What's Been Happening in the Library?
In spite of being closed for nearly a week for SOL testing, we've been busy working with teachers and students on a variety of interesting projects. We've worked with...
- Ms. Haber's Read 180 and Action Literacy students on a Speed Dating with Books circulation activity.
- Ms. Wu's 7th grade English students on a series of research skills lessons (using the databases, evaluating websites, note-taking, avoiding plagiarism, & citation) as they researched different topics related to the food industry.
- Mr. Wilson's 7th grade English students on citation and on using the FCPS databases to research an American president.
- 8th grade English students for a research skills review game using Socrative (room name=ZVC366XQK)-- in preparation for the 8th Grade Writing SOL.
- Ms. Scheel's 7th grade Social Studies students for a research project related to advertising in the Roaring 20's. Students are using Google Slides to create virtual advertisements for a product that would appeal to 1920's consumers.
During the week that the library was closed for SOL testing, we set up a mobile library checkout station outside the cafeteria during all lunch periods. See the picture above!
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| "Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?... Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity." ~taken from Amazon I'm only about 25% into this book, but it's enjoyable so far. I like that the main character is an unreliable narrator, and I am intrigued by the futuristic setting of the story. I anticipate that this will end up being a sort of modern twist on Frankenstein (one of my favorite books!). TBD--so far, so good!/***** | "Jane has lived a mostly ordinary life, raised by her recently deceased aunt Magnolia, whom she counted on to turn life into an adventure. Without Aunt Magnolia, Jane is lost. So she's easily swept away when a glamorous, capricious, and wealthy acquaintance from years ago asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at the extravagant island mansion called Tu Reviens...What Jane doesn't know is that the house will offer her five choices that could ultimately determine the course of her life." ~taken from Amazon. This rather bizarre book is very different from the author's other, more popular books. Mature students who like strange stories and enjoy "choose your own adventure" type tales may enjoy this one. Full disclosure--I skimmed the last half of the book. **/***** | "As the daughter of a Colorado County coroner, seventeen-year old Cameryn Mahoney is no stranger to death. in fact, she’s always been fascinated by the science of it. so she’s thrilled to finally get some hands-on experience in forensics working as her father’s assistant. but Cammie is in for more than she bargained for when the second case that she attends turns out to be someone she knows—the latest victim of a serial killer known as the Christopher Killer. And if dealing with that isn’t hard enough, Cammie soon realizes that if she’s not careful, she might wind up as the killer’s next victim..." ~taken from Amazon An entertaining murder mystery featuring a plucky leading lady. Fans of CSI-type shows will enjoy this, as it really gets into the forensics of a murder scene. Not for the faint of heart! ****/***** |
"Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?... Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity." ~taken from Amazon
I'm only about 25% into this book, but it's enjoyable so far. I like that the main character is an unreliable narrator, and I am intrigued by the futuristic setting of the story. I anticipate that this will end up being a sort of modern twist on Frankenstein (one of my favorite books!). TBD--so far, so good!/*****
"Jane has lived a mostly ordinary life, raised by her recently deceased aunt Magnolia, whom she counted on to turn life into an adventure. Without Aunt Magnolia, Jane is lost. So she's easily swept away when a glamorous, capricious, and wealthy acquaintance from years ago asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at the extravagant island mansion called Tu Reviens...What Jane doesn't know is that the house will offer her five choices that could ultimately determine the course of her life." ~taken from Amazon.
This rather bizarre book is very different from the author's other, more popular books. Mature students who like strange stories and enjoy "choose your own adventure" type tales may enjoy this one. Full disclosure--I skimmed the last half of the book. **/*****
An entertaining murder mystery featuring a plucky leading lady. Fans of CSI-type shows will enjoy this, as it really gets into the forensics of a murder scene. Not for the faint of heart! ****/*****
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| "Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback...In reality, the only thing Blade and Rutherford have in common is the music that lives inside them...when a long-held family secret comes to light, the music disappears. In its place is a letter, one that could bring Blade the freedom and love he’s been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift." ~taken from Amazon Although this book in verse flows poetically in its printed form, its audio book including musical performances by the characters is in my opinion the best way to get immersed in the story. ***/***** | "Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be."~taken from Amazon This 5 medal award winner and 2014-2015 High School Virginia Reader’s Choice nominee tells the story of two Mexican-American teens with beautiful narration as both boys discover their self-identity and their place in the universe. For a mature reader. ****/***** | "An extraordinary and timely novel, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honor Book, examines what it’s like to grow up under surveillance in America...Inspired by actual surveillance practices in New York City and elsewhere, Marina Budhos’s extraordinary and timely novel examines what it’s like to grow up with Big Brother always watching. Naeem’s riveting story is as vivid and involving as today’s headlines..." ~taken from Amazon After a run-in with the law, Bangledeshi born teen Naeem enters a deal with the NYPD to become a part of the now defunct Muslim Surveillance Program. In doing so, is Naeem a hero, or a traitor to his own community? ***1/2/***** |
Although this book in verse flows poetically in its printed form, its audio book including musical performances by the characters is in my opinion the best way to get immersed in the story. ***/*****
This 5 medal award winner and 2014-2015 High School Virginia Reader’s Choice nominee tells the story of two Mexican-American teens with beautiful narration as both boys discover their self-identity and their place in the universe. For a mature reader. ****/*****
After a run-in with the law, Bangledeshi born teen Naeem enters a deal with the NYPD to become a part of the now defunct Muslim Surveillance Program. In doing so, is Naeem a hero, or a traitor to his own community? ***1/2/*****
Jennifer Polidoro
Lisa Hoyle
This is Lisa Hoyle's second year as a librarian at Longfellow Middle School. Lisa has an MLS from the University of Maryland. In her free time she loves reading, traveling, listening to music, and yoga. Some of her favorite books include Harry Potter, The Giver, and The Lunar Chronicles.
