Book Tasting Event

One of the 7th grade reading teachers brought in her classes today for a book tasting! At her request, we focused on fantasy and realistic fiction, as well as dystopian novels--all of which her students especially enjoy reading.

Tables were set up to include examples of all three types of books, and students had the opportunity to browse through the books at each table after a brief presentation about each type. The Google Presentation appears below and includes several book trailers. Two of the featured trailers were Seraphina by Rachel Hartman and The Raft by S. A. Bodeen.

Thanks to Mrs. Reels for participating in the Book Tasting! Students were able to check out many examples from the tables today!

Using the AEA's Online Databases

The AEA has many online resources available for student use. You can access a Google Presentation with directions and tips below:

CLICK HERE to access the presentation

This is a great resource for students participating in National History Day, as well as students who are looking for valid, reliable, current online information for projects in different classes. If you're not sure how to get around on the sites, stop by the library--we'd love to help!

Featured Graphic Novel: The Amulet Series

If you've been to the library recently, chances are good you either browsed the graphic novel selection and/or checked out a graphic novel. This part of our collection grows larger each semester and features both fiction and nonfiction topics.

One of the most popular graphic novel series is Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi. Here's what the blog Nerdy Book Club has to say about the series:

The Scholastic YouTube Channel recently added a video of Kibuishi reading from Amulet 5: Prince of the Elves:

Want more Amulet? The Stacks from Scholastic features an Amulet homepage with access to games, videos, blogs, and message boards:

Kazu Kibuishi also wrote the graphic novels Explorer: The Mystery Boxes and Cooper if you're looking for other works by this author. Recently he also drew the cover art for the re-release of the Harry Potter books (see earlier blog posts).

Banned Books Week, Sept. 22 - 28, 2013

The American Library Association and the Office for Intellectual Freedom celebrates Banned Books Week each year at the end of September to recognize the strength of (and the challenges to) our First Amendment rights. 

In 2012, many books that you know of--and maybe even read!--were challenged in public and school libraries across the United States. Here is the list from the ALA:

Click HERE to access lists from other years.

To recognize Banned Books Week, a new display in the library features several books that have been challenged over the years, as well as a description why they were challenged.

Many teachers and staff also volunteered to have their "mug shots" taken because they have read some of these challenged books.

Curious about why books are challenged or interested to know if you've read some of these books? Stop by the library to check out the display!

Busy Day on the Computers!

It was a packed house most of the day in the library today as 6th grade science students and 7th grade social studies students all worked on different projects at the computers.

In science class, students were using HubbleSite to learn more about the Hubble telescope. Students read about how the telescope works and its history.

Seventh graders were learning more about one of the 50 states. Using both Culture Grams from our AEA online databases and Trip Advisor, students gathered facts about their states and planned a trip that would include several attractions.

New Movies Coming. . . and They're Set in Harry Potter's World!

According to the website BookRiot, J.K. Rowling has agreed to write a series of films based on the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Here's what Warner Bros. had to say in a press release:

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be an original story and will mark Rowling’s screenwriting debut. It is planned as the first picture in a new film series. Set in the wizarding world, the story will feature magical creatures and characters, some of which will be familiar to devoted Harry Potter fans.

“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world,” said Rowling. “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”

You can CLICK HERE to read the full press release from Warner Bros. and read more about the upcoming movies.

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New Displays

So after the recent post about upcoming movies based on young adult literature (see post below), I was inspired to create a display to feature some of these books-to-movies.

The debut features are The Book Thief, coming out on November 1, 2013, and Ender's Game, coming out on November 15, 2013. Keep checking for upcoming releases--and the original book. Maybe you've seen these? 

Also on display in the library is an interactive bulletin board. You can read the quote, guess the book, and then lift the flap to see if you've guessed the book correctly. The quotes are all first lines from popular books here in the library. How well do you know your first lines? Come on in and check your knowledge!

Thanks to cinjoella for the inspiration!

Finally, we have a display of recommended titles if you've hit a "dry spell" in your reading. Looking for something good to try? Check out these titles!

Thanks to School Library Display for the inspiration.