This year’s list is amazing!
Every year 4th through 8th grade students from all over the state of Illinois nominate their favorite books to the Rebecca Caudill Committee for consideration for the Rebecca Caudill Award. Every March, the final nomination list is made public to libraries for students and patrons to read from and vote the following February!
Just in case you think this award has nothing to do with us, here at Summit Hill Junior High, you couldn’t be more wrong. Books don’t stay in print forever. Every year, thousands of published titles for young people see out and their publishers do not do reprints. The best way to ensure that a book printing continues to be renewed is for the book to win awards like the Newbery Award, Blue Bonnet in Texas, the National Book Award or (you guessed it) the Caudill Award in Illinois. Reading at least 3 books from the list and voting, ensures that the winner will continue to be read and enjoyed right here in our own library for decades to come. So! We are coming up on the 20 in 20 2024 Rebecca Caudill Book Talk and each one of these titles will get 60 minutes of fame. Read at least 3 books from the list below and see Mrs. Scuderi in February 2024 for a ballot. It is not too early to start reading for next year. After all, you have the WHOLE summer ahead! Happy Reading Spartans and see you for voting next year! And as always, READ ON!
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Let’s celebrate the history and stories of African Americans! Let’s celebrate the history and stories of African Americans! On display in the library this month, you will find amazing narrative nonfiction by black authors discussing black history. (Remember, it is so important to read stories about marginalized people by authors in those communities!) Here are a few examples of what you might find in the display: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly Hidden Figures is the powerful story of four African-American female mathematicians at NASA who helped achieve some of the greatest moments in our space program. Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. This book brings to life the stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, who lived through the Civil Rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the movement for gender equality, and whose work forever changed the face of NASA and the country. Call Him Jack by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long According to Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson was “a sit-inner before the sit-ins, a freedom rider before the Freedom Rides.” According to Hank Aaron, Robinson was a leader of the Black Power movement before there was a Black Power movement. According to his wife, Rachel Robinson, he was always Jack, not Jackie—the diminutive form of his name bestowed on him in college by white sports writers. And throughout his whole life, Jack Robinson was a fighter for justice, an advocate for equality, and an inspiration beyond just baseball. And... Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson From the basics of physics to big questions about the nature of space and time, celebrated astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks down the mysteries of the cosmos into bite-sized pieces. Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry describes the fundamental rules and unknowns of our universe clearly―and with Tyson’s characteristic wit, there’s a lot of fun thrown in, too. And these are just a few! There is something for EVERYONE on this display so stop by and check them out! And as always, READ ON! Summit Hill Jr. High Library’s Theme is “Unity and FREADom!” Every year the American Library Assocation keeps tabs on the number of challenged or banned books in our nation’s libraries. Librarians say a book is “challenged” when a member of the community it serves questions the inclusion of a book in the library collection. Most libraries have important policies that ensure any challenged materials are thoroughly reviewed by their executive board and then a determination is made about retaining or removing the material. Most of the materials reviewed are retained (kept in the library collection), but occasionally that material is removed and then we say the book is a “banned book”. The number of challenges varies from year to year. On average the office of Intellectual Freedom receives about 400 to 450 challenges every year. Between January and October of 2021, they received an astounding 726 challenges, many of them were for more than a single title. Some of them where for title counts in the hundreds. While having the ability to question the inclusion of some books is a patron’s right, censorship in the library (not allowing anyone to access materials) goes against the role that libraries play with regards to access. Librarians across the country work hard to ensure that book collections are reflective of ALL patrons and accessible to anyone who wants to find the stories or information they need. SO... every year we celebrate the fact that books that are challenged or banned in some communities remain on our shelves and reaffirm our commitment to the Library Bill of Rights! (below) Take a few minutes to celebrate this important freedom – INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM this week with the SHJH Library! And as always READ ON! It is going to be an Awesome Year in the SHJH Library! So, I had an exciting time at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference and met with a TON of amazing authors. James Dashner, Court Stevens, Kwame Alexander, Kacen Callendar, Lamar Giles... so cool! They were excited to share some of their most popular books with our SHJH students and also some sneak peeks at what they have coming up! Right now, in the SHJH Library, you can stop by with your ELA class and give a starred review to some of your favorite authors and let me know what you think should fill our “New Around Here” shelf! I also got a peek at some great new graphic novels and some fantastic looking MANGA! Look for those in the coming weeks. And, not to forget about our nonfiction