Author Event Recap: Angeline Boulley

Last night, for the first time in over two years, I attended an in-person author event. I could have cried from happiness. 

And to have the author be the current Printz award winner, Angeline Boulley, made it that much better. Hearing Angeline speak tonight made me even all the more certain that Firekeeper’s Daughter was the perfect choice for the 2022 Printz Award. 

The first thing she told us that blew everyone's minds was that the inspiration for the story was actually a small kernel of something that happened in her own life... when she was in high school, she had a friend in another town that kept trying to set her up with this guy because she thought he was her perfect type. For some reason though, it never worked out that they could meet. A little while later, Angeline was like, "Oh, it's too bad you were never able to set me up with that guy," And her friend said, "Oh yeah... that wouldn't have worked out. We found out he was actually an FBI agent posing as a student." That moment always stayed with her and she always wondered, "What would have happened if I HAD been set up with that guy?" which led her to write Firekeeper's Daughter. 

Something a lot of people question about reading this book is the time period in which it is set: the early 2000s. She talked about three very specific reasons for why she set it in that time period: 

1) Meth was starting to explode across rural America

2) Casinos were starting to become an important business for native communities across Michigan

3) She needed GPS to exist but still be imprecise

Finally, I loved what she said about writing as an indigenous author, not for the white gaze, but as a way to honor her community. So for example, she pushed back on her editor's request to include a glossary in the back of the book and said that if she did her job as an author then the reader could pick up those meanings in context while also recognizing that we shouldn't always assume that the default reader is white. She also said something really profound that I had to write down in my notes app on my phone: 

I write to preserve my culture. 

I edit to protect it.

I think it is safe to say that she has both preserved and protected her culture in this beautiful book and I can't wait to read more of her work in the future. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-4-22

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Here are a few fun book-themed TikToks I made recently:

@bibliophilebeth When a package from Scholastic arrives and the 2022 book you’ve been most excited to read is inside. 🤩🥰 #schoollibrarian #librariansoftiktok ♬ Little Things - Adrian Berenguer

@bibliophilebeth #GoSpring #schoollibrarian #librariansoftiktok #booktok ♬ Cooking - Oleg Kirilkov

Last week I reviewed:

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

I recently read and enjoyed:

This Book is Not For You! by Shannon Hale, illustrated by Tracy Subisak

A perfect book to start the discussion with students the absurdity of “girl books” and “boy books.” I’m grateful that Shannon Hale thought write a book that could be used as an opportunity to have a whole-class discussion on this topic since teachers and librarians are often having them on the side with individual students or small groups.

Violet and the Crumbs: A Gluten-Free Adventure by Abigail Rayner, illustrated by Molly Ruttan

Violet used to love going to parties but now that she can't eat gluten, she avoids them entirely. Her Celiac Disease makes navigating social situations difficult, but she knows in order to live with her Celiac she needs to learn how to advocate for herself. A simple but effective introduction for kids to Celiac Disease.

Show the World! by Angela Dalton, illustrated by Daria Peoples

A book that celebrates the need people have for a creative outlet. Would be a great introductory book to Genius Hour.

Patience, Patches! by Christy Mihaly, illustrated by Cheryl Murray

A sweet story told from the dog’s point of view about when a new baby joins the family. This type of story arc has been done many times before but what makes this book stand out is the same-sex couple who are the parents in the story along with the perfect emotional pacing. Currently reading:  The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander Currently reading with my ears: Thoughts and Prayers by Bryan Bliss

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

The year is 1932 in Berlin and now that Hilde is eighteen, she must leave her orphanage and set out on her own. She quickly discovers, however, that finding a job is near impossible in these economically depressed times. But fate intervenes one night when she meets Rosa, who brings Hilde to Café Lila where she meets a cast of characters that soon become her chosen family. 

As Berlin falls further and further into the authoritarian grip of the Nazis who are scapegoating Jews and the queer community, Hilde along with the employees and patrons of Café Lila continue to remain quietly hopeful and defiant... until trouble comes loudly knocking on their door. 

Just as the title suggests, this YA historical fiction in verse by Kip Wilson is dazzling.  Berlin is my favorite city on earth, mostly because there has always been a provocative, defiant, avant-garde, and counter-cultural energy about it. That was true in 2004 when I visited for the first time, and it was certainly true when this novel takes place. 

But just as this book is a window into 1930s Germany, it's also an alarming mirror to societies, including American society, that allow idealogues and populists to rise to power. 

