Welcome to my first AISL blog post! This is my second year as a K-5 independent school library media specialist and eleventh year as an elementary school educator. Thanks to the generous award of the AISL Vision to Reality Grant, I was funded and able to host an author visit for second through fifth grade students. We were thrilled to welcome Shamim Okolloh and her son, Liam Sprinkle, co-authors of the 2023 children’s book Ella the Banker. Both authors are Native Arkansans based in Little Rock, and they made the trip to visit our school in Fayetteville, AR. Their book focuses on the importance of introducing financial literacy at an early age through the story of Ella, a second grader who takes a field trip to a bank and learns about its behind-the-scenes operations and the different types of banking. The message aligns beautifully with a beloved project at our school—the second grade Holiday Store. Each year, our second graders visit a local bank, apply for (and receive!) a loan to purchase materials for the crafts they create. They then sell their handmade items at school, and the funds raised are used to buy gifts for families in need within our school and community. Ella the Banker provided the perfect narrative connection to this real-world learning experience, and having the authors on campus made financial literacy and banking feel even more exciting, real, and accessible to our students. Ella the Banker is available for purchase at Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Add a copy to your library, more than 5,000 copies have already been sold!
Some years ago, I got annoyed by the lack of summaries in short story collections. Teachers often asked for recommendations of stories featuring a particular theme, but most short story collection reviews or summaries did not detail the plots of each story. While asking AISL colleagues was a good work-around, I decided that I needed to start summarizing and reviewing every short story I read in a collection, and post my reviews on GoodReads. So I did. While it certainly takes more time to stop after each story (whether read in print or listened to in audio) and write up a summary/review, I’ve now amassed a decent if somewhat eclectic collection of short story summaries that I can share with teachers.
Then it occurred to me that I could share my summaries more broadly by posting them on a LibGuides page. I cobbled that together a few days ago, though I don’t think the organization or layout is the best. Perhaps someone reading this will offer some good advice? I ended up posting the books in a tabbed box, with tabs for different genres, and a table of contents on the side. I wish the lengthy texts didn’t sprawl all over the page, impeding browsing, but the two options for hiding text remove all of the line breaks differentiating the stories. For ease of reading, I capitulated to the text-on-page option. In addition, middle school and YA titles share space in some genres, so I put the middle school titles at the top.
As an example, here’s the text of my reviews for “You are here: connecting flights” by Ellen Oh.
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“Paul: Something to declare” / by Christina Soontornvat. Paul and his family are flying to Thailand, his parents’ and his grandmother’s home country. Paul is very close to his grandmother, who does not speak English. She has something unusual in her carry-on that she doesn’t want Paul’s mother to know about. That will change when they get to security. I liked this one. It was affecting and touching, to see the close relationship between Paul and his grandmother, and the way he wonders about his own connection to a place that he’s only ever visited. And, of course, the microaggressions, always, and always—but also those who understand.
“Jae: Ground rules” / by Linda Sue Park. Jae’s mother works at the airport, and when his babysitter fell through, she had to take him to work with her. Her supervisor is mean about it, but Jae promises to stay in the break room. While he is watching the airport monitors, though, he sees a toddler wander away from her family at security, and they don’t notice. He decides he has to rescue her. I liked how this one showed how different people regarded Jae, so totally differently in such a short period of time. It really illustrates the stereotyping and racism people in his position face every day. It’s also a good story to talk about when is it a good decision to break the rules?
“Mindy: Standing up” / by Meredith Ireland. Mindy was adopted from Korea as a baby by her two dads. Now they are in the airport on their way to Korea so she can “reconnect with her culture.” Problem is, she really doesn’t want to because she feels no connection with it at all. After a racist incident on the concourse, in which her fathers stand up to the racist and make Mindy feel uncomfortable because she is just not the stand up and be noticed type, she runs off to be by herself. And she’ll learn something about herself. I liked this one too. I liked the tension between what Mindy thought she should be like and what she really was like, and how she found a way to understand that and still do something about it, I also thought that her feelings about being either too Asian or not Asian enough were poignant and understandable.
“Lee: Jam session” / by Mike Chen. Lee is 12, it is flying by himself to see his uncle. Lee has his Stratocaster guitar with him, and two security guards hassle him because “of course” no Asian kids play guitar. This was a painful one to read. I hate it that some adults in positions of authority can be so mean to children and so racist at the same time. I really liked Lee’s perspective, which I think will resonate with a lot of kids. I also thought the details were really well done.
