Library Advocacy

Tags

community involvement, IST611, library advocacy, national library week, school libraries, web 2.0 tools

This past week, April 14-20, was National Library Week.  While I assume that the small number of you who choose to read this library-related blog recognize the value of libraries, the fact of the matter is that not everyone in the general population realizes their importance.

School libraries in particular are incredibly valuable to their communities.  Librarians encourage a love of reading, which helps to promote and improve literacy.  However, libraries are so much more than that.  They are places of inquiry, discovery, and creativity.  They are places for students to learn to be responsible, respectful, ethical digital citizens.  They are places where students learn the information literacy skills they will need to succeed in school, higher education, and their careers.

For all of these reasons, it is important to advocate for school libraries.  If school librarians are the only ones doing this, though, they are likely to go unnoticed.  If we want community members to recognize the value of school libraries, advocacy efforts must come from community members themselves.  The question becomes, then, how can we engage others to advocate for the school library?

The best way to do this is to get them involved in the library.  Invite parents to be volunteers in the library.  Have some after-school or evening hours when parents can come into the library to check out books with their kids, or host evening library activities.  Bring community members into the library to talk to classes, or bring students to community organizations for a lesson or activity.  Showing community members all of the things the library does will allow them to recognize the value of the library, and share that information with others.  Thus, hopefully, library advocates are born.

Once you have a community ready to advocate for the school library, though, how do you get that message across?  There are a number of ways this can be done.  Parents, students, and community members can attend school board meetings, or even events such as Library Advocacy Day.  They could also write articles for school newsletters, or even in the local paper.  The prevalence and popularity of social media these days, though, combined with the fact that most school libraries have limited budgets, makes advocacy via the internet a valid choice.  Students can make videos or podcasts explaining what the library means to them, why they value the library, or what they have learned in the library.  This could even be an evening activity; parents and students could come to the library after hours for a quick lesson on making a video, and then they could work together to make their advocacy videos.  In addition, notable local alums could do something similar, making videos showing their support for the library.  The librarian could also organize an activity in which students could interview alumni or community members about their library experiences for a podcast.

There are a wide variety of ways to engage community members to be school library advocates, and an equally large number of ways to advocate for the library.  I made a brief library advocacy video using Animoto, which can be seen here.  There are many other messages that could be presented and tools that could be used.  This is just one example of how we can advocate for school libraries.

Hosting an Anti-Bullying Event in the Library

Tags

cyberbullying, information literacy, IST611, school libraries

Anyone who spends any time on the internet these days has probably heard something about cyberbullying.  As more and more ways to communicate virtually become available, and as the internet becomes more and more accessible, cyberbullying has become a huge problem.  It is difficult at times to walk the line between giving kids privacy and access to information and keeping them safe.  I think the library can play a role in spreading awareness of cyberbullying, as well as providing tips for its prevention.

The library, where students go to learn how to analyze information and be respectful, responsible digital citizens, is the perfect place to host an anti-bullying community event.  I think an event like this would be a great way for students to practice some of their information and digital literacy skills, be creative, and learn about how to be respectful, responsible, and ethical on the internet.

In my library, this event would take the form of an arts showcase, giving the students the opportunity to take ownership and teach others about this subject.  The PACER Center’s information sheet on putting on an anti-bullying event suggests having a poster contest as one of the activities.  I would like to take this a step further, and allow the students to decide what they would like to create and present.  The librarian could do brief mini-lessons on creating short videos, making infographics, etc., and students could then choose to create a PSA on cyberbullying, an infographic on respectful online behavior, or something less tech-heavy, like a poem or song.

Then, at the event, following a brief welcome and presentation by the librarian or administrator including a few important tips for parents, the students would be the stars of the show, having the opportunity to screen their videos, perform their poems, or showcase their artwork.  This doesn’t have to be a contest, but rather a way for students to show off their great work while also educating the community about cyberbullying.  There could also be snacks and drinks, like a real gallery showing, to make the students feel like they are a part of something special.