readers, over the summer I worked on some EPIC World War II resources already in the library. In the next few weeks, mental health, sports, art, music and technology are all on the docket to be added to our nonfiction shelves. I am so excited to have you all in the library this year! As always.... READ ON! Mrs. Scuderi We DO!So, you have gotten into the groove with school and you have a handle on your classes, October can be a great time to take a chance on a book you wouldn’t normally pick from the LRC. I tend to lean toward Science Fiction and Fantasy, but every now and then, I pick up a great historical fiction or realistic fiction and I never regret it. It can be really great to think outside your “go to” box. Here are some great books separated by genre to give you inspiration: Not a realistic fiction reader? Try: Dry by Shusterman A lengthy California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, turning Alyssa's quiet suburban street into a warzone, and she is forced to make impossible choices if she and her brother are to survive. Not a science fiction reader? Try: Hard Wired by Vlahos After fifteen-year-old Quinn learns that he is the first fully-aware artificial intelligence, that his entire life is a lie, he feels entirely alone until he bonds with Shea, the real girl behind his virtual crush. Not a fantasy reader? Try: The Cruel Prince by Black Jude, seventeen and mortal, gets tangled in palace intrigues while trying to win a place in the treacherous High Court of Faerie, where she and her sisters have lived for a decade. Not a historical fiction reader? Ground Zero by Grantz Brandon is visiting his dad on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when the attack comes; Reshmina is a girl in Afghanistan who has grown up in the aftermath of that attack but dreams of peace, becoming a teacher and escaping her village and the narrow role that the Taliban believes is appropriate for women--both are struggling to survive, both changed forever by the events of 9/11. Not a romance reader? Try: Crush by Chmakova Jorge seems to have it all together. He's big enough that nobody really messes with him, but he's also a genuinely sweet guy with a solid, reliable group of friends. The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl... But when the group dynamic among the boys starts to shift, will Jorge be able to balance what his friends expect of him versus what he actually wants? Not a dystopian reader? Try: The Giver by Lowry Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives. Not a horror reader? Try: The Companion by Alender The other orphans say Margot is lucky. Lucky to survive the horrible accident that killed her family. Lucky to have her own room because she wakes up screaming every night. And finally, lucky to be chosen by a prestigious family to live at their remote country estate. But it wasn't luck that made the Suttons rescue Margot from her bleak existence at the group home. Margot was handpicked to be a companion to their silent, mysterious daughter, Agatha. Margot's bad dreams may have stopped when she came to live with Agatha - but the real nightmare has just begun. And of course, you can focus on the 2022 Caudill Books! If you read from that list, you are guaranteed to be reading multiple fiction genres as well as some great nonfiction and biographies. The 2021 October Horror Display in the Library! Stop by for a great BOOOOOOk!
September 26 – October 2, 2021 Every year public, school and academic libraries spend one week in September celebrating every reader’s right to intellectual freedom. And every year, around the country, ideas that are created and shared through reading come to the forefront as we look back on the year’s most challenged books. What do we mean by “challenged”? Anytime a person, group or organization requests a book to be removed or censored from view, we say that book has been challenged. People and groups challenge books for a wide variety of reasons. They express concerns over violence, language, content that they think is not suitable for kids and political viewpoints they don’t agree with. It is important to remember that these groups and individuals, while they have good intentions, can actually damage libraries and readers through censorship. While we may not agree with everything that someone writes, we don’t get to decide what others read. When someone or a group actually gets a book removed from library shelves, we call that book “banned”. And that is where libraries come in. Librarians and their organizations step up to defend those books and ensure that they have a place on the shelves for readers to find them and engage with those stories. Protecting your right as a reader is one of the important things that libraries and librarians do and that is why we celebrate it! The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom nominates an Honorary Chairperson for Banned Book Week and this year’s author is none other than JASON REYNOLDS! You may know some of his books, Long Way Down, The Track Series, All American Boys, The Boy in the Black Suit and he is also the Library of Congress’ 2021 National Ambassator to Children’s Literature. He’s a busy guy. His theme for Banned Book Week this year is “Books Unite Us, Censorship Divides Us” and the message is a simple but important one. He can explain it much better than me so watch the YouTube video below for more info! Here is how we are celebrating in the SHJH Library. When you come in with your English classes, we will be taking a look at some of the books that have received challenges over the last 20 years. You will probably recognize some of them. See if you can see yourself in those stories.... The 2021-22 Library is going to be AWESOME!I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable summer! There are some fantastic new books on shelves and new collections to explore in the SHJH Library! This year we are going to explore genres, research, breakouts and so much more! Get ready for a new year of reading and learning! As Always, READ ON SPARTANS! Even though April is National Poetry Month, there is no reason not to recite a few of your favorite lines of lyrics or drop a verse in the library. Over the last two weeks students have been
