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Teens, I’m curious. What are your thoughts on yelling at books? Maybe I need to provide more context. Lately, I’ve gotten back into reading Young Adult (YA) thrillers, a genre that never fails to lure me in and rile me up. I don’t know if I love to hate them, or hate to love them, or just simply love them, but what can I say? I periodically pick one off the shelf and next thing you know, my booklight battery is drained and my voice is hoarse.

I started yelling at Jessica Goodman’s “The Meadowbrook Murders” on page 29. I yelled again on page 60…and 61…and then I lost count. Okay, so I’m actually yelling at the characters in the book, but still, an outsider would only observe a lady screaming at a book. The outsider would be too polite to say anything, but of course, they would be unnerved.

Meadowbrook is a private boarding high school for the kids of the ultra-rich. Roommates and best friends Amy and Sarah arrive to their Senior year elated to decorate their dorm room and have the whole campus to themselves for Senior week…and the partying that comes along with it. Things turn dark when Amy wakes up to a grisly scene…Sarah and her boyfriend slain in their shared suite.

What follows is a twisty, turn-y ride filled with alternating narrators and false leads and secrets and unexpected alliances and all the things that make a person want to yell at a book (like characters who do things anyone in their right mind who has an omniscient perspective would never do). If you need to scream, consider checking it out.

I offer “Six Truths and a Lie” by Ream Shukairy—voted one of the 2025 Young Adult Library Services Association’s “Teens’ Top Ten” by real-live teen readers—as another YA thriller against which you may wish to rail. It’s Fourth of July and the Muslim Students’ Association is hosting an Inter-school Independence Day Beach Bonfire Spectacular. When an oil rig explodes off the adjacent Los Angeles Coast, six Muslim teenagers are taken into custody as suspected terrorists. Each is keeping a personal secret, but did any of them play a role in the fatal blast? And will they turn on each other to protect themselves? This book may have you considering if the United States’ promise of “…and justice for all” applies as emphatically to all of her citizens.

Finally, a book that’s on my to-be-read list… “Unhallowed Halls” by Lili Wilkinson. Since I haven’t read it yet, I am unable to issue my “yell” guarantee, but we’re dealing with another boarding school with dangerous secrets here. Elements of magic, dark academia, secret societies and more come together in an alchemy that promises to keep us turning pages way past our bedtimes. If you read it, come let me know if I should yell at it.

All of these titles (and more!) can be found in the “New Book” area of the Teen Underground at A.K. Smiley Public Library…they’re waiting for you! I promise I won’t even look twice if I see you berating one.

Kristina Naftzger is a Youth Services Librarian at A.K. Smiley Public Library, where she sometimes mysteriously loses her voice.

The United States was founded by a population of immigrants, mostly citizens of England who left for various reasons–some to escape poverty, some to acquire land in the Americas, and some to escape religious persecution, ultimately displacing the native peoples who were here upon the immigrants’ arrival.

The concern over immigration/illegal immigration and how we handle it has been an issue throughout our history, weighing especially heavy on us of late. I thought we might examine a few of Smiley Library’s newer books on the subject to deepen our knowledge of immigration and its consequences, rather than just relying on the news sound bites that bombard us.

Let’s start with “The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers,” by Zeke Hernandez, a professor at the Wharton School of business at the University of Pennsylvania. In his twenty years of pioneering research on immigration from a primarily economic perspective, he has won multiple prizes and scholar awards. Evidence-based, comprehensive, and nonpartisan, Hernandez sets out the facts and addresses concerns about loss of jobs, crime, and undocumented immigrants, as well as those regarding the border, taxes, and assimilation.

“Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: the United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis,” recognized as an exceptional treatise by too many publications to name here, was a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2024. Author Jonathan Blitzer, a staff writer at The New Yorker, details in long-form journalism, forensic, “unprecedented” reporting on the stories of Central Americans whose lives have been devastated by chronic political conflict and violence with those of American activists, government officials, and the politicians responsible for the country’s tangled immigration policy.

Bestseller “Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear into Pride, Power, and Real Change” was written by Cristina Jiménez who grew up in Queens, New York from the age of thirteen as an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador. Living in fear of deportation and ashamed of being undocumented, she was able to access higher education when the law allowed. There she found her purpose as a social justice organizer and became the co-founder and former executive director of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country. Jiménez invites us to acknowledge the America that never was and to imagine the America that could be when everyday people come together, build power, and fight for change.

Additional excellent titles on the subject include: “Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America;” and “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling,” winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Non-Fiction, and A TIME 10 Best Nonfiction Book of 2024.

 

With a show of hands, how many of you know that August is read-a-romance month? And what better way to celebrate the month, than by visiting A.K. Smiley Public Library and checking out the following romance titles.

Do you like enemies-to-lovers romance books with fantasy elements? Then you may want to check out The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. Osric, an assassin, is in desperate need of an expert healer. As fate would have it, the healer who can help him belongs to an Order that is also his sworn enemy. Come and check out this title to see what happens in this enemies-to-lovers read.

Do you play Dungeons & Dragons and like friends-to-lovers romances? Then you will most definitely want to read Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods. Sadie, recently unemployed, is down on her luck and needs a distraction from the real world. Her distractions are Dungeons & Dragons, and Noah, another player in their campaign. Take the chance and roll the dice and check out this friends-to-lovers romance.

