her mother and better at serving the Enclave.

Until one night when the Guards arrest her parents and Gaia’s mother’s assistant flees to the Dead Forest. And at her own home, Gaia first meets young Captain Gray, with hard eyes, no emotions, and a vested interest in his service to the Protectorat. After their encounter, Gaia begins to wonder what will happen, but the uncertain future turns into action when she is given a secret her parents have been keeping from everyone....

Gaia ventures out of Wharfton and away from her normal life of hard work, rewarded by TValtar passes for entertainment, to the white-washed, perfect world of the Enclave. She will find her parents and help them escape from prison…but will they make it out?

Add this to the list of amazing dystopian YA novels already published. O’Brien’s dark future and the rules that govern the new world go hand in hand with some of today’s controversial issues, especially ones dealing with genetics. The stark reality that Gaia and the others live and deal with as normalcy slowly evolves into an awareness of what is truly happening not only in their lives, but in their societies as well. This is the first installment, with a sequel to follow and will definitely be an excellent companion lit to Collins’s Hunger Games and Shusterman’s Unwind.

Things all participants should know about doing the convention in Texas

And if you've never been, you MUST come! San Antonio, to me, is one of the best venues by far for this and weather promises to be great! I remember my first time - lonely and scared, I didn't know a person at all. Went to the workshops and went straight back to my room. And worst of all, never even made it into the exhibit hall. Had NO idea what was going on. So, here are some things (if you're new, been there a time or two, or have lived and breathed it for decades) that I think all TLA'ers should know about one of the largest state library conventions in the U.S.:

1. Come early, stay late! There is way too much to go to when it comes to speakers, workshops, and programs. Some of my favorites this year are - Teri Lesesne's New Books for Teens (and some Tweens, Too); Novels in Verse: Powerful Poetry for Teens; Booktalking YA Reading Lists; Speed Geeking with New Technology Tools; Tayshas: Hot High School Authors; A Conversation Between Books and Technology.

2. Browse that program guide until your hands bleed!! Look at the pictures (remember, in testing, pictures are very important! So too, in program guides!) Look for authors' names, other librarians who are presenting that you recognize from blogs or listservs, and most importantly scheduling conflicts. Network it!!

3. Okay, this should have been number one, but too late. I was going to say book a room, but you still can! They'll be booking rooms for next year this year! DO IT NOW...save some headaches for later.

4. OMG...that's all I can say about the exhibit halls. Did you know they give away ARCS like crazy? Did you know they give away tons of candy? Did you know you can enter to win all sorts of amazing things? Authors are there IN THE BOOTHS!!! I remember seeing Beth Coe one year and people just passing her by like she wasn't there. TALK...say hello...you never know....

5. Take it all in and be prepared to let it all out at night! That may be going to the socials, free or paid, if that's your thing. (Follett's Sweets Night is always a popular one!) It could mean hanging on the riverwalk doing some dinner. It may mean sitting in your hotel under a warm blanket reading the newest galleys you just received. Or it could be getting onto the free wi-fi somewhere where you don't have to pay stinking 15.00 bucks a day to use and blogging, checking email, putting in new bookmarks, etc...

6. You are my hero if you wear shoes with heels over half an inch that aren't made of something cushiony. At this point, fashion goes to the back of the wardrobe and I'll be rockin' it in Nike's, Sperries, Vans, or flip flops! Same with the clothes. Bermudas, comfy sweaters (because sometimes the convention center is like the NORTH POLE) and khakis round out my outerwear : )

7. And will you still be alone? Never fear!! I'm a pretty friendly person and I'd love to hang out with you and have lunch, and since I know San Antonio pretty well, we can get some great Mexican food : )

See ya'll in two weeks!!!

I was going to read a WHOLE bunch during spring break...really I was!

I had a list of books, including the newest galley from April Henry (which is on the top! LOVED the premise of this book!) waiting to be read during long drives and late nights. And on top of that, I decided to get out of my familiar comfort zone of realistic YA fiction and read something I haven't in awhile, including fantasy and science fiction.
Well, I'm stalled in the fantasy area. Those books are HUGE!! I'm talking about 600 pages huge! I'm nearly done with it, but I've been reading Dragons of Darkness by Antonia Michaelis. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it. For those teens out there who devour dragon books and the incredible, they need to be prepared for this journey into dark lands, darker warlords and two teenage guys with lots of luck and fortitude.
I'm reserving final judgment on this book until I've finished with it, but thought I'd let you know I haven't stopped blogging, just reading an incredibly thick book. And to think I wanted to swim through Stephen King's Under the Dome. What was I thinking??

Well, they predict SNOW IN TEXAS tomorrow so that'll be a great respite from road-tripping for spring break. Home and a good book...or three..

What's your book?

In the last three years, I've read some amazing YA books, some that were okay, and some that were disturbing to read, which is as it should be. Not all YA lit is going to be what affects every person the same. Case in point, after reading Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, I thought about that book for days afterward. In fact, I could only read that book in chunks, even though it was relatively short. And then, news about J.C. Dugard came out and I couldn't help but think about Scott's YA novel and real-life....and yes, I thought this book was amazing.
So, if you had to pick a book (or two but no more than three)that had full impact, which one(s) would it be? For me, it was the above, but also Julius Lester's Guardian. Can't believe we haven't heard more about that from blog posts and/or listserv posts. To me, it was that powerful, but as I stated above...
So, if you come across this post and have two minutes, post what you think are those books that are what you consider power YA novels that make you think, cringe a little, and dig a little deeper....

