THE AMBIDEXTROUS LIBRARIAN

My Life as a Hashtag (Gabrielle Williams) I’ve been reading so much more these last few months (as I have consciously moved away from social media - much to the improvement of my mental health and attention span!) but it’s been a while since I have picked up a YA novel. I’m not even sure what drew me to this title - I might have spotted it in the Readings catalogue? Anyhoo, long story short it’s also been ages since I have finished reading a book in a day. Like, I had to set my watch timer to 15 minute intervals so I didn’t just sit for hours reading. I could get away with that when I was younger, but now I have to complete adult-esque things in my day! The ingredients of this book throw toegether a bunch of close teenage friends, a boy, a secret Tumblr blog, and a viral post. Nothing too extraordinary, and to be honest the story itself is a fairly unsubtle warning about being careful what you post to social media, but you know what? I didn’t care about the ordinary or t...

It's wine o'clock on a Saturday night, and I am kicking back with a red and contemplating (with a not insignificant level of exhaustion) one of the most thought-provoking and emotional conferences I have ever attended.  It was called "Reading Matters", and it was a YA conference organised and run by the Centre for Youth Literature at the State Library of Victoria, Australia. It was politically charged and emotional.  I mean, I guess I kind of expected it to be.  A lot of librarians, teachers and writers are very socially conscious and are actively concerned about the multitude of injustices, inequalities and hurts that thread through modern society. More importantly, they want to talk to teens about this stuff.  They want to present realistic, meaty, honest narratives that tackle bullying and racism and poverty and mental illness.  They want teens to know that it's OK to feel strongly, to question, to look outwards and not feel alone, to walk in someone else...

NORWEGIAN WOOD (Haruki Murakami) Murakami is a strange reading experience.  If you like solid, fast-paced realism with a clear, satisfying ending - Murakami is probably not for you.  If you like something a little more gossamer and ethereal.  Something that floats around the edges of magical realism, or perhaps dips its toes lightly in a pond of peculiar every now and then - you will love Murakami. Having said that, Norwegian Wood has no magical realism in it at all (sorry about that), but it still embodies that floaty, misty, breathy (how many adjectives can I insert here?) mood of his writing.   Norwegian Wood is a tale of a boy and a girl making their way gradually into adulthood.  One tragic event from their past keeps them joined, yet also keeps them apart.  Set in the late 60's amidst the urban mass of Tokyo, Murakami still manages to take this landscape and puff wistful. lonely tendrils down it's back alleys and dormitories.  And yet the ...

GOTTA #LOVEOZYA I actually went and did a little "Professional Development" the other day, dragging myself into the city to attend a Teacher/Librarian do that Readings Hawthorn hosted.  The evening consisted of four fabulous Australian YA authors talking on their latest middle years and YA offerings (and there was also wine!). I didn't really know what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect to walk out of there feeling as inspired as I did.  It was awesome, and really quite uplifting. Emily Gale and Leanne Hall tackled the difficulties of writing for those odd middle years - not really a kid, but not quite a teenager.  If you can cast your minds back (I found it hard) it's a time when your folks are expecting you to act more mature, and you're feeling more mature, but no one is really giving you any credit or independence.  How do you reach that readership, and as an adult write something that doesn't sound either too simple, or like you're ...

WHAT DO GUYS ACTUALLY WANT TO READ? Why don't guys want to read as much as girls?  There has been SO MUCH discussion on the topic, and I'm not sure if we are really making any progress as a whole.  Guys are pretty active, and I know the really active girls at my school aren't that interested in reading, either.  They want to be out and about and stimulated in a kind of visceral and physical sense, I guess.  It's kind of hard to get that from a book, unless it's an action packed thriller with lots of plot twists and fast paced movement and all the other tactics that action/adventure novels use to get your heart racing.  And so that's pretty much the first thing that I've noticed about boy readers.  It's gotta be fast, and interesting, and adventurous, and thrilling.  They have to be able to FEEL the book, not in an emotional way but in a way that gets their heart racing a little bit, gives them a bit of a sense of moving around, running... ...

Zac & Mia (A.J. Betts) I am back on the rickety reading wagon, and it's trundling along slowly, and the path meanders all over the shop, but I am finally getting places! Next stop?   Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts.  Let me start by saying that I did NOT know this was another YA cancer story.  Should I really say "another"?  I am obviously referring to The Fault in Our Stars  which immediately springs to mind with thoughts of oxygen tubes and unrealistic teen dialogue (don't get me started on that novel!).  I found Zac & Mia to be, I dunno, a bit more down to earth than The Fault in Our Stars.   That novel had me eye-rolling frequently throughout the first few chapters.  I only read the first few chapters. But enough.  I digress. So, Zac & Mia .  Engaging story, nice use of statistics; as a Librarian I always approve of the use of well researched facts throughout a narrative.  Both Zac & Mia are likeable, enga...

