The Tea Dragon Society

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a perfectly quaint, tender, and gentle story about friendship and dedicating yourself to your craft. I'm so happy I stumbled upon it while looking for new graphics to read - because it is so slim, it's easy to overlook. The illustrations are lovely, with soft lines and colors, and each human and dragon character has fun and unique details that give them extra personality.

The Tea Dragon Society is appropriate for readers of all ages, with plenty of detail and a story both kids and adults can enjoy. Much like the perfect cup of tea, it's comforting, flavorful, and a great companion on a cool afternoon.


Extras: Another Super Sweet Graphic, More Graphics for All Ages, or View All My Reviews

Friday Night Links 44

Here's what's been on my radar in March:

This literal flowchart is mesmerizing.

I love the idea of picking one thing/theme/concept to look out for at a museum, and "reading" is a great one for me!

Funding for libraries should be guaranteed - but for the third year in a row, the IMLS is in danger of elimination. Call, email, and tweet your reps/senators!

Give this podcast a listen to hear about some practical benefits of libraries in communities. Social infrastructure is imperative for civic life.

Blockbuster season is almost here - I'm excited to see many of these adaptations! (I discussed Children of Blood and Bone just last week, but I've been waiting for Artemis Fowl for 18 years. !!)

Children of Blood and Bone

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has everything: adventure, romance, magic, real world parallels, relationships to cheer for, drama to be gripped by, and damn good writing - which is read extremely well in the audio version. I'm very excited for the continuation of this series!

Set in Orïsha, a world where magic is forbidden, this story is told from several perspectives: Zélie, a young magi who fights to bring magic back, Inan, a young prince who knows magic must die, and Amari, a young princess who questions the choices her father has made to destroy the magi.

Adeyemi's world-building is next level. She blends Nigerian mythology and fantasy, drawing from a rich history and making the old new again. I appreciated the thoughtful attention to story details, and how much care was given to weaving these original characters into an established mythology. All these details make the story that much richer and give context to Zélie's quest to bring back magic.

The ties to current events also give depth to the story. Zélie is not the only young Black woman who needs to hear "They don't hate you, my child. They hate what you were meant to become." This series is powerful not only because of how well it is written, how dynamic the characters are, and how much readers want to know what happens next - it has real world implications that add another layer to the reading of the story.


Extras: More Gods & Goddesses, More YA With Cultural and Historical Significance, More Fantastic Adventures, or View All My Reviews.

MKE in a Day

Sometimes you need a day away from the city...in a different city. We're lucky that Milwaukee is easy to get to and has lots to offer for a quick day trip. We love the Public Museum, and this time also got to check out the Milwaukee Art Museum (including watching the wings "flap" at noon). After some road trip nourishment at the Public Market, we were back on our way home: fulfilled, tired, and ready for another week.

 

 

Extras: Our First Milwaukee Trip, A Day in Nara, Japan, A Weekend in DC, and More Contemporary Art.

Seafire

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Survival for the all-female crew of the Mors Navis depends on defending themselves against attacks from Aric Athair, who terrorizes the seas with his crew of Bullets - young men torn from their families and forced to work on Athair's fleet. Led by their captain, Caledonia Styx, the women of the Mors Navis are trying to defeat Athair once and for all, one of his ships at a time. When a defecting Bullet says he can help them, Cal and her crew have to decide if they trust him against everything they know about Athair.

I LOVED the characters in this future/steampunk/cli-fi/fantasy novel. The relationships and interactions between characters feel true and helped me root for the eclectic Mors Navis crew. Cal is fierce, but not fearless. Pisces, her second-in-command, has such a huge heart, I couldn't help but love her. The rest of the crew each have distinct personalities and each of their triumphs and tragedies jumped off the page, pulling me further into the story (which is slated to be a trilogy).

I'll let the story do the rest of the talking:

"Remember, when they call you girl, they're trying to tell you something. They're trying to tell you that they're more than you, that the body you're in makes you less. But you know, and I know, that you're exactly what you need to be."


Extras: Teens Who Know What They're About, A Family of Strong Women, More Teen Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Another First in a Female-Led Series, Another Female Ensemble With Questionable Morals, or View All My Reviews.

Things My Patrons Say 1

It's been a minute since I've worked with the public...and I missed gems like these! Note, as a teen librarian, most of my patrons are tweens or teens (ages 11-18, plus a few young adults). Rereading and remembering these is therapeutic and helps remind me of all the positives of working with this age group, especially during rough weeks like this one, when Spring Break seems so far away/I'm exhausted from Daylight Savings/my patience is thin. I truly appreciate and enjoy my job and my patrons!

---

While playing card games with them after school: "Is it okay that you're hanging out with us? Shouldn't you be doing, like...work?" [NOTE: as a teen librarian, getting to know the teen patrons IS my work...it just so happens to also be fun.]

---

Patron: Can I have candy?
Me: Um, no.
Patron: What if I clean, then can I have candy?
Me: Well, I guess, but nothing is dirty now. Maybe tomorrow?
Patron: Okay, so what if I happened to spill my chips on the floor and I vacuum up the crumbs? Then can I have candy?

