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.

Dear Martin

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are many parallels between Dear Martin and The New Jim Crow, and having just finished TNJC I appreciated how Dear Martin presented a narrative with both heart and reality for a young adult audience. The audio is done extremely well, transitioning between the action of the plot and Justyce's letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he processes his feelings about his senior year and upcoming move to an Ivy League college, racism in academia, and racism in policing, specifically in relation to the War on Drugs.

I listened to the entire book in an afternoon, but the emotional intensity had me thinking about the story long after - Nic Stone is officially on my authors to watch list.


Extras: THUG, Black Superheroes, or View All My Reviews

Friday Night Links 43

A bit of what I've been reading (online, anyways) this past month:

My neighborhood finally has a library!

I'm saving this list of 50 + 11 YA nonfiction books for a rainy day. And this list of 46 books by women of color (from last year) to keep working on.

How many books can I read in a year? (A lot. How many can I read + enjoy (+ remember)? Not as many. Because I need sleep.)

I hope I can make an escape room happen at my library at some point.

Love this map of authors!

This online volunteering platform looks interesting.

The New Jim Crow

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book put into words (with researched evidence) so many things that I've thought and/or felt about the US prison system, the "War on Drugs," and how they're linked. Namely, that both are (and were created to be) discriminatory. Alexander shows with great detail and a clear narrative voice how slavery (legalized exploitation) became Jim Crow (legalized segregation) became mass incarceration (legalized marginalization), and how each institution was built to uphold white supremacy.

Because race can no longer legally be used to justify discrimination, it's not. Now, criminals are discriminated against. Blackness itself is criminalized, and specific policies allow this discrimination to legally continue. The "War on Drugs" is unfairly and overwhelmingly waged on Black men (Alexander notes that Black women and the Latinx population are also targeted, though her book doesn't go into as much detail on that data). These men are engaging in the same crimes that are ignored in middle/upper class and white communities, and once they are "in the system," so to speak, they are marginalized on every front: employment, housing, education, health, civic life.

I got into the work I'm in now specifically to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. I believe that more resources, more mental health professionals, and more positive, caring adults in young people's lives is part of the anti-racist work America needs to do. Less policing (less police), legalizing or decriminalizing drugs, and confronting (and then battling) ugly stereotypes is more of the work. I agree with Alexander when she writes: "As a society, our decision to heap shame and contempt upon those who struggle and fail in a system designed to keep them locked up and locked out says far more about ourselves than it does about them."

I'd pair this nonfiction read with Dear Martin (teen fiction) and a viewing of 13TH.

Extras: More Nonfiction or View All My Reviews.

The Parker Inheritance

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This mystery-puzzler is both historical and socially conscious, and is engaging on a number of levels. Young Candice Miller is spending a summer in her grandmother's old house in Lambert, South Carolina while her mom works on her writing and her dad stays in Atlanta. She befriends Brandon Jones, a boy who lives across the street and shares Candice's love of reading, and together the two follow clues left in a letter Candice finds in her grandmother's attic. Candice and Brandon hope these clues will lead them to a treasure - an inheritance left by a mysterious citizen of Lambert - while readers learn how the inheritance came into existence through flashbacks centered on various figures in Lambert's history.

The Parker Inheritance is a solid middle grade read appropriate for any time of year, but it's especially appropriate for Black History Month. The historical flashbacks show what it meant to be Black in the South at various times, and how this history affects the present day - specifically for Candice and Brandon, who are both Black and experience racism and its effects throughout the course of the story. Several LGBTQ+ characters provide insight into the intersections of race and sexuality, and teaching moments are worked seamlessly into the action of the story. Young puzzlers who are visual learners may appreciate having a print copy of the book in order to see the clues, but I found the audio enjoyable and easy to listen to and I'd recommend it to those who prefer reading with their ears or in addition to following along with the print version.


