April 27th - May 1st, 2020
This Week @ WMS Library
To translate this newsletter, click on it then use the link to the right. (English)
Para traduzir este boletim, clique nele e use o link à direita. (Portuguese)
Para traducir este boletín, haga clic en él y luego use el enlace a la derecha (Spanish)
لترجمة هذه الرسالة من المدرسة ، اضغط عليها ثم استخدم الرابط الموجود على اليمين. (Arabic)
Այս տեղեկագիրը թարգմանելու համար կտտացրեք այն, ապա օգտագործեք աջ կողմում գտնվող հղումը: (Armenian)
Чтобы перевести этот бюллетень, нажмите на него, затем воспользуйтесь ссылкой справа. (Russian)
Bu bülteni çevirmek için üzerine tıklayın ve ardından sağdaki bağlantıyı kullanın (Turkish)
This week every 5th, 6th & 7th grader will go to www.wms1s1b.org to get a preview of the two finalists and vote for their favorite. Here are the two finalists:
THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.
Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy's brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William's story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family.
WHAT THE 1S1B COMMITTEE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE BOOK:
- “This book touches my heart to read, and all the adventures make me want to keep reading and reading on. William was a wonderful boy and his creation was amazing, and reading his book about his life was awesome.”
- “I liked this book because the author really took us on the journey, as if we were in his shoes.”
- “This book is really interesting for those who like building things or figuring out how things work! Between that, and all the stories about William’s life, I couldn’t put the book down.”
- “There is a deep message that comes across through multiple parts of the book. The book has a beautiful and emotional message.”
BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.
WHAT THE 1S1B COMMITTEE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE BOOK:
- "The author makes you dig a little deeper and gives you time to ponder to wonder what this book is really about."
- “I really enjoyed the style of poetry the author wrote in. It was almost as if we were diving back in time to when she was a child growing up in the South, seeing things the same way she saw them, experiencing the same feelings as her.”
- “It had a lot of emotion and great characters, and the story was heartfelt and was really fun to follow.”
- “It was a beautiful and moving story. I felt like I could connect with the characters and it was as if I was... there and part of the story.”
To get a preview of each book and vote for this year's winner, visit www.wms1s1b.org
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This weekend is EVERYWHERE BOOK FEST!
Watch an intense Picture Book Draw Off: viewers can submit prompts for a panel of beloved illustrators with different styles to draw in 1 minute or 90 seconds intervals. Viewers get to see how different artists approach the same subject and hold their breath in anticipation of who will create the “best” drawing, or at least the most complete one! Get your suggestions ready and join us!
View the full schedule of live sessions here: https://everywherebookfest.com/festival-info/schedule/
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WFPL TEEN ROOM EVENTS
Collaborative Webcomic (via Flickr)
Audiobook Discussion Group (via Zoom)
OTHER WMS LIBRARY HAPPENINGS
Ms. M-W's 'ALWAYS AVAILABLE' Book Pick of the Week
The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez by Robin Yardi
Life is confusing for Mateo Martinez. He and Johnny Ramirez don't hang out anymore, even though they used to be best friends. He and his new friend Ashwin try to act like brave, old-time knights, but it only gets them in trouble. And last night, two skunks stole Mateo's old trike.
Wait―two skunks stole his trike?
Mateo is too big for that rusty kid toy. He has a cool, shiny new bike anyway. But Mateo also has a neighborhood to protect. And he's about to begin a big, stinky quest to catch the thieves in the middle of the night!
As Mateo protects his neighborhood, he also learns a few things about growing up and letting go.
DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE ACCESS TO NEWSPAPERS?
Hitting a paywall? WMS students have access to major newspapers like The Boston Globe, the New York Times and the Washington Post! Browse the newspaper websites, copy the headline and search for it in the databases below. Most articles are available within 24 hours after they are featured on newspaper websites.
Visit the WMS Library Website for Digital Reading Resources & Tutorials
- How to borrow eBooks and audiobooks from the Watertown Middle School digital collection (Destiny Discover)
- How to search, browse and borrow eBooks and audiobooks from the MLS Commonwealth eBook Collection (Sora)
- How to search, browse and borrow from the WFPL digital collection (Overdrive).
- How to search, browse and borrow from Hoopla
- How to get a Boston Public Library eCard (bpl.org/ecard)
Leah Maroni-Wagner
Library Website: www.wmslibrary.org
Virtual Library: bit.ly/wmslibextend