Oscars Display, February 2012

Oscars Display, February 2012

Okay, I will admit... I am a HUGE movie buff.  I even met my husband while we were working part-time at a movie theater.  In the days before babies, I would make sure I saw every film nominated for best picture, and then I would host an Oscars pajama party.  Now, I'm lucky to catch anything other than the latest Pixar release in theaters, BUT I do still LOVE MOVIES.  So... every year I make an Oscar display in my library.  One year, I hosted a contest: Kids could pick up ballots from my display, fill them out, and return them to a ballot box.  The student who had the most number of correct picks for the winners won a bookstore gift card.  This year, because I've started circulating DVDs, I placed the display next to my DVD rack and added some movies to the display as well.

Blind Date with a Book Display, February 2013

"Blind Date with a Book" Display, February 2013

At the end of January, one of my best student volunteers came to me with a picture she had seen online of a book display featuring covered "mystery" books for patrons to check out.  Maddie wanted to create the same kind of display in our high school library.  Excited to have such a motivated and creative library assistant, I put her to work!  She selected and covered the books.  I just assembled the sign and display and then added the balloon as a final touch.  Maddie then made a guest appearance on our high school's morning news show to promote the display.  

While we were getting this display ready, I was very excited to see a ton of other librarians sharing their own "Blind Date with a Book" displays on the YALSA listserv!  Feeling very lucky to be a part of a profession that shares their ideas with such generosity, I was inspired to create this display page on our blog so that display ideas could be shared.

Historical Fiction Display: Teens From Other Times

Historical Fiction Display: Teens From Other Times, November 2012

This display was inspired by YALSA's "Popular Paperbacks" list from way back in 1998.  We included some of their titles and then added some of our own.  There seemed to be a lot of historical fiction titles in my most recent book order, so I thought this would be a good way to feature them.

                                     

Title Twins Display, November 2012

Title Twins Display, November 2012

This display was sparked by a discussion and titles that were shared on the YALSA listserv.  The idea is to feature 2 separate (sometimes VERY different books) with the same title.  I was surprised by how many there were!  My library secretary is the genius behind all of my display signs, so credit must go to her.

New Fiction Display, November 2012

New Fiction Display, November 2012

The first display that students see when they walk in my high school library is the round table on which I usually display brand new fiction titles.  This type of display was influenced by my years of working for a major bookseller.  New books were always merchandised on a round table at the front door, and so I use the same strategy in the library.  I use a box placed under the fabric to create a second tier in the middle of the table.  Stacking books underneath a displayed title allows me to display larger quantities of books.  When I stack them like that, I try to group similar titles together (mysteries, supernatural, etc.).

What's Cooking? Display, November 2012

What's Cooking? November, 2012

Our display sign and several "props"

We were inspired to do this display by one of the 2011 Popular Paperbacks lists on the YALSA's website.  We then added some of our own titles to fill the display.  We like to use fabric on our counter-top displays to add a little warmth.  We also always include a sign to describe the display and the types of books featured.  Occasionally, as in this example, we are able to add some fun props!  In this one, I brought in some measuring cups, an old-fashioned flour-sifter, and various other cooking tools.

Veterans' Day Display: War Stories (November 2012)

Veterans' Day Display: War Stories (November 2012)

This display was created for Veterans' Day.  Our high school hosts a wonderful Veterans' Day assembly, and we always try to create a display on conjunction with that event.  We used both fiction and nonfiction.

Featured Author Display: John Green (November 2012)

Featured Author Display: John Green (November 2012)

We have a slat wall above one of our computer sections.  Occasionally, we will feature an author on that wall.  We create a poster with a photo of the author as well as several of our favorite quotes by that author.  We, of course, include the author's books.  We also include a section of "If you like..." in which we recommend similar authors or titles.  November's John Green display was a HUGE hit!!

Banned Books Week

 Banned Books Week, October 2012

This slat-wall display was created for Banned Books Week, 2012.  The book titles were collected from various online lists.  The Caution tape was donated by a friend's husband who is in the construction business.

Teen Read Week Display, October 2012

The full display

TEEN READ WEEK, OCTOBER 2012

This display was created in the high school library for YALSA's Teen Read Week.  To celebrate the event, a Chinese auction was held.  Every time a student checked out a book, he or she received a ticket to enter to win one of our baskets.  Students had the option to try for several different baskets.  Most of the prizes included books (mostly ARCs).  Some had autographed copies of books.  The library had recently begun circulating DVDs, so we included a DVD basket as well.

The Jonathan Maberry basket was a huge hit!  

Teen Read Week poster and several prize bags

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston

REVIEW BY NICKY

This book has so many elements that fall into my “favorites” category: scrapbooking, art, journaling, the 20s, flappers, New York City, Paris, etc.  This was a very new and unique concept among YA books, so it has been circulating a lot in my library and is often recommended through word-of-mouth.

The story is told through the journal of Frankie Pratt, a bright young girl about to graduate from high school.  She receives a scholarship from Vassar, but her widowed mother is unable to come up with the remaining portion of the tuition.  After a brief romance with a young man, Captain James, Frankie is able to go to Vassar after her mother ingeniously comes up with the money.  Once at Vassar, Frankie is immersed in a world of wealth, privilege, and intellectuals.  Her degree and her writing experience take her to New York City upon her college graduation, and then we follow the adventurous young woman to Paris and the exciting life of are, expatriates, and cafes, where she, once again, crosses paths with the handsome Captain James.

There is quite a lot of story here, despite the text actually appearing in snippets on the page—surrounded by art, photographs, and memorabilia.  Surprisingly, the images on the page do not draw your attention away from the story, which is a testament to Preston’s story-telling ability.  However, I did become so involved in Frankie’s story, that I find myself wanting to go back to the book to actually look at all the scrapbook elements on the pages.  Despite my joy at having found such a unique gem of a book, I was somewhat disappointed in the end.  *****SPOILER ALERT*****  I admit to feeling somewhat disappointed that, with her education and writing talent, and after all of her adventures in exciting cities, Frankie comes back to her hometown to “settle down” and marry a high school beau.  I picture Frankie married to the young doctor, staying at home, caring for her mother and a brood of children.  I am not saying there isn’t honor or happiness to be found in such a life (one that sounds quite a bit like mine—one I am quite happy with), but it just seems to me that Frankie’s character would have been discontent with such complacency.