CET Writes

I originally published this piece December 6, 2016 on Deepstacks - DragonLibrary's blog. Image by Elena Casagrande Diana rocks slowly in her favorite chair, admiring the last golden rays of the Themyscirian sunset diffracting around the edges of her invisible jet, looking fondly back on her day. Clark, Bruce, Hal, and Orin all dropped by to bring wishes and reminisce about past adventures; even Barry put in a brief appearance, late as usual. Gathering her breath to blow out the 75 star-shaped candles atop the red, blue, and gold sheet cake her granddaughter gingerly placed before her, Diana closed her eyes and silently petitioned Hera: Watch over those loved ones who are not present. With a soft sigh and a quiet smile, our heroine returns her focus to the present, rises, and retires to the warmer interior of her ancestral palace to escape the evening chill, assured that today she was once more victorious. Perhaps, in some alternate continuity, Wonder Woman would celeb...

At the Texas Association of School Library Administrators (TASLA) Workshop on June 14, 2016, I was part of a five-part panel presentation that focused on how campus librarians can become library leaders even though they are not library administrators. This presentation was later featured on TASL Talk s as a series titled “Growing Library Leaders.” Become a Certified Google Education Trainer grew out of my portion of the presentation and was originally published September 8, 2016. On April 10, 2018, it was re-posted on the Round Rock Independent School District's Teaching & Learning Blog Librarians have always been at the forefront of information technology, even if we haven’t always had that reputation. Be it in tablets, scrolls, codices, microforms, or databases, we’ve always gone where the information is in order to find answers. Unfortunately, as mere access to information has taken center stage, school libraries run the risk of becoming a Starbucks-without-the-cof...

"It's 1888, and seventeen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family, "but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister, "but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family's life. She soon realizes she's uniquely positioned to advance the cause" but to do so, she'll have to reveal her own dangerous secret." - From the Publisher This is a fantastic read - a real page turner. Lovers of steampunk and speculative history will find a new heroine in Miss ...

"As apprentice to his father, the second-best medical scientist in the empire, Jonathan leads a quiet life in a remote aerial city until the king arrives, calling on them to find the cure to a plague that has struck the capital city and put the queen's life at risk, but the newly discovered chemical, fantillium, that may help will also put at risk all that Jonathan holds dear." - From Follett Illusionarium is an action-packed page-turner that will keep readers on their toes from cover to cover. Fans of steampunk, adventure, and fantasy will decidedly enjoy this title. Illusionarium b y Heather Dixon  Secondary  Greenwillow Books 361 pp.  Published 2015  ISBN 978-0-06-200105-4 $17.99   Steampunk, Fantasy

Image from mikesplacebook.com At Mike’s Place, the blues bar on the Tel Aviv beachfront, patrons -- both renowned and local -- gather to forget the conflict outside. At least, that's what indie filmmakers Jack and Joshua want to convey in their documentary; however, shortly after filming begins, the bar is targeted in a gruesome suicide bombing. Lovers of realistic and historical narratives will not only find this to be an interesting read but also the ways that the Mike’s Place family copes with their tragedy intriguing as well as heart-wrenching at the same time. Mike's place: a true story of love, blues, and terror in Tel Aviv  by Jack Baxter, Joshua Faudem, and Koren Shadmi Secondary FirstSecon 189 pp. Published 2015 ISBN 978-1-59643-857-6 $22.99

Although he’s a civilian now, Mark finds himself sucked back into war by Jason, his old army buddy, who seduces him away from his staid consulting job with promises of a lucrative military contract for a mining job in an obscure South-east Asian country. Unfortunately, what awaits them is the stuff of nightmares - a civil war led by magical child soldiers with an army of god-warriors. Albeit this text is well executed and visually very impressive, the imagery and plot are disturbing to the extent that I do  NOT recommend it for school libraries. The Divine  by Asaf Hanuka (Illustrator), Tomer Hanuka (Illustrator), and Boaz Lavie (Author) Adult  First Second  160 pp. Published 2015  ISBN  978-1596436749 $19.99 Magical Realism

