I am the Teacher Librarian at Bend Senior High School. I have been reading and recommending books to students here since 2004. I only read YA because, really, what other kind of literature is there? I have had the privilege to serve on various national committees through ALA and YALSA including Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Quick Picks for Young Adults, Fabulous Films for Young Adults, Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, and for three years on the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award through ALAN, an assembly through NCTE. I also finished up my year on the Printz committee in 2019. In addition, I have been a national representative on the Young Adult’s Choice Awards committee through the International Literacy Association for the last three years. Through these experiences I have been exposed to every genre of literature and would have to say that when it comes to free choice, I tend to self-select raw, gritty, realistic, science fiction/dystopian, and historical fiction first.
My professional goals are to become a Google Certified Teacher and serve on YALSA’s Morris and ALEX committees and I would like to see what being on AASL’s Newbury committee would be like. When I am not the Teacher Librarian and professional reader, I am a wife to a student services teacher and mom to four lovely ladies ages 11, 9, 6 and an infant. You can follow me on instagram @lavabearian so see what I am up to. Surprise! It is mostly reading and books.