Hitting the Shelves

Hitting Shelves The

Dear Reader,

We are so excited to show you our amazing magazine! It was a journey to get to this point, but we are very happy you are here. If you want to know more about us, you can read our bios, but collectively we are all freshmen at LASA high school. LASA is the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, a magnet school in Austin, Texas.

We discovered our shared love of books while brainstorming topic ideas. If things had gone a little differently you might be reading a magazine about something completely different. Afterwards we started reaching out to people, from authors to librarians, for interviews we could use in our stories. Some interviews were easy to come by, some less so, but we managed to interview 13 people for this magazine. While we were reaching out to potential interviewees, we were busy creating infographics, folios, and page layouts. We went back and forth on our folio design. A folio is the little book in the corner that has the page number on it. The layouts in particular were tricky. We had to balance text, photos, and graphics while making all the articles cohesive yet unique. We are particularly proud of our graphics. If you look at the article, The Fellowship of the Book on page 10, you will see some of our best graphics made by our graphics editor.

We have included articles on the way authors write books, book clubs, events at bookstores, and the lives of librarians. We hope your appreciation for books deepens as you get a peek behind the scenes of libraries, bookstores, and authors. We have learned so much while creating this magazine and we want you to discover everything we did. Happy Reading!

Meet Editors

Jeremiah Aziz is a middle child who enjoys reading books, as they expand his vocabulary. He also enjoys chess because he likes to feel smart and fit in with the cool kids. His favorite drink is boba tea, which he generally gets at Muse Fusion + Sushi. He is writing about librarians in this magazine, focusing on their daily jobs and responsibilities. After he graduates from LASA High School, Jeremiah plans to become a software engineer.

In this magazine, Mia Puente, a freshman at LASA High School, hopes to get a peek into the mind of an author and how authors come up with their stories. In her free time, she likes to read books, listen to music, and dance. She’s the oldest of four, and she likes to eat sushi. After she graduates, she plans to go to college and study forensic sciences. She likes to watch horror movies when she has the time, which, being a LASA student, isn’t nearly often enough.

Front and back cover photos by Jeremiah Aziz

Front and back cover design and graphics by Alyssa Wang

Meet the Editors photos by Jeremiah Aziz and Mia Puente

Table of contents graphics and design by Phoebe Herbert

Inside covers design and graphics by Alyssa Wang

Folio by Jeremiah Aziz

Inside cover graphics by Alyssa Wang

Hitting the Shelves photo by Gabe Tao

Meet the Editors page design by Mia Puente

Hitting the Shelves design by Jeremiah Aziz

Game pages design and graphics by Mia Puente

Phoebe Herbert wrote an article for this magazine about bookstores and how they build communities. She is a freshman bookworm at LASA High School and proud Greek mythology nerd. While not at school, she likes sewing costumes. Her current project is teaching herself to knit and embroider. Phoebe is happy to say that she is becoming quite good at making little flowers. After she graduates, Phoebe is planning to go to college and study genetic sciences.

Alyssa Wang, a freshman at LASA High School, is creating a feature story about book clubs, particularly those in Austin. She got into this project because she likes to read and immerse herself in stories. She loves good world-building and complex characters. Once she graduates, she plans on becoming a doctor, but still isn’t too sure about her future. She absolutely hates slow internet, which makes her want to smash her laptop every time she Googles something. Thankfully, there have not been any destroyed laptops so far.

Mind to Paper

Getting the story on the page

By Mia Puente

If you ask different authors why they chose their profession, you’ll get many different answers.

Each and every writer has brought their own styles and stories

to the literature industry, and continues to influence the people around them.

“When I was younger I read a lot of books, but I didn’t see a lot of black characters, especially main characters,” said children’s author Anne Wynter. “I wanted to write

books that had characters like me.”

This is the view she has brought in her picture book, Everybody in the Red Brick Building.

Author Amy Gentry’s motive was different.

“I had a 4th-grade teacher who taught us how to write free-verse poetry on the first day of school,” Gentry said. “I’ve never stopped wanting to write since.”

Her story is just one of millions about thriving individuals who were inspired at young ages.

“I’d like to say I’m inspired by the pressing need to express my ideas,” Gentry continued. “But what really inspires me is reading fiction I love.”

She continued to express her love for writing throughout

This is a picture of Anne Wynter at a sugning for her latest release, Everybody in the Red Brick Building. She us very proud of what she has accomplished and how it relates to the people around her. Photo cortesy of Anne Wynter

A picture of Amy Gentry at work. Many authors choose to work at their homes to feel more comfprtable with whattthey’re writing. Photo Courtesy of Amy Gentry

her childhood and into her present life.

“I read a lot when I was a kid,” said journalist Stephen Harrigan.” The more I read the more I began to wonder if it might be possible someday for me to write a book myself.”

All of these authors have been exposed and influenced by the beauty of writing at early stages of their lives.

