Kristina Naftzger

Teens, it’s easy to think the things that happen in our lifetimes have never happened before…that the events we experience personally or collectively are ours alone, totally unique to our time, and hazardously unmapped. While it’s true that names, dates, and details change, several Young Adult nonfiction books I’ve read lately have convinced me of another weird truth: so many current events are iterations of things from the past. When you peek behind the 21st century costumes, you sometimes find a lot that looks uncannily familiar.

Before we jump into this week’s titles, I encourage you to talk to your parents about the books you read to decide what may be a good fit for you. I understand and honor that not every book is for every reader, and recognize how important it is for you and your family to make informed decisions about all the media you consume, including library books. With that, let’s get into it!

“America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History” by Ariel Aberg-Riger is nothing like your history textbook. To tell you the truth, it’s unlike any book I’ve seen before. It approaches major topics in American history from a non-linear standpoint, one that explores the idea that time is cyclical, “a continual, ever-evolving relationship, not a series of isolated, fixed points on a line.”

What starts as a mind-bending premise (but one that is rooted in Native American, African, Chinese, Indian, Celtic, and Mayan philosophies), reveals that there are dots to be connected in American history. Aberg-Riger does this through visual storytelling; she uses a series of riveting collaged illustrations—that include historical photos, documents, maps, and hand-lettered text—to dunk you into an unblinking look at American history, suggesting connections you may not have previously considered.

This can’t be sugar-coated…many of the events the author explores are emotionally difficult to process. But looking at them through the author’s eyes did not leave me in despair. They actually gave me hope, illustrating the ways we have collectively clawed through challenging and divisive times before, the ways we are resilient, and ultimately, the truth that power resides in the people.

Candace Fleming’s “The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh” is another title that exposes echoes between our past and present. I went into this book knowing just the basics about Charles Lindbergh…he was a celebrity American aviator whose baby got kidnapped. Fleming fills in all of Lindbergh’s messy details: a person who accomplished incredible mechanical feats for his time, while simultaneously allowing his obsession with eugenics to push him into racist beliefs that would lead to his public downfall. The book opens with a rowdy scene from one of the “America First” rallies Lindbergh headlined in the first half of the 20th century, and it was easy to imagine a similar scene unfolding today, close to one-hundred years later.

Teens, will you allow me a moment to get philosophical? I hope you said yes. These books got me thinking about a phrase from the preamble of our Constitution (you know how it is when you can’t get the preamble of the Constitution out of your head…I’m sure this is a very common phenomenon).

“…in order to form a more perfect Union…”

The delegates included the phrase “more perfect,” acknowledging in our most significant foundational document, that the Union was not, nor may ever be, perfect. How inspired and non-defensive it is to say “more perfect,” allowing room for self-reflection and flaws and evolution. It feels very patriotic to me to look critically at the past to discern a “more perfect” path forward. These books, that shine lights on some troubling times and complicated individuals from our past, remind me to feel deeply grateful you have the right to disagree.

Teens, you didn’t ask, but one of my favorite quotes is by playwright Anton Chekhov: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” It gives me shivers! I’m not even a fan of Anton Chekhov (apologies to Anton’s estate), but as someone who loves to read and sometimes enjoys writing, I find myself staring at those glinting shards and considering the magic of good writing.

If this is something that also gives you shivers (a.k.a. you enjoy writing, thinking about ways to make your writing glint, and/or staring at broken glass), I have good news. We’re starting a teen writers’ club at A.K. Smiley Public Library in February and we would love for you to join us. What is the name of this club? I don’t know. What will we do at this club? I don’t know. Is it even a club? I don’t know. This is a brand-new club, and the beauty of brand-new clubs is they can be anything we want them to be. They can even NOT be a club!

Have I enticed you yet, teen writers? Has telling you absolutely nothing piqued your interest? Then come help us figure ourselves out! Our first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, from 7:30-8:30pm, in the Teen Underground (the lower level at A.K. Smiley Public Library).

In the meantime, if you are looking for ways to electrify your writing, you may wish to check out the following Young Adult nonfiction titles, all, of course, available from the Teen Underground area at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

“Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write” by Victoria Hanley offers helpful tips on the writing process, from character development to spiffing up your final draft. As I was thumbing through this book, I read all of the author’s advice and immediately threw this whole article in the trash and rewrote it. Did I do a good job? You will only know if you check out this book.

