Last PCIS post

This will be my last post as PCIS librarian.

I have started an online search again for a job, and hope to be somewhere in Sept. Thanks for reading.

Our YA collection is growing

Whew! Today was a very busy day. Students are returning their books for the end of the year sweep, and the YA shelves are full to bursting. That’s good and bad news. Good because we have so many books, bad because I had to find a way to expand the collection to free up the shelves.

The problem was solved by having to move the entire fiction collection for grades 5-6 out of their current location. Shelf by shelf, beginning with the letter Z and working my way to A, I moved about a thousand books to free up a wall of 20 shelves. When that was done, beginning with the letter Z and working my way to A, I moved some of the YA collection to those shelves and spread them out on their current 16 shelves. When it was done, I heaved a sign of relief.

Both collections have room to expand and, with the YA collection enclosing the grade 5-6 collection on 2 sides, these students can be directed to go “on the edge” to find their books. This is a little play on words I made up to describe the types of books the collection has – books that will keep students “on the edge” of their seats.

 

Picture Perfect

I just finished reading “Picture Perfect” by Elaine Marie Alphin. I was so mesmerized, that I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. The author weaves suspense and mystery together in such a way that it becomes a mix of “whodunnit” and “we should’ve known.”

Eighth grader, Ian, is the main character. He struggles to live the life of a perfect son, or face the consequences of being punished by his abusive father. He learns how to survive his dad’s abuses like being locked in a closet, having his toys thrown away, being forced to break the things he loves, daily being told he’s no good, worthless and a disappointment, and more. His mom is no help, as she’s also cowed into silent obedience.

To survive, Ian develops multiple personalities, but this isn’t clear to the reader through half of the story. When his best friend Teddy disappears Luke, the stronger of his personalities, threatens to take over his life. Ian won’t let him, but the readers get jumbled flashbacks of sad and terrible images as seen through Luke’s, school Ian’s, home Ian’s and young Ian’s eyes.

The book has a surprising ending, and leaves the reader cheering, sad, happy yet wanting more.