Put Kids’ Interests First, This Librarian Insists

What books are on your night stand?

“Call Us What We Carry,” by Amanda Gorman; “Sunrise Nights,” by Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro; “The Partition Project,” by Saadia Faruqi.

What kind of reader were you as a child?

I was a voracious reader of Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, the Baby-Sitters Club series and the Danielle Steel novels I sneaked from my great-aunt.

How have your reading tastes changed over time?

I have gone through phases. If I find authors I like, I want to read all of their books. As a teen, my mission was to read every V.C. Andrews and Stephen King book. At one point, all I read for over a year was historical fiction set in Ireland. Another year, I read nothing but Larry McMurtry and westerns. I’ll try anything and if I like it, it becomes a phase until I try something different.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for reading a book?

As a kid I would get in trouble at school all the time for rushing through my schoolwork so I could read. My mom would try to ground me, but I didn’t see being forced to stay in my room reading as a punishment.

What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?

Jarrett Lerner gave me an autographed galley of his middle grade book “A Work in Progress” at a conference and I cherish it. That book is fantastic.

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What’s the last great book you read?

I just reread “The Color Purple” for about the tenth time.

What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?