St. Margaret's Episcopal School Libraries http://www.smesnews.org/library Providing Instruction and Resources for Anytime Learning Thu, 03 May 2012 20:18:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 First Ever Lower School Book Swap! http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/05/first-ever-lower-school-book-swap/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/05/first-ever-lower-school-book-swap/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 19:26:00 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=1089 Attention lower school students and parents!  Summer is almost here!  We can hardly believe it!  The library staff wants all Tartans to keep reading over the Summer so . . . the library is hosting a Get-Ready-for-Summer-Reading Book Swap! We invite you to bring your gently used books to the library on the evening of Lower School Open House (May 10th) or any time during the week of May 14th through May 30th.  You can bring up to 12 books, and you will receive a voucher that will allow you to swap out one book for every 2 books donated.   The book swap will take place the last 4 days of school before Summer!  (We know you may have more than 12 books to swap, but we don’t want to run out of space!)  Thanks in advance for joining the fun! Click here to see flier.

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/05/first-ever-lower-school-book-swap/feed/ 0 April is Poetry Month! http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/april-is-poetry-month/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/april-is-poetry-month/#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:18:30 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=1077 To the best of my knowledge, poetry is the only literary form that has earned its own month.  What makes poetry so special?  At times the most complex of literary forms, poems challenge us and elevate us.  And yet, many poems are brilliant in their simplicity.

To help you get the most out of National Poetry Month, the SMES Library is publishing a Poem a Day (or rather a Poem a School Day) to be enjoyed by all.  You can recommend your favorite poem to be a Poem of The Day by emailing Mrs. Magana.

To further enjoy poetry month, peruse the poetry.org website to see what the Academy of American Poets have planned  for the month.  Or come to the SMES library to checkout a book of poetry or a book in verse.  Or if you are really feeling adventurous, share your own poems.  Publish them here in the comments area or share them with a live audience at a local live poetry reading.

Happy National Poetry Month!

“And in the end, the poem is not a thing we see – it is, rather, a light by which we may see – and what we see is life.”   ~Robert Penn Warren, Saturday Review, 22 March 1958

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/april-is-poetry-month/feed/ 0 The Hunger Games Book Discussions http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/the-hunger-games-book-discussions/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/the-hunger-games-book-discussions/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:58:59 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=1068 MS–Wednesday 3/21 at lunch in the Library
US –Thursday 3/22 at lunch in rm. 712 (Ms. Jacobsen’s room)
All are invited to discuss the book The Hunger Games. Bring your lunch and an interest in conversation.

Discussion guide and more information about The Hunger Games Trilogy and Suzanne Collins.

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/the-hunger-games-book-discussions/feed/ 0 Calling all Cryptanalysts http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/calling-all-cryptanalysts/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/calling-all-cryptanalysts/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:08:06 +0000 admin http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=1051 Encoded Quiz Word doc and take a crack at it. Then save it and e-mail it to Owen. He'll be in touch!]]> If you like puzzles, then Owen Harding has just the thing for you. Owen’s Encoded Quiz is part code breaking challenge and part scavenger hunt that will test your cranial capacity and visual acuity. But don’t worry about overtaxing your occipital lobe, there are only five questions and there are prizes involved! So just open the Encoded Quiz Word doc and take a crack at it. Then save it and e-mail it to Owen. He’ll be in touch!

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/calling-all-cryptanalysts/feed/ 0 March Trivia Challenge Round 1! http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/march-trivia-challenge-round-1/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/march-trivia-challenge-round-1/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:22:02 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=1038 1. Who won the 1962 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his interpretation of Atticus Fitch? (Gregory Peck)

2. What is the connection between industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, and libraries? (In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Andrew Carnegie provided grants/funding that sponsored the building and development of public and university libraries around the world including the United States.)

3. What yearly award is administered by the Association for . . .]]> Congratulations to Mrs. Donchak’s class and Father Livingston’s class for their quick research skills that won them a box of donuts!  This week’s reading trivia questions and answers were:

1. Who won the 1962 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his interpretation of Atticus Fitch? (Gregory Peck)

2. What is the connection between industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, and libraries? (In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Andrew Carnegie provided grants/funding that sponsored the building and development of public and university libraries around the world including the United States.)

3. What yearly award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) to honor the most distinguished informational books published in English? (Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal)

4. What organization was founded in 1876 with the leadership ideals to promote the betterment of library and informational services and enhance the profession of librarianship in order to increase learning and guarantee access to information for everyone? (The American Library Association)

5. What is Dr. Seuss’ real name? (Theodor Seuss Geisel)

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/march-trivia-challenge-round-1/feed/ 0 Stop, Drop and Read a Success! http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/stop-drop-and-read-a-success/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/stop-drop-and-read-a-success/#comments Sat, 03 Mar 2012 01:07:02 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=1028

Thanks to all students and teachers for participating in Stop, Drop, and Read.  This silent demonstration bonded us as readers and helped us to focus on the importance of reading in our lives.  Take a moment to comment here and share your thoughts about Stop, Drop, And Read and/or share what you read!