“Ari: Guidelines” / Susan Tan. Ari is traveling with her six year old brother. When their flight is diverted because of weather, she is stuck with trying to entertain her brother, and also stuck with someone from the airline as a chaperone, who, like, seemingly everyone else, is totally confused how Ari can be both Asian and Jewish. In the Food Court, something happens that makes Ari realize that maybe she is ready for her bat mitzvah after all. I liked the plot of this one, and can see how frustrating it is when people stereotype you, and think that there’s no way you can be something you are. What I found irritating, in terms of the writing, were the endless numbered lists. I realize that was a representation of how the main character thought, but I found it annoying—though that’s only personal taste!
“AJ: A kind of noble” / Randy Ribay. AJ’s mind always lingers on ways that he has failed. Now he’s at the airport with his basketball team, thinking about how badly he played in the last game. Then he stands in line behind two of his meaner teammates, and hears them being racist and trash-talking the only other Filipino kid on the team, who could not come to the international tournament with them. That kid also happens to be AJ’s best friend. Will AJ be strong enough to stand up and say something? I liked how this showed how small acts, both negative and positive, can affect you, and how you can build on the positive acts and change the highlight reel in your mind.
“Natalie: Costumes” / by Traci Chee. Japanese American Natalie is going on vacation with her white best friend Beth, and Beth’s family. While at the airport, Natalie has a lot of uncomfortable feelings with some of the comments Beth’s parents make, as well as comments that Beth makes. Can she get Beth to understand why it’s not OK to say things like that? I like this one as well, with its vivid ways of describing the different feelings that Natalie has in different situations. I also liked the up to date knowledge about Manga and anime. This is another situation that I’m sure happens all the time in friendships among kids, and it is good to see a representation of it, and a representation of how Natalie decides to deal with it. One of the most memorable quotes from the book, for me, was: “My face is not a costume.”
“Henry: Grounded” / Mike Jung. Henry is with his dad in the airport. They are both Korean, American, and autistic. Henry wishes there were any books about characters like him, because both he and his dad, who is a librarian, love books. Henry has an idea about what his book character would be like, and that serves him well when a bully tries to mess with him. This was a quiet story, with a lovely relationship between father and son, understanding each other. I liked the intersectionality of it, because Henry is right.
“Camilla: Big day suitcase” / by Erin Entrada Kelly. Camilla‘s mother is Filipino, and her father is white. Camilla and her sister Greta, are in the airport with her mother, on their way to the Philippines, so they can see where they came from. Camilla does not feel Filipino, since she is white-passing, as she learns when her best friend says that she looks “normal.“ Then Greta tells Camilla about always having to be “it” when kids at her school play Chinese tag about Covid. It gets Camilla thinking. This was another fairly quiet story about family relationships and those microaggressions that kids like Greta face every day, and Camilla realizing what is happening. This is a good one for kids who don’t feel part of their genetic heritage.
“Jane: Questions and answers” / by Grace Lin. Jane is Taiwanese American, and she is in the airport with her mother, her little sister, and her grandfather, who was injured in what he and Jane’s mother insist on calling in “accident.” Jane knows it was not an accident because she was there, and she wonders if it really is the right thing, not to call attention to themselves and to the bigger issue at hand. Jane’s family is reflective of many of the other families described in this anthology, in not wanting to draw attention to the anti-Asian microaggressions and hate. I liked Jane really thinking about it and making her own decision.
“Khoi: Lost in translation” / by Minh Le. Khoi is Vietnamese American, and he is at the airport with his parents, getting ready for his first trip ever to Vietnam. He’s worried that he will be a disappointment to everyone, but a strange dream helps him sort some things out. This was a short one, and the only one so far without any microaggressions or bullying. I think a lot of kids in Khoi’s situation probably have this same feeling, so they can sympathize with him, and hopefully also come to feel as he does about his trip.
“Soojin: You are here” / by Ellen Oh. Soojin and her parents live in New York, but after a hate crime destroys their business, Soojin’s mother insists on moving back to Korea, while her father insists on staying. Soojin desperately wants to stay in New York, but her mother is dragging her to Korea. When they get stuck in the Chicago airport for a while, they encounter all the other characters from all the other stories, and Soojin’s mother begins to see that perhaps there are more reasons to stay and then go. I liked this one for all the people who stood up to the bullies, and for the hope that there’s still enough good in America to make it worthwhile. I thought the author incorporated all the other characters really well, and it was fun to remember their stories as well.
“A note from the editor” / by Ellen Oh. The author talks about why she decided to put this anthology together, the origins of the term “Asian American,” and why it’s so non-descriptive of all the people from that part of the world.
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Feel free to explore my reviews if you are in search of stories with specific themes for your teachers or students!
Welcome to the first post in my series about luring students into the library—with programming, not bribery. Though honestly, both can be effective.
This is my second year as Director of Library Services, and my focus for the year is building community. Last year was all about the logistics—reworking the collection, rearranging furniture, and figuring out which light switches controlled which parts of the library. This year, I’m leaning hard into the fun stuff: being everywhere, doing everything, and getting students to do all the library things.
