Kristina Naftzger

Teens, several months ago, I wrote a ground-breaking mullet-inspired (yes, the hairstyle) article about Young Adult resources at A.K. Smiley Public Library. It was a business up front, party in the back situation, in which I described some academic databases the library offers (the business), followed by a couple thrilling book recommendations (the party).

This month, I am shunning all business and just want to focus on the party, but I’m not sure what kind of haircut metaphor applies. A French braid? No, too stuffy. A flat-top fade? Too disciplined. A comb-over with a pony tail? Yes! That is the most party-ready hairstyle imaginable. Please read on to experience the world’s premier comb-over-with-a-pony-tail inspired article—a.k.a. an absolute party—in which we consider some very cool library resources that await your discovery.

First, let’s talk about drivers’ licenses. Do you want one? Do you need one? Do you dream of getting one? If you are nervous about the written portion of the driver’s test, oh teens, buckle your seatbelts and start here! The Library recently partnered with Driving-Tests.org to provide free unlimited access to the official California driver’s manual, online practice tests for car, motorcycle and commercial driver’s licenses, an exam simulator, and more. Start taking the practice tests when you are 12 and have nothing to fear…you’ll be a pro by your sixteenth birthday!

Teens, of course I am joking. Even if you’re already 16 (or even older), this free resource is sure to help you master the rules of the road so you can tackle your written driver’s test with confidence. Take this resource for a spin from the Teens’ page of the A.K. Smiley Public Library website at www.akspl.org/teens, no login required. And what could feel like a bigger party than being a safe and informed driver? Very comb-over-with-a-pony-tail worthy.

Okay, okay, I hear you. You don’t want this party to end. Well you’re in luck. The Library currently offers another digital resource that you may want to check out immediately. SkillShare is an awesome online platform that provides access to thousands of creative courses, taught by industry experts, on all kinds of topics, ranging from animation to creative writing to graphic design to web development. Usually, access to this resource costs money. This is where the comb-over-with-a-ponytail comes in. Right now, if you use the link from the eDatabases page on the A.K. Smiley Public Library website (www.akspl.org/elibrary/#edatabases), you may activate your prepaid account for three months TOTALLY FREE.

As I mentioned, there are thousands of fun and potentially career-boosting courses to choose from. Here is just a tiny sampling of classes that caught my eye: DJing for Beginners, Pet Portraits, Write Your Own Screenplay, Art Journaling, Social Media Marketing: Top Tips for Growing Your Followers and Going Viral, Indie Filmmaking, Stop Motion for Beginners, and more. If you’ve ever dreamed of producing a stop-motion indie documentary about your surprisingly successful side gig selling still-life portraits of your Chihuahua, this is the resource for you.

Teens, don’t adjust your comb-over-with-a-ponytail just yet. I have one more party to share with you. The Calm Room, produced by the Rosen Teen Health and Wellness team, is pretty much what it sounds like…a virtual place to visit when you need to relax. A puppy play room cam? Yes, they’ve got it. Soothing fireplace sounds? Sure. Peaceful forest walk videos? Of course. Links to mindfulness and meditation apps and support hotlines? Affirmative. Wait, you don’t think this sounds like a party? Teens, please think with your comb-over. Sometimes the only party you need is a quiet one that allows you to re-center and catch your breath. You can access The Calm Room—and all the serenity it has to offer—from www.akspl.org/teens.

There you have it. You may now comb out your comb-over, release your pony tail, and start reveling in these digital resources immediately. And if you’re on Instagram and your parents approve, follow us at akspl_teens for all the late-breaking YA library news and events. We promise to keep the comb-over-with-a-ponytail content coming.

Teens, I’m wildly excited to be writing to you at the start of Black History Month! But before we get into the recommendations, I have to confess I feel conflicted about squeezing the celebration, seeing, and learning into a single puny month. Real steps toward equality require daily attention and action, and thus let it be officially proclaimed that the following YA books can absolutely be enjoyed year-round.

While “The Awakening of Malcolm X” by Ilyasah Shabazz (Malcolm X’s actual daughter) and Tiffany D. Jackson is a historical fiction account of Malcolm’s early adulthood, specifically the time he spent in prison before his emergence as a national leader, it doesn’t feel glossy or oversimplified the way some historical fiction can. The authors immerse readers in this period in Malcolm’s story with grit and nuance, avoiding a reductive hero/villain edit that sometimes happens with big historical personalities.