Cyberbullying is a growing problem, and the only way to solve it is to make sure everyone in the community is aware of what it is and how to be respectful online.  The library is a great place to raise awareness of this problem, give students a voice, and even practice information literacy skills.

Online Filtering: Help or Hindrance?

Tags

information literacy, intellectual freedom, IST611, online filtering, school libraries

One of the ways schools attempt to protect students from the big, scary internet is through online filtering.  Proponents of filtering will say that this prevents students from accessing inappropriate sites and protects their privacy by keeping them from revealing too much identifying information on the internet.  But is this the whole story?

Not exactly.  Filters do block a lot of inappropriate sites, but, truthfully, they block a lot of beneficial ones, too.  In addition to legitimate educational websites, many social networking sites are blocked.  While revealing too much personal information and the possibility of cyberbullying are legitimate concerns when it comes to social networking, it is also true that tools like blogs, Twitter, and Pinterest can have many interesting uses in classroom instruction and activities.

Additionally, those who see online filtering as less than ideal (including myself) may argue that by preventing access to so many websites, we are not actually teaching students all that they need to know about evaluating information and online safety.  Allowing students to access the “bad” sites gives teachers and librarians an opportunity to teach them how to determine if the information they find is accurate, or unbiased, or completely false, or created by a hate group.  Similarly, allowing students to utilize social media provides an opportunity to explore internet etiquette, respect, and ethical use.  If everything is blocked and teachers and librarians are unable to give students the chance to practice these skills, then odds are they’ll leave school without the appropriate tools to analyze and evaluate information, or the proper attitude about how to interact with others on the internet.

When schools use filtering, they don’t just prevent teachers and librarians from instructing students on information literacy, they also jeopardize intellectual freedom.  Basically, people have the right to access whatever information they want, from any viewpoint, without restriction by others.  Online filtering, while ostensibly for students’ safety, takes that right away from students.  It is better to teach students how to find a wide variety of information in a smart, safe manner than to take away their right to obtain that information.

Most likely, online filtering isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.  However, school districts can begin to utilize filtering more effectively, so that students are not only safe, but also have the opportunity to learn and practice important skills for information literacy and online safety.

QR-iosity

Tags

IST611, QR codes, school libraries, web 2.0 tools

I love QR codes.  I realize that can be an unpopular opinion; there are many people out there who think they are overused, or exclude people who don’t have smartphones and other devices to read QR codes, or just don’t really serve a purpose.  As a former teacher, though, I can vouch for the fact that my students LOVED activities involving QR codes, and for that reason, I will continue to believe they are a valuable educational tool.

When I was teaching, I created several QR code scavenger hunts in my classroom to allow students to practice new skills or discover new information.  This worked well for several reasons.  Our school library had a class set of iPod touch devices that we could check out, so each student (or pair of students) had a device to use.  Activities like this got students up out of their seats and moving around, which is important when you’re teaching a bunch of 10-year-olds who really can’t sit still for extended periods of time.  Students were becoming more skilled in using a new technology as they completed these activities.  They were also able to view information in a variety of different formats (websites, videos, etc) while completing these activities.

QR codes aren’t just good for classroom activities, however; they definitely have a place in the library as well.  The librarian at the school I worked at helped several upper elementary school students create audio reviews of books they had read; they then made QR codes linking to the reviews, and placed the QR codes on the books, so that students thinking about checking out those books could hear another student’s opinion about the book.  Other librarians have placed QR codes on books linking to supplemental information on the same topic, so that students who are interested in the topic could not only read the book, but also have another place to find information as well.

It would certainly be difficult to incorporate QR codes into an educational setting if the school didn’t have the resources to provide students with devices to read the codes, or didn’t allow students to use their own devices during school hours.  I think schools should make an effort to incorporate QR codes, though, because they can be used in a wide variety of ways, they can motivate students, and they are a valuable part of an educator’s toolkit.

Just for fun, here is a QR code I made, which links to this blog:

I really like the idea of using a QR code on business cards instead of a blog url, so I might do this the next time I order business cards!

