Don’t Forget About Reading Maps!

It’s Spring Cleaning time on both blogs. Last week I cleaned up the resources page on the horror blog, and today, I went through an old but very useful page that is always available from every page here on the blog-- The Reading Maps archive. As you can see from this zoomed out picture of the right gutter, the Reading Maps link is lives under the heading of “Pages.”

Below I have reposted the entire page here as a blog post so as to remind all of you to check out these excellent resources. While at first glance, these appear to merely be “backlist gems,” I want to point out that there is are reading map to some very current titles such as, American Gods, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, and The Walking Dead. Also, I just suggested Big Stone Gap to someone this very morning. Hey it was new to her. See, the backlist is always very helpful; it never lets us down. But if you have been a reader of this blog for any length of time, you already knew that.

On a personal note, going through this archive and checking the links was like a walk down memory lane. The vast majority of these were done by my students, many of whom have become colleagues over the years. Looking back on this, some of their first professional RA work, made me even more proud of them.

Here is the direct link to the Reading Maps page, but I have also posted it below with the live links.

If you or your library has some online reading maps that you want to share with a wider audience [so as to help more readers], contact me and I will add them to the page, with credit to you. The more reading maps we gather together, the more readers we can help. It’s all about the compound interest of many RA library workers banding together and sharing the load.

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Reading Maps

Please note that all reading maps are based on this article by Neal Wyatt in Library Journal (11/2006).  From that article:

"Reading maps are web-based visual journeys through books that chart the myriad associations and themes of a title via other books, pictures, music, links to web sites, and additional material. Reading maps open up the world of the book for the reader by diagramming the internal life of the book, allowing readers to inhabit the text and its outward connections, and enabling readers to follow threads of interest that stem from any particular part of the work."

While this archive is no longer being added to, the links were last check in April, 2017.

The information, readalikes, and ideas these pages will generate are not bound by time, however. So get clicking.

Berwyn Public Library Reading Maps at the Browsers Corner:

• Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
• Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
• Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• Killing Floor (and the rest of the Jack Reacher series) by Lee Child
• The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
• The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
• A Test of Wills by Charles Todd

Student Examples of Note:

• The Watchmen by Michelle K.
• A Great and Terrible Beauty by Sarah
• Sookie Stackhouse by Christine
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Russ
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Cris
• Shop Class As Soulcraft by Jason
• Big Stone Gap by Jessica
• The National Parks by Elizabeth
• American Gods by Amanda
• Sharp Teeth by Val
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Dorsey
• The Hangman's Daughter by Liz
• Moveable Feast by Noelle
• The Lost Dogs by Laura
• Walking Dead by Cassie
• Just Kids by Lian
• Alice in Wonderland by Jenn
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Jeanne
• Outlander by Joe
• Listening is an Act of Love by Elaine
• The Great Gatsby by Christina
• Galway Bay by Sara
• The Master and Margarita by Dan
• The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Meg
• The Hunger Games Trilogy by Christi
• The Black Rose by Jess
• Girl With a Pearl Earring by Elizabeth
• Gone With the Wind by Cheryl
• The Language of Baklava by Noelle
• The Book Thief by Amanda
• Bel Canto by Liz
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Caitlin
• Time Traveler's Wife by Margita
• An Abundance of Katherines by Elizabeth
• Doc by Jessica
• The Madonnas of Leningrad by Becky K. (not me)
• The Poisoner's Handbook by Nicole
• Eat, Pray, Love by Vera

Gone Girl Reading Map

A few days ago, our old friend Christi, who has done a great job serving readers at the Naperville Public Library since her halcyon days as a BPL intern, got in touch to share her newly completed Gone Girl Reading Map.

Since I recently gave my popular Bridging the Physical-Virtual Divide talk where I mention reading maps, and specifically the article Christi and I wrote together for NoveList about how to create them (links on slide 17), I thought this was perfect timing to share her new map.

Here is a screen shot of the front page as well as a link to the actual map itself.

Click here for access to the reading map

Personally, I love all of Christi's reading maps.  One of the things she does best is create a template for the maps in general and then manipulates the look and content to fit each book.  When she was our intern, she set up the template and made us a bunch of maps. Our staff then each made one to add to the collection.  Here is the link to those maps plus some maps by other former students.