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder - book trailer

I finished this Friday, but then spring break started. I love posting on this blog, sharing on the listserv, talking to fellow colleagues, spring break still calls. If you asked me what the date is today, I'd say, "Who cares?" So for those of you on spring break, you feel me, and those of you that aren't - be patient....it's coming : ) SO...I am posting this trailer I just finished. Enjoy it! I'll put it on schooltube for embedding and sharing later this week.
BTW, this isn't the first trailer I made for this author. Also did one for Far From You as well. I just enjoy her writing and her books. Thanks Lisa for your talent!




I'm giving you the NHS library link of booktrailers so you can see it in all of it's glory - http://www.nisdtx.org/120820731141528687/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=70538

Things to do...

1. Put this 23things to bed and soon!! I'm slowly but surely working with others to create a dynamic 23things for librarians in our district, but didn't know until we started working on it how much goes into creating one of these!! It'll be great though, and am looking forward to piloting this on librarians here...

2. Finish the Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder trailer. Look for it to be posted Friday or Saturday. So far, I'm about 1/3 of the way finished, and I'm liking what I'm seeing : )

3. Getting reading to gear up for the spring booktalk and getting that ppt in order, but I think this time I'm going to do a prezi! Only, I can't embed Animoto into a free subscription, so it may have to be powerpoint. Here are the titles I'll be booktalking:

Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Nevermore: Photobiography of Edgar Allen Poe by Karen Lange
Dawn by Kevin Brooks
Rikers High by Paul Volponi
The Dark Devine by Bree DeSpain
Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair by Russell Martin
I'm Down by Mishna Wolff
Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers
Numbers by Rachel Ward
Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine
Sleepless by Thomas Fahy
Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfours
Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Saenz
Purge by Sarah Littman
Reality Check by Peter Abrahams
Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe
Lockdown by Alexander Smith
Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Oh. My. Gods by Tera Childs

Hmmmm, looking back at the list, I have:
3 non-fiction
2 adult titles
1 novel in prose
9 guy books
11 girl books
3 romantic "chick lit"
2 mystery
10 realistic fiction
4 supernatural books
4 suspense/thriller

Looks like a great, rounded set of booktalking books to me!!

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Brooklyn is still trying to cope. It’s only been a year since Lucca left her, and she can’t shake that feeling away. She feels the loss, the emptiness…and wishes time and time again she would’ve been home when the accident happened. Would things have gone differently? Still, she glides through life, smiling empty smiles and pretending Lucca can see and hear her, is near her even though it’s only a cemetery or a comic book shop she used to go to every Friday with him…

Nico gets up everyday feeling the same emptiness and loneliness. It’s bad losing your little brother, but even worse when he was your best friend too. Nico takes out his frustration by pounding the pavement, the track…running running running. At school, he becomes invisible, not talking to anyone – not even old friends. And home? It seems the only thing his parents can see is perfect Lucca and how Nico will never be able to hold a candle to his spirit.

But tragedy lends itself to more tragedy in Brooklyn and Nico’s life when a good friend of theirs, as well as Lucca’s, kills himself. He couldn’t handle the fact that he was the one behind the wheel…the one in the car when Lucca died…and now there’s two gone.
But are they?

Brooklyn has nightmares. She wakes up screaming, trying to run away from the dead, but Gabe keeps following her, both in and out of sleep and he won’t stop until she understands what he’s saying to her. Equally, Lucca is keeping Nico awake, haunting him with warnings, hoping Nico understands the message that is so important to Lucca.
But can both the living and dead understand what is truly going on?

Lisa Schroeder writes YA novels that are to be devoured. Quick-paced with a wealth of characters, this novel not only visits the impact of death on teens who have experienced a loved one dying, but it also mildly segues into her previous novel, I Heart You, You Haunt Me. These two novels of Schroeder’s share a lot in common theme-wise, but build that theme differently, from the characters’ relationships with not only their friends, but their families as well, which defines who they are. Joining the ranks of other supernatural YA fiction, Schroeder’s novel will be well-received by YA readers, but it’s her departure into prose that makes this one stand out.

Cool library video

TAKS testing kicked my butt!! Had to test for two days and couldn't get back into the groove. Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile. Have some books read to do that though! In the meantime, enjoy their oddly weird but cool video.
PS - check out the mentos gum commercial. I don't know if I'm happy cool kids hang out in the library or upset that the stereotype is still alive and well....

Some interesting websites...

Do you keep a booklist? I do...have one by genre that I add to everytime I read a new one. I'm starting to keep better tabs on them with my 22books.com but there's a lot of lists I'm still needing to update. And there are some real treasures out there of lists of YA books. Technology...gotta love that it takes the guesswork, as well as the leg work, out of listing! Here are some of my favorites:

Flashlight Worthy Books: This website is chock full of lists, either created by the two guys who started this website, or by contributors. The lists for young adults is pretty comprehensive and updated!
www.flashlightworthybooks.com

Library Booklists: This website isn't only for YA, it has children's, adult and non-fiction lists as well! I like the clean interface, and the lists are actual links to other entities (mainly libraries) that has created lists on a particular topic. Consider this a compendium of booklist links. You'll be overwhelmed in a good way!
http://librarybooklists.org/fiction/ya/yaindex.htm

Who doesn't know about goodreads.com? I think everyone should visit this site at least once, but be warned....it's like Lay's potato chips. Bet you can't visit just once! I especially like their lists page. Just type in "young adult" and start falling in love. This is by far the best of the websites. Extremely updated and visually appealing. Give the listopia a try!
http://www.goodreads.com/list

Know of any others? Add a comment and share with the others who follow this blog, plus I'd like to see some more as well.
I have an interesting list I'm working on right now. Every six weeks I ask teachers to send me what they read and I put a placard on their door. It's cool to see what teachers are reading as well as the many books they've read. Let's not forget the reading connection they're creating with students! A lot of the books they're reading or have read we have in the library or I'm ordering because they just need to be in the library. I'm going to create a list as well as put all of these with the teacher's name beside it on display in the library. Bring a little of the classroom onto the shelves and continue creating relationships.
I had this epiphany while sitting in a class giving a TAKS test...that's what several loooong hours will do! After the test was returned,I got to read quietly with my student and chose Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn, which will be reviewed here in a day or two. Preview: Hmmmmmm.....Interesting book....

