Kimball HS Library is Moving Onward...

Kimball HS Library has a Twitter account! Woo! Hoping to keep you updated on the happenings here in our little part of the book world. I'd like to post more about our events, volunteering, class activity of the past couple of years! It's been a little difficult to post while being the sole librarian since Ms. York's illness and passing a few years ago. Missing you, LSY! Getting an opportunity to add a little to the blog today thanks to Ms. Magee. Thank you!!
If you get a chance, help us out in the next entry so we can be entered in the DonorsChoose.org raffle and prize giveaway.
I'd really like to get some authors here since we have so many enthusiastic readers! They are great kids and they really appreciate the opportunities we can provide. Also, a portable stage for library events which we could use outside on those wonderful warm days we have so often (just not today). The thought of having some exciting book events right outside really thrills me!
Thanks for your help!

Donor Choose - Help Me Out on a Book Club or Kimball HS Library Project - We have some real Book and Magazine Lovers here!!

Subject: My students need your help!

 

Hi Friends,

 

This school year, I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed. So I've created a classroom project request on a 501(c)3 charity website called DonorsChoose.org.

November is the Tell-A-Friend Challenge, so I am writing in hopes of any donations for my students! For this month only, your donation of $25 or more to my Teacher Page will not only help fund my projects, but will also earn my classroom a raffle entry to win additional resources and supplies. You can help my students twice with one tax-deductible donation, and you'll hear back from our class about your impact on our learning!

 

To learn more or donate, visit my Teacher Page at http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/522994

Please feel free to send me any questions you may have, and know that my students and I greatly appreciate your support.

http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/522994?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=teacher_profile&utm_campaign=copyURL&rf=copyURL_dccontent_2013_11

How many of these have YOU read?

I've been doing a little "fall cleaning" and found these nice reading lists for all you who want to do a little pre-planning:

http://www.listsofbests.com/list/16484-101-great-books-recommended-for-college-bound-readers

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/21804.101_Great_Books_Recommended_for_College_Bound_Readers

http://wcpscollegeandcareer.weebly.com/uploads/7/7/1/1/7711918/college_board_recommended_books.pdf

I'm going to admit I have not read all these titles and challenge myself to complete this list within a year...who will join me??

New Things Are Happening at Kimball HS Library!

You would be surprised to hear all the commotion at the Kimball HS library these days...in May, the library floors were cleared with the help of Joshua B., Jose B., Sandra B. and new carpet was put in!! First time since the 80s!! Before and after photos will soon be posted...in June work started to add more ports and to update the existing connections...wooo! so exciting, but every one knew the computers in library work better than anywhere in the building...except the Web Design classroom...today they are replacing more things in the library.
This fall, ideas will be brought to life, and it will be fun! More reading celebrations, commemorative events, giveaways, and Book Club will still be helping out at reading events around the city.

By the way, a big THANK YOU to Book Club members who have given so much of their free time this year helping out at Dallas Public Library events. They are even being requested BY NAME. NIIIICE. You are all SUPER! And YOU WILL receive extra "thanks" this year!

Free Audio Book Downloads from Sync!

Another Dallas ISD librarian has let us know about Sync (thanks, Ms. Irwin). Have you tried audio books? Sync website has free downloads you can try. It looks like they are going to have a couple of books available every week all summer. You know I'll have to listen to them all...I can't wait!

Find Sync at http://www.audiobooksync.com/

Here's their list:

 

SYNC Titles
Summer 2013

May 30 – June 5, 2013
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, read by Rebecca Gibel (AudioGO)
The Tempest by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast (AudioGO)

June 6 – June 12, 2013
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, read by Katherine Kellgren (HarperAudio)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, read by Wanda McCaddon (Tantor Audio)

June 13 – June 19, 2013
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audiobooks)
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, read by Robert Ramirez (Recorded Books)

June 20 – June 26, 2013
Once by Morris Gleitzman, read by Morris Gleitzman (Bolinda Audio)
Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr., read by Dion Graham (christianaudio)