But this map specifically has a tab I love... "Caution, Spoilers!"  Gone Girl is all about the devious plot twists. Its appeal lies in how you feel about them.  She had to address them for fans who have read the book/seen the movie, loved it, and want more, but she also needs to keep it "spoiler-free" for the five people who don't know yet.  Clearly labelling that section was a great idea.  Plus the page itself has some great whole collection/outside the box reading and research suggestions.

And, of course I have to mention that under "The Author" tab, you can watch me interview Flynn back in 2012.

If you want to know more about Reading Maps, let me know and I can get you in touch with Christi.

Berwyn Reads Kick Off This Weekend!

As I hinted here, Berwyn Reads is set to begin! We really go all out every other year to offer this One Community, One Book Event in Berwyn. And for the first time ever, the BPL RA Dream Team was given the task of choosing the book.  We took the entire process very seriously and are now both nervous and excited to begin.

Well, the wait is over.  The Kick Off will happen this Saturday, September 21 at Berwyn's Oktober Fest.

The full 12 page brochure can be seen here, and it has ALL of the details.  It includes programming info, a letter by Ernest Cline, and many readalike options. I think it is fantastic in both look and content.

I also just posted the wonderful reading map  Intern Elizabeth did for us in preparation of Berwyn Reads.  Much of her work can also be see throughout the brochure.  Click here to see more from Elizabeth. Click here for the Ready Player One Reading Map or here for a full archive of the Berwyn Public Library reading maps

Many of us at the BPL are hard at work trying to make this bi-annual event a success, but as for me specifically, I will be leading the book discussion on November 4 as well as participating in running the 80s Prom on November 16th. And, as I mentioned here, in early October I will be interviewing Cline via Skype.  As soon as the video is available I will provide a link to it.

I hope you can join us either in person or virtually at some point over the next 8 weeks.

Joyce's Reading Map

Back in January of 2012 in her At Leisure column for Booklist, Joyce resolved to make a reading map during the year.

Since the 2 of us have been offering the reading map as a midterm or final option for our students for quite a while now, we felt that it was important that we also complete one ourselves-- with the same requirements we demand of them. It is only fair.  Both of us are big proponents of being able to do what you teach.

Back in September I announced the completion of my reading map here.  And in the January issue of Booklist, Joyce came through on her resolution too.

Click here to read the column where she talks about her process or click here to jump directly to her map for Appetite for America by Stephen Fried.

Not only did I want to give Joyce public kudos for completing her map, but I also wanted to use this post as a chance to mention that tomorrow we return to team teaching (for the first time since Fall 2011) with a new crop of students.  This means the student blog will soon return with lots of new annotations, meaning many new perspectives on different reading options.

New students also means new issues and trends.  Not only do I find new information to share on the blog and with the class as I prepare for each week's lecture, but also, the students are constantly bringing different perspectives and ideas to the table. I hope to use my enthusiasm for teaching them and their excitement to learn to help energize and educate you blog readers too.

So here's to new beginnings.

Student Reading Maps

Today at Noon marks the official end of the semester as this is the deadline for the instructors to submit final grades.  So in honor of the students, here are three excellent reading maps that were created by my GSLIS students and submitted as their final for Fall 2012.

I will have one map to share more soon, but I am waiting for the student to make a few small fixes. I will be also adding these to the Reading Maps Archive which is always accessible here.

Reading Maps

• The Madonnas of Leningrad by Becky K. (not me)
• The Poisoner's Handbook by Nicole
• Eat, Pray, Love by Vera

New Student Reading Maps and One Take 10 List

I have 4 midterms I want to share with you today.  The last three are excellent reading maps done by students in the RA class for their midterms.

But first, those who follow this blog know that some students choose to do a 10 book book talk that I then post as a "Take Ten" list on a certain topic. You can click here to pull up all past lists.  Normally, the students make an annotated list on paper to share with the class, and, in fact, I will have some of those to share with you in the coming days, but this semester, Shira did something that what I am calling a hybrid of a book list/reading map.  Her audience was Young Stroke Survivors and her list is enitlted "Books to Recover With."  Click on through to see her digital annotated list of 10 books.

I also had three very good reading maps turned in.  I will post them below and add them to the permanent reading map archive, found here.

• The Time Traveler's Wife by Margita
• An Abundance of Katherines by Elizabeth
• Doc by Jessica

Great work guys.  As I mentioned above, I will have more student work to highlight in the coming days.

And don't forget about their weekly assignments which show up on the class blog each Wednesday by 6pm.