My newest booktrailer is a departure from the rest...

I read the most interesting YA non-fiction book in the last six months, and decided to create a trailer for it. Who says book trailers are just for fiction only?
Enjoy!!

Dawn by Kevin Brooks

Dawn is fifteen years old. She loves music, especially the Jesus and Mary Chain. She loves her two dog, Jesus and Mary. And right now, she wants to kill God. That is her resolution for the new year.

Right now, Dawn lives with her mother. After hoping for his demons to disappear but they never did, her father disappeared from their lives. Now, it’s Dawn who takes care of her mother, making sure she doesn’t burn the house down when she gets drunk and passes with with a cig in her hand; helping to try to keep track of days lost in her mother’s self-induced haze; doing to cleaning and shopping for the house.

Dawn doesn’t have any friends, except the neighbor boy Splodge, who watches everything from his doorstep. She definitely isn’t in the same group as Taylor and Mel, the popular goddesses at school.

“My name is Dawn.
I’m thirteen years old
My name is Dawn.
I don’t want to think about it.
But every day it hurts more and more and the cave in my
head gets smaller and smaller and the cave in my head gets
darker and darker and the cave in my head gets colder and colder
and if I don’t get out of it soon, I think this cave is going to
kill me.”

She lives in her own tight-knit world, where she can control the safety, and who is allowed in is up to her. Until one night, when Taylor and Mel unexpectedly show up and turn Dawn’s world upside down.

Inside Dawn’s self-imposed inner kingdom, she holds secrets. Secrets about her father…secrets about herself…and the secret about the duffel bag full of money in her house. Who is it really from and why is it here? That’s the conundrum, and one fateful night, when Taylor and Mel come over, some of the secrets pour out of Dawn as the popular girls pour alcohol into her…and that safe world Dawn has created begins to crumble.

Kevin Brooks takes you on a tour de force YA thriller ride when secrets begin to reveal themselves slowly and deliberately. But what makes this such a great novel is that he pairs those secrets with the emotional pain of a teen in a topic that is slowly coming to the surface in many of today’s YA novels. This was published in December of last year, so it’s a relatively new book and worth putting on your shelves. Excellent for high school and those that stuff their minds and voraciously read all of Brooks’s novels. Recommended.

Rikers High by Paul Volponi

Martin Stokes grew up in a part of New York City that’s tough to live in. His dad is in prison, his mother and grandmother take care of his younger sisters, and Martin is trying to make it. But he’s not at home anymore, although he wants to be. He’s at Riker’s Island, waiting for his day in court, waiting to go home…if he can make it.

Three times Martin’s gotten on the bus that takes inmates from Riker’s to court. And all three times there’s been a delay. What Martin thought was going to be a small stay has turned into months. And months can turn a young man into a monster, into a skilled survivalist, into a seasoned criminal….

During his stay, Forty (aka Martin) knows who the herbs and new jacks are and how the system really works. It’s them against the COs and the beatings and abuse they take. Everyone knows what happens to the snitches. It’s proving to others that you won’t be taken and putting up a front in order to get into the pecking order of which inmate runs things and which ones you don’t want to cross. It’s getting scarred for life with a razor and keeping that hate deep inside of you, wanting revenge.

But there is also humanity within the cells of Riker’s Island, at least for the teens there. They still have school, and if you make it, you get to leave behind prison life for a little awhile and keep preoccupied with something interesting, even if school wasn’t your thing in the real world. And it’s here that Forty meets teachers who take a stand and those who are as mean as the inmates; teachers who make them think and those who are in it for the paycheck; those who care, and those who could care less.

Paul Volponi is one of those writers who gets it. He’s taken what he’s experienced and wrapped it into a beautifully woven tale of a different life many teens may not ever see, as well as one that many teens can relate to. This is a book that's written succinctly, constructed well, and draws readers to the finale. But the ending doesn’t lie in the book. After finishing this novel, Volponi invites readers to find out what happened to Martin in an epilogue online at paulvolponibooks.com. This epilogue is one that doesn’t sound contrived or put together hastily to end a story. It’s one that is full of redemption and ultimately facing the monsters of the past. Wow….recommended.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Isn't it appropros that Valentine's Day and Teen Dating Violence Awareness fall on the same month? As I was writing this post, I decided to do a little background research on some stats and went (where else?) to Google to find some resources. Wow...what a lack of resources on this topic!! I don't know how long teen violence awareness month has been around, but hopefully, with the passing of time, the resources online with get larger and larger.
I was able to find some information about teen dating violence from our counselors at school. Did you know....
*As many as one in three teens will experience dating abuse? That means in the average classromom, as many as ten students could be hurt by their boyfriend or girlfriend - physically or emotionally.

*In the state of Texas, 3 out of 4 individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 have been affected by relationship violence, either personally or about someone they knew? That means that in the average classroom 75% of students are experiencing abuse or know someone who is.

Here's a list of some good online resources:

http://stanford.wellsphere.com/wellmix360/teens-and-violence
http://www.ncfy.com/fvp/dating_violence_prevention_month.htm

For more, here's a list of YA books that deals with teen dating violence:

Bad Boy Can be Good for a Girl by Tonya Lee Stone

Things change by Patrick Jones

Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Twisted

Honey baby sweetheart by Deb Calletti

Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher

Played by Dana Davidson

Wild Roses by Deb Calletti

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

Breaking up is Hard to Do short story collection edited by Nikki Burnham

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn

Touch by Francine Prose

Story of Girl by Sara Zarr

Who am I Without Him? short story collection by Sharon Flake

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Stay by Deb Caletti



Make a display!! Work with counselors on this!! Let teachers know!! This affects all high school, either public or private, and who knows....you may be able to help a person break those chains through your involvement.

