Let Them Read YA - Week Thirteen Prompt

All librarians should definitely be making sure every patron is allowed to read what they want to read. This is part of intellectual freedom. Specifically in the fourth point of the Freedom to Read Statement it says, “There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.” Thus, the reverse must also be true. Adults should not be barred from reading material classified for adolescents. Artistic expression and dealing with life issues can be eloquently discussed in Adult, Young Adult, and New Adult. It does not matter. Therefore, if someone wishes to read about life at any stage they should be allowed and encouraged to seek out all genres and areas of literature.

Speaking of life, in the article “What’s New About New Adult?,” the authors mention that both YA and NA deal with “coming of age” stories. They write, “In short, coming of age is a process that takes place over many years, so it makes sense to stretch it out across both YA and NA” (Brookover, Burns, & Jensen, 2014, p.43). The process of becoming a mature adult is a long process. Internet culture has a plethora of memes about how those in their early twenties are considered adults, but they still struggle to do basic things for themselves like cooking, shopping, cleaning, etc. Shockingly, in some YA books teens are more capable of these things. On top of it sometimes they have to do the extraordinary like battle controlling regimes or evil wizards. The point is that learning and growing is something that can happen at any age. The title of Adult, Young Adult, and New Adult does not matter. If any patron wants a book about coming of age or dealing with the struggles of new responsibilities, they must be given the assistance finding such a book. 

In my personal experience, I mostly enjoy reading YA novels for some of the reasons listed above. Even though I am twenty-five years old, I still find myself relating more to the teens in YA than the mature (sometimes very mature) adults in Adult fiction. Also, my mother and some other adults I know really enjoy YA as well. Some of them, like my mother, prefer Adult fiction, but still like some of the very intriguing and unique stories in YA. I only know all of this because we talk about it. I believe that is the first step to making Young Adult, New Adult, and graphic novels accepted. The more a topic is discussed, the more the stigma goes away.

One specific example occurred around the time the first Hunger Games movie was coming out. I had purchased the whole trilogy to read in preparation. A few months later, closer to when the movie was going to be released, my dad was talking to a couple of his friends from church. At the time, both men were nearing middle age. When my dad told them about the books and how much I enjoyed them, they expressed interest. I ended up letting both borrow all three books and both liked them; one a bit more than the other. I remember this actually shocked me a bit that full grown men were so interested in a story about teenagers. Yet, that was the moment I realized it did not matter what someone likes to read. If they enjoy it, they enjoy it. 

References:

ALA. (2006). Freedom to Read Statement. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement 

Brookeover, S., Burns, E., and Jensent, K. (2014). What’s New About New Adult? Horn Book Magazine, 90(1), 41-45.

Warcross - Young Adult Annotation

Title: Warcross by Marie Lu
Published: 2017
Number of Pages: 353 pages
Sub-genre: Science Fiction

Plot Summary:
Ever since inheriting her father’s large gambling debt when he died, Emika Chen has been struggling to get out of it by being a bounty hunter. In a desperate attempt to gain quick cash, Emika hacks into the world famous virtual game, Warcross. As Emika waits to be reprimanded, she is surprised to find her world turned upside down when the creator of Warcross, Hideo Tanaka, hires her to help with a major security issue. The story follows Emika as she goes undercover and discovers a chilling secret surrounding Warcross. 

Young Adult Elements:
Pace: Like many YA novels, Warcross is very fast paced. The chapters quickly go through Emika’s investigation into the security issues and her interactions with other Warcross players.
Storyline: The storyline is very action packed which goes with the fast pace. This action is mostly shown through the many detailed, suspenseful Warcross Championships Scenes. 
Writing Style: As YA novels are often fast paced and action packed, they usually have a compelling or engaging writing style to keep the reader’s attention. Warcross is compelling and engaging as Marie Lu writes about Emika’s quick investigation and makes sure to not add too many extensive details. The only descriptive scenes are when Emika is travelling or a new Warcross world is introduced.
Characterization: YA novels have been including more and more diverse characters within them. Warcross is no different. First, the story starts in New York then it shifts to Tokyo. Secondly, the players of the Warcross Championships are from around the world. Both of these pieces allow the reader insight into different cultures. Lastly, there is even some representation of disability as one of the Warcross team captains is a wheelchair user. 