Want to kick your poetry writing skills up a notch? Check out these great online resources for writing, submitting, watching and reading amazing poetry: https://www.epicreads.com/blog/novels-written-in-verse/?fbclid=IwAR2gNl-I8sIGmTLFaWishvc78C7RneuqxNVPaC_bvLLabw1V2aG3cVkLVoA https://poets.org/national-poetry-month https://youngchicagoauthors.org/louder-than-a-bomb https://www.teenink.com/poetry Finally, in the words of poetess Nikki Giovanni, an ode to libraries in honor of National Poetry Month AND School Library Month! And, as always.... READ ON! My First Memory (Of Librarians) by Nikki Giovanni This is my first memory: A big room with heavy wooden tables that sat on a creaky wood floor A line of green shades—bankers’ lights—down the center Heavy oak chairs that were too low or maybe I was simply too short For me to sit in and read So my first book was always big In the foyer up four steps a semi-circle desk presided To the left side the card catalogue On the right newspapers draped over what looked like a quilt rack Magazines face out from the wall The welcoming smile of my librarian The anticipation in my heart All those books — another world — just waiting At my fingertips. Giovanni, Nikki. “My First Memory (of Librarians)”. Acolytes. HarperCollins, 2007. Go to the VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR with the button below! Remember to put in "Summit Hill Junior High" at checkout to help support our school library!
March is Women’s History Month! Want to read some great books about the women who have shaped our past and are writing our future? Check out these great titles from the Summit Hill Junior High Library! No One is too Small to make a Difference by Greta Thunberg Time’s PERSON OF THE YEAR! The groundbreaking speeches of Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist who has become the voice of a generation, including her historic address to the United Nations In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day in order to protest the climate crisis. Her actions sparked a global movement, inspiring millions of students to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. No One Is Too Small to Make A Difference brings you Greta in her own words, for the first time. Collecting her speeches that have made history across the globe, from the United Nations to Capitol Hill and mass street protests, her book is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai NOBEL PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR! Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school. Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on October 9, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause: She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. In this Young Readers Edition of her bestselling memoir, which has been reimagined specifically for a younger audience and includes exclusive photos and material, we hear firsthand the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world -- and did. Malala's powerful story will open your eyes to another world and will make you believe in hope, truth, miracles and the possibility that one person -- one young person -- can inspire change in her community and beyond. Ten Days a Madwoman: The Daring Life and Turbulent Times of the Original Girl Reporter by Deborah Noyes Young Nellie Bly had ambitious goals, especially for a woman at the end of the nineteenth century, when the few female journalists were relegated to writing columns about cleaning or fashion. But fresh off a train from Pittsburgh, Nellie knew she was destined for more and pulled a major journalistic stunt that skyrocketed her to fame: feigning insanity, being committed to the notorious asylum on Blackwell's Island, and writing a shocking exposé of the clinic’s horrific treatment of its patients. Nellie Bly became a household name and raised awareness of political corruption, poverty, and abuses of human rights. Leading an uncommonly full life, Nellie circled the globe in a record seventy-two days and brought home a pet monkey before marrying an aged millionaire and running his company after his death. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming On May 21, 1937, the most famous female pilot of all time, Amelia Earhart, set out to do the impossible: circumnavigate the globe at its widest point--27,000 miles in all. Just six weeks later, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. Eighty years have passed since that fateful flight; and still, Amelia's plane has never been found. Discover the thrilling life and tragic end of America's most famous trailblazing flier with this impeccably researched and masterfully crafted book from acclaimed author Candace Fleming. Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsberg by Irin Carmon She was a fierce dissenter with a serious collar game. A legendary, self-described “flaming feminist litigator” who made the world more equal. And an intergenerational icon affectionately known as the Notorious RBG. As the nation mourns the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, discover the story of a remarkable woman and learn how to carry on her legacy. This runaway bestseller, brought to you by the attorney founder of the Notorious RBG Tumblr and an award-winning feminist journalist, is more than just a love letter. It draws on intimate access to Ginsburg's family members, close friends, colleagues, and clerks, as well as an interview with the Justice herself. An original hybrid of reported narrative, annotated dissents, rare archival photos and documents, and illustrations, the book tells a never-before-told story of an unusual and transformative woman who transcended divides and changed the world forever. And those are just a few! Take a few minutes this Month to read about the amazing women trailblazers who have RUN THE WORLD! And as always Read On! |
Mrs. ScuderiI have been a school librarian for 8 years. This is my third year at Summit Hill Junior High. Archives
September 2022
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