Library Illuminations
October Mission Valley Jr./Sr. High School Library News
In the October Issue.....
- Moon Over Manifest - The First Read
- Seventh-Graders Introduced to Library Lingo
- The Angel Experiment Intrigues Seventh-Graders
- The Outsiders ... Always in Style
- Series Readers Unite!
- Advanced English Classes Address Cultural Perspectives
- A New Face in the Library
Moon Over Manifest: The First 2013-14 Sr. High Book Club Read
Early birds Rebekah and Morgan are the first in line for the Sr. High Book Club pick up. Moon over Manifest by Wichita resident, Claire Vanderpool, is a historical fiction selection set in a fictional town in Southeast Kansas in the 1930's. See a plot summary at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GeQ6VKllo0
Seventh Graders Introduced to Library Lingo
Fiction, nonfiction, periodicals, reference, biographies, and short stories..... Mrs. Spoon brought her seventh-grade English classes to the library in early September for a mini lesson in finding materials at their JH/HS library. After Mrs. Niland finished, students selected a book for Read It time.
The Angel Experiment Intrigues Seventh-Graders
Nine seventh-graders lined up to check out James Patterson's book, The Angel Experiment at 7:45 a.m. September 19th for their first Book Club experience. Twenty students checked out books, with fourteen more names placed on the waiting list. Check out the book trailer:
The Outsiders: Always in Style
The Eighth Grade Book Club is reading The Outsiders for the first selection of the 2013-14 school year. Although published in 1967, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton remains a teen classic 46 years later. Ponyboy Curtis, 14, struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes he is an outsider. Written from Ponyboy's perspective, the book follows two rival groups, the Greasers and the Socs, (short for Socials), who are divided by their socioeconomic status. S.E. Hinton was 15 when she first started the novel, but did most of the work when she was 16 and a junior in high school. She was 18 when The Outsiders was first published. Twenty-six eighth graders have signed up to participate in this book club reading of The Outsiders. Check out this link to a book trailer:
Series Readers Unite!
Many students love series reading and can't wait for the next volume to be written and printed. A Series Notebook has been added to the shelves for student use. The popular series are listed alphabetically by the authors' last names. The suggested order of reading the books in the series is listed on each page. If available, future volumes and the year to be published are also noted.
Series Titles You Might Like
Maximum Ride
The Maximum Ride series, by James Patterson, is a set of dystopian novels featuring bird-like characters who are referred to as "the flock" because they have combined human and avian DNA.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
Fans of the supernatural and psychic phenomenons will enjoy this four-book series featuring teenagers Lena and Ethan.
Warriors by Erin Hunter
Clans of cats fight battles in this action-packed series for young adults. Lexile ratings of this series range from 750L to 900L.
Advanced English Classes Address Cultural Perspectives
Seniors in Advanced English were asked to choose a nonfiction book or a novel that addresses universal issues, but from a cultural perspective that challenges the way students might view the same issues. The focus of this semester is developing critical reading skills, and the novels will supplement class content in practicing these skills which approach a text with the knowledge that the writer constructs the text with particular purpose and inherent biases, and every reader brings his or her biases in trying to understand the message of and purpose for a text. Reading in this way, called Reader Response Criticism, adds layers of complexity to the reading task. As students read their chosen books, they will journal about their own responses to the way universal issues are presented and dealt with in the text analyzing what challenges their way of thinking and why. They will also look for bias in the way the writer is presenting ideas. The students will next be introduced to Cultural Criticism and will practice using this lens when reading both in class and in their independent reading time. Cultural criticism asks them to understand the culture in which the text is set and analyze how different cultural groups interact and react to each other through the story or situation developed in the book.
-Submitted by Ms. Casey
New Face in the Library
Mrs. McGann, science teacher at MV JH/HS, is volunteering in the library as part of her work toward a Master of Library Science degree from Emporia State University. Mrs. McGann has been taking inventory, processing books, learning the Alexandria library automation system commands and has also been instrumental in developing the Series Notebook (see story above) for students. Mrs. Niland, librarian, welcomes Mrs. McGann. Thanks for your help!
Upcoming Events
HS Book Club Discussion for Moon Over Manifest.
Friday, Oct 18, 2013, 03:00 PM
Mission Valley JR/SR High School Library
Seventh Grade Book Club Discussion for The Angel Experiment
Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013, 03:00 PM
Mission Valley JR/SR High School Library
Eighth Grade Book Club Discussion for The Outsiders
Monday, Nov 4, 2013, 03:00 PM
Mission Valley JR/SR High School Library
Mrs. Niland, Librarian
For questions or comments, contact Mrs. Niland by one of the methods below.
Email: rniland@mv330.org
Website: www.mv330.org
Location: Mission Valley JR/SR High School
Phone: 1-866-557-6686