Thursday, December 21, 2017

Have a wonderful break!

The BAA library team would like to wish everyone a happy and safe winter break! 
We'll see you on January 4th. 
comic panel of low expectations winter break checklist.




Seniors in Hum 3: 
please email Ms. D (adambruoso@bostonartsacademy.org) if you want her to proof-read your Hum 3 benchmark paper!

Monday, December 11, 2017

Bias in sources

Dr. Hanna's class is working on arguing about the Manhattan Project. There are plenty of conflicting opinions regarding nuclear technology and nuclear weaponry.

Here are some ways to make sure you can get a balanced view of a topic (linked on our Info Center page as well!):




Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Reading Zone

9th grade seminars are in Reading Zone! Students get to pick a book of their choice to read.

Reminder to teachers and students that Ms. D and Ms. Marz can help you find books and show you how to access Overdrive, Hoopla, and Axis360 if you're looking for ebooks or digital audiobooks.





Thursday, November 2, 2017

Hum 3 Benchmark

Ms. D is so excited for the start of the Hum 3 benchmark paper. It is a lot of work for students, but once they are done, they know they can survive whatever college throws their way! 

Links to remember: 
Go to Info Center and select either Databases or Pathfinders

For ebooks/audiobooks: 

Need more help? Email Ms. D: read@bostonartsacademy.org

AND the most important reminder; look for FACTS not OPINIONS. 




Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Memoirs - are you ready?

Many of our Seminar 9 students are starting memoirs soon. Students will read all or part of a memoir and then create a short piece of their own. 


Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green Reviewed by Tyler L.


Although Paper Towns was written by an author I highly respect, John Green, the novel ultimately concluded with a bad taste in my mouth. The novel follows a male senior in highschool, Quentin Jacobsen, as he embarks on a self discovering journey with his two best friends, Ben and Radar, to find his childhood crush, Margo Roth Spiegelman, who's gone on a mysterious hiatus from her average life. Throughout the clues and planning, Margo entrusts Quentin to find her before going through with a choice that will change her life forever. It deemed quite difficult to genuinely enjoy this novel through its uneventful plot and deceiving ending, however, if I must claim to have a favorite section of the novel, it would be near the ending when Quentin finally identified the location of Margo. This was the most standing out section of the novel because of how Quentin and his friends were tasked to create a well-thought out plan in less than a few minutes. Furthermore, the character Radar truly resonated with me because I can respect the way his mind works and how he's the brains behind the adventure, but it was only at this moment in the book that he was capable of showing the readers his capabilities in calculating and organization.

To faithful readers of John Green, I would recommend this book to his fanbase. However, as a reader of book of his, The Fault In Our Stars, I held this novel to a high expectation and was very disappointed. The novel had a bland and boring novel that required very little critical thinking. The book revolves mostly around mystery and problem solving, however, with the uneventful plot, it can be difficult to pay attention to the mystery itself. If mediocre mystery with a twist of teenage angst intrigues such readers, then this book is for you. John Green's other works are quite plentiful in literature, however most of his work are thought provoking and dense with analytical thinking, but with this book, it proves to be slightly different from his other books. It would be enjoyable to read this book if a fan of John Green wants a novel that is less complex and at a lower level of comprehension. The novel itself doesn't affect the reader's daily life in ways that his other work does; the novel is a plan story, nothing more, nothing less. Overall, Paper Towns by John Green was just another book on the shelve. The plot was boring, and the reader is bound to be unsatisfied with the ending of the book, not because of the decisions that Quentin makes, but because of how over analytical he was about the mystery. The book was simply held at a high expectation for me, and the expectation was not met. Perhaps it would've been a good if Paper Towns was the first book of John Green that I've read.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Book Review: Ghosts By Raina Telgemeier



*note: Raina Telgemeier is on the Banned Book List this year for her graphic novel Drama. Here is a book review of her graphic novel Ghosts.*

Ghosts By Raina Telgemeier
Genre Graphic Novel
Reviewed by Jabriana G.



My overall opinion of this book is that it’s a really interesting and wonderful book.The plot of this book is that Cat has a little sister named Maya, and they move to Bahia de la Luna because of Maya’s Cystic Fibrosis. They both meet a boy who tells them about the ghosts in the town.


