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YA Books for Oldsters


julie

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So folks

Today I had some spare time on my hands so I made another trip to the library next town over. I asked to speak to the person in charge of the YA section ,so they went to get the guy and we had an HOUR long talk about the YA books .

He is the one who purchases the books ,then he also reads them before putting them on the shelf .

He wanted to go through the shelves and select a wide range of books for me to read. Now mind you, this is the THIRD time this week I have gone to pick up YA library books, so I have quite a sizeable stack already. He was so excited about these books, and kept on choosing more and more. He would have still been there stacking them up if I wouldn't have told him I'll try this stack then come back for more .

He talked a lot about the different issues in the books, what the kids like and why ,and also several parent complaints about some of the subject matter .

I have been writing down a lot of questions for when we have the area to ask the authors ,so I will certainly be able to think of some

good discussion questions I think .

Still at the same spot on the book I began yesterday . It has turned into quite a hectic day in the long run.So no more time to read before now. I'll try to chip away some more tonite to see if I can complete another . I've got such a huge pile now, it's quite overwhelming . I may have to renew some of them, or sort out ones that don't sound all that great. 3 trips to the library in 3 days equals a mountain of books .

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Well it sounds like he certainly knows his stuff Julie :D It's brilliant when you find someone like that to help you at the library.

A lot of the books that came to mind have already been recommended .. I was going to recommend I Coriander but then remembered that there is a magical element to it .. I still think you'd like it though :blush2: I think you'd probably enjoy Wonder too and Skippy Dies which I'm not sure is YA but is about teenagers anyway. If you see any of Chris Priestley's Tales of Terror then grab them .. they're spooky but excellent reads. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Book of Lost Things (not really magical .. more twisted fairytales but it's mainly about a boys struggle to cope after his mother dies) How I Live Now (Kylie will never forgive me :D) and The Earth Hums in B Flat (again not sure if it's YA but it's told from a childs perspective).

The Printer's Devil was excellent as I recall (though that's the first of a trilogy) and so was A Monster Calls, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Coraline (but there's definitely magic in Coraline :smile:) .. still READ IT!! The Book Thief too .. it's a must read (sorry Claire :D)

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So folks

Today I had some spare time on my hands so I made another trip to the library next town over. I asked to speak to the person in charge of the YA section ,so they went to get the guy and we had an HOUR long talk about the YA books .

He is the one who purchases the books ,then he also reads them before putting them on the shelf .

He wanted to go through the shelves and select a wide range of books for me to read. Now mind you, this is the THIRD time this week I have gone to pick up YA library books, so I have quite a sizeable stack already. He was so excited about these books, and kept on choosing more and more. He would have still been there stacking them up if I wouldn't have told him I'll try this stack then come back for more .

He talked a lot about the different issues in the books, what the kids like and why ,and also several parent complaints about some of the subject matter .

I have been writing down a lot of questions for when we have the area to ask the authors ,so I will certainly be able to think of some

good discussion questions I think .

Still at the same spot on the book I began yesterday . It has turned into quite a hectic day in the long run.So no more time to read before now. I'll try to chip away some more tonite to see if I can complete another . I've got such a huge pile now, it's quite overwhelming . I may have to renew some of them, or sort out ones that don't sound all that great. 3 trips to the library in 3 days equals a mountain of books .

 

I'm so happy the librarian at the YA section was so skilled and enthusiastic about his job and books, he sounds like the perfect librarian! :) Makes such a difference when you can actually get some great recommendations from the staff...

 

I think you soon need to buy a large bookcase for the books you've borrowed from all the libraries! :D Happy reading Julie, I'm looking forward to your thoughs on the books :)

 

 

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I agree, frankie, although they're thin and far between over here now.  I went to the library yesterday and they rely so much on the automated machines now, I only saw one librarian in the whole place, and then they seem to be only there to show people how to use the machines and computers. :(  There was a man in front of me who went to the desk and said he didn't like using the machines to return books, as you just put them through a slot in the front of the machine, and he was worried about them getting damaged as they may open before they hit the bottom, and pages get folded over etc., and although the librarian said the boxes were spring bottomed so there should be no damage, I could tell he wasn't happy, and he didn't take any more books out, so I hope they haven't lost another of the dwindling number of people using the service.

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I agree, frankie, although they're thin and far between over here now.  I went to the library yesterday and they rely so much on the automated machines now, I only saw one librarian in the whole place, and then they seem to be only there to show people how to use the machines and computers. :(  There was a man in front of me who went to the desk and said he didn't like using the machines to return books, as you just put them through a slot in the front of the machine, and he was worried about them getting damaged as they may open before they hit the bottom, and pages get folded over etc., and although the librarian said the boxes were spring bottomed so there should be no damage, I could tell he wasn't happy, and he didn't take any more books out, so I hope they haven't lost another of the dwindling number of people using the service.