Library Promo Video

Tags

IST611, school libraries, social media, technology, videos, web 2.0 tools

So this week in IST 611, we were asked to create a short video to promote the upcoming week’s events at our libraries (this was entirely hypothetical, in my case).  Here is my humble attempt at enticing students to come visit the library:

 

(Note: I really, really hate being in front of the camera-please don’t judge too harshly!)

So what are some things you do to promote your library?  How do you feel about being in front of a camera?  Let me know.

Blogging in the Library

Tags

blogging, IST611, libraries, school libraries, web 2.0 tools

One of the classes I’m taking this semester is IST 611, Information Technologies in Educational Organizations.  Over the course of the semester, we’re exploring a number of different Web 2.0 tools that can be used to support a library program.

This week, one of the topics we’re looking at is blogging.  While blogging is by no means a new tech tool (as I think back to the rather embarrassing livejournal account I had in high school), I think it is certainly useful, and there is definitely a place for blogging in the library.

I think that blogging could be used to enhance the library program in a number of ways.  I like the idea of the librarian maintaining a blog to keep the school updated on library goings-on.  This could be a place for the librarian to let students and teachers know about new resources or events happening in the library, or even an informal professional development tool for teachers (through blog posts with tips on using social media in the classroom, or quick tutorials on a new website, etc.).

I also think it’s important for students to have a voice, and so I don’t think that a librarian-run blog is enough.  I think it would also be beneficial for students to maintain a blog; this blog could showcase student work, include student book reviews or recommendations, and include reviews of library events.  While it would be important for the librarian to collaborate with students to make sure guidelines are followed, this could be, for the most part, a student-run blog.  This would give students ownership of the library, while also helping them to develop writing and digital literacy skills.

While the two ideas mentioned above are both blogs that would be tied directly to the library, I think that blogging is also something that could be used as a collaborative project between classroom teachers and the librarian.  With websites like kidblogs that make it relatively easy for students to have individual blogs, the librarian could work with classroom teachers to help students set up blogs and do a few lessons about respectful and ethical online behavior and internet safety.  Then, student blogs could give students a voice while also serving the purpose of the class.  A social studies class, for example, could have current events blogs, while an English class could write blog posts rather than keeping a traditional journal.  Even a math class could use blogs; there could be a problem of the week, and students would need not only to find an answer, but also to explain how they were able to solve the problem.

Having a blog for the library would help keep the school community aware of what’s going on in the library and how the library can support teachers and students.  Having students participate in blogging, meanwhile, would allow them to have a voice in their education and have a stake in the library, while also developing their writing skills and learning other 21st century skills.  I think that blogging, on the part of the librarian or students, would be a great way to support the library program.

Are you a teacher or librarian?  How do you use blogging in your school or library?  Let me know!

Standards and Stuff:

Common Core:

CC.8.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CC.5.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

CC.11.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Explore and inquire into areas of interest to formulate an argument.

AASL:

1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas within the learning community.

3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.

3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.

Happy Birthday, Pride and Prejudice!

Tags

200th anniversary, books, jane austen, lizzie bennet diaries, pride and prejudice, reading

Hello friends.  Long time, no write.  There are many things I want and need to discuss here on the ol’ blog, but those need to be put on the back burner for the time being, because today is a day for celebration!  You see, exactly 200 years ago, on January 28, 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published for the first time.  Obviously, despite harsh criticisms from the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson and many others, the novel has endured, and continues to resonate with readers today.

Despite my tendency toward more contemporary books, I do have a little space in my heart and head for the classics, and Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorites.  I have to admit I’m a fan of Jane Austen in general; she was so ahead of her time, her writing was intelligent, funny, and filled with social commentary, and she wrote strong, unconventional female characters, which is always important to me.  Elizabeth Bennet is, of course, one of those characters, and while she undoubtedly has flaws, her strength of conviction is something from which we can still draw inspiration today (plus, you know, she likes to read, and isn’t obsessed with marriage, and is an all-around cool girl).

