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Teen Squad Presents Menstruation Equity

6/13/2022

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by Claire, Anderson-Foothill Branch
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Join us for a period equity workshop led by Teen Squad member Iman, and in collaboration with the nonprofit Too Little Children, where you will learn how to sew reusable maxi-pads for girls and women in impoverished areas around the world. 

This one-time program strives to promote healthy and informative discussions on period education and equality, while helping to bring about positive change in the form of reusable maxi pad donations. 

Additionally, Anderson Foothill will be accepting any other period products to be donated to the Highland High Pantry and The VOA, in order to continue the fight to end period poverty.

This event will be hosted in person and we hope you will join us on Saturday,  June 18th at 11:00am the at Anderson Foothill Branch to learn about period equity and sew some reusable period products that will be delivered to girls in need in Pakistan this summer.

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Zine Contest Winner

1/22/2022

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by Lexi, Day-Riverside Branch
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The Day-Riverside Branch ended their “Year of Zines” with a contest! Artists were instructed to design a zine detailing their ideas on how to build a better future, (because we are plumb out of ideas).
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Our winning teen Emily, a past Teen Squad Volunteer, made this fabulous zine about Menstrual Equity! We are so proud of and inspired by her work, which details the effects of Period Product waste, the steps to self-production and the consequences of period poverty.

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Her zine discusses the danger of undereducation, when it comes to menstruation, and details the physical dangers of inadequate access to period products.


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Emily’s better future definitely sounds brighter, and she has inspired us to investigate ways we, as a Library branch, can contribute to ending period poverty!
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Teens Talk: Immigrant and Refugee Experiences - This Event Has Been Cancelled

1/10/2022

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by Rebecca, Main Library
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UPDATE: This event has been cancelled. Please join us March 12th for a panel about Environmental Activism. 

Hosted in collaboration with YouthCity Government and the Mayor’s Office, Teens Talk is a virtual panel series where local students present and lead discussions about the important social issues that affect our communities.

We strive to promote honest conversations between teens and adults by giving teens a platform to share their ideas with peers, parents, teachers, and legislators.

Our January panel event will be on the topic of Immigration and Refugee Experiences and facilitated by the International Rescue Committee’s Speaker’s Bureau member Yusuf Maung.

Are you a teen interested in speaking on this panel? There’s still time to apply!

This event will be hosted virtually and we hope you will join us on Saturday, January 22 at 2pm on Zoom. 

Zoom meeting information can be found on our calendar event here.

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Representation Matters: 10 Graphic Novels that Center Marginalized Experiences

4/26/2021

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by Saia, Glendale Branch
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Growing up I did not see many characters in books or graphic novels that looked like me or had experiences like me. I never thought anything about why that was because it was normal to read the same narrative. The same narrative that I read was not representative of the world that I was a part of. My world contained many different faces, skin colors, abilities, sexualities, genders, styles, beliefs, religions, perspectives, classes, languages, and traditions. Due to what I was feeling and experiencing in my own life, I craved to see these things in the literature and media that I consumed. Now that I am older I strive to find books, movies, and graphic novels that give an honest representation of human stories and experiences. 

Representation matters because it centers the stories that are not heard or pushed to the wayside. When all voices and all stories do not get a chance to be heard and felt by other people it creates false assumptions and stereotypes. This in turn creates fear and divides us. 
This is why representation is so important. It is an act of re-centering humanity, ultimately leading to compassion and understanding. It is an act of empowerment by validating the experiences of those who are oppressed. For me personally, seeing characters who look like me and have similar experiences as me, helps me to remember that I am not alone in this world-that has made all the difference.

I have created a list of graphic novels that center individuals and stories that represent people of differing abilities, color, queerness, religions, as well as refugee experiences. All titles center those who are Teens or Young Adults. There are only 10 titles that I could fit into this blog post and each of the summaries I have taken from the publisher. If you like the title given on this list, go ahead and click directly on it. This will take you to our catalog and you can check it out using your library card. The list given is in no way a total representation of how people see and identify themselves. I encourage you, the reader, to create your own list. What would you include? Remember, representation is important but take the time to ask yourself, Why does it matter to you? 



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When Stars are Scattered 
By: Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson  

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

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American Born Chinese
​By: Gene Luen Yang 

American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. ​
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Hot Comb
By: Ebony Flowers 

This series of short stories it centers Black girls and women. Starting off with a young girl’s first perm—a doomed ploy to look cool and to stop seeming “too white” in the all-black neighborhood her family has just moved to. Hot Comb gives social commentary on how the culture of hair shapes our lives.  

