On Sunday, this blog shared a letter from Ellen Oh on why We Need Diverse Books more now then ever.  The various librarians who write Free for All are big fans of diversity in books.  In the past, we’ve written posts about overall diversity in books and diversity in the horror genre.  We’ve also shared reading suggestions for books that deal with race and the experiences of refugees.

Why are we such cheerleaders for diversity around here?  Is it because we serve a wonderful, diverse community and we want to represent all of our patrons through our collections and our recommendations?  Yes.  Do we see it as the library’s responsibility to be a place (physical and digital) for everyone?  Yes, we do.

And there’s more.  We also firmly believe that books, literature and stories can offer our world something it desperately needs: empathy.  If you’re a reader (and if you are reading this blog, it’s probably a safe bet that you are), you won’t need science to tell you that books can help you understand the lives and experiences of those who are different from you and therefor cultivate empathy.  But it can be easy to fall into reading ruts where we read books that are about people just like us or that confirm our world view.

The We Need Diverse Books campaign targets the world of children’s and young adult literature, where there is a desperate need to ensure that our young people see themselves, those like them and those completely different from them on the pages of their books.  Their mission is an important one and so I urge you to support it by checking out diverse books from the library and sharing them with children and teens.

But there’s overwhelming evidence out there that children and teens aren’t the only ones who could use more empathy in their lives, so I would also urge our adult readers to make a concentrated effort to read diverse books.  If you need some help finding books for yourself or for the young ones in your life, here are some great places to try:

For the past two years, We Need Diverse Books has recognized outstanding children’s and young adult literature with the Walter Dean Myers’ Award.

The Pura Belpre Award is given to children’s books written by Latino/Latina authors and illustrators.

The Coretta Scott King Award is for African-American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults.

The American Indian Youth Literature Awards are given to books that are by or about American Indians.

Arab American Book Awards may be given to books in the categories of adult fiction, adult non-fiction, poetry and child/young adult books.

In addition to giving out awards, the Jewish Book Council also provides book reviews, support for authors and book group recommendations.

For readers looking to add books with LGBT themes to their reading repertoire, there’s the Over the Rainbow List of adult books compiled by the American Library Association’s LGBT Roundtable.  The Stonewall Awards are given annually to fiction, non-fiction and children’s and young adult titles and the Lambda Literary website provides ongoing reviews, author interviews and other news from the LBGT literary scene.

When considering what constitutes diversity, of course, you must consider race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.  But as Lisa Lucas of the National Book Foundation encouraged Americans yesterday during an interview with NPR, don’t forget to also seek out books that will give you “protracted engagement” with those people who have radically different political views than you do too.  For those on the liberal side of the political spectrum she suggests Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschild and for conservatives, her pick is Between the World and Me by Te-Nehisi Coates.  If books can indeed help us better understand those on the other side of the political divide, than reading them right now could be an act of great patriotism.

Because we want to help our readers with the ongoing task of identifying great diverse books that are worthy of their time and attention, we are launching a new Pinterest board this week dedicated to diverse books.  (Check out our Pinterest Primer to get instructions on how to follow this and all our Pinterest boards).  Right now the board is small, but we are eager to see it grow, so we’d like your suggestions for books worthy of a pin.   We’re looking for books that encompass all types of diversity (racial, religious, ethnic, sexual and gender, cultural and political).  E-mail your picks for diverse books for kids, teens or adults to me at mrobinson@noblenet.org and I’ll make sure they are added.  I can honestly say that reading diverse books has made my life richer, my perspective wider and (I hope), my personality more empathetic.  And I wish the same for all of you.

Last week one of my lovely coworkers here at the West and I were discussing an author for whom we share a mutual admiration.  She mentioned a title I hadn’t read by this author and proceeded to bring me a copy.  With a tissue inside.

The more I read of Patricia Polacco’s books, the more I’m convinced that the library should probably provide our readers with tissues to go with most of her books.  If you haven’t yet discovered her work, she is a prolific author and illustrator of picture books.  Don’t let the picture book designation turn you off.  As I read more and more of Polacco’s work I increasingly feel like her books can and should be enjoyed even more by adults than by children.  Her books are often inspired by stories from her own life (like Thank You, Mr. Falker), stories she hears when she does school visits (like Mr. Lincoln’s Way) or, my personal favorites, family stories that have been handed down to her.

