Lower School Library News

Hello Lower School Families,

In the last few weeks, I focused primarily on celebrating Black History Month. The books I highlighted included Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan's Invention of the Traffic Signal (Pre-K), Mae Among the Stars (K), The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath (Grade 1), and Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice (Grade 2). In addition, Grade 3 explored Black History Month resources in Sora, Grade 4 analyzed historical fiction picture books with an African-American focus, and Grade 5 researched "Famous Firsts" in African-American history using the Britannica School database.

I hope everyone has a wonderful March break!

Ms. Rosellini

The Lower School Library will be hosting a book fair next week! The flyer can be viewed here. We are partnering with Marlborough-based bookstore Word on the Street and are looking forward to building excitement around reading. Please see the Brimmer Bulletin for more specific information.

On February 5, the Lower School Library celebrated World Read Aloud Day! I connected with several authors and ended up hosting four free virtual visits: Lindsay Leslie (Grade 1), Zainab Khan (Grade 2), Kerry Aradhya (3O), and Phaea Crede (3P). Students enjoyed a read-aloud and Q&A session with each author.

Due to the generosity of our community, I was able to add 64 new books to the Lower School Library this year! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the Birthday Book Fund. If you are interested in donating, you can do so here.

While I enjoyed each title that I read aloud to students this month, I feel that Ode to Grapefruit by Kari Lavelle deserves a special mention. I grew up hearing James Earl Jones voice Darth Vader and Mufasa, but what I didn't know is that due to his stutter, he was essentially mute for much of his childhood. Lavelle's empathetic retelling of his story pairs perfectly with Bryan Collier's stunning paintings.

Looking for some great books? Read at least 5 of the MCBA (Massachusetts Children's Book Awards) titles by March 2025 so you can vote for your favorite!

Email: arosellini@brimmer.org
Library website: https://www.brimmer.org/lower-school-library
Phone: 617-264-1430