The book is a rowdy ride of vulnerability and rage, swagger and self-doubt, despair and determination, and even though you may already be familiar with the outline of Malcolm X’s life, there are plenty of unexpected opportunities to connect with his in-between experiences, experiences that defined how he related to the world when he eventually, in the author’s words, woke up. “The Awakening of Malcolm X” offers an intimate look into the “origin” story of a fraught public figure, humanizing Malcolm in a way a Wikipedia article can’t.

Teens, I went through public schools, college, AND a graduate degree and despite all that decrepitness, only relatively recently became aware of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Why? Brandy Colbert’s “Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre” considers that question. The book describes the context of the massacre and the experiences of the people who endured it, and equally troubling, examines the near erasure of the event from public consciousness. What starts with a history lesson on how the state of Oklahoma came to be, evolves into an unflinching look at what it meant to be Black in America in the early twentieth century. If you’re trying to fill your own historical gaps on the subject, “Black Birds in the Sky” is a useful place to start.

Twenty-three-year poet and activist Amanda Gorman knows how to deliver goosebumps. If you haven’t already heard or seen her perform her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” you’re in luck, we have both the physical book and eBook incarnation at your disposal. Gorman’s poem plants its feet in the real world while still glimmering with hope for a better one, and Gorman herself shines as an artist and a leader.

If, like me, you’re obsessed with looking for trustworthy biographical info on intriguing people like SZA, bell hooks, Steph Curry, Frank Ocean, Patrick Mahomes and more, you definitely don’t want to miss the Gale Biography in Context Database, one of the Library’s eResources available from the Teens page of the A.K. Smiley Public Library website (www.akspl.org/teens). It’s like the scholarly version of Extra! From Stacey Abrams to Zendaya, this database offers reliable details about over 500 notable African Americans (and counting) from history and today.

Other YA titles you may want to check out:

“Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People” by Kekla Magoon

“The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” by Jeanne Theoharis

“When They Call You a Terrorist: A Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World” by Patrice Khan-Cullors

“Paul Robeson: No one Can Silence Me” by Martin B. Doberman

These books may fall under the wide and impressive umbrella of Black History, but they are also about leaders, traumas, resilience, courage, and joy. If you’re interested, they may expand/reinforce/challenge/change/reflect your perspectives in meaningful ways. And of course, you have all year to read them.

Teens, is it just me or do you feel like food is everywhere at this time of year? Like, right after I swallow my last slice of pumpkin pie, somebody’s showering me with gingerbread and gelt. Perhaps I am alone in this observation, but before I can wipe the mashed potatoes from my sticky fingers, I have eaten an entire yule log.

All this to say that food is on my mind, and so I am compelled to tell you about several food-adjacent YA titles you may wish to scarf down this month. Let’s dig in…

Okay, okay, “A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow” by Laura Taylor Namey only refers to a beverage in the title, but don’t be deceived, there are plenty of food references throughout to make your stomach growl. Lila, 17-year-old wonder chef, does not want to go to England. But after her boyfriend breaks up with her, her abuela dies, her best friend ditches her, oh, AND she has a full-on mental meltdown, Lila’s parents decide she needs a change of scene. They send her to stay with her aunt in Winchester, England. The moment Lila steps off the plane, she starts counting down the days until she can return to her beloved Miami home and her life as a baker phenomenon…that is, until she meets the charming, funny, motorbike-driving tea-shop clerk Orion and his artistic, quirky group of friends.

As Lila takes over the kitchen at her aunt’s inn, she slowly begins to imagine her life away from Miami, and what it may mean to heal from the traumas of her previous year. If you enjoy romances that include the English countryside, Cuban pastries, self-discovery, and a little spice, you may want to carve out some time to devour this one.

I have a confession to make about my next recommendation, Kelly deVos’ “Eat Your Heart Out.” I did not want to read this book. It’s a zombie novel, and zombie novels aren’t typically my thing. I forced myself to choke down the first chapter because the book had the word “eat” in the title and (kinda) went with my theme. Hmmm, it wasn’t bad. I kept going. Breaking news: I think zombie novels may now be my thing.