June 27 – July 3, 2013
Rotters by Daniel Kraus, read by Kirby Heyborne (Listening Library)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, read by Jim Weiss (Listening Library)

July 4 – July 10, 2013
Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford, read by Nick Podehl (Brilliance Audio)
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

July 11 – July 17, 2013
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler (HarperAudio)
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, read by Simon Vance (Tantor Audio)

July 18 – July 24, 2013
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, read by Erin Moon (Recorded Books)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

July 25 – July 31, 2013
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, read by Charlie McWade (Scholastic Audiobooks)
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, read by Steve West (Blackstone Audio)

Aug 1 – Aug 7, 2013
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane, read by Dan Weyman (Macmillan Audio)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Ralph Cosham (Blackstone Audio)

Aug 8 – Aug 14, 2013
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, read by Katherine Kellgren (Brilliance Audio)
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, read by Miriam Margolyes (Bolinda Audio)

Aug 15 – Aug 21, 2013
Sold by Patricia McCormick, read by Justine Eyre (Tantor Audio)
Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie, read by Tavia Gilbert (Blackstone Audio)

Some Stats for You!

Every year, I print out a report of the most circulated titles to determine what my most loyal patrons like to read, and to order similar items. Here is the list of 2012-2013 Top Circulated Titles for Justin F. Kimball HS Library:

Fiction (Top 20)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Riordan, Rick
The Hunger Games, Collins, Suzanne (required reading)
Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury, Ray (required reading)
Mockingjay, Collins, Suzanne
Awakened, Cast, P.C.
Tempted, Cast, P.C.
Marked, Cast, P.C
Hunted, Cast, P.C
Betrayed, Cast, P.C
The Complete Hush, Hush Saga, Fitzpatrick, Becca
Eighth Grade Bites, Brewer, Heather
Crank, Hopkins, Ellen
Things Fall Apart, Achebe, Chinua (required reading)
Burned, , Cast, P.C
The Awakening, Smith, L.J.
Chosen, Cast, P.C
Catching Fire, Collins, Suzanne
The Lost Hero, Riordan, Rick
If I Were Your Boyfriend, Sewell, Earl
Goddess of the Sea, Cast, P.C
Love is Hell, Marr, Melissa, ed.
Blue Moon: The Immortals series, Noel, Alyson
For the Love of Money, Tyree, Omar

Non-Fiction (Top 20)
Pokeman Adventures, Kusaka, Hidenori
One Piece: I Won't Die, Oda, Eiichiro
The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, Davis, Sampson
A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive, Pelzer, David
Azul Para La Pesadillas, Stolarz, Laurie
ASVAB for Dummies, Powers, Rod
Everything You Want to Know About Cosmetics, Stabile, Toni
The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, Baines, Emily
Stan Lee's How to Draw Comics, Lee, Stan
Basketball Top 10, Hareas, John
20 Soccer Superstars, Velazquez de Leon, Mauricio
Tupac: Resurrection, Shakur, Tupac
Back in the Day: My Life and Times with Tupac Shakur, Bastfield, Darrin
The Houseplant Expert, Hessayon, D.G.
Cooking the Vietnamese Way, Nguyen, Chi
Drawing for Beginners, Partington, Peter
Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil, Hillberry, D.
Bleach: No Shaking Throne, Kubo, Tite
Vampire Haiku, Mecum, Ryan
Anne Frank, Muller, Melissa

It's really interesting to see how their interest have changed the past five years, and nice to see the variety. I may have to pull up that list and share it. I want to give some credit to a librarian T.W. Browne Middle School had for two years and the readers she nurtured: Suzanne Sherman, who is now at Conrad High School.

If You Like Alyson Noel's Immortals Series....

Many of our students like the Immortals series. While searching to find the latest book in the series to order, I came upon the Immortals series website http://immortalsseries.com/. If you like Alyson Noel, you should see it! It has book excerpts, audio excerpts, and nice video promos of the books. The music is a great effect. You can see the video for the books at the link above, or on Good Reads at http://www.goodreads.com/videos/2326-evermore. Have a look, it's fun!