Public Libraries Online: The audience for these comments is public librarians. Do you have a personal library experience they’d like to hear about?

Carrie Ann DiRisio: Absolutely. Not only is my mother a public librarian, who raised me with a deep love of libraries, I am also incredibly grateful to my middle school librarian, Ms. Soplop, who encouraged me to read widely, and also was among the first to read my very first novels.

PL: Would you share a tweet or two that you, personally, thought were among your best?

CAD: “Hey you. If you’re having a bad day, it’s probably just the first chapter of an awesome story.
And you’re clearly the main character.”

“Wanted: other dude in love triangle
Must be: complete opposite of me in everything but equally good looking
Also good at losing and/or dying”

PL: The tweets have a bit of snark but aren’t mean-spirited. Is there a trick you use to achieve that balance?

CAD: I think the secret is just having a deep love of the genre. Mockery with no love behind it is cruel. I deeply appreciate and adore so much of YA that the tweets come from a place of good-natured ribbing.

PL: What’s your usual process for coming up with tweets? Do you jot things down as they come to you or do you follow a more complicated series of steps?

I have a giant stack of post-it notes by my computer, full of ideas for tweets. Sometimes I think of them off the cuff, other times, I come up with a bunch all at once. Last week I watched a popular movie, and it gave me materials for days.

PL: Can you still get lost in reading a YA novel or do you find yourself always on the alert for “material”?

Oh, no, I’m always getting lost in books still! I don’t think anything could take away my love for the immersive magic of fiction, not even Broody’s swoony self.

PL: Who are a few of your favorite YA authors? If they use any bad boy tropes, mum’s the word.

Hah! Well, I always say that tropes are tools. Some of my favorite writers include tropes such as bad boys with hearts of gold, and I love them to pieces. Recently, I’ve greatly enjoyed Heidi Heilig’s The Girl from Everywhere, which features a really cool twist on time traveling, and Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova, for its lush language and deeply immersive storytelling. I’ve also just started Timekeeper by Tara Sim, and I’m utterly enthralled by her characters.

PL: Does your Broody platform factor into any next steps you have for yourself or your career?

Well I’m thrilled to share this news: Broody’s book will be out in the summer of 2017, from Skypony Press! This will be a parody “advice book” full of Broody’s words of wisdom, as well as fun activities and games.

Carrie Ann DiRisio is a YA writer and creator of @BroodingYAHero. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pitt., and is currently pursuing her masters in Digital Marketing, although her true dream is to become a Disney Villainess, complete with a really snazzy gown. She’s previously presented at SCBWI Western PA and YALSA Symposium on social media marketing. She can be found at www.creativelycarrie.com.

The post YA Writer Dishes on Parody Twitter Account first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

I love mangas and I order them all the time for our library. But most importantly, our young adult circulation went up 48 percent as a result of the increase in manga variety and availability. They are especially popular with our reluctant young readers. So, with the aim of finding out about all of the new mangas, I applied for the Pro Pass and headed to the show, along with my colleague Jermaine Dennie. Dennie runs our library’s popular weekly Animation and Graphic Novel Club. He also bought a pass out-of-pocket for one of his club regulars, Clayon Gaile, an 18 year old who dreams of having his own series called Captain Nitro. (After he talked to Gaile’s mother to make sure it was okay for him to miss a day of school that day).

Since it was early, and Dennie and Gaile weren’t there yet, I just walked right in and went straight to the exhibits. There were so many booths as far as you could see, each one selling or displaying something exclusive or one of a kind. However, the biggest attraction is the fans themselves because so many people were wearing really amazing costumes. I stopped by the Sanrio Booth, and I got a photo with the official Hello Kitty Mascot.

Author at SanRio Booth at New York Comic Con.

In addition to exhibits, there were many panels and workshops. I attended a few panels, one of them being the unveiling of the preview for “Regarding my Reincarnation as a Slime,”  a new manga about a young adult who dies and gets reincarnated as a slime.  There were other manga titles featured including one that takes place in the future with people “upgrading” their bodies into gem stones. One manga that really sounded interesting was “Cells at Work,” in which each cell in the body looks like a person with a job to do.

I also attended panel discussions, including one about reading and experiencing graphic novels in 3-D using virtual reality. Imagine being able to live in the world of our favorite characters and stories. At another panel discussion I heard about  plans for “virtual libraries” where patrons put on a visor and get transported to a virtual library. They can browse books and read them without ever having to leave home.

Meanwhile, my colleague stayed in line for over an hour to make sure Gaile got his pass to get in. He encouraged Gaile to talk to the different artists and pick their brains about what it takes to succeed in the comic book industry. In fact, one week later on Dennie got an On-the-Spot Award from the library director, which our library gives out in recognition of someone going above and beyond their line of work.

