You've probably seen this already, but just in case...
This is the best YouTube video I've ever seen. (Sorry, I haven't a clue as to how to embed videos.)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
What belongs in YA?
Is it me, or has Young Adult books been in the national media spotlight alot lately? First there was this article in The Wall Street Journal which claims that YA novels are all about the doom and gloom and then Fox News chimed in with this lovely bit where two women in coordinating pink jackets talk about how lewd YA books are.
Ummmm...I don't think this is exactly the kind of press we* want.
First, in response to the good folks down at WSJ, YA books can be a bit dark and depressing. Interestingly, so can life. Not every teenager lives in a world of sunshine and rainbows, so it's only fitting that the books aimed at them reflect that. And it's not like all YA books make you want to curl up with your favorite Cure album. Some are quite uplifting, others are insanely funny. It's called variety. It's this crazy new thing catching on with the young folks nowadays.
Second, to the pink jacket ladies. These ladies are very adamant about the fact that they aren't wanting any thing banned, they just want it moved to a different section of the library. Maybe this doesn't bother you, but it does me. I have lots of arguments that I can give you on this subject, but here's the big one: It's called a Young Adult section.
Young. Adult.
According to the Miriam-Webster's online dictionary, adult is defined as "fully developed or mature". Combine that with the word young ("recently come into being", also courtesy of Miriam-Webster's) and you end up with a section of the library that is intended for a person who has recently become fully developed or mature.
So, what kind of books would you expect a person who has recently become fully developed or mature to want to read? How about books that address the sorts of issues that a newly mature person might encounter? Things like, I don't know, gender roles, mortality, and...dare I say it?...sex?**
Yes, I can understand that some parents are not comfortable with their child reading these sorts of issues. That's okay. As parents it is their right to raise their child as they see fit. And I'm sure that there are many teenagers that aren't ready to read these kinds of books. That's okay too. Not everyone fully develops and matures at the same rate. Some kids might be ready at the age of twelve while others don't get there until they are eighteen or nineteen.*** But for those parents and teens there is another choice. It's called Junior Fiction.**** There are lots of very good, entertaining, worthwhile books there that might offer a more comfortable read for you.
For those of you interested in seeing Maureen Johnson's response to the pink jacket ladies, go here.
*We = The world of Young Adult. It includes authors, librarians, and anyone else that loves YA books.
**This is not to say that every YA book talks about sex or abuse or anything quite so "adult", but alot of them do.
***Some may argue that I have yet to fully develop or mature and I'm a bit older than nineteen even.
****If you go to a library that does not separate the Junior Fiction titles from the Young Adult titles, ask a librarian to help you. They would be happy to help. Actually, librarians are always happy to help. If you have questions about the content of a book, ask them!
Ummmm...I don't think this is exactly the kind of press we* want.
First, in response to the good folks down at WSJ, YA books can be a bit dark and depressing. Interestingly, so can life. Not every teenager lives in a world of sunshine and rainbows, so it's only fitting that the books aimed at them reflect that. And it's not like all YA books make you want to curl up with your favorite Cure album. Some are quite uplifting, others are insanely funny. It's called variety. It's this crazy new thing catching on with the young folks nowadays.
Second, to the pink jacket ladies. These ladies are very adamant about the fact that they aren't wanting any thing banned, they just want it moved to a different section of the library. Maybe this doesn't bother you, but it does me. I have lots of arguments that I can give you on this subject, but here's the big one: It's called a Young Adult section.
Young. Adult.
According to the Miriam-Webster's online dictionary, adult is defined as "fully developed or mature". Combine that with the word young ("recently come into being", also courtesy of Miriam-Webster's) and you end up with a section of the library that is intended for a person who has recently become fully developed or mature.
So, what kind of books would you expect a person who has recently become fully developed or mature to want to read? How about books that address the sorts of issues that a newly mature person might encounter? Things like, I don't know, gender roles, mortality, and...dare I say it?...sex?**
Yes, I can understand that some parents are not comfortable with their child reading these sorts of issues. That's okay. As parents it is their right to raise their child as they see fit. And I'm sure that there are many teenagers that aren't ready to read these kinds of books. That's okay too. Not everyone fully develops and matures at the same rate. Some kids might be ready at the age of twelve while others don't get there until they are eighteen or nineteen.*** But for those parents and teens there is another choice. It's called Junior Fiction.**** There are lots of very good, entertaining, worthwhile books there that might offer a more comfortable read for you.
