bookmarkit
Ka th leen o d ea n
Technology
When I inquired about the role of
technology in their success, I discov-
ered a sentiment among all three that
technology was helpful to them in ba-
sic terms: it assists with convenience,
organization, and efficiency. All three
students use (and enjoy) such portable
devices as laptops, which can take the
place of carrying books and papers.
But I also discovered something
quite significant: each student felt that
technology was most helpful in terms
of research (and I never specifically
asked about research). Angela states,
“Technology has strongly influenced my
ability to conduct research, which has
helped with my success.” Rachel says,
“Technology is super helpful, because I
can use it to research something that was
mentioned in school but not discussed
in depth.” Margaret shares, “Technol-
ogy has helped me achieve success be-
cause it is always available in order to
research answers to my questions.” For
these students, technology is a facilita-
tor that helps bring depth and accuracy
to their schoolwork, something highly
relevant to information specialists such
as teacher librarians.
The School Library
As a school librarian for these students,
I was naturally curious about the role
of the school library (and librarian) in
their academic success. I was gratified
to see that each student regards the
library, and librarians, as valuable re-
sources.
More specifically, I learned that each
student considers the librarian a teacher
and not simply a curator or provider of
materials. Angela states, “I think the li-
brary should teach students how to use
ya fiction
THE POWER OF DEATH
Anderson, Natalie C. City of Saints & Thieves. Putnam, 2017. 432p. $18.99.
ISBN: 9780399547584. $18.99. Grades 9-12. Who killed Tina’s mother? The
16-year-old has assumed it was Mr. Greyhill, a powerful white man who employed
her mother as a servant but was also her lover. Tina, a skilled thief and member
of a gang, has long planned revenge. But as she’s on the verge of succeeding,
doubts crop up. The only way to be sure is to travel from Kenya to her birthplace
in the Congo and seek clues to her mother’s past. Her companions are her trusted
friend and computer hacker, Boyboy, and Mr. Greyhill’s son, Michael, a friend
from Tina’s childhood. Tina’s fast-paced first-person narrative draws readers into
the mystery, vividly setting the scene in Kenya and the Congo. Will she get the
answers she needs? Or will she wish she’d never asked the questions? An intense
thriller that shows the tough lives of refugees and victims of war in the Congo.
Springstubb, Tricia. Every Single Second. Baltzer+Bray, 2016. 368p. $ 16.99.
ISBN: 9780062366283. Grades 5-8. A death in the past and one in her
neighborhood change the life of an adolescent in this beautifully written coming-
of-age novel. Nella Sabatini had a secure childhood in her large, boisterous
family and her Italian-American neighborhood. Now that she’s twelve, though,
everything’s more complex and less clear. She feels bad about dropping an old
friend and uncertain about her friendship with a quirky newcomer. She misses
being close to her father but a secret from his past has undermined her faith in
him. The neighborhood is changing, too, due to gentrification and a devastating
shooting. Chapters alternate between Nella’s happier past and her confusing
present, with brief, humorous interludes from the viewpoint of a local cemetery
statue. Lyrical writing filled with authentic thoughts and dialogue weave together
many issues into a compelling whole.
Sedgwick, Marcus. Saint Death. Roaring Brook Press, 2017. 240p. $17.99. ISBN:
9781626725492. $17.99. Grades 9-12. Arturo lives alone in a shack outside Juárez,
Mexico, barely scraping by on odd jobs. His mother’s dead and his father’s gone,
as is his best friend, Faustino. Life holds no comforts and little hope, although
Arturo has some ties to those in his desolate neighborhood. When Faustino now
a gang member, reappears, and asks Arturo for a dangerous favor, Arturo agrees
to play cards against powerful gang members, to save Faustino’s life and help
Faustino’s wife and baby escape to the U.S. Twists and turns create gut-wrenching
tension as Arturo makes high-stakes decisions that could change his life for the
better—or end it entirely. The novel vividly conveys the violence and dire poverty
of this border city, made worse by exploitive U.S. factories and a history of CIA
involvement. A highly recommended, shattering novel.
Shusterman, Neal. Scythe. S&S, 2016. 448p. $ 18.99. ISBN: 9781442472426.
Grades 8-12. In this futuristic novel, teenagers Citra and Rowan are chosen by
a scythe to be his apprentices. The world is run by the artificial intelligence of
the Thunderhead, a far more sophisticated version of the internet, but one key
aspect of society is left to humans: deciding who will die. Because people can
now live forever and still have children, some must be “gleaned,” and it’s up to
the exclusive group of scythes to choose. But power is starting to corrupt some of
the scythes, who trade immunity for favors and wealth. Citra and Rowan, whose
mentor is above reproach, find themselves pitted against each other despite their
mutual attraction. Brilliant plotting, sympathetic characters, and a fully realized
future world make this Printz Honor book, the first in a series, a must-read.
JUNE 2017 19