NCRA and Books That Save Lives
If you are reading this on Monday, I will be in Raleigh at the North Carolina Reading Association Conference, co-presenting a breakout session with Madeleine Kuderick (Kiss of Broken Glass) on the topic “Young Adult Literature Saves Lives.”
I’ll talk more about this next week, but for today, a couple of “teaser” slides from our presentation.
THE PROMISE OF BIBLIOTHERAPY
When a teen asks a librarian for “books about anxiety” he means “stories” he can relate to, not clinical studies, according to a recent School Library Journal article.
Teens see themselves in these fictional characters and know that they are not alone.
“I want to see myself in the books I read, and I want others to see themselves represented, too.”
They can speak about tough topics through the safety of these fictional characters.
“Through literature, I am free to say what I want and be who I want to be.”
Quotes taken from recent article “Mental Health and Books: Teenagers Speak Out www.theguardian.com.
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THE TAKE-AWAY: INSIGHT AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS
In Crazy, Laura learns to value:
Talking rather than keeping secrets
Finding a creative outlet
Being proactive towards getting better
Naming the beast
In Kiss of Broken Glass, Kenna learns:
That she is not alone
Self-harm can be an addiction
That there are coping strategies –
“937 things to do instead of cutting”
And hope is a powerful thing
Teachers and counselors, we hope you will agree that books like ours can be life-saving conversations starters in the classroom. I hope to share some of your input from today’s presentation on next week’s blog!
Congratulations to Debi Johnson who won Tamar Jackson's book, 265 Point, and Judy Pierce, who won Carin Siegfried's The Insider's Guide to a Career in Book Publishing. Thanks to all who participated.
