Bookmarks

We have had a very busy Spring with visits from 8th graders working on research projects and students participating in a variety of reading challenges. As we approach the end of the school year, I wanted to highlight some of what's been happening in the NMS Library.

Treat yourself to a great summer read next Wednesday afternoon! The NMS PTO will be sponsoring a summer reading book fair on Wednesday, May 29th. Students, families, and teachers are invited to visit the NMS library between 2:00 and 5:30. Storybook Cove will have titles on display for purchase and/or order, and Nona's Ice Cream truck will be stationed in the parking lot just outside the library doors. Summer Reading lists will be on hand to help students determine their selections. Book purchases can be made using cash or check. Visits to Nona's must be made in cash.

A huge thank you to the NMS PTO for sponsoring this function and to Storybook Cove and Nona's Ice Cream for their support of this event. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Kinsman or Mrs. Whitt for more information.

After April vacation, sixth graders in the WWII book club and 7th grade library students had a unique chance to experience history thanks to a program sponsored by the National World War II Museum in Louisiana. Operation Footlocker allows teachers to rent a WWII era footlocker filled with a variety of military and civilian artifacts that were common in the 1940s. While wearing white gloves, students had a chance to examine these pieces of history.

Students in WWII Book Club examined artifacts after school and during our lunch group, while 7th graders in library class learned how to analyze an artifact and presented their findings to classmates. Next, they selected one artifact of interest and conducted independent research on this item. The footlocker stayed at NMS for one week and was available for use by other teachers.

Below are images of some of our students interacting with the artifacts.

(L to R) Kai Nickerson, Samuel Liu, Jack Sullivan, Aldin Osmanagic, Max Lasky, Colton Schipani, Sohan Sureshkumar, Eashan Sureshkumar, Aidan Coyle, Nate Ramkissoon, and Domenic DiTomaso pose with Operation Footlocker items which included a cloth map, German language guide, sand from Omaha Beach, a soybean license plate, dog tags, and a 1943 steel penny.

Summer Reading lists for grades 6-8 will be published on May 29th. Links to these lists will be available on the NMS Library webpage and will remain active throughout the summer.

• Incoming sixth graders must select at least two titles of their choice from the 6th grade list
  
• Students entering 7th grade will read At the Edge: Daring Acts in Desperate Times by Larry Verstraete and at least one title of their choice from the 7th grade list
• Students entering 8th grade will read Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt and at least one title of their choice from the 8th grade list

We are getting ready to recognize students who participated in this year's Book Challenge! The last day to log Book Challenge reading will be Friday, May 31st. Visit the NMS Library web page to log your reading. Thank you to all the students who participated!

The titles for next year's Book Challenge will be released the first week of June. Students who wish to participate may begin reading over the summer.

Due to a generous grant from Big Y, Norwell Middle School has a wonderful opportunity to expand the library's audio book collection. Thanks to Mrs. Laffan and Mrs. Whitt for their work on this grant. Recent additions to the collection include the following titles;

• Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
• Trouble by Gary Schmidt
• Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
• Rump by Liesl Shurtliff
• Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
• You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly
• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
• The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
• The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
• The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
• The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Phillip Hoose
• Chasing King's Killer by James L. Swanson
• Ghost by Jason Reynolds
• The Grande Escape by Neil Bascomb
• Grenade by Alan Gratz
• The Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
• Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard
• Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
• Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• One for the Murphys by Lynda Mallaly Hunt
• Project 1065 by Alan Gratz
• The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
• Reistance by Jennifer Neilsen
• Roll of Thunder Hear by Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

With the help of the Big Y grant additional copies of the following audio books have been purchased and are also now available;

• Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
• Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
• For Everyone by Jason Reynolds
• The Truth As Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor
• Pax by Sara Pennypacker
• Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mallaly Hunt

Last March, twenty NMS students participated in a multi-generational book club which met at Norwell High School. Students discussed I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda, with a variety of community members. Click on the following link to hear several participants reflect on their experience; https://vimeo.com/335915362

• Last week, overdue notices were sent to all students who owe materials to the NMS Library.
• All current checkouts must be returned to the library no later than Friday, May 31st.
• The NMS library will be closed for checkouts for the remainder of the school year beginning Monday, June 3rd. Any students who have not returned their library materials by June 3rd will be mailed a bill for the total amount of the missing items.

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Feedback is always welcome:

Jessica.kinsman@norwellschools.org