2nd Annual Diversity Month Day 10 : Blogger Interview w/ Librarian Edith @CrazyQuilts +Kindle Fire 6" and Book Giveaway!

So today our guest is a Librarian who we've been a fan of since we really started blogging. Waaaaaay before the #weneeddiversebooks campaign she was one of the bloggers who were already discussing the lack of diversity in books and dedicated her blog to highlighting books that did. We actually had the opportunity to meet her this past October and she was just as amazing in person as she is on her blog. Definitely a Librarian we'd want in our community!

#weneeddiverseLibrarians

1. We're getting a ton of newbies to Twinja Book Reviews this Diversity Month! Since this is your first time on our blog, why don't you introduce yourself!

First I have to thank you ladies for inviting me to your blog. I admire your energy and dedication to blogging and to promoting literature and literacy and I’m honored to be here. 

I’m an academic librarian in Indiana. When I began blogging in 2006, I was a high school librarian in a school where students too often did not/could not read. Too often, I was hearing librarians say they couldn’t find books with African American characters, so I began the blog to promote literacy in all its forms and to help folk locate books. 

2. Your blog is named "Crazy QuiltEdi" what inspired the name for your blog, and what is the main focus of your blog?

It was such a long time ago, I really don’t remember why I chose that name. I think it had something to do with trying to bring my personality into the blog. I’m a quilter and the name just flowed from that.

3. Do you feel as though your experience as a librarian affected how you you read and critique books?

No, I don’t think so because librarians don’t have a background in literature or reviewing books. Librarians acquire, collect and organize information. 

4. Do you have a particular way you rate and review books? How long does it typically take you to finish a book?

I’m slogging through a MG book right now that I began 3 weeks ago! It makes no sense that it is taking me so long to finish that book! I think how long it takes me to finish depends open how well I like the book and what else is going on in my life. I’ve Since October, I’ve done 3 conference presentations and I still have one more to do. Reading isn’t giving me the comfort I’d like it to right now.

I don’t have a rating or review system.

5. Are there themes that stand out to you, that you don't get to read enough of, but would like to?

Honestly, I don’t feel like I review enough of anything right now. I’ve posted so few reviews this year! I look at all the wonderful books I have piled up and wish I didn’t have so much else going on so that I could read them.

6. What was the last book you read, where diversity was handled well, and researched properly?

95% (rough estimate, but you get my point!) of the books I read are written by authors who are writing about their own ethnic group and gender orientation. So, accuracy in that regard is not usually a problem. The last book I finished was The Zero Degree Zombie Zone by Patrick Henry Bass and Jerry Craft; Scholastic. Have you ever read a book with black kids running into zombies in the lunch room?!! This was a short, quick read that handled the far out adventure in a way that wasn’t so far out. Loved it!

7. Finally, where can we all get updates on twitter, your blog, or just anything Crazy QuiltEdi?!?

@crazyquilts

Follow me on Facebook

CrazyQuiltEdi 

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*Meeting Edith @ Kidlitcon*

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