Author: Alec

Hi! I'm queer, a #kidlitnerd, a librarian, and a cat dad of two living in Eugene, OR. Find me on Twitter @thestoriesguy.

2018 LGBTQIA+ Starred Review Roundup

picture us in the light
julian
cardboard
prince and the dressmaker

Over at Medal on My Mind, we’ve been hard at work sifting through all the titles eligible for the Stonewall Book Award this year. I created a Goodreads list of 2018 LGBTQIA+ children’s and YA lit to track all the titles. Then I decided it would be fun to embark on a little research project and concurrently track the number of those books that receive starred reviews. I’m no statistician, but it’s been super interesting to see how our choices for Stonewall compare with what the journals rank highest. Not to mention the types of stories, the kinds of identities, and the authors who are prized most.

Continue reading “2018 LGBTQIA+ Starred Review Roundup” →

2018 Tween Book Group Activities

In June, our library’s long-standing monthly Tween Book Group passed down to me. I was super nervous when I led my first program, because I had never led a book group for young people before. Not only is it now my favorite program, but I have since started a few other programs for tweens—they’re the best!

Tween Book Group is structured with about half the time devoted to discussion and half the time devoted to an extension activity. The program lasts and hour and, honestly, it never feels like there’s enough time!

Continue reading “2018 Tween Book Group Activities” →

What Has Alec Been Up To?

IMG_9483
Me at Crater Lake National Park during Ride the Rim 2018.

I’m sure you probably felt the same way but, boy, was this summer busy! So far, fall is forecasting a similar frenzy. But I’m a bit more optimistic that I’ll inch closer to some semblance of work/life balance without Summer Reading looming overhead. Though, to be honest, it’s still there because I’m already in the midst of planning next year’s Summer Reading. Out of sight, but certainly not out of mind…

Continue reading “What Has Alec Been Up To?” →

Saying Goodbye to Storytime

draw the line
Image credit: Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi (Roaring Brook Press, 2017)

Have you ever had the opportunity to take your dream job but then turned it down? I did recently. I turned down an opportunity to be our system’s Early Literacy Librarian, and I’ve been grappling with that choice ever since (hence the above photo). The short story is that I’m switching gears on this blog to focus on school-age programming. Read on for the long version.

Continue reading “Saying Goodbye to Storytime” →