“One of the kids in the book [Everybody in the Red Brick Building] is named Rayhan,” Wynter said. “And we have a friend whose son is named Rayhan, and he was so excited because he’s never seen his name in a book before. He was like ‘This is me. This is me in this book,’ and so that makes me very excited and very happy to see kids feeling like they’re reflected in the books.

Wytner continues to incorporate her personal life into the stories she writes, making herself and the people around her happy.

“I’ve been a writer for so long— over fifty years—that it’s hard to say how it’s changed my life—because it is my life,” Harrigan said. “But when I first started writing seriously, I recognized that the process of noticing things, writing them down, traveling whenever I could, opened up the world to me. It made me less selfabsorbed, more confident,

more observant.”

Harrigan understands that the life he chose [writing] has helped him be true to himself and be open to new possibilities.

Gentry is very gratified with the way her career has turned out.

Wynter agreed, adding that a wider audience can improve a book’s impact.

“Nothing makes me happier.” Gentry said, explaining how writing has made her feel. “Life is still hard, of course. As you get older, there are so many struggles. writing didn’t change that. But this is the struggle I chose, and I would never unchoose it.”

“I think that for the kids, having fun moments in the book where they can interact or see themselves in that character,” said Wynter. “I try to also talk to the person who is reading the book. Usually there is an adult who’s reading the book to the child. So putting in those moments where an adult or a parent will feel recognized and seen is really important too.”

Wynter believes that it is very important to reach out to her readers, and she

Covers by Daniel Miyares and Christoper Moisan

First I write for myself”

- Amy Gentry, Author

Author Bios

Amy Gentry

Amy Gentry is an American author and literary critic born in Houston, Texas. She is best known for her psychological thrillers. Gentry’s debut novel, “Good as Gone,” was published in 2016 and was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Her second novel, “Last Woman Standing,” was released in 2019 and was also well-received by critics. Gentry’s writing explores themes of trauma, gender, and power dynamics. She is known for her complex characters and nuanced portrayals of difficult subject matter.w

Anne Wynter

Anne Wynter is originally from Houston, Texas, and currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, and their two children. Her debut in children’s writing was her picture book Everybody in the Red Brick Building. In addition to writing children’s books, she’s written more than a dozen short plays that have been produced around the country.

Stephen Harrigan is an American novelist, journalist, and screenwriter, known for his historical fiction and non-fiction works. Harrigan began his career as a journalist, working for Texas Monthly and other publications, and later transitioned to writing fiction and screenplays. His novels include “The Gates of the Alamo,” which was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and “A Friend of Mr. Lincoln,” which was named one of the ten best books of 2016 by the Washington Post.

makes sure to think about the ways that this could be possible.

“First, I write for myself. I tell myself a story I’m excited about, using words that excite me. But in revision, I take my readers into consideration,” Gentry said. “Every page has to be earned, it has to give readers a reason to keep reading, instead of watching TV or play with their phones. So when I put roadblocks in front of the reader, like confusing language, I have to make sure I’m giving them something of value to make up for it. Plot is my main way of connecting with readers.”

Both these authors think about their readers when they write and incorporate them in their final decisions. Harrigan, on the other hand, decides to take a different approach to including his readers.

“I try to be honest and clear when I’m writing,” Said Harrigan. “And hope that a reader

will recognize the effort I’m making and respond to it”

Harrigan tries to make a statement clear in his work, and trusts that he will get it across and that people can relate to and understand his message.

Graphic by Alyssa Wang

Covers by Jenny Carrow and Brian Moore

“I wanted to write books that had characters like me”

- Anne Wynter, Author

The creation process from the first idea to the first sale.

BIRTH OF Idea

Who are your characters? Why is your idea interesting? Who is your audience?

Outline

An outline can be a simple plot diagram or a complex chapter by chapter breakdown. The important thing is to have an idea of where your story is going.

Get all your ideas on to the page. The first draft will be rough, you’ll want to give up and feel like your writing will never be good enough to publish. This is normal. Keep writing. You can do it.

Read books or watch movies similar to your book. If your book is realistic, find information about the time and place. If it is fantastical, try to find real world examples of elements you want to include in your story.

You can edit the book yourself, or find an editor to do it. Read through your first draft, looking for boring words, plot holes, and inconsistencies in your characters or world. Keep track of the edits you make on a document or speadsheet.

On the second draft you apply what you’ve learned when editing. In addition you should ask yourself overarching questions, like what the tone of your book is and what themes you want to convey. This is the time to make your book feel like a cohesive work.

Edit st Draft nd Draft Beta Read

Beta readers give you feedback from a reader’s perspective. They focus more on plot, characters, and writing style than grammar. Try to find around 3-5 beta readers to give you feedback. This ensures a wider range of feedback while not overwhelming you.

BOOK OF A

Graphics by Phoebe Herbert

Final Draft

This is the time to use all the feedback you’re been given. Make sure you have a strong hook and conclusion. Make sure to keep a consistent tone and style throughout your piece.

Edit

Implement the feedback you got from your beta readers. As you go through their comments keep a list of things to change, so you can add everything in at once. This is also the time to really pay attention to correcting grammar mistakes.