My Reading Map is Ready and Some Great Reading Maps for Popular Children's Series

After I published this article with former intern, now librarian in Adult Services in Naperville, Christi clearly laying out how to create an effective reading map, I promised to complete my own map.

That day has come, as I just added my reading map for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to the Browsers' Corner's growing collection of original reading maps.

I am unveiling the map today because tonight also happens to be the class where I talk to the students about creating their own reading map.  This is one of their options for a midterm or final.  I keep an archive of the better examples of student reading maps here.

One of the best things about teaching RA is that when the students graduate they become my colleagues, taking what they learned and applying it to their specific work situations.

One former student and new librarian, Laura, has been actively exploring how to use reading maps in a Youth Services setting. One of the issues Laura encountered while making reading maps for the St Charles (IL) Public Library is how to make them fun, interactive, and educational. One of her solutions was to connect her topics to the educational resources, especially the rich databases, available to library card holders.  The results are maps that entice the kids to explore and enjoy, but also provide important bibliographic instruction.  These maps show the kids how to do more research using library resources, and to not just rely on a google search.

Here are Laura's maps for the Percy Jackson series and the 39 Clues series.  Check them out to see what I mean.

And in just a few weeks, I will be back with more reading maps from this semester's students.

How to Make Your Own Reading Map

As I have promised in past posts, today is the day that I unveil a simple how-to guide to creating your own reading map.

The article that Christi and I co-wrote for NoveLists' RA News came out yesterday.  Called "Reading Maps Made Easy", this article takes the work Christi did last semester, and turned it into an article with examples.  Click through to read it and link through to the examples.

I keep the link to all Novelist Newsletters in the right gutter under "Other Sites Featuring Me" since I write about 6 a year, but you can also access it directly here.

All Berwyn Public Library reading maps can be accessed here.

If you want to learn more about Reading Maps, I can come to your library and walk you through it.  Contact me for more info.

First BPL RA Dream Team Created Reading Maps Are Live!!!

Back in April, I posted here about Christi's internship with the BPL RA Dream Team.  Her job was to create a beginning collection of reading maps for us, and to teach the staff how to make a reading map of their own.

We posted our starter collection of maps on the Browsers Corner with the understanding that each member of the RA Dream Team would do one of their own by the end of the summer.

While my reading map is not quite done, I did give the okay yesterday on the first two maps.  I have been working with students as they create reading maps for 5 years now, and I have to say, these first two attempts are excellent and I am proud to unveil them today.

Here is the direct link to John's map of The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice.  And here is the direct link to Betty's map of A Test of Wills by Charles Todd.

Both Betty and John did an excellent job of capturing the feel of the book in the style of their map, and included quite a bit of background information as well as readalikes.  I would also like to note, that Betty in particular had little to no web page building skills before she attempted her map, and she did a great job in a surprisingly short amount of time.

We will be adding to our collection all summer (2 down 4 to go), so check back here frequently.

If you or your library have been working on reading maps, please let me know and I can add them to my general reading map archive here.  This also contains the maps that got a grade of A- or higher from my students over the past few years.

Small Demons

I have been meaning to check out Small Demons for quite awhile, so I put it on the summer to-do list.  Today I got to it.  I was quite intrigued by this introductory video.




Here is some information from their website:

It all begins here. Suppose someone took every meaningful detail from all the books you love. Every song mentioned, every person, every food or place or movie title. And what if they did that for all the books everyone else loves, too. The ones you’ve never heard of. Suddenly you’ve got a whole world of seemingly random people, places and things, all gathered in one place.

Together they create something vast, wonderful and entirely new. A Storyverse. A place where details touch, overlap and lead you further. To new music to listen to. New movies to watch. Places to visit. People to know. And of course, new books to read. Getting started is simple. Just choose a book. See where it takes you.

I have signed up and have started exploring.  I have a few initial comments.  What Small Demons most reminds me of are reading maps.  Readers of this blog know that I have had quite a bit to say about reading maps.  I will not rehash it here since there is an entire permanent page  I have created on reading maps.  [Also, coming soon, NoveList will be publishing an article I co-wrote about Reading Maps.]

But basically, it appears that Small Demons takes all of the people, places and things mentioned in a book and pulls them out and regroups them.  As the video says, you can find books grouped by what movie or music is mentioned in them.

