Amanda Young

Meet Amanda

Favorite Book/Author

In Children’s literature, there are so many great books to choose from, but I enjoy Pam Muñoz Ryan's books, especially Becoming Naomi León and also the Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery. I also enjoy classic literature because of the universal truths that people all over the world can appreciate, mull over, and carry with them.

Special Interests

In Children’s books, I especially like reading Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction (for example, books by Joan Bauer), and nonfiction.

I am from Decatur, and love living here with so many opportunities for fun and educational activities! I am a graduate of Millikin University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, and I have a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My grandma taught me to knit when I was 8, and working on knitting projects is something that I enjoy. Attending the many opportunities of programs centered around the arts in our community is also invigorating. Traveling is something that I enjoy too. A memorable trip was getting to take a mining and history class through Western State Colorado University in 2018. When I visited Oregon one year, Powell’s City of Books in Portland was a treat to visit! I especially enjoy visiting the mountains, and I also love exploring beaches too, looking for sea beans. Vegetable gardening in the summer is something that I like to do, but I also like to grow tropical plants too, such as banana plants—one year, I even got to eat bananas from my own plant! :) I love animals, and have one smart and friendly orange and white tabby cat named Jesse James. I hope to see you at one of the library’s “Read with PawPrint Ministries” programs!