Extras: More Historical Fiction, Technically Historical Fiction, Own Voices Contemporary Fiction, More Mysteries, or View All My Reviews

Check, Please!: #Hockey

Check, Please!: #Hockey, Vol. 1 by Ngozi Ukazu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this absolutely delightful gem of a web-comic-turned-graphic-novel! Bitty is such a fun protagonist, easy to love and to cheer for. Knowing Check, Please! started as a creative escape for Ukazu and ended up as a quickly successful Kickstarter makes it even more enjoyable. We have the original (and loyal) readers of the Check, Please! webcomic to thank for this book (and the upcoming sequel)!

The story follows Bitty (Eric Bittle), a new hockey recruit at Samwell University who loves baking (pie, mostly) and shares his thoughts via vlogs to his followers. Through his vlog, we learn about the rest of the hockey team (including Bitty's crush on Jack, the team captain), Bitty's school life, and how he fares out on the ice (not well - Bitty was originally a figure skater, and got on the hockey team thanks to a scholarship and a highlight reel of his skating).

What makes this graphic work so well, besides Bitty's absolute charm, are the relationships he forms with his hockey team, and their 100% accurate and hilarious personalities. The dialogue, the nonverbal language, every interaction is authentic while also being completely over-the-top. There's a lot to notice on each page, and it's easy to see how much thought Ukazu put into developing Bitty's story.


Extras: Middle Grades Graphics, Middle Grades and Teen Graphics, More LGBTQ Reads, or View All My Reviews

500 Words or Less

500 Words or Less by Juleah del Rosario
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Non-white main character (Nic is Chinese and white) + prose in verse = a yes from me. And the themes in the story (the culture of college admissions, how society views women) were interesting to hear about from the lens of a high school student who is talented yet feels like an outsider. I'll let these lines speak for the book:

"I am telling stories
that we are too afraid to tell,
because to tell them
is to relive them,
and sometimes it hurts

too much."

----

"We make mistakes
that sleepwalk
with us,

and guilt is a kind of sadness
that can sleep
for months,

until we awake
and roll over in bed
with guilt

there
to change us."

----

"Death will just happen.
But so will life.
Life will just happen."


Extras: More Novels in Verse, Some Poetry, or View All My Reviews

Friday Night Links 42

It has certainly been a January. I use Feedly to follow all my favorite bloggers, news outlets, and to see what's going on in the library and book worlds specifically. Here are a few of my favorite articles from this month:

I love this "wild and weird" YA librarian resume!

I've never thought of cheese as immortal milk, and I can't decide if I love that phrase or hate it.

I would add The Princess Bride, How to Train Your Dragon, The Shining, and Blade Runner to this list of "unfaithful" movie adaptations.

I'm an unashamed movie weeper & can say no fewer than 3 of these sad movies have made me cry while watching.

Drag Queens Have Rights Too. Thinking about this article and its implications a lot as I plan similar events at my library.

Weep Duology

Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares have been marketed as a duology, meaning there should only be these two books and no more...but I wouldn't be surprised if Laini Taylor visits the worlds of Weep, Zosma, and beyond in other novels. The politics, history, culture, and people of these worlds are just too poetic, epic, and beautiful to say goodbye to forever! Still, I'm glad I got to read both books and close the chapters on most of the major characters inside. Even if I never get to visit Weep (or the city formerly named Weep) again, I've had such a wonderful time visiting in these two (large) books.

The entirety of the story told in these two books could technically form one even larger book - Muse of Nightmares picks up right where Strange the Dreamer leaves off - but I understand why they are split (and not just because they are both already over 500 pages as they are). Each book does have its own focus, its own central journey, and slightly different emotional tones. Together, they are the story of the rise and fall of several peoples, a tale of the corruption of absolute power, and a testament to redemption in all its forms.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Strange the Dreamer, at its core, is about the desire and drive to find out who you are - and knowing that who you are is not what everyone else sees in you. Lazlo Strange is an orphaned librarian who doesn't know his past, but dreams - and pursues - a different future for himself. Sarai is a demigod whose past seems to have determined her future, though she wishes for a day when she doesn't have to use her nightmarish gift to protect the other orphaned demigods she calls family. Both Lazlo and Sarai are surrounded by supportive friends, flawed mentors, and challengers who would celebrate their failures. Neither thinks the other can exist - and yet they share similar destinies.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lazlo and Sarai are fundamentally different after the event that concludes Strange the Dreamer and opens Muse of Nightmares. How will they continue their existence now that they know who - and what - they really are? And how can they choose between their entwined future or the future of their loved ones and the city of Weep? Lazlo realizes the power he has and Sarai learns to adapt her own gifts while they come to terms with everything that has happened to bring them together.

