this week's reading list

Just as Long as We're Together, Blume
Sahara Special, Codell
The Misfits, Howe
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Konigsburg

Gender Blender, Nelson
The Golden Compass, Pullman
The End, Snicket (from A Series of Unfortunate Events)
The Egypt Game, Snyder

The Mysterious Benedict Society, Stewart
Maniac Magee, Spinelli
American Born Chinese, Yang (graphic novel)

I work at a small Jewish community library that shares space with a K-8 school library. Instead of shelving and processing new books this morning, I've been tearing around the school part of the library, gathering "tween" books to read.

As an elementary school teacher, I am primarily used to evaluating books based on a child's reading level. Reader interest is important too, of course, but I'm not used to this territory of encountering content that is potentially too mature for a reader. I'm beginning to think that selecting books for tweens, perhaps more than with any other age group, requires us as educators and librarians to really know our readers.

Fortunately, these are my selections, and I'm fairly certain I'm mature enough for Judy Blume. Though, truth be told, Artemis Fowl stayed on the shelf because I might be too wimpy to handle it. We'll see if I make it through The Golden Compass...