First-chapter Friday : The War I Finally Won

Each Friday I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from our school library, with the SRCSA community. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for April 29, 2022, is The War I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

LIS 5100 : ‘Popular’ reading materials

When reading the Rubins’ overview of libraries “From past to present” this semester, I was interested to read about a historical struggle over the place of popular materials in a library: reading, for example, that “Popular fiction has a long tradition of raising concerns about lowering morals” (Rubin, 2020, p. 49).

LIS 5100 : State of America’s Libraries

Each year, I am interested in reading the State of America’s Libraries, an annual report that is produced by the American Library Association. As described by American Libraries (official magazine of the ALA), “[t]he report summarizes library trends and outlines statistics and issues affecting libraries during the previous calendar year. It comes out annually during National Library Week, this year April 3–9” (ALA, 2022).

First-chapter Friday : The Giver

Each Friday I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from our school library, with the SRCSA community. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for April 15, 2022, is The Giver, by Lois Lowry.

Book-Talk : Elatsoe, by Darcie Little Badger

In my latest video book review: With Elatsoe, author Darcie Little Badger has crafted an exceptional #OwnVoices novel that blends mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, and fantasy. Published by Levine Querido in August 2020, the book has received a long list of accolades. Of special mention is the representation this book provides for an asexual main character, which is seldom depicted in media. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you are enjoying my videos.

Book-Talk : Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?

As an autistic reader and librarian, I like to commemorate Autism Acceptance Month by drawing attention to a book that features an autistic main character. And with Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? by Leslie Connor, I can actually spotlight two protagonists who are on the autism spectrum. Points raised in this video review can be read, with citations, in my essay of April 3, 2022.

LIS 5100 : Service awards and learning opportunities

In a discussion this week, I was asked to share my thoughts about a professional award for librarians that I could possibly apply for, as well as reflect on a source of continuing education.

First-chapter Friday : Front Desk

Each Friday I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from our school library, with the SRCSA community. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for April 8, 2022, is Front Desk by Kelly Yang.

LIS 5100 : Professional associations

My studies this week for LIS 5100, “Foundations of Librarianship,” included an exploration of professional library associations. I shared the benefits I’ve derived from two association memberships, the American Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children.

‘I found a quilted heart,’ #IFAQH

Some of the things that matter most to me are cats and reading / libraries, and I had a walking adventure this weekend that featured all of those things.

‘Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?’ and explicit recognition of autism

April is Autism Acceptance Month (yes, that’s Acceptance, and not just “awareness” of autism [Autism Society, 2021]). To commemorate this observance, I like to draw attention to books that feature an autistic main character. And with Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? by Leslie Connor, I can actually spotlight two protagonists who are on the autism spectrum.

First, a brief summary if you have not read the book: it concerns two sixth-graders, Aurora and Frenchie, who, up until the time of the story, have always been in the same classroom.

Frenchie is nonvocal and intensely interested in birds. Aurora tends to blurt what she is thinking and has struggled with making friends. Early in their lives, they each chose each other as their special person. But as sixth-grade looms, suddenly they will be in separate sixth-grade classrooms. For the first time also, Aurora has been able to make friends with two other classmates.

One day, when circumstances interrupt their routine of going to school and to their classrooms, Frenchie leaves school and goes missing. Much of the book focuses on the logistics of a community search for Frenchie.