Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Derby Girl by Shauna Cross

I just put two and two together that the new Drew Barrymore/Ellen Page movie "Whip It" is based on the book Derby Girl, which is one of our new books. I finished reading this book last week and I really enjoyed it. Follow along with Bliss, as she moves from feeling great angst at not fitting into the popular crowd at her small, Texas high school, to finding her own happiness filled niche in the world of roller derby. The book is humorous, fast paced, and a testament for unique girls searching to find where they fit in the world. I'm definitely one who likes to read the book before I see the movie and in this case, I did it without even realizing it. I look forward to seeing "Whip It" and I invite you to come check out Derby Girl. You'll be glad you did.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Devour These New Resources in the GKHS LC!

Hello and happy Monday!
Part of our new book shipment arrived today and I'd like to tell you all about our new resources. Since I am trying to update and build a strong nonfiction collection, most of these titles are non-fiction titles. Please feel free to come check them out.

New Biographies
Michelle Obama: From Chicago's South Side to the White House
The Beatles
Bob Dylan: Voice of a Generation

Nonfiction
The Bat Chen Diaries (diaries from Bat Chen, an Israeli girl who was killed by a suicide bomber at age 15. This book contains poems and entries from her 3rd grade classes up until the day she was killed.)
Genocide: Modern Crimes Against Humanity
Digital Art: Painting With Pixels

Fiction
Hunter's Heart
Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You (based on a true story-a young girl's account of genocide in Rwanda.)

Keep your eye out for our new fiction titles, which should be arriving at any moment! One highlight is Ellen Hopkin's new book, Tricks, which is added to the list of her other great books like Crank, Glass, Burned, Impulise, and Identical. As always, happy reading!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

New Books

Coming soon to the GKHS LMC . . . . . .

In several weeks, we will be receiving an array of exciting new fiction and non-fiction books for your reading pleasure. I strongly encourage you to come check them out . . . . literally! Please remember that I am always open to book suggestions either in person or on the blog. Don't be afraid to give me your opinion. It makes my job easier when kids speak their minds. Also, please encourage others to join our reading community. Happy reading!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

How Books Saved Me From Commute Madness

As some of you know, on most days, I commute to and from Chicago. Although the commute hasn't been too bad, I am bothered by the thought of wasting so much time in the car. I bring books or magazines with me everywhere and when I find myself in a moment of downtime, I fill that moment with words. I enjoy sneaking in a page or two at red lights; however, once I hit 90, there aren't anymore lights and it's a pretty long stretch from the last light on 47 to home. Since I don't think anyone will be inventing devices that guide people's cars down the road during rush hour traffic any time soon, I have decided to explore the wonderful world of audiobooks. I am always fretting that there is never enough time to read all of the books I want to read, especially the ones from the GKHS collection. I like to be able to talk with our students about the books we have and I have finally stumbled upon an efficient way to be able to review and recommend a lot of them.

After school, I am headed to Sulzer Regional Library in Ravenswood and then Merlo Library in my lovely Lakeview neighborhood, in hopes of scouring their audiobook bin for books that match those in our collection. I feel this is multitasking at its best. Not only will I be able to break up the boredom of the commute, but I will also be better serve our students. Although I'm still old school and feel that nothing beats the feel and smell of a book, I am grateful to audiobooks for helping me out and for making reading an enjoyable experience for readers who may have struggled in the past.