Book Review: When You Reach Me

I didn't want to like this book.

That will probably sound really strange, but I have this problem with authority, so every once in awhile when too many people are saying I should do something, I don't want to do it. (Yet another reason why I get along well with my high school students!) So, in this case, everyone in the world saying I should read this made me not want to read and like, this book. Also, I have found myself NOT enjoying some Newbery/award-winning books of late. And lastly, I was sitting next to a trusted friend at the Youth Media Awards (when this book won the Newbery), and when I asked her about the book she simply said "eh."

So I suppose I started reading this book today with a chip on my shoulder, and I thought the book couldn't possibly live up to all the hype.

Simply put, I was wrong.

I really, really liked this book. It was different from anything else I have ever read. It surprised me. And although I think it will be a hard sell for teens (reasons: the age of the character and especially the cover), I am glad that I purchased it for my high school kids, and if they can get past those two things they will be greatly rewarded.

PA budget crisis (what will happen to my library?)

I'm nervous. I may even be slightly terrified.

Last year, before I left school for the summer, I handed over two orders: one for the majority of my databases, and the other for 260 books for my library. I don't know that I should get into specific dollar amounts, but let's just say these two orders make up 69.44% of the total money I spend for the year.

These two orders were handed over to my school secretary, so that she could send them to the state of Pennsylvania this summer, and they would be filled used grant money that I obviously desperately rely on to supply resources for my students each year.

But now that money may not come through.

On top of the grant falling through, PA is also trying to cut the library programs throughout the state by 73%. The main problem for many libraries with this is the loss of a valuable group of databases known as the POWER Library. Every single library in the state has access to these, including school, public, academic, and special libraries. Every single library in the state is in danger of losing their access to the POWER Library, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't have a budget to replace these valuable databases.

If the state budget passes WITH the POWER Library being cut, and my grant doesn't come through, I will be in a place of utter despair. I know that sounds dramatic, but this is what it would look like:

1. my students could lose 25 databases, and be left with only 4

2. my book order of 260 books will not come through, and I do not have money to replace that order

3. I have no idea what my students will use for research, being as all they will have left is one online encyclopedia, one science database, one history/geography database, and one general database

Number one on that list especially makes me want to cry. How can I prepare my students for college if I can't teach them about database searching and research? They need a variety of resources, not FOUR.

Number two I am still worried about, but a tiny bit less because I have a fundraiser/used book sale in mind; it would be so, so much work, but something I need to do. I can't stand the thought of not keeping up with new books and having these in my library.

Number three, which is basically the same as number one, scares me.

If you are reading this and you live in PA, please make your voice heard. I ignored it for too long, because I am terrible with snail mail, but I got an email not long ago that said I could quickly email a PA official. I did, and I actually got a response back!

Please click here to help save libraries - the letter is already written, all you have to do is sign your name and email it!

And please, if you have any ideas or help for me, share.

Read this...or else?

I hated every single book I was forced to read in high school.

Something happens to me when I am told that I have to do something: I don't want to do it! (who knew?) You could say I have a problem with authority, or I like to be my own boss, but really I just like to have a choice. Whether it's what I am going to read next or the content and design of my library website, I like to have options and be able to make my own decisions.*

The topic of forcing teens to read certain things is something I have been passionate about for years. I have discussed it with so many people and found it intriguing to hear other people's experiences.

This subject came to my attention again today when I read a blog post by the incomparable Meg Cabot; in it, she linked to this New York Times article and from there I found this slide show.

All 3 of those links are worth checking out, in my opinion.

Side tangent: I am forwarding the NYT links to my principal. I know he will appreciate them; he would foster self-selected reading if he could get away with it. Last year at a meeting after school we had a huge debate about summer reading, and why certain books are picked, and what about letting the students choose what they want to read? Principal and I were on the same team, but we had one major roadblock: the English department. They completely freaked out about changing things and letting the students have a choice and the main question we came up with was: what is the point of summer reading? More on this later.

Back to the original topic:
WHY do we make students read the things we make them read? The notion of self-selected reading/reading workshops really, really excites me. But mentioning this to the English teachers at my school would NOT go over well. I understand the teachers have a curriculum they need to follow, but I wonder: does the curriculum say 'students absolutely must read Animal Farm [the book I despised most in high school!**] or does the curriculum state that students should explore literature to learn about totalitarianism and the abuse/misuse of language? [etc]

I get so tired of hearing my students complain to me [their young, sympathetic librarian *wink*] that they 'don't have time to read anything cool from the library because they are being forced to read stupid stuff for class.' [Their words, not mine...but those probably would have been my words about 12 years ago.]

On one hand, teenagers have lots of great excuses for why they can't do things...but on the other hand, I am sympathetic to the long list of things vying for their attention, ie get good grades, play sports, work, get into a good college...oh, and read several long texts that they have no interest in. I'd probably die of shock if a student ever came in and said 'Hey Mrs. E! I am really enjoying this book I'm being forced to read for class!'

Please note: I do not believe that required reading should be completely replaced with self-selected reading. I think the best solution would be a combination of the two. To quote my twitter twin @bookhouseboy [aka Gregory Taylor] in a recent tweet: "Literature studied in a group, if done right, fosters greater insights and more thoughtful reading, improving the experience of ALL reading." Well said, twin; I fully agree.

I promise to step off the soapbox soon. Before I do, I need to clarify something: not all of the English teachers at my school are unwilling to update their reading lists. Major props especially to one particular teacher who, after I read and recommended a book to her last year, ended up working it into her curriculum to great success. I appreciate that she is flexible in her teaching and keeps up with current literature.

I'd love to close with an fitting story of one of the best experiences I had in high school: My 9th grade English teacher announced one day: 'Class, in the back of your textbook you will find the novel Great Expectations. You can read this, or you may go to the back of the classroom and choose a novel from the bookcase.' I remember looking at a friend and knowing we were both going to choose our own book. We both picked out A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I still remembered how empowered I felt, that this teacher trusted me to read something that I picked! I ended up loving the book...and I know that because I wasn't forced to read it, this made the novel all that more enjoyable. Thanks, Mrs. C.


*Yet another reason why I get along so well with my high school students!
**Also, I disliked my teacher that year AND she beat that book to death over the course of an entire semester! Ugh.

Update on LIAR!

The cover of LIAR has been changed! Look!

I am so happy about this, if you read my last post you will see why/what I am talking about. You can buy the book here.

Kudos to Bloomsbury for making this change!

You can read about the changes and Justine's thoughts here.

PS I know this post is really late, but I was out of the country when this happened and have been too busy ever since!

An intro.

There are two things that make me very happy in life:

1. Books. I adore books. YA fiction is my absolute fav, followed closely by children’s picture books, middle grade novels, and anything else for ages 18 or under. I also enjoy a good photography book or art book from time to time.

2. Bargains. I get such a thrill out of a good deal! I have been known to come home from shopping and make a list of what I purchased, then compare the retail price to what I actually paid. Totally nerdy, I know. But it’s not a bad thing to be known [as I was in college] as ‘the girl who gets the best deals.’ Hopefully, people don’t think I’m too cheap!

I can’t guarantee these are the only topics I will blog about, esepcially as it is summer and I will be traveling ‘across the pond’ for the first time EVER, but I promise most blog posts will be about B & B. [and photography, my other love]

PS - you can see below that I started this blog a LONG time ago! Decided now with all of the reading I have been doing that I needed to start blogging about it!