If you read one book this summer...

If you read one book this summer, make it The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  It has received praise from all corners of the YA world. There are also a movie in development and Amandla Stenberg (of the Hunger Games) will be the lead.

Some runners-up of if you read one book this summer (by genre).

Science-fiction: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Historical fiction- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Fantasy- Red Queen series (The third book King's Cage was released recently!) by Victoria Aveyard

Mystery- I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Romance- The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Non-fiction- Alexander Hamilton: The Making of America by Teri Kanefield

Sports- Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Realistic- Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

For advanced readers- Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Middle grade- Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Pick of the Week- Five, Six, Seven, Nate!

is Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle. This sequel to Better Nate Than Ever bring Nate back to Broadway. This time he is cast in the fictional musical E.T. While he initially thinks this is his dream come true, reality sets in as he has to navigate the complex theater world. Despite behind the scenes drama, Nate's biggest worry is solving the mystery of his secret crush. Like the first book, this is great pick for students who love the theater and stories about pursuing your dreams.

June is LGBT Pride Month

-Lin-Manuel Miranda

Since the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, commemorations of the event were celebrated in cities across the United States. The riots began in protest of the arrest and harassment of LGBT people at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The earliest anniversaries had political messages around changing laws and ending discrimination. More recently, Pride celebrations have been organized to show there is no shame in being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. In 2000, President Bill Clinton declared the first national Gay and Lesbian Pride month.

This year, political issues are again central to Pride month. In Chechnya (a region of the Russian Federation), LGBT people are being targeted for arrest and torture. In Uganda and other countries around the world where homosexuality is punishable by death. The United States, state legislatures in North Carolina, Texas, and other states passed laws restricting transgender people's access to public restrooms.

There are many people who are trying to resist these legal pressures, to find out more check out these resources below:
On Chechnya: https://www.theguardian.com/world/chechnya

Keko, an openly gay rapper from Uganda, talks about being an openly gay public figure in Uganda. https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-05-22/ugandan-rapper-keko-gets-real-about-her-music-her-sobriety-and-her-sexuality

Transgender bathroom bills: http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/health/transgender-bathroom-law-facts-myths/

There are many ways to show your pride and support the LGBT community. Stay informed and educated on the issues facing this marginalized community.

Middle School Artist of the Month- update

It has been amazing to see the talent of the Middle School artists this year. Mr. Bladyke has chosen one 7th and one 8th grade student each month to display their work in the library. Check out the slide show below to see the dazzling artistry on display.

Pick of the Week- The Hate U Give

is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I rarely have an emotional reaction after reading a novel, but this story was compelling from start to finish. Starr is a student at a wealthy private school in the suburbs, and she is from a poor city neighborhood. Almost everyone in her school is white, she is black. Starr has found a way to navigate her two worlds until she is the witness to the murder of her best friend at the hands of a police officer. Though she tries to stay anonymous, her identity is revealed. As people from her home neighborhood and school community intertwine Starr will find out who her friends really are. The political and social themes of this novel are highly relevant. Come check out this New York Times best-seller.

Content Note: This novel contains curse words, casual teen drinking, and a scene depicting realistic gun violence.

Pick of the Week- The House of the Scorpion

is The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. Though this books is more than ten years old, its themes are surprisingly relevant. The dystopian setting for this book is a future where the United States and Mexico no longer exist. The border region of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California are controlled by el Patron, a ruthless drug lord. The main character, Matt, is a clone of el Patron and must navigate the tricky politics of the rival drug families. Matt is prepared to take over the empire until a stunning revelation throws his future into chaos. Tackling themes of migration, the drug trade, and belonging, the world created by Farmer is sure to captivate readers.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

About 20% of people in the United States have some kind of mental health condition. There are many misconceptions about mental illness that often lead to stigmatization of people dealing with these conditions. This month, take some time to read and become more informed about what mental illness is and isn't. Consider these facts from the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

1 in 25 (10 million) adults in the United States lives with a serious mental illness.

60 million people in the United States face the day-to-day reality of living with a mental illness.

Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24, but early intervention programs can help.

African Americans and Hispanic Americans used mental health services at about half the rate of whites in the past year, and Asian Americans at about one-third the rate.

90% of those who die by suicide have an underlying mental illness. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, but suicide is preventable.

- See more at: https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Awareness-Messaging?utm_source=awareness&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=intoMH#sthash.qdVrbNBv.dpuf

For more information see these library resources:

Non-fiction:

Kemp, Donna R. Mental Health in America. 2009.

Miklowitz, David J. The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide. 2002.

Owens, Michael L. and Amy Gelman. I'm Depressed, Now What?. 2012.

Torrey, E. Fuller and Michael B. Knable. Surviving Manic Depression. 2002.

Watkins, Heidi. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. 2010.

Wylie, John V. Diagnosing and Treating Mental Illness. 2010.

Fiction:

King, Wesley. OCDaniel. 2016.

Scelsa, Kate. Fans of the Impossible Life. 2015.

Shusterman, Neal. Challenger Deep. 2015.

Whaley, John Corey. Highly Illogical Behavior. 2016.

In the News- Drought and Famine in North Africa

In the News

A devastating drought and famine are threatening millions of lives in North Africa and the Middle East. South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen are experiencing record drought conditions. What is worse, political instability limits the amount of aid that can be distributed. Millions of people have migrated out of these regions which could potentially cause instability in other regions. The health consequences are already deadly illness to children and the elderly. 

Learn more about the causes of this humanitarian disaster here:

You can also check out these books for more background.

Hirsch, Rebecca E. Climate migrants : on the move in a warming world. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2017.

Kolbert, Elizabeth. Field notes from a catastrophe : man, nature, and climate change. New York: Bloomsbury Pub., 2006.

Rawlence, Ben. City of thorns : nine lives in the world's largest refugee camp. New York: Picador, 2017.

Singer, Peter, Bill Gates, and Melinda Gates. Famine, affluence, and morality ; foreword by Bill and Melinda Gates. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Singer, Peter. One world : the ethics of globalization. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.

Turse, Nick. Next Time They'll Come to Count the Dead. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2016. Print.

Withington, John. Disaster! : a history of earthquakes, floods, plagues, and other catastrophes. New York: Skyhorse Pub., 2010.

Pick of the Week- Underground Railroad

is Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for fiction, this novel is a compelling story of Cora a woman born enslaved in Georgia and who escapes through the Underground Railroad.  In a way, Cora's story reflects hundreds of years of United States History as she encounters different social reactions to race and slavery. Though the subterranean train and the societies she encounters are fictionalized, the journey and characters are compelling. One reviewer called the book "devastating;" I couldn't agree more. You will be riveted by Whitehead's latest triumph.

Pick of the Week- Loving vs. Virginia

is Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell. This novel is uniquely structured alternating between Mildred and Richard's perspective and integrating primary source documents to enhance the story of an ordinary couple, whose case had sweeping changes for laws of the nation. Mildred and Richard always saw themselves a typical, but in the eyes of the law their relationship was criminal. They were fined, jailed, and harassed when they tried to live together in Caroline County, Virginia. After nine long years of legal battles, their case was decided in the Supreme Court and finally over-turned the unjust miscegenation laws in the United States. 

April is Autism Awareness Month

The CDC estimates that 1 in 68 children under the age of 21 are diagnosed with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder has many types and can show up in many different ways. There are many ways in which autism is misunderstood. Take some time this month to educate yourself about autism and the people struggling, managing, and thriving with this disorder.

Non-fiction resources:

Perspectives on diseases and disorders: Autism by Carrie Fredricks The reason I jump : the inner voice of a thirteen-year-old boy with autism by Naoki Higashida, translated by KA Yoshida and David Mitchell  Sisterhood of the spectrum : an Asperger chick's guide to life by Jennifer Cook O'Toole; illustrated by Anne-Louise Richards The Asperkid's (secret) book of social rules by Jennifer Cook O'Toole ; illustrated by Brian Bojanowski Coping with Asperger Syndrome by Maxine Rosaler. National Institutes of Mental Health. Fiction Books: Anything but typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon. Rain reign by Ann R. Martin. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork.