Read-Alikes:
The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
Otherworld by Jason Segel
Bluescreen by Dan Wells
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 

Personal Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. It was so action packed and suspenseful. This included a major twist at the end that I thought I was catching on to, but got distracted and then blindsided. Yet, this is the kind of YA novel I love. I want to be shocked and surprised. 
I also like Sci-Fi in YA novels and there is a lot in this. The concept of Warcross and the NeuroLink are very intriguing. Although, I should note for people who are not familiar with Sci-Fi, Warcross and the NeuroLink are a major part of this story and are involved with every piece of it. So, it could become a bit overwhelming for someone not used to something like this.
Lastly, I want to comment on the common theme of romance in YA novels. This did have some, but it was not the main part of the story. Although it did play an important part in the plot, it was not the focus. While there was a bit more romance than I was expecting, I do not feel it was too much. 

The Reader's Advisory Matrix - Week Twelve Prompt

The Reader’s Advisory Matrix for The American Civil War: A Hands-on History by Christopher J. Olsen

Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose) 
*It is actually more fact-based with occasional narrative moments

What is the subject of the book? 
The subject of this book is the American Civil War.

What type of book is it? 
This is a history book.

Articulate appeal
What is the pacing of the book? 
The pacing is relatively slow and leisurely. Although there is a lot of information that is sometimes told quickly, the thorough details slow it down.
Describe the characters of the book. 
The characters include every major person involved with the events that led to the war, those who lived through the war, and those who had to deal with the aftermath of the war. One of the characters that is mentioned the most is, of course, President Lincoln. 
How does the story feel? 
The story is factual and informative with a neutral tone.
What is the intent of the author? 
Olsen’s intent is to inform the reader about the American Civil War.
What is the focus of the story? 
The focus of the story is to tell the details about the events leading up to, during, and after the Civil War.
Does the language matter? 
Yes. Olsen mostly uses blatant facts to move the story along.
Is the setting important and well described? 
The settings of battles are the best described scenes in the book. While there is not a focus on the actual landscape, Olsen thoroughly describes the formation and intention of the soldiers. 
Are there details and, if so, of what? 
There are many details about several major events as well as some of the characters. The details about characters are important because they are often used to explain why that person leaned one way or another in a major decision about the war.
Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? 
This book has a lot of useful charts as well as primary sources after each chapter. The primary material includes excerpts from letters and speeches. This material really helps the reader understand the story being told. 
Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? 
The thorough details and primary sources included in the book encourage the reader to look closely at the book to discover all that can be learned from it.

Why would a reader enjoy this book? (rank appeal)
1. Subject 2. Learning 3. Detail

Audiobook and EBook Appeals - Week Eleven Prompt

I first became familiar with ebooks back in 2010 when my aunt got me an Amazon Kindle for my 16th birthday (see the picture to the left). My Kindle was a very useful tool for me during high school and college. I often read classics in my English classes and was able to get them for free on the Kindle. Even though  I would receive a physical copy in high school, I could not make notes in it, so I would make the notes on my Kindle. I could also “bookmark” pages. This was the way I would combat what Dunneback and Trott (2011) say about e-readers having page number indications, but it not being the same as a physical book (p. 328). While there can be indications of your placement in the book, ebooks are more difficult to “flip” through. Yet, if you own an e-reader, you can become used to its features like highlighting  and bookmarking sections. At least that is what has happened in my experience. 

