Library News 2023-2024

Summer Reading

Who's ready for the beach? 

If you need help locating books for summer reading, whether assigned or just for fun, your AHS Library has you covered. 

See our guide to Finding Your Summer Reading Books for suggestions on how to get copies, what to read next, and more. 

Not sure whether you have an assignment? See Summer Reading and AP Assignments via the AHS website for all the details. 

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for May is EMMA by Jane Austen. 

EMMA follows the story of the precocious Emma Woodhouse, a woman in 1815 England whose mislaid confidence set her on a journey of matchmaking. She struggles with her vanity, her meddling, and is forced to confront her emotions.

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

Cookies and Cram

It's study time! Join Student Council for "Cookies and Cram" in the AHS Library during X Block on Tuesday, May 7. National Honors Society tutors will be available. 

Meet Arlington's Poet Laureate

Ever want to hear about the life and process of a professional poet? Now's your chance! 

Arlington’s very own Poet Laureate, Jean Flanagan, is visiting on Monday, April 29 after school in the AHS Library (Collab Study Zone) to talk about her work. Feel free to drop by and ask questions, or just listen to her experience. All are welcome, and snacks will be provided. 

This event is part of the Student Library Advisory Committee's annual professional speaker program and in honor of National Poetry Month. 

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for April is THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah. 

Following the lives of two sisters during World War II, THE NIGHTINGALE details different struggles and pursuits in 1940s France. Both take large roles in the war effort, and Hannah describes the hardships of being a woman during this time. 

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

You Have Been Virtually Influenced (Again)

We are proud to share that Stacy Kitsis, our AHS Library Teacher, has received a renewal of the Virtual Influencer Award from the Massachusetts School Library Association for the second year. This award recognizes "excellence in a school library or school librarian’s use of online tools." The AHS Library was originally awarded the Virtual Influencer Award in 2022. Winners are reviewed for renewal each of the next three years. 

From the original press release: 

When Stacy Kitsis redesigned the Arlington High School Library website, she created a high quality site that would inform, educate, and support students, staff, and families in the Arlington community.  The new site provides user-friendly information about how to access the library’s resources, programs, services, and physical space, as well as general instruction on information literacy skills including the research process. Previously awarded the MSLA Super Librarian Award, Stacy Kitsis has been the librarian at Arlington High School since 2011. Prior to becoming a librarian, she taught English at Arlington High School.  

The good news was announced at the MSLA Annual Conference in March. Be sure to check out all the MSLA Awards to see the awesome work being done by school librarians across the state of Massachusetts! 

Meet the Nominees

The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived. The nominees for the 2024 Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award have been announced! 

The 21 books are ACCOUNTABLE by Dashka Slater, AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW by Zoulfa Katouh, ¡AY, MIJA!: MY BILINGUAL SUMMER IN MEXICO by Christine Suggs, BIANCA TORRE IS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING by Justine Pucella Winans, BITTERSWEET IN THE HOLLOW by Kate Pearsall, BLUE LOCK, VOL. 1 by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN by Natalia Sylvester, GIVE ME A SIGN by Anna Sortino, JUST DO THIS ONE THING FOR ME by Laura Zimmerman, MONEY OUT LOUD by Berna Anat, PROMISE BOYS by Nick Brooks, REZ BALL by Byron Graves, THE SEARCH FOR US by Susan Azim Boyer, THIS IS OUR PLACE by Vitor Martin, THREADS THAT BIND by Kika Hatzopoulou, THROWBACK by Maurene Goo, WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED by Angeline Boulley, WELL, THAT WAS UNEXPECTED by Jesse Sutanto, WHERE YOU SEE YOURSELF by Claire Forrest, THE WICKED BARGAIN by Gabe Cole Novoa, and YOUR LONELY NIGHTS ARE OVER by Adam Sass. 

This is the only award in the Bay State that invites students in grades 7-12 to select their top new books of the year. The list of nominees has been curated by a committee of public librarians, school library teachers, and educators. Teens are invited to read the titles starting now and vote for their favorite books in September! 

Poetry Open Mic

To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Student Library Advisory Committee will be hosting our annual POETRY OPEN MIC @ YOUR LIBRARY after school on Monday, April 1 at 3pm in the AHS Library.

We'll have snacks to tempt the tummy and poems to tempt the heart and mind. Read your own original work, share a favorite, or just come to listen! All students, teachers, and languages are welcome. We hope to see you there! 

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for March is PORTRAIT OF A THIEF by Grace Li. 

Grace Li’s PORTRAIT OF A THIEF follows five gifted Chinese American college students exploring their identity, their relationship with China, and their morals as they steal back stolen Chinese art from museums across the Western world.

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

APS Mock Caldecott: Big Wins Big

The winner of the American Library Association's Caldecott Medal was BIG, written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. Harrison is the first Black woman to win this prestigious award. 

The winner of the less-well-known but also-very-prestigious APS Mock Caldecott Award is JUMPER: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BACKYARD JUMPING SPIDER, written and illustrated by Jessica Lanan. Second place went to EVERGREEN by Matthew Cordell and third place went to BIG. All 10 schools participated in the voting. The AHS winner was AN AMERICAN STORY, illustrated by Dare Coulter and written by Kwame Alexander. 

Other books from the APS Mock Caldecott that won ALA recognitions are THERE WAS A PARTY FOR LANGSTON (Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor) and AN AMERICAN STORY (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Medal). BIG was also recognized with a CSK Author Award Honor and a CSK Illustrator Award Honor. 

Congratulations to all the winners! 

