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The school district has guidelines for library purchases and we follow the best practices for professional librarians. The American Library Association suggests these criteria for selection of materials:

• Support and enrich the curriculum and/or students’ personal interests and learning
• Meet high standards in literary, artistic, and aesthetic quality; technical aspects; and physical format
• Place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in selection of materials of the highest quality
• Be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level, learning styles, and social, emotional, and intellectual development of the students for whom the materials are selected
• Incorporate accurate and authentic factual content from authoritative sources
• Earn favorable reviews in standard reviewing sources and/or favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel
• Exhibit a high degree of potential user appeal and interest
• Represent differing viewpoints on controversial issues
• Provide a global perspective and promote diversity by including materials by authors and illustrators of all cultures
• Be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level, learning styles, and social, emotional, and intellectual development of the students for whom the materials are selected.
• Incorporate accurate and authentic factual content from authoritative sources.

Because our library serves a diverse range of ages, interests, and abilities, I strive to make sure that our library collection reflects this diversity. Many times students will gravitate to books that mirror situations they or someone they know are facing or ideas that they are about which they are curious and wish to learn more.

Many tween and teen readers are turning to more mature books, whether because of social media influences or because of the times we live in. Laura Lambert, a blogger with Brightly, a site dedicated to providing tools and resources to keep kids connected to books through every age & stage of life, says "When kids love reading, you don’t know where it will take them — or you. And maybe we have to be OK with that... Whether you’re the type of parent who is Googling every title on your child’s bedside table, one who feels that any book is a good book as long as they’re reading, or somewhere in between, the key, it seems, isn’t the book itself, but the ability to talk about the books we read, and to know other people — most especially our kids — as readers. And that’s one of the great pleasures of a reading life, regardless of age."

Parents and guardians, a book is a great way to begin a discussion between you and your student. I encourage you to ask your student what he or she is reading and what they like about it or do not like.

What is a green star book?

We do offer reader's advisory when students select a more mature title as they check out. Often times, though not always, these books will be marked with a green star for quick visual reference. The library staff does not censor student book selections but we will fully support your preferences if you communicate them. Your student needs your guidance. Please discuss your preferences with your student so that he or she is aware of your family guidelines. Any time that you, or your student, feels uncomfortable with a book the student has chosen, please return it to the library to choose another title.

Not every book is for every reader but there is a reader for every book and this will vary widely based on students’ experiences, reading levels, and maturity. We are pleased to offer reader’s advisory to all of our students! We are confident we can find a great book match for our students when we work with them one on one. For additional assistance with readers' advisory, please visit the library's All About Books page.

citation: Mature Books: It’s Your Call, Parents

I am Lisa Nocita, a.k.a. The Library Goddess, your affable, helpful library media specialist. I began teaching in 1992 and started teaching at PSMS in August of 2008!

Before becoming a library goddess, I was a high school Spanish teacher. My undergraduate degrees are from KU (Rock! Chalk! Jayhawk!) in Political Science and Spanish.  I also hold graduate degrees in Curriculum & Instruction from KU and Library & Information Science from Emporia State. I hold teaching certificates in Spanish and Library Science. I earned my National Board Certification for Library Media Specialists in 2014 and renewed it in 2024. While I loved teaching Spanish, my true passions are helping others develop curriculum, doing research, playing with technology, and, of course, reading!  

I am married with 2 children grown and flown, one graduated, employed and one who just graduated law school!  I enjoy kayaking, travel, reading contemporary adult fiction and thrillers & YA fiction, and spending time in my happy place on the North Fork River.  My weaknesses are fun office supplies (especially sticky notes), coffee, chocolate, and bacon, should you ever need to get on my good side! :). I seriously dislike having my picture taken or appearing on video. If I won the lottery, I would spend lots of time at my little cabin on the river, have more cats, and I would take long trips to San Diego, Jackson Hole, Sedona, Europe and South America, and, maybe, open a bookstore with a cupcakery attached! Unfortunately, since I rarely play the lottery, that’s unlikely to happen! Well, maybe, the cats part! I look forward to getting to know you!