A World In Turmoil

Have you ever thought about the things that matter most to you? Who or what gives your life meaning? In Susan Beth Pfeffer's gripping page-turner, Life As We Knew It, Miranda, a Pennsylvania high school student, has the usual concerns: shifting friendships, the admiration of boys, exams, and grades. When news reports indicate that an asteroid is on a collision course with the Moon, Miranda, along with her friends and neighbors, is fascinated, but not unduly concerned. However, when the asteroid does hit the Moon, the stage is set for an unprecedented global disaster, because the Moon is pushed into a closer orbit, causing a series of unimaginable climatic changes on Earth - tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and devastating storms. Miranda's priorities suddenly change, as she now must focus on helping to keep her family alive as the number of deaths mount, starvation looms, and epidemics rage. How does one find hope in a bleak future, with every day a constant struggle for the basic essentials of life? The other titles in the series are The Dead And The Gone, This World We Live In, and The Shade of the Moon. I have loved Ms. Pfeffer's books since I was a teenager, and she always provides amazing and unforgettable reading experiences.

 

 

Welcome To Our Library Media Center!

The beginning of a new school year is always exciting because we dream of the infinite gifts of learning and expanding our horizons.

My name is Mrs. Goldstein, and I am glad to be back at IS 141 for my second year as your librarian. It has been a pleasure to get to know the school community and the beautiful neighborhood of Astoria, Queens.

There is always a reason to visit our library. We will have class visits, author programs, new books, opportunities to use technology, Parent Workshops, and homework and research help.

As you know, Children's and Young Adult Literature are my great loves. Please check my blog for reviews of recommended books and digital resources.

Do you have any suggestions for our library? What kinds of materials would you like to see? Please swing by if you have any questions or suggestions.

Let's have a wonderful year!

Summer Fun!

 

Our supportive and devoted school community has made our library a wonderful place to read, conduct research, and study. It has been a terrific academic year, and we enjoyed student and faculty visits. The library's popular Open Access program was enjoyed by all!

 

Remember...library activities do not have to end in the summer.

 

Go to the beautifully crafted Queens Public Library website www.queenslibrary.org and www.summerreading.org which have a menu of activities to keep you busy. You can log all of the books you read, share your favorite titles with friends, and investigate summer reading lists that have been compiled and recommended by librarians.

 

You can also practice your database navigation skills in preparation for the upcoming academic year.

 

I look forward to seeing you in the fall! Enjoy the summer!

Secrets And Lies

 

 

Justin and Sean, both twelve years old, have been best friends for a long time. They live in the Red Hook Projects in Brooklyn, a tough neighborhood in New York, are half Puerto Rican and African-American, and love hip hop and rap music. Suddenly, Sean's behavior markedly changes - he becomes very aggressive, gets into fights, pulls away from his friends, and disregards his dropping grades. He also takes mysterious out-of-town trips with his mother on weekends, which he explains with lies. Justin becomes determined to uncover the truth about his friend's double life. What is Sean's secret? Author Torrey Maldonado, who is from Brooklyn, is a teacher and an inspiring public speaker. He has an excellent ear for teens' dialog and skillfully takes readers into the heart of their world.

A Turning Point

Marcy Lewis is a very intelligent, yet insecure teenager. She is shy, overweight, refuses to change in the locker room because she is afraid the other students will make fun of her body, and doesn't think she'll ever have a boyfriend. Her father is verbally abusive and bullies her family, while her passive mother refuses to get involved. Life begins to turn around in a positive way with the arrival of a young, talented English teacher named Ms. Finney, who has a wonderful rapport with her students and encourages communication and self-expression. Marcy flourishes in Ms. Finney's classroom, and begins to realize her self-worth. One day, Ms. Finney is suspended for her "unorthodox" teaching methods, and Marcy becomes one of the leaders in the fight to have her favorite teacher reinstated. This decision changes her life, and those around her, forever. The Cat Ate My Gymsuit beautifully crafts the "turning point" in the tumultuous life of an adolescent, and is also an insightful book that illustrates how a dedicated teacher can have a profound influence on her students.

Living Next Door To Al Capone

 

What would it be like to live on an island that houses the maximum security prison, Alcatraz, where ruthless criminals such as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly are incarcerated?

 

Twelve year-old Moose Flanagan and his family have moved to Alcatraz Island in 1935, where Moose's father can work as a prison guard in Alcatraz, and his older sister, Natalie, can attend a school for kids with special needs. Moose finds a host of challenges awaiting him: the adjustment to having a prison in the immediate vicinity, helping his autistic sister, and the navigation of a wary friendship with the warden's daughter, Piper, whose schemes get all of the island kids in trouble.

 

This is an outstanding work of historical fiction that is engaging and funny. Be sure to read the two sequels Al Capone Shines My Shoes and Al Capone Does My Homework.

Choices Of The Heart

 

How does one choose between two loves? How does one choose between a predetermined path and one not yet known? In our society these choices are constantly and successfully faced and resolved. However, in Matched, by Ally Condie, a stunning and thought-provoking dystopian novel which is the first of a trilogy, teenager Cassia Reyes is a dutiful citizen of the Society. Society Officials make all the choices for its inhabitants: occupation, future mate, diet, recreational activities, and more. At first, Cassia is delighted when it is revealed at her Match Banquet that her best friend, Zander, has been chosen as her life's partner. However, these carefully laid plans are thrown into turmoil when she loads her Match microchip into her home portal screen, and to her utter shock, sees another boy on the screen as her match - Ky Markham, a mysterious arrival to her community. Is this a mistake, or is a more sinister force at work? As Cassia begins to fall in love with Ky, and begins to rebel against the confines of her world, she realizes that her heart will lead her on a remarkable journey that will forever change her life and the lives of those she loves. Be sure to read the next two installments Crossed and Reached.