The fact that this book was written in the 1800s, yet still has experiences and feelings with which we identify and themes to which we can relate, is definitely something to be celebrated.  So what should we do to celebrate?  I’m glad you asked!  Obviously, the best possible thing would be to throw a P&P-themed party; you know, something along the lines of the Netherfield ball, with handsome men in period dress, lots of dancing, and plenty of ribbons.  If that’s not quite up your alley, though, here are five OTHER ways you can celebrate 200 years of Pride and Prejudice:

1. Learn something new.  David Shapard, the author of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, shares 12 things you probably didn’t know about everyone’s favorite birthday novel.

2. Listen to some great tunes.  Tweetspeak has come up with a P&P-themed playlist for this illustrious occasion.

3. Cook something Lizzy and Darcy may have enjoyed.  Go grab a copy of The Jane Austen Cookbook and pick out a tasty 19th century delicacy, like chicken with tongues or pheasant a la braise, to try.  Don’t forget to share with your friends-they’ll be thrilled to be included.

4. Buy YOURSELF a present.  I mean, we all love Jane Austen, but let’s be real: she won’t really benefit from any cool gifts we send her way.  So treat yourself to some fun P&P merchandise.  BookRiot has even compiled a helpful list.

5. Watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  Full disclosure: this is kind of an obsession of mine.  I know Pride and Prejudice has been remade and reimagined so many times, but seriously, this webseries, which retells Pride and Prejudice through vlogs made by 24 year old communications grad student Lizzie Bennet, is AMAZING.  And Darcy? Totally swoonworthy.  If you love P&P, I guarantee that LBD will not disappoint.  I’ll just leave this first episode here for you to watch at your leisure…

Ok.  I’ve given you everything you need to to throw Pride and Prejudice the bash it deserves.  So go celebrate! (and make sure to let me know if you do anything particularly awesome.)

P.S. If you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice, I’m not sure we can be friends.  Did you know you can get it for free online, for your ereader, or at your library?  No excuses-go read it!

2012 Reading Wrap-Up

Tags

#lr2012, 2012 reading wrap-up, reading, ya lit

Happy New Year, friends.  I hope you were able to spend the last few days of 2012 relaxing and spending time with family and friends, and that the first few days of 2013 have been good ones.

I know many of you are back to the daily grind, but I don’t go back to school for a few days yet, so I thought that I would do a little recap of the #LR2012 readathon and my reading in general in 2012.  As it turns out, Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner does an end of year reading survey each year, and I thought that since I’ve shared a lot about what I want to read, but not so much what I’ve actually read, I might as well participate.  So here’s a little about what I read in 2012:

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

I’m sorry, I just can’t pick just one; I read far too many great books this year, so I’m going to give you a top 5 (in no particular order):

-Take a Bow, by Elizabeth Eulberg

-The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

-The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart

-Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline

-The Crown of Embers, by Rae Carson

(Believe it or not, I could probably include 5 more on this list.  I read a LOT of great books this year.)

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Burn for Burn, by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

I kind of hate to say this, because I truly LOVE both of these authors.  I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the book, and I don’t actively dislike it, but I was SUPER excited to read it, and I just didn’t think it was AS great as some of their individual books.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012? 

The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson, and The Mediator series, by Meg Cabot

I’m not generally a huge fan of ghosts, but I really liked ALL of these books.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green.

I recommend this book to pretty much everyone, regardless of age or reading preferences.  It’s just one of those books everyone should read.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

The Matched trilogy, by Ally Condie

runner-up: The Books of Bayern series, by Shannon Hale

I was lucky to discover both of these in 2012, so I could move on to the next books right away, without waiting for them to be published (except for Reached, but I only had to wait a few months for it).  Ally Condie’s writing is just beautiful, and Shannon Hale is an amazing storyteller.  If you haven’t read these series, I highly recommend them.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

John Green-I seriously jumped on the John Green bandwagon this year.  After randomly picking up Looking for Alaska on trip to a used bookstore, I read it and all of his other books in quick succession.  I just think of his writing as very intelligent, which is something I appreciate.