Pick of the Week- Magnus Chase: Hammer of Thor

is Magnus Chase: Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan. This sequel to The Sword of Summer tops the first book in action, character development, and humor. You will laugh out loud at the wit of the protagonist, Magnus Chase as he navigates the complex world of Norse gods and creatures. You learn even more about Norse myths, the depth and complexity of Magnus' friends Hearthstone and Samirah, and are introduced to Alex Fierro who might just steal Magnus' heart. Rick Riordan has created another engaging series that puts a modern spin on an ancient mythology.

Cybersecurity Knowledge Quiz

The Pew Research Center released a report recently that assessed Americans knowledge of cyber security. You can take the test and compare your results to the thousands who took the test for the study. You can also learn valuable information about your privacy and data.

http://www.pewinternet.org/quiz/cybersecurity-knowledge/

Pick of the Week- Scythe

is Scythe by Neal Shusterman. This thought provoking dystopian novel will have you questioning whether living forever is really a good thing, the role of computers and privacy in our lives and what is right and wrong. Citra and Rowan are ordinary teenagers living in an extraordinary future world. Technology has eliminated natural death, an all knowing computer has taken over the function of government, and crime and war are unknown to the world. But because there is no such thing as natural death, one human lead organization exists for population control- the Scythdom. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to be apprentices of a Scythe, they are confronted with unthinkable moral questions and a corrupt bureaucracy. Fans of Shusterman's Unwind and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies will love this Prinz award honor book and New York Times best-seller.

Pick of the Week- Rithmantist

is Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson.  Fans of Harry Potter will love the world created by Sanderson. In this world, the United States is a series of islands, each with their own culture and many with their own school of Rithmatists. Joel grows up on the campus of one of the most important schools, Armedius Academy, longing to be chosen as a Rithmatist. He has spent most of his life learning the science behind this magical skill, so he longs to be welcomed in to their ranks. When he is not chosen, he is devastated but unwilling to give up. He manages to get under the tutelage of one of the oldest Rithmatists teachers without the school knowing. As students at the school go missing, he and fellow outsider Melody are thrust into the investigation that threatens to throw the school into chaos.

Pick of the Week- Everything, Everything

is Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Soon to be a major motion picture, this is a unique love story between Maddy, whose illness prevents her from going outside or receiving visitors and Olly, who just moved in next door. The two begin a relationship by talking online and their connection is immediate and electric. Their desire to be with each other have shocking consequences for both their families. Fans of The Fault in Our Stars will love the smart writing and wit of this tale of "star-crossed lovers."

Pick of the Week- Lies We Tell Ourselves

is Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley. Jefferson High School is about to integrate for the first time in the school's history. This novel is told from the perspective of two high school seniors, one white and one black, from this fictional high school in 1959 Virginia. Linda is the daughter of the local newspaper editor and is staunchly pro-segregation. Sarah is one of the first black students to integrate the school. After a teacher forces them to work together on a school project, Linda's ideas about segregation slowly break down as the two grow closer together. Emotionally compelling from both perspectives, this novel shows the pain of racism and the privilege of white supremacy in a visceral way.

Pick of the Week- The Fire This Time

is The Fire This Time edited by Jesmyn Ward. This collection of short stories, essays and poems highlight some of the great contemporary voices and minds of this generation. The diverse forms all center around race in the United States today. Check out this thought provoking collection from the national National Book Award winning author.

Black History Month 2017

As we celebrate Black History Month this year, the SRS Library is focusing on the African American literary tradition. From the slave narrative, to the poetry of rap and hip hop, African American voices have been an important part of telling the complete American experience.

Contemporary poetry can be heard through the rap of Chance the Rapper, Common, and printed word poems from Jacqueline Woodward. Colson Whitehead and Zadie Smith are also rocking the literary world with award winning novels. Their brilliant contributions are the first in black literature; Gil Scott Heron, Tupac, Maya Angelou, and Alice Walker, Toni Morrison created incredible works of fiction as did Langston Hughes and Zora Neal Hurston a generation before.

