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What To Do With Books By Authors Accused of Assault, Racism, or Other Inappropriate or Illegal Behaviors

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This weekend saw victims of assault in the kid lit world coming forth to name the individuals who’ve harmed them. While no public forum like the comments on an SLJ article — one which fails to mention my work on this topic and fails to link to the work Anne Ursu was undertaking at the same time — will solve the issue, it’s a start. And like all starts, it’s rife with problems. It’s not victims alone coming forth to put voice to their experiences. It’s many on the sidelines sharing hearsay, which does more harm than good. In early instances in the SLJ comments, those individuals were told they were taking away from the voices of actual victims.

Over the last few days, a question has popped up in my inboxes, as well as across social media. What can teachers and librarians do now, knowing that they have seen names of authors and knowing they can’t ignore them?

This is tricky, but here are some options, and I hope this short, quick guide at least provides an opportunity to engage critically with your collection development, reader advisory, or teaching habits, as well as a pathway to navigating this unfamiliar terrain. Although timely in the wake of sexual assault victims speaking up, know this also applies to authors who’ve been engaging in racist and other behaviors which are inappropriate.

  • So you own books by those named…keep them on your shelves if they’re circulating or readers are picking them up. Do not toss them. That is censorship. But perhaps this is an opportunity to do some weeding. Pull up your circulation records of all books and following the CREW or other preferred methods of ridding materials from your collection, weed. If books by authors named haven’t moved in the same time frame that others being removed haven’t, then they can go. But to pull otherwise would be silent censorship.

 

  • So you own the books by those named and you’re keeping them on shelf…you’re under no obligation to promote them. Keep them on the shelf, but don’t put them on displays, on end caps, or in your book talks. Instead, use this as an opportunity to talk and share the books that are by other authors, especially those who are from marginalized groups. This is an opportunity to expand your own reading and your own skills, rather than relying on old habits which can be hard to kick.

 

  • So the books are in your classroom library…see above. No need to pull them unless they don’t move. Don’t judge your readers who choose to pick them up. But, perhaps, if your reader approaches you about the book’s content or about wanting to know more about the book, this is your chance to make a choice: do you have an honest conversation with them? Do you use it as an opportunity to have a wider conversation with your classroom? Or do you provide the basic information and encourage your students to engage in their own research odyssey? Only you can decide that based on your students and/or your patrons.

 

  • So the author has a new book coming out….do you buy it or pretend you don’t see it? This one is about going back to basics. Use the trade reviews. It’s so easy to auto-buy books by well-known authors or those who’ve had acclaim before. But why? It’s taking the easy route. Read the trade reviews, and if the reviews are positive, then you buy the book. If they’re middling to poor, consider your community. If it’s a community that would want the book, buy it. If not, then don’t. And if you do buy the book, either on good reviews or because your community would want it, buy another book or two, too, that has excellent reviews that you may have otherwise overlooked. Put in the work. For those without access to the trade review journals, know that many review excerpts show up on major retail sites, and that some sites, like Kirkus, offer their reviews for free online.

 

  • So you use the book in your classroom as a discussion title…why can’t you change it? If it’s your choice, use your choice. Pick another title. If it’s a title which is mandated by a department, bring the situation up to your department. It might not change the requirement, but staying silent when you know there’s a possible issue is worse. It’s tricky, of course, but speaking your truth will often make your voice shake. And that’s okay. You can use this experience when, if you are still required to teach the book, you teach the book.

 

  • So you don’t have the book in your library but someone asks for it…if it’s an older book, see if you can acquire it elsewhere, either via interlibrary loans, system holds, or track down a borrowed or used copy from another person. This ensures legality but also ensures money isn’t exchanged. If it’s a new book, you might need to buy the book. Use the same standards you’d use in any other collection development situation — if you buy all books people ask for, you need to buy it. But, like noted above, you are in no way required to promote it. Serve your patrons. Get them what it is they are asking for. Feel no other requirement but that when it comes to that book.

 

  • So what are some other things I can do…if you’re part of a planning committee for author visits or events, speak up if someone who is being talked about as a possibility is someone you’d feel uncomfortable with. Use your voice. If you see an all-male or all-white panel at an event, speak up. Get it changed. The same goes for purchasing. For writing book lists. For book talking. Work on inclusion at every turn, and keep your ears to the ground. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, trust that instinct. And, as has been said over and over, if you hear a first-hand story, if someone tells you something about being a victim (a student, a patron, a colleague, a professional), believe them.

 

If librarians or educators have any more questions not addressed here about what to do in light of what we’re learning, please reach out. Drop them in the comments here, and Kimberly, me, or our fantastically thoughtful readers can hop in and offer some thoughts. Remember that you have all the tools you need at your disposal. It’s a matter of remembering to turn back to those and rely on them as means to help you through.

The Thing(s) About YA Titles

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We’ve talked about the trend of “Girl” in the title of YA books. We’ve talked about the trend of “Edge” in the title of YA books.

We now present the trend of even less specificity: “Thing” or “Things” in the YA title.

Note that the titles on this list are only for YA books published in 2017 and in 2018. The list really is this long, and it excludes titles which have the word “everything” or “nothing” in them — which would have added another significant number of titles to this list.

What does “Thing” in the title imply when it comes to a trend? Perhaps nothing. But as a reader and as someone who talks about a lot of book titles, as well as someone who regularly thinks about serving readers great book recommendations, I can say easily all of these titles blend and blur together far too easily.

It’s almost as if “Thing” in the title is as unmemorable as the word itself.

Can you think of others from the last year or so that would fit on the list? I’d love to see them, if for no reason other than to continue becoming confused among all of the titles which have a hard time standing apart from one another. I’ve purposefully left the authors of the books off the list, in part because authors often don’t come up with the titles of their books and in part to showcase how indistinguishable the titles can be from one another without that context.

I have, of course, put together a nifty graphic of some of the covers because there is power in seeing an image, too.

 

 

10 Things I Can See From Here

Airports, Exes, and Other Things I’m Over

All The Forever Things

All Things New

Broken Things

I Believe In A Thing Called Love

Dare Mighty Things

Definitions of Indefinable Things

The Geography of Lost Things

That Inevitable Victorian Thing

Kale, My Ex, and Other Things To Toss In A Blender

The Last Thing You Said

The Most Dangerous Thing

Never-Contented Things

One Small Thing

Sasquatch, Love, and Other Imaginary Things

These Things I’ve Done

That Thing We Call A Heart

The Thing With Feathers

Things I Should Have Known

Things I’m Seeing Without You

Things Jolie Needs To Do Before She Bites It

The Things We Promise

Unearthly Things

A Very, Very Bad Thing

The Whole Thing Together

Booklist: Genderbent YA

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I love a good retelling, and the genderbent ones are extra fun. Changing the gender of a character in our society always creates a different sort of dynamic than was there originally, which is fun to explore. Plus, not enough of our popular classic literature features women and girls, which is why most genderbent titles feature a switch from male to female. Here are a few recent titles and some forthcoming ones. Descriptions are from Goodreads, with the genderbent character in parentheses. Which ones did I miss?

 

Great by Sara Benincasa (Gatsby)

Everyone loves a good scandal.

Naomi Rye usually dreads spending the summer with her socialite mother in East Hampton. This year is no different. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the teenagers who have been summering (a verb only the very rich use) together for years. But Naomi finds herself captivated by her mysterious next-door neighbor, Jacinta. Jacinta has her own reason for drawing close to Naomi-to meet the beautiful and untouchable Delilah Fairweather. But Jacinta’s carefully constructed world is hiding something huge, a secret that could undo everything. And Naomi must decide how far she is willing to be pulled into this web of lies and deception before she is unable to escape.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (Sherlock Holmes)

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon (Oliver Twist)

Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.

Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.

As I Descended by Robin Talley (Macbeth)

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them. Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey. 

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word. But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school. But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

And I Darken by Kiersten White (Vlad the Impaler)

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk (Spartacus)

Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire―an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves.

Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master’s favor. Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.

Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end―and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus.

 

 

 

On the Radar: February 2018 YA Books to Know

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“On The Radar” is a monthly series meant to highlight between 9 and 12 books per month to fit a budget of roughly $300 or less. These lists are curated from a larger spreadsheet I keep with a running list of titles hitting shelves and are meant to reflect not only the big books coming out from authors readers know and love, but it’s also meant to showcase some of the titles that have hit my radar through review copies, publicity blasts, or because they’re titles that might otherwise not be readily seen or picked up through those traditional avenues. It’s part science and part art.

February’s selection of eleven titles showcases a variety of continuing series, new titles by long-time favorites, and a handful of YA books which have seen some good buzz.

Book descriptions come from Goodreads and reasons for them being on your radar are mine and mine alone. Titles are alphabetical, with pub dates beside them. Titles with a * in front of them are books that are starting or a continuation of a series.

 

 

 

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson (2/6)

Sixteen-year-old Elena Mendoza is the product of a virgin birth.

This can be scientifically explained (it’s called parthenogenesis), but what can’t be explained is how Elena is able to heal Freddie, the girl she’s had a crush on for years, from a gunshot wound in a Starbucks parking lot. Or why the boy who shot Freddie, David Combs, disappeared from the same parking lot minutes later after getting sucked up into the clouds. What also can’t be explained are the talking girl on the front of a tampon box, or the reasons that David Combs shot Freddie in the first place.

As more unbelievable things occur, and Elena continues to perform miracles, the only remaining explanation is the least logical of all—that the world is actually coming to an end, and Elena is possibly the only one who can do something about it.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is a wild ride, and readers who love alternate takes on Christianity, science fiction, and stories with queer main characters will eat this up. It’s strange and bizarre (in a good way!).

 

 

*The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (2/6)

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

 

Why it should be on your radar: The first in a brand new series by Dhonielle Clayton, coauthor of the “Tiny Pretty Things” series. This fantasy read has generated a lot of buzz and that cover is an appealing factor in and of itself.

 

 

*Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones (2/6)

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her.

When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands?

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is the second in a New York Times Bestselling fantasy series from a rising YA star.

 

 

*Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce (2/6)

Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.

Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s the first book in a new fantasy series by long-time acclaimed YA author Tamora Pierce.

 

 

*Blood of a Thousand Stars by Rhoda Belleza (2/20)

Empress

With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown.

Fugitive

Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever—home.

Princess

Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering—and erasing—the princess she once was.

Madman

Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll go to any means necessary to control the galaxy.

Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.

 

Why it should be on your radar: This is the second book in a fantasy series by a debut author of color, wherein the first book has generated a lot of buzz and positive reviews.

 

 

People Like Us by Dana Mele (2/27)

Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she’s reinvented herself entirely. Now she’s a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl’s body is found in the lake, Kay’s carefully constructed life begins to topple.

The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay’s finally backed into a corner, she’ll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make…not something that happened.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s a private school mystery, which is always a solid choice. But more, this book has had a huge marketing push — I’ve gotten a couple of review copies and a number of emails about it from the publisher. It’s a big-push book, so your readers will be hearing about it.

 

 

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Through The Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell (2/27)

Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. 

From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.

 

Why it should be on your radar: It’s a YA anthology made entirely of queer stories told throughout different eras of history. It’s not only necessary, but it sounds like a lot of fun.

 

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman (2/27)

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can’t make a scene at your sister’s wedding and break a relative’s nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.

Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it’s a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl–a subspecies of dragon–who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she’s tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.

 

Why it should be on your radar: A stand-alone fantasy set in the same world as Hartman’s award-winning and New York Times Bestselling Seraphina will have an audience eager for it.

 

 

*The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen (2/27)

Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won’t stop her from being drawn back into her father’s palace politics. He’s the right hand man of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this all too well — and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by force, cunning, or any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide what — and who — it is they’re fighting for.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Nielsen has been a steadily rising voice in the YA (and middle grade!) world, and her new fantasy series sounds like a winner.

 

The Last To Let Go by Amber Smith (2/6)

How do you let go of something you’ve never had?

Junior year for Brooke Winters is supposed to be about change. She’s transferring schools, starting fresh, and making plans for college so she can finally leave her hometown, her family, and her past behind.

But all of her dreams are shattered one hot summer afternoon when her mother is arrested for killing Brooke’s abusive father. No one really knows what happened that day, if it was premeditated or self-defense, whether it was right or wrong. And now Brooke and her siblings are on their own.

In a year of firsts—the first year without parents, first love, first heartbreak, and her first taste of freedom—Brooke must confront the shadow of her family’s violence and dysfunction, as she struggles to embrace her identity, finds her true place in the world, and learns how to let go.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Smith’s first novel, which tackled sexual assault, was a New York Times Bestseller and is still available at Target stores in their YA book area. She’s got name recognition, and readers will be ready for another harrowing realistic novel from her.

 

 

*Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre (2/13)

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

 

Why it should be on your radar: Two giant names in YA teaming up to begin a new science fiction series!