Celebrating Nonfiction

The Library is celebrating nonfiction this month with a colorful bulletin board display that features some great books. A growing interest in nonfiction for kids has led to the publication of some well-researched, very readable books including Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley. This award-winner follows the mysterious journey of the very first submarine to sink an enemy ship. But how and why did it disappear without a trace after its successful attack on a Confederate navy boat? What did archaeologists discover when, after 131 years, they raised the Hunley from the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Charleston, NC? The answers may surprise you.

Another nonfiction title written for kids, The Day-Glo Brothers tells the story of how Bob and Joe Switzer came to invent the fluorescent oranges, yellows, and greens we see everyday on traffic cones and fluorescent markers. Find out how two teenagers, end up creating a series of brand new colors in their basement!

Maybe you’ve seen the film Supersize Me! If you read the book Fast Food Nation, you’ll learn even more about the effects fast food can have on your body. Can you guess how many ingredients are in McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets? (see answer below.)

It’s important to explore quality nonfiction, not only for the information it imparts, but for the critical thinking skills it introduces. It models concepts like how to ask good questions, how to conduct effective research, and how to present evidence in an engaging way. Some nonfiction gives you instructions on how to perform a task (think cookbooks or how-to books).

The more nonfiction you read, the more you will know about the world and how it works. Check out some nonfiction today. You’ll find books that tell remarkable true stories, provide surprising facts, and teach you amazing things.

How many ingredients in Chicken McNuggets? 38!!

2012 BCS Mock Newbery Finalists Decided!

The members of the Mock Newbery Club, grades 4-8, have voted. Out of 44 books, 6 have emerged as top contenders. This year's finalists are:

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Inside Out and Again by Thanhha Lai
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy
Sidekicks by Jack D. Ferraiolo






Stay tuned for highlights from our discussions.

Halloween in the Library!

Ms. Bruce reads from A Tale Dark and Grimm

Halloween festivities kicked off Monday, Oct. 24 and finished on Halloween itself.  Every day at 10:00 a.m, the Middle School Nook was packed with students who came to hear stories that are inexplicable, spooky, and just plain fun.

They learned about the Curse of King Tut's Tomb. They heard The Golden Arm and The Hitchhiker from Lynne Brunelle's Campout: The Ultimate Kids' Guide.  They were read to from Adam Gidwitz' A Tale Dark and Grimm, which tells the real (and bloody) stories behind the fairy tales we know.  They heard a segment from Sid Fleischman's Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini.

Halloween Monday we finished with a classic: Two stories from Alvin Schwartz' Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark series.

Ms. Clarke reads a campfire story

One student listened in silence, her eyes growing larger and larger, to Schwartz' tale High Beams.  At the story's end, she gave a shudder and declared, "that story was so CREEPY!"
 

   

Students examine the Mysteries display board

The fun began with a Mystery-themed display. Students lifted flaps on the board to reveal questions and quotes from classic mysteries.
































Here are some of our Halloween favorites:

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead
Who is sending Miranda strange notes and instructions?
"The trip is a difficult one.  I will not be myself when I reach you." - p. 60



 




 The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd
How can someone go for a ride on a Ferris wheel...
...and not get off?
"He defied the law of gravity.  He went up, but he didn't come down.  Which means Newton got it wrong." - p. 62

 





The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Who will solve the mystery laid out in Samuel W. Westing's will, thereby inheriting the fortune?
"Who were these people?... They were mothers and fathers and children.  A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge.  And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake." - p. 6




Check out more in Destiny: click "Resource Lists", then "READING - Mysteries" or "READING - Halloween"

Countdown to Halloween with Creepy Stories and Mindbending Mysteries

Banned Books Week Virtual Read Out

Berkeley Carroll's Reading Angels read "The Thing" from Alvin Schwartz's More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. The Scary Stories series is a perennial favorite in the Library, a perfect choice for reading aloud at break time!

The Reading Angels Have Arrived!

A group of middle school students who call themselves the Reading Angels descended upon the Middle School Library Reading Nook at morning break to read several short stories from Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Their appearance helped to raise awareness about censorship and the freedom to read at the end of Banned Books Week 2011.