I have only been getting into audiobooks the past couple of years. I agree with Mediatore (2003) who writes that “Narration changes and intensifies every element of a book’s appeal” (p. 319). My favorite audiobooks are ones where the narrator had an excellent voice. Specifically in The Raven Boys series, Will Patton’s ability to create diverse voices for the characters brings them to life. This experience is why I also agree with Mediatore’s (2003) statement that “characterization can be one of the most important elements of an audiobook” (p. 319). Regardless of whether I read a print book or an ebook, if I don’t feel anything for the characters, I don’t like the book. Thus, the narration is a very important appeal that readers’ advisors must be aware of.

While doing readers’ advisory for ebooks and audiobooks can seem daunting, I do not think it needs to be so difficult. After reading this week’s articles, I realized that readers’ advisory for these formats is very similar to print books, just with a few added elements. It is like in mathematics when you learn the basic equations and then they start giving you more complicated equations. As long as you know the basic equation, you can build on it. So, as long as you know pacing, setting, characterization, and tone, adding narration and font size can be natural additions. This is because factors like narration and length for an audiobook and font size for ebooks directly affect appeal factors such as pacing and tone. Since these formats for reading are only going to become more commonplace, these appeal factors should be regularly integrated into readers’ advisory.

References:

Dunneback, K., & Trott, B. (2011). E-books and Readers' Advisory. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(4), 325-329. 

Mediatore, K. (2003). Reading with Your Ears: Readers' Advisory and Audio Books. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(4), 318-323.

Blue Asylum - Historical Fiction Annotation

Title: Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall
Published: 2012
Number of Pages: 288 pages

Plot Summary: It is the middle of 1864 when Iris Dunleavy is wrongfully convicted of madness and sent to an esteemed asylum on a Florida island. Iris tries to convince the stubborn Dr. Henry Cowell of her innocence, but he refuses to believe her “loving” husband is the real criminal. The only ones who understand she is sane are the doctor’s son, Wendell, and the handsome, but deeply troubled Confederate soldier, Ambrose Weller. Since she knows she does not belong at the asylum, Iris is determined to escape, but she must enlist some assistance. The story becomes more complex as the reader is able to see the asylum not just through Iris’ eyes, but from Ambrose, Wendell, and Dr. Cowell’s perspectives. Blue Asylum looks into the inner workings of an asylum during the Civil War and how that significant event in history had great effects on so many people’s lives.  

Historical Fiction Elements:
Setting: Saricks writes that the authors of Historical Fiction will add details of “landscape, milieu, and locale to the story and thereby increase the feeling of verisimilitude” (p. 172). Hepinstall adds many landscape details such as those about the asylum’s beach, the surrounding jungle, the various rooms of the asylum, and the doctor’s house. In addition, she includes various details in flashbacks about Iris’ role as a plantation owner’s wife and Ambrose’s life as a Confederate soldier.
Tone: Since this novel takes place in the middle of the Civil War and is focused on an asylum, the tone is dark and grim. Saricks mentions that tones vary across different Historical Fiction works (p. 172). This one is definitely on the melancholy side, even though there is a slightly hopeful tone in the last few pages. 
Style: Blue Asylum seems to fit what Saricks says makes up Literary Historical Fiction. It has “lyrical language, crystalline prose, and deft construction” (Saricks, p. 174). As Hepinstall details each scene, she writes in a soft, flowing manner. Even when she discusses distressing events, there are long, complex sentences that make the suspense end with a melancholy tone.
Pacing: Although Blue Asylum is not a long book like Saricks says most Historical Fiction works are, it is still slow-paced. The first half of the book is more focused on showing how the asylum functions along with brief mentions of Iris and Ambrose’s pasts. Yet, the circumstances that caused them to come to the asylum do not start to be fully revealed until almost halfway through the book.

3 Read-Alikes:
Woman 99 by Greer Macallister
The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller
My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira

Personal Thoughts: 
While I enjoy reading about the time period of the Civil War, this book was a little too dark for me at times, especially with what is going on in the world right now. When I am feeling a bit down I prefer more uplifting and positive books. Although, the ending was a little better and slightly lighter than I was expecting, which helped some. I would still make sure that readers know this is definitely a melancholy book.
I also might need to note that this book had many mentions of sex and masturbation, even if it was replaced by different names: lovemaking and private-fondling. While I can handle a small bit of that, it started to get too much for me at times and might be a problem for other readers.
Overall, I did think the story was interesting. I just do not think this was the best time for me to read it.

