SRCSA library : New year and new job title

I’m looking forward to a new school year – in the library and out on the yard for recesses – at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. One significant change, effective in 2023-2024, is that my position of Instructional Materials Technician was reclassified as Library Technician II. Because this 10-month position encompasses both IMT and library operations, I don’t have to defer library tasks to the start of a school-year position like Elementary Library Technician.

Book-Talk : The Lost Library

In my latest video review: The Lost Library, by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass, was a quick read with an engaging mystery. It concerns the sudden appearance of a “little free library” on the Martinville town green. The “little free library” is filled with books that were returned to the public library on the day it burnt down 20 years ago. I admit that, inasmuch that I was caught up reading this story, I was very frustrated with the town of Martinville: In 20 years, why hadn’t anyone rebuilt the town’s public library?
https://youtu.be/p0QWNDlGhNg

Book-Talk : The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

In my latest Book-Talk: I found The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, by Andrew Joseph White, to be an intense Young Adult book of suspenseful and gothic horror. As an autistic reader, one of the things that fascinated me about this novel was the way that an autistic character is portrayed in a society in which no such diagnosis exists.
https://youtu.be/q_1jM9deMB0

Book-Talk : Green, by Alex Gino

Green, by Alex Gino, returns readers to the world of Jung Middle School and its Rainbow Spectrum Club, which is inhabited by those titular characters from two of Gino’s previous works, Melissa and Rick. In this latest novel, titular character Green helps advocate for gender-free casting in the school’s production of The Wizard of Oz, experiences physical changes to their maturing body, and navigates romantic feelings toward another student, Ronnie. The book will be published by Scholastic in October 2023.
https://youtu.be/MHNMp8Kke64

Book-Talk : Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize

After being suspended from school, 16-year-old Lucy Clark is serving as a full-time companion to the wealthy and eccentric Edith Fox, who is convinced that someone is trying to kill her. Author Margo Rabb describes Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize as “Part coming of age story, part murder mystery, and part modern day ‘The Secret Garden.’”
https://youtu.be/b2DdnHnyz6M

Disability ‘Pride’ : Autism and sexual diversity

Disability Pride Flag (from Wikipedia)

Happy Disability Pride Month! As an autistic person, this annual occurrence is deeply relevant to me.

Book-Talk : Ghost Book, by Remy Lai

Ghost Book, a graphic novel by Remy Lai, strikes an intriguing balance: stakes that are genuinely life-or-death, paired with moments that are whimsical and humorous. The story centers around July, a school girl who can see ghosts; and William, a wandering soul who has become separated from his body. Ghost Book will be published in August 2023.
https://youtu.be/-iJwqqwH7XE

Book-Talk : Just Lizzie, by Karen Wilfrid

Through her scientific exploration of reproduction in plants, 14-year-old Lizzie gains new insights into herself and her place in society. Reading Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid, I found so much to appreciate: among them a beautiful expression for the interconnectedness of life. The book also offers much-needed representation for asexuality. As a reader on the autism spectrum, I do have one wishful question. Is it possible that Lizzie is autistic? My appreciation to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book, which will be published in November 2023.