Elizabeth Eulberg-When I pick up one of her books, I can’t put it down until it’s finished.  I find her characters compelling and relatable, and the stories are great.

Stephanie Perkins-I’m a little annoyed at myself for avoiding Stephanie Perkins for so long.  I LOVED Lola and the Boy Next Door, and can’t wait to read more Stephanie Perkins!

Shannon Hale-I’m just really glad I finally picked up The Goose Girl.  I loved visiting the world she created, and I fell in love with her characters.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys

I don’t love historical fiction; given the choice, I’d rather read something set in the present or the future (or a completely different world).  But I do love Russia/Eastern Europe/the former Soviet Union, and Stalin’s reign of terror is something in which I am very interested.  So I gave this book a chance, and it was amazing-heartbreaking and uplifting and horrible and very well-researched.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

(do I sound like a broken record yet?)

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

So I don’t seem to have the same passion for covers that many others who write about books possess, but I do like the covers of the books in the Beautiful Creatures series.

11. Most memorable character in 2012? 

Ok, I’m cheating on this one too.  I CAN’T choose just one!

-Frankie, from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

-Elisa, from The Crown of Embers

-Elliot, from For Darkness Shows the Stars

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

(You’re shocked, I know. but the Matched series gets a very close 2nd place.)

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012? 

Looking for Alaska, by John Green.

While The Fault in Our Stars is my favorite book by John Green, Looking for Alaska introduced me to his amazing writing and was the catalyst for my reading all the rest of his books, finding the vlogbrothers, etc.  Not to mention, it’s a pretty amazing book in its own right.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read? 

ALL of John Green’s books.  The Goose Girl.  Graceling.  Several others, but since I keep repeating myself, I’m just going to stop.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012? 

“There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1. There’s .1 and .12 and .112 and an infinite collection of others. Of course, there is a bigger infinite set of numbers between 0 and 2, or between 0 and a million. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I’m likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.”

-The Fault in Our Stars

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012? 

I didn’t really keep track of page numbers.  I’m just going to say that Something Like Normal was pretty short, and I read The Mortal Instruments series; those books are pretty long.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Uh, Pandemonium, by Lauren Oliver.  And Crewel, by Gennifer Albin. Crazy endings!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc)?

Well, obviously, my favorite romance was Hazel and Augustus, from The Fault in Our Stars.

But I also loved the friendship between Emme, Ethan, Jack, and Ben in Take a Bow.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously?

The List, by Siobhan Vivian

I’ve read other books by Siobhan Vivian, but this is by far my favorite.

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else?

Well, I get most of my recommendations from book blogs rather than people I know in real life (as they tend to read actual grown-up books and stuff).  That being said, I wouldn’t have picked up The False Princess at all if I hadn’t seen it reviewed on several blogs, and it was a great book.

Ok, I know this is getting pretty long, but I also wanted to just do a quick (and belated) recap of the Last Reads of 2012 readathon.

You might remember that I set a goal of reading 10 books during the readathon, to get to a total of 156 books for 2012.  I also hoped to participate in a number of the challenges that other bloggers were hosting.  Well, I kind of slacked off in the challenge department (though I did complete a few), but I actually read 11 books, for a total of 157 for the year.  The books I ended up reading during the readathon were:

1. Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins

2. Long May She Reign, by Ellen Emerson White

3. A World Away, by Nancy Grossman

4. Beautiful Chaos, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

5. Bittersweet, by Sarah Ockler

6. The Lonely Hearts Club, by Elizabeth Eulberg

7. Let It Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

8. The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson

9. Getting Lost With Boys, by Hailey Abbott

10. Nothing Special, by Geoff Herbach

11. Love and Other Perishable Items, by Laura Buzo

So there you have it: a somewhat arbitrary summary of my 2012 reading.  In an effort to be more organized in 2013, I’ve already set up a nice little spreadsheet for recording the books I read this year, so that I’m not scrambling in December to remember all those great books I read at the beginning of the year.  I also set a reading goal on Goodreads, so if you’re interested in what I’m reading, feel free to check that out.