For those of you interested in seeing Maureen Johnson's response to the pink jacket ladies, go here.
*We = The world of Young Adult. It includes authors, librarians, and anyone else that loves YA books.
**This is not to say that every YA book talks about sex or abuse or anything quite so "adult", but alot of them do.
***Some may argue that I have yet to fully develop or mature and I'm a bit older than nineteen even.
****If you go to a library that does not separate the Junior Fiction titles from the Young Adult titles, ask a librarian to help you. They would be happy to help. Actually, librarians are always happy to help. If you have questions about the content of a book, ask them!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Why I'm Here
Currently in the online world of literature there is a big debate going on about people who blog about books. I'm not totally up to speed with the whole debacle because (1) I don't have the time to pour over hundreds of blogs, tweets, etc to figure it all out and (2) I have major issues with listening to people argue.* While I believe that the whole thing is dealing with people who blog book reviews, especially those who receive ARCs or free books from publishers, it's made me think about what I'm doing here.
I want to be clear on a few things. One is that the only ARCs I have ever received I got when I was at the YALSA Young Adult Lit Symposium in November. After I looked over them I passed them on to actual teenagers that I thought would enjoy them. I did not review them on this blog or in the book review section of the MCPL YA website. Also, I have never had a publisher mail me a free book.**
Secondly, I write this blog for the teenagers in Marshall County, Kentucky. It is my job to encourage young people in this area to (1) read, (2) be active library patrons, and (3) become the best version of themselves that they can be.*** Yes, my blogs may seem random and unfocused, but these are my goals...I just have an odd way of reaching them.
Now, by saying that I'm writing for the YAs of Marshall County am I implying that I don't want other people to read this blog? Heck, no! Come one, come all! Seriously, it thrills me that anyone is reading this. I just think it's important to understand who I'm writing for. If this blog was intended for "industry types" I would be using bigger words**** and talking quite a bit less about Jensen Ackles and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.*****
Finally, I think it's best to point out that all views, opinions, and thoughts are those of Miss Tammy and Miss Tammy alone. They are not necessarily the views, opinions, and thoughts of the Marshall County Public Library System. For the record, the Marshall County Public Library System has zero opinion on the exact hotness level of Jensen Ackles or whether or not Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the greatest television show ever made.
*Really, cannot stand it. You know those Judge shows, like Judge Judy and Judge Alex and Judge Whoever? They make me physically ill. Can't we all just get along?
**Although, I must say, I'm all for free books. Or free Kindle uploads. Oh no. Did I just tread onto the big e-book controversy? Sorry! *steps back quickly, head down, eye averted*
***How am I suppose to do this? Beats me, but I'm going to try.
****Hopefully bigger words will be used correctly, but I doubt that would be the case.
****Of course, that would leave me with very little to talk about.
I want to be clear on a few things. One is that the only ARCs I have ever received I got when I was at the YALSA Young Adult Lit Symposium in November. After I looked over them I passed them on to actual teenagers that I thought would enjoy them. I did not review them on this blog or in the book review section of the MCPL YA website. Also, I have never had a publisher mail me a free book.**
Secondly, I write this blog for the teenagers in Marshall County, Kentucky. It is my job to encourage young people in this area to (1) read, (2) be active library patrons, and (3) become the best version of themselves that they can be.*** Yes, my blogs may seem random and unfocused, but these are my goals...I just have an odd way of reaching them.
Now, by saying that I'm writing for the YAs of Marshall County am I implying that I don't want other people to read this blog? Heck, no! Come one, come all! Seriously, it thrills me that anyone is reading this. I just think it's important to understand who I'm writing for. If this blog was intended for "industry types" I would be using bigger words**** and talking quite a bit less about Jensen Ackles and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.*****
Finally, I think it's best to point out that all views, opinions, and thoughts are those of Miss Tammy and Miss Tammy alone. They are not necessarily the views, opinions, and thoughts of the Marshall County Public Library System. For the record, the Marshall County Public Library System has zero opinion on the exact hotness level of Jensen Ackles or whether or not Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the greatest television show ever made.
*Really, cannot stand it. You know those Judge shows, like Judge Judy and Judge Alex and Judge Whoever? They make me physically ill. Can't we all just get along?
