Redwood Day School Librarian
Sometimes we like to read short stories, rather than take the time to invest in a full-length novel. Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, offers the reader some excellent short stories that are well-written, and brief but nevertheless sometimes display the dismal moments of life (“The Compartment” and “The Train”) and at other times offer the possibility of redemption (“A Small Good Thing”). This writer is particularly sparse with his language, but at the same time, evokes deep emotional reactions.
Our middle school students will be both puzzled and fascinated by another book by Jacqueline Woodson, called Feathers. Francine is a middle school student with a somewhat confusing social life. She has a best friend Samantha, a fundamentalist Christian, who is trying hard to save Francine from a life of sin. There is a new boy in class, the only white boy in the school, whom everyone calls “the Jesus Boy.” Francine does not want to be saved and she wants to understand this new boy and why he is at their school. Woodson has written a book that makes us all think hard.
The Name of this Book Is Secret, by Pseudonymous Bosch, is a humorous book for 3rd through 7th grade students. The author has a lot of fun introducing his book and then playing with his reader. He begins by warning the reader not to read the book. Terrible consequences might follow. And then he says, if you must, you must. Continuing in this vein, he insists he cannot describe the main characters, he cannot reveal where they live or what they do, but eventually he does. Finally we meet Cass, who works with her grandfather at his antique store; she is certain that her school is built on a toxic waste dump and no one will believe her.
Help!: A Story of Friendship, by Holly Keller, is an engaging story for primary grades. In the forest, a mouse hears that snakes do not like mice and he suddenly is fearful of his old friend snake. Then he falls into a hole, and none of his friends, not rabbit, not hedgehog nor squirrel, can help him.
Middle School Book Favorites
The American Library Association held a Teen Read Week last month and we celebrated by asking 6tth, 7th and 8th graders to vote for their favorite books and authors. Our students voted for a broad range of titles (from the “Warrior” series to “We Beat the Street”), but the titles that were most often recommended were Eragon by Christopher Paolini and The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. When it came to favorite authors, students overwhelmingly chose Philip Pullman and J. K. Rowlings. Middle school students are drawn to the fantasy genre, particularly books that are part of a series, because then they are assured of more books to read when they finish one, and they need not risk starting with a new unfamiliar author. So when you visit the Book Fair this month (November 17th—20th, RDS Gallery from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, and 8:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday) look for fantasy series like the “Bartimaeus Trilogy,” the “Gregor the Overlander” series, the “City of Sparks” series, and others of that ilk.
The Newbery Award
Librarians across the country are talking to one another about the Newbery Award books that have been selected over the past few years. Who are these books for? Are librarians looking at what children might read, or are we applying standards to please librarians and parents? Last year the book Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village was the winner; the year before The Higher Power of Lucky won. In 2006, Lynn Perkins’ novel Criss Cross won, in 2005, Cynthia Kadahota’s Kira Kira took the award, in 2004 the award went to The Tale of Desperaux, and in 2003 Avi won with Crispin: Cross of Lead. Personally, I’m impressed with all these titles, but in terms of attracting student readers, some of them are off the mark. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! introduces various people who comprise society in the Middle Ages. Beautiful illustrations enhance the book, but not many students will check them out. Criss Cross and The Higher Power of Lucky are appealing, but Perkins’ book is too introspective for many fast-paced 7th –8th graders. However, don’t give up on all the award winners.
Kira Kira and The Tale of Despereaux will appeal to both students and their parents. Perhaps awards are always a mixed bag.
Banned Books!
If you’ve been by the library lately you have seen strips of caution tape covering certain titles on our display shelves. The American Library Association designated September 27-October 4, 2008 as Banned Book Week. Librarians around the country participate in this event, which is meant to highlight the First Amendment (right to free speech) and to emphasize the importance of Americans’ right to read. In the library we have been discussing the issue with students and we have taken some books off of our shelves to show that these are often banned. Titles like In a Dark Dark Room, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and The Witches fall into the category of sometimes banned titles. Students enthusiastically and intelligently discussed why a book might be banned and where this makes sense and where it doesn’t.
Our annual book fair will take place from November 17 through November 20, in the RDS Gallery and Library. You are all invited to come browse the shelves, purchase titles for your children and help teachers by donating titles to the classroom from their wish lists. We have already held our book fair poster contest, in which students created some great posters highlighting this year’s theme “Book Fair Safari.” A special parent committee has just completed judging the posters and has selected four winners: Ben Szurley in KB, Claire Weeks in 4B, India Robinson in 5B and Gabriella Conversano in 7B. These students will have their posters turned into postcards promoting the event. There were many wonderful submissions: honorable mentions included Maya Ng-Yu (1B), Andrea Butner (2B), Molly Scheuer (2B), Isla Seuss (2B), Olivia Duff (3A), Andrew Hansen (3A), Logan Vawter (3A), Zara Furtado-Quesenberry (4B), Cheyenne Lloyd (5B) and Natalia Robinson-Eng (8A). All posters will be on display around the library, the Gallery and the rest of the school throughout the month of November.
We have one last announcement for this event. To help celebrate books we are inviting two authors to come to RDS and speak to students about their work. On Monday, November 17, Annie Barrows will be coming to talk about her Ivy and Bean series. She will speak to kindergarten classes at 8:45 a.m, to grades 1-3 at 9:15 a.m., and to grades 4-5 at 10:15, all in the Lower School Multi-Purpose Room. On Wednesday afternoon, November 19, Opal Palmer Adisa, a poet and writer, will come and speak to one seventh grade class and the entire sixth grade at 1:00 p.m. in the Middle School MPR and to the rest of the middle school at 1:45 p.m. You are all invited to attend and be part of these presentations. Help us celebrate!
