The (International) Politics of Hard Times
I’ve been thinking a lot about how citizens in a democracy come to support extremists in hard times, and whether they understand the consequences of extreme ideas and politicians who consider their...
View ArticleWhat History Can Teach the Occupiers
The American Autumn is coming to a close, with Occupy encampments closed down in most of the cities where they sprung up. The end of the overnight Occupy presence, however, has not spelled the end of a...
View ArticleThe End of Society as We Know It? A Review of The Unwinding
The bestselling books of the past few years include several young adult dystopian series, dark tales of life after environmental devastation (Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker) and/or the takeover of the...
View ArticlePeace and Understanding Through the Performing Arts: A Review of Give Me...
When young people come together through the performing arts, the effects can be transformational. Working together, they see each other as equals, learn to trust each other, and learn about lives and...
View ArticleTeens Resist: A Bibliography of Historical and International Perspectives
Several months ago, Teen Librarian Toolbox decided to focus on the topics of diversity, immigration, and social justice, in large part as a response to the recent national election. I had once written...
View ArticleCrisis in the Constitution
Today is Labor Day, the uniquely U.S. holiday to celebrate the gains of working people through unions. Unfortunately, the hard-won gains of the early and mid-20th century are being lost in a process...
View ArticleCelebrating Young Immigrants
The shocking victory of a white nationalist President and his political party in November 2016 led me to wonder about the fate of the many diverse books making their way toward publication,...
View Article