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/03/stop-drop-and-read-a-success/feed/ 0 Our Celebration of Reading is On the Way!! http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/02/our-celebration-of-reading-is-on-the-way/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/02/our-celebration-of-reading-is-on-the-way/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:23:17 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=1010 This March the library will again pull out all the stops to celebrate READING! SMES is already a community that values reading, but once a year the Library offers programs and activities that encourage students to reflect, share, and read more! Here is a sneak peek at our upcoming special events: • Stop, Drop, Read On Feb 29th as a kick-off to our celebration, students and teachers in each division will be taking some time to read and discuss the importance of reading in their lives. • Celebrity Readers: US and MS students will be . . .]]>

Book art by Isaac Salazar

This March the library will again pull out all the stops to celebrate READING! SMES is already a community that values reading, but once a year the Library offers programs and activities that encourage students to reflect, share, and read more!
Here is a sneak peek at our upcoming special events:
• Stop, Drop, Read On Feb 29th as a kick-off to our celebration, students and teachers in each division will be taking some time to read and discuss the importance of reading in their lives.
• Celebrity Readers: US and MS students will be reading The Lorax to LS students during their library time.
• Family Read Night is March 1st. The Library stays open late to host families who want to come to check out books and or read together. Tartan Tellers (our 4th grade storytelling club) will be performing. This activity coincides with the all school art show and Mary Raymund’s Bowl for Hunger auction.
• Author visits: Mina Javaherbin, author of GOAL! and The Secret Message, Ellen Levine, author of Henry’s Freedom Box, and Eric Litwin, author of Pete the Cat books are coming to share their work with our LS and PS students.
• Our Battle of the Books teams will show off their reading prowess at our in house competition on March 9th. Battle of the Books OC competition is on March 20th. See the Battle of the Books reading list.
• Reading trivia contests will be running throughout the month for MS and US. Just how much do they know about the bestsellers and the classics? We’ll find out!
• Vote for the California Young Reader Medal the last week of March.

Whether you consider yourself a reader or not, check out all these events and more at the Library this March!

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2012/02/our-celebration-of-reading-is-on-the-way/feed/ 0 Favorite Books of 2011 http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/12/999/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/12/999/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:17:07 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=999 It is that time of the year!!  No, I’m not referring to final exams, Christmas shopping chaos, or even the rush to write resolutions (that we will this year, for sure, keep).  I’m referring to the fact that it is at this time of the year that we start to see many “best book of the year” lists!!    For example, GoodReads.com, the largest online community of readers, has asked their readers to nominate their favorites and after 74,000+ votes they’ve published their list.  Check it out for some great reads for
yourself or for gift ideas!!

Last year, we asked and you responded with over 100 book choices!   Let’s share our love of reading again!  So, SMES…what were your favorite books that you read in 2011!!

As for me, a few of my favorites were…

  • Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
  • Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
  • Unwind by Neal Shusterman
  • Know it all: One Man’s Humble Quest to be the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs
  • March by Geraldine Brooks

Of course, all of these are available through the SMES Library or Digital Library—Check them out and make sure you nominate your own “best books” here!!

Happy Reading!!

 

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/12/999/feed/ 21 Writers of the Fall http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/11/writers-of-the-fall/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/11/writers-of-the-fall/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:52:57 +0000 Darla Magana http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=971 No, sorry, this isn’t a post about writers who have ruminated on original sin or even the Berlin Wall. But if you’re between books, or just want a little inspiration for the future, we’ve put together a list of authors who were born in November, along with their “most famous” work. Of course, they’ve all written loads more than that, but it’s a place to start.

All the books mentioned below are available here in the library and each “entry” includes a link to other books they’ve written. Since it gets darker earlier these days, and it’s a bit nippy outside, this is a great time to spend your evenings reading. Why not honor a few November authors by selecting one of their books?!

 

November 8, 1847 – Bram Stoker, author of Dracula

“Come freely, go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring.”

More books by Stoker can be found here.

 

November 13, 1850 – R.L. Stevenson, author of Treasure Island

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.”

More books by Stevenson can be found here.

 

 November 30, 1667 – Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels

“May you live every day of your life.”

More books by Swift can be found here.

 

 November 30, 1835 – Mark Twain, author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal of life.”

More books by Twain can be found here.

As always, we appreciate the good work the folks over at GoodReads put together and encourage you to check them out.

]]> http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/11/writers-of-the-fall/feed/ 0 Creepy Characters http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/10/creepy-characters/ http://www.smesnews.org/library/2011/10/creepy-characters/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:37:27 +0000 Tait Lihme http://www.smesnews.org/library/?p=953

 

Halloween is coming up fast, but not so soon that you can’t enjoy a good spooky book before gorging yourself on… uh… candy.  Click “these” links below to find out what some of our favorite writers of the weird are reading this time of year. And afterwards,  don’t forget to “comment” and recommend your own favorite tales of terror.

 

 

Dean Koontz, a prolific author of ghastly stories galore suggests we read these ghost stories.

 

Darren Shan, author of the Cirque du Freak series recommends these horror stories.

 

Maggie Stiefvater, author of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series suggests these paranormal romances.

 

Dacre Stoker, author of Dracula the Undead (oh, and the great-grand Nephew of Bram Stoker), shares these vampire books to sink our teeth into.

 

So this Halloween season, dig up some moldy oldies by great authors of yesteryear or discover the chilling styles of their modern counterparts. Just don’t read too late into the night. And… maybe leave the light on… just in case…

And a special thanks to Good Reads for “these” links. It’s a fantastic reader’s website you should explore if you haven’t already.

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