Information Needs Assessment

The subject of my interview was Marissa P., a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in Orlando, Florida. She is the oldest of three children. Her father is a graphic designer, and her mother works as a school nurse. Education is very important in her family: Marissa received Disney’s ‘Dreamers and Doers’ award in 2013, and her sister Isabella won it this year. Marissa’s parents are avid readers, consequently, so are their children.

We decided, in the interest of convenience, to conduct the interview via email, so I sent her a set of twenty questions (with an option to ask follow-up questions if I found it necessary-I did not).

In the interest of full disclosure, her father is one of my closest friends, so I am relatively familiar with Marissa’s life. I knew going in that she was a reader, and that she spends a lot of time writing fanfiction, but I knew little else about her reading habits.

The following is an exact transcript of the interview.

Interview

Do you like to read? If so, how much do you read? If not, why don’t you enjoy it?

Yes, I love to read. I read everyday. I read to my little brother too. He is the only member of our family who does not like to read, and I’m trying to get him to read more.

When you read, what do you like to read about?

I like to read about teenagers falling in love or fighting for the greater good. I also enjoy supernatural stories.

What kinds of books do you prefer?

I like reading love stories or thrillers. My father reads thrillers, so I usually read those when he’s finished with them. I like to read books by John Green or books that are like his books.

Of the following genres, which do you prefer: graphic novels, mystery, fables, fairy tales, fanfiction, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, humor, science fiction, thrillers.

I prefer mystery, fanfiction, horror, and thrillers. I do not like graphic novels, fables, or fairy tales at all. I’ll read the others if the plot interests me, but not usually.

Do you enjoy reading poetry?

I do enjoy reading poetry. I don’t buy poetry books but I like it when we read it in school.

Do you read nonfiction? If so, what types?

I don’t really read nonfiction unless I have to.

What have you read recently that you liked? What did you like about it?

I just read The Eye of the Mind by James Dashner. I loved the wording and the storyline. He developed the characters so well that you felt like you knew them and felt what they were feeling.

Have you read anything recently that you did not like? If so, what didn’t you like?

I don’t think I have read anything recently that I did not like.

Do you listen to books on tape, or would you rather read?

I don’t listen to books on tape. I like to read books and listen to music.

What are your favorite and least favorite subjects in school?

My favorite subjects are Language Arts, Science, Band, and History. My least favorite is Honors Algebra II.

What are your favorite TV shows?

My favorite shows are Red Band Society, Teen Wolf, The Secret Circle, Chicago Fire, Law & Order:SVU, and How to Get Away With Murder.

What kind of movies do you like?

I like romance and horror movies. Some funny movies sometimes, but mostly romance and horror.

What are your four favorite books?

“Looking for Alaska” by John Green
“Eye of the Mind” by James Dashner
“Everything Leads to You” by Nina Lacour
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky

If you could be a character in any book, TV show, or movie, who would you want to be and why?

I would want to be Alaska Young (Looking for Alaska) because she is beautiful, clever, and caring. She always tries to do things right and has friends who are willing to do anything for her.

What do you like to do when you’re not in school?

I like to read and write. I like to spend time with my family. In the summer we go to Montauk, and I spend the whole time there reading and writing.

Do you visit the library?

Sometimes but not a lot. I go to the school library all the time but I don’t really ever go to the public library.

Do you enjoy writing, either for work of for pleasure?

I do enjoy writing, more for pleasure than school.

If you write for pleasure, what sorts of things do you write?

I write about bands and people falling in love.

Have you considered your future career? If so, what are your career goals?

I want to be a lawyer or an author.

Bibiography of Selected Titles

Barnes, J.L. (2014). The naturals. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion Books.

When seventeen-year-old Cassie is recruited for a secret FBI program, she is sent to live with a group of teens with similar talents. Tasked with solving cold cases, Cassie and her peers discover that the program is not as it seems.

Beaudoin, S. (2013). Wise young fool. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

The way down is never as fun as the way up. Teen rock star Ritchie Sudden learns this the hard way as he finds himself sentenced to ninety days in juvenile detention. Chronicling the days leading up to his arrest, Richie’s memoir details a year in the life of a rock star.

Black, H. (2013). The coldest girl in coldtown. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.

Monsters and humans coexist in Coldtown, a city for the damned. Tana wakes up after a Coldtown party to a house littered with corpses, and sets out (along with her ex-boyfriend and a mysterious stranger) to discover the truth.

Cohn, R. & Levithan, D. (2010). Dash & Lily’s book of dares. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Dash, alone by choice during the holidays, finds a notebook filled with clues tucked away in a bookstore. Curious Dash follows the clues all over New York City, and discovers more than he bargained for.

Condie, A. B. (2010). Matched. New York, NY: Dutton Books.

Cassia has had her whole life decided for her: The Society takes care of all its citizens’ needs, and she’s never had a reason to doubt their judgment. When it is time for Cassia to be coupled with the boy who is to be her match, she begins to question The Society’s motives and make her own decisions.

Forman, G. (2009). If I stay. New York, NY: Speak.

Mia is the only survivor of a horrific accident that claims the lives of her parents and younger brother. While deep in a coma, Mia revisits her life and tries to accept what waits for her if she ever awakens.

Healey, K. (2013). When we wake. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.

Tegan, a teenager in 2027, is no different from her friends-until she is cryogenically frozen to prevent her death. One hundred years later, she awakens to a different reality, and she faces a choice: toe the line, or stand up and fight for a better future.

LaBan, E. (2013). The tragedy paper. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

There seems to be no place for Tim Macbeth at the Irving School-or anywhere else, for that matter. When Tim, an albino, unwillingly falls for the most popular girl at school, he knows he doesn’t stand a chance-or so he thinks.

