Today is the last day of my Cynsations Spooky Middle Grade Takeover! I thought I’d go out with a bang and give you a double-librarian interview.
Since a lot of spooky middle grade books tread that fine line between upper elementary and lower middle school age, let’s hear from professionals for both age groups.
Welcome, Kealing Middle School librarian Kerensa Williams and Menchaca Elementary School librarian Rita Painter.
Kerensa Williams
How long have you been a librarian?
This is my 20th year as a librarian, all in middle school…and all in the same middle school.
What drew you to the profession initially, and why do you stay in it?
Initially, it probably started with hearing “you read a lot, you should be a librarian” when I was young. In the real world, it might have been getting a sociology degree, not being sure what I would do with it, and deciding that a Master’s in Library Science might be something I would like.
As I went through the program, I realized that a school library would be more to my liking than a public library setting.
When it came time to find a job, middle school was where a position was available. I’ve stayed with it because I love working with the students in this age group and I really enjoy the people I’ve worked with over the years.
In middle school, there’s a new or different experience almost every day.
This series of posts is about spooky books–spooky middle grade books, in particular. The publishing industry calls books for ages 8-12 “middle grade” books, but I’ve noticed that some librarians don’t use that term. What term do you use to describe books for this age group?
Thinking about it, I guess I don’t really have a term that I use for books for that age level. When I’m looking for books, I mostly identify what I get for my campus from what I would consider upper grade YA books—while many read at very high levels, the content isn’t necessarily for this age group. Reading levels and comprehension in middle school are so varied that I know I need to try and cover a little bit of everything.
When most students at this age want scary, the books that fall in the lower age bracket of the 8-12 readers are not scary enough.
Do you read scary books (either now or as a kid)? And if so, what are some of your favorites?
I didn’t like scary books as a kid, and for the most part, I still don’t read them. I don’t think I wanted to experience the fear or suspense that so many students enjoy.
If I was reading something scary, I would want to know the ending before I got there—remove the unknown. It was the same with fiction books with animals playing a significant part of the story.
I realized early on that these were very often going to be sad because someone was going to die, be it a person or the animal…it was just easier not to read any of those books and completely avoid the sad.
I knew I was missing out on good books, but there were plenty of others I could read and enjoy without tears.
Do you find that spooky middle grade books are popular in your library year round, or are they more of a seasonal (Halloween!) thing?
I’m asked “where are your scary books?” all year long. In October, they might get more specific and ask for ghost stories, but similar to allergies in Austin, ‘scary’ is definitely not seasonal.
What do you think draws the students at your school to spooky stories?
Scary movies are one of the draws to students asking me for scary books. These often aren’t books that I’ll have, but I can show them others that might satisfy them.
Others are remembering back to when they were ‘young’ and asking for books they might have read in elementary, like the Goosebumps series by R.L Stine (Scholastic, 1992 – present). His books have remained popular for as long as I’ve been in the library. I often start with those when I’m asked for scary books or horror books since they help me gauge what level of scary they mean.
Stephen King‘s It (Viking, 1986) isn’t quite the same as a Goosebumps title. I’ve shelved all my fiction by genre and have scary/ghost/horror/suspense/mystery type books all together so students can browse through all of those to find something that will work when I’m not sure what definition of ‘scary’ they’re looking for.
Ghosts and goblins aside, there’s a lot of real scary stuff going on in the world today. Do you think that spooky stories can help kids better deal with the scary things in their real lives?
I’m thinking that the scary stories are more of an escape from things. The ghosts and goblins are completely different from what’s going on out there, and it’s nice to spend some time in the ‘unreal’ world. The students who want to deal with the ‘real’ will ask me where they can find the drama books with characters going through real-life situations and teenage angst.
What are some reasons you might recommend a spooky middle grade book to a reader in your library?
When students are here to get a book but don’t quite know what they want, I’ll ask them what they like and try and go from there. If they’re not really sure, I’ll work my way through the genres I have and see what stirs interest—the scary books usually do.
Since I have put all the scary/mystery/suspense type fiction books together, they have plenty to browse through. My story collection/short story area has quite a few scary books, and I like to try and lead some students there. It’s a good place to give things a try—a few pages and you’ve read a whole story. If you don’t like it, not a big deal, you’ve finished a story and can pass on the rest. If you liked it, read all the other stories and we can try and find books that are similar.
What are some of the books (scary or otherwise!) that are popular at your library right now?
Graphic novels are the most popular right now. The graphic novel readers will just about any of the books in that section, but Raina Telgemeier‘s books are probably the most requested and checked out right now.
Books that are part of a series are a must, too. If there isn’t a part two, three, or more written, it’s a hard sell. Where this is most noticeable is with fantasy books. They almost have to be a trilogy or more for students to be interested.
Cassandra Clare, James Dashner, Marie Lu, Pittacus Lore, J.K. Rowling, and Suzanne Collins are just a few of the authors whose books are always moving. And of course Rick Riordan—he has been and still is the most important must-have author!
Do you do anything special at your library around Halloween?
In general, no, everything goes as usual. This year I did use my display case for some Halloween creatures made out of books. Halloween and the day after involve picking up lots and lots of candy wrappers and remnants and settling down those who have sugar rushes going in full force.
Rita Painter
How long have you been a librarian?
This is my 19th year as a librarian, all of which I’ve spent at Menchaca Elementary in Austin ISD.