“Dare to Write: Creative Writing Prompts for Young People and Word Rebels Everywhere” by Kristen Fogle delivers what the title promises…so many fun ideas to get your ideas and writing flowing. The book is organized by genre, and readers are invited to jump around. There are character worksheets, scene-setting prompts, dialog tools, and so much more, including what the author calls “story starts,” like this one: “She didn’t start the fire. But she knew who did…” This book may or may not show up at our first teen writers’ club meeting.

If you’re already an established teen writer (I know you’re out there!), you may want to take a look at “Writer’s Market,” found in the Adult Nonfiction and Reference sections of the library. This book is a comprehensive guide to getting your work published, including thousands of updated listings for book publishers, magazines, contests, literary agents, and more. There’s even a book dedicated just to writing for kids called “Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market,” if writing for young people is more your vibe. Definitely study these titles and put yourself out there if this is your dream! Of course, you will be expected to dedicate your first book to me, but that seems a small price to pay.

Well, teen writers, I hope I have somehow convinced you to join our brand-new teen writers’ club (which may not be a club), in spite of providing you zero compelling evidence about why you should. While I can’t promise there will be any broken glass, there will definitely be a playful spirit of creativity, support, and self-expression while offering space to share ideas and projects. I leave you with the words of poet (and genius) Emily Dickinson, which can be applied to writing your own truth.

Tell all the truth but tell it slant—

Success in Circuit lies

Too bright for our infirm Delight

The Truth’s superb Surprise

As Lightning to the Children eased

With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually

Or every man be blind—

Emily Dickinson

Kristina Naftzger is a Youth Services Librarian at A.K. Smiley Public Library. Some days she finds writing fun. Other days, she finds it torture. She finds Emily Dickinson a genius every day.

Teens, good news: I’m not dying. Well, I am, eventually, but for now, it seems my demise isn’t imminent. Why am I telling you this? For the last several months, I’ve felt an unmistakable heaviness in my chest and on my shoulders. The most logical explanation, of course, was that I was about to croak. As it turns out, there was no need for funeral arrangements…I was experiencing anxiety.

If you are feeling like this, I definitely advise a professional medical assessment (librarians aren’t trained to rule out real impending doom), but after I figured out the source of my discomfort, I did what any book-lover would do…I turned to my trusty Young Adult (YA) novels.

The YA titles below all feature characters who also experience anxiety in one form or another, and while the library does offer nonfiction and online resources with more instructional “how to deal” perspectives, these novels help in another way…they make you feel less alone.

In “How to Pack for the End of the World” by Michelle Falkoff, 16-year-old Amina is obsessed with, well, the end of the world. School shootings, democracy in peril, climate change, violent threats against her synagogue, these are all things keeping her up at night…like, all night…like, every night. When her parents decide to send her off to a private boarding school to help her re-set, little do they know she is going to connect with a like-minded gang of activists, whose doomsday preparation club uncovers a mystery none of them, despite their mutual fixations on the future, could have predicted.

In Jennifer Dugan’s “Verona Comics,” 17-year-old Ridley’s social anxiety is so intense that a mere “hi” from a pretty girl in an elevator can send him into panic attack mode. It doesn’t help that his domineering dad, the owner of comic store giant The Geekery, is forcing him to work FabCon, a massive comic convention that is frying his every nerve. But when he meets 16-year-old Jubilee at the FabCon Prom, the sparks that fly between them seem to make it all worthwhile. That is, until Ridley’s dad hatches a plot to take over Jubilee’s stepmom’s indie comic shop and enlists Ridley as a spy.

Ahhhhh! Star-crossed love interests, comics, and mental health? This is such a good one! It bounces back and forth between Ridley and Jubilee’s perspectives, and includes a diverse cast of characters who are as likeable as they are authentic. Two anxiety-laden thumbs up!

“You, Me, and Our Heartstrings” by Melissa See is another satisfying read if you’re in the mood for love with a side order of stringed instruments. Seventeen-year-old Daisy and Noah share a common goal: they want to get into Juilliard, the prestigious performing arts college. They’re both enormously talented musicians, and when they get paired to do a duet in their school’s holiday concert, they know this might be their shot to attract the notice of the Juilliard admissions team. Sounds like a slam dunk!