I Was Here (Gayle Forman) In my little school library, we have a couple of Gayle Forman's novels, including the popular If I Stay , which I have to admit to not having read yet.  It's been on my list, but I always seem to pick up other books instead.  And it's still on my list, mainly because when I Was Here  came across my processing desk I thought eh, I'll give it a go instead.  I'll get to If I Stay one of these days! Let's say upfront that Gayle Forman tends to deal in weighty topics, and I Was Here  is  no different.  The novel's narrator, Cody, is left behind in the wake of the suicide of her best friend, Meg.  Cody had no idea that Meg was considering suicide, and is left grieving, baffled and alone, but also determined to find out the reasons why Meg would take her own life.  In her search, Cody discovers that her best friend hadn't shared many details of her new life at the University of the Cascades.  When Cody goes to ...

Beautiful Monster (Kate McCaffrey) Let me start by saying that I had mixed feelings about this book.   I went in with high expectations.   Beautiful Monster  had been recommended to me as a great read, and as I had read In Ecstasy ( also by Kate McCaffrey) and thought it to be a highly intelligent and worthwhile book, I was expecting another novel of the same calibre.   In Ecstasy  deals with the attractions and dangers of dabbling with Ecstasy as a teenager - everyone should read it!   Beautiful Monster  deals with anorexia, another important topic for teenagers...but I found that it just didn't engage.   The story follows teenager Tess, who, after losing her brother to a terrible accident has to deal with this loss, all the while witnessing her mother breaking apart with grief.  The strained family relationships and Tess' own belief that if she could just be perfect, everything would get better, make for a destructive combination. ...

Laurinda (Alice Pung) I remember being a girl in high school.  The constant worry of what others thought of you, the fear of speaking up in case what you say was ridiculed, the conflicting desires of fitting in yet also standing out, the desire to achieve and compete whilst casually pretending you couldn't care less.  It all boiled down to the struggle between who you thought you should be, and who you actually were.  Of course you didn't know that at the time.  Reading Laurinda  brings all these thoughts back to the foreground, and sadly reminds me that the struggles of school life don't seem to have changed much. Laurinda  is a novel set in the fictional all-girls school named, unsurprisingly, Laurinda.  It follows the narrative of Lucy Lam, a Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant who earned the inaugural "Equal Access" scholarship, and soon discovers that surviving Laurinda has little to do with academics and achievement, but more to do with politics, p...

Jasper Jones (Craig Silvey) I first came across Jasper Jones as a prescribed text at the school in which I worked.  Half the kids complained about it (but hey, any text prescribed for English is bound to get a few complaints) but those who were brave enough to actually confess they enjoyed it, said it was "pretty good" (from a teenager, this translates to a glowing and hearty recommendation).  If you believe the publishers spin on the cover, it's billed as an Australian "To Kill a Mockingbird", and I guess once you get reading you can see the strong parallels.  Aside from the fact that Atticus Finch is mentioned numerous times. Jasper Jones is the outcast of the small (fictional) mining town of Corrigan, the teenage scapegoat who is seen as the source and instigator of anything that remotely resembles "trouble".  He is also the son of a drunk, and half aboriginal, so he is basically a happy blend of many of society's prejudices.  So when Jasp...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Sherman Alexie) I wanted to live up to expectations. That's what it comes down to. The power of expectations. I hadn't heard of this book until I started looking into "Best of YA Literature" lists, and it kept popping up.  As I work in a school library, I felt it my duty to give it a blat!   The novel follows the life of a Native American teenager who is acutely aware that he is Native American.  He is also aware of all the issues and expectations that come with this.   Arnold, or "Junior" as he is also known, lives in the "poor-ass" Spokane Indian Reservation (the "rez"), and outlines for the reader (in both written and pictorial form), the depressing reality that is his daily existence.    Alcohol, violence, hardship and the complete lack of hope are the main themes, with topics discussed including (but not limited to) the potential success of his parents had they been white (...

The Cardturner (Louis Sachar) Most people familiar with the YA fiction scene would know Louis Sachar for his novel  Holes.  There is no doubt that Sachar is a great author, and  The Cardturner  is no exception. Sachar manages to take a totally uncool storyline for a YA novel (playing Bridge with oldies), and create a novel that still has all the elements of YA success; best friends, romance, little sisters, annoying/embarrassing parents, and a journey of self-discovery. Alton Richards is in his late teens and has fallen into the role of being " Cardturner" for  his rich (and blind) uncle, Lester Trapp.  This is of great pleasure to Alton's mother, whose only concern seems to be to whom Uncle Lester will leave his sizable fortune. As with all rich, mysterious relatives there is always an age-old scandal to gossip about, and Alton is somewhat skeptical about having to spend time with his Uncle given "the details" of his past.  But do...

100 Best YA Books of all time?  You be the judge! OK, so Time Magazine has just posted a list of what they believe to be the best 100 Young Adult books of all time (follow the link below): TIME's 100 Best YA Books of all time How many of these have you read? More importantly, how many of these are in your local or school library?