Thanks to the AISL Vision to Reality Grant, I get to go big with that goal. My proposal centered around the idea that a little friendly competition can go a long way toward creating community—and filling the library. I’ve always believed libraries aren’t just quiet study spaces or shelves of decorative books. They’re safe, lively spaces where everyone should feel like they belong. And when programming makes the library approachable and fun, the books practically start walking off the shelves themselves.
Our school is a 6–12 boarding school, with about half our students local and half international. One thing they all share? A deep, abiding love of competition. Give them a ribbon, a pin, or even bragging rights, and they’re all in. And let’s be honest—sometimes the lower the stakes, the higher the bragging rights. So this fall, I kicked off our competitive programming with something delightfully old-school: a Pumpkin Carving Contest. Nostalgia meets rivalry—it’s the perfect recipe. In just three days, 35 students carved pumpkins. I call that a serious programming win.
How It All Came Together
Step one: confirm I was, in fact, allowed to give students sharp objects. (An underrated but essential step.)
Once I had the official thumbs-up, I started promoting the event about two weeks out. It’s hard to identify a sweet spot for programming —too early and they forget, too late and they’ve filled their schedule with other Very Important Teenage Things. But two weeks seemed to work out for this.
Promotion went out in the weekly student e-news, on the TVs around campus, by the library sign-in station, and via a community-wide email. Students signed up through a simple SignUpGenius—five slots per class block for upper schoolers, and a separate lunch option for middle schoolers. About two-thirds of our carvers signed up in advance, which, for a first run, felt like victory.
Then came the pumpkin hunt. I checked local farms and big box stores, but Walmart’s $3.97 pumpkins beat everyone else’s $10 price tags. Supporting local business is wonderful—but so is staying within budget. I enlisted my oldest child and my husband to help me and we relieved a few local Walmarts of their pumpkins purchasing 40 pumpkins overall and drawing a lot of attention from other shoppers.
Our activities department already had carving tools, so all I needed were blue ribbons for prizes and battery-powered tea lights from the dollar store—three for $1.25. Librarian math loves a bargain.
Our campus is spread across multiple buildings, with the library being its own building, so I was able to hold the event outside. Facilities set up tables, chairs, and a giant trash barrel, and I silently prayed to Mother Nature. Thankfully, she came through. I also pre-scooped all the pumpkins myself—partly to save students time, and partly because I didn’t want pumpkin guts decorating the front steps.
The Big Carve
When we returned from fall break, the library patio was ready for action. The first day started slow, so my library assistant and I began the old-fashioned way: walking up to kids and asking, “Hey, want to carve a pumpkin?” The secret? Never ask just one student. Ask a pair. Peer pressure for good, not evil. Also don’t limit yourself to the library. I asked kids at lunch, during class, whenever I saw them around campus. There was no escaping me!
By the end of day one, I’d gone from worrying about leftover pumpkins to wondering if we had enough. The windows along the library’s front made perfect viewing for the pumpkin action outside. We popped out to chat, admire designs, and offer the occasional pep talk. Most students proudly called us over to admire their finished masterpieces—because no one, no matter how cool, ever outgrows wanting praise.
On Friday afternoon, I placed tea lights inside all the finished pumpkins and lit them up. The whole display glowed through the weekend, and it looked amazing. We awarded ribbons in five categories: “Ms. Pratt’s Favorite,” “Ms. Stiefel’s Favorite,” “Spookiest,” “Cutest,” and “Most Traditional.” The students were thrilled to see either their or a friend’s pumpkin get chosen!
Lessons Learned
All in all, a smashing success! I’ll absolutely run it again next year. There’s something magical about recurring programs—they become little traditions students actually look forward to.
Next time, I’ll lean harder into the competition side. Bigger signage for categories, maybe display the ribbons ahead of time, and definitely turn the awards and lighting into a mini-event. I picture pumpkins glowing after dark, hot cocoa in hand, and everyone pretending to be serious judges.
Also, note to self: wipe tables daily. Dried pumpkin residue can rival super glue in strength.
How You Can Adapt It
I’m lucky to have outdoor space, supportive colleagues, and a schedule that allows time for carving chaos. But even without those things, you can absolutely do your own spin.
Try smaller sugar pumpkins with acrylic paint pens, or paper jack-o’-lanterns hung in the library windows. The key ingredients—creativity, friendly competition, and a dash of seasonal spirit—are free.If you have questions or want to trade programming ideas, feel free to reach out. And stay tuned—next up in my quest for programming domination: gingerbread houses.
At the start of the year, the library/technology team (ILT) introduces our fifth graders to the technology they will use throughout the year. This includes Canvas, Veracross, PaperCut, Microsoft 365, and all its related apps. One thing that we and the teachers felt was missing, though, was more about Overlake’s philosophy around technology.