My maternal grandmother was an accomplished storyteller and her forte was family stories.  Although my family’s narrative is quite different than Patricia Polacco, her picture books give me the same feeling that listening to my grandmother’s stories always did.  Since November is National Picture Book month it seemed appropriate to devote today’s Wednesdays @ West to some of these lovely books.  So here are my Top Five Patricia Polacco Books for Adults:

The Blessing Cup is the story of the author’s great-grandmother’s escape from Russia after her Jewish family had been ordered to leave the country.  Anna’s family must leave almost all of their possessions behind, but they manage to bring with them a  tea set that has always brought special blessings to their family.  This book is both a timely reminder of the reality of life as a refugee and a life-affirming look at what can be accomplished through the kindness of strangers.

The Keeping Quilt is a companion to The Blessing Cup.  Anna’s family has arrived in the United States after their perilous escape from Russia.  Her babushka is one of the last things Anna has to remind her of home. When she outgrows it, however, her mother turns it and other family members’ clothes into a special quilt that is handed down through the generations and witnesses many special family times.

Skipping ahead a couple of generations, Betty Doll shares the story of yet another of Polacco’s family heirlooms.  The titular doll originally belonged to Patrica’s mother, Mary Ellen.  After Mary Ellen’s death,  Patricia discovers the doll and a letter her mother had written to her.  Betty Doll accompanied Mary Ellen through many of life’s ups and downs and now, as “Trisha” mourns her mother’s death, she finds that Betty offers her a similar comfort.  I’d recommend this tear-jerker to anyone who loves or misses their mother.

Even though she is an author for children, Patricia Polacco does not hesitate to tackle the big, sad stories of  history.  In addition to writing about her family’s refugee experience, she shares the story of her aunt’s experience with the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation of France in The Butterfly.  Monique is just a child, but has learned to fear the Nazi soldiers who have taken over her hometown.  The reality of their brutality is not lost on the young girl when she sees them drag off a beloved shopkeeper and crush a butterfly for sport.  But when Monique befriends a Jewish child, who is hiding in her home, she and her new friend’s child-like ways can’t help but put two families at risk.

With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, I can’t think of a better time to read Pink and Say.  Pink and Say are two soldiers of different races, but both are fighting for the Union cause.  One young solider, a former slave, rescues another and brings him home to convalesce.  The rescued soldier was Patricia Polacco’s great-great-grandfather and this piece of family folklore was handed down through generations.

While I’m not quite yet ready for holiday books, I also want to mention, as a bonus, that if you’re looking for a charming Christmas story this year, I’d suggest you take a look at An Orange for Frankie.  This is (in my humble opinion) the best of several Christmas stories written by Polacco.  Frankie’s family is celebrating the holiday during the Great Depression, but financial hardship and bad weather don’t deter this family from holding fast to their traditions, while pulling together as a family and embodying the very best of the Christmas spirit.

One reviewer on GoodReads described reading one of Ms. Polacco’s books as a “luxury” and that’s just how they feel to me.  Reading her books feels like wrapping yourself in a quilt on a cold night and drinking a cup of tea.  Just make sure you bring your tissue box with you.

I had a perfectly nice blog post planned for today’s Wednesday @ West.  But when I got to work this morning, a brief conversation with my co-workers relieved that we are all feeling a rather high level of anxiety over the upcoming election.  My gut told me that we are not alone.  A quick Google search confirmed my suspicion.

The American Psychological Association recently asked about election related stress in their annual Stress in America Survey.  They found that a majority (52%) of Americans are finding this year’s election to be a “somewhat” or “significant” source of stress.  And the stress is not limited to voters from one party.  The APA is so concerned about these results that they have published recommendations for Americans to cope with election stress.

It occurred to me, dear patrons, that the library has much to offer our stressed out compatriots during and after this contentious election.  So I put aside my original post idea to offer you an additional ten suggestions to help you cope with political (or any other kind) of stress.

