Big Change Coming to the Library

The MCHS Library is about to be GENRIFIED!

That's right. We are arranging our Fiction section like a bookstore - by genre. Most of the questions I get from students are:

"Do you have any romance books?" 

"I'm looking for a scary book." 

"Where are the fantasy books?" 

With limited time between classes to find a book, I think this would be much easier and faster for you to navigate. However, I must warn you now that this project is HUGE and will take months to complete. We have to re-label every single book in the fiction section, THEN change the information in our system. Be prepared for stacks of books on tables and a little bit of chaos. If you have trouble finding something, as always, just ask. :)

So far, this is the genre list I have in mind. 

1.     Horror

2.     Mystery/ Thriller

3.     Romance

4.     Action/Adventure

5.     Humor

6.     Fantasy

7.     Science Fiction

8.     Realistic Fiction

9.     Historical Fiction

10.  Sports

11.  War (white)

12.  Classic Fiction

13.  Supernatural (?)

14.  Graphic Novels

I am still having some trouble committing to certain genres entirely, because we have so many books that are considered "genre blenders." For instance, would Twilight be romance, fantasy, or do I need to create a supernatural genre section?  Books with werewolves and vampires - do they fall under the fantasy category with dragons and wizards? Realistic fiction with a dash of magic - do they still go into realistic fiction or are they considered fantasy? The brain - it hurts.

But truly - nothing is permanent and changes can be made, books can be moved. As always, please provide your feedback and let us know what you think! If you don't like where a book is placed, make your case. It's your library, after all. 

December Raffle - Win a Series!

Come by the Media Center and purchase a $1.00 raffle ticket. If your ticket is drawn on Thursday, you will win the ENTIRE Maze Runner series! 

Library Survey

MCHS Students, please take this short survey and let us know how we can make our library better. :)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C6KN75R

Join Our MCHS Book Club!

Hey nerds!

If you didn't already know (via Twitter, Instagram, Remind, or announcements), we have started a book club for students at MCHS. Our first meeting was held in November, where we chose our first book. We will be reading The Way We Bared Our Souls, by Willa Strayhorn.  A few members of our precious faculty offered to purchase a few copies of the book for us, so if you are unable to acquire a copy on your own, come check one out. :) 

Our next meeting will be held on December 14th from 3:15-4:15. All you have to do to join the book club is read the book and show up!  Food and refreshments are welcome, if anyone has something yummy to bring and share.

                                               

Author Event at MCHS

Last night Ms. Jodi McDaniel Lowery came to the MCHS library to talk about her book, Eula.  Eula Elrod was the first woman in the state of Georgia to be sentenced to the electric chair, and she was born and raised here in Chatsworth.

We had a wonderful crowd of students and community members, and I am so grateful to all who attended. A special thank you to Ms. Lowery for donating two copies of Eula to our library, and for making time to come visit and share Eula's story with us.

Homecoming

 Our Hamlet inspired door won third place in the Homecoming door contest!

Digital Display

If You Liked the Movie, Then You'll Love the Book!
Come Check Out These Books In Our Library!

             

            

           

Check It Out: Annie Sanford Edition

"This book takes an emotional toll! Angelina is a goddess when it comes to sequencing and backgrounds. This book takes mythology to a whole new level. And the tragic love story between Helen and Lucas is so fatal, it makes me cry. And the LIES! The lies in the book are hard to spot. . . but great! I love this book. 5 out of 5."

Starcrossed follows a seventeen-year-old teenager named Helen Hamilton who lives in Nantucket. After having a series of mysterious dreams, along with hallucinations of three young girls who appear to be pained, Helen finds herself strongly romantically drawn to a teenage boy named Lucas. It is eventually revealed that Helen is a modern-day Helen of Troy, and that the women she sees are actually the Furies. Discovering that many of the people she has just met are actually Archetypes of Greek characters from the Trojan War that are reborn and reincarnated over and over again for unknown reasons. It is also discovered that a union between Lucas and Helen may initiate a new Trojan War. Amidst these revelations, Helen and Lucas seek a way to pursue their blossoming romance without endangering those around them. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starcrossed_(novel))

Check It Out: Tori Richards Edition

"Do you like a plot twist and murder mystery, with a side of . . . love? Then this is the book for you. I give this amazing novel five out of five stars. The story line, plot, and climax is the perfect combination to create this phenomenal story"

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters. (www.goodreads.com/book/show/18009950-liars-inc)

It's Halloween in the Library (and Other Displays)

Happy Friday, Readers!

The library aides have been working very hard to keep this MC organized and looking good.  They keep the shelves alphabetized, process books, and maintain the technology stored in our MC. They also design library displays.  Last week, three of my aides did a phenomenal job creating our Halloween display.