One of our fifth grade’s overarching goals is instilling a set of values called “Citizen Owl.” These tailor Overlake’s values for our youngest students: Compassion, Community, Curiosity, Integrity, Respect, and Independence. The fifth grade teachers work hard to integrate these values into their curricula and SEL lessons throughout the year. Likewise, the ILT team, instead of an acceptable use policy, hasGuiding Questions for Responsible Use of Technology.
So with both of those things in mind, we designed a lesson to get the kids thinking about how we can use technology to support Overlake’s mission and values. We started with a basic PowerPoint to share the values, and the guiding questions that connect them to technology:
Compassion: How will we use technology to show compassion, care, and kindness to others?
Curiosity: How will we use technology to explore, research, and find out about the world?
Integrity: How will we use technology honestly?
Inclusion & Equity: How will we use technology to create environments that include everyone equally?
Respect: How will we use technology to show respect for ourselves and our community?
From there, we broke the kids into five groups, and assigned each one a specific guideline. We gave each group a list of possible technology uses/scenarios, with the instruction that the group should decide which ones applied to their guideline. Each group had a poster-sized post-it with the value on it, and two columns: Yes and No. They also got a pad of small post-its, and if the group decided a use/scenario qualified as something that people SHOULD do, they wrote it up and put it in the “yes” column. If the use/scenario qualified as something people should NOT do, it went on a post-it in the “no” column. We also asked the groups to come up with their own examples for each column.
On the screen, we showed examples for each guideline:
Compassion: For example, communicate electronically with the same care and caution as you would in person, recognizing that electronic communication has limitations.
Curiosity: For example, learn and inquire within school-appropriate boundaries, exploring relevant topics safely and responsibly.
Integrity: For example, represent yourself and your work honestly, giving credit where it is due.
Inclusion & Equity: For example, help everyone feel welcome and included when communicating online. For example, avoid assuming everyone has access to the same technology.
Respect: For example, consider the appropriate time, space, and tools for each class, audience, etc. For example, demonstrate responsible use of technology when you are on your own.
Here are the scenarios we gave the students:
• Eating or drinking next to laptop
• Searching for Taylor Swift tickets while I’m supposed to be researching the US Constitution
• Spamming a chat group with silly (appropriate) gifs and memes
• Walking across campus with my laptop open
• Having Flint (AI) quiz me on science topics before a test
• Playing a bloody first-person shooter game
• Sending emails during class
• Using someone else’s Veracross id number to print
• Creating a meme from an embarrassing pic I took of my brother
• Sending a message to my teacher that is all emojis and says “’sup?”
• Interacting with people on my Discord server during class
• Sending messages to my parents during class
• Playing games on my Apple Watch
• Listening to a podcast on my AirPods during class
• Listening to a podcast at home
• Surfing YouTube or TikTok for funny videos
• Taking pictures of people and posting without permission
• Using my friend’s computer to send a message as them to a teacher or student
• Sharing my password with a friend
• Sleeping with my laptop in my bed
• Having ChatGPT write my report on Ancient Mesopotamia for me
• Using my laptop in the bathroom/restroom
• Doing research for class
• Using Canva AI to create images for a PowerPoint
• Sending a nice message to someone who is having a bad day
• Emailing a teacher to ask for help on an assignment
• Storing my laptop safely
• Working with a teacher to set up a virtual author visit
• Setting up a group chat on Teams for an assignment
• Having Flint (AI) help me brainstorm story ideas
So, how did it go? We thought it went reasonably well. Clearly the kids thought about the questions, and in the end maybe that’s all you can ask of fifth graders! We will definitely make some changes next year, though. First, we had all 33 kids together due to scheduling complications, and that didn’t work so well—the rooms are not designed for that number of kids, and it got rather chaotic. Splitting into two groups would have worked better. Also, we thought that it would work better to offer the kids scenarios specific to their guideline as well as the general scenarios; they had trouble applying specific scenarios to their guidelines, though they had less trouble identifying negative and positive uses of technology in general.
A few weeks ago, Patricia de Winter posted to the list opening up opportunities to write for this blog. While this is not the first post I am writing up against a deadline (and will not be the last), I’m nonetheless writing to encourage each of you who has found this blog useful at some point to consider participating.
One thing I have learned about school librarians is that so much feels high-stakes in our work lives, the idea of taking on a blogging opportunity feels quite risky. We worry we are not enough. We want things to be complete, and proven-to-be-perfect, before we feel comfortable sharing it with others.
