Greetings, fellow reader guys. This is the Iron Guy and I'm really excited about this interview with the great
Ms. Yingling. She's a school librarian in Ohio and one of the best book bloggers I know. I've heard about a lot of great books from her and am always hearing about more at her terrific blog,
Ms. Yingling Reads. And,
wow, does she ever read! She reviews two or three books almost
every day and still runs a school library! How does she do it? Why, one year she read
every fiction book in her library!! That's a feat that would make even a MANLY MAN like the Iron Guy quiver in his manly boots. But she has also been a friend to this blog for a very long time, making comments and sharing ideas. I think we may have influenced her because she started a Guy Friday every week in which she recommends books for boys--does
that sound familiar? In fact, she has been such a good friend and done so much for guy reading that we once gave her our very highest honor and made her an Honorary Guy. But enough intrduction--let's get into the interview.
There's a nasty rumor
out there that says it's uncool for boys to read. How do you think it got
started?
I think that some boys find it hard to read, and it's easier to
say it's not cool than to say it's hard. It's hard to sit still, the words are
tiny, and their mother keeps handing them The Secret Garden. Their
teachers are girls, their librarians are often girls, and there are just not
enough MEN out there to make it cool.
That’s why you have
the Iron Guy in blogland, making reading cool for boys. What would the boys at your school say to the answer to the first
questtion? And why do you think
it's cool for boys to read?
We have an awesome 6th grade teacher, Mr. Buxton
(http://buxtolicious.blogspot.com/) who is very influential. If he book talks
something, 50 students come in to request it. Reading is highly encouraged in
our school, so the boys see each other reading. Also, we have a good selection
of books with action, dog poop, robot decapitation, etc. that boys actually
enjoy reading.
I think it's cool for boys to read because it makes
them smarter, and smart guys are THE coolest.
Yes, indeed. What are the favorite books of the boys at your school?
Notebook novels like Wimpy Kind, Big Nate, and Dragonbreath, any
sports books that are about basketball or football, and the world record books.
If you became Queen of the Universe and could tell every librarian everywhere
what the 5 best books for boys of all time are, what
would you say?
Did someone take my
crown away? I would have to say Horowitz's Stormbreaker, Riordan's The
Lightning Thief, Korman's Ungifted, Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak
and Mack's Mathlete vs. Athlete.
You used to be a Latin teacher. What made you choose to be school
librarian? What are the best and hardest parts of it?
I didn't exactly choose to leave the field-- there were just no
jobs. I have always loved to read, and I could get an MLS and not have to get
another bachelor's degree. The best part of my job is when I am riding my bike
home and a student who is hauling garbage cans back to the garage runs
out to say "Ms. Yingling! The book you gave me is AWESOME!!"
(happened just last night!), or when I am describing a book to a student, and
another student pipes up "That book is great. You have to read
it!" I also like my little slice of internet "fame" and all the
interesting authors, librarians and teachers I have met.
The hardest part is that it's a ton of work. It's a 24/7 kind of job. I'm at
school for ten hours a day, and do another 3-5 hours of work at home, which
leaves very little time for other things. I even dream about overdues. I
wouldn't spend the time if I didn't enjoy it, though, so I can't complain!
Ms Yingling believes that a librarian should LOOK like a librarian!
How would you say, "Boys are awesome" in Latin?
"Pueri optissimi sunt" would be "Boys are the very
best!"
How about "The Iron Guy is king of MANLY MEN”?
"Vir ferri Carolus rex viri virilissimi est." (Man
of iron Carl the king of the manly men is! The Romans used a slightly different
order. I'd drop the "est" and use "Ave" at the beginning so
you have "Hail, Iron Guy Carl!")
That said, it's been 20 years since I have
taught Latin; I just ripped Ned Vizzini about the Latin in House of Secrets,
so feel I should be careful!
Because of your excellent blog and your great work for guy reading, we
gave you the highest honor we could possibly bestow and made you an Honorary Guy. Have you ever gotten
over the shock of receiving such a great award?
I
have never gotten over the shock, but I attribute my current reading tastes
(romance and dog poop? Fantastic!) to this award. I feel honored every day when
boys trust me to get them a book they will enjoy.
I ask these final questions of everyone I interview--Which do you
prefer, cheeseburgers or pizza? What do you like on them?
Girly answer to this one: I don't care for
either! Also, I'm an old person, so I eat more grilled vegetables and hummus!
The Iron Guy is putting on a few years too (as well as trying to keep from putting on a few pounds), so I'm trying to eat more veggies as well. But I still like GUY food of no nutritional value, like cheeseburgers and pizza. And be proud of your girly answer. We're proud of our MANLINESS--be proud of your GIRLYNESS!!
Well, all kidding aside, we really appreciate your taking time for your hectic schedule and answering all our questions. You are truly one of the coolest librarians I know and I wish you and your boys (and girls) the best.
Check out her blog, guys, and be especially sure to read her Guy Fridays! (Same thing for all the grownups who are looking for good books for your boys)
These are good, basic books about how to play the game. Fundamental Basketball covers everything
from the history of the game to how to
shoot jump shots to the size of the
backboard! Basketball Step-By-Step also covers the basics of scoring, equipment, players and court and the different team positions. But, more importantly, it shows how the techniques of offensive and defensive play by giving multiple photographs that demonstrate each move step by step.Both would be useful for the novice player or the veteran looking to sharpen his (or her) skills. Really recommended.
Matt Christopher wrote a lot of books about sports and every one I've read has been good. This one is about a middle school basketball team. Mel Jessen is new to the school. He's also one of the few African-American kids in the school. One of the other kids won't pass to him even when he's in the open. This team has a good chance to win the season--will this other guy get over it for the good of the team? And will the coach intervene or just ignore the situation? This is another good quick read. Matt Christopher makes every game exciting, especially the season's final game. And this book was written way back in the day when prejudice was more common. It's hard to believe now that it was such a problem--or is it still a problem? Have any of you reader guys encountered it? Or do you see it on your teams?
