Jean Darnell: Awaken Librarian

So...I follow Healer's Trilogy on Twitter and they currently have an ESSAY CONTEST! Below is my entry I wrote to inspire our students! Take a look and cross your fingers in hopes that someone wins for my campus! We need some books and there's a fine prize that could help! :) This essay is in response to the question: "What super powers would you like to posses and how would you use them to improve your community and the world?" Power of Restoration by Jean Darnell As a librarian, I see an uncommonly amount of despair. Whether there’re tattered books on the shelves or broken souls coming through the door to escape the upset at home. Because I work in a predominantly poor, inner city neighborhood, you’d be shocked about what my students have to encounter daily: hunger, eviction, abuse, neglect, and unvalued are just to name a few. Therefore, if I could choose one super power, it would be the power of restoration. With any and everything that tou...

Okay...Here's a little tidbit about me: I LOVE gourmet food and cooking! In fact, I'm a pretty good chef. I have a friend, Matt Koska (who I don't see nearly enough, I MISS YOU MATTY!), who shockingly wrote a poem in tribute of my chicken and dumplings...yeah... TOOT! TOOT! There goes my horn! (A sheepish grin as I think, "Well, umm...what can I say?!") But nevertheless, I love cooking for others and my sons! Well, this trailer (courtesy of The Snacking Dead and the Huffington Post-Weird News Division) has just left me horrified, hilariously laughing and...HUNGRY! ENJOY!!

Courtesy of http://starwars.com/reads/ What is Star Wars Reads Day? Star Wars Reads Day is an international event that celebrates reading and Star Wars. It was launched in 2012 by Lucasfilm and its publishing partners--Abrams, Chronicle Books, Dark Horse, Del Rey, DK Publishing, Klutz, Random House Audio, Scholastic, and Workman. This year, we're excited to have Quirk Books participating as well. How can I hold a Star Wars Reads event at my library/bookstore/school? In 2012, we had over 1200 events at schools, libraries and bookstores across America. In 2013, we're changing the rules to make the experience even better. First, this year you don't have to sign up! In 2013, any bookstore, library or school around the world can hold a Star Wars Reads Day event. Put the date (Saturday, October 5th) on your calendar and start planning and promoting an out-of-the-world event. (Schools and school libraries are encouraged to hold their events on Friday, October 4th). As...

Okay fellow readers and lovers of YA Literature. Below are some GREAT book trailers courtesy of The Christian Science Monitors 1. "The School for Good and Evil," by Soman Chainani Sophie is determined to follow in the footsteps of the School of Good alums like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Her best friend, Agatha, has a mean black cat and is a shoe-in for the School for Evil. But what happens when they find their positions switched? The trailer has great, fast-paced animation paired with intense music, I actually wish this novel by screenwriter Soman Chainani was a movie now. Check it out! 2. "My Life Undecided," by Jessica Brody Brooklyn Pierce, age 15, has given up. Since she can't ever seem to make the right decision, she's leaving it all up to a vote. That's right, she's leaving EVERYTHING up to a vote. A very cute trailer was put together showing some of the things that Brooklyn has gone through. Her bad decisions give vi...

It's finally here!!! The week where I can be an ABSOLUTE, CORRUPT AND BANNED READER and relish the thought of it! Plus, the entire federation of sassy and classy librarians HAVE MY BACK! There's so much I want to post about this topic-everything from pictures to articles and please don't forget my twitter page: https://twitter.com/awakenlibrarian where I've posted all types of articles on this wonder week of rebellion! See my collection below and please enjoy! American Library Association's Promotion of Reading Banned Books 2013 ! New York Public Library's Banned Article- "Fight for Your Right to Read: Banned Books Week 2013" American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)- How LGBT Families Are Still the Target of Banned Books?!!! Huffington Post's "7 Reasons Why Your Favorite Books Were Banned" Pinterest Banned Book Poem: "Are You There God?" 11 Quotes on Censorship from Buzzfeed.com Banned Books Week...

I'm still sitting here with my mouth ajar after watching this phenomenal video about sending people to Mars. OMG! OMG! OMG!! I don't know...it's truly an adventure in every regard. I doubt I'd have the will to see it through to the end, BUT I can so see my youngest son SCREAMING to "Sign me up!" So I applaud and send goodness to those who succeed in winning the bid. Going back to my reaction, it's truly a release of vanity and a charge toward the next phase in outward exploration. To be absolutely honest, I feel we haven't touched the "tip of the iceberg" in exploration of our planet, Earth, especially beneath the shores. I tease my sons and students that dinosaurs are hibernating at depths unknown to man, waiting to "sneak attack us!" Part of me believes if we can successfully go deep enough there into the dark crevices of the sea, then we can soar far enough "out there" into space with similar success. Check out...

Okay you all, I know Judy Blume's usually on the banned list for Forever but it's been forever so let's let it go! :) Perhaps it's because she's heavily criticized or even banned , but I ADORE Blume as an author and have since I was a young chocolate marshmallow discovering the many "tastes" of books! Nevertheless, Blume's book Tiger Eyes is becoming a movie!! Yes, the book's ALWAYS , yet I must admit...I'm pretty excited about the movie! Check out the blog and trailer from Judy Blume's cinema debut of Tiger Eyes! Shout outs to this great blog for YA Literature: http://foreveryoungadult.com/2013/06/04/ya-movie-news-roundup-judy-blume-hits-the-silver-screen...finally/