Announcing Arlington's Community Read

Our town-wide annual community read program, Arlington Reads Together (ART), returns in March with SOLITO by Javier Zamora. 

The memoir of a young poet, SOLITO tells the story of Zamora's harrowing migration from El Salvador to the United States when he was nine years old. 

Robbins Library will host a virtual author talk with Javier Zamora on Saturday, March 30 at 2:00pm. Read the official announcement for more information and to register for the author Zoom. 

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for February is TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM by Yaa Gyasi. 

Written by the author of HOMEGOING, TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM follows the life of Gifty, a student at Stanford. Throughout the story, Gifty navigates her relationships with her family, religion, and depression. 

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

Magazines Have Come to Sora

We are thrilled to share that MAGAZINES have come to Sora! 

We have access to over 250 unique titles, including English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese magazines. Titles include THE NEW YORKER, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, NEWSWEEK, COOK'S ILLUSTRATED, WIRED, and many more! 

Magazines are “always available” for unlimited simultaneous use and do not count against the total number of items you can borrow at a time. 

Check out Anywhere, Anytime: Magazines on Sora to learn more and start reading! 

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for January is LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus.  

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY is a historical fiction novel that follows the life of Elizabeth Zott. Zott experiences discrimination as a female scientist, and instead charts her own path, defining her career how she wants. 

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

Happy Public Domain Day

As of January 1, 2024, copyrighted works from 1928 and sound recordings from 1923 entered the United States public domain, meaning that they are free for all to copy, share, or build upon. Hooray! 

This year's big news is STEAMBOAT WILLIE, the silent black and white 1928 film directed by Walt Disney. What this actually means for what people can and cannot now do with or to Mickey Mouse is so legally complex and fascinating, the Center for the Study of the Public Domain has an entire blog post devoted to Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: A 95-Year Love Triangle. 

Other highlights include LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER by D. H. Lawrence, THE THREEPENNY OPERA by Bertolt Brecht (in the original German), ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by Erich Maria Remarque (in the original German), HOUSE AT POOH CORNER by A. A. Milne, PETER PAN by J. M. Barrie, and MILLIONS OF CATS by Wanda Gag (the oldest American picture book still in print). 

For more works that are now available to all and a great intro to the history and cultural significance of public domain, check out the Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke Law School. 

Bookplate Design Contest

Thank you to everyone who entered our annual bookplate design contest! It is a joy to see how much talent we have in our school community. 

Congratulations to all our winners: Adeline Gilpin, Ailish Webster, Anthony Sciaraffa, Bianca Capretti, Carter Pilla, Eleanor Lipcon, Elena Wisniewski, Elliot Lane, Emaly Bandar, Fern Mahoney, Gizem Sirin, Henry Ruderman, Lady Bennett Dessureau, Laura Caballero, Maya Pachter. 

Click on the thumbnail to see all the winning designs. Then read more about how you or your family can Adopt a Book for the AHS Library featuring one of these beautiful bookplates today!  

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for December is IDENTITY & DIGNITY: HOW WALKING AWAY PARALYZED FROM ABUSE PAVED MY PATH OF SOUL-DISCOVERY by Amina Aminger.  

IDENTITY & DIGNITY shares of the incredible courage and strength of Hawa Makhawa, a victim of abuse who escaped her abusers and worked through the trauma to find value in her life. 

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

Welcome to YOUR New AHS Library

We are so excited to welcome the school community to YOUR new AHS Library. 

Read all about our new features and resources on our website. 

And if you haven't seen it in person, check out this amazing sneak peek video from our Library Paraprofessional, Brenda Mahoney. Thank you, Ms. Mahoney! 

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for November is THE SOCIETY OF SHAME by Jane Roper. 

THE SOCIETY OF SHAME follows Kathleen Held, an unfulfilled, middle-aged woman who discovers the Society of Shame, an organization of scandals working to change their lives.

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

YFA Book of the Month

The YFA’s Book of the Month for October is EDUCATED: A MEMOIR by Tara Westover. 

EDUCATED by Tara Westover is a memoir telling the story of the author’s troubling childhood. Struggling to break through her suffocating life, the author discusses her path of achieving education and freedom. 

Brought to you by the Young Feminist Alliance (YFA). 

Celebrate Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week, an annual event celebrating the freedom to read, is October 1-7, 2023. This year's theme is "Let Freedom Read!" 

Banned Books Week was started more than 40 years ago in response to a surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, schools, and bookstores. In 2022, the American Library Association (ALA) documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources. This is nearly double the 729 challenges reported in 2021 and the highest number since the ALA began collecting data 20 years ago. Of the titles targeted for censorship, most were by or about LGBTQIA+ persons and Black, Indigenous, and people of color. (Source: American Library Association.) 

Check out the 13 most challenged books from last year and see what YOU think. 

Teachers Read, Too!

Did you know grownups enjoy summer reading, too? Even when it's not assigned. 

Your AHS teachers and staff shared some great books they read over the break via AHS Reads Summer 2023 Edition. Check out their recommendations! 

Time to Vote

Time to vote for your favorite Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award (MTCBA) nominee!

If you have read even one of these amazing books you are eligible to vote. Take a look at this year's nominees and then vote online for your favorites. 

Welcome Back to AHS

Welcome back to school, everyone! We look forward to seeing you in the AHS Library soon. 

If you need to refresh your memory of summer reading, we have multiple copies of most assigned titles (and can help you find the rest on Sora if ours are checked out already). 

Not sure what you were supposed to read? See Summer Reading and AP Assignments via the AHS website for details and our guide to Finding Your Summer Reading Books for more suggestions.