Book Proposal

A book proposal is a pitch of your book that you submit to a publishing company to convince them to publish your book. Each publishing company has its own template for proposals, but they often include a summary of your book, sample chapters, a marketing plan, and a section comparing your book to similar works.

Get Published

This step can take a very long time. You will submit and be rejected many times. Kate DiCamillo, who is now worth $10 billion, was rejected 473 times. Eventually you will get accepted. Keep trying!

Sale

How much you make can depend a lot on if you published the traditional way or self-published. Authors that published the traditional way can expect to earn 10% to 12% royalties on their books while selfpublished authors can earn 40% to 60%. There are pros and cons to each option but either way you’re finally making money. Now it’s time to get started on your next book.

Deliver to Stores

Now the books are packed tightly in boxes and shipped to stores. Like all other mail, books can travel on trucks, planes, and boats to reach their final destination. USPS offers Media Mail, which is a cheap although slower way, to ship books and other physical media.

Print

The pages of the books are printed in sections separate from the cover. The sections are then ordered using barcodes that are cut off after assembly. Finally the cover is attached. You have a printed book! Hurray!

Graphics by Alyssa Wang

The Fellowship of the Book

Book Clubs in Austin

By Alyssa Wang

Take out all the “mandatory” and “graded” parts of those literature circles from school, add a dash of familiarity and casualness, and sprinkle it with free will, and some find that those things are not quite as bad as they seem. Book clubs, as a matter of fact, are quite an appealing form of socialization, according to Kiboseaux-Posey.

“You could make friends for life,” Kibodeaux-Posey said. “It’s a great way to meet people that feel organic. Once you’re out of school, it’s difficult to meet people and make friends outside of work.”

Book clubs are found all over Austin, from the Austin Public Library to BookPeople. Readers regularly gather and meet with each other to discuss a book they’ve read. They discuss all sorts of topics with their fellow members.

People who join a book club are generally open to conversation and looking to socialize, according to Kibodeax-Posey. While striking up a conversation with a stranger on the train may feel extremely awkward, striking up a conversation in a book club feels less so.

“[It helps to have] a place where you know you’ll have at least some common interests,” Kibodeaux-Posey said. “And these people are there to socialize, so it doesn’t feel awkward approaching someone and trying to introduce yourself.”

According to Leslie Flynn, founder of the Graphic Novel for Adults book club and the For the Love of Books book club, making friends can be difficult because people usually don’t meet regularly enough to get to know each other. Flynn said that book clubs

help people meet more consistently because of regular meeting times.

“It’s a bit difficult to make friends as adults because you’re not often in social situations with the same

“You could make friends for life. It’s a great way to meet people that feel organic.

- Soleil Kibodeaux-Posey, comanager of the YA for Adults book club

The book clubs in the Austin Public Library often put up posters to promote themselves. The YA for Adults book club put up posters in the Spicewood Springs library for people to see. Photos courtesy of the the Austin Public Library

people all the time,” said Flynn.

Dauphin Ewart, one of the founding members of the Voyage Out book club, said that friendships made through book clubs could last for a long time.

“It’s people who I now have known for 10-plus years,” Ewart said. “It’s a neat way to get to know people.”

Book clubs can also help members meet all sorts of other people, according to Flynn. Anyone who wants to read can join a book club, so a diverse group of people can be expected. Flynn used the members of her book club as an example.

“I have meeting members of a very large age range,” Flynn said. “I have some people in their twenties, and then I have grandmas in their seventies, and we all get along and have conversation and

communication. I think it’s really great to have that opportunity to bond over something you love with people you might not otherwise interact with.”

Kibodeaux-Posey said that being able to talk about something you love with people who also love the same thing can make you feel closer. That can be what makes a book club so interesting.

“You’re getting to know people,” Kibodeaux-Posey said, “you’re sharing a common interest- these are usually folks that like to read a lot- and you really bond over that love of books, and you’re with your fellow nerds, and it’s just delightful.”

Elvia Palacios, the co-manager of the YA for Adults book club said that making friends with the people in her

book club is her favorite part about it.

“[My favorite part of a book club is] to talk about books with people that are slowly becoming friends,” Palacios said. “It’s just fun.”

According to Flynn, book clubs also help expand reading ranges. If people read exclusively in a limited genre, being assigned books by a book club can help them try new things and maybe discover their new favorite genre.

“I have a lot of people who come in only reading their favorite genre,” Flynn says, “whereas in the Graphic Novel book club, they’re given an assigned reading that might be outside of that genre and they’ll discover other things they like.”

Graphics by Alyssa Wang

Reading across a wide range of genres is important because it expands perspective and helps people understand others, Kibodeaux-Posey explained. Because of this, book clubs also try to make diversity a priority when it comes to choosing books.

“We try to read diversely as well,” Kibodeaux-Posey said. “We try to pick books that feature different cultures, ethnicities, special orientations, all those things, because it’s a good chance to expand people’s horizons and become familiar with other folks they might not be familiar with.”

