If you like movies by director Jordan Peele, check out the latest coffee table display! Jordan Peele is an American actor, director and writer, as well as a comedian. His first movie, Get Out, earned several Oscar nomiations and a win for Best Original Screenplay. Other works include Nope and Us. His films are psychological thrillers, with elements of horror and masive twists! read one of these books until his next film is released...if you DARE!
In celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month, the SHR library is featuring a display of fiction and non-fiction books. National Arab American Heritage Month was first declared by President Biden in 2022.
By highlighting books by and about people from Arabian countries, we can offer SHR students "windows and mirrors." Windows are books that offer "a view" of life for non-Arab Americans; for people of Arab heritage, the book is a mirror that reflect their own life and experience.
These books can help SHR students understand themselves and the wider world. See the "Diverse Representation: Arab" booklist for more reading ideas.
April is Poetry Month. SHR library highlighted works of poetry from the library collection, including verse novels. Verse novels tell a story poem by poem instead of chapter by chaper.
Reading poetry and verse novels inspires the poet in everyone. They are also a "quick read" for busy students. Studies show that reading poety provides many benefits, such as "positive short and long-term mood changes as well as behavioral effects in school and work performance." Poetry helps to reduce stress and anxiety, build empathy, increse memory, and support phyical health.
Stop by to check out the selections until the end of April and dive into POERTY!
SHR library once again participated in the Global Traveling Mural Project. Schools across the world team up to create group murals, with 1,000s of students of all ages participating. The SHR library organized the creation of a mural in honor of the Shad Festival. The SHR Library Squad members painted a river background, and students colored a fish to contribute to SHR’s mural.
The next step was to cut our mural into ten sections and mail nine to our group's other mural-makers. The swaps have been made with schools across the country. And now, the completed mural is on display in the library. Please stop by the library to check it out!
Dragons are magical, powerful, smart, and often beautiful. So, they make a PERFECT character for a book. The new display highlights some favorite dragon stories. Only fierce readers need apply!
SHR Library is highlighting the works of authors from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Why read books by authors from other countries? It can expand your awareness of other cultures, politics, geography, and more. You can gain the benefits of international travel from the comfort of your favorite reading chair!
Each March, Women's History Month celebrates the contributions of women. This celebration overlaps with International Women's Day and grew out of a local Women's history Week celebrated in California in 1978. In 1980, President Carter designated March 8th to be National Women's Histoy Week. By 1987, this became Women's History Month.
SHR offers a book display featuring books that highlight the impact of women on histoy.
Bingeing is not just for your favorite shows. And, winter is the perfect time for binging on amazing book series. Some of the most bingeable books are on display now! Plus, some of your favorite shows are based on a book!
SHR Library celebrates St. Patrick's Day by sharing Irish stories. Books by Irish authors or about Irish history are on display.
To honor Black History Month, South's club, the Black Student Union, curated a selection of books that highlight black history. Their selections also included fiction by Black authors in order to amplify Black voices. Thank you to the BSU members for this wonderful collaboration, especially Stormi McKain!!!
This national celebration has deep roots, beginning with efforts by historian Carter G. Woodson, who founded an organization to research and spotlighting African American life, achievements, and history. By 1926, a week was set aside in February to celebrate African American history. In 1976, President Ford designated February "Black History Month." Since then, it has been an annual national celebration. See the "Diverse Representation: Black/African-American" booklist for more reading ideas.
Yes, a great romance book can get you in the mood to celebrate the L O V E holiday. But, if you prefer your love story to go beyond the traditional romance novels, check out the new Romance in Other Genres display. You will find realistic fiction, historical, science fiction, supernatural, graphic novels, and more, but with a dash of romance! Come fall in L O V E with your next great read!!
Single? Not looking for love? Need an escape from the cupid craze? Well, then, check out the Anti-Valentine's Day coffee table book display. These books may have red covers, but romance is NOT the point. Happy Anti-Valentine's Day! 🖤🖤🖤
For many, February means love, chocolate, flowers, and Vanentine's Day! A great romance book can get you in the mood to celebrate the L O V E holiday. The new coffee table display has traditional romance novels, Rom-Coms, and Romance in Other Genres. There are also Spanish-language books and graphic novels. Come fall in L O V E with your next great read!! ♥️♥️♥️
A brand new year is here. For some, that means resolutions for self-improvement. In fact, the idea that you need to be better—to LOOK better—seems to be everywhere. But what if we all took a kinder approach to ourselves and loved who we are? Check out the body-positive reads in the new SHR Library display and start your year with a book that celebrates self-love. Happy New Year!
