TLA 2019 Roundup, Part 1

This past week I attended the TLA (Texas Library Association)Annual Conference and I live tweeted a few of the sessions I went to so that I would have notes. You can follow the links below if you would like to read the recaps.

Session 1: Deconstructing the Myth of Girl Books and Boy Books

In one of my earliest sessions, I listened to a panel discuss the harm that we do when we classify books as girl books or boy books. This was one of the best conversations that I have heard and I feel it is an important topic. Thread:
https://twitter.com/TLT16/status/1117876555252813824

Okay I’m going to be tweeting The Myth of Girl Books and Boy Books for you from #txla19. @zieglerjennifer @pacylin and more are here to talk about how all books are simply books, they have no gender— Teen Librarian Toolbox (rocks!) (@TLT16) April 15, 2019

Session 2: How to Make a Diverse Kit Lit List

Another informative session I attended talked specifically about how to go about the process of building a diverse (or inclusive) kid lit list. You’ll want to click through this to see the handout provided by Chris Barton. Thread:
https://twitter.com/TLT16/status/1118246993451724800

For thos interested, I will now live tweet this session in How to Make a Diverse Kid Lit List at #TXLA19 pic.twitter.com/037mbND6Uh— Teen Librarian Toolbox (rocks!) (@TLT16) April 16, 2019

Session 3: Tackling Touch Topics in Middle Grade

Another informative panel I attended talked about tough topics in middle grade fiction. Many of our kids are indeed living lives that are considered “tough topics” and it’s important that we include their reality in their literature to help them process and give them hope. Thread:
https://twitter.com/TLT16/status/1118165876837167105

Okay today I’m going to be live tweeting the session in Tackling Tough Topics in Middle Grade. It starts in about 8 minutes. @TonyAbbottBooks @JoKnowles Aidan Salazar Kate Allen and Jen Wang are the panelists.— Teen Librarian Toolbox (rocks!) (@TLT16) April 16, 2019

Session 4: Investing in Reading Lives All Year Round

Having recently gotten my hands on a copy of Game Changer! by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp, I was very excited to get to hear them speak. The laid down a lot of truths and were both very inspiring. Thread:
https://twitter.com/TLT16/status/1118601105506750469

At this session now with @donalynbooks & @colbysharp and I will try and live tweet highlights but also I highly recommend reading their book Game Changer! pic.twitter.com/qF9XnLPoHK— Teen Librarian Toolbox (rocks!) (@TLT16) April 17, 2019

Session 5: Scholastic Lunch with A. S. King

You all may be aware that The Teen and I are huge fans of author A. S. King and her books, so I was honored to attend a Scholastic luncheon where I got to hear her speak. She spoke specifically about mental health issues and their impact on the lives of teens and highlighted that our kids are in crisis; it’s worse than we realize because so many of our kids are struggling with un-diagnosed mental health issues. I thought she said 17% but she corrected me online and it is 70%, 70% of mental health issues go un-diagnosed and untreated. Then author Kelly Barnhill pointed out that the crisis will grow exponentially because there is a shortage of qualified psychiatrists to help address the mental health crisis facing our youth.

.@AS_King: We can’t look at stuff straight on. So I like to put it in my fiction because I’m tricky.

Depression is a million different things. 17% of teens have an undiagnosed mental illness. 5-11 age group is being massively effected by mental illness.— Teen Librarian Toolbox (rocks!) (@TLT16) April 16, 2019

In addition to attending a lot of great, informative sessions, I also learned about a lot of upcoming books. I’ll try to put together a post of some of those in a part 2.

Filed under: Uncategorized