One Conference, One Book

Start reading local author Will Weaver's young adult novel Defect, winner of the Minnesota Book Award, in preparation for the annual state conference November 19-21. To quote his website,

"Maybe it was bad karma. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the reason, fifteen-year-old David was born defective. His bug eyes, pinched face, and hearing aids are obvious, but there is a secret David keeps from everyone, even his foster parents. Because of a thin layer of skin hidden under each arm, David can fly–well, glide is more like it. Terrified of doctors, wary of letting down his guard, David is determined to hide his secret at any cost. But then David meets Cheetah, a girl whose own defect doesn't diminish her spirit, and suddenly his life begins to take wing. In this arresting new novel, Weaver creates an unforgettable character on the path to discovering that some blessings can be a curse–and some curses a blessing. "

• [E]erie cover and enticing premise will draw readers in for a big payoff.—Booklist.


• [P]rovocative novel."—VOYA(Voice of Youth Advocates).


• This story is incredibly touching and powerful, and honest. . . .—TeensReadtoo.com.


• [A]touching story that has a lot to say about whether we wear our bodies or they wear us.—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

Author Commentary: This novel has much to do with some time I spent at the Mayo Clinic as a thirteen year old. I had a facial injury (my nose) which took some fixing, and that feeling of being disfigured (temporarily) stayed with me. Defect also has to do with the literary issue of the young adult "problem novel." Nowadays, fictional realism has hit a wall in terms of problems to explore; that is, the problem under investigation had better be really interesting!

• See Will Weaver on Thursday morning Nov. 20th from 7:00-8:00 a.m. at the Sharon J. Lerner Lecture Fund Breakfast where he'll speak about "The Value of Children's Literature and Children's Publishing."


• Immediately after that from 8:00-9:15 a.m., attend the One Conference, One Book Discussion of Defect.

RART @ MLA Conference

RART @ MLA Conference November 2008



WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
8:30-10:00p.m.
MLA Business Meetings:
Readers Advisory Roundtable (RART)
Happy Hour
place to be determined



THURSDAY November 20


8:00-9:15 One Conference, One Book Discussion: Defect
(RART, CYP, PLD, ARLD)
The One Book, One Conference session is a joint effort between the Readers Advisory Round table and MLA’s president to choose a title for the MLA community to read. The session offers an opportunity to discuss the book amongst ourselves and with its author Will Weaver. Discussion questions and information about the author will be provided at the conference and also will be found on the MLA Website.
--- Jody Wurl, discussion facilitator, Hennepin County Library


10:00-11:15 When Love Hurts: Taking the Pain Out of Romance RA
(RART, RASS, PLD)
Romance can be an awkward genre to conduct RA in for both
librarians and patrons. This session will give attendees a crash
course in the Romance genre and some of its more popular
subgenres, examine the genre’s popularity and reader base, give some tips on making the library and reference staff more user-friendly for romance readers, and feature a discussion with some popular local authors. Attendees will come away with several tools for future use: a list of romance resources for librarians and patrons and assorted annotated reading lists to use with patrons.
---Jennifer Brannen, Library Associate, St Paul Public Library


1:30-2:45 50 in 75 Book Talks (RART, PLD, CYP, LMRT, RASS)
The Readers Advisory Round Table presents 50 titles (or more) in 75 minutes. Take five librarians, ask them to talk about 50 titles in 5 different areas, and it’s book heaven! We’ll cover new and interesting titles and maybe one or two old favorites in Romance, Literary Fiction, YA, Mysteries, and WWII. RA is one of the toughest and enjoyable aspects of librarianship. Whether you are a daily or occasional practitioner of RA, we all can use new titles to share with our patrons. We just can’t read everything, so book talks like this help spread knowledge.
-- Jennifer Brannen, St. Paul Library; Sarah Nagle, Carver County Library; Barbara Pierce, St. Paul Public Library; Jody Wurl, Hennepin County Library; with Angie Noyes, Washington County Library as moderator.


3:30-4:45 Inspirational Fiction (RART, PLD, RASS)
Can’t think of what to recommend in this specific genre? Come to this session designed to be an in-depth introduction for librarians to Christian/inspirational books with highlights on key authors and book talking of popular titles in this genre.
-- Sharon Hinck, author and Jody Wurl, Hennepin County Library




FRIDAY November 21


9:30- 10:45 Jumpstart RA (RART, PLD, RASS)
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the myriad of new reader's advisory tools available? Are the mile-long waiting lists for recent bestsellers leaving library patrons discouraged? Are you tired of weeding wonderful titles because they get lost in the stacks and simply don't circulate? Join us for a discussion on how to promote your library's fiction and nonfiction backlist using a variety of simple, inexpensive, indirect RA tools: booklists, displays, websites and much more.
--- Katherine Stecher, Readers Services Division, Rochester Public Library