While the 20th century saw brilliant literary works from African Americans, there were also many remarkable works in the 18th and 19th century. Fredrick Douglass was perhaps the most prominent African American writer in the 19th century having written an autobiography and a best selling narrative of his life as a slave in Maryland and his escape to Massachusetts. Phyllis Wheately was born in West Africa, brought to the United States as a slave and became a famous poet in the late colonial and revolutionary period.

The contributions of African Americans to the overall American literary tradition have been essential to understanding the American experience. Take the time and read a novel or poem by an African American author this month- you won't regret it.

Pick of the Week- Panther and the Lash

is The Panther and the Lash by Langston Hughes. This is a collection of poems from the legendary Harlem Renaissance poet. These poems were written later in his career around the time of the Civil Rights Movement. These poems are an entry into the mind and emotion of Hughes during this tumultuous time. Here is one of the poems from this collection titled, "Harlem (What happens to a dream deferred?)"

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
Like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
Like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Written in 1951, this poem proved remarkably prophetic. Check out this book for more insights into an important era in United States History. 

Pick of the Week- March: Book 3 (reprise)

is March: Book 3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. The last installment of the graphic memoir of John Lewis finishes the epic arch of John Lewis' story from the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement to his witnessing the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States. The most dramatic of the three books, March: Book 3 takes you through the most tense and violent period of Civil Rights struggle- the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, the murder of three Civil Rights workers in Mississippi to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Don't miss the epic conclusion of the masterpiece graphic memoir of a hero of the Civil Rights Movement.

March: Book 3 is being reposted since its unprecedented three ALA Youth Media award wins. Last year, it also won the National Book Award for best Young Adult Book.

7th grade Media Literacy

How well can you decipher information on the Internet? Last week, team Atlantis took a short quiz on identifying information from the Internet. We then discussed each item and how critical thinking about information online is an essential skill in the 21st century.

You can take the quiz below and see how well you did in comparison to these 7th graders.

Take the test here. Then click on the link at the end of the test to see a discussion of the answers.

This assignment was inspired by the work of the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG). A summary of the report can be found here.

Pick of the Week- Between the World and Me

is Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This thought provoking book is and essential read to understand racism in the United States today. Coates won the non-fiction National Book Award last year for this work. Framed as a letter to his teenage son, it is a powerful and informative read that discusses Coates' experience growing up in Baltimore, his education at Howard University, and his understanding of what it means to be black in America. One of the most powerful stories is that of Prince Carmen Jones, a man killed by the Prince Georges County police in 2000. Because many deaths at the hands of police officers have been in the news over the past few years, some may think this is a recent phenomenon. Coates' visceral telling of Jones' story will disabuse you of that notion. Reading this book will show you an important perspective on racism in the United States.

Pick of the Week- Unbroken

is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This non-fiction book is about the life of Louis Zamperini and focuses on his time as a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II. Although he was troubled as a teenager, he dedicated his energy to track and field, which brought him to the Olympics in 1936. When the United States entered World War II, Zamperini signed up for the Army Air Corps and was deployed to the Pacific. This is when his thrilling tale of survival against all odds begins. Don't miss this remarkable story.

Pick of the Week- Every Exquisite Thing

is Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick. (I recommend this book for older readers or students comfortable with mature topics.) Through her junior year, Nanette is an excellent student, star soccer player, and model daughter in her upper class New Jersey neighborhood. Then her English teacher gives her an out of print novel, The Bubblegum Reaper that causes her to question what is important to her. Reading the book leads Nanette to make drastic changes in her life- she quits the soccer team and abandons her old friends for Nigel Booker, the author of the life changing novel. When Booker introduces her to Alex, another fan of the cult classic, she cuts class for the first time in her life and get dragged into Alex's radical ideology. When Alex gets sent away, Nanette must find her own path and reconcile external expectations with who she really is on the inside.