BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY : February's got it all goin' on.

          Well, February is just packed with things to make mention of in the Library. Presidents' Day, Valentine's Day, Black History Month, even Groundhog Day. I am ignoring Groundhog Day. Not because I don't think they're cute and winsome, but because I've run out of bulletin boards and display areas.

          Normally I hate decorating for Presidents' Day because it's hard to do much with images of Lincoln and/or Washington. But I ordered Last Gasp's FREE full-color catalog of arty books and stuff, and there was this awesome two-page spread of one of Mark Ryden's paintings from the Snow Yak Show, with Lincoln's giant spectral head appearing in an icy cave before a young girl. Perfect! With a few minor alterations, it became my Presidents' Day poster on the circ desk. 

"Thank you for Presidents' Day, Mr. Lincoln!" "You are welcome, young lady!"

          Last year I made some Valentine's hearts that reflect diversity. Boy + Boy; Girl + Girl; and Girl + Boy. Love is universal, y'all. I made a display interspersing images from various teen books that show examples of each configuration.

"Boy + Boy; Girl + Boy; Girl + Girl"

          At the back of the room I revived an old "Take time to REFLECT on what you read" display I put together one of the first years I worked at this school. It became quickly apparent to me that these are smart kids who DEVOUR books, but sometimes I wonder if they're so eager to increase their number of books read that perhaps they race through things without taking time to savor good writing. I'm not impressed by how quickly they read, or how many books they check out. I'm impressed by how much they contemplate and internalize. And enjoy! This is leisure reading, not English novel assignments.
          Anyway, I made the "REFLECT" letters out of reflective prismatic paper. ;)

"Take time to REFLECT on what you read"

          The best, most exciting thing we have going on this month is a visit by published author Stephanie Jefferson, whose historical fiction novel, Princess Kandake, is now available through CreateSpace and Amazon.
          She'll be speaking to 7th and 9th graders about her writing process, and signing copies of her book. I'm totally looking forward to it. (And not just because she happens to be a personal friend of mine!)

Meet the author: Stephanie Jefferson