I’d like to propose that professional sharing communities (such as writing for this blog, presenting at conferences, and even sharing on our list) are specifically the place to share your halfway-there ideas (really, when do we ever actually have all-there ideas?). A supportive and — more importantly — engaged community such as this one offers the chance for asynchronous collaboration that so often is how my own work gets better. Historically, my conference proposals are almost always on topics I really want to set aside time to think about and work with, and submitting a proposal makes me commit to finding the time to do the work. Blog posts are something of a similar animal. One can share ideas, things you tried, and hopefully spark conversations over time that allow you to circle back and improve with input from across the continent.
For example, several years back I wrote a post about an evidently effective, but also super-convoluted, lesson I wrote to teach my seventh graders how search works. Writing it up was my first step to towards realizing that it did not make quite as much sense outside my head as it did inside. Over the years, I’ve gotten various questions about that post that further helped me step back from my chosen method. To my great good luck, Stephanie Gamble posted a much more solid lesson idea a few years later, using Legos. By looking back at conversations I’d had about my original lesson, I was able to better determine what seemed effective to keep and what needed changing.
As a result, I’ve had increasingly effective lessons over the last several years (thank you, Stephanie!) into which I was able to integrate the stronger concepts from my original lesson.
This blog does exist as a vehicle for communal learning, so of course you don’t need to author it to get ideas. However, it does help. As does interacting via comments or emails to post authors.
So, whether you think you have “big ideas” to share, or whether you wish your ideas could get bigger, I recommend stepping up to write, collaborate, and interact. It makes all of us better, working together.
Interested? Maybe even willing to write a single post as a guest blogger? Search your email for a posting dated Sep 16, 2025, subject line: “AISL Blog” — this is the perfect time to raise your hand!
For the 3rd year running, much fun was had by participants in our summer reading bingo initiative. Here are some key takeaways from this year’s game (with the board for reference):
Atmosphere (Jenkins Reid) was the most cited title
All bingo players except for one read a book based on a recommendation* (82% of players chose books from a display, so keep up the good work putting those together!)
A total of 65 successful bingo lines were submitted: a ballot for each was put into a live draw for gift cards from an independent bookstore in each winner’s neighbourhood. Congratulations to Allison O’Rear, Claire Hazzard, Evelyn Pratt and Rebecca Moore!
After the draw, we had a great chat about favourite summer reads, including:
This time tomorrow
You think it, I’ll say it
Dungeon Crawler Carl
The Correspondent
The Names
A Beautiful Family (audio)
Isola
Ordinary Time
Project Hail Mary
The God of the Woods
Culpabilities
Wild Dark Shores
Tilt
Shark Heart
Thank you to everyone who played, and to Catherine for partnering with me to make this happen!
Like many school librarians, I like to post what I’m reading so the kids can see that I practice what I preach! I especially enjoy posting what I read over the summer, since I have more time to read then. Following a rather too-eventful summer in 2024, I decided to schedule in more down time this year—aka reading time! The AISL Summer Book Bingo provided the perfect starting incentive, and I was determined to fill all 25 of the squares, which I did. I really enjoyed the opportunity to read some books that differed from my usual fare (I mean, Japanese Cat Lit? Who knew that was a thing? ).
I also read a lot of other books, primarily audiobooks. I listen to audiobooks in the car, when I’m getting ready in the morning, when I’m out walking, and when I’m getting ready for bed (that’s cozy mystery time!). While public library is a great source of audiobooks, if you are not familiar with the Libro.FM program for educators, definitely check it out! Every month it offers educators something like 20 free, pre-chosen audiobooks, and I love getting that email and going to the site to see what they have on offer. Though I generally choose the middle school books, as that’s my student population, the site always offers a number of YA titles and several adult books as well. I love that this program leads me to discover books I wouldn’t otherwise encounter or read, like The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet by Claire Hatcher-Smith. In this family mystery, the detective has Down’s Syndrome, and the audiobook is read by a person with Down’s. Last night I used LibraryThing to put together a graphic of the covers of all the books I read over the summer, which I will post by my desk for the kids to see when they arrive. One of the site’s useful tools is that after you enter books by title or ISBN into a list, it can generate thumbnail covers of all the books in that list. From there, I used the snipping tool to put together my graphic. Welcome back, and I hope you find some wonderful books this year!
I studied for my MSLS degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the early 1990s, and loved my time there. It’s where I met my forever-friends (we Zoom weekly and gather annually), where I learned how to rent an apartment and pay state income tax (who knew that was a thing? Everyone else but me? Ok, then…), and where I earned the degree that started me off on a 30+ year career in school libraries.
My roommate and me in front of UNC’s library school during our first year. I’m in the hat and blue turtleneck (which I still own!)
My library school forever-friends and me in front of the same building a couple of years ago, when we were all visiting North Carolina.