The group of 7^th graders who often gather at break times in the Library to read stories to each other proclaimed their mission at Morning Meeting today:

"We are the Reading Angels. Our mission is to defeat those who find words boring. By reading stories out loud we can make the world even more awesome!"

The Scary Stories series is listed at number 7 in the American Library Association’s List “Top 100 Banned/Challenged books: 2000-2009”. It is a collection of traditional and modern-day stories from folklore and urban legends about ghosts, witches, and vampires. It is often challenged over objections to its subject matter.

Today’s audience was rapt! As Schwartz says in his introduction, scary stories are “meant to be told” because it makes them more scary. Excited by their welcome reception, the Reading Angels are already planning their next appearance. Updates will be posted here, so stay tuned!

Banned Books Week September 24-October 1

The buzz around the library this week is all about banned books.

The Library’s bulletin board celebrates Banned Books Week, an annual event that draws attention to the freedom to read and the importance of the 1^st Amendment. It features popular books that are frequently banned or challenged in schools and libraries across the country.

Students are always shocked to discover that some of their favorites, like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter, are regularly challenged. The displays have led to a lot of lively conversations among students of all ages on censorship and freedom of expression.

Students talking about banned books.

Which of these books was challenged most frequently in 2010?

Welcome Back to the Library!

The first full week of school is upon us and the Library is in full swing!

If you are new to our Library or just need to review how to use Destiny, our Libraries' catalog, go to Destiny Check Out for instructions on how to check out books.

For tips on how to get the most out of your user account (login, search, recommend, renew, review and hold), go to Destiny How-to for a user's guide. Please see the Library staff for your Login password.

After a long summer, Lincoln, our Library Lion, gets caught up on some reading with Middle School friends.

BCS Book Quilt Website Launch!

After months of sketching, drawing, sewing, and writing, the BCS Middle & Upper School Book Quilt is complete, and the website has launched! You can stop by the library anytime to see the quilt in person, but you can also access the quilt through your fingertips from any computer!

Not only does the website tell you more about the project and show you photographs of the process, but you can also click on each patch to see a closeup of that particular patch, and an explanation of the book by the patch's artist. Can you find your friends on there? Do you agree with their descriptions of Harry Potter, The Lightning Thief, The Hunger Games, The Rock and the River, The Secret Garden, Peace, Locomotion, Stargirl, and more?

Thanks to the twelve 5th graders, two 6th graders, three 8th graders, one 9th grader, one 10th grader, and six faculty members who participated in this project!

Summer Reading!

At the library, we love summer because it gives us so much more time to read!

We have created a list of hot summer reads. You can find it at the Berkeley Carroll Amazon Store. The list includes both old favorites as well as new titles.

Can't find something you like on the list? Come into the library before school ends and ask a librarian for more suggestions.

BCS Poetry Evening 2011

Poetry filled the spring air as students from grades 4-12, parents, faculty and friends gathered for the Library's 10th annual Poetry Evening on Monday, April 25th.

JoAnne McFarland, an artist, poet and parent of two BCS alums, who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY was this year’s featured poet. She began by describing her work "which centers around creativity and how to keep ourselves going as artists and writers and just human beings with something to say and do". The audience was captivated by her "lyrics of liberation" and her masterful, spellbinding use of two voices when she was joined by writer and friend Gretta Keene.

JoAnne is the author of six poetry collections and her work has appeared in national and international publications. Check out her art and poetry at www.joannemcfarland.com .

Featured poet JoAnne McFarland and Gretta Keene

Robert Frost, Billy Collins, Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda and Ogden Nash were among the poets whose works were read, along side a host of original poems. Students from Mr. Moyano's 11th grade Spanish class offered a stirring rendition of Federico García Lorca's Canción de Jinete/Song of the Rider, and 4th graders offered up finely crafted original poetry.

Everyone who read received a glowing response from the audience, and the evening was deemed a success by all in attendance.

