Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Book Club is tomorrow morning and I hope you are coming! Come discuss the book, eat breakfast, and get your picture taken. Also, get in line for the next book: Divergent  by Veronica Roth.

Between Shades of Gray is classified as historical fiction. It is set partly in Lithuania and moves to Siberia near the Arctic Circle. It is a tale of one family's endurance and fight for survival as the Soviets arrest them and move them to remote areas to put them to work. The years of this tragedy are early 1940s to the mid 1950s. You have to read it - it is an amazing story! I know I say that about a lot of books, but it is a piece of history that I know you might not know a lot about.

How about owl for dinner, lice for weeks, gardening with a broken practically spoon-sized tool for the Soviets? One of the ways this family survives is by telling their stories of family and food while living on a small beet and a crust of bread. But everyone else lives the same way. Did I mention a love story and how this is based on the author's family?

Check Out Our Work! Specific Genres, Anyone?

In the industry, it's know as "genre-fying" and it is quite controversial to some.

My belief is that it will be a lot of fun for the kids who are used to going to bookstores (and need to see the word "genre" over and and over) to use the library in this way.The idea of dividing our bookshelves into different genres was born this winter.

The kids are helping us decide the genres.

So far, we have shelves of:

Chick Lit/Romance
Realistic Fiction
Sci-Fi / Thriller
Horror
Historical Fiction
Adventure

And other genres are to come! Stay posted to see the end product and signage.

Verizon App Challenge Certificate

We will have to work a lot harder next year if we truly want to make a real stab at the Verizon App Challenge. As it stands now we only received a certificate of participation. It's a start! And here is a sample of the student-designed I.D. badge. It was a good idea and with all of the mobile devices out there, I would love to see it come into fruition. Here's to next year and starting earlier!

It's Valentine's Day in the Library!

Come pick up a new bookmark in the library! While you're at it, get a new book!

We have new sets of biographies, football books, and career books.

We hope to see you soon!

Teens and Digital Literacy

Have you ever looked for resources for teens for everything from A to Z, but couldn't find anything to fit your needs? Let"s face it: raising children is the hardest job there is!

Common Sense Media might be the perfect source for your needs.  With advice on Internet safety, gaming online, and teaching kids basic advertising know-how, there is much here to learn! Videos make it a little easier, too!

Common Sense Media can be explored by clicking  here.

Check Out A Nook!

Did you know that your child can check a Nook out of the library?

Nook e-readers are available for check-out this semester at IMS. Students may pick up a Nook Permission and Acceptable Use Form at the library desk.

Students can check out books to read on the Nook, conduct Internet research for classes and check out the apps. Chess and crossword puzzles along with read-aloud books are some of the apps that can be enjoyed.

Whole classes are using the Nooks as well, so most students have learned how to check out books. The username is their lunch number and the password is their six-digit birth date (012000).

We hope to see you soon in the IMS library!

All Guys for BYOD!

Digital Learning Day!

 

 

Yesterday we hosted Bring Your Own Device Day in the library and six guys attended. They were loved their prizes! They chose three earbuds - orange, blue and green - a box of mints, and a book!

 

The guys want to make this a weekly gig. I think it has something to do with their great prizes!





Bring Your Own Device Day is here!

Son by Lois Lowry - Book Club News!

We had a pretty good crowd for Son by Lois Lowry. One of the teachers even came and we had a great discussion!

 

Tune in soon to see our next book!