---

[Running into the library after school, after being asked to leave the day before]: I'm not gonna get kicked out today!!!

---

Patron: I never know what to say to adults, I'm afraid of adults.
Me: You're afraid of me? I'm not scary!
Patron: No, I'm not afraid of you. Like, *real* adults.

---

Patron: Okay, do you want to hear a song that's, like, perfect for when your parents are making you mad and no one just...understands you?
Me: Yep, sure, let's hear it.
Patron: [Plays "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne, which came out 17 YEARS AGO, in May of 2002, when I was in 8th grade & probably felt like no one understood me.]
Me: Girlfriend, I've KNOWN about this song, don't even worry.

---

(Same) Patron: I'm really into *old* songs, you know?
Me: Like...The Beatles?
Patron: Like Nelly and the Backstreet Boys.
Me: [searches retirement communities]

Captain Marvel

As someone who is discovering Marvel characters through the movies, not the comics, I'd say Captain Marvel is one of the first movies that made me want to go back and actually read her story arc. The movie interested me just enough in Carol Danvers/Vers/Captain Marvel, while at the same time leaving me with the feeling that there is a lot more to her character and her development as a hero. I can't say if this is a positive or negative - most Marvel movies give me (a bandwagon/good times fan) enough detail and background to be satisfied with the character, where Captain Marvel felt like it was missing that depth.

One example I'll give, using a (potentially unfair) comparison to DC's Wonder Woman: when Diana takes it upon herself to go through "no man's land" to help the Allies capture the enemy trench on the front lines of World War I - I shed more than a few tears. You know what, just watch:



Like, I am tearing up rewatching that scene. What Diana doesn't have to say is that she is "no man" - she knows she is a hero, and if no one else can or will step up, she does. Carol never quite has that "No Man" scene. I don't need her to be a girl power hero in the same vein as Wonder Woman, but I did want more of an exploration of Carol's strength coming from her humanity and emotion (two things often equated with weakness in women especially). I wanted the emotion of this teaser trailer:



While I may have made the connection between emotion and strength on my own (or projected it onto Carol), it would have been nice to have it made super clear in the movie. Not enough people understand the power of softness, especially in superhero culture. As I said earlier, I now want to read the Captain Marvel comics and I am particularly excited for Shannon Hale's YA novel adaptation, coming December 2020!

Extras: Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Moana, or View All My Reviews.

In Search of Us

In Search Of Us by Ava Dellaira
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two stories set 18 years apart - Marilyn in the late 90s, Angie in present day - show the connections between mother and daughter and what it means to be 17 and wanting freedom, clarity, and to know who you are. Marilyn is a former child actor, but longs for a future she can control. She and her mother live with her uncle, who isn't happy to house them, but Marilyn finds a home, and a love, with the neighbors who move in downstairs. Angie is Marilyn's daughter, and she thinks she knows everything about her mother - her acting past, her career failures - but what Angie doesn't know is who her father is, and how much of an influence he's had on her life.

The strength of this multi-generational family story is its characters and their relationships - I believed and believed in every character. I enjoyed the nostalgia of the 90s storyline, even though I wasn't a teenager then, and I appreciated the emotion of Angie's present day storyline as she explores what it means to her to be biracial. Sweet and beautifully written!

Extras: Another Multi-Generation Family Drama, More Teens Exploring Where They Come From, Who They Are, and What They're About or View All My Reviews.

Read Across America Week: Building a Better Reading List

Many schoolchildren of America just finished celebrating and participating in Read Across America Week, ending today, March 2, Dr. Seuss's birthday. While at face value these things sound great and a librarian like myself should be all about it, this entire week - and specifically the celebration of such a problematic person like Dr. Seuss - needs some work.

NPR's Code Switch has a great write up on Dr. Seuss's racist beginnings and how that plays out in classrooms across America:

Dr. Seuss Books Can Be Racist, But Students Keep Reading Them

subscribe to Code Switch podcast This week, millions of students and teachers are taking part in Read Across America, a national literacy program celebrated annually around the birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

They discuss how difficult it is for schools and teachers to adjust plans, and just how much of a staying power Dr. Seuss and his works have. Schools don't want to not participate in a week that seems like such a positive thing, and is generally an easy win: kids and teachers alike enjoy dressing up, readalouds are one of the BEST things for early literacy, and there are so.many.books to choose from for a variety of reading levels and content interests. But. At what (and whose) expense does Read Across America exist?

The National Education Association, for its part, rebranded Read Across America to include a better diversity of authors, illustrators, and readers. They also expanded the program to include an entire year's worth of reading, with featured books for all ages.

So. Looking for something more inclusive to read in the classroom? Julián is a Mermaid is one of my absolute favorites, and I also enjoyed Alma and How She Got Her Name and Do not lick this book, all from the elementary reading list. Vera, aka The Tutu Teacher, has great lists of (new) books as well (plus some great teaching materials on her TPT site!). Poetry makes for great readalouds. Giraffes are always fun. This list includes books about giraffes AND mermaids. Don't forget wordless picture books! There are a lot of great books in this world, and I think it's about time we let them into our homes and classrooms.