Again, like a reading map this all works best when you are dealing with books with a lot of frame--all the details, setting, etc...

Small Demons is fairly new so the list of books included is limited.  However, a few books which are there that I think are perfectly suited to this type of database are Ready Player One and A Visit From the Goon Squad. Use the links to see their Small Demons entries

I also think I have some patrons for whom a resource like Small Demons could be a reading life-saver. These are readers who like to read everything that mentions a specific place or features a specific time, or like my friend Joyce, everything with even a passing note about Faberge eggs.

I am going to play around some more on Small Demons.  Currently I am building my personal storyboard by marking books I have enjoyed.  I will get back to you with more impressions later, but for now let me know if you have used Small Demons or if you even think it would be something that would interest you.

Monday Discussion: Do You Read Long Series Before They Are Finished?

Today's Monday Discussion is not original.  I have blatantly stolen it from Book Riot.  But there is also a shorter summary of it from one of the Book Riot contributors here.  Excerpted from that post:

"The No. 1 reason why people won’t read The Song of Ice and Fire series is not because they’re not interested in fantasy novels (which you might expect would be the case). And it’s not because the books are too long, or violent, or offensive to their delicate sensibilities regarding sex. Nope. The No. 1 reason is that folks don’t want to be left hanging, waiting until 2020 (or whenever) for the notoriously slow George R. R. Martin to finish his series. Readers are friggin’ impatient — and rightly so!

We hate waiting for books, almost than we hate waiting for anything else in the world. And I’m with you — for my entire reading life, I’ve had the same policy: Must wait until finished in order to begin."

Use the above links to see what others had to say.  There are quite a few comments.  But let's talk about it amongst ourselves today.

The example used most frequently is the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.  Since Martin takes a long time to write each book and the level of detail is so high, many people are waiting until the series is done to read it all at once.  Personally, I am just forgoing the books and watching the TV show.

I tend not to think about whether or not a series is done before I read it.  I read the Harry Potter books as they came out (I would even go to Costco on release day to buy the newest one) and I read The Passage in 2010 and am still waiting for the next book.

I guess for me, if I want to read a book right away, I will.  If there is a long time in between books, like my wait with The Passage, I will use GoodReads, Amazon, or my own notes to catch myself up on the details.

Although thinking about it a bit more critically, there are a few series I read less frequently and parse them out so that I always have a back up book to read.  A good example of this is the Louise Penny Gamache Mysteries.  I have only read the first 2, but it is not because I am waiting for the series to end, rather, I like having the series there with more books that are new to me.  It is like money in my pocket; when I can find nothing else, I have a book that will work no questions asked.

So what about you. For today' Monday Discussion, when it comes to a really big, intense series, do you wait until the author is done so that you can read it all in one gulp?

For past Monday Discussions, click here.

2 New Student Reading Maps

More student work to showcase.  Today I have 2 very good reading maps on 2 completely different books.

• Neverwhere by Jun
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Caitlin

Also, don't forget, I have a page on Reading Maps which contains a link to the Reading Maps of the BPL and an archive of student work. You can use this link or look for it in the right hand gutter of this blog.

Also, Christi and I just turned in a joint article explaining in 8 simple steps how to make your own reading map.  Look for that from NoveList RA News in July. Now you have no excuse not to do your own!

Bridging the Physical Virtual Divide

This is an update of a post I have done in the past here.  But since that time (June 2011),  bridging the physical virtual divide has become my new mission.  I have even added it to my 10 Rules of Basic RA Service.  And, I add at least a mention of it in every talk I give.

In fact, today, I will be at Reaching Forward presenting this talk. So here is update to that original post which I prepared for today's audience.

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Promoting books in the virtual world is a tricky proposition.  On the one hand, you want to exploit the 2.0 tools of blogs, wikis, and social media to reach more readers, but on the other hand, you do not want to forget about your core brick and mortar customers.

When I co-created the RA department at the BPL in 2000 our goal was to put a spotlight on leisure readers and give them a desk where their needs could be met…and exceeded!  From the start, in our promotion of books to leisure readers, we have made a conscious effort to create a link between our physical and virtual services.

The first step is to think of your virtual work with leisure readers as the other side of the SAME coin you are already using to help the readers who come into your building.  This symbiotic rather than exclusionary relationship is what drives everything we do at the BPL RA desk.  Our goal is to get our patrons to use both services; in fact, we want one to drive them to use the other.  We have built a following in the building and one online, but because we have consciously worked to link the two experiences and make them equally as engaging and interesting, we now have patrons using the physical and virtual services interchangeably.  They have a seamless library experience across every platform.