When I was looking at schools, UNC was the obvious choice. The campus looked gorgeous, the town was small, and the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) offered me not just a graduate assistantship in the art library, but tuition remission to in-state level. Because I have always felt so indebted to the school, I have been a regular if small-potatoes donor ever since graduation.
Nevertheless, I was surprised to be contacted in January by the Assistant Director of Development at SILS, wanting to set up a Zoom call so she could thank me personally for all my years of donations, and “find out more about why you have given to SILS so consistently.” While I suspected she might want to ask for more money—I’ve worked in independent schools for 30+ years; I know what a development office does!—I did feel that a Zoom call was a small thing to ask.
I quite enjoyed the call. The young woman who interviewed me did not ask for money; she really did ask why I donated consistently, and asked for details about my time at SILS. So I talked about the professors, including the one that drove us all so crazy I actually turned into one of those kids who acted up in class for the first time in my life, and the classes, and life at UNC in the early 1990s. It was fun to reminisce, even if to someone who probably wasn’t born until at least 2000!
Some weeks after that, the Assistant Director for SILS let me know that the Assistant Director for the Graduate School at UNC would be in Seattle and would love to get together with me. This assistant director told me: “I am particularly interested in hearing about how your time at Carolina prepared you for your career as a librarian.” At that point, I felt I had to let her know that if she was after a big donation, a school librarian was the wrong person to ask!
She kindly responded: “We truly value our alumni and enjoy hearing about their experiences, particularly learning how their degrees have influenced their lives and careers. We’re always looking for alumni to be advocates for Carolina. There are numerous opportunities for engagement (networking and mentorship, for example) and many ways to support our efforts aside from donating.”
As getting away for coffee during the day is awkward, as you all know (plus I hate coffee), I invited her to visit the school. She did, bringing me a bag of Carolina swag, which I thought was nice of her. I showed her around the school and around the library, then we sat in the back room for an hour and talked. We chatted about how libraries have changed in the years I’ve been a librarian, advice I would give new librarians, and much more that I now forget because my brain is like the metaphorical iceberg with penguins and a few of those penguins got pushed off.
I do know I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on all I’ve done and all I’ve learned since I left grad school. I also appreciated that someone really was willing to travel 3,000 miles to talk to me and other Carolina grads about our careers! Since then, they recently contacted me to ask if I’d be willing to talk to SILS students interested in school libraries. I said if the students are willing to talk to someone at the far end of their career, of course I’d be happy to.
Probably many of you are already involved with your own colleges or graduate schools, but if not, it might be worth checking out what you could do for them as an alum, if you enjoyed/appreciated your time there. No matter where you are in your career, you are probably in a position to offer advice to nascent school librarians, and goodness knows, these days they need all the help they can get!
In September of 2023, I did a blog post about Webtoons. While I don’t want to repeat all the details, I did want to update a couple of my lists.
First, more Webtoons that are now available as traditional graphic novels. This is not an exhaustive list, just the ones I’ve personally read. Though these are mostly aimed at YA and adult audiences, Raven Saga, Cursed Princess Club,Punderworld, and Froggy are fine for middle school.
Nothing Special by Katie Cook. Fantasy, Humor, Drama, Coming of Age
“In the grand scheme of the worlds at large, Callie thinks she’s nothing special. Sure, she’s friends with the ghost of a radish and her dad owns a magical antique shop–but she’s spent her life in the human world. Her dad won’t let her join him on his collection trips in the magical realm “for her own protection”, so she’s only caught glimpses of that world through the gates of the town where her father’s store is. On her seventeenth birthday, Callie goes home with her friend Declan to find her home in disarray and her dad missing. Signs of a struggle point to the portal to the magical realm and when there are signs, you follow them. Now it’s up to Callie, Declan, and Radish to band together and bring him home. As they face creatures good and bad, and all sorts of adventure, Callie and Declan may just find out that they are both special in their own ways after all.” –GoodReads.com.
Acception by Coco Ouwerkerk. Coming of Age, School Story, Humor, Drama, LGBTQ+
“It’s the start of a new school year at Apollo High and Arcus just moved from England to the Netherlands. With his rainbow-colored hair and love of all things fashion, Arcus is anything but your average teenager. He’s an upbeat independent thinker, proud fashionista, and like the rest of us, is looking for a few friends to call his own. This won’t be easy for Arcus, because his best options for friends are prickly goth Maud and self-centered queen bee Iris.” –GoodReads.com.
“Navier Ellie Trovi was an empress perfect in every way — intelligent, courageous, and socially adept. She was kind to her subjects and devoted to her husband. Navier was perfectly content to live the rest of her days as the wise empress of the Eastern Empire. That is, until her husband brought home a mistress and demanded a divorce. “I accept this divorce… And I request an approval of my remarriage.” In a shocking twist, Navier remarries another emperor and retains her title and childhood dream as empress. But just how did everything unfold?” –GoodReads.com.
