Award-winning Titles Available in the Library!

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, WA.  At this meeting, ALA announces the 2013 youth media awards, including the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults, and the Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences.  To see the entire list, please click here.

Here are a few of the winning titles we have available at the HHS library:

In Darkness by Nick Lake (Printz Award Winner)

In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, fifteen-year-old Shorty, a poor gang member from the slums of Site Soleil, is trapped in the rubble of a ruined hospital, and as he grows weaker he has visions and memories of his life of violence, his lost twin sister, and of Toussaint L'Ouverture, who liberated Haiti from French rule in 1804.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Printz Honor Book and Pura Belpré Author Award Winner)

Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (Alex Award)
*Available through Overdrive

Her world upended by the death of a beloved artist uncle who was the only person who understood her, fourteen-year-old June is mailed a teapot by her uncle's grieving friend, with whom she forges a poignant relationship.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (Alex Award)

When Bee aces her report card she claims her reward, which is a trip to Antarctica, but her mother, Bernadette, disappears due to her intensifying allergy to Seattle and people in general, which has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands.  Bee uses emails, invoices, school memos, private correspondence, and other evidence to try and understand why her mother has left.

Online Web Searching? Ask a Librarian for Help!

I recently read the blog post “How to Make Students Better Online Researchers” on www.edudemic.com and it really hit home with what I am seeing and teaching today.  Last Friday I went to the 9^th grade Pre-AP English classes to teach them about website credibility and how to find quality sources online.  Doing a quick online poll, I found that 71% of students in four classes only use the Internet when finding information for a research assignment.  But, do they know how to search? 

The article suggests that it is necessary to teach students critical thinking skills along with any research you assign.  It is your obligation as a teacher to help them acquire the skills they need to search in a way that will achieve the most relevant results. 

That’s where I come in.  I am available to assist you with research assignments.  Even if you do not want to take a whole day for searching instruction, I can come to your class and be available as a resource as students are searching.  I can remind students of how to find credible sources, assist them in coming up with valid search terms, and assist you in finding quality sources for your research projects.  I can also assist students in creating a works cited page for their assignments.  And remember, they must use these skills across the curriculum, not just in English class! 

Not only do students need to know how to find information, they also need to know how to evaluate the sources they do find for quality, validity, and relevance to what they are researching.  If you are planning or in the middle of a research assignment, contact me today! 

 

Nooks now available for checkout!

[caption id="attachment_361" align="alignleft" width="231" caption="Matteo Barrero samples one of the Nook tablets."][/caption]

The HHS Library has acquired eight Barnes and Noble Nooks (five Simple Touches and three tablets) for students to check out.  Students may check out a Nook for one week at a time.  The Nooks are preloaded with approximately ten titles each, with more titles coming in the near future.  Students must have a permission form on file in the library before they will be allowed to check out a Nook.  You may pick one up at the circulation desk or print one from this link:

HHS Nook Checkout Form

Look to see what books are available on each Nook by following this link:

HHS Nook Title List 9-12

If all Nooks are checked out, students will be placed on a hold list and will be notified when the Nook they want has been returned.  We are excited to bring this new format to the library!  Please let us know if you have any questions!