My favorite part in this book is when Maya meets an eight-year-old ghost named Jose, and she tells him,”Jose, if I die, Cat will be all alone. She’s terrible at making friends.” This is my favorite part of this book because even though Maya knows she might die sooner than later it shows that she’s not afraid, but that she’s afraid of what might happen to her sister after she’s gone. I would recommend this book to people who like Graphic Novels, and possibly someone who is struggling from moving from somewhere old to somewhere new.This book is also really good to read if you like stories that involve Dia De Los Muertos or ghosts. I think that someone might enjoy this book as the weather gets colder and windier, so this is a book that’s perfect to read in Autumn, or during Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos.

Image result for ghosts by raina telgemeier


Monday, September 25, 2017

Banned Book Week!

We at Boston Arts Academy actually love Banned Book Week; it is how we find books to add to our reading lists!

The Top Ten Banned Books of 2016 were: 
  1. This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
    Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes
  2. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
    Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint
  3. George written by Alex Gino
    Reasons: challenged because it includes a transgender child, and the “sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels”
  4. I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
    Reasons: challenged because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints
  5. Two Boys Kissing written by David Levithan
    Reasons: challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content
  6. Looking for Alaska written by John Green
    Reasons: challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to “sexual experimentation”
  7. Big Hard Sex Criminals written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky
    Reason: challenged because it was considered sexually explicit
  8. Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread written by Chuck Palahniuk
    Reasons: challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being “disgusting and all around offensive”
  9. Little Bill (series) written by Bill Cosby and and illustrated by Varnette P. Honeywood
    Reason: challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author
  10. Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell
    Reason: challenged for offensive language
We are also taking part in the American Library Association's Rebel Reader Twitter Tournament! 
Rebel Reader Twitter Tournament

Participate by: 
  • Taking a selfie with a banned or challenged book
  • Share a video of yourself talking about censorship or reading from a banned or challenged book
  • Post a quote from a favorite banned or challenged book
  • Share a story about an educator who helped you learn the power of works
  • Take a photo of a completed ALA Banned Books Week coloring sheet
  • Take a photo of yourself with any Words Have Power swag
  • Share a link to your local library's homepage or book selection policy
  • Tweet some love at a banned author from this list: twitter.com/OIF/lists/banned-authors/members
Use the hashtag #rebelreader and don't forget to tag @baa_lib 



Check out our displays and read a Banned or Challenged Book
Habibi
Challenged for "nudity" and
being "sexually explicit"

And Tango Makes Three
Challenged for being "anti-family"
and due to "homosexuality"

Being Jazz
Challenged for "homosexuality"
and "sexual education"

Eleanor & Park
Challenged for "offensive language"

My Mom's Having a Baby
Challenged for "nudity"
and "sex education"



Drama
Challenged for "LGBT content"
and "offensive political viewpoint"

George
Challenged for "LGBT content"
and "sexuality"

TTYL (series)
Challenges for "offensive language"
and "religious viewpoints"

Two Boys Kissing
Challenged for "explicit LGBT content"

Beyond Magenta
Challenged for being "anti-family"
and for "sex education"

Nasreen's Secret School
Challenged for "religious viewpoints"
and "violence"

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
Challenged for "offensive language"
and "sexually explicit"

Pride
Challenged for
 "sexually explicit content"
*note: Brian K. Vaughan is
often on the banned lists!


It's Perfectly Normal
Challenged for "violence"
and "sexual content"

Scary Stories (series)
Challenged due to being
"unsuited for age group" and "violence"
*note: original artwork ONLY,
not the updated versions

I Am Jazz
Challenged for "sex education"
and "portrayal of a transgender child"

Lush
Challenged due to "drugs"
and "sexually explicit"

Captain Underpants (series)
Challenged for
"offensive language" and "violence"

