Pathfinder: When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

If you liked WHEN I WAS THE GREATEST by Jason Reynolds check out ... ...more authentic and gritty portrayals of growing up in NYC. Grant, Christopher. TEENIE.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf 2010. Fourteen-year-old Martine, known as "Teenie," is growing up in Brooklyn with strict Caribbean islander parents, (Dad is from Barbados & Mom from …

Love the LUMBERJANES? Check these out next…

...if you are looking for more action-packed, fantasy comic series. Princeless: 1 Save Yourself  Jeremy Whitley J FIC WHITLEY Like the Lumberjanes, this comic is funny and action-packed!   Not your average Princess, Adrienne has been locked in a tower by her father and doesn't have time to sit around and be rescued. With the …

Program Proposal

Andrew and I created a program called: Power Foods (Nutrition for growing teens) at the Brooklyn Public Library and is designed for teens age 13- 19 years old who receive free or reduced lunch. You may have seen ads around the city this past summer for the Summer Meals Program.  Parks, schools, community centers and …

lightning round! Q. 2

You Are an Army of One, the Only Teen Services Librarian in the Library System. I was shocked when I read "a city of 1.2 million".   I was expecting Carrie Kitchen to describe some small library in a small town not a sprawling city.  In any case, if I was the sole teen librarian devoted …

Youth Librarian Elevator Speech

Just brainstorming: I help [target audience*] [verb phrase*] at the library so that [proven/expected positive outcome for target audience*] . ALSC Infographic I help connect youth and their communities to free resources  available at the library to help bridge the gap that keeps low-income students at a disadvantage. I help teach parents and caregivers at the library …

Youtubers

I asked my YA librarian what youtube channels her teens were into and she recommended Zoella.  Zoella's youtube page currently has over 11 million! subscribers, and her videos have 861,955,106 views!  Her real name is Zoe Elizabeth Sugg, she's 26 years old and lives in the UK.  Her videos are mostly about style and fashion and "hauls" where she …

YA Virtual Readers’ Advisory – Tumblr

I chose to use tumblr over other social media sites because of the platform's anonymity. The ASK ME ANYTHING link allows teens to ask questions anonymously about topics they may feel uncomfortable asking the librarian in person. For me, tumblr seems really interactive.  Ideally teens would submit their own posts to the page, answer questions, …

lightning round! Q. 8 & 9

8.  Your Impulse is to Give Teens Cash, Food, a Ride, A Place to Stay . . .  With each situation that Velasquez presents, I always think of one word, flexibility.   I agree with Velasquez that, “…going down this road probably violates an administrative directive or two that your library or municipality has put in place for …

Intellectual Freedom

While it can be a little awkward role playing this kind of situation, I found last week's class to be an informative and practical exercise that will help us in our roles as intellectual freedom advocates in the library. Working in a pubic library I expect to encounter many emotional challenges from parents and members of the community.  From our …

The Gilmore Girls

It was a bizarre moment for me when I heard the teens in my library discussing their love for the The Gilmore Girls, a TV show I loved watching with my friends almost 16 years ago.  After ending in 2007 the show has become somewhat of a cult classic, with fans of all ages. It has since gained a …