What a great idea I'm going to use!!

We had another district library meeting this past week, and I had the the honor of showing our librarians some web 2.0 they can start using to promote their libraries. One librarian at one of our junior highs shared with us how she can't get into the classrooms because of lack of staffing but had a great program going on. After I heard about it, I told her, "You may not be in the classroom physically, but you are definitely there remotely and use the library to make an impact!!" Here's what she's doing:

She told the teachers how to embed Shelfari into their teacher webpages. The teachers involved created a classroom shelf, where students put in books they've read. This is all teacher-led because they may be more in tune with what the kids are reading. Those books get put on the shelf and the classroom Shelfari with the most books wins a pizza party!!

I'm going to modify it by doing this:
Ask teachers to create a classroom Shelfari. Post a list of approved booklists on the library webpage they must choose from to read. This will help prevent them from double dipping into books read at the beginning of school or even last year as well as teachers cheating (oh my!! yes....some will) to win. They will be books I'm familiar with and/or have read.
When a students posts a Shelfari book, they MUST tag and review the book before any pages get counted. I'll be doing this not by the amount of books, but by amount of pages. All reviews must have the teacher's name, class period and student initials. Teachers and I will regularly review the reviews for authenticity.
After a subscribed set of time, I'll ask teachers to count pages and that class will win!!!
That's what using web 2.0 with students will do! I'm so EXCITED about this and am THANKFUL for the librarian (shoutout to Pam from CTMS!!!) for sharing. Isn't this a great idea!!
BTW, my updated shelfari's right there on the right hand side : )

One of the Most Valuable Assets in the Library...

They’re right in front of you. You see them almost everyday. They hold so much value and knowledge. But have you tapped into them lately?

What I’m talking about is my student aides. I have a tried, true and trusted library assistant who, without her, my schedule and professional life would begin to frazzle, but it’s the students aides who help me and the library staff who make such a difference for me as a librarian. Let me introduce you to some of them.

The first one I automatically think of is the high GPA, top 40 in her class, academic girl. I just love her because of her motivation and her hugs she gives me everyday she walks in. This is a girl on her toes, involved in community service and linked to the “smart” kids at school. What’s your value potential? She’s my gauge of how the academic databases and the library webpage are being used – the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. And I use this group’s suggestions to start modifying (example: see how I redid my library webpage for easier research usage)

The next one on the list is one of two guys that works with us. Actually, he requested to work in the library, which is one of the most sought-after student aide positions in the school, and let me tell you, looks can be deceiving. He’s been in the gang scene and is now out of it. But surprisingly, he is a hard worker. His value? It’s the inside look at what motivates him to do better in school, what books appeal to his reluctant reader side, how to get those students who aren’t the academic nose-in-the-book student to use the library. Books get bounced off of him to let me know if it’s true to form or swagger. He connects me to those who may never get the connection.

Another student that pops to mind is my book loving, poetry reader, skater and jerking (if you don’t know this dance craze, get ready!!) other guy. He’s the lover…the sensitive one, the one the girls like and the one who’s not afraid to stand out. He doesn’t look like your typical reader, and he doesn’t read the typical YA books. But he is invaluable to me because not only does he keep me aware of trends in the teen culture, but he also lets me know the holes in the section I least read (poetry) and his personal review on poetry books I’ve purchased. This is a bright teen, both academically and socially, and he just makes me smile.

Last of all (I wish I could give homage to all of my aides, but it would be a looooong blog – I have 10!!) would be my athlete. She’s definitely a lover of books, especially teen romance, but more than that she’s a proliferate reader. Get her together with any other student and she’s recommending books left and right. Her goal? To read all the books I’ve booktalked as well as the one sitting in my office. She just got a full-ride volleyball scholarship to a prestigious part of a Texas university whose colors are maroon and white. She’s that conundrum…an athlete that reads? Yes, and she brings in the other ones too because of her role as athlete in this school.

Okay, one more! She’s my band student, but not just a band student, but a girl who has an active high school life, including a boyfriend she’s dated for more than two years ( a record in high school!) and lots of friends. Although she plays an instrument, she isn’t a instrument-carrying marcher, but works the field with the rifle corps. What’s her value? That this is a girl who peruses the shelves and puts back the books, but doesn’t read too often? She’s the one that I have to capture and find ways to capture, and when it happens – it happens quickly and the reading begins. Then it’s onto trying to get her involved in another book. She keeps me on my toes and I try out all my trailers on her in the hope that she’ll pick up the book to read, which she does….

So there you have it. Look at the value in your library. Put them to work for you without letting them know. Create those relationships, and you would be amazed at how fast that one relationship will spread with others. Teens talk about their teachers, including their librarians. What do you think they say about you when you’re not around….?

Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan

Finn and Chloe have been best friends since fourth grade. They live next door to each other, stay at each others homes – one would even say they’re like sisters, finely tuned into each others’ families and lifestyles. Chloe is the beautiful one, the one who everyone revolves around. Finn is more down-to-earth; a local girl who befriended the city girls when she moved in.

