Season 3: 2021-2022

What we're doing:

• Adding pronouns to our email signature/profile

  • Add student nicknames (preferred names) in Destiny

  • Kelsey Bogan & pronoun buttons; I misspoke in the episode. She does have a button maker, but she bought these from GLSEN

• SHEG: Stanford History Education Group

• Intervention Novel Study & STEAM Centers

  • Wild Robot by Peter Brown

• Young Adult Colloquium Book Recommendations:

  • The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende

  • Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

  • Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Other Books:

• Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler

• Questioneers books by Andrea Beaty and Netflix Ada Twist Scientist series

• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Berdugo and Netflix series

• Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart and Disney+ Series

• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

"Tech" Resources:

• Google Meet closed captioning in different languages (even though this is not a perfect situation-- none of us have been able to get Spanish to work)

• Charty Party and Chartr emails

• Destiny Discover in Follet; setting up Destiny Discover

Cutting room floor, but worth the share: Developing Digital Detectives by Jennifer LeGarde and Darren Hudgens

Sounds/music: Drum roll sound effect from Free Sounds Library; Lord Weasel by Blue Dot Sessions

Faith Huff can be found on social media platforms with the handle TeachInATardis. (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter)

Tech Rec: VivaVideo

Book Recs:

• I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee

• Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Sounds/music: Drum roll sound effect from Free Sounds Library; Lord Weasel by Blue Dot Sessions

Charity, Cathy, and Laura have a candid conversation about book selection amidst the backdrop of national book challenges and reconsiderations. This is not a how-to episode for handling a complaint or challenge. We urge all of our librarians to familiarize themselves with district policies regarding challenging or objecting to school materials as well as having a clear collection development policy for purchases.

Books/materials mentioned as being challenged:

• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

• New Kid by Jerry Craft

• Hey Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka. His tweet was actually: "My childhood was not immoral or inappropriate."

• Melissa (formerly published as George) by Alex Gino. Their tweet: "Queer kids in queerphobic homes especially need access to queer books away from home."

• All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

• Deogratias: a tale of Rwanda by JP Stassen

• Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

• Planned Parenthood

Some things to consider as you develop lists to purchase (whether or not you anticipate controversy) especially if your budget is small:

• Solicit student requests and recommendations. They will be the ones reading. Listen to what they want. They will also be the biggest advocates if there is concern/challenge.

• Subscribe to email newsletters about new releases; look for starred reviews.

• Check sites for age appropriateness & book highlights- Kirkus reviews, Future Ready Library facebook group

• Try to see the books in person before purchasing. Can you borrow from another library or see it in a bookstore? It may not appeal to your students.

• Communicate with your admin about purchases. If they are the type to want justification for titles, provide it by pointing out collection gaps or aged titles. Having their support during a complaint or challenge will make a big difference.

Tech Recommendations:

Sumsub Youtube Channel

Hour of Code and CS First Unplugged

Plus Book Recommendations:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera, Bear Town by Fredrik Backman, The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson, The Hawthorne Legacy (Inheritance Games Book #2) by Jennifer L. Barnes

Sounds/music: Lord Weasel by Blue Dot Sessions

Charity, Cathy, and Laura discuss our emotions surrounding "other duties as assigned," work that we do that isn't necessarily Library work or what where our passions lie. If you are sick of being the one who puts in the tech tickets or agonizes as testing coordinator or can't stand the hassle of a book fair, you're in some good company with this episode as we offer some suggestions on how to navigate those assigned tasks.

Maybe try the "Saying No to Things" punch card! (link to tweet)

Tech Recommendations:

• Update passwords regularly (use password savers) and separate your personal and work log-ins

• Instagram accounts: Royalty Now (website) and Can You Sew this for Me?

• bone conduction headphones

• Use Google to learn how to pronounce words

Plus Book Recommendations:

• Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

• Madam by Phoebe Wynne

• Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff

• Hop to It: Poems to Get You Moving by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong

• House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malindo Lo

NCSLMA position statement on censorship

This American Life episode "Talking While Black" act 2

ALA YMA winners 2022

Sounds/music: Lord Weasel by Blue Dot Sessions

Charity, Cathy, and Laura revisit the staple resource of NCWiseOwl. NCWiseOwl is going through some changes and transitions, but we highlight some of our favorite features about this tool.

• Canvas links for NCWiseOwl tool kit, get NCWiseOwl updates, Strategies & Classroom tools (scavenger hunts!)

• PD presentation Charity did that walks teachers through finding publications with Publication Finder

• Kami extension

• Wordle spinoffs for many disciplines

• Libro.fm Audiobook Listening Copies program

• The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish

• The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman

• The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash

• NC Reads: NC Humanities book club

Sounds/music: Lord Weasel by Blue Dot Sessions