Check It Out
October 2020
On the Verge
Mountaineers,
It's hard to believe that we are already close to the end of the first marking period for the 2020-2021 school year. Here we are -- a few weeks away from the next stage of this unexpected journey.
In any other year, by this time we would be well underway with showcasing new books, welcoming the class of 2024 through our LMC Freshman Orientation, and conducting various Makerspace activities at lunchtime. The great news is that we do have lots of new ebooks for you to discover through SORA and MackinVIA (look for the links below). In addition to eBooks, you'll want to spend some time visiting our, Hispanic American and Banned Books Virtual Reading Rooms. You will find them in this edition of the newsletter and on the LMC webpage. The rooms are not "live" this month, but stay tuned. We are working on it!
While we don't know what to expect as we go from fully virtual to hybrid cohorts, the WOHS LMC is open and you have access not just to all our digital resources (databases & ebooks), but to us as well. We are an email away!
Your trusty librarians,
Ms. Matz & Mrs. Tindall
Everyone needs a WOPL card
If you don't already have a WOPL card, fill out the form below and you will!
Want the chance to vote for the Top Ten Teen books of 2020?
You have until Thursday, October 15th to cast your vote! Here's how ----
- Watch the short video highlighting the 20 books in contention for the "Teens' Top Ten".
- Click on the YALSA Twitter image.
- Select your top three books.
Easy Access to Ebooks & Audiobooks
The SORA App is right in Google!
Just click in the Google "waffle" to find
SORA. Watch the video to find out how easy it is to sign in with Google, search for ebooks and audiobooks, and begin reading!
MackinVia & the Consortium
You are just one click away from access to 900 current ebooks and audiobooks available through
MackinVia. In addition, this platform also houses the WOHS online databases. To sign in first find West Orange High School (in NJ -- there is also a WOHS in Florida!), and sign in using your West Orange Schools Google email address.
New this year: Virtual Reading Rooms !
When is a Virtual Reading Room like a China Shop? When you can "look but don't touch"! The titles on the shelves are not linked to content as of yet. We plan to add links as we get closer to being back in school in person. Until then, enjoy judging the books by their covers!
It's Never too Late to Celebrate Hispanic American Heritage Month
Welcome to the LMC's Virtual Hispanic American Heritage Reading Room designed just for you by Mrs. Tindall! Showcased are recent and classic books by and about Hispanic Americans.
Read Banned Books!
What do Harry Potter, Holden Caulfield, Starr Carter, and Atticus Finch have in common? They are all characters from books that have earned a place on the shelf in our Virtual Banned Books Reading Room. Mrs. Tindall has read most of them -- how about you?
In case you missed it . . .
Jason Reynolds and Ibrim X. Kendi's book STAMPED is currently being read all over the world by teens as part of the 2020 Global Read Aloud. This past summer students and faculty in West Orange also read STAMPED while participating in social justice and equity book clubs. Featured in the June 6th NYT article,
People Are Marching Against Racism. They’re Also Reading About It, STAMPED distills the history of racist ideas into three kinds of people, segregationists, assimilationists and anti-racists. "The goal of the book, Reynolds said, is to help young people identify what is racist." STAMPED debuted on the NYT Bestsellers List for Young Adults in March, and returned to that spot as of the time of the writing of this artile.
What does it take to be racially literate?
Sometimes it not about having the right words, but rather asking the right questions. Take a look at this TED talk by Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo who have made it their mission to make the tools of racial literacy available to every American. Watch their TED talk to find out more.
Please note . . .
This mask must be used with a filter or covering a disposable mask in order to be effective as a preventive measure against COVID.