Book Club Experience

For my book club experience I went to a nearby public library. The book club’s name is the South Haven Bookends. The club is led by Sarah, the branch manager. There were a total of ten people, eight attendees, me observing, and Sarah leading.

The meeting began at 7 PM, yet it took a moment for Sarah to reign everyone in from the conversations they were having. The first piece of business she took care of was informing them of their next book. Once that was settled, she handed out the discussion questions for their current book, Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Even before the meeting started, most of the ladies confessed to not finishing or not even starting the book. It seemed like only two to three people actually finished the book, one of whom was the woman who had read it before and requested it as one of the group’s reads. The biggest complaint from people was that it was too all over the place and very confusing. Even for those who finished the book, they did not understand what it meant. 

Once everyone had voiced their frustrations, Sarah began going through the discussion questions. They were mostly open ended questions. If anything was a yes or no question, it was followed by another question. Since I kept the paper, here are a couple of the questions:

• “Is Beloved a ghost? Is she a dead person come back to life? Or is she a random girl who’s been possessed by the spirit of Beloved?”
• “What would this story be like if Sethe and her kids weren’t African American? Could the story even exist?”

Sarah usually did not answer the questions, especially not first. There were a couple of ladies who consistently started off answering. One of them was the woman who had chosen the book and another was the woman on my left. Although these two would usually start, the others almost always joined in. There were only a couple of ladies who did not say much. And I did not say anything because I was observing, even though I kind of wanted to say something a couple of times. 

Overall, the atmosphere of this book club was very friendly. Everyone seemed to be having a great time hating on the book together. There were several times they got sidetracked on other topics and Sarah had to bring them back to the questions. I had been warned of this possibility by the woman to my right. She had begun talking to me before the meeting and told me a bit about the way the club usually goes. She also told me how this book club compared to the one she went to when she lived in Illinois. That one had been in a home, yet still organized by the library. She was surprised when she moved to Indiana and found that this one was actually at the library.

Since the book club was quite enjoyable, even though I had not read the book and was only observing, I would really like to return someday and actually participate. One of the ladies was talking to me after the club and let me know they do a variety of books. I feel this would be a great opportunity for me to read new books and step out of my comfort zone. It helps that this group of ladies were so friendly and welcoming. So, even though I get nervous in group settings, I feel I could get comfortable with this one. And then we would all be discussing books! What fun!

Readers' Advisory History - Special Topics Paper Summary

For my special topics paper I looked at the history of readers’ advisory (RA). 

In “Rediscovering the History of Readers Advisory Service,” Bill Crowley discusses the RA’s development through the twentieth century. He believes that RA has always been around, but it began to get its name in 1876, the year the American Library Association (ALA) was formed and the Library Journal began its publication. Both Crowley and Joyce Saricks agree that some of the biggest developments in RA occurred between 1920 and 1940. The biggest difference in RA from then to now is that nonfiction was the focus whereas fiction is now. Adult education was very much the reason for RA during the early to mid-1900s. Yet, this seems to be why patrons’ reading lists were very didactic and librarians seemed to quickly pass moral judgments on readers. 

By the time World War II came along there was a lot less time for leisure reading. Thus, RA began to die away until its revival near the end of the century. Crowley points to 1984 as the revival year because of organizations such as the Adult Reading Round Table (ARRT) forming and librarians writing more about RA services. One of those librarians was Joyce Saricks. Saricks is most known for her concept of appeal. 

A more recent article by Keren Dali challenges Saricks definition of appeal. Dali argues for reading appeal over book appeal. She believes that it is more important to discover each reader’s personal interests rather than digging into what parts of a book they like. Challenges like this show that RA is still evolving and will continue to develop. Looking at this history shows how far RA has come while also inspiring future RA librarians.