The Excitement is '"Infectious"!

         Today was another wonderful day researching infectious diseases in the library.  I love this project because everybody gets to research a disease they are interested in and work individually before presenting their findings to each other. We are working on our highlighting, note-taking, paraphrasing, and bibliography skills--this librarian's favorite things. I am looking forward to beginning our projects after winter break!

Libros en Español

       Today I spent a little time labeling the books in our library collection that are in Spanish.  It's a great idea for our Spanish speakers to read books both in English and Spanish, and some of our students that are learning Spanish, may also like to look at these.  Did you know that we have the Spanish translation of many popular books like Twilight, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter?  Look for our new En Español labels as you browse the stacks!

NWJH Library Ticker

Come see the NW Library Ticker for interesting trivia and information about new books!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

      Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is not brand new to the library, but has never been checked out and has received a lot of positive attention from book reviewers.  For this reason, I thought I better read it and see if it is something I should be recommending to the students at Northwest--I am glad I did.  This book is a great read.  The author was inspired to write the story by looking through old photographs of "peculiar children", and the photographs he used are in the book.  (We don't always get pictures and photographs in our novels, so it was a special treat!)

      The story centers around Jacob, who after the tragic death of his grandfather travels to a remote island. Here he thinks he can find some answers about the seemingly crazy stories his grandfather has been telling him his whole life about his childhood spent in an orphanage with children who are invisible, have two mouths, can levitate etc.  When he travels to this "abandoned" orphanage however, he becomes entangled in a fantastic adventure with these peculiar children whom he meets after travelling in time to 1940.  Here the children never get older because they are stuck in a "loop" that resets itself every day so that they can avoid the horrific scene that begins on the island during World War II. 

        There is SO much more to this novel, but you will have to check it out yourself to figure out the rest!  I would recommend this book to our fantasy/science fiction readers, but I especially think if you liked Harry Potter, you would love this book as well.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece By, Annabel Pitcher

       If you are interested in some light reading this book is not for you.  That being said, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a wonderful and heart-breaking book about a family that is trying to recover from the loss of a family member.  The narrator Jamie is 10, and he was only 5 years old when Rose was killed in a terrorist attack in London. He is now living with his father, who drinks too much, and his sister Jas (Rose's twin) after his mother walked out on their family following Rose's death. Although Jamie and Jas's father had Rose cremated so he could sprinkle her ashes in the sea, he keeps the remainder of Rose's ashes on their mantelpiece because he can not bear to let them go.  Jamie and Jas want nothing more than for their mother to return home to them, and for their father to stop drinking and become a part of their lives again.

         Jamie is also dealing with a lot at school.  He is being bullied by a boy named Daniel.  Furthermore, his only friend at school, Sunya, is Muslim and he worries about disappointing his father who wrongfully blames Rose's death on every Muslim person he comes into contact with.  

        Jamie becomes convinced that all his problems will be solved if he can get his family back together and he and Jas decide that the best way to do that is to be on a televised talent show and invite their parents to come.  The book does not end exactly the way I thought it would, but it is a satisfying ending nonetheless.  If you are interested, come check it out.  You will find this book on the New Books shelves behind the front desk.

        

New Display

Come and see the new display outside the library, for some book recommendations from your classmates!

What Did You Read This Summer?

         This summer did not go exactly as I expected.  At the beginning of June I broke my wrist. I had to have a fairly routine surgery where the doctor drilled some pins and plates into my distal radius (that is the technical name for the big bone you have in your forearm). Ouch!  I had planned on being busy working and going on Ragbrai, but ended up doing a lot of sitting around instead.  The only good thing about breaking a bone in the summer time, is that I had plenty of time to read good books!  I read almost all of the ITA books for this year and many others. Two books I really liked were Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Both of this books would fall into the "young adult" or realistic fiction category, but they are very different stories.

          Wonder is the story of August, a boy born with several genetic defects that make his face look much different than those around him. Because of his shocking appearance, it is hard for August to make friends. He has been home-schooled until he begins going to middle school. This story is told from the perspective of not only August, but his family, and also the students at his new school.
           Blood Wounds is about a young girl named Willa who finds out that the father she has never known has died and has killed his new wife and two children.  This story follows Willa as she comes to term with this loss, uncovers secrets about her father, and learns about the family she has never known.

Meet Your Librarian

         My name is Ms. Spiering and I am  the new librarian at Northwest!  I will be meeting most of you next week in the library when your classes come in for library orientation and check out, but we will also be spending time together this year using the library's resources for research and class projects. Please feel free to stop by if I can help you with anything, or if you have some suggestions for good books we need in the library!

         I keep this blog to write about new books that we get in the library and to also talk about anything else exciting happening here.  You can use the blog to find out about new books and see if they sound interesting to you, or to comment and let me know what you think about the books.  I already have several posts, because I have worked in other junior highs before and started my blog then. 

          I am so excited to be at Northwest and looking forward to a great year!