1.  Read books.  I’m not just being biased here.  Science backs me up.  Studies have shown that reading is the best and fastest way to lower stress levels.  It works faster and reduces stress more than any of the other ways that were studied.  And you don’t need oodles of time for it either.  Just six minutes of reading can reduce your stress by 68%.  Personally, I find books that I have fond memories of from my childhood are best at reducing my stress levels.  For me, those books include Anne of Green Gables and Little Women.  When I took an unscientific poll on my personal Facebook page, I got a long list of books that my friends and acquaintances loved as children.  In fact, I got so many responses that will have to be a whole other post in the future.  But here are just a few: Winnie the Pooh, James and the Giant Peach, Bread and Jam for Frances,  Heidi, Little House on the Prairie series, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, everything by Dr. Seuss and Charlotte’s Web.
2. Talk about books.  If you’re anything like me, the lack of civil discourse in this election is one of the most upsetting parts.  If you need a reminder that we, as Americans, can still have polite discussions about something, stop by one of the library’s book groups.  No matter how fervently we disagree about the literary merits of a title, we promise we’ll keep it polite!
3. Drink tea.  Unsurprisingly perhaps, it is a British study that confirms what tea lovers have long believed: drinking a cup of tea can reduce your stress.  For a real Stress Relieving Triple Play, come to the West Branch’s next Literatea, where you can find books to read, talk about books and drink tea.  As a happy coincidence, the next Literatea is actually taking place on Election Day, so once you’ve done your civic duty, put it out of your mind and treat yourself to some relaxation.
4. Do yoga.  Even the Wall Street Journal has suggested that Americans will need some stress relief after tonight’s final presidential debate.  They are imploring readers to forgo debate drinking games and instead turn to yoga.   You can register for the West Branch’s next yoga series, but if that’s not happening soon enough and you need some emergency yoga, check out Yoga Sparks: 108 easy practices for stress relief in a minute or less by Carol Krucoff
5. In a similar vein, tai chi is a great stress reducer.  The Main Library frequently runs six week long tai chi classes.  If you can’t make it one of those, however,  Sunset Tai chi: simplified tai chi for relaxation and longevity by Ramel Rones can help you get some of the same benefits.
6. Help others.  Volunteering can reduce stress and lower your blood pressure.  At the library we love helping you help others.  This Saturday, pop by the Creativity Lab and put your sewing skills to good use with Sewing to Empower Women.  If the sight of a sewing machine would add to, instead of decrease your stress levels, consider volunteering as a Conversation Circle leader.
7. Learn something new.  The British National Health Service has reported that lifelong learners have an increased ability to cope with stress.  And lifelong learning is our passion at the library.  Our raison d’etre, so to speak.  Check out our Event Calendar for all your options, but if you’d like my suggestion, I’d check out 20th Century American Poetry, which happens to start tonight.
8. Immerse yourself in music.  Ah yes, music, both listening to it and making it can certainly sooth the soul.  Whichever way you prefer to de-stress, we’ve got you covered.  If you prefer to be carried away from your cares by listening to some great music, check out the library’s Fall Concert Series.  There’s a performance with Sweet Wednesday this coming Monday at the Main Library.  If making music is more your speed, check out the Sound Recording Studio in the Creativity Lab downtown.
9. Make art.  A study at Drexel College found that even if you’re terrible at it, making art reduces stress levels.  This is another area where we’ve got you covered.  If I were you, I’d check out the almost limitless possibilities for making art in the Creativity Lab.  And if you’d like some books to further inspire your creativity, check out this recent list.
10. Have fun with your kids. Indiana University Health reports that having fun with family can reduce stress.  We’ve got all sorts of help for this one.  First, what is more fun than story time?  Bring your kids and settle in for some great picture books, songs and crafts.  Or if you (like me) love playing with Legos, you could attend a Family Lego Day.  Or you could check out the Autumn Story Walk currently on the Bike Path at Lt. Ross Park in West Peabody.  The Story Walk is yet another Stress Relieving Triple Play since it combines family fun, reading and a nature walk.

