Tales from a Loud Librarian

picture by Tom Lowenberg of Octavia Books It all started when a librarian in my district contacted me when she heard the Dark Days Tour was going to visit New Orleans this year. Five authors would be speaking on the panel:  Veronica Rossi ,  Tahereh Mafi ,  Sophie Jordan ,  Kiersten White  and  Claudia Gray .  The librarian was hoping that one of the authors might be making a school visit. The tour is a grueling week where the authors make appearances in four different cities. A school visit was not going to happen. (My colleague couldn't even attend the event herself because she was needed as a chaperone for her school's band that was marching in one of the first Mardi Gras parades of the season.) When I talked to Judith Lafitte at Octavia Books , where the event was to be held, she mentioned that she needed a moderator. I suggested one of my students (Paris Evans) could do it. She is the head of Bookmarked and is willing to jump into any...

The books by all the other authors are sitting in a stack in her room We have been gearing up for the Dark Days Tour on February 21st at 6PM at  Octavia Books . Paris (president of high school book group, Bookmarked ) wanted to share some of her thoughts on being asked to moderate the panel with visiting authors  Veronica Rossi ,  Tahereh Mafi ,  Sophie Jordan ,  Kiersten White  and  Claudia Gray . First, I asked her why she thought that I picked her for this job. She says,  "I think that you think I am a people person and would not be intimidated by the audience and the responsibility. Moderating the tour means that I had to become acquainted with all the authors' works which meant I had a lot to read to prepare. Knowing me, I think that Ms. Kahn knew this was a challenge that I would happily accept and fulfill." Then I asked her what she is looking forward to the most about this event. At first she had to stop and think, but then s...

I learned a couple of months ago that a group of young adult authors was going to be on tour together and that New Orleans and Octavia Books was one of only four stops on the tour.The authors are Veronica Rossi , Tahereh Mafi , Sophie Jordan , Kiersten White and Claudia Gray . I was hoping that at least one of them would be making a school visit then. Sadly, that was not going to happen. However, one of the owners of Octavia Books, Judith Lafitte, and I cooked up something that I think is going to be equally as exhilirating. Judith was asked to be the moderated for the group, but that is not a role that she enjoys. Together, we thought it might be exciting to have one of my students lead the discussion. Paris Evans, who is the head of the high school library book group, was thrilled when I broached her with the idea. She has taken home copies of the authors' books and plans to read as much as she can before the event on February 21st. I have offered to take her and some of he...