Fourth graders shared their original poetry

An ensemble reading by Mr. Moyano's 11th grade Spanish class

Celebrate Reading with Reading Friends

"A good book is the best of friends."
- English Proverb

Grandparents of middle school students gathered in the library for a welcome reception for Grandparent's day and to hear about "Reading Friends", a new program which celebrates reading and supports the Libraries' program from PreK - 12th grade.

Library Director Kathleen Ellis described how the library program supports reading for information and pleasure in the middle school curriculum and beyond - encouraging a lifelong passion for reading in all students.

On display were new reading selections that showcased reading in all of its forms: paper bound books along side of digital eBooks on Kindles, iPads and laptops.

Poem In Your Pocket Day - April 14th, 2011

Students dropped by the Library during breaks and free periods to pick up a poem to carry in their pocket to share with friends, classmates and family later on.

Throughout the day, impromptu readings occurred in the library, the hallways, the classrooms, and the lunchroom.

Be prepared and stop by the Library where everyday is Poem In Your Pocket Day. What will your poem be?

Celebrate national Poem In Your Pocket Day. Browse Poets.org from the Academy of American Poets to find the perfect poem for your pocket.

Be inspired to share or create your own poetry and play the Envelope Project at Poem In Your Pocket April 14th 2011, brought to you by NYC.gov.

Book Quilt Project Unfolds...

The BCS Book Quilt Project has been underway for just over a week, and already we have more than 20 participants, dozens of great ideas, and the start of some beautiful sketches of quilt patches!


From Harry Potter to 1984, from Twilight to Don Quixote, Middle and Upper School students, faculty, and staff are putting their ideas to paper... and eventually to fabric!

It's not too late to get involved, so pick a favorite book of yours, sign up in the library, and join us!

Stay tuned for more photos over the coming weeks!

2011 Newbery Medal Winners!

You read some of the nominees, now check out the official 2011 Newbery Medal Winner and Honor books!

The 2011 Newbery Medal Winner is Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool.

Looking for clues to her father's past, Abilene instead stumbles instead on a little tin filled with some keepsakes and letters, piquing her interest in a couple of young men named Ned and Jinx, and a spy called "the Rattler."

The 2011 Newbery Honor Books are:


Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm.

Sassy eleven-year-old Turtle finds her life turned on end when she is sent to live with her aunt in Depression-era Key West. With vivid details, witty dialogue and outrageous escapades, Jennifer Holm successfully explores the meaning of family and home… and lost treasures found.



Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus.

Shipwrecks, whaling, a search for home and a delightful exploration of cultures create a swashbuckling adventure. This historical novel is based on the true story of Manjiro (later John Mung), the young fisherman believed to be the first Japanese person to visit America, who against all odds, becomes a samurai.



Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen.

Welcoming her readers into the “wild, enchanted park” that is the night, Joyce Sidman has elegantly crafted twelve poems rich in content and varied in format. Companion prose pieces about nocturnal flora and fauna are as tuneful and graceful as the poems. This collection is “a feast of sound and spark.”



One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.

The voices of sisters Delphine, Vonetta and Fern sing in three-part harmony in this wonderfully nuanced, humorous novel set in 1968 Oakland, Calif. One crazy summer, the three girls find adventure when they are sent to meet their estranged poet-mother Cecile, who prints flyers for the Black Panthers.

All these books are available at the BCS Library...don't miss out!

BCS Book Quilt Project

THE BCS BOOK QUILT PROJECT

We are excited to announce the launching of the BCS Book Quilt Project! This spring, members of the Middle and Upper School community will have the chance to celebrate and share their favorite books through a patchwork quilt and interactive website.

Keep checking the blog for updates and photographs!

For now, here are the 8 easy steps you'll complete as part of the project. Join us!

-Ms. Mermelstein

How to make a patch for the BCS Book Quilt Project

1) Sign up in the library.

2) Think of a book you love (if you and a friend share the same favorite book, you’re welcome to work together).

3) Think about how to share that book with others in an original and visual way. You can portray a theme, a character, a scene, a quote, etc… Be creative!

4) Sketch it out on paper.