Getting members from all over the country certainly contributes to understanding and familiarizing yourself with different perspectives. Since so many book clubs are now online, it’s now possible for people who aren’t from Austin to attend. Flynn explained that the Graphic Novel book club was able to meet such people this way.

“I started doing that book club virtually and was getting people attending not only from the Austin area but from all over the country,” Flynn said.

According to Palacios, being able to have such a diverse group of people in a book club is thanks to some book clubs now having meetings take place online or in a hybrid format, where some people are online and some are in-person. When book clubs host meetings in a hybrid format, members can have the benefits of both online and in-person meetings.

“People can also show up virtually because we have a laptop in Teams hooked up to let people log in virtually and take part in the discussion,” Palacios said. “That’s helped people from out of the state or even country join our group.”

Occasionally, even people from outside of the US find out about a book club and become members, explained Flynn, who works with people from France.

“We have people actually from all around the world attending,” Flynn said. “One of the kids is from France.”

According to Flynn, the influx of

virtual book clubs is partially due to the COVID pandemic. Social distancing forced people to come up with new ways of running book clubs and brought unexpected perks with it.

“Had COVID not happened, I don’t think the Austin Public Library would have gone into the realm of virtual book clubs at all,” Flynn said. “Having accessibility to meeting with people not in the immediate Austin area would not have been a possibility. I have a regular in California and one in Nashville, and I never would have met those people had COVID not happened.”

People are now able to meet with others all around the country through book clubs. Palacios felt very excited about this development.

“That’s exciting sometimes as well, to be like, ‘Wow, we never would have met if it weren’t for this book club here,’” Palacios said.

According to Kibodeaux-Posey, virtual book clubs are also more convenient for some people. Members no longer have to spend an extra hour driving to a place just to get to a book club meeting and can join from anywhere convenient for them.

“Going virtual has helped people

We have people from all over the world attending.

- Leslie Flynn , manager of the For the Love of Books book club

show up more consistently because it’s easier for them to fit into their schedule,” KibodeuaxPosey said. “We might get a better turn-out most of the time than we might get in-person, and our regulars might have an easier time showing up virtually rather than in-person every month.”

During times when driving might not be possible, virtual meetings help with keeping the meeting going. Palacios described one such instance in March.

“That’s really helped us too with this past meeting for [March],” Palacios said. “We had to shut down in-person programming because of the high winds that we were having here in Austin, but since we had the virtual option, everyone was able to still come to book club even if they could not come in in-person that night.”

Getting members to come

back to meetings doesn’t work as well online as it does in-person, according to Flynn.

“It’s more difficult to get the same people back initially because it’s so easy to skip,” Flynn said. “It’s not something in your acute routine.”

Flynn said that virtual meetings also have the downside of not being able to form that same connection with other members as quickly as you could in-person.

“In in-person meetings,” Flynn said, “I feel like you can make a quicker connection with people, especially since once the meeting’s over, if you want to continue a conversation, you just walk out with that person and talk in the library. Virtually, I think it takes several meetings before you really get a feel of other people.”

.According to Flynn, while connecting with people through virtual meetings is a bit harder

than it would be in in-person meetings, it can be achieved with a little effort.

“I do think it’s a bit harder- it’s not impossible- but I do think it’s a bit harder to connect with the virtual group,” Flynn said.

People also start book clubs for all sorts of reasons. Flynn, for example, started the Graphic Novel book club simply because she loved books.

“The first one I started was the Graphic Novel book club for Adults,” Flynn said, “and I wanted to create that because I love graphic novels and I’ve wanted to bring them to my community in a way that we could talk about them.”

Flynn started her other book club, the For the Love of Books book club, as a result of the COVID pandemic.

“I started it because the people in Austin who attend my virtual Graphic Novel book club wanted to meet in-person,” Flynn said, “but I didn’t want to have to host the same book club twice, once online and once in-person, so I thought, ‘Oh, what about a book club where people come in and we just talk about whatever books we want to, as opposed to one specific read.’”

Ewart, on the other hand, started the Voyage Out book club with his friends more or less spontaneously.

“It was actually my friend who came up with the idea and wanted to start one,” Ewart said. “There wasn’t a big plan behind it. It was pretty random.”

According to Palacios,

“ So that’s exciting sometimes as well, to be like, ‘Wow, we never would have met if it weren’t for this book club here.’

- Elvia Palacios, comanager of the YA for Adults book club

Austin Public Library employees might start one for work experience. Palacios said that she started the YA for Adults book club with KibodeauxPosey for just that reason.

“I was just looking for a program to be part of and take charge in, just to get my experience,” Palacios said. “Book clubs are really easy. If you don’t have experience running a library program, it’s a really easy one to do. Plus, I really do love the genre a lot and like discussing books, so it seemed like a good fit for me.”

Kibodeaux-Posey said that she decided to co-found the YA for Adults book club because she wanted the work experience and it was pretty easy.

“At the time I started,” KibodeauxPosey said, “we didn’t have a lot of adult programs, and book clubs are pretty easy to do. ... And I read a lot of YA anyway, or at least I used to, but it turned out to be one of my favorite things to do at work.