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Book Review - Milk & Honey

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Reviewed by Zorely 


Milk and Honey is a book filled with a series of poems that I absolutely love, and you will too.
This is a book that is filled with meaningful poems that somehow get you inspired to write your very own. The book is divided into four chapters that have poems relating to the title. The Hurting, The Loving, The Breaking, and The Healing.
Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey is by far one of my favorite books that are dedicated to poems. There aren’t many books like that, and I adore them. I don’t have just one favorite poem, in fact I have four poems that I enjoyed and they all happen to be in the same chapter called “The Healing.” The first one is on page 157. It is about co-depending on people to fill the spots you think that are empty. This could mean that you’re lacking happiness, love, anything you think that you don’t have. The last part of it really makes you think deeply about where you stand in life. “Who tricked you into believing another person was meant to complete you when the most they can do is complement.” The second one is on page 167 and it talks about that one quote that is most famous from males who try to impress a woman by saying, “You’re not like most girls.” Some girls might like to hear that, but others don’t. For some it seems more of an insult to them than a compliment because as the poem states, “Something about the phrase-something about how I have to be unlike the women I call sisters in order to be wanted makes me want to spit your tongue out. Like I am supposed to be proud you picked me. As if I should be relieved you think I am better than them.” And lastly, my favorite poem is on page 190. It explains about fellow females joining together hand in hand to help each other. Whether it be emotional support, physical support, jobs, or even something as bold as standing up to women’s rights. In the poem it compares the need for feminism to  flowers needing spring.
I would recommend this book to people who love poems as much as I do. This book is for the people who want to find their inner poet through the writing of another author.
If you feel like reading something that has multiple hidden messages or you just want to read something unlike most books, you’d absolutely enjoy this book.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Monday, June 19, 2017

Literature Circles - Summer 2017!

We are finally ready to reveal the revamp of our Literature Circles! Yay! This information will also be available during RICO reviews.


Hello BAA Family,
Another year is done! In order to help your Artist-Scholar-Citizen stay engaged this summer and be ready for next year, here is some information and resources you should know about, thanks to the BAA Library:

  • Summer Literature Circles information: Everyone is reading American Born Chinese, and all students must pick one other book of their choice to read. The assignment is attached. Students can find book recommendations at https://tinyurl.com/baalitcircles (also attached).


  • Axis 360 is a free Ebook and audiobook database that is available to the BAA community. It is available through the website (http://baa.axis360.baker-taylor.com) or as a mobile app in the App Store on your phone or tablet. In order to create a free account, search for “Boston Arts Academy” as your library, and input your “Library ID” which is “baa” followed by your student ID (so if your student ID is 44444 your Library ID is baa44444).


  • Proofreading is available during the year from library staff. Students should share papers via Google Drive to read@bostonartsacademy.org.


Thank you all for a great year! Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. D with questions either during the summer or the school year. She is happy to help.

With Love,




Your BAA Library Staff

Literature Circle Assignment: LINK
Book Suggestions: LINK
Boston Public Library book suggestions: 9th-12th grade and 6th-8th grade
Follow the BAA Library on Instagram to see what Ms. D is reading this summer.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Helpful Links for Summer



There is ONE more week of classes! Don't forget that students have RICO conferences on Monday 6/26 and Tuesday 6/27. 

With summer in mind, here is some useful information to get you through until the next school year: 


  • Summer Literature Circles information: Everyone is reading American Born Chinese, and all students must pick one other book of their choice to read. The assignment is forthcoming. Students can find book recommendations at https://tinyurl.com/baalitcircles.
  • Other libraries (ProArts and public libraries) where students can go to study or read over the summer:
  • Axis 360 is a free Ebook and audiobook database that is available to the BAA community. It is available through the website (http://baa.axis360.baker-taylor.com) or as a mobile app in the App Store on your phone or tablet. In order to create a free account, search for “Boston Arts Academy” as your library, and input your “Library ID” which is “baa” followed by your student ID (so if your student ID is 44444 your Library ID is baa44444).
  • Tutors will be available next year. For questions, please contact Ms. D at adambruoso@bostonartsacademy.org
  • All BAA students should have a public library card number on their OneCard (T pass). You can find the books and more through the Boston Public Library catalog. Materials can be sent to your closest branch location
Thank you all for a great year! Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. D with questions either during the summer or the school year.

Image result for cat summer

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Summer Reading

As you may know, all BAA students complete a Summer Reading book and assignment. This year, we are piloting a "one school, one book" plan. The one book is:

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang.



Synopsis: In an action-packed modern fable about the problems young Chinese Americans face when trying to participate in American popular culture, the lives of three apparently unrelated characters--Jin Wang, Monkey King, and Chin-Kee--come together with an unexpected twist. Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award.

This book can be checked out from the Boston Arts Academy library, Boston Public Library, or can be accessed digitally via Axis360

Friday, May 26, 2017

Class of 2017

Today is the last class day for our seniors. The library will be a quieter place without them... both in a good way and in a sad way. Here are some favorite moments with seniors from this year:

Seniors last day of classes, and they spent the morning either stressing out or celebrating. #classof2017

A post shared by Boston Arts Academy Library (@baa_library) on

Seniors procrastinating #classof2017

A post shared by Boston Arts Academy Library (@baa_library) on

Seniors enjoying our destress station. #stress #bostonartsacademy #classof2017 #seniors

A post shared by Boston Arts Academy Library (@baa_library) on

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Teen Central - Boston Public Library

Lots of great things coming up in Teen Central for teens! A career panel with a Web Developer and a Barber on June 5th to hear about those careers and a chance for teens to ask questions, applications for the Teen Leadership Council, applications for Teen Tech Mentor and Teen Gaming Specialists, healthy teen relationships program in June and a publishing panel.