Alex as Well (Alyssa Brugman) Alex as Well is a book that should be required reading for all those living through gender identity issues, or those who want to obtain a deeper understanding of the struggle of teenage years for those who are born transgender.   Alex is born "a bit of both", but her parents choose to raise her as male.  Alex hits puberty, and decides to stop taking her testosterone - she is a female, and wants to start living life as a female. The narrative begins with Alex enrolling herself in a new school as a female, electing to become vegetarian, and so beginning her journey of true identity.  Unlike Raven Girl , the story of Alex's transition to her true identity is not met with support from those who surround her.  In fact, the characterisation of Alex's mother, who writes down her horrendously selfish thoughts via an online "Motherhood Shared" blog, are enough to make anyone cringe.   Alex as Well  is a well written, engaging a...

Raven Girl (Audrey Niffenegger) A short, modern fairy tale of a girl born to a Postman father and a Raven mother, Raven Girl is a fable of love and identity, and finding the strength within to be who you were born to be.  Narrated in a simple but moving tone, with stark, somewhat childlike illustrations, the moral behind the fable is clear - know who you are, and surround yourself with those who accept you as you are, and you will have wings to fly. Interestingly, Raven Girl has also been made into a new dance for the Royal Opera House of Covent Garden.

Girl Defective (Simmone Howell) As a teenager, did you ever look longingly at other people’s apparent domestic bliss, and wonder just why your family was so damn weird? Girl Defective’s protagonist, Skylark Martin, laments that her family are “like inverse superheroes, marked by our defects”.  As the daughter of an absent, artist mother, a borderline alcoholic father, and with a brother who is “on the spectrum”, Sky certainly has her share of domestic challenges.  Throw into the mix an older, unpredictable best friend, an intense teenage romance and a mysterious death (all against a St. Kilda backdrop) Girl Defective certainly delivers a colourful, engaging narrative.  A novel that tackles the issues of self-identity and familial relationships within romance and suspense, Girl Defective certainly offers the reader a little bit of everything! Howell, S 2013,  Girl defective , Pan Macmillan Australia, Sydney. Young Adult - Family

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Ransom Riggs) Jacob had always assumed that his grandpa’s fanciful stories of the “peculiar children” and “monsters” were just that –stories, until he finds his grandpa fatally injured by one of the very “monsters” he so vividly described.  With his dying breath, Jacob’s grandpa imparts a cryptic message of an island, a peregrine and an old man’s grave... but what does it all mean?  So begins Jacob’s journey to uncover the truth in his grandpa’s stories, and his own personal truth. Beautifully illustrated in a stark comic book style which captures the movement and motion in a visual and even audible manner, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a fantastic novel for young readers who are seeking an equal measure of action, fantasy and horror in their novels.  Riggs, R 2011,  Miss Peregrine’s home for peculiar children , Quirk Books, Philadelphia. Children's - Graphic Novel / Fantasy

We Were Liars (E. Lockhart) Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair Family. No one is a criminal. No one is an addict. No one is a failure. Narrated by Cadence, the first born grandchild of the wealthy Sinclair family, We Were Liars is a tale told across the summers of Beechworth Island; the private oasis of the Sinclair family. Life is perfect when on the island, and Cadence describes each summer through the experiences of “The Liars” a band of three cousins, Cadence, Mirren and Johnny, and one outsider, Gat, who is Johnny’s not-quite stepbrother. As the summers pass, Cadence knows that all is not well in the family; but like a good Sinclair she dutifully maintains the required image of perfection. But this thin veneer is shattered when Cadence wakes to find herself in hospital after suffering a serious accident during “Summer Fifteen”, which has left her with debilitating migraines and no memory of the event. Following her accident, Cadence begins her slow rebellion away from ...

Eleanor & Park (Rainbow Rowell) To say Eleanor and Park is just a love story, or a book on teenage romance, is to do it a gross disservice.  Eleanor and Park doesn’t just narrate first love, it takes you right back there again.  To read it is to feel the all-consuming glory of a first love; the detail and nuance of getting to know another person and to think about them constantly, the shock of discovering the way they can make you feel, the sheer bliss associated with these discoveries and the strange and exhilarating feeling of emotions that you never fathomed could exist.  Quite simply, this book beautifully and vividly narrates what it is like to fall utterly and completely in love for the first time. Eleanor is new to town and as a red-headed, freckled misfit with her own eccentric style, she knows fitting in will be tough.  Park is half Korean and half American, keeps his head low, listens to punk music and generally does his best to stay under the r...

Watermark (Penelope Todd) A short but memorable novel about the effects that choice and fate can have over a very short period of time, Watermark is set in the beautiful but isolated backdrop of the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Zillah is a "normal" teenager who is the recipient of a mysterious letter written by an unknown acquaintance.  The letter invites her to visit Roimata, ask no questions, and bring very little.  Knowing that her predictable mother would strictly forbid accepting such a strange offer, Zillah makes her plans in secret, and in so doing makes her first "choice", and starts along her fateful journey. Faced with all manner of strange scenarios and people, Zillah learns how to trust herself and her instincts, but also learns how sometimes it doesn't matter whether something is a choice or fate, either can still have unpredictable outcomes and consequences.  In the end, Zillah learns that it is how prepared you are for lif...