Ghost Stories For Middle School Readers.

Who doesn't like a good scare every now and then?   Even the weak of heart sometimes seek  a little thrill when it comes to creepy noises, howling night winds, and other things that go bump in the night.  Halloween is the perfect time to dust off old favorite tales as well as be introduced to new ones.  For Middle school readers  (5-8 grade) giving them a book that is a treat can be quite tricky.    Halloween themed picture books are no longer intriguing as they were when they were younger.  Their view of the holiday has changed in many ways.  For example, in the choices they make in costumes.   They go from being a princess or policeman when they were in preschools  to zombies and Freddie Kruger when they are in middle school.  These readers have grown up and are ready for horror/mystery books.

    R.L Stine has done wonders for young readers' seek the horror thrill.  His work is brilliantly done in style that is easy to read and scary enough for young readers, inviting them to stay for one more page turn.  Kids will devour these books and ask for more.  While Stine is awesome, there are a few other writers that are just as entertaining and introduces young readers to another style of writing.


Ray Bradbury is best known for his adult fiction.  In his long list of accomplishments,  his books written for children are often overlooked.  The Halloween Tree is an example of one of his best horror/fantasy books for children.  The story is familiar to readers in that it begins with the holiday traditions that every young reader  can relate to.  Eight little Trick-or-Treaters go off for a night of fun but find themselves in spooky surprises that they won't soon forget.  The suspense keeps the readers entranced and not overly frightened. 


The Ghost of Saturday Night, written by Sid Fleishman,  is not a Halloween story but it does fit provide the eerie feeling that fans of the holiday know all to well.  It has every eerie Halloween backdrop that one could hope to find. Everything from dense fog, strange visitor to town and raising a man from the dead.  Not any old man but a famous robber.   Can all this really be true? Opie is not sure, he has a health dose of skepticism that leads him to the truth.  As the story unfolds, readers will be delighted at the outcome and even more so that the ghostly plot is as thick as the fog in the story.

  Once in awhile, a book comes along and becomes an instant classic.  The reader feels this from the very first line to the very last period.   The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is such a book.  This unusual tale won the top prize in children's literature winning the Newberry Award in 2009.  By far, this book is the most imaginative, sensitive and captivating ghost story of our generation.  Gaiman's cast of characters, ghosty and otherwise, leap off the pages inviting the reader into an unseen world that is surprisingly very nonthreatening.  Clever details throughout the book are rich, leaving an impression on the reader that this ghostly reality may indeed exist.  Gaiman's other works include Coraline which is just as imaginative as this instant classic.   Both books will satisfy the  horror/fantasy reader looking for something different.

On this Halloween night, why not suggest to the middle school reader in your life  to spend the rest of the evening than with a ghost story or two.   As a matter of fact, it could be the beginning of a wonderful tradition.  Or at least give a really good excuse for young readers  to curl up with a book after an evening of successful   trick or treating.

Libraries Are Relevant ...Part Three Getting Down to Business

When asked what does a library provide,  the most common answer will be books.  In terms of marketing this is what would normally be called the library's image or "brand".  While librarians should not complain about the brand, which has served libraries well over the years, something more should be added to give it depth.  What are in books?   Entertainment in the way of stories and poetry.  Education in the form of information.  Both of these elements bring positive changes to a person's life.  In this last post  of this series, the biggest surprise for readers to find out how libraries not only change lives but also change to the local economy.  How?   Public libraries across the country have formed specialized collection to serve businesses and entrepreneurs. 


It is a natural fit that libraries fill this need.  After all most small businesses don't have the time or the money to invest in costly business resource.  This is where libraries fill in the gap quite well.  From everything from stock performances to forms for filing for a new business. Established businesses can find a valuable asset in a business librarian who can guide the research process or provide the services where information is gathered for the business patron. Entrepreneurs will find that the business collections have databases, journals, and forms that every new business should be aware of in the planning stages of opening a business.   Most libraries will provide free  meeting rooms, providing a private and professional place to meet with clients.  (Some libraries will charge a small fee for using the meeting space, but most often it is cheaper than what is available from hotels or other conference venues.)


