Sunday, October 25, 2015

Booktube!

I've jumped in to the booktube community, and I'm loving it so far! I only have a few review videos up, and they're a little pretty awkward, but honestly, I had SO much fun making them! I have a couple more of my new feature A BOOK A MINUTE to upload this month, and then I hope to add a LOT of new content in November!

Check out my booktube channel: How I Feel About Books

I have a great list of booktubers to subscribe to, but also let me know what booktubers are your favorites - or if you record videos, too!

Friday, October 9, 2015

Halloween Storytime

Yesterday I held a Halloween storytime for two classes from SRVS. I know, I know - it's only the beginning of October! But for now, this program is only held once a month, so I had to share these excellent books while I could!


See the setup in a better light here.

I read:
- Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex
- Little Shop of Monsters by R.L. Stine and Marc Brown
- a few poems from Your Skeleton is Showing: Rhymes of Blunder from Six Feet Under by Kurt
   Cyrus, illustrated by Crab Scrambly
- Monster Mash by David Catrow

I encouraged the group to speak/sing along as I read Monster Mash; we also listened to the song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and danced. Then I turned off all the lights and asked for volunteers to tell ghost stories.


It was a fun program, but several of the individuals asked if we were making monster crafts. I had substituted the ghost stories section for craft time, since we have a little less than an hour for the whole program, and I pay for supplies out of pocket. For future Halloween programs, I'll definitely have a fun monster craft planned. Lesson learned!


I reviewed the first three books on the read-aloud list as "Best Books for
Halloween" and made a short video, so check it out for more on those titles.

I've also written about previous library programs for adults with disabilities.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Read Banned Books!

Happy Banned Books Week!

Thanks for following along this week as we checked out the books and authors who have been challenged for various reasons. Keep reading, and read widely, with an open mind!


Image from American Library Association.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Top 10 Banned Books of 2014

Happy Banned Books Week!

The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2014 are:

1) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. Read and reviewed on the blog!

2) Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Read and reviewed on Goodreads.

3) And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell.

4) The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison.

5) It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

6) Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

7) The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

9) A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard. Read and reviewed on Goodreads.

10) Drama, by Raina Telgemeier. Read and reviewed on Goodreads.

Aaaaalmost halfway there... Have you read any of these banned books? Which would you recommend I read?

List from American Library Association.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

100 most frequently challenged books: 2000-2009

Happy Banned Books Week!

Titles I've read are in bold, and favorites are denoted with an *. How many banned books have you read? Which would you recommend?

Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck*
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
ttyl; ttfn; l8r g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Forever, by Judy Blume
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous*
Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

King and King, by Linda de Haan
To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee*
Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
The Giver, by Lois Lowry*
In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney*

We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
The Fighting Ground, by Avi
Blubber, by Judy Blume
Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby: The First Graphic Novel by George Beard and Harold Hutchins, the creators of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco
The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green*
When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney*
Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park*
The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor

A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold*
Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry*

A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert
The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein
The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
Black Boy, by Richard Wright
Deal With It!, by Esther Drill
Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
Cut, by Patricia McCormick
Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
Grendel, by John Gardner
The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume*
America: A Novel, by E.R. Frank

List from American Library Association.