The key to building this bridge is to look at every thing you do and ask yourself this question-- Am I keeping the focus on the book?

By book, I don't only mean a physical book.  I mean the reading experience, whether in a paper volume, through audio, or in an "e" format. 

Every time you try a new technology, use a new social media, or start a new program in your RA focused work, you need to remember that it all has to circle back around to finding your patrons their next good read.  As a result, at the BPL, we only incorporate virtual services that meet this standard.

One last comment that I need to stress.  The one thing the library has in stock that bookstores do not is the backlist.  We try to focus a large portion of our book promotion on the backlist.  That gem of the library; the thousands of great reads just waiting on the shelf to be matched with just the right reader.  For more on my strong feelings about promoting the backlist, click here.

Here are some of the ways we bridge the physical virtual divide at the Berwyn Public Library.

•  Social Media for Books and Readers:  Shelfari

• My Shelf
• BPL Staff Shelf on Shelfariand on the main website
• Patron Shelf

• Displays: In the Library and Online...and in perpetuity.

• Blog: RA for ALL
• Monday Discussion
• Book Discussions
• Reviews of books we own specifically geared toward who it would appeal to most, with readalike options, just like you would give at the desk,

• Facebook and Twitter

• Book Chats
• Promote leisure reading events

And the example we are most proud of-- the one which embodies everything we are striving to do as we bridge the physical--virtual divide... 

• The Browsers Corner: Books People Like at the Berwyn Public Library (BPL at the BPL)
• Physical Corner (see right) with staff suggestions and reading lists, flyers for book clubs, lists of award winners, and resources.
• Virtual Corner online with same content.  But you can also, Reading Maps and the notes from our popular Book Lovers Club. 
• It is a one stop shop for patrons, both those who walk through our doors and those who access us virtually.
• And coming soon to the Browsers Corner...Pinterest

The Berwyn Public Library Introduces Reading Maps!

Thanks to our wonderful intern Christi, the Berwyn Public Library has officially begun to create reading maps.  Chrisit got us started with 9 maps, but more importantly, she created a template for all of us to use. 

The goal is for the BPL RA Dream Team of six to each create a map, using this template, by the end of the summer.  And then, beginning in 2013, we will each sign up to create 2 new maps a year.  This means we will average a map a month.

Here is a linked list of what we have so far:

• Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
• A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• Killing Floor (and the rest of the Jack Reacher series) by Lee Child
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
• Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

I have also archived this list on my Reading Maps page along with some of the better maps my students have made over the years. By the beginning of May you will be able to find all Berwyn Library Reading Maps on their official home page over on the Browsers Corner Blog.

Christi and I will also have a detailed article about how to create a reading map coming out in NoveList's RA News in July.  So if you have questions about how to do this at your library, we will have answers soon.

Finally, look for my map on Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter coming this summer.

Reading Map: Bel Canto

And as the last post of Spring Break I want to highlight Liz's reading map of Ann Patchett's Bel Canto.

She did a nice job, especially here where she included links to pages for people new to opera.

Speaking of Bel Canto and opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago just made this announcement.

Remember, you can access the full archive of the best reading maps here.

Thanks to my students who agreed to share their work with all of you so that I could spend time with my kids during their week off.

Back to regular programming next week.  Have a nice weekend.

The Book Thief Reading Map

My kids have Spring Break this week so my posting may be sporadic.  In fact, in anticipation of this, I have saved some of the best student work from Midterms (back at the beginning of the month) to showcase this week.  So expect a lot of pre-loaded material this week and not much commentary on current issues.

Today, I want to share Amanda's wonderful reading map for The Book Thief.

She did an excellent job of letting the book guide her map.  As I told her, I will be adding this map to the list of those I use to teach other students in future semester's.

Have a look for yourself.

Also, remember you can always access past reading maps which received a grade of A- or higher in the Reading Maps Archive that I keep here.

Hunger Games Day: Resources for Readers and Movie Goers

As if you didn't already know, but the much anticipated Hunger Games movie opens today; actually last night at midnight in some places.

To better help you to serve your excited patrons, I have gathered my past Hunger Games posts here for you today.