True Crime seems to be everywhere: podcasts, documentaries, streaming series, movies, and books. Students at SHR are similarly fascinated by a look at the dark side of humanity. Crime writing can focus on a cold case, provide the details of a crime investigation, study the life of a specific criminal, or analyze a criminal's trial. SHR Library's newest "True Crime" display features a curated collection of true crime books for those drawn to the darker aspects of human nature.
DC Comics started up in 1935, and was the first to publish original comics rather than newspaper reprints. DC is known for Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and more. (Wright 64). It's rival, Marvel Comics, began in 1939 and is known for characters such as Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Captain America (Wright 473). Together, DC and Marvel Comics produce some of the most in-demand books in SHR Library's collection. The current book display highlights the range of choices. Marvel vs. DC: What is your choice?
You may have heard of TikTok, an app for sharing videos that has become a social media sensation, one that is especially popular with teens. But, what is BookTok? BookTok is a part of TikTok that is devoted to books— book reviews, recommendations, and discussions. Readers and authors post videos about specific titles, favorite genres, and more. According to Anna Garrison of Distractify, "If you search the #BookTok hashtag on TikTok, there are currently over 29.1 billion views for videos about reading, recommending, and reviewing books." Over 29.1 BILLION views?! That's a lot of book talking! Our newest mini-display features a selection of books currently trending on BookTok. SHR Library LOVES the energy, enthusiasm, and creativity found in BookTok. Our display has already put books into the hands of SHR readers!
With Taylor Swift's Eras Tour ending, it's time, once again to test your Swiftie credentials. The latest SHR library bulletin board is "Who Wrote It? Taylor Swift or a Tortured Poet?!" You may be surprised...and discover a poet.
Angels—mystical, spiritual, or supernatural beings—figure prominently in December. Angels also spark the imaginations of authors. Books featuring angels are now on display.
December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities Day, as designated by the United Nations. The UN reports, "An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us." SHR's latest coffee table display features works that highlight the lives of those with physical, neurological, cognitive or learning disabilities.
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the SHR library is featuring a display of fiction and non-fiction books. By highlighting books by and about Native Americans, we can offer SHR students "windows and mirrors." Windows are books that offer "a view" of indigenous life for non-Native Americans; for Native Americans, the book is a mirror that reflect their own life and experience.
These books can help SHR students understand themselves and the wider world. See the "Diverse Rep: Indigenous" booklist for more reading ideas.
Fall back into a great read! November's Daylight Savings Time can mess with your internal clock. So can Time Travel! Check out our book display featuring Time Travel books, along with a Time Travel book list.
The SHR library has lots of high-interest non-fiction, for students who prefer the facts. KNOWvember gives us a chance to turn the spotlight on some great informational reads by highlighting them on our coffee table mini-display.
Trans Awareness Week is November 13-19. Our mini-display highlights books that can increase understanding of the experiences of trans people and the issues they face.
What do the books in this new display have in common? It is staring you right in the eye! Sometimes a book cover just grabs you because it is so eye-catching!
Disinformation, misinformation, information: we are bombarded with all of this on a daily basis. How can we identify disinformation (information that is deliberately fabricated or manipulated)?
This bulletin board points out common "tricks" or tactics, so you can be on the lookout and be well informed. Look out!
The Library Squad, the SHR library's student volunteers, worked with the League of Women Voters to register students and staff on October 9th. The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan voter rights organization, founded in the 1920s. The Squad also helped with change of address and showed people how to check their voter status. Eleven people registered on the spot, and 10 more took registration forms home.
QR codes were posted around the building with links to online registration, voter status checker and the League of Women Voters' voter information page. In addition, "I Registered to Vote" buttons were made and distributed!
The Lambertville area is famous for its love of Halloween! The SHR Library set out multiple book displays with suggestions for students who want to get into the Halloween SPIRIT! Read one if you dare!! See the "Witches," "Zombies," "Vampires", "Werewolves" and "Ghost Stories" book lists for more reading ideas.
Hispanic Heritage Month is being celebrated with a display of books by Latinx authors and books in Spanish. "Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15" (https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/). This year's display was curated by students in the LatinX Student Union and the Library Squad. Thank you, students, for the help!