According to Flynn, managing a book club is a fairly light burden in most cases.

“For the For the Love of Books book club, it’s real easy to manage because it doesn’t have any required reading,” Flynn said. “We just talk about the things I’m reading for any other purpose. That one really is just a matter of making sure my online marketing gets done, my flyers are updated, and that I set up

the room for our meet-up.” Book clubs that have assigned reading tend to be a bit more work

for the manager because they have to come up with discussion questions for the meeting. Flynn used her experience managing her Graphic Novel book club as an example.

Graphics by Alyssa Wang

“ At the time I started, we didn’t have a lot of adult programs, and book clubs are pretty easy to do”

- Soleil Kibodeax-Posey, comanager of the YA For Adults book club

“The online one is a little more complicated because it does have that reading,” Flynn said, “and I do have to come up with discussion questions to make sure there’s enough there to talk about.”

Managers also have to set up the meeting rooms before the meeting starts. Palacios explained how she set up the YA for Adults book club. Eventbrite, an online ticketing website, makes her job much easier.

“About 15 minutes before 7,” Palacios said, “I set up the meeting room with the chairs and tables for those who will come in. I have a good idea of who’s going to show up just based on the Eventbrite sign-up. We have maybe two people sign up virtually and 3 in-person. I‘ll get some snacks and drinks out so people can munch on things, coloring pages and stuff to color with out, and then I just wait.”

According to Palacios, managers of book clubs in hybrid format have a bit of extra work to do. They have to set up the technology connecting to the virtual meeting in the in-person meeting room.

“If there are people virtually,” Palacios added, “I’ll get the Chromebook out, and we have this cool device called the Owl that helps people logging in virtually get a 360 view and see everybody and hear very well as well.”

Some people might start off with an icebreaker to get everyone comfortable first, but that’s not

always necessary with older groups with more regular members, Palacios explained. Icebreakers could also cut down on discussion time.

“I used to have an icebreaker,” Palacios said, “but I think I’m slowly doing away with that just because time is so little. We spend so much time answering the icebreaker that we end up not having enough time for the book or other things.”

Depending on the book club, the discussions that take place could also feel different. Palacios talked about her experience with the discussions in the YA for Adults book club.

“We’ll always try to come back to the book and what we liked or didn’t like about it, but it just gives us room to talk about how we felt as teenagers,” Palacios said, “when we read about a protagonist that’s a lot younger than we are at this point, or reminiscing on who we were then versus how we are now, or even what adulthood is like in comparison. So some of it can just feel very cathartic.”

The Voyage Out book club takes a slightly different approach. They focus more on the contents of the book instead of

their opinions on it.

“We spend a lot of time talking about themes in the book and our reactions to it,” Ewart said. “We always stay away from the question of whether we liked it or not.”

Book club discussions can also change someone’s views on certain points in a book. Palacios talked about some of her experiences within a book club.

“I come away from book clubs where I came in liking the book and liking it less after listening to people talk about things,” Palacios said. “And not in a bad way, just like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re right about that.’ Or the opposite, like I came in not really liking the book and I ended up at least having a deeper understanding and better respect for it, like ‘Oh, I see now how this was supposed to impact those individuals’”.

Book clubs can be very fun and thought-provoking activities. Most people find themselves enjoying their monthly get-togethers. So the next time one of those mandatory literature circles pops up, just remember that there are people out there who find those things fun.

As long as they aren’t mandatory.

“ So some of it can just feel very cathartic.

- Elvia Palacios, comanager of the YA For Adults book club

The bookshelf of Kevin Garcia holds books collected throughtout his life. Book club leaders look through an assortment of literature to find a suitible one for their meetings.

Photo by Alyssa Wang.

The Fault in Our Stars

Percy Jackson Series

Top 5 Authors

Graphics By Mia Puente

A survey was conducted of 61 students at LASA High School in Austin, Texas to find out who the most popular authors are amongst high school freshmen.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Series

Sarah J.

Maas

Jenny Han

Shadow and Bone Series

Throne of Glass Series

Resistencia Books displays their stock. The bookstore is run by the non-profit Red Salmon Arts. Photo by Phoebe Herbert 22

Bonding Through Books

By Phoebe Herbert

Floor to ceiling, shelves are lined with books, graphic novels, and board games. Near the back of the shop, a room is filled with glass cases displaying action figures of all kinds. Customers walk along the shelves flipping through comic books while a young boy looks for a ninja turtle to buy. This is Austin Books and Comics, the place for graphic novels in the capital city, and it draws all sorts of people who love geek and nerd culture. Customers and employees connect through these shared interests explains Micheal Reyes, an assistant manager at Austin Books and Comics.

“Everybody gets to read and dive into their fandoms,” Reyes said, “And then share that with different customers here and introduce people to new comics, new books, things like that.”

The

many ways bookstores bring joy to their communites

Local bookstores have always had special communities of people who find friendship and connection through books. However these groups don’t form on their own. Owners and employees build them through ongoing events and community outreach from the moment a bookstore is opened. Austin is home to many independent bookstores and many people who find their community in these special spaces.

