Hello friends! Summer has unofficially started, are your summer reading plans set? We are good to go at MHL and are doing the collaborative theme of superheroes this year. I’m excited because superheroes can be great and there are lots of fun crafts and activities to do. One of the most exciting things we have planned for the year is our VolunTeen program which will be putting together a “Superhero Training Day/Academy” for little kids. A few libraries like the Plaistow Library in NH have done similar events with a superhero photobooth, obstacle courses, and more. It should be fun, even if Clare and I don’t have it totally fleshed out yet!

Other than that I’ve been hanging out with my mom:

I mentioned that I applied to write for Women Write About Comics and it’s happening! I’ll have two posts in June. I’ll let you know when they will be up so you can read them. In the meantime, here are two of my favorite most current posts:

Fail Better: How Nerd Insecurity Becomes Abuse by Jo Fu

Literal Dehumanization: Erasure of the Black Face in Hollywood by Jamie Kingston

It’s really a great website and if you’re interested in any part of geek/nerd culture (comics, movies, books, TV, games) you should definitely check it out. There is so much great talent writing there and I’m really happy to join the team.

Mini book review before you go:

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King – Can A.S. King write anything that’s bad? I don’t think so. This is one of my new favorite dystopias. Some might describe it as a Handmaid’s Tale for YAs. In the sense that through a hilarious and odd event – the drinking of petrified bat dust* mixed into a beer – Glory sees a future that is openly hostile to women, I can see the comparison. Glory sees a number of states pass laws that forbid women from working outside the home at all ushering in a second Civil War, kidnappings, breeding camps, laws that don’t allow single mothers to collect child support from fathers, and generally a hellish future for women and girls. Sadly, as I was reading this I kept thinking how NOT far-fetched this one. Like dystopias about future (or current) water wars, it hits pretty close to home. Along with the visions of the future, there is Glory learning to deal with the suicide of her mother and deciding whether or not a bad friend is worth having if it’s your only one. Really, really great.

And a travel suggestion before you go, too: If you’re in the Northshore area, check out the Stickwork installation by Patrick Dougherty and PEM in Salem. It’s really cool. It’s neat to stand in the twig houses and see them as the best club headquarters any child could wish for.

Until next time, sweet friends.

*Yes, petrified bat dust. It makes sense in the book…