Lauren Myracle interview

Lauren Myracle, the oft-challenged author of such books as ttyl, Bliss, and the new Peace, Love & Baby Ducks, sits down with Booklist to discuss why libraries "rule the world," how she handles angry emails from parents, and the Stephen King influences behind Bliss. Myracle also touches on how her early experiences as a middle school teacher convinced her she was "a crappy human being"--but at least gave her plenty of stories to tell.

May 6, 2009

Lauren Myracle, the oft-challenged author of such books as ttyl, Bliss, and the new Peace, Love & Baby Ducks, sits down with Booklist to discuss why libraries “rule the world,” how she handles angry emails from parents, and the Stephen King influences behind Bliss. Myracle also touches on how her early experiences as a middle school teacher convinced her she was “a crappy human being”–but at least gave her plenty of stories to tell.

For over 100 years, Booklist magazine has been reading everything--so you don't have to. But how do we read that many books? For the first time ever, the intrepid editors at Booklist provide a glimpse into the their top-secret methods. Prepare to be shocked and amazed.

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The Conversation, Apr. 12
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Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11
2d

Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
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Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
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“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
3d

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Library Worklife, Apr.