If neither of these titles sound interesting to you and you like retellings of classic novels with a dark romance element, then I recommend Charming Devil by Rebecca Kenney. The portrait that keeps Dorian Gray eternally young and handsome is falling apart, and the only person who is capable of restoring the painting is Baz, a descendant of Dorian’s first love. Tension and passion build in this retelling of the classic novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

As the 2025 Summer Reading Program comes to an end, we in the Young Readers’ Room are reflecting on the events of this year’s program. We are so grateful to the smart and talented kids and teens who have worked hard to give our program life over these last eight weeks. The countless books read and pieces of art created for our reading logs and Bookopoly boards have been more than wonderful. Among participants’ favorite challenges on the Bookopoly boards were the three “Create” themed squares: “draw a picture inspired by a book you read,” “write and illustrate your own mini book,” and “draw a map of the setting of a book you read.” To reference the theme of this year’s program, our world has been beautifully colored, many times over — artwork referencing familiar stories from Dogman to Fancy Nancy to Wings of Fire is currently on display in the Young Readers’ Room. While participants have rigorously tracked their books read and artwork created with the ultimate goal of winning a prize, it has been clear that motivations reach beyond this goal. The enthusiasm and pride each child has in sharing their completed work shines through every time we check off a reading log.

Each week of the Summer Reading Program, we have offered free programs and events for kids and teens, such as live animal shows, theater day camps, art programs, and STEAM workshops. It is with such love and gratitude for our community that I report that many of our Thursday shows brought us close to capacity with upwards of 300 people! These programs have resulted in countless memories that those in attendance won’t be forgetting anytime soon. One such moment was when Wild Man Dan kissed a toad onstage as a part of his live reptile show, resulting in a chorus of enthusiastic shrieks and groans from the audience. During Michael Rayner’s juggling and comedy show, Miss Kristina and I glanced at each other, wide-eyed in awe at the sight of four young audience members spinning plates effortlessly onstage. And who could forget Kids Imagine Nation’s three-horned, winged, flippered, turquoise and pink striped Tyrannosaurus Rex?

Through the transition from July to August, we in the Young Readers’ Room are staying busy preparing to resume our always-anticipated and amply-attended storytimes. Baby Storytime with Miss Kristina will resume with a slight change in schedule, on Thursday, August 7, both 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Preschool Storytime with Miss Pamela will resume as usual on Tuesday, August 12 at 10:15 a.m. I am proud to announce that beginning August 14, families with kids aged 3-4 are invited to join me, Miss Emily, for Toddler Storytime every Thursday at 11:00 a.m.! Come visit Smiley Library to share some fun songs and stories with each of us.

We will be contacting our Summer Reading Program prize winners during the first week of August, so stay on the lookout for a call or voicemail from (909) 798-7674!

Writing is a core element of the Redlands Adult Literacy Program. This year, nine adult learners from the Redlands Adult Literacy Program at Smiley Library entered the Writer-to-Writer Challenge, a competition sponsored by the California State Library. The annual Writer-to-Writer Challenge invites adult literacy learners throughout California to read a book and then write a letter to its author, living or dead, sharing how reading their book has inspired them or impacted their life.

Writing a letter to an author requires adult learners to practice many skills, including: obtaining a library card and checking out a book that interests them, reading the book and comprehending its core message, revising a letter to the author so it communicates effectively, and finally, submitting the learner’s letter and application. All participants are recognized by the California State Library, and winners will be invited to read their letters at upcoming local literacy network events. Each of the nine adult learners from the Redlands Adult Literacy Program improved their literacy skills by participating in this challenge, and a few agreed to share their thoughts for this article.

Adult learner Cinderella Tran has participated in the challenge for the past several years. Cinderella said, “I enjoy participating in the Writer-to-Writer Challenge every year because it challenges me to improve my vocabulary and writing skills and allows me to share my feelings with authors about their books.”

This year Cinderella wrote to Margaret Cousins, author of Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia. By reading this book, Cinderella learned that Ben Franklin was called a bookworm. Cinderella shared that she also wants to become a bookworm. She learned a lot about Ben Franklin and recommended the book to the adult learner book club. Cinderella wrote, “I admire Ben Franklin’s good heart; he helped adults and children to become literate. For me, I am improving my literacy skills to advocate for my daughter.”

Another adult literacy entrant, Vanessa Michel, won Honorable Mention in the advanced writer category for the letter she wrote to Sarah Fabiny, author of Who Was Frida Kahlo? She shared that reading this book made her understand courage. Vanessa wrote, “Now I realize that I can read books in the language that I always wanted to learn… Thank you for sharing your book and teaching us that women, regardless of their physical condition have the right to express themselves freely, whether with paintings, books, music, etc…. every time I see Frida’s story, anywhere, I visualize myself pursuing new projects, goals, and dreams. I know I’ll one day end up writing my own story.”

Writing to an author helps the reader think about central life themes. Think about your favorite book. What would you say to the author of that book about why it was important to you? How has a book changed your life?

Would you like to share the excitement of adult learners as they read books and gain new literacy skills? If you are interested in becoming a tutor, please contact the Redlands Adult Literacy Program at (909)798-7565 ext. 4110 or email literacy@akspl.org The next volunteer tutor orientation is August 19, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at the Library. If you know of someone who needs help in reading and writing, please encourage them to take the first step in changing their lives by contacting the Redlands Adult Literacy Program. The program is free and all materials are provided.