What drew you to the profession initially, and why do you stay in it?
I was a classroom teacher for 18 years, and I always used books to teach concepts in all subject areas.
Becoming a librarian was a way to share my love of literacy with the entire school community! I love helping kids find that “just right” book!
And when you are a school librarian you are able to build a relationship with the entire family…I now have parents that I knew as elementary students. And I can still remember what subjects they liked to read about!
This series of posts is about spooky books—spooky middle grade books, in particular. The publishing industry calls books for ages 8-12 “middle grade” books, but I’ve noticed that some librarians don’t use that term. What term do you use to describe books for this age group?
I use the term “middle grade” for these books when talking to other librarians, but with teachers, I simply use the terms “chapter books for upper grades” or “nonfiction for upper grades.”
Do you read scary books (either now or as a kid)? And if so, what are some of your favorites?
I loved reading scary books as a kid! Fairy tales were a favorite of mine, and many of these traditional tales are very dark. I also loved everything written by Stephen King. I continue to read his books as an adult, and my favorite book of his is Salem’s Lot (Doubleday, 1975). Meeting Stephen King at an author signing at BookPeople, our local indie bookstore, was an amazing bucket-list item for me!
Do you find that spooky middle grade books are popular in your library year round, or are they more of a seasonal (Halloween!) thing?
Most kids that I’ve taught love to read scary books, and they want to read them all of the time! In order to help kids locate scary books I’ve placed a “spooky” genre label on them.
Of course, many of the scary books never get shelved since they are in such high demand by my students. And it’s especially fun to create a display of scary books for Halloween!
What do you think draws the students at your school to spooky stories?
I believe many students enjoy reading scary stories because they like the thrill of feeling scared.
Reading a scary story is usually easier to handle than seeing a scary movie because a book is less graphic. And they are able to choose their level of engagement with a book; if it gets too intense students can put it away until they are ready to be scared again.
This allows students to take risks with reading materials in a safe environment. Kids can monitor their own level of fear, which is an important life skill and gives them power over their own feelings. It also builds their confidence in themselves because they were able to accomplish reading a spooky story even though they were nervous or scared.
Ghosts and goblins aside, there’s a lot of real scary stuff going on in the world today. Do you think that spooky stories can help kids better deal with the scary things in their real lives?
Absolutely! The world can be a scary place for us all, but it’s especially anxiety-inducing for kids. Children can read stories where evil is punished and goodness is rewarded.
And kids can read stories where heroes/heroines are victorious against obstacles due to perseverance, strength, and cleverness. These types of stories help kids be entertained while imagining themselves coping in these situations.
What are some of the books (scary or otherwise!) that are popular at Price Stern Sloan library right now?
Some of our most popular series are Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz (Harper 1981-1991), Goosebumps by R. L. Stine, Eerie Elementary by Jack Chabert, illustrated by Sam Ricks, (Scholastic 2014 – 2019), and Scary Stories for Sleepovers by Q. L. Pearce (Price Stern Sloan 1991-1999) are always checked out, and I’m always purchasing multiple copies to keep up with the demand!
Do you do anything special at your library around Halloween?
I’ve done different things in my library to get kids excited about the theme of Halloween at Menchaca. One year I turned off the lights and had the students sit around a battery-operated candle while I read scary stories during their library visits.
La Llorona by Joe Hayes, illustrated by Mona Pennypacker and Vicki Trego Hill (Cinco Puntos Press, 2006) is a favorite at my campus.
I’ve had younger students decorate paper pumpkins after reading Very Scary by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Douglas Florian (Harcourt, 1995). And we had a blast displaying our special underwear designs after reading Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown (Simon & Schuster, 2017)!
How are you sensitive to the students who don’t enjoy scary stories?
I’ve always emphasized to my students that reading is a very personal activity for each of us. We respect the fact that we don’t all like the same books, and that we should be free to choose which books we will spend time reading.
So I always let students know that we are going to read a scary story, and if they don’t wish to listen they are free to remove themselves at any time and read a book of their choice.
We discuss how it’s an important life skill to make choices to try and avoid uncomfortable situations. We also talk about ways to feel less scared during the story (hug a stuffed animal, doodle while listening, sit by a good friend, etc.) But the choice to stay and listen or to read on their own is always respected.
Cynsational Resource
The Scariest Middle Grade Books by Karina Glaser from Book Riot. Highlighting novels by authors such as Ellen Oh, Ronald L. Smith, Tracey Baptiste, and Tahereh Mafi. If you love sharing books with young readers, but aren’t a librarian, check out Robin Galbraith‘s Halloween Book Project post.
Cynsational Notes
This is the final installment in the series on spooky middle grade books. In case you missed it, see Cory Putman Oakes Part 1 on writing spooky, Jane Pica’s Part 2 on drawing spooky and Adrianna Cuevas Part 3 on inspiration from spooky folktales.
Cory Putman Oakes is the author of five books for young people, including Dinosaur Boy (Sourcebooks, 2015) and Dinosaur Boy Saves Mars (Sourcebooks, 2016), Witchtown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017) The Veil (Octane Press, 2011), and (coming soon from Abrams), The Second Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer Street.
Cory is a former lawyer and an aspiring teacher. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Mark; her kids, Sophia and Alex; two cats; and a one-eyed hedgehog named Professor Pickles.