Last year, our construction boys made a haunted house for us, then I had a very talented library aide (Lauren W.) paint it and fix up the windows. We used it again this year (because it is too awesome NOT to) and added a window display. The theme of our display is "A Book a Day Keeps the Monsters Away." Each of our library windows features a different adorable monster.  Leticia, Mayra, and Riley H. did a FANTASTIC job creating the monsters and designing this display. Thank you, ladies!

In addition to our Halloween display, we have a few other displays that are much more simple:

Our social justice display showcases books that inspire us to make changes to our world -- fiction or nonfiction. These books cover a wide range of topics - human trafficking, poverty, eating disorders, environmental issues, the food industry, racism, sexism, homophobia, immigration, the justice system, war, education, etc. As students check-out books, empty spots are replaced with books that have similar characteristics, so this display is always changing.

Our "Noteworthy Nonfiction" display has been up for a while. We have some fascinating nonfiction books in the library, and we pull our favorites for this display. Books include biographies/memoirs, social science books, pop science, psychology, history, technology, etc. Lots of cool stuff so check this display out.

Lastly, we have our favorite display this month, the "Banned Books" display.  Here you will find a random fifteen picked from the frequently challenged/banned books list.  Nearly every single classic you have read or will read in high school has been challenged for one reason or another, making it pretty obvious that books worth challenging/banning are books worth reading. If you're confused or want to know more, scroll on down to an earlier blog post we did about Banned Books Week OR visit http://www.ala.org/bbooks/ for more information.

CRUSH for BOOKS . . . and iPads!

Happy Sunday!

I hope many of you spent some portion of your weekend snuggled up with a good book. (I am currently reading NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, and I can't seem to put it down. Did you know that Joe Hill is Stephen King's son?! After reading a Joe Hill book, I think you would figure it out.)

So over the last few years, I've been trying to read more nonfiction. Honestly, nonfiction is pretty awesome nowadays! There are fascinating nonfiction books available, covering any topic you can imagine. After reading reviews and consulting best-seller lists, I purchased a stack of new nonfiction books for our library.

(Warning: Books are naked in the photo. Covers are currently processing.)

These lovelies were purchased with some of the money we earned from CRUSH last year.  CRUSH enabled us to purchase so many new books for our library - fiction and nonfiction. (I'm setting my sights on purchasing iPads for students to check-out with this year's CRUSH earnings.) For anyone who doesn't know, CRUSH is a formal-ish dance that takes place in February, and it is a fundraiser for the library and the yearbook. Last year was CRUSH's first year and it was a huge success! You should definitely plan on attending this year. ;) The date is set for Saturday, February 27th, so mark it on your calendar.

Have a restful Sunday and come visit us tomorrow!

Banned Books in OUR Library?!

Ok guys, we are getting a LOT of questions about why we have “BANNED BOOKS” in our library. Well, we don’t. At least they aren’t banned from OUR library. Each year, folks challenge books in school systems and libraries across the country, wanting particular books removed from the reading lists and/or libraries. So what does “ban” mean? What does “challenge” mean? According to the American Library Association’s website:

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.

As a library, we support your right to READ and we encourage you to read books. Books make you a better person – there are studies that prove that! Books teach us about other people and cultures, and they expose us to experiences that we haven’t had and may never have. Books make us better humans – smarter humans, too. That’s why we join the entire book community in celebrating Banned Books Week. It is a week to celebrate the freedom to read and a time for us to talk about the importance of free and open access to information.

Show support for Banned Books Week by checking out a book that has been challenged or banned. Check the lists below for ideas. Fight for your right to read!

Banned or Challenged Classics: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics

The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2014

1)      The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

2)      Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

3)      And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

4)      The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

5)      It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

6)      Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

7)      The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

8)      The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

9)      A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard

10)    Drama, by Raina Telgemeier

Welcome and Happy Banned Books errr Month . . .of the Week

Hi readers!

Welcome to our new blog. We have created this in hopes of reaching more folks and luring them (you) into our library to take a peak at what we have going on. Hopefully you've already visited us this school year. If not, pop in soon! Our hours are 7:15-4:00, but Ms. Ingle is usually here at 7:00. We have cafe tables, a comfy couch, new carpet and paint, and shelves full of handpicked new additions for you to check out... and we are STILL working on making our library a more enjoyable place for you to visit.

Oh, and HAPPY BANNED BOOKS MONTH! (Actually, it is just one week - Sept 27- Oct. 3 - but it is so important that we are going to celebrate for a month.) Check back soon to learn more. If you are too curious to wait, visit the American Library Association's website: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!