Thursday, May 18, 2017

Feeling stressed?

Ms. Moore of Health and Wellness and Ms. D (our librarian) are collaborating on the creation of a pop-up de-stress zone for students. Our first one will be:

For grade 10,
Tuesday, May 23rd,
at lunch,
in the Family Conference room.


Teachers are welcome to join, but students get first dibs on supplies.

If you have items you can donate, please bring them to us! We could use:

clear plastic bottles (soda bottles, tea bottles, etc)
white school glue
clear glue
food coloring
ziploc/sandwich bags
essential oils (especially lavender)
cotton balls
balloons (latex free is a plus!)
flour
cloth scraps
fiberfill (the stuff that goes into stuffed animals/pillows)
puzzles
coloring pages/books
colored pencils/crayons
+ anything else you think would help students de-stress!
Whatever extra items we collect will be added to de-stress zones for the future.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Your Teacher is Reading .... Born A Crime

Ms. D is reading Trevor Noah's book, Born a Crime, thanks to Axis360.

Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. 

Nelson Mandela once said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." He was so right. When you make the effort to speak someone else's language, even if it's just basic phrases here and there, you are saying to them, "I understand that you have a culture and identity that exists beyond me. I see you as a human being." (Noah)

Ms. D highly recommends this book. Give it a try. It's written in short chapters, but each chapter tells a piece of his story. Mr. Noah has been through some crazy things... like his mom throwing him out of a moving car.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Your Teacher is Reading ... Carve the Mark

Ms. D is reading Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth.  There has been a lot of controversy about this book in the YA Author and Fan communities.

Reason one is that it comes across as racist. Read more about that: Justina Ireland and Fandom.

Reason two is that Cyra's power is connected to chronic pain. Read more about that: I Don't Want This Gift and As I Lay Reading.

Ms. D recommends that you read up on the controversy and understand what you might be getting into before you start the book. (also, read But You Don't Look Sick if you're interested in reading about how people handle chronic pain). 

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows. 
Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual currentgift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get this brother out alive — no matter what the cost. The Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?




Friday, April 28, 2017

Your teacher is reading ... Akata Witch

Ms. D just finished reading Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Akata Witch transports the reader to a magical place where nothing is quite as it seems. Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged in to the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children. Will Sunny be able to overcome the killer with powers stronger than her own, or will the future she saw in the flames become reality?

This is such a good book. It is about being yourself and embracing your flaws, but also the power of friendship and family. Super excited about Akata Warrior in October.


Friday, March 17, 2017

We Need Contributors!

Hi all,

Ms. D here. Are you a student or teacher who loves to read? Do you want your opinions heard? Comment on this post! We are looking for contributors for this blog. We would love book reviews*, but all sorts of school- and arts-based posts would be great!

Thanks!

 

*book reviews do not have to be positive! A negative review is just as valid.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Book of the Day: Freedom Writer's Diary

Book of the day: The Freedom Writers Diary
Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students.

As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the “Freedom Writers” in homage to the civil rights activists “The Freedom Riders.”

The Freedom Writers Diary

Check it out today!

Monday, March 6, 2017

Book of the Day: In The Country We Love

Book of the day: In The Country We Love by Diane Guerrero
Diane Guerrero, the television actress from the megahit Orange is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, was just fourteen years old on the day her parents and brother were arrested and deported while she was at school. Born in the U.S., Guerrero was able to remain in the country and continue her education, depending on the kindness of family friends who took her in and helped her build a life and a successful acting career for herself, without the support system of her family.

In the Country We Love is a moving, heartbreaking story of one woman's extraordinary resilience in the face of the nightmarish struggles of undocumented residents in this country. There are over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US, many of whom have citizen children, whose lives here are just as precarious, and whose stories haven't been told. Written with Michelle Burford, this memoir is a tale of personal triumph that also casts a much-needed light on the fears that haunt the daily existence of families likes the author's and on a system that fails them over and over..

 

In the country we love


Diane Guerrero is a BAA Alum! Read her story today!