Now they’re juniors in high school and fast approaching what it’ll take to get into an ivy-league school and all the pressures that come with it. It doesn’t leave the girls a lot of time, but enough time for Chloe to flirt with Dean and Finn to help her. They had enough time for them to still watch television and the drama that unfolded on the L.A. Price show when Margaret Cook came home after being abducted. The girls had enough time to plan…

Applying to get into a prestigious university is one thing; getting in is another completely different beast, and Chloe and Finn know that. After hearing their counselor reiterate the fact that what they’re doing now in the small town of Colt River has no bearing on them actually getting in, and hearing as well the statistics of how many students across the nation apply and how many actually get in leaves the girls, but Chloe especially, in a spiral of desperation. And with enough time on their hands and a seed of inspiration, the girls create a scenario that will definitely make them stand out. Months of meticulous planning, and the show is about to begin…

What Finn doesn’t realize is that eleven days will take its toll on her. While Chloe’s abduction goes into full swing, Finn sees the brunt of it and the impact it’s taking not only on her hometown, but on individuals themselves. But how far is too far? When does it stop being a game and start being real?

A great novel from a great YA author, Corrigan puts her signature on this book. The reader is hooked on page one and the pages continue to flip until the final moment on the last page. The hook happens not only with the fullness of the character, but with the situation as well. What the main characters find fascinating, the reader sees the nightmare behind it from a classmate’s to a parent’s perspective. This is a fast paced white-knuckle book where the reader gets to live through the perpetrators’ actions and watch the victims’ emotional and mental breakdowns. Recommended. This book isn't due for publishing until August 2010. Publisher: Scholastic
I'd be happy to share this galley with the first person to contact me:
naomi.bates@gmail.com

I'm overwhelmed!!! And I like it...

7:30am-5:00pm. Most would think that's a looooong day. But not when you're at TCEA!!
You wouldn't BELIEVE how much I've learned today at this tech conference! It's like sitting at a Chinese food buffet and gorging because everything is sooooo good. Okay, that's not a really great analogy, but first of all, I love Chinese food and secondly, I know how that feels after I get up from the table.

Well, try ingesting all of the amazing and powerful web 2.0 sites out there I learned today, and I'm stuffed, overfilled, and can't wait to go back for seconds!! But I really really need to digest what I've learned and pick and choose which ones I'm going to want to keep on my plate and those I just want to sample.

And the dessert? Listening to Dr. Teri Lesesne speak about 21st century readers and technology. They're integrated....not separate. She is a goddess who speaks common sense wisdom with research behind her words! Can't wait for her new book, Reading Ladders, to get published!

Okay, enough of the analogies. Want to know the sites I found AMAZING? Here they are, in no particular order:

jamstudio.com - create your own music online and download as mp.3
photopeach.com - slideshow alternative
dialmycalls.com - make and send a single phone call to up to 25 people free
vocaroo.com - record your voice and post online
formatoz.com - file converter
letterpop.com - templates to create newletters, flyers and more
magtoo.com - slideshow with pop!
loonapix.com - animate or put effects onto your photos
plurk.com - another social networking site
blabberize.com - make a talking picture
stagedproject.com - make a 3-D video
toondoo.com - make an animated video
scribd.com - embed your doc online instead of using another app to open it
polleverywhere.com - use a cell phone as a CPS response
timetoast.com - interactive timelines
greatsummary.com - finds the topic sentences and summarizes texts for you
tagcrowd.com - word cloud creator
wordsift.com - word cloud creator and vocabulary builder. Click on a word in the cloud to create a text visualizer
chartgizmo.com - online chart creator. No more excel spreadsheets

And I still have another two days!!! Yessssssss.....

And no, haven't given up on the reading either. At night, I trying to balance my time between the two, and am currently reading Eireann Corrigan's newest book, Accomplice. Will post that review as soon as I finish reading it. So far, so great. I'm loving that one to the point of creating a trailer....

And Angela Steagall, you inspire and motivate me to do next school year what you're doing right now!!

This state I love....and authors who live here!!

Right now I'm firmly ensconced in a hotel room ready for the big opening of TCEA (Texas Educators Association) to learn more tech and applications for kids and teachers in today's world. Went to a pre-conference with Discovery this morning and wow....need to brush up on those skills! It was held at the Bob Bullock Museum of Texas, which sadly, I've never been to. So I was equally in awe of everything there as well!!
So, in homage to Texas, here's a list of brilliant YA authors who live and write in Texas, and just some of my favorites too!!

Gail Giles - Shattering Glass; Right Behind You; Playing in Traffic, What Happened to Cass McBride

Cynthia Leitech Smith - Tantalize; Eternal

A.M. Jenkins - Damage; Beating Heart; Night Road (I'm ready for the next one!!!!)

Libba Bray - Great and Terrible Beauty series; Going Bovine

Rosemary Clement-Moore - Prom Dates from Hell series; Splendor Falls

Rene Saldana - Whole Sky Full of Stars

Marian Hale - Dark Water Rising

Lori Aurelia Williams: When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune; Broken China

April Lurie - The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine; The Less Dead (i'm wanting to read this one!)

Mary Beth Miller - On The Head of a Pin

And thanks to Cynythia Leitech Smith, there's a more extensive list of children's and YA authors from and in Texas on her blog: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/authors/texasauth-ill.html

And here's a list of YA fiction about Texas:

Getting It by Alex Sanchez
Whip It by Shauna Cross
Soul Enchilada by David Gill
Picture Perfect by D. Anne Love
A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary Pearson
The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill Alexander
The Devil in the Junior League by Linda Lee
The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt
Comfort by Carolee Dean
Deep in the Heart of High School by Veronica Goldbach
How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
Desert Blood: The Juarez Murders by Alicia Gaspar de Alba (adult fiction)
Feels Like Home by E. Charlton-Trujillo
The Ruling Class by Francine Pascal
The Confessional by J.L. Powers
Houston, We Have a Problema by Gwendolyn Zepeda

Adelante, Texas!!!

