Your Ideal Reader is At the Library, a guest post by I A M Watson

Hey, I see you, fellow book nerd and introvert. I’m not a regular librarian; I’m a cool librarian! When I was a kid, my children’s librarian affectionately called me a “library rat” because I tried to hide at closing time so I could finish my chapter. Now, I’m the Library Director at Ionia Community Library in Iowa, and I cherish my library rats now. In my library, I just go by India.

I’m also the exceptionally mysterious, brooding, and spooky novelist behind Camp Effigy: A Ghost Story, which is a brand-spankin’-new middle-grade ghost story set in a haunted summer camp. In my books, I go by I A M Watson.

Camp Effigy: A Ghost Story was inspired by a bone-chilling (cold, not scary, that is) New Year’s Day hike through Pike’s Peak State Park where I saw an Effigy Mound for the first time. I wanted to tell an engaging scary story for teen girls about the Indigenous legacy embedded across North American land. Camp Effigy, at its core, is a tale inspired by America’s dark past, which is taught in an age-appropriate and engaging way. 5% of profits from Camp Effigy: A Ghost Story go to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center to help end violence against Native American women.

The spark for Camp Effigy really ignited last year, during a Young Writers Group meeting for tweens, teens, and young adults at my library. Two of these kids (including my 10-year-old daughter I’m proud to announce) received multiple writing awards before I ever did. It was a little bit of a shock when I discovered that the perfect readers for my spooky stories all hang out at the library. They wrote flash fiction scary stories inspired by creepypasta.

Disclaimer: if you’re a kid, please ask your parents before you search up creepypasta. Some of these stories still haunt my nightmares.

In an effort to bring these Effigy Mounds into classrooms and libraries, I’ve put together free downloadable PDF lesson plans for educators that can be used with or without using Camp Effigy as a classroom companion. If you’d like to check out the free lesson plans, visit https://authoriamwatson.com/author-visits.

I think it’s time to spill the ink on how authors, librarians, teachers, and parents can get together to create unforgettable experiences for young readers. Here are my four favorite actionable ideas:

Beef Up Your Book Club: Let’s kick our book clubs up a notch! Teachers, parents, librarians collaborate to create a secret society that enjoys immersive stories, crafts, and snacks. (The password is “bookworm.”) How incredible would it be to host a surprise guest for the final meeting, and introduce the author arrives to answer questions and give out book-related swag? We can foster more than increased literacy, but also a lifetime love of learning and reading by coordinating themed experiences that sink into their psyches.

Author Takeovers: Authors, you introverted lot, please, PLEASE reach out to schools and libraries to make appearances! Connect and interact with local students and patrons who will become your best fans and friends. Librarians! Don’t hesitate to host authors multiple times to celebrate your local authors’ new book releases, awards, and other milestones. Take the opportunity to connect with the community and draw inspiration from face-to-face interactions with the readers nearby. I will share a PDF that you can customize, print, and send to schools and libraries you’d like to visit. It will mean so much to the readers who get to meet you!

Immersive Literary Events: Whether you’re a teacher, librarian, author, parent, or kid, you can help organize a literary event. Book clubs, storytelling nights, and writing contests can make the library a place to connect and have fun.

Family Reading Nights: Host regular family reading nights where parents, teachers, and librarians come together to encourage reading at home. This creates a supportive network for young readers. Reading is a difficult skillset in a world that demands attention elsewhere, even for older kids. Celebrate even small reading accomplishments for the kids in your life!

As the dust settles from a tumultuous period where middle-grade fiction faced neglect on booksellers’ shelves and Goodreads turned a blind eye to their value, we have to come together in our own community to promote middle-grade lit. Whether you’re a passionate author telling stories that resonate with young minds, a librarian striving to curate the perfect reading haven, or an educator championing literacy, you can nurture the love for reading and writing in the young minds around you. Your ideal reader isn’t just waiting at the library; they’re ready for us to start the party. Let’s make some noise, break down some boundaries, and show the next generation that reading and writing are tools for an inspired life!

Thank you to Teen Librarian Toolbox for giving me this lovely soapbox from which to shout, and thank you, dear reader, for being a part of this movement in children’s literature!

If you’d like to get in contact with me, shoot me an email: iamwatson@authoriamwatson.com

Visit my website: www.authoriamwatson.com 

Connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/authoriamwatson

Pick up a copy of Camp Effigy today: https://amzn.to/4azS28A

TLT Note: I A M Watson has included a packet of PDFs for authors who want to connect with libraries for author visits. We have attached them as downloads below.

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