The post New York Comic Con 2016 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Columbus, Ohio, middle school librarian Karen Yingling encouraged her own children to think, act, and read outside gender norms: Her daughters mowed the lawn and played with dirt, and her son even had a doll named Bob. She found it more difficult, however, to gain the reading attentions of her male students with suggestions like Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls when asked for spy books.^[2] One brilliant idea turned the tide.

Faced with a rejection of “girly” books by the boys, Yingling gathered the popular eighth grade football players and filled them in on her secret plan. The boys agreed but could not resist some snickering at the idea of reading girls’ books. Once the football players were seen reading those materials, Boys Read Pink was born. Yingling notes that while some boys took to it with “gusto,” others were a bit shy and asked for the books to be covered.^[3]

In sparking this movement, Yingling is subverting decades of cultural norms. Journalist Adrienne LaFrance discusses this turn toward going outside gender boundaries. She speaks with a number of parents who found themselves wanting broader boundaries of expression for their children, feeling uncomfortable denying their sons the right to wear pink and sparkles or their daughters to have “Darth Vader Vs. Elsa” parties. Boys, however, face those same constraints but “tend to get less attention,” she writes.^[4]

Scottish book blogger Lindsay Quayle also discussed the trending changes in gender norms, particular in reading materials and habits. She, too, sees the turning tide, addressing a reader’s concern for her son’s current “girly” tastes. She ultimately believes it is not a matter of books suitable for separate genders, but a matter of whether individual books are suited for individual children. Allowing children to read whatever they want fosters a love of reading. With parental guidance, children should have that element of choice. “No,” she asserts, “there shouldn’t be such a thing as a girl’s book or a boy’s book. And yes, absolutely, your child should read what he likes best, however pink it is.”^[5] She ends the post by highlighting the work of Marjorie Blackman and other British authors who are taking a stand against the gendering of books.

In the end, Yingling’s Boys Read Pink movement is not about making waves, but about giving youth the freedom to read as they choose. For boys, in particular, this means taking away the shame of being seen reading a “girl” book. “It’s one thing to claim that there is no difference in what middle school boys and girls should read, but that doesn’t get readers to change their habits or challenge their preconceived notions about gender,” she stresses.^[6] Yingling hopes people can learn to extend this idea beyond books and learn to see people the same way.

Further Reading

• Allison Flood, “Campaign to end gender-specific children’s books gathers support.”

References

[1] Adrienne LaFrance, “The Princess Revolution,” Atlantic, May 11, 2016.

[2] Karen Yingling, “Challenging Gender Norms with “Boys Read Pink” Celebration,” School Library Journal, May 18, 2016.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Adrienne LaFrance, “The Princess Revolution.”

[5] Lindsay Quayle, “Bookbug Detective: Should Boys Read Pink Books?,” Scottish Book Trust [blog], September 3, 2015.

[6] Karen Yingling, “Challenging Gender Norms with “Boys Read Pink” Celebration.”

The post Boys Read Pink: Challenging Gender Norms first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Define “Young Adult Graphic Novel.” – We started by looking at the young adult graphic novel collection, and we decided we were going to pull some of the series that were showing up on “Best Adult Graphic Novels” lists. That should bring a built-in audience to our new adult graphic novel area. Out of the young adult collection came Sandman, Spawn, and Watchman. The young adult collection thus became the bastion of the superheroes of DC and Marvel with a strong Star Wars presence. It’s not that adults didn’t read these books voraciously, but it brought the content of the graphic novels more in line with the content of the young adult novels we had.

Where are the compilations of newspaper comics going? – Libraries put these books in all different places, including non-fiction and young adult sections. Not that it doesn’t happen, but when did you see a high schooler reading Doonesbury? And many people like Dilbert, but searching in the 700s is a daunting task. We rescued the newspaper comics compilation books from 741.5 and put them in the adult graphic novel collection. As soon as we did, they started circulating quite a bit more than they had before.

Where do the graphic novels go that students may be assigned for class? – Maus and Persepolis are good examples of books that teachers frequently incorporate into their curriculum. These books had been living in the young adult section, but unfortunately no one was reading them. However, we had an eighth grade English teacher ask us about other books similar to these, including some of Gene Luen Yang’s books and A Game for Swallows. Would we be getting additional similar titles, he wondered, because he’d like to assign his class to read some of these types of books? To give these titles more cache and also to entice adults who would also be interested in these books but never find them in youth materials, these books were moved. All “literary graphic novels” now live in the adult graphic novel collection.

How is this section not a repository for unloved books? – Given the more conservative view our community has about books for youth, there were a number of graphic novels we didn’t have in the library’s collection. We now have the graphic novel versions of titles by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Janet Evanovich sharing shelf space with the Walking Dead. We have Sin City and Hellraiser. Without this section of adult graphic novels, we couldn’t adequately accommodate many popular titles that appeal to a quiet minority of our community who never requested we purchase these books but seems to be checking them out regularly.