Image from  fantasticfiction.com “Marianne Velba and - Adrian track the mysterious fighter Richard Aldana into another universe to arrive in Paxtown, an illustrious modern megalopolis, where something sinister lurks behind the glitz and glam. There, mother and son enlist as a team in the Fighting Fists Funeral Cup, that world’s famous boxing tournament, in order to discover the ugly secrets lurking in Richard’s past. Marianne and Adrian soon realize, however, that they are not the only travelers from the Valley of Kings with a stake in the Funeral Cup…” - From the Publisher Although the quality is excellent, I cannot recommend this series for purchase by a school library because of thematic elements that might invite challenge - profanity, sexual content, sexual violence, nudity, drug consumption, and organized crime. Albeit these topics are tastefully navigated and are neither glorified nor condoned by the narrative, their prominence escalates as the series progresses. T...

Image from  amazon.com "When Richard Aldana disappears with the newly won Royal Cup, young Adrian is shocked-- and only further surprised when his mother, Marianne, is determined to pursue Aldana on an incredible vehicle she had hidden away: a motorcycle! Their chase leads them to a mysterious rift. Beyond that lies a strange world, where the greatest threat comes from those who uphold the law. Arrested as criminals by a gang of unruly enforcers, Marianne and Adrian now must take part in a physical court battle where might is right. Can they survive this legal circus?"— Back cover. Last Man is an excellent series that uses a blending of action, adventure, fantasy, martial arts, and romance to truly enhance what could have easily been merely Shonen - instead, giving the series a depth that will appeal to fans of many different genres. Unfortunately, the adult content that makes a brief, tasteful appearance in volume one escalates in prominence as the series progresses...

Image from goodreads.com "Mighty Apollo is known by all as the god of the sun, but there's more to this Olympian than a bright smile and a shining chariot. In the latest volume of Olympians, New York Times bestselling author George O'Connor continues to turn his extensive knowledge of the original Greek myths into rip-roaring graphic novel storytelling." - From the Publisher Readers who enjoy Greek mythology will also enjoy O’Connor’s latest addition to this series about the Olympians. Although this title is a collection of vignettes that present lesser known aspects of the god’s personality, both its content and treatment are less brilliant than the immediate predecessor about Ares. Therefore, I recommend that this title only be acquired as an additional purchase with the intent to complete a series - rather than based on its stand-alone merits. Apollo: The Brilliant One by George O’Connor Secondary FirstSecond 77 pp. Published 2015 ISBN 978-1-62672-01...

Image from  goodreads.com “Welcome to Stately Academy, a school which is just crawling with mysteries to be solved! The founder of the school left many clues and puzzles to challenge his enterprising students. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, Hopper and her friend Eni are going to solve the mystery of Stately Academy no matter what it takes!” - from the publisher Secret Coders is a fast-paced, interesting read that introduces the basic premises of programming in a non-threatening way. This series would be a fantastic accompaniment to an elementary library’s efforts to support a STEAM curriculum, a local chapter of Girls Who Code, or its use of Code.org. Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes Elementary FirstSecond 91 pp. Published 2015 ISBN 978-1-62672-276-7 $17.99

In celebration of School Library Month, I was interviewed by Round Rock Independent School District. The interview was originally published April 9 on the district website . In celebration of School Library Month, Round Rock ISD will highlight district librarians all week, showcasing the essential role libraries play in transforming learning. Learn more about Round Rock High School Co-Librarian Christina Taylor: Why did you decide to become a librarian? I’ve know since age 17 that I wanted to be an educator. At the time, I envisioned myself as a teacher of both Advanced Placement English and French. However, by the time I graduated from college, I realized that while I loved French, I had absolutely no desire to teach it. Throughout the course of 14 years in the classroom, my definition of what it meant to me to be a teacher evolved and took flight. Although I loved teaching students to deconstruct literature, I also loved developing curriculum, integrating technolog...