Teens can read and review three books, receive a paperback for free

Image credit: Sonoma County Library

As an avid reader, one of the activities I enjoy is reviewing the books that I read. So I’m glad to spread word of an opportunity for teens through Sonoma County Library: read and review three teen books and receive a book for free!

“Read Three, Get One Free” is a teen book-review-and-reward program available at all Sonoma County Library branches. (I first learned of this program when it was available at the Rincon Valley Library. On behalf of teen readers, I’m appreciative that this is now a system-wide library program.)

Seventh- through 12th-graders can select a free paperback book for every three teen books they read and review. Review forms can be downloaded, or picked up at any SCL branch. Free paperbacks will be distributed while supplies last.

New books for SRCSA classrooms

Productive finish to my week as we enter spring break at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts: New textbooks arrived on Friday, courtesy of Santa Rosa City Schools. By end-of-day, I’d cataloged these resources and delivered them to educators.

‘Rogue’ by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Autistic representation matters to me in fiction, and the fact that this book’s author is, herself, on the autism spectrum made it even more appealing to read.

I found a lot to relate to with Kiara, the protagonist of this book. Like her, I struggled with making friends in school. I would pin my hope on new arrivals to the school, people not yet indoctrinated to the “norm” that I was to be ostracized and shunned — only to have them abandon me once they figured out that I was the kid no one liked.

Kiara’s desperation to make friends makes her vulnerable to bad influence.

A new boy, Chad, is forced by his parents to help them manufacture drugs. They set him or his little brother to keep look-out for them, hours at a time, in the park, even during extreme weather.

Shelf-end signage in SRCSA library

There are metal frames on shelf-ends in the library at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Those metal frames are just the right size to hold an index-card. So, today, I composed navigational signs for each set of shelves. The signs display book-type and the span of labeling to be found among books on those shelves. My hope is that customers find it easy to navigate among bookshelves in the library, when trying to zero in on a location for the book that they might be looking for.

‘Autism and You: Learning in Styles’

As a person on the autism spectrum, I find it refreshing to find this subject addressed directly to the person who has autism, in this case, the student with autism.

(So many books are written addressing how others can cope with us, so I purposely seek to showcase books that are written for an autistic readership.)

With concise, clear language, Autism and You: Learning in Styles explains learning styles and preferences, and also helps identify environmental factors that might influence the student’s ability to learn. It’s a quick read, easily digestible, but worth returning to sections as-needed to put its information into practice.

‘Aru Shah and the End of Time’ by Roshani Chokshi

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi is a fantastic read, a fast-paced story that pits two girls (reincarnated ancient heroes) against an entity known as “The Sleeper.”

The story is populated by gods and characters from Hindu mythology. I’m looking forward to continuing the series with Aru Shah and the Song of Death, which is slated for publication in April 2019.

Chokshi’s book is the first story to be released under a new imprint, Rick Riordan Presents (Disney Hyperion). Riordan is known for his fantasy-adventure series that combine modern-day characters with figures out of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythologies.

‘Brave’ by Svetlana Chmakova

Jensen navigates each day of middle-school by imagining it’s a video game.

First obstacle is a math teacher who will give extra homework to EVERYONE if the hapless person he calls upon (often Jensen) fails to correctly answer a math problem.

This, in turn, draws unwanted attention and resentment from some of the other students, who blame Jensen for the extra math homework and take it out on him.

Even if Jensen manages to evade these bullies, danger continues to lurk — in the form of a snarky hallway diva who is ready with a cruel put-down.

But Jensen fixes hope on his reward for completing each level of the game — that is, getting through another day of middle-school: at the end of school, Jensen gets to hang out with Art Club: where he “can just sit, draw, and no one ever bothers me.”

Some of the people in Art Club say belittling things to Jensen ... but they’re his friends, so it’s OK, right? And when someone set up a group-chat list to sign-up for volunteer projects, somehow Jensen is excluded from the list.

When student journalists Jenny and Akilah give him a questionnaire about bullying, Jensen has to take an honest look at himself and confront some of the ways he is treated.

There was just so much about this story I liked ... so many wonderful touches. It’s entertaining and heartfelt and wonderful.

But most significant for me, speaking as a survivor of childhood peer abuse, this story imparts valuable wisdom: about understanding how REAL friends will treat you, learning to recognize bullying, and speaking up for yourself.

Social fluency doesn’t come naturally to everybody, but this book helps illuminate it. I strongly recommend it as a book that enlightens, as well as entertains.

‘The Serpent’s Secret’ by Sayantani DasGupta

This enjoyable adventure features characters from the folklore of West Bengal, India, placed into a modern setting.

The protagonist, Kiranmala, has been raised in Parsippany, New Jersey, by parents who told her stories that she believed to merely be fanciful, about princesses and demons. And truth be told, at the beginning of the story, Kiranmala is embarrassed by her parents.

On her 12th birthday, Kiranmala comes home to discover her home in disarray and her parents disappeared. And then, two colorfully-clad princes show up, warning of dire peril.

The trio confront a ravenous demon and thus in spite of her disbelief and skepticism, Kiranmala finds herself on a quest in a magical dimension where the creatures from her parents' stories are real.

This story was a lot of fun to read, and is sure to appeal to fans of mythology-based fantasy. It is first in a planned series, Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond.

Disclosure of material connection: My taxes support local libraries’ acquisition of this and other resources. I consider the access I enjoy to be a “priceless” return on my investment.

Nuevos libros en español

(En español / In Spanish)
¡Nuevos libros en español, y libros bilingües, en la biblioteca de escuela!

(En inglés / In English)
New books in Spanish, and bilingual books, in the school library!

Book Fair dollars purchase new books for library

Are you interested in knowing what Scholastic Book Fair dollars can support? On Feb. 27, this book cart was laden with books newly cataloged and barcoded for the library at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts.

Well, the cart is less full now, as I’ve continued to process books. As needed, I applied protective covers and got the books shelved in the library. By now, some of these books have even found their way into readers’ hands! But while the books were all together on the cart, they made for a dramatic picture.

There are a few books here that were donated from other sources, but most were purchased with dollars raised through Scholastic Book Fair. I’m deeply appreciative to everyone who made Book Fair and “Literacy Week” a reality.