 In addition to that,  libraries  offer networking and informative workshops to bring leaders of local business together to share expertise, success stories of opening a business or the pitfalls of business ownership.  It is a positive outreach that directly impacts the local economy.  Chamber of commerce have taken notice of these types of library services, and will often promote them on their websites.  City halls have followed suit to promote the gems in their libraries, as an incentive to lure businesses to open their doors in within the city.  This can be quite enticing to perspective homeowners as they see a city growing with new businesses.


Books, databases and workshops are all wonderful but once in awhile some libraries get creative.  Social media has taken communications and marketing to a whole new level.  The need to get the message out quickly has become the norm of modern business.  With that business owners need tools to create web content that will capture the attention of the intended audience.  One tool that they may need but do not have the funds for is  video equipment or perhaps a  green screen.  For a mere $80.00 libraries can purchase a green screen which allows users to place any background behind the subjects before the camera.  Think of the local weatherman.  Everyone sees the map behind him, but in reality if the weatherman were to turn and face the screen all he would see is "green".  This provides a polished look to the video, that can be uploaded to a webpage or YouTube in minutes. 


Libraries are relevant, now more than ever.   If the last three posts have not convinced library deniers,  then nothing will.  From tracing family roots to bridging the generational gap with teens to providing tools for business development  there is indeed something for everyone.  It just may be that the deniers don't need services at that this time but eventually there will be something that draws them in and they'll get hooked.  Just like everyone else does. 






 

Library Has Something for Everyone ... TEENS! (Part 2 of 3)

This series started out as a demonstration of the relevance of libraries in today's technology, mobile and fast paced world.  To many, libraries are seen as a symbol of long forgotten days when time went by slower.  According to Rassmusen Polls that is not how teens see the libraries in their everyday life.  In their eyes, life would be woefully different.  This is good news for librarians, it is this generation that will support libraries in their communities for years to come.   Coincidently,   American Library Association has designated this week (October 12 - 17, 2014) as Teen Read Week.  The theme chose for this year is focusing on encouraging teens to follow their dreams. Where else can they help make that dream come true?  It all starts at, guessed it, the library.




The public library offers a safe haven for teens to explore topics of interests, do homework and hangout with peers.  At the risk of sounding like a cheesy infomercial, "But wait there's more!" because really there is so much to offer that finding the perfect place to being is difficult. 




In recent years,   Children's/Youth Librarians have begun programs such as Teen Advisory Boards which invites teens for the community to get involved by becoming young volunteers for the library.  In these "board" meetings, teens have a chance to discuss topics of interests to them, such as books,  movies and teen library programming ideas for the library.  This is the perfect opportunity for Youth Librarians to gather information for collection development.   What are the hits in the YA world and what is it about the author/books that get the kids to want to read more?  Speaking of books, it just may surprise most how good the YA books and how teens are devouring them as if they were video games.  Just looking at the recent movie releases, Hollywood has realized that not only do the stories make for good books but for movies as well.   The box office proves this is so with titles such as The  Hunger Games,  Maze Runner and  The Giver.   This can only help the circulation of books increase in libraries across the country.


Teens can also volunteer their time for the big events at the library such as Summer Reading programs which normally spans about 6 weeks of programming.  Who better to be seen working the summer  programs then local teens who love to read?  Having said this, there has to be a trade off for teens in this venture.  Programs that are tailored just for them is just as important as those geered for children, tweens and parents.  In many cases,  teen programs can participate in innovative programs such as a spin-off of "Whose Line Is It Anyways?".  This is an improv program inspired by Drew Carey's program of  the same name.  Teens come away with clean fun and an opportunity to use  cool props and be creative.  Parents take note:  This is a wonderful way for teens to earn community service for high school graduation requirements as well as a safe place for teens to hangout.


