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?