As a librarian who works with teens, I know the job isn’t just about recommending books. It’s about making information digestible to help them formulate their own solutions. Young people are apex community members, and they have many questions right now. They’re passionate, dedicated and hungry for ways to be impactful while trying to understand how they best fit into our world.
My first recommendation is The Littlest Drop by Sascha Alper. Based on a parable from the indigenous Quechua people of South America, this is Alper’s first picture book, and legendary illustrator Jerry Pinkney’s last set of illustrations. Completed after Pinkney’s death by his son, Brian, some brushstrokes are more whimsical than you might expect, but they work. Together with the text, demonstrates what can be achieved when we all do what we can with what we have.
Drawing heavily from the Japanese internment camps and the Holocaust during WWII, Smira Ahmed’s Internment imagines Muslims rounded up and sent to a detention camp in the California desert. The first few pages are so ominous and prophetic, I could barely put it down. She captured the defiance of her high school protagonist and contrasted this with her cautious parents who just want to protect their child. Ahmed spoke to high schoolers in the ICCSD in April. I had the privilege to sit down with her last month, and the full interview will be available at youtube.com/@thelibrarychannel.
Yale historian and On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder explores freedom and what is at stake when we do not fully understand its definition in his latest, On Freedom. He is referred to as “the leading interpreter of our dark times” for a reason. Part history and part personal experience, Snyder is adept at explaining complex macro ideas and connecting dots like a pro. I thoroughly enjoy his writing style, and this is a timely, necessary read!
The artist behind Badass Cross Stitch has penned an extremely well-researched book on the relatively new idea of craftivism, Let’s Move the Needle. While not explicitly about the how-tos of crafting, this is a fabulous read for those looking to activate community with their crafting prowess. Shannon Downey will be visiting ICPL again over Zoom on Aug. 9.
Victoria Fernandez is the Teen Services Librarian at the Iowa City Public Library. This article was originally published in Little Village’s May 2025 issue.