The premise of this book is straightforward. Featherlite is a camp for overweight kids, and Vivian, Allie, Sheldon, Paul, and Rachel have all been sent there to take advantage of an incredible new scientific method for losing weight. The problem? The miracle cure seems to be turning the campers into flesh-eating zombies.

While this book is full of electrifying action—every chapter ends in cliff-hanger fashion—it’s also a profound social commentary on the business of diet culture and the damaging, dehumanizing effects of what the author calls “fat-phobia.” The characters are deep, complicated, and they kick butt. Each takes a turn narrating the heart-pumping story, which results in a fast-paced, insightful ride that will leave you turning pages well past your midnight snack time. Warning: if you love happy endings, you may want to pass on this one.

If neither of these titles made your mouth water, consider one of the following YA specials:

“The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling” by Wai Chim

“Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet” by Laekan Zea Kemp

“A Pho Love Story” by Loan Le

“The Cupcake Queen” by Heather Hepler

“Butter” by Erin Jade Lang

“Puddin’” by Julie Murphy

“Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food and Love” edited by Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond

All of these titles and more can be found in the Teen Underground area of A.K. Smiley Public Library, and several are available as eBooks through OverDrive. I wish you extra helpings of adventurous reading (and eating) in the month ahead. At the library, you are always invited to come back for seconds.

Teens, this week is Banned Books Week, a time when libraries across the U.S. affirm and celebrate your freedom to read. Every year, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom releases a list of its top ten most challenged books for the year and guess what? Young adult titles invariably dominate the charts. Congrats, teens (ha)! Last year was no exception. YA titles like “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas all made last year’s list.

The truth is, these books (and many, many others) may indeed contain parts that offend you. They might use language or deal with topics that make you cringe. They might very literally say things that hurt you. It’s not that librarians think every book ever written is worthy of praise and your time. We find some books offensive, even repulsive, and we might secretly wish no one would read them.

But (and this is a big “but”) we do believe that you should be able to seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction, a.k.a. enjoy what’s called intellectual freedom. It’s one of the core values of librarianship. We believe that it is your job/privilege/responsibility, in collaboration with your families, to determine what is right for you to read, and we believe that about every single person. And because everyone is different, with different values and different political viewpoints and different thresholds for revulsion, we resist censorship in all its forms. Basically, library workers are like glasses-wearing superheroes who passionately defend your right to read things that might make you sick (just kidding, we don’t all wear glasses). You’re welcome!

All that being said, let me tell you about some frequently challenged YA books that you may or may not want to read to celebrate this year’s Banned Books Week.

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, it’s relatable, and according to the American Library Association, it gets challenged A LOT for several reasons, including “profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author.” This book definitely offers an opportunity for you to check in with your family and decide if it’s a good fit for you.

The story is about Junior and his life on—and off—a Spokane Indian Reservation. When Junior leaves the “rez” to attend and play basketball at an all-white high school across town, he finds himself stuck between two worlds, and rejected by both. Junior is a victim, an outsider, a hero, a ruffian, a survivor…a lot of the identities many of us experience in high school, but on an exponential scale. If you like books that wrench your guts but still leave you hopeful, then this book might be one you are relieved to still find on the library shelf.

“All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely, another of last year’s most challenged books, is a story told from two perspectives. Rashad is sixteen when he is mistaken for a shoplifter at a corner store. The situation quickly escalates, misinterpretations ensue, and he is fiercely beaten by a police officer. Quinn Collins, Rashad’s classmate, witnesses the scene, but feels conflicted about coming forward with the truth about what he saw, as the police officer is a close family friend.

Tensions boil as calls of racism and brutality echo through the community. This book explores the agonizing effects of one violent moment from the points of view of two American boys. According to the American Library Association, “All American Boys” was on this year’s Top Ten Most Challenged list for “profanity, drug use, and alcoholism and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be ‘too much of a sensitive matter right now.’”

Teens, in the American Library Association’s “Freedom to Read Statement,” they list a series of propositions designed to help librarians and publishers understand how to best protect your freedom to read. They write, “We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.” We wish you free reading in the days ahead and trust you to think critically, even about those titles you decide to put down.

For more information about Banned Books Week, visit www.bannedbooksweek.org.