It is back to school time, and the library is ready to welcome students and staff with great reads! New books are on display to give students ideas for their next reading selection. A display of football books and magic schools offers more choices. And, LGBTQ+ books occupy our coffee table display areas. Classes have started visiting the library, with time and support for selecting an independent reading book. Looks like it is going to be a GREAT year!
It’s Library
Book Roundup!
All books due to the library on
Tuesday, May 28th
Email Ms. Smyth with any questions
It is that time of year! All books need to be returned to the SHR library on or before May 28th. There are NO overdue fines, but students are responsible for lost or damaged books. Letters will be sent home with replacement costs. Talk to Ms. Smyth if you have an issue!
Sometimes you just can't think of what you want to read. You can browse the shelves until you are BLUE in the face. You draw a blank and need some inspiration. Out of the BLUE, you see a book display. Like a bolt from the BLUE, you see your book. Our latest coffee tabletop display is filled with books that BLUE us away. Check them out!
In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month. According to JAHM, "Each May, hundreds of organizations and Americans of all backgrounds join together to discover, explore, and celebrate the vibrant and varied American Jewish experience from the dawn of our nation to the present day. "
SHR Library gathered books by and about Jewish Americans to participate. With antisemitism on the rise, sharing the stories of Jewish Americans is all the more important. Our book display makes it easy for students to discover these stories for themselves.
The SHR library acknowledged and celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month by offering a book display of "great reads." In 1977, the first ten days in May were proclaimed to be Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. Across America, the contibutions and acievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander are honored.
Fiction books authored by Asian/Pacific Islander authors and/or featuring Asian/Pacific Islander characteres as well as non-fiction and biographies about notable Asian/Pacific Islanders and events are on display. See the "Diverse Representation: Asians" booklist for more reading ideas.
Check out the newest coffee table book display of books from the I Survived historical adventure series. Always popular, these books have reached new heights with graphic novel and Spanish language versions. All versions are thrilling reads with lots of suspense and twists.
Stop by the library to choose a book and find out: "Would you survive?"
In celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month, the SHR library is featuring a display of fiction and non-fiction books. National Arab American Heritage Month was first declared by President Biden in 2022.
By highlighting books by and about people from Arabian countries, we can offer SHR students "windows and mirrors." Windows are books that offer "a view" of life for non-Arab Americans; for people of Arab heritage, the book is a mirror that reflect their own life and experience.
These books can help SHR students understand themselves and the wider world. See the "Diverse Representation: Arab" booklist for more reading ideas.
The GSA Club organized SHR's Day of Silence and invited the SRH community to participate. Day of Silence is "GLSEN's annual day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students." The library is the traditional place for SHR participants to gather and to break their day-long silence together. The library's button maker was used to create pin-back buttons for the occasion. It was also the place where participants met to share a potluck Rai nbow Lunch, while continuing to observing silence. Over 60 students took part in the event and demonstrated their support of LGTBQ+ people. See the "LGBTQ titles" booklist for reading ideas.
April is Poetry Month. SHR library highlighted works of poetry from the library collection, including verse novels. Verse novels tell a story poem by poem instead of chapter by chaper.
Reading poetry and verse novels inspires the poet in everyone. They are also a "quick read" for busy students. Studies show that reading poety provides many benefits, such as "positive short and long-term mood changes as well as behavioral effects in school and work performance." Poetry helps to reduce stress and anxiety, build empathy, increse memory, and support phyical health.
Stop by to check out the selections until the end of April and dive into POERTY!
SHR Library's coffee tables offer small displays on a variety of topics and formats. The high-traffic location makes it easy to notice and browse. This month Mental Health and Graphic Non-Fiction books were highlighted. These high-interest subject displays featured many titles that were new to SHR.
Food, food, FOOD! Lots of us have an interest in food...growing or raising it, making it, eating it. This display was for the foodies. The SHR food display highlighted both fiction and non-fiction books— including graphic works and Spanish-language books—with a connection to food. Tasty stories, cookbooks, and more circulated to students and staff hungry for their next great read! See the "Foodies" booklist for more reading ideas.
Each March, Women's History Month celebrates the contributions of women. This celebration overlaps with International Women's Day and grew out of a local Women's history Week celebrated in California in 1978. In 1980, President Carter designated March 8th to be National Women's Histoy Week. By 1987, this became Women's History Month.
