Chapter 17, Fall 2021
Teen Picks: A New Volunteer Opportunity Julian Ingram One of the things Leanne and I struggled with during the pandemic was telling our teen volunteers that we didn't have many service opportunities for them outside of BTAB at this time. However as summer inched nearer, the hubbub that is Summer of Discovery allowed us to recruit many teen volunteers to man the SoD sign-up tables. Something we didn't anticipate were parents not allowing their teens to volunteer in person as a COVID precaution. Luckily, our volunteer coordinator Kate Kelsch had shared the many creative teen volunteer opportunities libraries were experimenting with during COVID. One idea that spoke to our patrons' needs was Teen Picks! Teen Picks are teen-written book reviews for our website in exchange for volunteer service hours. And wow, our teens didn't disappoint! Misery: A Novel by Stephen King We look forward to continuing to offer this opportunity during the school year, in hopes that it will help teens who may find themselves overcommitted and unable to volunteer more fully. It's a plus that we'll have an opportunity in case COVID ramps up more, too. We hope you enjoy this sampling of Teen Picks reviews! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for new reviews that publish to the library's Staff Picks blog every Sunday. See what the cool kids are reading these days! Shout outs to Kate, Christine, Brett, Leanne, Dillon, and Lisa for your help making this happen!
Misery is a manifestation of some of my worst fears. The book follows an author named Paul Sheldon, who has recently been in a serious accident in the mountains. He has also recently been taken captive by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes. Annie originally "takes care of" Paul, giving him pain meds, but not taking him to a hospital. It then turns into a cycle of torture into getting what she wants. Unable to leave, Paul is trapped with Annie, a raging psychopath, in a place where no one is looking for him. Content warning: Abuse, Gore, Violence. - Gianna, 11th grade teen volunteer 17