But, no! Of course not, fellow readers! What kind of boring novel would allow a slam dunk?

Unfortunately, besides orchestral talent, Daisy and Noah share something else in common: they’re both coming to blows with inner turmoil that could sabotage a stellar performance. Daisy has cerebral palsy, a condition she totally accepts, but wishes wasn’t the only thing people saw when they look at her. And Noah is trying to hide his immobilizing anxiety, fearing that he will never live up to his prodigy-filled family’s expectations.

What happens when two people come together, one who feels like the world only sees her disability, and the other whose disability is invisible to a fault? I’m going to need another set of thumbs because you know what? I’m putting two more up for this book.

Finally, if you’re looking for more immediate anxiety relief, don’t miss the “Calm Room” link, curated by Rosen Teen Health and Wellness, from the Teens’ page of the library’s website: www.akspl.org/teens. There you will find everything from relaxing waterfall sounds to guided meditations to live sea otter cams. Get ready to, temporarily at least, let a sea otter soothe you the way only a sea otter can. Most especially, teens, know that if you are experiencing anxiety, you are not alone. There are so many of us! Let these YA books, that don’t judge or demand, comfort you in their small ways, and gently guide you, like they did me, away from your imagined deathbed.

Teens, undoubtedly you have noticed a national election is quickly approaching. While elections are always contentious, the recent past has witnessed some of the wildest contests to-date, and with an explosion of unreliable news sources slithering around the Internet and social media, it’s easy for important issues to get muddied. One of those issues is immigration. It confuses me! I didn’t want to be swayed by generalizations rooted in anxiety and fear, so I set out on a mission to inform my opinion using Young Adult (YA) literature as a starting point.

While I didn’t expect these YA books to clarify any complicated policy arguments, I did hope to humanize the issue with stories about human beings, some real and some fictional, that would help me avoid seeing immigrants through a single, threatening lens. Even if you’re not old enough to vote in this election, you’re definitely old enough to think about important things, so I’m sharing my reading list if, like me, you’re interested a fuller perspective.

It all started with Thien Pham’s Young Adult graphic novel memoir “Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam.” First of all, it’s a graphic novel, a format that excels at conveying nuance and emotion because, of course, the story isn’t limited to words. Illustrations are so layered and revealing! And graphic novels are so speedy and fun to read! (Ad break for graphic novels over, back to the book.) “Family Style” follows Thien’s experiences as a kid when his family fled Vietnam in the late seventies and landed in a totally new world: Northern California.

Thien’s young life, which swings from traumatic episodes (his boat to the Songkhla Refugee Camp was attacked by pirates!) to moments of exhilarating triumph (the girl he has a crush on enters his family’s video store!), is remembered in the context of food; each chapter is titled with the dish that defines that specific time in his life, from bánh cuốn to steak and potatoes. If you want to satisfy your inner foodie while simultaneously opening your eyes to the whiplashing experience of leaving everything you know behind—or if Thien’s story resonates with you—order up a serving of “Family Style.”

In “Breathe and Count Back from Ten” by Natalia Sylvester, seventeen-year-old Verónica feels like she can’t do anything to satisfy her overprotective, Peruvian-born parents. It doesn’t help that she has hip dysplasia, a medical condition that makes moving around in everyday life painful…except when she’s in the water. When an opportunity arises for her to audition for her dream job performing in her town’s local attraction, Mermaid Cove, she knows her parents will think it’s a waste of time, and worse, a waste of their sacrifices. Nor will they understand Verónica’s budding feelings for her new, cute neighbor (understatement).

Sometimes you arrive at inflection points in your life; points that force you to decide whose dreams you’re going to follow…yours or someone else’s? So many relatable issues bubble to the surface in “Breathe and Count Back from Ten”…check it out if it sounds like something you may be into.

You may also want to add “Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card” by Sara Saedi and “An Emotion of Great Delight” by Tahereh Mafi to your reading list if you don’t want to stop here. Even though I definitely still don’t know everything there is to know about immigration in the context of politics, I’m glad these stories are now with me to help me resist fear and recognize connection. We hope you’ll come find stories, on any topic, that help you do the same.