KATIE FORAN-MULCAHY (she/her) Head, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library University of Cincinnati Libraries katie.foran@uc.edu | 513.556.1758
CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.
True Biz: A Novel / written by Sara Novic (2022)
Sara Novic’s True Biz: A Novel is an excellent read for those who are interested in learning about the Deaf community from different angles. For hearing people, such as myself, reading this book is a great opportunity to understand the different ways people can be Deaf*, and the way they interact with their community, culture, and environment.
This novel centers on Charlie, who has had a cochlear implant most of her life while taking the oral route; Austin, who comes from a multigenerational Deaf* family; and February, a CODA whose working desperately to keep the Deaf* school she works for open. The book begins in media res, and intertwines these three characters’ lives together.
Novic’s novel explores the different facets of the Deaf* community, and pulls real life experiences into her writing. She takes examples from the Deaf President Now movement, which occurred at the world’s only university that focuses on the education of Deaf* people. There is also a lot of focus on the ever present communication debate, which focuses on whether it’s more beneficial for a Deaf* person to communicate via American Sign Language or orally.
There is so much to learn in Novic’s novel, and it’s a great starting point if you’re interested in learning more about the Deaf* community. Sprinkled throughout the novel is also the utilization of ASL Glossing (ASL’s grammar structure), diagrams for different signs, and interesting Deaf tidbits!
NOTE: In alignment with the UC ASL/Deaf studies department, I use Deaf* above to include and acknowledge the different cultures and ways of being Deaf.
Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026
It has been our pleasure to serve and collaborate with the best college at the University of Cincinnati. As always, feel free to reach out directly with feedback, ideas, or questions.
On behalf of the CECH Library, Katie Foran-Mulcahy, Head + Associate Senior Librarian katie.foran@uc.edu | 513.556.1758
Along with our colleagues in the Archives and Rare Books (ARB) Library, the CECH Library had the opportunity to host elementary and college students from the College Mentors for Kids program on October 24th and 25th.
Coordinated by Rachel Hoople, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from Oyler School and Evanston Elementary learned about curating library displays during their time in CECH. Students and mentors also worked together to build their own displays, selecting a theme, choosing library materials to highlight on that theme, and creating eye-catching visual elements.
The finished product — four excellent book displays on Halloween, cooking, dance, and holidays.
As you can see, the students did a great job (and had fun) selecting themes, materials, and making the displays visually appealing for our users.
The library displays by College Mentors for Kids will be available in the CECH Library through November.
CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.
The Honeys / written by Ryan La Sala (2022)
CW: transphobia, homophobia, hate crime, murder, grief, bullying
Ryan La Sala’s contemporary horror The Honeys could be a sibling to the A24 horror movie Midsommar.
The novel follows Mars, a genderfluid teen, as he embarks on a journey to find out more about his twin sister Caroline’s horrific death. Mars attends the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy, where his sister spent her summers leading to her death. This academy is the textbook definition for the gender binary, which Mars isn’t too fond of. But while he’s there, he meets Caroline’s old friends, the Honeys. But as Mars begins to get close to the Honeys, he starts to uncover the horrifying truth of what led to his sister’s death.
Throughout his novel, La Sala explores both the gender binary and grief explicitly. The novel is centered around Mar’s grief over losing his sister, as well as what it’s like living in a gender world where to him, gender is fluid. The novel utilizes vivid imagery to help build suspense and horror, leaving reads completely on edge the further in the book they go.
Samira Ahmed’s contemporary thriller Hollow Fires switches between two narratives: Jawad Ali, a middle schooler who loves to invent, and Safiya Mirza, a senior with a passion for journalism. Nothing connects the two, but to the rest of their Chicago neighborhood, they’re one in the same as they practice the same religion: Islam.
It starts with Jawad being labeled a terrorist over his Halloween costume, then his disappearance, then his murder. Safiya follows his story closely, as her majority-white school district sweeps the incident under the rug like it’s nothing. But when she starts receiving threats like Jawad did, it’s up to her and her friends to investigate, since the school and police don’t seem to care.
Throughout her novel, Ahmed includes multimedia pieces such as interviews, text messages, articles, and transcripts to emphasis the message. By not just jumping between Jawad (after he’s passed) and Safiya’s perspectives the novel also utilizes the literary technique of being a “frame story,” where it begins at the end and then takes readers on the journey to the end. Ahmed brings nonfiction into her novel, using real life circumstances and recent history to guide the haunting truth of Islamophobia and racism in American society in the 21st century.
Ahmed tackles modern issues within America, and this novel can be graphic in its realistic portrayal of these actions. This novel is a fantastic read, but it does tackle very heavy subjects so please read up on the content warning (CW) before reading.
Check out the Pride display all month long at the CECH Library!
Explore childrens’ and YA titles that span the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity and celebrate LGBTQIA+ figures and history. To find more LGBTQIA+ titles, check out our reading list available on the CECH Library website.
We’re happy to announce that we have recently installed improved signage in the CECH Library. The new signage clearly identifies the locations of our various types of children’s literature, as well as high-traffic areas like our info desk, makerlab, and … Continue reading →
The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart is a contemporary young adult novel that follows Lily Larkin, the younger sister of Alice, who ended up in a treatment center after a suicide attempt. Since The Night, her family has barely been holding it together, and Lily’s worried she might be “crazy” like her sister. When Micah, a boy that went to the program with Alice, joins her class, Lily begins to look into herself and the world around her.
This novel looks into the reality of mental illness and its impact on the self and the family, while also talking about what it means to be loved for who you are.
CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.
Ellen Outside the Lines / written by AJ Sass / 2022
CW: Queer character being outed
Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass is a contemporary juvenile novel that follows Ellen Katz, a queer, autistic, Jewish girl as she navigates life and friendship. Ellen’s Spanish class is going to Barcelona for two weeks, and she expects it to be a time for her to reconnect with her best friend Laurel. But during this trip, her carefully planned routines and expectations are thrown for a loop when she gets paired with a different group, allowing her to learn not just about herself but those around her.
This novel explores gender identity, queerness, religion, neurodivergence, and what it means to be a friend. It is a heartwarming story of growth and acceptance that makes it a read that you won’t want to put down until you’re done.
