Reality Scoop

I have been interested in writing about the issues of teens and have found that many of the issues that they face are very difficult.  Since I read so much YA fiction, I have seen that there a lot of books that tackle teen topics in a very sensitive and conscious manner.  A few years ago I started to write about real topics that teens are dealing with such as depression, anxiety, lack of sleep, stress, and other mental health issues and pair these topics up with YA realistic fiction books in a column I called Reality Scoop.  I came up with this idea because I feel like many teens could relate to issues they might be dealing with by reading books they can check out from their library.

Here are a few articles that I have written for my column Reality Scoop on the YALSA Hub:

Random Acts of Kindness
Holiday Stress Released
Depression in Young Adult Literature
Autism Awareness
Mental Wellness

I'm thinking of continuing Reality Scoop here on this blog and I am currently working on a list of topics for 2017,

This will be a fun writing project for the upcoming year!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Are Urban Legends Important for Teens?

I love to write, it is one of my favorite things to do.  I am a librarian so I am an avid and natural born researcher.  I am also very passionate about weird and wacky things and love the history of folklore and legends.  I have a master's degree in Consciousness Studies, so I have a strong background in psychology, philosophy, and dream studies.  My thesis for this degree was all about the history of fairy folklore and the origins of the dark fairy Morgan LeFay.  I love poetry and literature and enjoy reading very much.  I'm very in tune with the young adult world and have been a teen librarian for many years.  I have so many ideas that I could write about.

Right now I am very interested in researching Urban Legends.  I feel that these legends are interesting, upbeat, and engaging for teen readers.  I think it would be great to write about different legends each week and find out more why these legends are important and how they relate to teens in today's world.  I also think it would be really cool to come up with craft ideas that relate to the legends. One urban legend that always sticks with me is the one about the lady with the beehive hairdo that ends up having a spider's nest in her hair!  It would be great to pair that story up around Halloween time with a creepy spider's nest craft.

I think researching urban legends will help to find the answer to whether urban legends are important to teens.  I will further this idea as we progress each week.


Mrs. Librarian Lady

I want to meet Simon & Baz - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell
A coming-of-age tale of the joys and sorrows of fanfiction as well as the intriguing relationship between twins.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . . For Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading the series. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, and dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere that’s all she has ever known until now. Now she and her Wren have moved away to college and Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to let go.

Before they left for college, Wren told Cath she didn’t want to be roommates. This leaves Cath to fend for herself in a new school with new people, which is completely outside of her comfort zone. She gets paired with Reagan a loud and vivacious roommate and her charming, always-around boyfriend, she has a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is a horrid crime to literature writing, she meets handsome classmate who only wants to steal her words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who has always had erratic behavior and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the questions are: Can she make it in college, Will she ever make any friends, and does she need Wren, or is it really the other way around? Another huge question is can Wren let go of Simon Snow? And, is she capable of letting other human beings into her life or will the walls that she has built since her mom left stay up forever?

It’s up to Cath to navigate this scary new world on her own. She maintains her sanity by writing her Simon Snow series called Carry On as she struggles to find out what it really means to be a good student, writer, and daughter all at the same time. And through all of this she tries to figure out just where on earth the cafeteria is. Through sheer panic and fear of new situations she decides it might just be easier to stock up on protein bars and lose herself in the world of fan fiction.

Rainbow Rowell is amazing. She writes so well, every word reaches out to you and pulls you further into the story. She captures the world of college and fanfiction writing head on and keeps you wanting more. I completely recommend this book it is very imaginative and brings to light the joys and sorrows of growing up and letting go of the past and moving forward and being open to new dreams.

Happy Reading to you all!
Mrs. Librarian Lady