In the Pastel Kingdom, Princess Maria is so beautiful that birds and animals regularly help her get ready. Princess Lorena is so beautiful that she always wakes up surrounded by flowers. Prince Jamie is so beautiful that he radiates light and sparkles. And Princess Gwen, her family’s beloved treasure, always wakes up with an opossum chewing on her green hair. She looks nothing like anyone else in her family, but because their father is so restrictive (but warm and loving—he adores his children), and because her siblings and her father adore her, the kind-hearted and generous Gwen has no idea there’s anything different about her. That is, not until their father decides to betroth all his daughters to the sons of his crony, the king of the Plaid Kingdom. And his sons are so hot that Maria and Lorena—who have never been allowed to date—are frothing at the mouth to be married. The prince intended for Gwen is equally hot, but when they meet, he’s not as thrilled as his brothers, to say the least. When Gwen finally learns that some people—like Frederick—think she’s ugly, she flees to the forest, and accidentally encounters the Cursed Princess Club. Even though she doesn’t have a curse, they take her in, and her life starts to change.
“Once upon a time, in a land of fairy tales, lived a girl and her grandmother, protected and secluded from the rest of the world. When her grandmother is taken by a mysterious boy, Wen must travel to the outside world to save her, but the world isn’t as magical as she once thought, and danger lurks around every corner. With the help of her friends, will Wen be able to solve the mystery of the boy with the ravens? And more importantly, will she be able to solve the mystery of her past?” –Webtoons.com
Morgana and Oz by Miyuli. Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Romance
“What happens when a struggling witch meets an angsty vampire? Either love or war. Morgana belongs to a long line of witches, and Oz to the rival vampire clan. After a chance encounter . . . and maybe a few stray spells . . . these two need to find a way to work together, or risk all-out war between coven and clan. It’s a Romeo and Juliet story where a boy and a girl from two rival clans, one a vampire and one a witch, meet cute, like each other, but then the girl makes a serious mistake and turns the boy into a cute kitty.” –GoodReads.com.
Punderworld by Linda Šejić. Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Romance
“The classic tale of Greek mythology, but 100% more awkwardly relatable. Hades is the officious, antisocial ruler of the Underworld; Persephone, daughter of Demeter, is an earth goddess of growth and renewal—they’ve been crushing on each other for the past two centuries. But when a festival (and a little liquid courage) present an opportunity to put an end to their Olympian will-they-won’t-they, a meddlesome pantheon and several titanic misassumptions threaten to give every god in the sky the wrong impression… and leave their romance dead before it can bloom.” –GoodReads.com.
Castle Swimmer by Wendy Martin. Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
“From the moment Kappa tumbles into existence on the ocean floor, his life’s purpose is already decided for him: He is the Beacon, a light to all sea creatures, and destined to fulfill their many prophesies. In high demand and under immense pressure, Kappa quickly realizes that fame and glory are small compensation for a life of predetermined self-sacrifice. Unable to resist the call of destiny due to a magical yellow cord that appears from his chest and pulls him inexorably to any sea creatures he swims by, Kappa ultimately finds himself drawn to the Shark kingdom, where he is immediately imprisoned. The Sharks’ prophecy states that the curse maiming their people will only be lifted once their prince, Siren, kills the Beacon. But when Prince Siren decides to defy fate and help Kappa escape, Kappa realizes that there might be more to life than fulfilling endless prophesies, leading to a raucous adventure as big and unpredictable as the ocean itself—and a romance that nobody could have predicted.” –GoodReads.com.
Floatby Katie Marchant. Drama, Romance, Coming of Age
YA. “Waverly Lyons has been caught in the middle of her parents’ divorce for as long as she can remember. This summer, the battle rages over who she’ll spend her vacation with, and when Waverly’s options are shot down, it’s bye-bye Fairbanks, Alaska and hello Holden, Florida to stay with her aunt. Coming from the tundra of the north, the beach culture isn’t exactly Waverly’s forte. The sun may just be her mortal enemy, and her vibe is decidedly not chill. To top it off? Her ability to swim? Nonexistent. Enter Blake, the (superhot) boy next door. Charming and sweet, he welcomes Waverly into his circle. For the first time in her life, Waverly has friends, a social life, and soon enough, feelings . . . for Blake. As the two grow closer, Waverly’s fortunes begin to look up. But every summer must come to an end, and letting go is hardest when you’ve finally found where you belong.” –GoodReads.com.
Froggy by Paige Walshe (expected 8/25)Fantasy, Humor, Drama, Adventure
Froggy has hilarious and sometimes touching or annoying adventures with friends and frenemies around his pond. This looks like a book for kids, and it would be fine for kids, but there’s a lot of humor and found family and character quirks that will appeal to any age. I’ve been reading this on Webtoons, and if I see there’s a new episode of Froggy up, I save it for the last of the Webtoons I read that day so I end my reading on a cheerful, comforting note.