 

The automated machines are helpful in the bigger places where they get a lot of borrows and returns, but if they ever go to fully automated service, with no desks with a librarian, that's a disgrace. For both the patron and the librarians. It's such a shame how everything needs to be more efficient and quick and automated, people lose their jobs over machines, and then we wonder how we have so many unemployed people :rolleyes: Human contact is always important. The machines will not tell you which books you might want to read. They don't smile and delight in hearing how you loved the book you read and are now returning. I think the automated machines should only be an aid to the librarians, not the other way around!

 

The boxes at my library are spring bottomed, but I have to say that sometimes a book would fall into the box and land on it opened in the middle, and when another book fall on top of it, it's not good. Creased spines, folded pages... And don't get me started on what happens to the CD jewel boxes when CDs are returned and are on the bottom of the box and then some big ass hardback book falls on top of them at the 'right' angle... :no: After working at the library and seeing all that, I've always returned all CDs via the librarians.

 

I feel bad for the male patron... I hope it didn't discourage him from borrowing more books in the future.

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Pops

Thank you for all the recommendations .I'm  gonna start writing them down now so I can work my way through this gigantic pile here. I know I'll have to renew lots of them . I read quite a bit on Thursday and Friday but yesterdayI didn't get any time to read. Maybe today will be better for that . I'm very surprised at how much I am enjoying the YA books. I guess I thought I'd be too old to "get" them . It's been Many Moons ago since I was a teen . In fact, many decades !

 

 

Frankie

Yes, the library next town over is much bigger than ours,so they have a reference desk with 2 people working it who do things just like that. Recommend books, look things up for you that you might want info on, etc .This boy did an outstanding job . He LOVES reading so much, he said he doesn't even own a tv, because he'd rather read than do anything else .

 

We have the self checkout machines at all the libraries I visit ,so sadly they have eliminated lots of employees .They even have the books that you put on reserve on shelves with your names, so you pick your own reserve books off that shelf now also .

This library is really good to help you or answer questions, though .

 

 

Claire

Yes, we have to drop boxes outside and inside the libraries .I'm sure it doesn't do much for the books .They have a separate one for CD's ,games, etc ,so they don't get books dropped on top of them .

 

 

As for librarians being helpful ,it wasn't always the way it is now. Our town has been notorious for hiring SCAREY LOOKING LIBRARIANS ,whose personality matches their looks .  We had 2 different ones while I was growing up ,both crabby and scarey . The last one started when I was probably newly married,so she worked up til a couple years ago. She was also VERY crabby. She was quite the SmartMouth . 2 people came in one day asking if she could give them directions to get someplace .They were new in town and didn't know their way around. She said WHAT DO I LOOK LIKE, A WORLD MAP ? So I just gave them directions. It's REALLY not hard to find your way around our town .

 

One day I went in and asked her if anyone had recommended anything good lately .. I was looking for something new or different. She said I DONT KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE TO READ . THE BUILDING IS FULL OF BOOKS . GO FIND SOME .

 

Very cranky ..

 

But she retired and we now have all younger librarians who aren't old and cranky,so you always get help from them .

Edited by julie
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  • 2 weeks later...

I've forgotten to reply to the post above! :doh:

 

Frankie

Yes, the library next town over is much bigger than ours,so they have a reference desk with 2 people working it who do things just like that. Recommend books, look things up for you that you might want info on, etc .This boy did an outstanding job . He LOVES reading so much, he said he doesn't even own a tv, because he'd rather read than do anything else .

 

Go back and ask if he's single, please :P:giggle2: Would he be willing to move to Finland :shrug:

 

A reference desk is a MUST at a library :yes:

 

We have the self checkout machines at all the libraries I visit ,so sadly they have eliminated lots of employees .They even have the books that you put on reserve on shelves with your names, so you pick your own reserve books off that shelf now also .

 

At the uni library they've started doing that, putting reserve books in the shelves out in the open, so people can pick their reservations themselves. I've wondered how that works: how will they know that the correct person, who's ordered the book, is the one who takes it and borrows it? :shrug:

 

As for librarians being helpful ,it wasn't always the way it is now. Our town has been notorious for hiring SCAREY LOOKING LIBRARIANS ,whose personality matches their looks .  We had 2 different ones while I was growing up ,both crabby and scarey . The last one started when I was probably newly married,so she worked up til a couple years ago. She was also VERY crabby. She was quite the SmartMouth . 2 people came in one day asking if she could give them directions to get someplace .They were new in town and didn't know their way around. She said WHAT DO I LOOK LIKE, A WORLD MAP ? So I just gave them directions. It's REALLY not hard to find your way around our town .