In addition to being a cautionary historical fiction in verse, The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin is also a gentle queer/lesbian love story, which is a much-needed addition to the canon of LGBTQ+ YA fiction, which seems to lean more heavily towards male romance. Because this book is many things (historical fiction, novel in verse, queer romance, a cautionary tale for modern times), there would be potential in the hands of a less adept writer for this book to have taken on too much. But never fear, dear reader, Kip Wilson manages to weave all of these elements perfectly and seamlessly. 

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson*
Published: March 29, 2022
Publisher: Versify
Pages: 416
Genre: Historical Fiction/LGBTQ+ Romance
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: Advance listening copy provided by publisher

*Purchasing the book from the above Bookshop affiliate link supports independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-28-22

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week I read and loved:

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
I finished this just in time to discover that Angeline Boulley is coming to my local library next week. The 2022 Printz Award winner is a slow burn of a mystery where the setting of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan reads like a character in the novel. 

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

Stunning, clever, and cinematic illustrations. Put this one in your Mock Caldecotts.

Chester Van Chime Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen, illustrated by Abby Hanlon

A fun and clever book that sets teachers and kids up for the perfect read aloud scenario... text that you think is predictable, but the author humorously leaves you tearing your hair out while laughing at the same time that the text cadence does not end in the predicable rhyme.

Currently reading:

Duet by Elise Broach

Currently reading with my ears: 

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-21-22

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week I read and loved: 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This beloved book was a re-read since this is the first book we are reading for our school's staff book club that meets today. I reviewed this book back in 2014 when it first came out and I had more time to write longform book reviews. :) 

A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson, illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey

This is an important book in the canon of children's picture books about mental health. It deals very specifically with depression and does so with so much grace and dignity. What Rachel Tomlinson does so perfectly in this book is help to establish what depression looks and feels like, while also establishing the need to see feelings as neither good nor bad, but messages that our brains are sending us. As an adult who struggles with depression, I found this book incredibly affirming and uplifting despite the heavy topic. Currently reading:  Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman Speak Up, Speak Out! The Extraordinary Life of "Fighting Shirley Chisholm" by Tonya Bolden Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-14-22

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

I recently read and loved:

Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero

Llewellyn struggles with big feelings, so instead of working through them, he bottles them up and ignores them. But he soon comes to realize that putting all your big feelings in a jar (both positive and negative) leaves him feeling not much of anything at all. A wonderful book for SEL discussions with students. I found myself incredibly moved by the message of this story that we need to find healthy ways to express all of our big feelings so they don't come out later in unhealthy ways. With Lots of Love by Jenny Torres Sanchez, illustrated by Andre Ceolin A beautiful story about a young girl who moves to the U.S. and misses her home, especially her abuela.   Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Yas Imamura Based on the true story of the author’s maternal grandparents who were sent to the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho during World War II, this is a charming story despite the characters’ grave circumstances. Currently (Re)Reading: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Currently reading with my ears: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 2-21-22

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

I recently read and loved:

Flamer by Mike Curato

There is no doubt in my mind that this will be a life-saving book for some young readers, which is all the more reason we need to fight for inclusive book access in our schools and libraries. Please look past the foul language. Look past your discomfort. Read the WHOLE book. Understand that there are many kids we know like Aiden Novarro and books like this need to find their way to them. This is a School by John Schu, illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison This beautiful, quiet, and joyful book will definitely be a staple in classrooms at the beginning of every school year. Macy's World: Smile with African Style by Mylo Freeman Mrs. Brown’s class parades in a beautiful and colorful tapestry of African fashion Viking in Love by Doug Cenko Sweet, funny, and clever. I fell in love with Stig the Viking and his quest to reach his love, Ingrid.

King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin by Steven Costanza

Excellent picture book biography of Scott Joplin, the king of ragtime music. Listening to with Maple Leaf Rag after reading is a must. The Me I Choose to Be by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, illustrated by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt A stunning book filled with creative, fantastical photographs of Black children affirming their identities and fulfilling their dreams. Pair this text with I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James. Cat's First Baby by Natalie Nelson I wasn't expecting to love this board book as much as Dog's First Baby since I am a dog person and not so much a cat person, but I absolutely adored this take on a cat's curiosity over the new creature that enters the house.  Currently Reading: Me (Moth) by Amber McBride Currently reading with my ears: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.