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Flamer
​By: Mike Curato 

​It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes―but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

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The Scrapyard Detectives 
By: Chad Denton 

A group of children from diverse backgrounds and abilities work together to solve mysteries. In 'The Case of the Missing Roses, ' a new family from India moves into the neighborhood. It's up to the Scrapyard Detectives to find out who vandalized their garden--and why! In 'Patriot Dreams, ' the new multi-cultural community center brings people from other backgrounds to the neighborhood, but someone sets it ablaze--with Jinn and Raymond inside! Will the detectives save themselves and solve the mystery in time?
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 Seen: Edmonia Lewis 
By: Jasmine Walls & Bex Glendining

The first original graphic novel in a new series spotlighting the true stories of the real groundbreakers who changed our world for the better. 
Meet Edmonia Lewis, the woman who changed America during the Civil War by becoming the first sculptor of African-American and Native American heritage to earn international acclaim.
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Pashmina
​By: Nidhi Chanani 

Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri's mom avoids these questions and the topic of India is permanently closed. For Pri, her mother's homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she finds a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film.

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That Can Be Arranged 
​By: Huda Fahmy

​Chaperones, suitors, and arranged  marriages aren't only reserved for the heroines of a Jane Austen novel. They're just another walk in the park for this leading lady, who is on a mission to find her leading lad. Navigating mismatched suitors, gossiping aunties, and societal expectations for Muslim women, That Can Be Arranged deftly and hilariously reveals to readers what it can be like to find a husband as an observant Muslim woman in the twenty-first century.

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As The Crow Flies
By: Melanie Gillman 

​Charlie Lamonte is thirteen years old, queer, black, and questioning what was once a firm belief in God. So naturally, she's spending a week of her summer vacation stuck at an all-white Christian youth backpacking camp. As the journey wears on and the rhetoric wears thin, she can't help but poke holes in the pious obliviousness of this storied sanctuary with little regard for people like herself . . . or her fellow camper, Sydney.

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Class Act
​By: Jerry Craft 

Drew Ellis is no stranger to the saying "You have to work twice as hard to be just as good." His grandmother has reminded him his entire life. But what if he works ten times as hard and still isn't afforded the same opportunities that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted? To make matters worse, Drew begins to feel as if his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids. He wants to pretend like everything is fine, but it's hard not to withdraw, and even their mutual friend Jordan doesn't know how to keep the group together. As the pressures mount, will Drew find a way to bridge the divide so he and his friends can truly accept each other? And most important, will he finally be able to accept himself?

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Activism Booklist

3/12/2021

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by Amrita, Anderson-Foothill Teen Squad
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We've put together a booklist of books for activism! These book categories contain various topics that aren't very popular in young adult book sections, so we're giving them a spotlight. Each category has two sub sections, one for non-fiction and one for fiction, so there should be something for everyone. Hope you like it!
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​Many of these titles are available to check out from The City Library. Search our catalog here. 
And click here for a printable version of the booklist.
 

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Native American Heritage Month

11/13/2020

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by Becca, Main Library
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​With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s an important time to learn more about the indigenous people of the United States, understand what exactly we are celebrating during this holiday (did you know some Native Americans refer to Thanksgiving as a Day of Mourning?), and challenge some of our long-held beliefs about the history of the United States.

Here are some simple ways you can celebrate Native American Heritage Month this year and learn more about the indigenous people of the United States:

  1. Challenge yourself to explore Native American history with your family during the Thanksgiving holiday. Ask questions and do your research together!
  2. Instead of spending loads of money on Amazon during Black Friday, consider supporting the Urban Indian Center or buying from Native-owned businesses.
  3. Read a book by a Native American author. This list from The City Library has materials for children, teens, and adults!
  4. Raise awareness about Native American Heritage Month by mentioning it on your social media accounts.
  5. Check out the Voices of Indigenous TikTok.
  6. Learn about Traditional Foods. Ask your family to incorporate nutrient dense foods in Thanksgiving meals and minimize food waste this holiday season.
  7. Learn more about the problem with race-based mascots and use your voice to speak up!
  8. Watch this video about the term “Two-Spirit.” (Two-Spirit is an umbrella term used to describe Native and Indigenous people whose gender identity encompasses both male and female energies. Within the Native community it is recognized as a third gender since it falls outside of the two-gender binary. Two-Spirit people may or may not be LGBTQ-identified.)
  9. Play these free PBS documentaries about Native American Heritage during Thanksgiving for your whole family to view and talk about.
  10. Learn about the history of the land we live on. Read The City Library’s Land Acknowledgement here:

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​Share with us in the comments what you plan to do to celebrate Native American Heritage Month this year. Did you learn anything new from the resources above?

We’d love to hear from you!

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