 

One day I went in and asked her if anyone had recommended anything good lately .. I was looking for something new or different. She said I DONT KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE TO READ . THE BUILDING IS FULL OF BOOKS . GO FIND SOME .

 

What in the world? :o That's so rude and impolite and unprofessional :o The most important qualities of a librarian is that they are curious, know how to search for info, and want to pass the info on. That's their JOB!!! :doh:  And customer service...? No? Go and find another job, plz. As a bouncer, maybe. 

 

I'm happy to hear she's now retired! :friends3:

 

 

Oh yes, I almost forgot! I wanted to recommend another series... Adults read these books, too, but I read them as a teenager. They're humorous, but I don't know if the humour is the kind you'd enjoy... Well here's the recommendation anyhow:

 

Adrian Mole Diaries by Sue Townsend. Hugely popular, I would say :)

 

 

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Frankie

I could play matchmaker for you with the young guy at the reference desk, but he's pretty SKITTISH . His hands were shaking while talking to me. I picture you as being young and pretty ,where this guy looks like one who has aged before his time. You could almost picture him going home ,putting on his slippers and holey sweater and feeding his cat .  Sounds kinda like my life, other than the cat part .

I like the looks of the younger boy they recently hired, but he'd be WAY too young .. He looks more like a skateboard boy who could do all the tricks and flips . Long hair ,which I think looks cool. ( Reminds me of the boys when I was young -the long hair part ).

We DO need to find you someone . I know you are pretty ,smart and great personality . I wish you lived here. I'd have you matched up and going on dates as often as you wanted til we found you someone . Are there any single guys in here that you fancy ? Maybe one of them wouldn't mind moving ,or you could move to where they live ?

 

As for the reserves at the library being in the shelf where anyone can take them, they cover them with paper and put a rubber band on them ,so all you see are the person's last names on the spines .

 

Yea, our old librarian would have made a good bouncer. she was notorious for being a grouch. Everyone was afraid of her .She was all bark and no bite, though . Life had dealt her some pretty bad cards, so I think she took it out on everyone around her .

 

Thanks for recommending Adrian Mole, I read them several years ago and DID like them .  :)

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Frankie

I could play matchmaker for you with the young guy at the reference desk, but he's pretty SKITTISH . His hands were shaking while talking to me. I picture you as being young and pretty ,where this guy looks like one who has aged before his time. You could almost picture him going home ,putting on his slippers and holey sweater and feeding his cat .  Sounds kinda like my life, other than the cat part .

 

Oh dear, skittish people make me nervous! I would probably start rambling and that would scare him off. And I'd prefer a dog... So let's forget about him :giggle2: 

 

I like the looks of the younger boy they recently hired, but he'd be WAY too young .. He looks more like a skateboard boy who could do all the tricks and flips . Long hair ,which I think looks cool. ( Reminds me of the boys when I was young -the long hair part ).

 

I like long hair :yes: But I'm no cougar! :giggle2:

 

We DO need to find you someone . I know you are pretty ,smart and great personality . I wish you lived here. I'd have you matched up and going on dates as often as you wanted til we found you someone . Are there any single guys in here that you fancy ? Maybe one of them wouldn't mind moving ,or you could move to where they live ?

 

Yes, why do all my dear matchmakers live in foreign countries, far far away. :( It's not practical! :(

 

:lol:

 

I think the men on the forum are smart enough run past me, looking the other way and whistling... Maybe I ought to set up my own Finnish book forum!

 

As for the reserves at the library being in the shelf where anyone can take them, they cover them with paper and put a rubber band on them ,so all you see are the person's last names on the spines .

 

Ach, that's clever! No temptation, no stolen books :yes: The uni library apparently trust their patrons 100%, the spines are all out there, no hiding.

 

Yea, our old librarian would have made a good bouncer. she was notorious for being a grouch. Everyone was afraid of her .She was all bark and no bite, though . Life had dealt her some pretty bad cards, so I think she took it out on everyone around her

 

Yes, I did wonder if she had some awful things happen to her in her personal life... Poor woman. It's not easy to be nice when life's treating you bad. She shouldn't have taken it out on innocent people, but who am I to judge.

 

Thanks for recommending Adrian Mole, I read them several years ago and DID like them .  :)

 

Oh, I didn't know you'd already read them! :doh:  Well I'm glad you liked them anyways :)

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I would probably recommend Celia Rees.  I read one of her books a few years ago and hadn't even realised it was a YA book.  She writes historical fiction but not the usual Tudor/Elizabethan kind.  The one that really sticks in my mind is Witch Child about a young girl who's grandmother is accused of Witchcraft.  Such a brilliant story.

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