Sophie Jordan – The Hub

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2022) Featured Review of The Cat I Never Named by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

The Cat I Never Named Audiobook By Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, Laura L. Sullivan cover art

The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess and Laura L. Sullivan; Narrated by Leila Buck
Recorded Books, Inc.
Publication date: December 29, 2020
ISBN: 9781705017708

Growing up in Bihac, Bosnia during the Bosnian War of the 1990s, Muslim teen Amra lived through unfathomable horrors, as told here in her memoir. As war looms, then goes from bad to worse, Amra describes her circumstances and actions and those of her family and neighbors. Facing potential death daily and barely able to feed themselves, a cat joins them. They need to turn it away, but when the cat seemingly saves her brother they choose to keep it around, much to their benefit over time.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, November 5 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Teen Titans: Raven (Teen Titans #1) by Kami Garcia, illustrated by Gabriel Picolo
DC Ink
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1401286231

An origin story of DC’s Raven, this graphic novel opens on a scene between Raven and her adoptive mother discussing what appears to be a recent shocking revelation when their car is hit. Her mother dies and Raven is left with amnesia. Raven is taken in by her mother’s estranged sister and cousin. Raven has to re-learn who she is while navigating high school while being pursued by a demon.

Teen Titans: Raven stars a well-known character. The excellent artwork, and intriguing characters make this a quick read.

Those who like YA DC graphic novels such as Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle will like this. Also a great entry book for those wanting to check out YA graphic novels starring women. Continue reading Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, November 5 Edition

Get Creative with YA Lit

create_ credit_lorrainesantana — image by flickr user Lorraine Santana

Do you know the feeling that comes sometimes when you finish reading a really great book, the one in which you don’t want the story to end? You can always hope for a sequel or a companion novel. If there is a film adaptation, you can experience the world, again, there. Or you can keep the world alive by creating something yourself.

I recently attended the DML2014 conference in Boston and found myself surrounded by people passionately talking about ways to interact with digital media. As a blogger for The Hub, I immediately focused on the ways that people were using these programs and communities to create content based on YA books. This also tied in well with last week’s Teen Tech Week theme of DIY @ your library. Below, I have listed a handful of ways that youth and adults are taking their favorite stories and making something new.

Create a Program

One of the tools that was frequently mentioned at DML2014 is Scratch, a web-based programming tool that allows users to create and share games, videos, and stories. I searched Scratch for projects related to popular YA titles and found a wide variety of program types including interactive quizzes and games, slideshows, and still image fanart. A few examples include a Divergent Aptitude Test Simulation, Snape’s Potion Game (Harry Potter), and The Mortal Instruments: Downworld Attack game. These users have found a way to continue interacting with books that they enjoyed while also learning how to code computer programs. Scratch is only one of a number of options available in this area, too. Continue reading Get Creative with YA Lit