Styling Librarian: I cried “MERCY”- Student Empowerment #2

Crying “Mercy”

I already blogged about my school’s student library advisory club.
http://thestylinglibrarian.com/2012/02/15/the-styling-librarian-i-love-student-empowerment/

We’re now on three tasks since the graphic novel area was refreshed with inspiration from Mr. Schu’s picture. http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2011/08/welcome-to-2011-2012-school-year.html
1. Plan out a google form to share with the student body to get responses to guide our special library purchases in May. All students will be filling it out next week. The club agreed it was ready!
2. Work on discarded books and prepare to purchase new titles. Discards are now processed and ready for next stage… adding new books!
3. Prepare a bubble gum fundraiser day- or as some of my club members named it: Gumraiser Day… still in the works. Initially inspired by this idea:
http://twolibrariesonevoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/we-celebrated-bubble-gum-day.html

Now, I’ve presented them with another challenge- to rescue me from drowning in books that I haven’t made time for but I know need to be reviewed. Numerous students in my advisory club are mature readers, always asking for a “new” book to enjoy. They’ve eaten up books by Wendy Mass, Ann M. Martin, Scott Westerfeld, Klise sisters, Susanne Collins, D.J. McHale, Jonathan Stroud, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park, and other book treasures by other brilliant authors. They are a little picky but overall enjoy being in the “know” with new books. As soon as I book talked Wonder by R.J. Palacio, the book has flown from one reader’s hand to the next with rave reviews. As soon as my copies of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate were available, readers were passing them around. Same with Divergent by Veronica Roth…

So I’ve had these stacks of books, they’re hard to whittle down because they are all treasures I’d love to make time to read. Unfortunately, I acknowledge that I REALLY haven’t made enough time to read them all. I know I’m a pretty prolific reader, but I do like sleep now and then.

The stacks, the guilt: So, I’ve finally done it, cried “MERCY” and presented two very full bags of books- mostly a mix of fantasy, science fiction, and realistic fiction books that are at 4^th-8^th grade reading level. I do have quite a collection of books in my school library that are mature, they’re labeled with “challenge read” on the spine or near the barcode so that I can discuss appropriateness with children when they check them out. I enjoy accommodating my mature readers, after checking with their parents, and then either providing books in my library or inter-library loaning the books. My mature readers are getting quite good at looking at the library catalog and asking to borrow the next book they’re interested in.

The advisory club members were quite excited about the STACKS of books I presented to them. They thoughtfully read summaries and almost all checked out new books. I hope to receive a review on each one they grab. I know they’ll be excited about most of the books because I’ve read the reviews, read some of the book’s first chapters, and have been anticipating putting the book in their hands.
It was quite a fun experience to just let go. It also was a relief to let students take over on reading in addition to making them review books I couldn’t book talk. They’re accustomed to me having read all the books I share with them. What a lovely change of pace.