As the APA’s recommendations remind us, no matter what happens on November 8th, life will go on.  Until then, my fellow readers, we wish you as much peace of mind as possible and remind you that the library’s here for you no matter what happens!

Today, September 21st, is the International Day of Peace.  The United Nations tells us that today: “provides an opportunity for all humanity to come together, in spirit and in action, to forward the ideals of and conditions for peace.”

The Libraries for Peace movement is encouraging libraries of all types to host events and celebrate the ways that our institutions foster peace.  I firmly that libraries build peace in a lot of ways.  As I write this blog post, West Branch patrons are in our community room taking a yoga classes and building some inner peace.  Around the world, libraries help educate people about how to build a more sustainable world.  But my personal favorite way that libraries encourage peace is a traditional one: libraries connect people with books and stories.

In the fall edition of The Horn Book Magazine, author Christopher Myers offers a heartrending take on the violence that occurred recently in Orlando.  His ruminations brought tears to my eyes, but also offered hope as to how stories can help bring about a different kind of world: “Violence strips away the personhood of those who are affected by it, reducing our humanity.  Narratives like the ones we steward, as storytellers and people who care for stories, return people to the fullness of their selfhood.  This is the revolution we can effect.”  If you find yourself inspired to join this peaceful revolution, here are a few books that can help you on your way.

Defining Peace

When it comes to books about peace, I make no distinction between books for adults, books for teens and books for children.  Peace, as complex and elusive as it is for us adults, lends itself particularly well to the inspiring, simple and beautiful way many books for children are written.  We “grown-ups” often even have trouble agreeing on a definition of peace.  To solve that question, I will refer you to a book that I read regularly to my ten month old boys: The Peace Book by Todd Parr.  Peace, Parr tells us, is not particularly complicated.  It lies in making friends, helping your neighbor, sharing a meal (especially  if it’s pizza), thinking about those you love and growing a garden.

Also shelved in the children’s section but desperately needed by us adults are Peace is an Offering by Annette LeBox and The Forgiveness Garden by Lauren Thompson.  Written after 9/11, the former is a poetic and visual reminder of the roots and value of peace.  The later is the story of little children leading the way to peace by planting a garden (perhaps this is the type Todd Parr means) in their village that has been torn apart by violence and hatred.

Working on Inner Peace

The Dalai Lama certainly has his share of insights into peace and he tells us “Peace in the world relies on individuals finding inner peace.”  If you need a little help finding inner peace and translating it into outer peace, take a look at Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong.  With detailed and practical steps outlined, such as learning about compassion, looking at your world, learning how to speak to others and so forth, Armstrong takes a big topic, learning how to be compassionate, and makes it seem manageable, if not easy (step twelve is loving your enemies).

Heroes for Our Time

When you find yourself doubting the plausibility or effectiveness of making peace, you need to find some Peaceful Heroes to inspire you. Jonah Winter pays tribute to some of the greatest peace makers throughout history, including Jesus, Clara Barton, Corrie Ten Boom and Oscar Romero.  For another collective biography of the icons of peace and a hopeful history of the nonviolent resistance movement in general, you may want to try  After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance by Anne Sibley O’Brien.

A few of my personal peace heroes are also worth reading about.  If you think the transcendent father of children’s television, Fred Rogers, just wore sweaters and sang cheesy songs about self-esteem, take a look at Michael Long’s biography Peaceful Neighbor.  Long argues convincingly that our favorite television neighbor was actually a radical pacifist.

Speaking of people who are radically and bravely pursuing peace in the modern world, I would be beyond remiss if I did not mention the autobiography of the world’s youngest Noble Peace Laurette: Malala Yousafzai.  I am Malala is yet another reminder that if a young person, after being shot by the Taliban for insisting on a girl’s right to education, has the courage to continue to work for peace in the world, we, as adults, have little excuse not to do our part.