Teens should also take advantage of the opportunity to prepare for college prep  tests such as ACT and SAT.  There are plenty of exam books that help with the type of questions that are typically asked.  Teens should ask their school librarians as well as public librarians if there are ACT/SAT exam study days at the library.  It may be surprising that libraries are already providing these programs as well as self-help exams available electronically through databases.  (An example of this is MEL -- Michigan Electronic Library, most state libraries have something similar to this)


Teens have found that the technology at the library is not out of date as most would like to believe.  For many, homework assignments would have never been completed if it hadn't been for the local library making available a computer lab.  As stated in other posts,  the internet is just the tip of what is offered through the computers.  Databases.  Word processing.  Powerpoint and so much more.


It can be said that it is the teens that will dictate how the libraries will be used in the future.  After all they are demonstrating right now what they want, need and how they  use the library.  As adults,  this should be a lesson in looking at things with fresh eyes.  How does the old saying go:  Everything old is new again. 

Library Has Something for ... Genealogy.

Family history can be found in many places.  Old photo albums.  Grandma's attic.  Stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.  These heirlooms are treasured to be sure but if looking deeper for family history, look no further than the local public library.  Surprised?   If thought about logically it makes perfect sense.  The library is a place of discovering the past, present and future.  Along with that, there are trained librarians who know where to begin looking for the important information such as birth certificates,  army records, census  or maps of old neighborhoods. 

One of the best places to dig deeper into family history is the public library.  It is amazing what tools are available now to make the research easier and faster.  One important fact to remember is that many older records and maps have not made it yet to digital form.  It can be due to may factors, one of which is that the original copy is so old that it will not transfer well.  No fear.  If the document is in existence, it is either in the local history section of the library or is available through other forms such as interlibrary loan or document retrieval.   It may be surprising to many, but librarians who specialize in genealogy research have training beyond the traditional Master's Degree.   Some are Archivists, which is a specialty in itself.  All genealogy librarians have the opportunity to go attending yearly workshops in Salt Lake City, Utah to brush up and learn of new tools that will help their patrons.  It is a fascinating area of study when it comes to research and serving a specialized cliental at  the library.

The library can offer more than just the books and electronic resources.  They offer peer support.  Many public libraries that offer genealogy research provide genealogy workshops to bring in speakers who will give tips on finding information for specific cultural groups, for example Italy or Ireland.   This gives newbies who want to learn more a chance to ask the questions that will propel them in the right directions.  It also is wonderful for peer to peer advice.  Many of genealogy searches  often trade their  "secrets" with other liked minded searches in hopes that by helping each other they may find a missing clue to their family's past.  Of  the more interesting items to be found in some library collections are old maps of neighborhoods.  Even if genealogy is not the tree for everyone to climb but  finding a bit of history of the neighborhoods can be eye opening  for many library patrons.

For those who wonder where to start and are a little timid to go to the library to begin asking questions, why not try searching the library's website.  There links will be found that can direct inquiring minds to the best sites available.  Two favorites. that appear on many library's sites are Anscestory.com  (the library version), which is also available for private subscribers and usgenweb.org, a free government resources that is a valuable too to searching records from County Clerks office across the country.  That is just the iceberg of what they can offer.  If one "geeks: genealogy, it might be a considered a pilgrimage to the Library of Congress in D.C.   There a novice or advanced genealogist will find tons of documents related to family research that local libraries dream about.

What many patterns often find fascinating is that quite often yearbooks from the local high schools are donated to the local library as part of the local history section.   It is not uncommon for someone visiting the area where grandma grew up to stop by the library to see if they can find the long forgotten high school photo of their loved one.  It is a treat to see the smiles when the long sought after picture is found.


Libraires are not just about books.  They are about history and the preservation of the stories that need to be shared from one generation to the next.  The next time someone says, "who needs a library?"  the answer could be  those who are looking for their past.  There is something for everyone.