**Although, I must say, I'm all for free books. Or free Kindle uploads. Oh no. Did I just tread onto the big e-book controversy? Sorry! *steps back quickly, head down, eye averted*
***How am I suppose to do this? Beats me, but I'm going to try.
****Hopefully bigger words will be used correctly, but I doubt that would be the case.
****Of course, that would leave me with very little to talk about.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Goodreads
The Internet is awash with online social networking sites. Back in the day there was Freindster, then came MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Nings. My favorite, however, has to be Goodreads, a site dedicated to networking through the books you read.* Goodreads allows you to keep up with what your friends are reading, get book suggestions from fellow readers, and share you opinion on what you are reading. You can even follow what your favorite authors are reading. If you're not a Goodreads person, sign-up today.** And once you're there, be sure to "friend" Miss_Tammy!
*A librarian that loves a website devoted to books and reading. Will wonders never cease?
**Signing-up is super-easy. Really, there is absolutely no reason not to do it.
*A librarian that loves a website devoted to books and reading. Will wonders never cease?
**Signing-up is super-easy. Really, there is absolutely no reason not to do it.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The world is a vampire
Hmmm...it appears that I haven't blogged since my BE(w)DA attempt. Ooops. I'll do better, starting with these musing about the book Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper.
Now, NGDHF may not sound like your everyday topic for a YA blog*, but this book is special. Why? Because I actually know Molly Harper! No, really. Once upon a time Miss Tammy had a less-than-fun job at a newspaper. Molly Harper just happened to work at that very same newspaper. I've never known a published writer before. I feel cooler somehow.
So, here's the plot of NGDHF: Jane's day gets off to bad start when she is fired from her job as a juvenile services librarian, gets a gift card to a local bar as a severance package, gets very publicly drunk, and then gets kill when she is mistaken by a deer by a drunken hunter. When she wakes up three days later she finds that she is a vampire, and her life is just getting started.
NGDHF is a fun read about a juvenile services librarian** and vampires, it has several pop culture references,*** and written by someone I know. Really, does a book get any better?
*Please note that NGDHF is an adult book. Some younger readers may find some content a bit blush-inducing.
**A witty, under appreciated juvenile services librarian. I mean, I'm not saying it's about me, but did I mention that I know Molly Harper?
***Including Buffy, the Vampire Slayer!
Now, NGDHF may not sound like your everyday topic for a YA blog*, but this book is special. Why? Because I actually know Molly Harper! No, really. Once upon a time Miss Tammy had a less-than-fun job at a newspaper. Molly Harper just happened to work at that very same newspaper. I've never known a published writer before. I feel cooler somehow.
So, here's the plot of NGDHF: Jane's day gets off to bad start when she is fired from her job as a juvenile services librarian, gets a gift card to a local bar as a severance package, gets very publicly drunk, and then gets kill when she is mistaken by a deer by a drunken hunter. When she wakes up three days later she finds that she is a vampire, and her life is just getting started.
NGDHF is a fun read about a juvenile services librarian** and vampires, it has several pop culture references,*** and written by someone I know. Really, does a book get any better?
*Please note that NGDHF is an adult book. Some younger readers may find some content a bit blush-inducing.
**A witty, under appreciated juvenile services librarian. I mean, I'm not saying it's about me, but did I mention that I know Molly Harper?
***Including Buffy, the Vampire Slayer!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Mixing Worlds
Remember how last week I read Justine Larbalestier's How to Ditch Your Fairy? Well, yesterday I read another faerie book. This time it was Melissa Marr's Fragile Eternity, the sequel to the much loved (by me) Wicked Lovely. And now I can't stop trying to combine the two worlds.
Can you imagine what would happen if Marr's faeries found themselves attached to humans in Larbalestier's New Avalon? Charlie thought the All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy was bad, but imagine the horror of having Niall as your own personal fairy. You would have to beat off both boys and girls with the proverbial stick.* I suppose Keenan or Donita would be helpful to have around when it came to warming things up or cooling them off, but it would suck if you were one of those weird luge/bobsled kids and had a Summer Faerie hanging around all the time. And imagine the complete airhead you would turn into if your aura was constantly clouded by a Summer Girl.
Sounds horrific, right? But interesting. I can't help but thinking what stories we would have if fictional YA worlds started colliding. What if Miles Halter and 13 Little Blue Envelopes' Ginny were to start hanging out? What would Alice Cullen think of Zoey Redbird?** How would Blair Waldorf adjust to life at Frankie Landau-Banks' boarding school?
So, YA writers, are you out there? Are you listening? We want cross-over novels! Please?
*We won't even begin to discuss how much you would enjoy beating someone with a stick if you had Naill as your own person faerie.