By and large the books I’ve discussed in this post are nonfiction.  But perhaps one of the best ways we can promote peace on a daily basis is to read and share fictional works.  It’s a scientifically proven fact that reading fiction builds empathy.  If you consider that empathy is surely one of the crucial building blocks of peace, it should be concerning to you, as it is to me, that fewer American adults are reading literature.  If we are ever to achieve the goals of the International Day of Peace, we must all become a little (or a lot) more empathetic.  So, dear readers, whether or not you ever pick up one of the peace themed books I’ve highlighted today, I sincerely hope that you’ll continue to make literature part of your life.  Read some bestselling fiction.  Read popular books to your children and grandchildren.  Give works of fiction to children, teens and adults as gifts.  Perhaps best of all, read a novel about someone who is completely different from you in terms of race, religion, country of origin or socioeconomic status.  And then tell a friend about it.  Write down the title for them.  Talk about the books that have inspired you and changed your perspective on the world.  Do it today and tomorrow and forever.  Do it for yourself; do it for the world; do it for peace.

Anyone who works with me, follows me on Goodreads, talks to me regularly about books or comes to Literatea will know that I have a number of quirky reading interests.  I simply cannot read enough about tiny houses, nuns, the Amish and … midwives.  And if a book combines more than one of these, well than, it is pretty much guaranteed a top place on my To Read list.

My fascination with midwife literature (Is that an actual genre?  If not, I guess I just created it) was, most unusually for me, inspired by a television show.  In 2012 when I was going through my annual television slump after a season of Downtown Abbey ended, I saw that PBS was debuting another British period piece first aired by the BBC.  Call the Midwife sounded intriguing and I tuned into the first episode.   Immediately, I was hooked.  The series was originally based on the memoirs written by Jennifer Worth about her experiences as a midwife in the East End of London in the 1950’s.  Worth worked with an order of nuns midwives (are you starting to see the appeal?) to deliver babies in a poverty stricken section of London.

I have eagerly followed the Call the Midwife series through five seasons.  The television show has moved beyond the material covered in Worth’s memoirs and the plot lines are now created solely by an extremely talented group of writers.  Even if you don’t share my peculiar interest in nuns and midwives, I can tell you that you will fall in love with the wonderful period details, the gripping stories and the amazing array of characters in the show.  If you don’t trust my recommendation, you may take heart in knowing that the show has the enthusiastic endorsement of a number of ladies who regularly attend Literatea!

Once you’re hooked by Call the Midwife, you will undoubtedly want to delve deeper into the world of midwives.  Here are some reading suggestions to help you along the way.

First, even if you watch the show, Jennifer Worth’s original three books are well worth reading.  Many of the stories she tells are told in the first few seasons of the show, however, Worth’s first person versions add a richness and detail that will deepen your appreciation of the midwives, nuns and families of the East End.  You may also want to consider listening the audiobooks.  Nicola Barber’s narration is excellent and brings out the humor in the many bittersweet stories Worth tells.  By now I have watched, read, listened to and rewatched these stories and the tales truly never get old.

If you find yourself pulled in by the real life aspect of Call the Midwife, there are a number of other good memoirs written by midwives.  One of the first I read was A Midwife’s Story by Penny Armstrong.  Armstrong trained as a midwife in Glasgow and then worked as a midwife for many years to an Amish community in Pennsylvania.  Her recollections provide a fascinating glimpse into both the world of midwifery and the lives of her primarily Amish patients.

Another midwife turned author is Patricia Harman.  She has written two memoirs.  One, Arms Open Wide details her early adulthood, living in rural America, becoming a mother, living in an eco-concious commune and becoming a midwife.   The other, The Blue Cotton Gown shares her later life when she and her husband open a women’s health clinic, where she continues to “catch babies.”

Interestingly, Harman did not stop writing once she had shared her own adventures in midwifery.  She followed her memoirs up with two novels: The Midwife of Hope River and its sequel, The Reluctant Midwife.  Although fictional, these stories share much in common with Call the Midwife.  While thoroughly American, they have a strong sense of both time and place.  Midwife Patience Murphy serves her Appalachian community during the Great Depression, but like the midwives of East End London, she battles poverty and the prejudices of her time, while still serving soon-to-be mothers with a fierce determination.