In order to build communities, bookstores need a space for people to gather. According to Thais Perkins, co-owner of Reverie Books, bookstores use any room available to run events.

“We have a lot of fun,” Perkins said. “Sometimes we take over the parking lot, and put fake grass down.”

Bookstores can host events in any unused space close to them.

“We had a third building on the side called Sidekick, which used to be our discount store but due

to COVID it didn’t last,” Reyes said, “but now we use it to hold different events.”

Sometimes bookstores even work with other businesses to find rooms to run signings and book clubs. Reverie Books uses the venue space in Captain Quackenbush, a coffee shop just down the street from the bookstore.

“It’s really nice, so sometimes we partner with them and run events in there,” Perkins said. Before events can be run, word needs to get out. Some bookstores are so integrated in their communities that information about them and their events spreads pretty quickly, explained Lilia Rosas, executive director of Red Salmon Arts, a nonprofit organization that runs Resistencia Books.

“We have the advantage of having a legacy, or a body of

experience and understanding, and in certain circles people know who we are,” Rosas said, “And so, by word of mouth, people come and seek us.”

Other bookstores have to rely on digital means for getting word out.

“We have social media,” Perkins said, “we have a website.”

What’s important is connecting with people through the channels they use often. Besides word of mouth, Instagram is a major way Red Salmon Arts communicates with people.

“We are on all the other social medias, but for whatever reason, Instagram is the one that most people are going to these days,” said Rosas. “So that’s how other people identify us.”

Local bookstores are more than just places to buy books. They are a place for communities to form. Rosas explains how Raul, the founder of Red Salmon Arts, started the bookstore.

“He wanted a place for people to gather, and so he started the bookstore with the intention of wanting a place that looked like us, who were Mexican American, Chicana, Chicano, Chincax, Latina, Latino, Latinx.” Rosas said. “It was in the 80s and he started it because he didn’t see it represented in any kind of bookstores in Austin.”

Book signings are one beloved event that draws people to these gathering spaces. Authors come from near and far to meet fans.

“A lot of the time we’ll do signings with different local creators,” Reyes said, “or just people from all over the country.”

Many authors reach out to bookstores in hopes of setting up a signing.

“We get asked all the time,” Perkins said. “We probably get two or three requests a day”

Some authors see traveling to a new place as a great opportunity

and our ladies nights.’’

Reverie books sees organizing book clubs as a way to further involve the community around them.

“So I hire a high school intern

to run book signings for a different community, so they’ll contact local bookstores to set up events.

“Sometimes they reach out to us saying that ‘hey, normally I’m in New York but I’m gonna be in Texas for a week or so. Would y’all be okay with us doing a signing?’,” Reyes said, “and then we’ll partner up with them that way.”

Another beloved event run by many bookstores is themed book clubs. Members gather to talk about certain types of books and share their thoughts.

“We have our book clubs, which we’re starting back up.” Reyes said. “We’ll going to have our LGBTQ nights

each term,” Perkins said, “and they organize the book club.”

The best book clubs have a theme so participants know if they would be interested in joining the club. One of the most interesting types of book clubs is a banned book club.

“They wanted to focus on books that the government doesn’t want you to read. So that part’s super cool,” Perkins said. “They go next door to Quack’s every other Saturday and they pick a book that’s been banned.”

Art is also an important part of many bookstores. People bond over common interests and come

“I decided instead of having a marketing budget we would do community give backs”

-Thais Perkins, co-owner of Reverie Books

The handpainted mural was created in the 1990s by Save Our Youth, a probgram run by Red Salmon Arts. Bookstores can use art to reach more people with their messege. Photo by Phoebe Herbert

The handpainted free library stands Communiy members can swap they are done reading. Photo by 24

together to share their work with people who appreciate it.

“Our store next to us, Guzo, which is a part of us, is an art gallery,” Reyes said, “so we’ll have art shows based around geek and nerd culture, like video games, superheroes, anime.”

Other bookstores host open mic nights, like Red Salmon Art’s Cafe Libro. These events bring people closer together and allow them to share their art.

“Anyone can sign up and share a poem or two,” Rosas said. “They can sing, they can play music, they can tell a story. [...] It’s not necessarily one thing. It’s not just poetry, it’s not just slam poetry, it’s basically anything that you get up there and perform.”

Reverie Books sometimes hosts musicians to make events more welcoming and exciting.

“I used to be a full time songwriter,” Perkins said, “so I know some people.”

Bookstores improve their communities by supporting literaryrelated causes they believe in.

“We did a big fundraising drive for The 1619 Project, which is a book that came out of a series of articles in the New York Times” Perkins said. “It’s about Black American history, and there was a way to do a fundraising drive for that through bookshop.org last year.”

Sometimes, these fundraisers happen at the worst possible time.

“And we did it right before the governor illegalized it,” Perkins said.

Reverie books was able to find a solution to this problem and help their community at the same time.