I have updated my extensive list of favorite Webtoons, and to add to my 2023 top ten list, here are an additional ten that I have recently loved.
YA. Architecture major Jeb rooms with his best friend Todd. There’s just one problem… Jeb’s secretly a gargoyle! Between studying, partying, and a bad ghost problem, will Jeb be able to keep his true identity a secret? [Completed]
Note: This is hilarious, and also features a delightful platonic bro-mance between Jeb and Todd, who is the best roomie ever!
YA. Hidden from the world for centuries that seemed like years, nonbinary Virgo Elowen learns that magic is illegal, the Fae are stronger, and star-sign-blessed Realta have been forgotten—or have they? [On hiatus]
Note: This has its roots in Celtic as well as Zodiac mythology, and has great LGBTQ+ representation.
YA. Navier was the wise empress of the Eastern Empire, until her husband brought home a mistress and demanded a divorce. In a shocking twist, Navier remarries another emperor after the divorce. [In progress]
Note: This is a highly popular Webtoon, and includes violence that could bother some readers, and fanservice that can get a little spicy!
Lady Liar by Maripaz Villar. Historical, Humor, Drama, Romance.
YA. Adara, a lower class girl whose only love is money, comes up with the perfect plan to get her dream job: she’ll pretend to be a refined lady to be hired as a companion for a wealthy family. [Completed]
Note: This is laugh-out-loud funny, and the romances are sweet and only mildly spicy.
YA. Introverted and grumpy, college student Kang Dae spends most of his time alone, and prefers it this way. Then he gets a friendly and bubbly neighbor named Bo Seon. Suddenly, his life takes a different turn. [Complete]
Note: This is a sweet, mildly spicy, slow-burn romance. There is some trauma in some characters’ pasts.
YA. New girl Eliana befriends Football Captain and most popular boy at school, Levi, as well as lone-wolf and outcast, Marco. She’s finally got the friends she always wanted, but what will she do when she finds out they hate each other? [In progress]
Note: This is high school drama to the max, and includes some serious depression storylines that might trouble some readers. While commenters are urging a throuple, it hasn’t quite happened…yet?
YA. Balls, operas, beautiful ladies in silk and muslin, footmen, cadets, love, champagne, Parisian sunsets, alleys, funny pranks and walks, Schubert’s waltzes, Indian tea aroma, poems in thick volumes and the sparkle of unfamiliar eyes… [In progress]
Note: This was originally on Canvas, but has rebooted to Webtoon Originals and so only a few episodes are available, but it is a much longer story. The artwork is incredibly beautiful!
YA. A shy witch in her quiet forest cottage. A surly dwarf in his blacksmith’s forge. Both seeking solace in their respective refuge, but both aching for more. [On hiatus]
Note: This is a heartwarming story about recovering from trauma through a loving relationship. Ivy is more than shy—she has PTSD from her past.
YA. Lewis has perfect grades and a packed schedule—but no time for himself. Then he meets Fern, a deaf new student who captures his attention and challenges his routine. As feelings grow, Lewis begins to question his people-pleasing ways and may finally learn to love himself. [On hiatus]
Note: It’s unusual to have any disability representation in Webtoons, so this one is welcome!
YA. Reborn as a villain in her favorite novel, Suna—now Edith—vows to live kindly and rewrite her fate. But her marriage to Killian, who loves another and distrusts her family, threatens her hopes for a happy ending amid rivalries and romance. [Complete]
Note: This was recommended to me by a 6th grader! It’s fairly spicy, and does include some violence.
Our seventh grade English teacher, Kacie Simpson, always comes up with great projects connected to the books her classes read. This year, after reading S.E. Hinton’s classic, The Outsiders, pairs of students created these “Body Bios.” Each poster depicts a character from The Outsiders, alongside visual metaphors and quotes to represent their inner character and history. Below is a sample “Ponyboy” poster, by Angie and Yihan, with all of its parts explained.
Kacie says that even the kids who weren’t great artists learned from the work. For instance, one student drew a character as a square, because he thought it was funny (or perhaps had played too much Minecraft!). Ms. Simpson told him he had to have a purpose behind his choice of shape that connected to the book. Giving a presentation was part of the assignment, so when he presented to the class, this student connected the shape to the character being strong like a rock, which showed Kacie that he’d actually put some thought into it. Here are a few more samples of the posters.
Sodapop by Ellie and Lucas.Two Bit by Amber and Phoebe.Dally by Cecilia, Lade, and Angela.Sodapop by Daksha and Riana.Darry by Avni and Ashleen.Johnny by Hannah and Ferris.
