Tamra

SEND AN EMAIL: Don’t Imprison Librarians in Texas Send an email to your legislators asking them to block all bills that would criminalize librarians and your right to read.

Please contact your reps to ask them to oppose these bills that target librarians and will result in more self-censorship of books that are not actually “harmful and obscene.”

Emails are great.

www.txftrp.org/dont_impriso...

Calls are better.

Find phone numbers:

wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

Screenshot of bill text for SB412

Screenshot of bill text HB267

With laws like SB412 and HB267 Texas legislators propose to eliminate parts of the “affirmative defense” in order to “protect children from sexualization.”

The problem is- they leave in exceptions for legislators & ADULTS WHO ARE MARRIED TO CHILDREN.

www.txftrp.org/changing_aff...

It’s so good! I started watching after seeing a clip of Sterling Brown on Stephen Colbert talking about how he & James Marsden would sing together. How fun is that?!

Are you watching “Paradise” by chance? Because I am on episode 5, and it’s definitely building. I don’t want any spoilers.

I finished “Alone” last week and recommended it to several students. Such a great read! Didn’t know there was a sequel! I’ll have to check my public library.

I had to get a new roof & gutters a few years ago due to hail. It took a while bc there was a high demand in our area bc so many people needed new roofing. They upgraded my shingles in the replacement. Rate didn’t change til I switched insurance companies probably bc it’s more to replace now.

This was one of the first books I read during lockdown in 2020 that grabbed and held my attention. Sadly, it feels more relevant now than it did then.

Queer kids need to have access to books that celebrate their lives and value their existence.

Queer kids need to know that these books exist.

Banning books is not about books.

Banning books is about the erasure of identities.

The nazis banned books.

Erasure is the precursor to eliminationism.

I just check the app at the beginning of each month to explore and it shows the free ALCs. I don’t get emails either.

Book cover with frowning emojis in shades of blue with a bright yellow smiling emoji in the center. Across the top is the author name Neal Shusterman. Across the bottom in all caps is the title All Better Now. Below that it says read by Greg Tremblay and the author

Started listening to “All Better Now” by Neal Shusterman this week. It was a free educator book on @libro.fm last month. I like the pacing so far given it’s a 14 hour book. I’m about 3 hours in.

Trump officials start dismantling civil rights offices, as part of DOGE’s secret plan Legal experts said that unwinding a civil rights-era bulwark designed to safeguard employees’ rights removes a crucial check on institutional power.

This is not an effort to roll back "DEI"

It's an effort to roll back civil rights

"Agencies across the federal government are dismantling offices that enforce civil rights and antidiscrimination laws...weakening the government’s ability to deliver on legal obligations to protect workers’ rights"

Cover collage featuring, from left to right: Top row: Unicorn Boy, Last Dance, How It All Ends, Cross My Heart and Never Lie. Second row: Parable of the Sower, Art Club, a first time for everything, Tales from Cabin 23: The Boo Hag Flex Third row: The Wolf Suit, City of Bones, Vanquishers: Rise of the Wrecking Crew, Squire Fourth row: Team Awkward, Drawing Onward, Princess Princess Ever After, All the Blues in the Sky Last row: Cloud Puppy, Dungeon Club: Roll Call

My February @thestorygraph.com cover collage of books I read or listened to. More than January. My commute helps with the audiobooks.
#schoollibrarians
📚

Just got this book in, “Drawn Onward” by Daniel Nayeri and illustrated by Matt Rockefeller. Wow, what a gorgeous book and tender story. I love the palindrome storytelling. Not sure why my heart needed this today, but it sure did.
#schoollibrarians
📚

Just placed a hold for the audiobook. Apparently, it’s in demand because I’m 7th in line. I’ve enjoyed other books by the author, so I’ll give this one a listen, too.

A new bill could ban Huck Finn and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" from Texas public schools First notes on SB13

BREAKING: The bill Lt. Gov Dan Patrick promised would “guard against inappropriate books in public schools” finally dropped this week in the Tx Senate. Here’s my breakdown of its worst features. #BookSky #BannedBooks #Freadom substack.com/home/post/p-...

A round cookie cake decorated with rainbow colored icing. Written in script across the top is “Love has no gender.”

A rainbow icing covered cookie cake with the phrase “Love Wins!” written in script of white icing.

I love that these were with the Valentine’s cakes at one of our local grocery stores. H-E-B is huge in Texas, if that helps folks outside of the state. Of course, my kid still wanted the heart-shaped cake that said “Bite Me.”

Embrace Graphic Novels Poster, an art print by Nidhi Chanani This is a gallery-quality giclée art print on 100% cotton rag archival paper, printed with archival inks.

Embrace Graphic Novels

Check out this extraordinary poster and art print created by @nidhiart.bsky.social

www.inprnt.com/gallery/nidh...

I got this as a free audiobook from @libro.fm for this month. When I branch out from elementary/middle grades, I like YA. Looking forward to listening eventually.

Oh, boo! I have to admit that book is in our library, but I’ve never read it. Ugh. I really don’t like books that use fat jokes and make it funny for kids. Following you on the previous place built up my awareness of that issue in books & I pay more attn now. Thank you for bringing this up.

I just got the audiobook from @librofm.bsky.social. Will have to listen soon!

These are the same picture.

A hand is holding up a sticker that says: Reads books, drinks coffee, avoids social interaction, and swears a lot. To the right of the text is a stack of pastel colored books and a cup of iced coffee with a straw.

I love my new sticker from Sprinkles Studios.

A graphic with books covers that reads @readtamra's January 2025 Reads Top Row THE JAKE SHOW By Joshua Levy The FAIRY TALE FAN CLUB By RICHARD AYOADE Illustrations by DAvid ROBERTS The Cool Code 2.0 Switch Glitch By Deirdre Langeland Different Kind of Normal My Real-Life COMPLETELY Trut Story Aboat Being UNIQUE By ABIGAIL BALFE PLAIN Jane and the MeRMAID By Vera Brosgol THE REAL RILEY MAYES By Rachel Elliott FAKE CHINESE SOUNDS JING JING SONG

My January wrap up from @thestorygraph.com
I’m still listening to Parable of the Sower.
📚

Good thread of what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion includes. I cannot wrap my head around people who think these are bad things to have in place.

I hope more districts do the same.

Sign the Letter: Join the Texas Coalition Join the Coalition of Texans Fighting Book Bans in the 89th Legislative Session & Beyond

Deleted the last post w/incorrect link-this should work!

Sign onto this letter supporting the right to read:

www.txftrp.org/tx_freedom_t...

Please join these partners in supporting intellectual freedom by signing this petition today!

Mat Heagerty visited our school last year & was an amazing guest! Gave such an engaging & enjoyable experience for our students & talked about neurodiversity. Looking forward to seeing this book soon!