“We were right in the middle of it, we had boxes and boxes of these things,” Perkins said, “and so we found schools that were willing and excited to take them.”

Bookstores often partner with schools and universities. They

provide resources and spaces for groups to meet.

“We’ve worked with student groups,” Rosas said. “At different times we’ve worked with different groups from UT.”

Sometimes bookstores run events at schools to introduce people to writing and literature.

“When I first started at Red Salmon Arts, Raúl was doing workshops with youth at Johnston. He was doing poetry workshops. One of the teacher’s invited him there.” Rosas said. “And so I got to go to Johnston after school, it was an after school program, to sit in those workshops and help out.”

Many bookstore owners put helping people above maximizing profit from their store.

“I decided instead of having a marketing budget we would do community give backs.” Perkins said. “So each month we choose a nonprofit and we donate all tips plus two percent of profits to the non-profit.”

It can be hard to move locations

and leave the communities a bookstore has worked with for so long, but connecting with their community will always be important, no matter how new the people are.

“When we first moved here we were trying to work with the Montopolis neighborhood association, but then the pandemic happened.” Rosas said. “But they had a meeting here and we were hoping that they’d have more.”

The most important thing is to make sure everyone feels welcome.

“There’s such a wide diverse range of different people,” Reyes said, “so we want to make events that fit everybody and everyone can feel welcome, everyone can enjoy themselves.”

Bookstores are unique places for friendships and community for both customers and employees, and these relationships are the real goal for independent bookstores.

“We’ve definitely found connection,” Perkins said. “And as far as success goes, I’ll just say, we’re still here.”

Colorful necklaces are on display at Resistencia Books. The beaded works of art are created by indigenous artists. Photo by Phoebe Herbert, editor stands in front of Resistencia Books. swap out books and then take them back when by Phoebe Herbert, editor 25

How Books Have

Ever wondered how books have come to be where they are today? We have ebooks, audiobooks, cheap paperbacks and sturdy hard covers. Where did this all come from? How has this process evolved and been streamlined?

Ancient tablets are some of the very first books, coming from as far back as 3000 BCE. However, these tablets had symbols on them, not letters.

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Scrolls and parchments were a big step forward. Used in about 2400 BCE by the Chinese, Hebrew, Hellenistic, Macedonian and Roman cultures. They were commonly made of Papyrus, a plant found along the nile river.

This is an example of a codex, which is a very old version of the modern book. The Roman’s created some of the first, as early as the 1st century CE. The codex is made of parchment paper and is bound with a wooden cover.

Graphics by Jeremiah Aziz

Librarian Lives What our librarians do on a daily

By Jeremiah Aziz

As a student walked into their library, they’re greeted by their librarian with a game. The name of that librarian is Courtney Ewing and she loves being with her elementary school students.

“The best part of my day”, Ewing said, “is when the kids come in and we’re hanging out and doing lessons.”

Libraries are some of the most important places in a city, as they keep the knowledge of the world and collections of the most wonderful stories. This certainly holds true in

Austin where there have so many wonderful libraries. However, libraries are nothing without the people who tend to them: librarians. Librarians keep the collections relevant, help you find books, and surprisingly much, much more.

The path to becoming a librarian can be unexpected, but Jill Brady, the librarian at Eastside Early College High School, said her path was rather straightforward.

“I had been an English major,” Brady said, “so I had been really interested in literature.”

After college, Brady taught in Los

Angeles before realizing she could become a librarian.

“I thought ‘Oh, that sounds like a good job’,” Brady said, “As long as I’m with literature, I’m happy.”

The path for Melissa Wise, youth engagement and world languages librarian at Austin Public Library wasn’t quite as simple.

“I graduated and was like, ‘Oh, shoot, well, what do I do now?’” Wise said.

After some pondering, she decided to become an intern at her local library, where she worked for about four years, before teaching in Japan for six years.

“It wasn’t intended to be six years, but it turned into six years,” Wise said. “I thought it would just be one year, but I really loved it so much. Then I was like, ‘do I have to choose between libraries and children and education?’”

Wise eventually decided she could get the best of both worlds by becoming a children’s librarian.

“I figured out that maybe my best path would be to be a children’s librarian,” Wise said.

For Ewing, the Casis Elementary librarian, her career came much later.

“It wasn’t my first choice in a career,” Ewing

Mecnchaca Road Branch Library. Austin Public Library off Menchaca, where little kids read their first books. Photo by of Jeremiah Aziz

said.

Ewing originally graduated from college and taught second graders for 11 years before wanting to try something different. She went back to college and got her master’s degree in library sciences, and became an elementary school librarian.

“I just kind of started thinking about being able to keep that love of teaching kids and being around kids all day,” Ewing said, “but also books, and doing something a little bit differently.”

Being a librarian isn’t so easy. For our school librarians, oftentimes they’re the only ones in the library.

“Here at my library, which isn’t the same as all the libraries, I am the only adult that works here,” Brady said.

It’s tough to be the manager of a whole space, but Brady certainly does her job well. She has an army of senior office aides to help.