Once classes start up, I will probably start blogging about library school stuff again in addition to reading stuff.  Until then, I hope you’re enjoying these first days of the new year, and staying warm!

#LR2012 Challenge: No! Wait! What? Killer Cliffhangers

Tags

#lr2012, cliffhangers, last reads of 2012 readathon, reading, YA books

Happy Sunday, friends.  I hope you’re all enjoying this last weekend before Christmas (or, you know, fourth weekend in December, for those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas).

I mentioned in my post a few days ago that I would be hosting a challenge as part of the Last Reads of 2012 Readathon, and that day has arrived!

Want to know more about the readathon, or sign up?  Check out this post.

Today’s challenge is called No! Wait! What? Killer Cliffhangers.

You all know what I’m talking about.  These are the books that make us want to tear out our hair,

bite off all our fingernails,

and personally berate the authors for messing with our mental well-being.

These books have endings that are BRUTAL.  They can leave you speechless, or breathless, or in tears.  I don’t know about you, but the anticipation of finding out what happens next nearly kills me.  I spend MONTHS thinking about all the possibilities, and run out to get the next book as soon as it comes out.

So here are some of the books I’ve read this year that have had killer cliffhangers.

1. Pandemonium, by Lauren Oliver

So there are a couple of big things that happen near the end of this book.  I sort of figured that what happened on the last page was going to happen (sorry to be all vague, but I don’t want to spoil it for those who have yet to read the series!), but it was still pretty jarring, and such an abrupt ending!  I must know what is going to happen! And Requiem doesn’t come out until MARCH.  Darn you, Lauren Oliver!

2. Spark, by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Um, WHAT. In a lot of cases, the 2nd book in a trilogy can kind of drag.  SO NOT THE CASE HERE.  This book had action throughout, and just when it seemed like there would be a resolution, THAT ENDING.  What is going to happen?!?!  It’s going to bother me until next summer, when I can finally read the next book.

3. Once, by Anna Carey

So I’m sort of hoping against hope that Caleb will pull an Alex in Delirum when Rise comes out, even though I realize that this is pretty much impossible, as well as completely irrational on my part.  Either way, TERRIBLE ENDING.  By which I mean, why do you write these things and then make us wait so long to see what happens next, silly authors?!?!?!  But also, despite my outrage at some of the final events, the very end has important implications for the future of the revolution against the government, so I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

4. Variant, by Robison Wells

Wow.  Just wow.  This whole book was one crazy revelation after another for me, and the ending?  How is that even possible?!?!?!  I haven’t yet read Feedback, since I really have to be in the right mood to read books like this (I’m hoping to get to it over my school break!), but I am really interested to see where the author takes things from here.

5. Crewel, by Gennifer Albin

So immediately after I finished this book, this happened:

Unfortunately, since Crewel just came out a few months ago, it’ll be a while before I can find out what happens.  I really want to know more about the state of the world they arrived in at the end of the book, how the whole love triangle thing is going to work out, if there’s a way back…I just have SO MANY QUESTIONS.

In the meantime, though, I guess I can keep thinking about which brother I’d choose…

Well, there you have it: five books with endings that drove me crazy, and the continuations of which I am eagerly anticipating.

What were your ‘killer cliffhanger’ books this year?  Let me know in the comments, or write your own challenge post (you can do this even if you’re not participating in the readathon).  And ff you do write a post, feel free to link to it in the comments, so everyone can read it!

Reading Update

Finished: Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins; Long May She Reign, by Ellen Emerson White; A World Away, by Nancy Grossman; Beautiful Chaos, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl; Bittersweet, by Sarah Ockler

Currently Reading: Let It Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Caturday (6)

This is my sister’s kitten, Bennie.  Both kitten and sister are arriving today for the holidays!