Friday, March 3, 2017

Book of the Day: Midnight for Charlie Bone

Book of the day: Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy.

His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for geniuses where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead..

 

Charlie Bone


Check it out today!

Friday, February 10, 2017

Book of the day: Binti

Book of the day: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself - but first she has to make it there, alive.

 

Binti

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Book of the Day: One Was Lost

Book of the day: One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards
Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted.

one was lost

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Book of the Day: My Sister Rosa

Book of the day: My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
What if the most terrifying person you'd ever met was your ten-year old sister? A spine-chilling psychological thriller from one of Australia's finest YA authors.

'I promise,' said Rosa. 'I won't kill and I won't make anyone else kill.'

I can't see the loophole. Since the guinea pig there's been nothing. Months now without Rosa killing as much as a mosquito.

As far as I know.


Che Taylor has four items on his list: 1. He wants to spar, not just train in the boxing gym. 2. He wants a girlfriend. 3. He wants to go home. 4. He wants to keep Rosa under control.

my sister rosa

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Book of the Day: Lucy & Linh

Book of the day: Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung
A literary Mean Girls meets Fresh Off the Boat that follows Lucy as she tries to balance her life at home surrounded by her Chinese immigrant family, with her life at a pretentious private school.

Lucy and Linh

Monday, February 6, 2017

Book of the Day: Dreadnought

Book of the day: Dreadnought by April Daniels
Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of the world's greatest superhero. Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, she was trying to keep people from finding out she's transgender. But then her second-hand superpowers transformed her body into what she's always thought it should be. Now there's no hiding that she's a girl.

It should be the happiest time of her life, but between her father's dangerous obsession with curing her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he's entitled to date her, and the classmate who is secretly a masked vigilante, Danny's first weeks living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined.

She doesn't have much time to adjust. Dreadnought's murderer, a cyborg named Utopia, still haunts the streets of New Port City. If Danny can't sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction.

Dreadnought

Friday, February 3, 2017

Book of the Day: Be a Changemaker

Book of the day: Be A Changemaker by Laurie Ann Thompson
We've had the civil rights movement and the women's movement—now it's time for the youth movement.

When Divine Bradley was seventeen, he just wanted a safe place to hang out away from gangs and violence, and Team Revolution was born. At age eleven, Jessica Markowitz learned that girls in Rwanda are often not allowed to attend school, and Richard's Rwanda took shape. During his sophomore year of high school, Zach Steinfeld put his love of baking to good use and started the Baking for Breast Cancer Club.

Gone are the days when kids were supposed to be "seen and not heard." Today, youth everywhere are rising up, building new organizations, and creating the changes they want to see in their communities and around the world. Be a Changemaker gives readers the tools and confidence they need to affect real change. Readers will learn how to:

- Research ideas
- Build a strong and passionate team
- Create a business plan
- Enlist a savvy adult
- Plan events
- Work with the media
- And more!

Plus, profiles of youth-led social organizations show readers that it's never too early to become a changemaker.

 

Be a changemaker

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Book of the Day: Hidden Figures

Book of the Day: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly


Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program—and whose contributions have been unheralded, until now.

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as “Human Computers,” calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts by Jim Crow laws, these “colored computers,” as they were known, used slide rules, adding machines, and pencil and paper to support America’s fledgling aeronautics industry, and helped write the equations that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

Drawing on the oral histories of scores of these “computers,” personal recollections, interviews with NASA executives and engineers, archival documents, correspondence, and reporting from the era, Hidden Figures recalls America’s greatest adventure and NASA’s groundbreaking successes through the experiences of five spunky, courageous, intelligent, determined, and patriotic women: Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and Gloria Champine.


Check it out today! 

Hidden Figures

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Book of the Day: Heartless

Book of the Day: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

Check it out today! Ms. D highly recommends this book for anyone who enjoys strong female characters, a bit of romance, and a lot of political scheming.

Heartless

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Book of the Day: Kindred

Book of the Day: Kindred by Octavia Butler (graphic novel adaptation by Damian Duffy and John Jennings)

Butler’s most celebrated, critically acclaimed work tells the story of Dana, a young black woman who is suddenly and inexplicably transported from her home in 1970s California to the pre–Civil War South. As she time-travels between worlds, one in which she is a free woman and one where she is part of her own complicated familial history on a southern plantation, she becomes frighteningly entangled in the lives of Rufus, a conflicted white slaveholder and one of Dana’s own ancestors, and the many people who are enslaved by him.

Check it out today!

Kindred