BCSD Libraries May 2024
May 2024
May 2024
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed in May. Grab a book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author to celebrate!
Jewish American Heritage Month
To celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month this May, consider reading a book about Jewish history. This is also a great opportunity to choose books written by Jewish authors.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Libraries provide a wealth of mental health resources. Your library is here to help. All you have to do is ask! We can help you find accurate information or impactful stories related to a variety of mental health challenges and conditions.
Elementary Library Spotlights
4th & 5th Grade Battle of the Books (24-25)
Attention incoming 4th & 5th Graders: Interested in doing Battle of the Books next year? Get a jump start on reading the award books below!
Mark Twain Elementary Library
Mark Twain 5th graders have been learning about the sinking of the Titanic. To extend their learning from the classroom to their library time, students have been working on their "making" skills and constructing their own ships. On April 19th, students got to put their ships to the test and float them!
Thank you to Curt Pratt in Operations for setting up the water trough!
In this photo, Ms. Mitola reads to MT preschoolers.
Secondary Library Spotlights
Bettendorf Middle School Library
Battle of the Books (6th Grade)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (6th Grade) Battle of the Books
Available now! Next year's Iowa Children's Choice Award nominees for 24-25.
Battle of the Books (7th & 8th Grade)
Iowa Teen Award Battle of the Books
Available now! Next year's Iowa Teen Award nominees for 24-25.
Summer Reading
Bettendorf Public Library Summer Reading Program
Remember, BPL is open all summer long!
May Picks
Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas
All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. But before she has a chance to convince him to teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and terrifying events launch Nic and two friends on a hunt for a powerful magic tool she's never heard of . . . to save her father from imprisonment for a crime she refuses to believe he committed.
Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling
While using a public library computer to find help for her mother who is addicted to pain medicine, twelve-year-old Jolene witnesses a friend's livestreamed crash-landing in the Arizona desert and embarks on a journey to rescue her.
Who Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell
Desperate to save the life of their queen and her unborn child, the good citizens of the kingdom comb the land for the all-healing Sundrop flower to cure her--but someone mistakenly picks the blossom of the Moondrop instead. This shimmering flower heals the queen and she delivers a healthy baby girl--with hair as silver and gray as the moon. But with her mysterious hair comes dangerous magical powers: the power to hurt, not heal. For the safety of the kingdom, Rapunzel is locked away in a tower and put under the care of the powerful goodwife, Mother Gothel.
Did You Know?
Hundreds of thousands of Americans call a library their workplace. As of 2022, there were approximately 164,280 librarians; 38,380 library technicians; and 79,840 library assistants working in the United States.
BHS Library
Mental Health Awareness Month @ BHS
Improve by Alex Graudins
In this new graphic memoir (graphic novel format), author Alex Graudins details their experience discovering improv and conquering social anxiety through this new interest.
Ab(solutely) Normal, edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter
This is a book of short stories and poetry collected by several authors, like Nikki Grimes and Francisco X. Stork, with a common theme of "smashing mental health stereotypes."
When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw
In this new realistic fiction novel, the main character Aisha moves to a new school after being discriminated against because of her race. After Aisha switches to her new art school, she learns that racism is embedded in ballet culture there as well. As she learns to cope with both new and old traumas while juggling a romance and pressures her friends and family, Aisha works to find healing and move forward.
Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson
"In this courageous and deeply honest memoir, Shaun takes readers through the journey of what brought him to the edge, and what has helped him truly believe that it does get better"
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month @ BHS
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
After smuggling herself onto the RMS Titanic, British-Chinese teenager Valora Luck reunites with her twin brother and tries to convince him that their acrobatic training could be their ticket to a better life. For lovers of adventure and historical fiction.
The Red Palace by June Hur
This is a thrilling, cross-genre novel set during the Joseon dynasty in 18th century Korea. 18-year-old palace nurse, Hyeon, gets caught up investigating a series of murders. For lovers of mystery and historical fiction.
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Pakistani author Sabaa Tahir shakes readers to their core with this realistic fiction story about a girl named Noor and a boy named Salahudin, both Pakistani immigrant teens living in Juniper, CA and weathering the hardships faced within each of their families. This is a book about "found family" and it is a book about both the goodness and the ugliness in all of us.
Family Style by Thien Pham
This is a graphic memoir (graphic novel style), which details Vietnamese author Thien Pham's "Memories of an American from Vietnam"
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