
In Libris Libertas
Quarterly news from PRMS Library
Volume 5, Issue 3
Welcome to the library's newsletter. I share news at the end of each nine weeks. As always, let me know if you have suggestions!
What's New
Winner of the 2024 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
From Booklist: In 2017, an Albany, California, high-school junior started a private Instagram account. He wanted content that would make his friends laugh, so he copied ideas from popular accounts and went with what he considered edgy humor, including graphic, misogynistic, and racist memes. Inexplicably, he included photos of people he knew—friends and classmates, including several Black girls. He didn’t give it all that much thought until his supposedly private account blew up, rocking his small community. This meticulous retelling from Slater, author of the best-selling, Stonewall-winning The 57 Bus (2017), documents the ensuing events: shock, outrage, accusations, protests, threats, firings, lawsuits, and the aftermath. Using multiple resources ranging from personal interviews to school board meeting minutes to media reports, she creates insightful profiles of principal players; weaves in community demographics, school-district regulations, and technical legalities; and offers additional content such as poems, statistics, and accessible essays on social behavior and emotional trauma. The most compelling parts are those in which she allows the young women victims to speak, sharing their anguish, betrayal, and outrage. This is a compelling and contemporary cautionary tale that should be required reading for any teen before they create, comment, or even like a media post.
Library Happenings
BreakoutEDU
Reading classes visited in February to compete in a BreakoutEDU challenge that tested their library skills. Students worked in teams to solve clues about the physical and digital library spaces and tools, new books, and more.
Research
7th and 8th grade classes have been working on research assignments on topics in both world and U.S. history. Students use our print collection as well as our Gale in Context databases. We have been working on skills related to gathering, analyzing, and citing information.
Have you seen ...
I have been playing around with and using MagicSchool AI to help me with tasks ... check it out!
Tips, Tricks & Advice
Most popular print books this nine weeks
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Projekt 1065
Alan Gratz
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Want recommendations? Follow me on Goodreads to see what I've been reading lately.
Newsletter Archive
Looking for past issues? Find them on the library website.
Kristen Rowe, Librarian
Our library program is most effective when we work together. My library standards are aligned with your PA Core standards to encourage maximum collaboration. I would love to plan and teach lessons with you involving research, literacy, and technology. E-mail me or stop by if you'd like to discuss ideas.
Kristen Rowe
Kristen is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters