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By the lovely Grace Farris. Xoxo
P.S. A beautiful poem and three great romance novels.
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Some Saturdays I go to work in the library while my daughter does a theatre class a few streets away. There is a sign there that always makes me feel emotional. It says:
“We are fully inclusive. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how smart you are, where you come from, whether or not you have a job, money, a family, or even a home. A public library is a place where anyone can just go and hang out, read, study, join an activity, seek local information, or get support to find a job. Everyone is welcome here, you don’t even need ID”.
And then last week due to a car pool comms breakdown, my 12 year old was unexpectedly and worryingly suddenly on her own in town, at night. She called us and, hearts in throats, grabbing keys and running out the house, we said “well come and find you, can you get yourself somewhere safe?” And she said, “I already did: the library was the safest place I could think of”
Rediscovered my love of the library recently after a few years of forgetting it existed (🤯)! One of the best spaces to bring a child and feel welcome. They’re such a balm in the toddler days.
Thank you for this! I’m printing it to share with our library staff. I took a leap of faith 3 years ago and applied for a library assistant job at our local library because it had been a dream of mine for years and years. I had worked in accounting since college so it was definitely a career change but a good one. I join you all to say libraries are the best!!
If anyone is in the mood for a book about libraries, I recommend Susan Orlean’s The Library Book, about the 1986 fire at the LA public library. Part mystery, part ode to libraries—so good!
A little belated, but these are one of the many things I love about my city’s library:
https://www.prattlibrary.org/valentine-cards
I love this!! I lived in Baltimore for a long time and miss being able to walk to the main branch at lunchtime.
Big thanks to our librarians who provide not just materials and knowledge but also space for community to gather and access to social services and local resources! The assault on libraries (including book bans) is really an assault on community itself.
Love this so much (and love our library so much!). Just sent it this to my book club for Valentine’s Day ❤️
My husband and I decided not to spend money this year, so his Valentine’s Day gift was to let me fill up the ebook holds in his library card. Literally the BEST!
I also just left our local branch with two Nintendo switch games, a book that was published on Tuesday, and a puzzle. Is there any better place?!
love this!!! adding this comment to the link list :)
As a librarian and public library manager, thank you! Sharing this with staff today. We don’t always get thanked for the various front line public services we provide. For some of us, our urban libraries are more like community centers where we encounter substance misuse, mental health issues, hardship, etc. daily. It’s hard work that is incredibly rewarding and it takes special people to do it day in and day out. We are so much more than books. :) xoxo
Thank you KD and librarians everywhere.
My neighbourhood branch is always busy with people at all life stages and staffed by knowledgeable, thoughtful guides. It isn’t silent, but it is calm and you feel better the moment the sliding doors pop open!
Lots of love for libraries and librarians! So many out there holding the line against censorship. We see you and we appreciate you!
So lovely, Grace. ❤️
https://littlefreelibrary.org/
Sending ❤️ to all my fellow lending library communities! We provide remainder books and gently used books into the cozy laps of readers door to door. 📚📚
my toddler loves taking a short stroll down to our neighborhood “little li-bary” to see what new fun books he can find! A kind neighbor fills it with gently used board books :)
Love to library staffs everywhere for all they contribute to our communities!
I just happen to have a few books to return and I’ve printed out Grace’s cartoon to accompany them in the book drop.
I am 100% printing this out and dropping it in our book return slot!! My local librarians put hundreds of books on their holds shelf for my family each year, and boy do I appreciate them.
Books are also friends… along with cats and some human beings!
So true !!! :) I feel exactly the same ! Sitting with 4 of my “valentines” ( my cats ) on my lap right now, with a haphazard pile of library books beside me !
Agree!!! Books are my refuge in this upside-down world.
Brilliant
Dear CoJ literati,
My teenage daughter’s reading skills are a casualty of covid and Chromebooks. She’s a top student but struggles with ELA.
Seeking suggestions of fun easy reads to get her back on track – junk food reading so she can regain confidence!
Xo
Has she tried any graphic novels? Those can be good for reluctant readers or kids who need to gain some confidence with their skills as they are not overwhelming in the amount of text.
If you don’t mind her reading something slightly smutty, I loved the Outlander books when I was in college. Easy reads that’s draw you in. And she could watch the show when she’s finished.
@Emily Johnson, not sure her age, but i love this list from the Boston Library:
https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/100083751/1702330639 these are called “quick reads for teens” and it is a great list, hopefully something there (also Beverly Cleary wrote a bunch of teen books that are sweet if dated and easy to read, sister of the bride and fifteen and the luckiest girl–light easy reads.
sending your daughter hugs, as a former middle school teacher, i would always tell my students, it’s progress not perfection, which helped them feel less like everything has to be done perfectly well all the time.
i am not sure why my comment hyperlinked the wrong Emily, so here it is again without the hyperlink :-)
not sure her age, but i love this list from the Boston Library:
https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/100083751/1702330639 these are called “quick reads for teens” and it is a great list, hopefully something there (also Beverly Cleary wrote a bunch of teen books that are sweet if dated and easy to read, sister of the bride and fifteen and the luckiest girl–light easy reads.
sending your daughter hugs, as a former middle school teacher, i would always tell my students, it’s progress not perfection, which helped them feel less like everything has to be done perfectly well all the time.
What about a low-spice romance? These can read like a fun rom-com movie. I like Annabel Monaghan and Emily Henry. “Romantic Comedy” by Curtis Sittenfeld is also a lot of fun.
Graphic novels!! I have three kids 9-13 and they’re all heavy readers. That said, all three also really love graphic novels and that category has blossomed in the last few years.
I love following “What to Read to Your Kids” on Facebook – she’s a bookstore owner with kids (one is a teen girl) who offers suggestions for all age brackets, and the recommendations are fairly descriptive so you can assess whether you think the book would be a good fit for your kid.
I agree with graphic novels – there are some amazing teen ones out right now! Without knowing if she’s 13 or 16, specific recs are tricky. I highly recommend @thebookmommy for suggestions – she has a teen girl and is a local bookseller. She has a book club that ties into Taylor Swift and also just did a fun post on YA romances.
For some fast-paced romance, maybe something like Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli? I bit steamy but not overly and the fantasy plot is exciting and easy to follow. Also I was obsessed with the Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell a few years ago, which is actually for teenagers. A kind of HP spinoff if Harry and Draco got together. Oh and last one, the Heartstopper graphic novels!
I second the graphic novels! My daughter also loved anything by John Green, Inheritance Games series, The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy and The Hunger Games books.
My teenage siblings love the Sixth of Crows series and anything by Rick Riordan. Also To Kill a Kingdom.
The Alanna books by Tamora Pierce! Lady knights fighting against the patriarchy! extremely mild romance! adventure! And if she likes those there are many more books to explore by her :)
Oh, Emily: as a h.s. teacher, I feel this to my bones! Naming the struggle is important as it helps avoid the shame of “I’m not a reader”–and I would suggest an audiobook adventure as a possibility? One surprising series that might work is Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series: they are a mix of fantasy/adventure/historical ? fiction/great stories and they ROCK as audios. The whole family can enjoy them, too–I speak from experience!–and their feminist message is awesome.
One other mild “imagine if. . ” is to encourage her to set some time aside each day to try one of the many choices offered. Because of their addictive lure, phones will always win us away, so forcing ourselves to set aside 25 minutes (per Gretchen Rubin’s “Read 25 mins.daily in 2025” challenge) or 30 mins before bed or whatever might help support those neurological/ habit muscles.
Best wishes for this journey! Consider enlisting your local library’s teen librarian and your school’s literacy specialist for suggestions as well!
Thank you all so much!! This community is such a blessing.
Xo
In the spirit of this post, why not stop by your local library and ask a librarian? I’m a teen services librarian and one of my favorite parts of the job is readers advisory. It’s extra helpful/rewarding for all parties if you can bring your daughter in and have her speak to the librarian directly. No shade to parents who check out books on behalf of their teens, but often I find the teens are more likely to feel free to pick out something they are more interested in without their parents hovering (however good intentioned you are!). Sometimes it’s something they might find “embarrassing” (like romance, or something their parents would consider too advanced), but with the non-judgemental guidance of a librarian they feel more empowered to try it.
The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle (I loved so many of her books when I was a teen/tween) and also her series that I believe starts with TTYL (it’s stories told through IMs). Amelia’s Notebook series and other journal-style fiction might be fun for her. Also, a book called Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf–it’s like a story of an 8th grader’s life told through scrapbook style collages on each page. I LOVED that book and think it still holds up. Jenny Han’s books (Summer I Turned Pretty, etc) because they’re also shows that she can watch as an incentive to finish the books first!! Same with Gossip Girl books and The Clique Books (look they’re a little trashy but boy do kids speed through them!) She will hit her stride! (love, a high school librarian)
@Rebecca – I love the Tiffany Aching books! And actually just thought of them reading a comment on another post about chalk downs! Don’t see them mentioned often so just waving hi from over here:-)
I love the library! I actually have something about loving libraries as a prompt in my dating profile and it generates a lot of curious inquiries as to why. I always say, books aside, libraries are the best community spaces!
Former library worker and forever library patron here — this is the best!
Makes me think of all the lap snuggles made possible by my kiddos climbing onto me with a library book in tow :-)
I’m going to print this to post in the workroom at the branch where I work!
As a librarian, this unexpected bit of library love just lit my Valentine’s <3
Ah yes – to know me is to read my library holds list. Too true.
💯💯. My friends and I are always updating our holds lists/chatting about upcoming holds when we get together.
Definitely feeling the library love! 💞 📚
I love the part “With a library card, it is hard to be blue.” Libraries really are such amazing resources with so much information and escape material. Books are the best. What a cute V-day comic!
Gosh, I love this one so much. Thanks, Grace!
Big love to all librarians, authors, and readers today!!
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