Libraryland Update

So...I have applied for my job. I wrote a two page letter to support my claim--probably too much information but I just couldn't stand to cut anything more out. I am optimistic.

I totally re-arranged the teen section at one of my libraries. It really seems to flow better. There isn't a lot of room there, but I was able to get the magazines off the top of the shelves to allow more display space. Then I used the first block of shelves for new books and display, the Buffy Series--which checks out amazingly well since they have been pulled out of the collection--and the audio books. Then I have the straight YA fiction. In the other area, I moved the shelves so that manga will fit on the top two and the larger graphic novels and super hero comics fit on the bottom. To make this easier on the shelvers, I put the manga in series order so that anything that didn't fit on the shorter shelves could go down with the other comics, then I sent out an email to staff to let them know about the new shelving theme. When I came in yesterday, someone had switched it all back. I found the culprit and she said she didn't know what manga was... So ASK! Anyhow, the new order is making most of the shelvers happy. And things look a lot better--fresher--over there.

My book reviews in display books are going over really well. I use a mix of my own reviews, some from Kirkus or Publishers Weekly and a few I got from teens over the summer. I find that my own reviews seem to sell books the best, but I don't have time to read everything that I find display worthy. Eventually...but new books come out every day, so probably not.

Oh hey! Cool comics events right here! These are for teens and adults so invite all your friends. I am really excited about ours. I walked the 'hood on Tuesday and handed out fliers and put up posters in local businesses. I met a lot of cool people--everyone was really nice and the shoppers weren't too annoying ;)

I haven't been able to log in for a while, so I haven't posted. I am not sure what the problem was.

I have been reading very sporadically lately; a little bit of this and a little bit of that, until I started the All Seattle Reads book, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I am really enjoying this book, immersing myself in it as I haven't done with a book in months. It is the story of a son of immigrants from India. The characters have the benefit of coming to the United States as intellectuals, rather than refugees. The son is encouraged in that tradition, as well as the others of his Bengali family. He struggles with the differences between the culture of his family and that of his country, at first rejecting his heritage but finally coming to terms with it. I find myself hoping that there is a similar book about some of the immigrant cultures of our area; Somali and Ethiopian.

I have been working a lot at other libraries lately. I find that I prefer the busier ones. When I am subbing, I don't have any alternative tasks that I can work on, aside from some of the programs I am planning for QNA, so if the library isn't busy, I can be quite bored. The programs I am working on rely on a reply from other agencies, so there is not always something to be done for them. I need mental stimulation to stay alert.

Eastern Sun, Winter Moon

The autobiography of Gary Paulsen, Eastern Sun, Winter Moon is the chronicle of of a remarkable childhood. Born during WWII, young Gary lives with his mother in Chicago while his father is away in Europe, fighting in the war. Mother works in a munitians factory and Gary stays home with a neighbor that drinks red wine and talks to the radio. When Mother comes home, she washes of the grime and becomes another woman-a movie star type beauty that draws all the men's eyes. When Father has a "friend" in France, Mother also gets a "friend", which disturbs Gary and sets the stage for future indiscretions.

When the war ends, Mother and Gary go to live with Father in the Philippines. After a cross country drive, a bout of chicken pox and a long boat ride with stops in Hawaii and Japan, Gary finally gets to meet his father. At 7 years old, Gary does not feel very connected to his father, but does feel that his mother should be faithful to him no matter what. From the soldiers and sailors Gary has learned to swear, how to "shoot a crap" and what sex is all about. From his parents he learns that he hates drinking and what it does to people and from his parents servants he learns about the Philippine lifestyle and eventually goes "native."

I greatly enjoyed this book. Gary Paulsen is an imaginative author and this definitely shows up in this autobiography. The imagery is so vivid that you feel as if you are standing next to him on the deck of the ship and feel his shock when he bites off his tongue in a childhood game. It does feel, after the fact, that some of this might have been imbellished or made up, but the times were very different than they are now.

Gary Paulsen is the author of many teen books; probably most well know are Hatchet, The River and Brian's Winter.

Reviews

I haven't been good about posting my reviews over the last couple of weeks. I will briefly mention a couple of adult books that I have read and liked: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Both books were very good; full of vivid description and very believable story lines--despite that The Time Traveler's Wife is based on Sci-fi. I am planning on reading The Painting: A Novel by Nina Schuyler and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini next.

For Teens:

Maybe by Brent Runyon: This book is by the same author as the non-fiction book, The Burn Journals (which I plan to read very soon). Sixteen year old Brian's older brother died recently in a mysterious car crash. Brian doesn't know how the crashed happened, but he fears it was suicide. His family is in mourning and none of them are dealing well with the death. They have moved to a different area and school and all have withdrawn from each other. As time moves on, Brian and his parents must find a way to move on as well.

Brian is definitely a growing teen in all its awkward painfulness. He wants to have sex. Now. And he isn't that picky about who it is with. He is picky about who he dates, though and this keeps him celibate for a while. When he does loose his virginity, he realizes that sex is more than a physical act and impacts everyone involved.

I recommend this book for ages 15 and over, due to some sexual content and casual underage drinking. Also, while some of this book is funny, it is also fairly depressing and dark, so I would suggest it for more advanced readers.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl by Barry Lyga is also a coming of age novel. In this book, Fanboy is coping with a broken family and being teased and bullied at school. Fanboy (as the nickname implies) is a fan of comics and graphic novels and is hoping that publishing his own graphic novel will be his ticket out of town and out of his difficult life. Fanboy has one friend who loves comics but also loves LaCross. When a LaCross game interferes with the boys planned outing to a comic convention, the boys part ways. In steps GothGirl! She likes his graphic novel and will do anything to help him get it noticed by Bendis--a well known graphic novel artist--even if she hates Fanboy with a passion. It turns out she hates herself more and Fanboy has to learn that sometimes all you can do is be there for your friends.

This is a great book that deals with a lot of key issues; divorce and feeling alienated from the absent parent, bullying, friendship, suicide and hopes for the future. Fanboy goes from feeling alienated from fellow students and parents, to realizing that everyone has hang ups and that his own behavior may be causing some of his problems. Overall a great book.

I recommend this book for older teens, aged 15 and up.