Labyrinth Journeys by Twylla Alexander

Image from: Amazon.com

I had a personal reason to pick up and read Labyrinth Journeys...I know the author!  Twylla and I taught on the same Grade 2 team at Cairo American College in Cairo, Egypt.  My husband and I often recall that Twylla and her husband, Drew, drove us our first date.  Knowing I wouldn't want to ride, or arrive, in a dirty Cairo taxi to a formal function, they offered to drive us there!

I must admit that I have never walked a labyrinth, but Twylla's journey caught my interest.  I very much enjoyed the stories of the female labyrinth creators Twylla met throughout the throughout the United States, as well as her own story woven throughout the book.  I hope to visit the labyrinths in Sedalia, CO and Cheyenne, WY during my next visit home.

Labyrinth Journeys is an uplifting read.  Pick it up for inspiration as you follow your own journey!

Find Labyrinth Journeys in our library under the call number: WELLNESS 955 ALE

Creating Nonfiction Labels

The next step in our nonfiction gentrification was creating labels for the books so we know which section they go in.  For our fiction section, we order our labels from Demco.

For nonfiction, we decided to create our own labels.  I designed our labels using LucidPress through my Google account.  I chose LucidPress because I have been using it to design other library materials since I switched to a Mac and had to give up Microsoft Publisher!  I find LucidPress more user-friendly (for me, a non-designer) over Pages or Photoshop.

All images came from openclipart

We had many sheets of extra blank Demco labels and ended up using two different types.  I originally designed the labels to fit the larger label type, which we had plenty of, but my assistants and I decided we did not like the look of the larger labels on the books.

So, I resized the labels to a smaller size (still Demco) and we used those until we ran out.  We then switched to the larger size labels and trimmed them for the last few hundred books.  Due to budget constraints, and the fact that I can only order once per year, we decided to use up what we already had.  I didn't want to put the project on hold until I could get more of the same labels!!!

Nonfiction Labels

(Demco Templates)

Classics in Graphic Novel Form

Check out these classic books rewritten in graphic novel format!  My son loves these books. They are great for students who are not yet ready to read the original work in its entirety, reluctant readers, or those students who shy away from "the classics."  We have these three in the library.  Find them in our graphic novel section.

741.5 HAL

741.5 EVE

741.5 MIL

(Image credits: Amazon.com)

Choosing Nonfiction Sections

The next step in our nonfiction gentrification process was deciding on what sections we want for our books.

This was where I found it hard to find research applicable to a secondary library.  Two favorite resources I found were:

Hoover High School Blog- This  is where I found most of my ideas for our sections and sub-sections.

Mighty Little Librarian Blog- Tiffany Whitehead's series of blog posts on gentrification are where I found much of my information on organizing, shelving, and label-making.

Here is the list of sections and subsections we decided upon for our library:

Nonfiction Sections and Subsections

1. War and Conflict
1. General
2. American Revolution
3. WWI
4. WWII
5. Cold War
6. Modern Wars
2. History
1. General
2. Prehistoric Times
3. Ancient Civilizations
4. Ancient Egypt
5. Ancient Greece
6. Ancient Rome
7. Middle Ages
8. Renaissance
9. Industrial Revolution
10. Modern World
11. Governments
3. True Crime
1. Spies
2. Ninjas! (We had great discussions as to where to put the Ninja books...🤣)
4. Health
1. Diseases and Disorders
2. Addictions
3. Human Body Systems
5. Wellness- We initially had this with health, but the section started to get really large and since wellness is a whole-school initiative so we decided to give it its own section.
1. General Wellness (yoga, stress relief, exercise etc.)
2. Self Improvement/Self-Help
3. Inspirational (Chicken Soup like books)
4. Education
5. Philosophy
6. Religion
1. General
2. Islam
3. Christianity
4. Hinduism/Buddism
7. Global Issues
1. Conservation
2. Alternative Energy
3. Civil Rights
4. Poverty
5. Terrorism
6. Social/Cultural Issues
7. Genocide
8. Narrative (Nonfiction that reads like a story- all genres!)
9. Cooking and Food
10. Music
11. Art & Design
1. General
2. Drawing
3. Crafts
4. Fashion
5. Design (home design, flower arranging, etc.)
6. Photography
12. Sports
13. Fun and Games
1. Video Gaming
2. Coding
3. YouTubers
4. Magic Tricks
5. Math puzzle books (and other puzzle books)
6. Fun Facts (fact books and Quick “encyclopedia-like” reads)
7. Photography
8. Movies and Theatre
14. Supernatural
15. Modern Marvels
1. Internet and Computers
2. Technologies
3. Transportation
4. Inventions
5. Buildings and Structures
16. Business and Math
1. Finance and Economics
2. Corporations and Management
3. Math

17. Science
1. General Science
2. Biomes
3. Biology
4. Genetics
5. Chemistry
6. Earth Science
7. Space
8. Physics
9. Geology and Dinosaurs
10. Nature
11. Natural Disasters
12. Psychology (the study of Psychology, not self help)
18. Animals
1. Pets
2. General
3. Ocean Animals
4. Bugs
5. Amphibians/Reptiles
6. Mammals
7. Birds
8. Animal Fiction
19. Poetry
20. Literature
1. Writing (hints, tips, guides)
2. Drama/plays
3. Language Arts
21. Myths and Legends (move near Fantasy Fiction)
1. Myths
2. Legends
3. Fairytales
4. Folklore
22. Travel and Geography
1. Travel
2. Countries of the world
3. Atlases
23. Biography
24. Graphic Novels
25. College Collection
26. Bangladesh Collection

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

(Image from: Amazon.ca)

I am a bit ashamed to admit that I've never read The Handmaid's Tale before.  My husband read it in high school and enjoyed it because it was "risqué" at the time.  It was never required reading for me and I did not get around to reading it until it was...for my book club!

This is an interesting dystopian novel about the role of women in a new, seemingly ultra-religious society sometime in the future (perhaps soon after present day given that it was written in 1986.). What was once the USA has fallen into various wars and one society that emerges puts women into separate groups.  Some are breeders, as the main character is.  Some are wives, cooks or housekeepers.  All have assigned tasks and all are completely covered.  This is to keep away temptation and try to change society "for the better."  Citizens are often imprisoned or killed for not agreeing with the government.  I couldn't put this book down and especially liked the "Historical Notes" at the end.

I know that the TV series is popular, but I can't download it in Dhaka (legally) so have not yet seen it.  I'm excited to watch it because I'm interested in comparing it to the book.  I've read several news articles about the show "mirrors reality."  I'm not convinced the book does this, so I'm curious if the TV series has been adapted in any way.

Find The Handmaid's Tale in the library at: SCI-FI F ATW or ask us to borrow a copy from the textbook room.