How do you evaluate success? – Obviously, circulation is one way, and the graphic novels have only been their own section for six months or so. It seems like people are reading the books, even if it’s only the staff who are grudgingly admitting that “there might be something to these graphic novels.” Every time we talk to an adult about Maus, Persepolis, or American Born Chinese and he or she decides to check out the book, we have success. However, overhearing that a 24 year-old male patron said to his friends via social media, “You have to come to the Madison Public Library. They have really great comics [referring to our adult graphic novel section].” That is the best sign of success ever.

You know your patrons best. What do they want in their adult graphic novels? You may decide what makes up our adult graphic novels section does not work for you. Use this as a guide, and no matter what you decide, we hope your section is popular with the patrons of your community.

Cover Photo Credit: carmichaellibrary (CC BY 2.0)

Melanie A. Lyttle is the Head of Public Services Madison Public Library. You can watch her YouTube channel, Crabby Librarian, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rv5GLWsUow. Shawn D. Walsh is the Emerging Services and Technologies Librarian at Madison Public Library.

The post What is an Adult Graphic Novel? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Public Libraries: You’ve began your career performing improvisational comedy in Greenwich Village. How has improvisation influenced your writing style?

Chris Grabenstein: Yes! I spent five years doing improvisational comedy in New York City. A guy named Bruce Willis was in our troupe. Robin Williams used to drop by to perform with us whenever he was in the city shooting a movie. In improv, there is only one rule: “Yes…and.” To take what you are given and add to it. I use this technique every day when I sit down to write. I know who my characters are, what they want, and where they are. And then I say “Yes, and…” to see what happens.

PL: You’ve been holding library visits via Skype since the book has been published. What do you like about visiting libraries and interacting with your readers?

CG: Everything! Of course it’s great to see how excited they are about every detail in a book. They also treat authors like rock stars. Also, it was visiting libraries that inspired me to write Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Growing up, I did not have access to a great library or super librarians. Now that I visit libraries and schools 30-40 days a year, I have met all sorts of incredible librarians who know the perfect book to recommend to kids to keep them excited about reading. Where were they when I was twelve? I guess my new book is a thank you note for the terrific job these folks are doing.

PL: There’s a secret puzzle hidden within the text, and the reader can decode it and send the solution to you. What has it been like communicating with readers who have figured out the puzzle?

CG: I have been impressed by some of the answers. Somebody thought the die on the cover was the clue. The numbers on it are 1-2-3, so they went to page 123. Somebody else computed Mr. Lemoncello’s exact birth date. I have been giving out a bonus hint to readers who try and get it wrong and, ta-dah, now I’ll give it out here: In the book, right before Kyle’s extreme challenge, Mr. Lemoncello says, “Forget the Industrial Revolution, my first idea might be your best solution.” Think about that as you flip through all the chapters one more time.

PL: Your first books were for adults. What are the challenges writing for a Young Adult audience? What do you like about writing for this age group?

CG: I try to make all my books fast-paced and fun. I think, when writing for a younger audience, you have to be faster and even more fun. You also can not write down to this group. I have met some amazingly sophisticated eight-year-old readers. I love writing for this age group as I get to use more of my imagination…and my silly side. I sometimes think I will be twelve (in my head) forever.

PL: You’ve designed a library scavenger hunt similar to the one in the book with Children’s Services librarians from the Carroll County Public Library in Finksburg, Maryland. What’s involved with the scavenger hunt? Have you heard back from any libraries that have already held it?

CG: Well, the folks in Finksburg who helped me design the game held an ESCAPE game just a couple weeks ago. I was able to wish everybody good luck via Skype before the game got underway. They had, I think, 50+ kids tearing around the stacks, having fun while simultaneously learning about the Dewey Decimal system. It was a great success. I have heard from several libraries and schools that plan on hosting a similar event in the Fall. Everything you need to put together your own library game is on this page of my web site.

And here is the information you need to access the files:

username: lemoncello
password: librariesrcool

(We wanted to put up a small firewall to stop the smartest kid in the library from simply googling my web site during the game and finding all the answers!)

PL: What are you working on next? Will there be a Mr. Lemoncello sequel?

CG: Right now, I am working on a new book for Random House called The Island of Dr. Libris. It’s about a boy who discovers that an island in the middle of the lake where he’s spending the summer is the testing grounds of the mysterious Dr. Libris, who may have invented a way to make the characters in books come alive. It is a “companion piece” to Mr. Lemoncello. We are also talking about maybe doing a sequel to Mr. Lemoncello.

I also co-authored some more books with James Patterson: Treasure Hunters, which will come out in September, and I Even Funnier, scheduled for early December.

The post A Thank You Note to Librarians: A Conversation with Chris Grabenstein first appeared on Public Libraries Online.