Mid term - Book Review

The library staff have had a busy time this month. Will has been on long service leave and has returned to work this week. Glennyce is on long service leave for the whole term and I have been working with Andrea who has infused the library with her ideas and enthusiasm. 

The work we were doing for the last half of 2023, sorting the fiction collection into genre, is finally finished and we are enjoying sharing the new arrangements with students and assisting them to explore the collection. We work hard to keep the collection fresh and have done a great deal of work sorting and revitalizing our offering. 

Our Book of the Month to kick off the year is The Art of Insanity by Christine Webb. Written from experience, this heartfelt and candid contemporary YA novel explores the stigma surrounding mental illness and offers an uplifting narrative of resilience. 

 The Art of Insanity 

High schooler Natalie Cordova has just been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Her mom insists she keep it secret.Putting up a front and hiding her mental illness from her classmates is going to be the hardest thing high schooler Natalie Cordova has ever done. It’s her senior year, and she’s just been selected to present her artwork at a prestigious show. With the stress of performing on her shoulders, it doesn’t help when Natalie notices a boy who makes her heart leap. And then there’s fellow student Ella, who confronts Natalie about her summer car “accident” and pressures her into caring for the world’s ugliest dog. Now Natalie finds herself juggling all kinds of feels and responsibilities. Surely her newly prescribed medication is to blame for the funk she finds herself in. But as Natalie’s plan to self-treat unravels, so does the perfect façade she’s been painting for everyone else. 

Review: "Webb constructs an intimate look at bipolar disorder in teen girls, while infusing Natalie's story with art, humour, and a bit of unexpected mystery. . . . Focusing a positive lens on mental health, this coming-of-age story sees its protagonist navigating high school and young love."-Booklist

Melinda, Glennyce, Will and Andrea.