5) Show your sketch to Ms. Mermelstein and get a blank patch (9”x9”) in return.

6) Turn your vision into reality! We have colorful fabrics you can cut out and glue or sew onto a patch. We have fabric markers for you to draw or write on the patch. You can use your own materials if you have them. Fabrics, buttons, embroidery… the possibilities are endless!

a. Make sure you leave a quarter inch blank around all edges (this is marked on the patch so you remember).

b. The title of the book and author’s name should appear somewhere on the patch.

c. Be original! Don’t copy the book cover or any illustrations from the book; this is a chance to use your imagination!

7) After you finish your patch, we will ask you to write up a brief paragraph about the patch and the book it represents. What book did you choose and why is it important to you? If you want, you can explain why you portrayed it the way you did on the patch, give us more details about the book, share why someone else might want to read it, etc. We’ll put a photograph of your patch AND your writing on an interactive quilt website (coming soon!).

8) Sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful art and website we’ve created together!

Stop by the library to work on patches during morning break Mon-Wed or after school Monday.

We welcome participation from all students, faculty, and staff at BCS Middle and Upper School!

BCS Storytelling Festival 2011

Not even a wintry forecast of icy rain and snow could keep the Egyptian deities away from their scheduled appearance at Berkeley Carroll's 12th annual Storytelling Festival this past Saturday, February 5th, at 181 Lincoln Place. This year's event evolved from a collaboration between the Library and Theater departments and featured student run workshops, an original showcase of work performed by fifth and sixth grade students under the direction of Carolyn Giles, the Head of the Theater department, and an interactive performance by master storyteller Tammy Hall.


For students, the process behind their work began with an in depth character analysis followed by questions and extended research. Fifth graders performed monologues they wrote about an Egyptian god of their choice, which stemmed from their study of ancient Egypt in their history classes. Sixth graders presented two Midrash stories entitled: "Hotel Jacob" and "Eyewitness Sheep". Midrash is a new take on an old story based on stories from the Torah. Students explored the stories of Jacob and Esau along with Leah and Rachel and asked themselves: What would I do if I were in their shoes? They wrote monologues and from those, scripts were created.



Tammy Hall returned to Berkeley Carroll and shared several of her favorite stories that reminded her of her childhood growing up in the woods of Tennessee listening to her father tell stories. Audience members became active participants in moving the tale along. Tammy urged the audience to listen closely to their family storytellers, to ask questions and record them so that future generations can continue to stand on the shoulders of the storytellers and ancestors that came before them, honor them and create their own version of those stories to pass on.

New to the Shelf: Nonfiction

January... for some, the season for New Year's resolutions and new beginnings. What better time than now to check out our new selection of nonfiction how-to books on display in the Middle School Book Nook. Whether you're feeling crafty, looking for a few new tricks or have something to say, there's a book to help you satisfy and express your creative urge.

Crafty Creativity by Sue Barraclough
Give an old T-shirt new life, make beads out of paper, knit a scarf or make homemade gifts for your friends and family.



Manga For The Beginner: Everything You Need To Start Drawing Right Away!
by Christopher Hart
Step-by-step instructions that cover the basics as well as the entire world of manga characters, from all genres and categories.


Small-Scale Magic Party Tricks And Optical Illusions
by Nicholas Einhorn
A step-by-step guide to 100+ amazing and original tricks. Covers close-up magic, party tricks and optical illusions.


Trash Origami: 25 Paper Folding Projects Reusing Everyday Materials by Michael G. LaFosse and Richard L. Alexander
"Don't throw it out - Fold it up!" Features 25 unique projects Candy Wrapper Butterflies, Flapping Bird Envelopes and Chess & Checkerboard Sets


Whatcha Mean, What's A Zine: The Art Of Making Zines and Mini-Comics by Mark Todd & Esther Pearl Watson
Everything you need to know about creating, printing and distributing your own hand-made magazine from creators at the forefront of the zine revolution. If you have something to say, this book will help you get it on to paper and into other people's hands.


Stay tuned for more nonfiction highlighted in the coming weeks.