While my favorite midwife books, both novels and memoirs, are period pieces that combine the stories of both the midwives and their patients, I still found The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth quite enjoyable.  Set in the current day and focusing more on the relationships between a daughter, mother and grandmother, this novel of three generations of midwives offers an interesting look at three women who approach their midwifery work vastly differently.  It also tosses in some compelling family secrets just to keep you reading.

What all the memoirs and novels featuring midwives that I’ve read have in common is their portrayal of strong women rallying to help other women on their journeys to become mothers.  The stories are often heartrending, but almost always beautiful too.  And definitely worth reading.  I was pleased to discover that there is another season of Call the Midwife coming in 2017, but until then I shall continue to seek out and revel in books about midwives.  Feel free to join me!

If you are anything like me, when a current event topic hits the national stage that you feel woefully under-informed about, you may start compiling a reading list.  Books help me conceptualize the big things in life and, hopefully, I walk away from my reading with a deeper understanding of the complexities of an issue and greater empathy for those who the issue affects on a personal level.

Which is why I wanted to offer some suggestions to our blog readers for books that can deepen their understanding of racial issues in America.  This, however, is not my area of expertise and while any librarian worth her salt can do an extensive literature search, I wanted to pull in some additional brain power.  So one of my fellow bloggers kindly reached out to a professor at Northeastern University to ask for her reading suggestions.  The professor directed us to two hashtag syllabi.

If you don’t know what a hashtag syllabus is, you aren’t alone.  They are a new to me as well.  And how I do love new book-related things!  Librarian of Things, Mita Williams, has explained them this way: “These syllabi are the collective efforts of many people who are sharing and recommending works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction articles and book-length works, as well as scholarly articles and theses. They are doing so in the pursuit of a richer, more complex, and more nuanced understanding of each other and the issues we face both alone and together.”  Now I have a rather conflicted relationship with social media, but that does sound simply wonderful to me.  Crowd-sourced book lists?  Count me in!

The two syllabi our academic expert suggested are #blacklivesmattersyllabus or #lemonadesyllabus.  These resource guides alone could provide you with years of race-related reading, viewing and listening, but for our purposes, I’ve selected just a smattering of fiction and nonfiction to highlight.  As ongoing projects, hashtag syllabi are continually growing so if you want to follow their evolution, you can do so on Twitter.

What Crazy Looks Like on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage.  After revealing that she is HIV positive, jaded with love, Ava returns to her hometown in Michigan for what she believes will be a brief stay only to find herself pulled into the life of pregnant teenage girls and a man with a complicated past.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.  By now, this novel of Janie Stark’s life and relationships in black communities in small southern towns is considered to be another modern day classic.

Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker.  Best known  for her novel, The Color Purple, here Walker takes on female gentile mutilation through the story of Tashi, who escaped the practice as a child only to submit to it as an adult in the hopes of reconnecting with her heritage.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs.  First published in 1861, this remains one of the few slave narratives written by a woman.

Letter to my Daughter by Maya Angelou. This collection of short essays combine stories of Angelou’s personal experiences with her often hard-won life advice.

A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown.  Life seems to have thrown Brown all of its worst: the death of a mother, physical and sexual abuse, abandonment, gangs, prostitution, drug addiction.  Yet her story ends on a hopeful note as she details how she overcame all of this and became a lawyer and motivational speaker.

As a final note, if you are looking for books to suggest to or, even better, read and discuss with the teens in your life, the Hennepin County Library compiled a list of #BlackLivesMatter Reads for Teens. 

March by John Lewis.  This important graphic novel is written by a United States congressman about his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement through marches and boycotts.

No Choirboy by Susan Kuklin.  Kuklin’s book is based on in depth interviews she did with teenage boys on death row.  These five young men’s stories reveal much about the realities and inequalities in the justice and prison systems.

Claudette Colvin by Phillip Hoose.  Less well known by far than Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin was an African-American teenager who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger and helped spark the Civil Rights Movement’s bus boycott and subsequent court case that challenged racial segregation laws.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers.  One of my long time favorite young adult novels, Monster is formatted as a screenplay being written by an African-American teenage on trial for murder.