**I'm thinking that Zoey and Alice would be big shopping buddies.
Can you imagine what would happen if Marr's faeries found themselves attached to humans in Larbalestier's New Avalon? Charlie thought the All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy was bad, but imagine the horror of having Niall as your own personal fairy. You would have to beat off both boys and girls with the proverbial stick.* I suppose Keenan or Donita would be helpful to have around when it came to warming things up or cooling them off, but it would suck if you were one of those weird luge/bobsled kids and had a Summer Faerie hanging around all the time. And imagine the complete airhead you would turn into if your aura was constantly clouded by a Summer Girl.
Sounds horrific, right? But interesting. I can't help but thinking what stories we would have if fictional YA worlds started colliding. What if Miles Halter and 13 Little Blue Envelopes' Ginny were to start hanging out? What would Alice Cullen think of Zoey Redbird?** How would Blair Waldorf adjust to life at Frankie Landau-Banks' boarding school?
So, YA writers, are you out there? Are you listening? We want cross-over novels! Please?
*We won't even begin to discuss how much you would enjoy beating someone with a stick if you had Naill as your own person faerie.
**I'm thinking that Zoey and Alice would be big shopping buddies.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Are you a Norse God?
Are you now, or have you ever been, a time traveling cyborg or vampire?*
These oh-so-important questions come from the movie 17 Again, which I had the good sense to watch on Saturday night. I must say, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Zac Effron was completely adorable and the character Ned may be my new geektastic favorite. I highly recommend it.
Watching this movie made me think about what I would do if I was to wake up tomorrow and find that I was magically transformed back into my 17 year old self. After much thought I realized that it wouldn't be too horribly big of a deal for me. I wouldn't need to go buy a more teen friendly wardrobe, I have plenty of outfits that would suffice.** I wouldn't feel tempted to reclaim my glory days, because I didn't find high school all that glorious. I wouldn't worry about being oppressed by the popular kids and having my head plunged into a toliet, because no one really bothered me in high school.*** I wouldn't even have to worry about finding new friends to hang out with; some of my favorite people in the world are in high school.
I wonder what this says about me. On one hand, it could mean that I've lived a somewhat fulfilled life, free of major regrets. On the other, it might mean that I'm stuck in some sort of arrested development, unable to advance past the point I was when I was a teenager. I, however, choose to believe Option #3: I'm a rare breed of cool that transends such mundane things as age or time.****
*When given a "no" response to this question Ned replied, "A vampire wouldn't tell; a cyborg wouldn't know." Love it!
**Although, upon closer examination of my closet I did find that I do own an awful lot of grown-up clothes. Ick. How did that happen?
***Does this really happen to anyone? I don't remember anyone being grossly mistreated at my high school, and certainly no one getting their head shoved in a toilet. Why do movies make that seem like a common occurrence?
****As you will remember, I'm all about creating my own reality. Please, let me keep this one.
These oh-so-important questions come from the movie 17 Again, which I had the good sense to watch on Saturday night. I must say, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Zac Effron was completely adorable and the character Ned may be my new geektastic favorite. I highly recommend it.
Watching this movie made me think about what I would do if I was to wake up tomorrow and find that I was magically transformed back into my 17 year old self. After much thought I realized that it wouldn't be too horribly big of a deal for me. I wouldn't need to go buy a more teen friendly wardrobe, I have plenty of outfits that would suffice.** I wouldn't feel tempted to reclaim my glory days, because I didn't find high school all that glorious. I wouldn't worry about being oppressed by the popular kids and having my head plunged into a toliet, because no one really bothered me in high school.*** I wouldn't even have to worry about finding new friends to hang out with; some of my favorite people in the world are in high school.
I wonder what this says about me. On one hand, it could mean that I've lived a somewhat fulfilled life, free of major regrets. On the other, it might mean that I'm stuck in some sort of arrested development, unable to advance past the point I was when I was a teenager. I, however, choose to believe Option #3: I'm a rare breed of cool that transends such mundane things as age or time.****
*When given a "no" response to this question Ned replied, "A vampire wouldn't tell; a cyborg wouldn't know." Love it!
**Although, upon closer examination of my closet I did find that I do own an awful lot of grown-up clothes. Ick. How did that happen?
***Does this really happen to anyone? I don't remember anyone being grossly mistreated at my high school, and certainly no one getting their head shoved in a toilet. Why do movies make that seem like a common occurrence?
****As you will remember, I'm all about creating my own reality. Please, let me keep this one.
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