This World We Live in by Susan Pfeffer

It's now April, and Miranda, her mother and her two brothers have survived the fallout when everything was devastated by the moon's gravitational pull on the earth. Ash from volcanic eruptions completely obliterates the sky and only those with the physical, emotional and mental strength are still alive. Electricity is scarce, food is even more difficult to find, and living in extreme weather conditions makes everyone in Miranda's family more than a little on edge.

Changes slowly take place in Miranda's life. When her brothers go out on a fishing expedition, Matt (her oldest brother) brings back a wife...an another mouth to feed. Shortly after that, Miranda's father and wife comes back, bringing with them several other people they traveled with...and even more people to support. In a world of scarcity, do you protect what you have and let others suffer or do you take them in and hang onto your humanity?

*******

Alex and Julie survived the horrible end of New York City and made it out alive. They found their older brother Carlos in Texas, but now are making their way back to the east coast in order to keep Julie safe. That was Alex's plan all along. The only reason he has survived was to protect Julie not only from the elements, but also to what could happen to a young girl in this new world. Along the way he met up with another group of people heading toward New York who showed him not only protection, but hospitality as well.

As they travel together, the journey ends for Alex's companions in the small town of Howell in Pennsylvania. Alex is partly relieved to stop for awhile and get rest and food, if possible, but he has to complete his personal journey. But then he meets Miranda....and life just got a little more complicated.

Pfeffer has taken the main characters from her previous two books (Life As We Knew It and The Dead and The Gone) and merged them into this third book in her series. And this third books doesn't disappoint. Both Miranda and Alex have evolved since the original books and have grown up not only physically, but emotionally as well from the impact of their environments, which continue to rupture and devolve. Secrets, betrayals, and choices these two have to make will continue their evolution, not only as characters, but as people in a strange new world they have to survive in.

I'm not a reader of series books. Usually, I'll read the first in a series if they're well-received, and order the rest without reading the next one published. But this is a seris I've read all of have enjoyed thoroughly.

There is a caveat though: The first two could well stand on their own without having read the previous one, and that's the only kink I found with this third installment. Previous knowledge has to come into play in order for the reader to make sense of this one, but if they have been read in the past, readers will be enthralled with this book. If not, they might not see the full character development. Keep an eye on this: Due out in March 2010
FYI!!! If you want an advanced copy of this, go to netgalley.com to download to a Kindle, Nook, Sony E-reader et al. Thank you Harcourt!!

2009 List of Under-praised YA

I troll through so many sites and blogs looking for books that'll whet my appetite, keep me on the edge of YA lit, and fill my love for reading and sharing YA lit. There has been a slew (or is it slough?) of YA reading out there, and the best of the best made the accoladed lists and got the well-deserved literary slap on the back. But there were some, in my opinion, that deserved that slap on the back but only got a tap. Many of these books made booklists, either national or state level, but weren't publicized as much as I thought they should. So here's my homage to those books that ROCKED the 2009 lists and reasons why. Keep in mind also, I'm looking at 2008-09 copyright dates because that's what is usually put on the year's current lists.

Soul Enchilada by David Gill (2009): This has lots of humor and as much wit about two young people in El Paso looking to get rid of their demons - not your typical "undead" book because it really makes you laugh!!

Skinned by Robin Wasserman (2008): In this dystopic future, there really is nothing left of Lia, literally, but she's still alive. Where do medical ethics draw the line, and how far would a parent go to save their child?

Parliament of Blood by Justin Richards 2008): Vampires in Victorian England are being hunted by archaelogist intern, a lovely actress, and a street urchin. Steampunk it's not, but it as close to it as it comes.

Destroy all Cars by Blake Nelson (2009): Read about James Hoff's life through English essays, including his love/hate relationship with his girlfriend, his friends and his parents.

In the Small by Michael Hague (2008): This graphic novel takes a look at a worldwide event that metamorphs human to seven inches tall...can you even imagine the chaos? You can with this one!

Playing with Matches (2008): Has to be one of the most powerful romance stories I've read in a year. Where does true beauty lie, especially with teenagers. My personal take on this book - it doesn't get picked up much because the cover isn't "there"...AMAZING book.

Dirty Laundry by Daniel Ehrenhaft(2009): In a private school, this is part mystery, part romance all Ehrenhaft. This man can write with humor and wit, as displayed in his previous books.

Life on the Refrigerator Door(2007): okay okay, this isn't technically a 2009 book, but it's only one year off and I don't think it even recieved a pat on the back! Every girl who has read this book (fast read, prose fiction) has come back saying how much she cried. If a book can get that emotional response out of teenagers, it's worth buying and putting on the shelf! I dare you to read it and not cry....

Hey, Sydney and Mrs M....

You guys WON!! I've got a Starbucks card and trailers on jump drives waiting for you!! Thanks for guessing. I was sure someone would figure it out, but the post with all my keywords for my new trailer? It was Dark Divine, which I posted the next day. It was just something I couldn't hold back any longer : )

Thanks you guys for guessing though! Please email me at:
naomi.bates@gmail.com

I need addresses as well as the five trailers on the blog you'd like my to send to you

Hype or Not?

Verdict is still out for me....trying to decide if an electronic reader of any kind is a substitute for the real thing. I bought this a year ago because, honestly, everyone was talking about them. Haven't used it any at all during that year except to learn how to download free books onto it.

But then I received news on how you can get a free e-galley of Susan Pfeffer's new book, The World We Live In, via a website. This was one I've been wanting to read (and yes, I've got a review in my head that I'll blog tomorrow) and so I dug up the e-reader to get it.

I've read it in my office, during lunch, even took it to bed with me. Read it in bright light, natural light, and the quiet light on my bedside table. And still....didn't feel, smell or handle like the real thing. But I got the galley!

