PDW Media Center
November Newsletter
New this month:
- October Recap
- Native American Heritage Month
- HRRB
- November Reading Challenge--Read Grateful
October Recap
Book Fair
I want to thank all of our students, parents and PDW staff for making our Scholastic Book Fair a huge success! With your support we managed to go 35% past our initial goal for the Book Fair! This means we get a lot more fantastic books and equipment for our school library.
Are there specific titles you would like to see added to our library collection? Add your recommendations here!! I look forward to your input. :-)
Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month has evolved from its beginnings as a week-long celebration in 1986, when President Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week." Every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as the time to celebrate the culture, accomplishments, and contributions of people who were the first inhabitants of the United States.
The PDW Media Center will feature a book display by Native American authors.
Online Resources
Awarded biennially, the AIYLA identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity
Happening in the Media Center
Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl
The Helen Ruffing Reading Bowl was created by Media Specialist Helen Ruffin. Hoping to inspire her students to read Georgia Book Award nominees, she created a reading competition in game format. The Reading Bowl takes place each year in late January/early February. Each school could have a team of 10 members. The competitors read the chapter book nominees for the Georgia Book Award and test their knowledge in a quiz bowl format.
The Fulton County Schools VIRTUAL Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl will be held on January 29, 2022.
This years book nominees include:
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells a story about two sisters, linked by love and trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other.
Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling
Hatchet meets Long Way Down in this heartfelt and gripping novel in verse about a young girl's struggle for survival after a climbing trip with her father goes terribly wrong.
The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
This novel explores the cultural divides around class and the gun debate through the eyes of one girl, living on the edges of society, trying to find her way forward.
Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
Seventh-grader Efrén, whose parents are undocumented, returns from school to find his beloved mother Amá has been arrested by ICE and deported to Tijuana, Mexico. This novel will not only open dialogue with children on the issue of immigration but also encourage conversations on the subjects of kindness, empathy, and activism.
Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone
Middle schooler Molly Frost starts a podcast in protest of her school's unfair dress code policies, which disproportionately affect young girls, especially those with curvy bodies. When her podcast gains notoriety, she faces not only bullying, but also the scrutiny of the local school board.
Wink by Rob Harrell
Seventh-grader Ross Maloy tries to navigate middle school after he's diagnosed with eye cancer. His radiation technician, Frank, helps him discover music as an outlet, and teaches him to play guitar. As one of Ross's close friends abandons him, he sees another side to a school bully who has ties to Frank.
American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Keklar
When a racist incident rocks Lekha’s community, Lekha realizes she must make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it’s too late.
Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim
Eleven-year-old aspiring comedian Yumi Chung stumbles into a kids' comedy camp and is mistaken for another student. Knowing it's the chance of a lifetime, she decides to play the part and figure out the rest later.
Stamped: Racism, Anitracism, and You. by Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi
This adaptation of Ibram X. Kendi's "Stamped From the Beginning" explores the history of racist ideas in America by examining the lives of notable historical figures. Discusses how racist ideas spread and how they are also discredited.
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Donte, twelve, considers himself an outsider at his mostly white school, where he's regularly bullied and alienated by the other kids. Framed for an infraction at school that he did not commit, Donte is arrested and suspended. After he joins a local youth center, he meets a former Olympic fencer named Arden Jones and begins competing, hoping to take down the school's fencing captain, Alan, the boy who caused Donte to be suspended.
November Reading Challenge: Read Grateful
Log your reading in Beanstack to ear a new set of colorful badges, and be eligible for prizes (and PBIS points) that will make you grateful--for reading and more!