Lyga, B. (2013). I hunt killers. New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Company.

Jazz, the son of a notorious serial killer, is nothing like his father-or is he? When he tries to help the police solve a new string of murders, he finds out that you can’t always leave the past behind.

Martin, T.M. (2013). The end games. New York, NY: Balzer & Bray.

“John Green meets Stephen King” (Martin, 2013, publisher’s description) when seventeen-year-old Michael must protect his young brother from the undead, who have driven them to the West Virginia mountains in search of survivors. What they find is that not everyone plays by the same rules.

Ness, P. (2014). More than this. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

The last thing Seth remembers is dying-until he wakes up in his childhood home alone. Nothing is as he remembers (and he doesn’t remember much)- the town is now a ghost town, abandoned and neglected. Sleep is no panacea-the dreams he has are disturbing and traumatic, but they just might lead to the truth.

Rowell, R. (2013). Fangirl. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin.

Twins Cath and Wren have been fans of the fictional character Simon Snow since they were little girls, immersing themselves in a world of online forums, cosplay, and fanfiction. When it’s time for the girls to go off to college, Wren pursues her own interests, leaving Cath to fend for herself.

Schneider, R. (2013). The beginning of everything. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books.

Ezra’s life was perfect-until his girlfriend cheated on him, he broke his leg, and he wasn’t voted homecoming king. Can he possibly find happiness in his new reality-one that includes a girl unlike any he’s ever met?

Seamon, H. (2013). Somebody up there hates you. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin.

Ever the prankster, it’s no joke when Richard is diagnosed with incurable cancer. Sent to a hospice to live out his final days, he meets Sylvie, a fifteen- year-old suffering the same fate. Together they make the most of the time they have left, all while staring death in the face.

Shultz, C. L. (2011). Spellbound. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Harlequin Teen.

Emma, sixteen and in a new city, is sent to the elite Vincent Academy on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Not only is she an outsider, but she’s driven to distraction by the richest and best-looking boy in school-Brendan Salinger. She soon discovers, through the help of a friend (who just happens to be a witch), that she is destined to be with Brendan, but they aren’t supposed to live happily ever after.

Reflection

I don’t have a lot of contact with young adults-my undergraduate degree is in Elementary Education, and I have no children of my own. Consequently, I had a bit of trouble deciding on a subject for the interview. Marissa was the first person I thought of, but I know that she suffers from severe social anxiety (she disappears when I visit), so I didn’t want to put her on the spot. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate anyone else that fit the criteria, so I approached Marissa’s father and asked him to speak to her about it. She agreed to the interview, but only if she could do it via email or text-she didn’t want to do it in person (or over Skype), so I sent her father the questions. I received the answers back in about five days.

When compiling this list, I considered not only Marissa’s answers to my questions, but also her psychosocial development. It is no surprise she chooses to read ‘romance’ books: exploring and establishing intimacy with others is a crucial part of a teen’s development. While young adults may initially confuse intimacy with sexuality, continued exploration allows teens to begin to separate the two (Ruffin, 2009, p. 4). Eight of the fifteen chosen books have an element of romance, but all fifteen portray intimacy in different ways and with different types of people (parents, friends, siblings, cellmates, etc.).

Since Marissa is interested in both reading and watching supernatural stories, a few of the books I chose satisfy this interest. I also chose to include two dystopian novels, as she had just read and enjoyed a book set in a dystopian world (and because these books are very popular among young adults). Marissa is considering law school, so two of the books explore criminal behavior from very different viewpoints.

I also selected a book whose characters write fanfiction-I considered including a ‘how-to’ book, but she was very clear about disliking nonfiction titles, so I abandoned that idea. She is also a fan of Red Band Society, a television show whose characters are patients in a hospital’s pediatric ward, so I selected a book whose main characters are young patients in a hospice. A few of the books are definitely derivative of John Green’s novels-I chose these books simply because of their similarity to his work.

After I had identified the fifteen books I included in her individualized bibliography, I sent the list (with annotations) to her. To my surprise, she had only read one of the books on the list: If I Stay by Gayle Forman, a popular book recently adapted into a film. She was very excited to receive this list, as she was, according to her father, ‘constantly looking for new books to read’. I also sent her a $25 Visa gift card, and encouraged her to pick up a few of the books on the list. Her father assures me that he will take her to the bookstore soon.

I used several sources for this assignment. I began by examining YALSA’s extensive lists, selecting about thirty titles for consideration. I then went to Follett’s TitleWave database, and, using curriculum tags, identified some additional choices. I added to this list alternate titles from authors whose books she enjoyed, and finally added a few of my own personal favorites. Finally, I used the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (accessed via FSU Libraries) to research the titles, reading plot summaries and book reviews. I narrowed my selections down to fifteen. Every book I included is of high quality, and speaks to Marissa’s interests. I am confident that she will enjoy all of the books contained within this bibliography.

During my time in the MLIS program, I have compiled two bibliographies-this one, and one for the esteemed Dr. Gross in her LIS5564 class. As I’m sure you know, the bibliography for Dr. Gross’ class was to be directed at a certain type of reader-I chose books for strong, intelligent young female readers. As it turns out, this

collection is also aimed at the same kind of reader-she’s just grown up a bit. I really enjoy this aspect of librarianship-every reader its book, every book its reader. What’s wonderful is that I’ll never run out of books to recommend, even for the most reluctant of readers.

References

Book jacket notes. Martin, T.M. (2013). The end games. New York, NY: Balzer & Bray.

Ruffin, N. (2009). Adolescent growth and development (Publication 350-850). Retrieved from Virginia State University website: http://www.nvc.vt.edu/mft/ Mft2_files/huebner/Adolescent_Growth_and_Development.pdf