But I can't write on, highlight, take notes, make lists for a trailer with the e-reader. Can't give it to another person to get their take and/or converse with them through the e-reader (hey, I love my colleagues, but with a nearly $300.00 machine, it may get a little tricky). Can't tell the kids who have devoured Pfeffer's two others that I have a surprise for them....but I got the galley for sixty days!

This is a great marketing technique for Harcourt, and I actually do applaud theirs and the other publishers who decided to go "green" with their galleys and be able to give more out for reviewers than through snail mail and paper copies. Thank you so much for this opportunity publishers!! And I'm not picking on them.

I'm still trying to decide if I like e-readers or not!! Hmmmmm-ugh. I can't get Marvin Gaye's song, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby" out of my head...

What's it take to be a good...nay, a GREAT librarian?

That was a question posed to me today in an email. Rather, it was more, "what are some tips to being a good high school librarian?" and I thought about it, and thought about it...and these are what I think (emphasis added). You may or may not agree with me, this may even make you mad...but I mean every word I say...

Number One: First and foremost - SHOW NO FEAR because really, there isn't anything to be afraid of!
I don't know how many times librarians in younger grades have expressed a feeling of trepidation when walking into the high school library during the day for a district meeting or other gathering for librarians. WHY?!? They're just older kids, but with a little more attitude. Believe it not, some still like to hug you hello, and others like to give Christmas presents or make homemade cards for your birthday. But overall, they're wanting and needing guidance - maybe not as much as little bitties, but it's still a need. Which leads to...

Number Two: Be accessible and be real! If there is one thing teens know how to do, it's to see through a guise. If you hate teens, PLEASE find another job! Why in the world librarians would want to work at a high school and keep kids out of it is beyond me, and I don't care how young or old they may be. What the heck?!? And it's those attitudes that help perpetuate the "librarians don't do anything" persona. This goes hand-in-hand with...

Number Three: High school librarians need to be inventive! Even more so than elementary. Why? Because, believe it or not, we don't spend the majority of our day reading to little ones and shelving books, working in a fixed schedule environment with little to no help. We have flex schedules and sometimes may not even see a class in a day. So what to do with that time? I'm not going to give a list, but SPEND IT WISELY. We can all say we're soooo busy, but come on... everyday? Even I have slow days, but I find something to enhance the library, the books, the classroom, work with teachers, be involved with professional associations etc...and then there are the times when I get to read. Aaaaahhhhhhhh, the best part of my profession, which leads to -

Number Four: READ! Simple directive, but makes a difference. HUGE difference. Why in the world would anyone want to be a high school librarian and not read books? It's about connections, and connecting kids with books, especially students who are going through a stage when YOU (the librarian) has to struggle against athletics, academics and taking and passing the almighty test to graduate to even get a student to pick up a book and read. THAT is the challenge, and if you're not up to it, then you need to start right now (and I recommend you pick up the book Read-icide as the first professional resource book to read)

Number Five: Network, share, learn, be passionate, and take time for yourself. Sometimes I get sick and tired of reading...do you? My nature is to be quiet, alone, and isolated (and if you know me, you're laughing, but it's the truth!) To be your personal best takes effort, willingness and time professionally, but to be your best also means taking the time and effort to surround yourselves with things outside the library as well. And who knows? Maybe those other passions will transcend themselves into something useful and creative in the library world!

And Finally: Always be there for others first. We are a consumer-driven position. We are there to help others first, either through technology, books, in the classroom, relationally - all of the above. When we put others first and help them out, the library, our profession, our value in the scheme of things, blossoms...

Trailer time!! The Dark Devine by Bree Despain

Here's one I just finished. I'm trying to get more creative not only with background, but with fonts now too. I've come light years than since I first began...

Time to play! Ready, set....

So, I'm creating a new booktrailer after reading this YA book that is begging for a trailer to be made. I don't have money to give away, but one thing I do enjoy is playing games, especially quizzing types. So, I'm going to share my tags for my booktrailer with you.
If you can guess the title and author, add a comment (I'll post them on Friday through moderation). Watch for comments as well! I'll post a comment with your name if you've got it right : )
If you guess right, you'll be put in a drawing. For what? Well, the only thing I can give away really, are some of my trailers. I know you can download them, but I'll put five of the trailers I've put up on this blog on a flash drive and mail it to you (your choice). Heck, I'll even throw in a Starbucks card too.
And if you're a YA author, I'll create a trailer for a book you've written and send that one to you as well as post it online!
So, you have until this Friday! And here we go....

KEYWORDS:
dog snarling - rabid dog - Urbat - brother/sister - Knights Templar - love
loup garou - old book - statues - Gabriel - moonstone - lone street light - art - lycanthrope - walnut tree - mad dog - dark eyes - Hounds of Hell - Hounds of Heaven - silver dagger - church - redemption - forbidden love

Have fun!!

The next huge wave in YA

Well, it's already reared its head, but that's just the ripple in what I think will be a tsunami of books written about this in YA fiction. Ready?

Werewolves....

Yes, tried and true, this, I do believe, is the newest YA trend. But only time will tell if my prediction is true. Is it on the downslide or just heating up? (I think the latter)... Has it happened before? Yes (remember The Blooding? How about Blood and Chocolate?) Is it after-effects from the whole vampire vs. werewolves thing because of Teams Jake and Edward? Maybe... Or maybe it's just another theme, like fairies, vampires, ghosts, demons, loup garous, and ghouls that are on the merry-go-round of YA fictional characters that makes a cycle, ends quietly, and returns with a rip-roaring start later.

And with that in mind, I had a great idea!! Instead of the traditional themes of him loving her, how about a team Jake and team Edward display, with vampires and werewolves split down the stacks on display?

