Pick of the Week- Girl on a Train

is The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. This best selling thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat. Told from the perspective of three women with complex pasts, the mystery weaves together to form a thrilling tale of a terrifying disappearance. Rachel travels on a commuter train to London every day an watches a couple interact for a few seconds every morning and evening. She imagines they have the perfect relationship, but there is much more beneath the surface.

Pick of the Week- Resistance, Book 1

is Resistance, Book 1 by Carla Jablonski and Leland Purvis.  This graphic novel is historical fiction set in World War II France.  Paul and Henri are teenagers living in Vichy France, the area of France not controlled by Nazi Germany. The influence of the Nazi persecution is infiltrating their lives however.  Henri, who is Jewish, is worried about his parents who were recently arrested. As Paul and Henri grow more politically aware, they are drawn closer to the Resistance movement. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for book 2.

Black History Month- Civil Rights Movement

Nothing shaped twentieth century American History as significantly as the Civil Rights Movement.  Hundreds of thousands of people participated in the March on Washington alone. Fewer individuals dedicated their lives to changing the discriminatory policies of the Untied States against African Americans. They succeeded in transforming the way Americans talk about and think about race and racism. It is vital to understand this crucial part of our history.

Learn more about the people and events of the Civil Rights Movement here.

Black History Month- Abolitionist Movement

Resistance to American slavery was as old a slavery itself. Whether active or passive, violent or non-violent enslaved people opposed slavery in many ways. For nearly three centuries, slavery shaped the economy and lifestyle of all Americans. Both the institution and the resistance to it are vital to know in order to understand the present. 

Check out the display in the library for some great reads on the Abolitionist Movement.
Or read more about the local connection to this influential movement here.

Pick of the Week- All the Light We Cannot See

is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This award winning novel is complex, but rewarding. It follows the story of two teenagers on opposite sides of World War II from 1940 through the present day. Doerr does a remarkable job creating sympathetic characters from the Axis and Allies. Marie-Laure is a blind girl living in Paris and Werner is a German orphan living in southern Germany.  Their stories weave together in a thrilling climax involving a vicious Nazi treasure hunter. The harsh realities of war hit the two young people hard, but the journey through one of the most notorious events in world history.

Black History Month

From the Abolitionist Movement, to Civil Rights, to Black Lives Matter- resistance to racial oppression has always existed in American History. As the Southwick Regional School celebrates Black History Month, check out some of these great books to recognize how things have changed, and how much more progress needs to be made.

Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass by Fredrick Douglass

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X with Alex Haley

March, Book 1 by John Lewis and Nate Powell

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehsi Coates

Pick of the Week- Parrotfish

is Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger. This ground breaking novel about Grady, a transgender teenage boy from a small Massachusetts town is a heart warming story of acceptance of oneself and of others. Grady's family is weary at first about his decision to come out as transgender, but they admire his courage in facing a viscous bully at school. With the support of a few friends and teachers, the entire community comes to accept Grady.  Anyone who has been a victim of bullying will appreciate this book.