But first, here is some news I have been saving for this exact day.  As I mentioned here, I signed the BPL up to be a book giver on World Book Night.  The process involved proving you would give the books out (easy for us, since we are a library and already do that every single day) and submitting a wish list of three titles from their list that you would be willing to hand out.

Well, on a hope and a prayer, knowing the Hunger Games movie would be out only a month before World Book Night, I made The Hunger Games my first choice.  Here is an excerpt from the acceptance email I received on 2/28:

First of all, we're delighted to confirm that the book you'll be giving away on April 23 is Hunger Games. We hope you're happy with it even if it isn't your first choice and that you are still excited to participate in World Book Night.

Oh yes, I was happy.

So it is official, the BPL will be out in the community giving out The Hunger Games on the evening of 4/23.  We had some patrons also sign up to be givers of different titles.  Closer to the actual date of World Book Night, I will have a schedule of where you can find us and which titles we will be handing out.

But, while you wait for World Book Night to come around, you have to deal with the hoards of patrons who want to read the book or already have read all three and want readalikes.  Thankfully, my students have done the leg work on this already.

Please go to Gennie's Hunger Games readalikes list here or Christi's fabulous Hunger Games reading map here.  Between these two resources you will be able to satisfy your Katniss crazy patrons.

One final note, it is days like today when I am so happy to be a RA librarian.  It feels like the entire world is going crazy over a book.  It is a dream come true.

More Reading Maps!

As I get ready for the new semester of library students starting a week from today, I realized that I never posted the 3 excellent reading maps that were done by my students at the end of last semester.

As usual, I have added them to the Reading Maps page here on RA for All, but for those of you who only want to see the new ones they are:

• Life by Bill
• Gone With the Wind by Cheryl
• The Language of Baklava by Noelle

All three were excellent.

I am also happy to announce that the Berwyn Library RA Department will begin posting our own reading maps starting in 2012.  We will work as a group to provide this fabulous service for our patrons based on their reading needs and requests.

It has been great to be able to share the work my students are doing with patrons, but in the public library there is no substitute for specific services tailored to your local community's needs.  So we are going to all make a go of it by creating reading maps for the books our patrons love.

Of course, I will keep you posted on our progress.  And I will continue to highlight the work my students are doing.  I get a whole new crop of them on the 18th.

Reading Maps Archive Updated

The midterms are all graded, so I have a few new reading maps I want to share with the wider world.

First, a handful of disclaimers and requests:

1. Now that we have been collecting reading maps for awhile, there were too many in the archive.  Yesterday, I went through and only kept those which earned a grade of A- or higher and are still live.
2. I will not automatically post every reading map we receive.  I will keep the standard of A- or higher for new maps.
3. Please use this archive to help readers.  Going back through it I realized what a rich collection we now have.  There are books across all genres from YA to classics to cult favorites.  I am especially proud of the number of nonfiction titles we have.  These are all amazing RA tools. They are meant to be used by librarians and readers. I highly suggest you bookmark the archive and use it regularly.  We have had some amazing students over the years, many who have gone on to be prominent in the RA field.
4. The maps are listed in chronological order in the archive.  So, the newest are at the bottom.  This semester's additions are:
• The Hunger Games Trilogy by Christi
• The Black Rose by Jess
• One Day by Michelle
• Inherent Vice by Brian
• Girl With a Pearl Earring by Elizabeth
5. Finally, don't forget, this all began with Neal Wyatt's Library Journal article where reading maps were first introduced as an RA tool.

Click here for the entire archive.  It is always available in the right gutter of RA for All under the heading "Pages."

Hunger Games Reading Map

I just started going through student midterms, but this could not wait to be posted in the update to the Reading Maps Archive.

Christi made this wonderful, interactive, and just plain fun reading map for The Hunger Games Trilogy.  This is a must see for anyone who works in a public library-- of course any fans out there will love it too.

But back to the library workers, since the point of this blog to showcase how your local Readers Advisor can help you.  The Hunger Games is the hottest thing right now, and with the movie coming in March, you cannot have enough options for your patrons.  Christi has provided a way for your readers to look deeper into many of the issues brought up in the trilogy, explore further reading, and connect with other fans.

I also want to remind you of Gennie's Hunger Games Readalikes for Adults list which I posted last Spring and continues to get a lot of hits.  Christi's reading map includes readalikes for adults and young adults too.

Check out both links, you will not be disappointed.