Of course, there's Stephanie Meyer, but don't forget Cynthia Leitech Smith's Tantalize or Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. Anyone else out there know some great werewolf books besides the ones mentioned here? I'm currently reading one that's amazing (purple cover, title on the tip of my tongue but it's in the truck and it's too cold to go outside for this blog entry right now! But the review will be up this weekend!!) If so, post a response to help us all out

Oh, and then there's the angel books that are coming out of the woodwork of YA fic as well...

A question that's been bothering me...

I've been reading with interest about publishers and the covers they choose for books. Now, I have to say that covers play a VERY important role in my choice of books I'll pick up and read, and I can tell you, there are some ugly covers out there that are always overlooked because of it. For instance, Siberia by Ann Halam (which is actually a GREAT read!) has been hanging out on displays for about two weeks but people consistently overlook it because, face it...it has an ugly cover. Same could be said for Kissing the Bee by Kathe Koja - excellent read about friendship triangles, but the cover...doesn't make me want to pick up the book at all...I even booktalked this heavily and created a booktrailer for it, but very few takers.

But think about that for a sec - one of the most compelling and verifiably eye-catching bookcovers out there is Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy. That is the entire reason why I picked it up, but the story really hasn't drawn me in or held my interest. So, when we start to question the validity of quality of a YA book, does it start with the cover first? Are those the ones that reviewers pick out of their boxes of ARCs from publishers and go, "Oooohhh!! Aaaahhh!! Can't wait to read this -IT LOOKS GOOD!" thus already judging this book?

And always interesting to look at is when the paperback version comes out and the cover has changed to something more interesting than the previous one. Same goes for the good old classics. The only classic I know that hasn't changed with the times is the iconic Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

Just some thoughts....

I'm Down by Mishna Wolff

Oh, we’re movin’ on up (movin’ on up)
To the top (to the top)
To a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y…

Remember the sitcom to that song? It seems like there has been plenty of media around the premise of African-Americans invading the Anglo culture trying to assimilate. But rarely does one read about the opposite – how a white family tries to assimilate into the black culture….and this is the book that tells you how…

Mishna Wolff grew up in the poorer and blacker neighborhood of Rainier Valley. Her father left his hippie ways and days behind to hang with the “brothers” and be down with the whole scene, including getting an afro. Her little sister Anora fit in just well with the kids, but Mishna wasn’t as down, and she spent a vast amount of time trying to fit in with the black kids.

The first thing she became skilled at was roastin’ and cappin’. Going to summer camp at the local “Government Subsidized Charity Club” was a lesson in hard knocks, but Mishna learned. After getting capped so many times, the Wonderbread sister started practicing her cappin’ and one day, she roasted her tormentor by telling her, “Am I being talked to by a burnt chocolate chip cookie?” complete with head roll. And Wonderbread girl started slowly making it.

But when Mishna was moved to a new school replete with the wealthy and the privileged, she had to once again socially adjust to being the poor kid, the one with the free lunches and the smelly clothes from Value Village. But always in the corner of her mind she was thinking, “What is wrong with these white people?”

But the pull of two different cultures, a father who wasn’t around a lot, taking care of her dad’s wife’s kids, and a mother who worked 70 hours a week caused a lot of mental and physical stress on her and she knew she had to make drastic choices, even if they were ones that wouldn’t make her father, whom she wanted to please the most, happy…

It takes a certain talent to write about the darkest times in your life while making people laugh, and Wolff writes her memoirs with quick wit and hilarity by looking back at her life of struggle and making her spots brighter. One can’t help laughing hard when reading how she got through obstacles but also be amazed as well that she overcame them. This is a great read about a white kid in a black world, where every opportunity was a wall she had to climb over, whether from sheer luck, determination, or by accident. And boy, how Wolff climbed! A quick read and an extremely enjoyable memoir that looks at one girl’s life in the ghetto living with a dysfunctional family.

My Romance List

You get it first! I'll post this to the listserv later, but those who actually look at my blog posts, here you go! I linked it to another great list created on 22books.com so I wouldn't have to "reinvent" the wheel.
Enjoy :)


http://www.22books.com/lists/show/1241/He+Loves+Me%2C+He+Loves+Me+Not+-+YA+Romance

February Display

I liked the idea someone posted about the Love Me, Love Me Not display for their library, and am using that as a theme as well. I'm also thinking about putting on there, "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, Can I Love Him? (those books with the supernatural bent in them).
And then on the non-fiction display, I'll be displaying books on China and their culture...did you know that Chinese New Year is the same day as Valentine's Day?

I'll post my list tomorrow : )

images: creativecommons.org
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qthomasbower/3657889982 (heart)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivanwalsh/4130968240 (dragon)

Lockdown: Escape from the Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith

It's a dark world teens in England live in now. There's a no tolerance policy, and Alex knows this now. If he could go back in time, he wouldn't have done it...best so stupid...
It was a set-up but he didn't see it coming. What started out as petty thieving turned into bigger and better jobs with more money to be had. Alex knew what would happen, but he did is anyway. And that's what landed him in the Furnace.

What is the Furnace? It's unlike any penitentiary ever built. More secure that Super Max, scaries that your worst nightmare...built three miles below the surface, this is a place teen criminals go when they're caught, or more often than not, falsely accused. And it'll be the last place many of the prisoners will see before they die, if not through the aggressions of other inmates, than through the furless and skinless hell hounds, or even worse...the prison guiards themselves...

But with all secure facilities, there's always a tiny crack in the facade. And Alex has found it. But will it be too late for him? Can he even survive the unthinkable escape he has conjured up?

For those teens who love the gory and nightmarish qualities found in popular YA series fiction, they'll relish every detail and word of this first book by Gordon Smith. The author caputres in rich detail the hell and horror found in the pages as well as the emotional and mental torture the inmates must overcome in The Furnace. If you have fans of Shan's Demonata series, you need toadd this to your collection ASAP. Great read.