“The office aides are mostly seniors,” Brady said, “and they can do everything an adult can do. They’re very helpful.”

Similarly, the librarian at Casis also has to manage her own collection.

“It’s tricky because librarians juggle a lot of things,” Ewing said.

While Brady and Ewing are alone in their schools, for the public library librarian, things are quite different.

“I really love working with a team this big,” Wise said, “because I know

that there’s a limit to the things that I can do, and working with a big team, we all bring different perspectives, information, and experience to the table.”

While working in a large team can be wonderful, issues can arise if you’re not careful.

“The hard part of working with this many people,” she said, “is figuring out effective ways to communicate.”

Being a librarian has its upsides. Librarians love the kids they get to work with.

“My favorite part is anytime I’m with students,” Ewing said.

Ewing is not alone in her opinion, as Wise also adores the kids, especially when she’s reading to them.

don’t love books! They each have some stories they enjoy.

“The current series that I like,” Wise said, “is a series called Remixed Classics.”

This is a series of rewritten classics like Little Women, Robin Hood, and Treasure Island, all rewritten by contemporary youth-adult (YA) authors.

“I think my favorite part is story time,” Wise said, “it’s a lot of fun, and I love getting to make people laugh.”

Like the other librarians, Brady also loves her high schoolers.

“My favorite part is the people because the students here are really funny,” Brady said, “so I get to be around funny people all day.”

A librarian isn’t a librarian if they

For Brady, her favorite book is a masterpiece, originally published in 1943

“My favorite book of all time is The Little Prince,” Brady said.

While that’s her favorite book, she also really enjoys books by Alan Gratz, a YA historical fiction writer. For Ewing, her favorite book is a heartwarming story about a little China rabbit.

Sometimes it’s time to weed, because a library is like a garden.”

-Melissa Wise, librarian

“If I had to pick my one all-time favorite,” Ewing said, “it would be The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. It’s just such a sweet story.”

While librarians have their own personal favorites, their “customers” have some different books that

they love.

“Kids are always looking for hugely popular series,” Wise said, “like Dog Man or The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels.”

Likewise, Ewing’s elementary schoolers also love graphic novels.

“The books that get checked out the most,” Ewing said, “are always kind of the same ones. In terms of graphic novels, all of the Dog Man is always gone, and the Amulets are always gone. Our graphic novel section is usually pretty picked over.”

This trend isn’t quite the same for high schoolers, as they prefer romance and murder mysteries.

“Certain books are pretty popular right now,” Brady said, “like the Colleen Hoover books.”

The students’ opinions about books can teach librarians a lot about them.

“I work with teenagers and they can be very illuminating about the teenage experience,” Brady said. While the books teach us about the kids, the kids are

Melissa Wise, shelving books at Austin’s Central Library. She lovingly prepares the picture books for the young readers of the library. Photo courtesy of Melissa Wise

learning from the books. This makes it imperative that the books are of high quality.

“Part of me is always hunting specifically for my next favorite book to read during

Unfortunately, there are some downsides to the job.

“My least favorite part, probably, oh gosh,” Ewing said, “is shelving books. I just get so tired of doing it.”

The dislikings vary, as Brady has a different distaste.

“My least favorite is if and when I’m pulled in multiple directions that

book, and I don’t find anything that they want, and then they have to leave,” Wise said, “the other one is all the stereotypes about libraries and librarians. We are not the shushy, old ladies with buns and their glasses on a chain.”

While everything isn’t perfect, Austin’s librarians push past their obstacles every day to help the world to become a better place.

Librarians are constantly working to improve the lives of the next generations. What librarians love most is the kids they get to work with.

“Getting to work in the central library,” said Wise, “getting to work with kids and families, it’s really fantastic. I love that I get to do it.”

storytime,” Wise said, “I’m definitely thinking about books more critically than I would if I weren’t in this role as a librarian.”

Wise and Ewing have a similar adoration of children’s books.

“I love children’s lit,” Ewing said, “because I feel like they can be a little bit more fun and fanciful and silly.”

aren’t possible,” Brady said.

Wise has some specific and different things that she doesn’t like.

“There are two things that I like least, one of them is when a kid wants help to find their next favorite

Courtney Ewing prepares the Casis Elementary Library for her readers. Evidentley, checking in books is not her fondest activity. Photo courtesy of Courtney Ewing

I don’t think it’s a difficult job, although I think it requires a certain mindset to thrive”

-Jill Brady, Eastside Highschool Librarian

Graphic by Alyssa Wang

Whatcha Reading?

Top 6 Book Genres in High School

Graphics by Alyssa Wang

A survey of 118 students at a high school in Austin, Texas reveals the top 6 genres students like to read the most, ranked from most liked to least liked. Students were asked to choose five of their favorites from a list.

Dystopian Young Adult Science Fiction

Word Search

Find all the book-related words in this jumbled up puzzle!

Timmy & His Book

Oh no! Timmy has lost his book. Help him through the maze to get it back!

Answer Key

Hope you enjoyed these mind-bending puzzles! Here are the solutions.