Extras: Another Series, More Fantasy, or View All My Reviews

People Like Us

People Like Us by Dana  Mele
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My teen patrons are back in school (and I am NOT!!), which makes People Like Us one of my current go-to recs for anyone looking for boarding school murder mysteries featuring a diverse and dynamic cast. Feuding with frenemies? Maybe you'll appreciate your relatively low-drama spat in comparison to that of Kay and her friends (and their murdered classmate). Crushing on friends and afraid to ruin the friendship with a relationship? Yup, you'll find that here too. Overwhelmed by school, extracurricular activities, and/or your social life? Check, check, and check. One of my favorite aspects of this YA title is that anyone in Kay's friend group could be guilty of murder - the more we learn about each character, the more we see what they're capable of - which means I was truly guessing at who had "done it" until the end.

And can we take some time to appreciate the nuance of the title?: "people like us" don't murder/get in trouble for murder...and "people like us" so we couldn't possibly be murderers, right?


Extras: Another Whodunit, More Teen Thrillers, or View All My Reviews

A "New Year, Same Me (And That's OK)" Picture Book List

There are many many picture books about self esteem. Kids are constantly figuring out who they are and how they fit into the world, trying on various "selves" and learning how to be authentic AND kind/friendly (sometimes their authenticity borders on blunt honesty that could use a little tempering, but they're learning!). I'm here to tell you tweens, teens, and full grown adults are also (still) figuring out who they are - and they (you) too can learn from picture books about being your full self.

I took a few of these to the middle school that my public library serves for a read-aloud program, and the eighth grade students I read to loved getting into the various stories and guessing what was going to happen to protagonists. No one felt like I was babying them by reading from picture books - they were excited to sit back, relax, and be read to! Let that be permission for all of us to enjoy stories in every form - and these ones in particular, as we forge our ways into a new year with our same just-fine-the-way-they-are selves.


Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Norman feels perfectly normal...until he grows wings. He tries to hide them, but can't get comfortable with something covering his wings. Letting his wings free, Norman learns how to accept his whole self, and realizes that there is no such thing as "normal" - just perfectly Norman.


How To Be A Lion by Ed Vere
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Leonard is a lion, but other animals aren't so sure of that. They tell him his kind ways and soft roar aren't very lion-like. But what does it mean to be a lion? With help from his friend, Marianne the duck, Leonard shows there is more than one way to be a lion and a friend.



Giraffe Problems by Jory John
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Edward feels bad about his neck. It's just so...necky. He's tried scarves and bow ties, but nothing changes who he is: a giraffe. After envying other animals' necks, Edward meets Cyrus the turtle. Cyrus helps Edward sees how useful his neck can be and both Edward and Cyrus learn to appreciate what makes them who they are.


Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Giraffes aren't supposed to be dancers - at least, according to all the other jungle animals. Gerald doesn't listen to them. He knows "Sometimes when you're different you just need a different song."

The Mermaid and the Shoe by K.G. Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Each of Minnow's 49 sisters is remarkable. Minnow, however, is only curious. She seems to have unending questions, but has no talents for gardening or singing or fish training. What is Minnow good for? When a shoe shows up, seemingly good for nothing either, Minnow sets out to prove both she and the shoe have a purpose.


Extras: One More Giraffe Book, One More Mermaid Book, A Bunch of Picture Books for All Ages, or View All My Reviews

New Year, Same Me

Here's to not trying to become someone new in 2019. I'm going to be the same me, though I'll use the general feeling of fresh starts in the air as motivation to recommit to being myself. I'll also remember that every day is a new day and I am a work in progress (always).

I started this blog nine years ago, and it has seen so many seasons of my life. Times when I blogged daily and times when I needed a break from the online world, when I was a social worker, teacher, nanny, and all the weird transitions in between. I'm excited to take it with me in this next chapter as I continue to play around here. Thanks for following along.