SHR offered a book display featuring books that highlight the impact of women on histoy.
A perfect winter activity? Reading, of course!!
Curl up with a warm beverage and a great book...and who cares if it is cold outside?! Now that's a perfect, cozy day. Thank you to the Library Squad, our student volunteers, for the cheerful winter library decor.
Need help finding your perfect read? Ask the librarian, Ms. Smyth, for a recommendation, browse the displays, or use a Resource List to find your perfect match. Happy reading!
To celebrate "Black History Month," a selection of books were featured at the library entrance. The display also included fiction by Black authors in order to amplify Black voices. This national celebration has deep roots, beginning with efforts by historian Carter G. Woodson, who founded an organization to research and spotlighting African American life, achievements, and history. By 1926, a week was set aside in February to celebrate African American history. In 1976, President Ford designated February "Black History Month." Since then, it has been an annual national celebration. See the "Diverse Representation: Black/African-American" booklist for more reading ideas.
Romance novels were displayed on the library's coffee table in celebration of Valentines Day.
For thoses not feeling lovey-dovey, an "anti-Valentines Day" display sat alongside on the other coffee table. See the "Rom-Coms" booklist for more reading ideas.
They are all pretty sweet reads!
Book displays can spark new borrowing choices and encourage book browsing. Some suspense and dystopian novels were highlighted this month. Both are popular subgenres. The SHR library also recieved and processed some new books, which were showcased at the library entrance. Happy reading!
The SHR Library is genrified, meaning fiction books are sorted and shelved by genre. This means, mysteries are placed togerther, sports fiction are grouped, and so on. Genrefying makes browsing for books a bit easier for students. Studies show that is results in increased check outs and that students prefer this organization system. But, some books crossover into more than one genre. Romance, one of SHR's most popular genres, is often a component of books that are classified in another genre. This most recent display presents selections that have a dash of romance! See the "Romances in Other Genres " booklist for more reading ideas.
The SHR library recieved and processed some new books. They are now on display for students and staff. Happy reading!
South Hunterdon Middle School students will have a virtual program on the Holocaust on Wednesday, November 8th to remember the pogrom in Germany that took place November 9th and 10th of 1938. Mark Schonwetter (www.mshefoundation.org) will share his harrowing story of his survival, recounting how he, along with his sister and their mother, managed to live in hiding in Poland and survive the Holocaust.
Students interested in learning more about the Holocaust, including the story of survivors, resisters, and rescuers, may browse a library coffee table top display. See the "Holocaust Fiction & Non-Fiction" booklist for more reading ideas.
The SHR library has lots of high-interest non-fiction, for students who prefer the facts. KNOWvember gives us a chance to turn the spotlight on some great informational reads.
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the SHR library is featuring a display of fiction and non-fiction books. By highlighting books by and about Native Americans, we can offer SHR students "windows and mirrors." Windows are books that offer "a view" of indigenous life for non-Native Americans; for Native Americans, the book is a mirror that reflect their own life and experience.
These books can help SHR students understand themselves and the wider world. See the "Diverse Rep: Indigenous" booklist for more reading ideas.
In the Lambertville area, October means Halloween! The SHR Library set out multiple book displays with suggestions for students who want to get into the Halloween SPIRIT! Read one if you dare!! See the "Vampires", "Werewolves" and "Ghost Stories" booklists for more reading ideas.
It is back to school time, and the library is ready to welcome students and staff with great reads! New books, including fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels/non-fiction, are on display to give students ideas for their next reading selection. Hispanic Heritage Month is being celebrated with a display of books by Latinx authors and books in Spanish. The new "Rainbow Library" is on one of our coffee table display areas, along with new Quick Reads picks (shorter books for emerging or busy readers). Classes have been visiting the library, with time and support for selecting an independent reading book. Looks like it is going to be a GREAT year!
Come to the library to check out a student mini art exhibition. Students from the Art I classes shared their most recent work with the South community. Mrs. Stevens set the task for the class: create a figure or set of figures that tell a story. This art project, "Go Figure," resulted in a wide range of imaganive works! Here are a few examples.
In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month. According to JAHM, "During May 2023, hundreds of organizations and Americans of all backgrounds are joining together to discover, explore, and celebrate the vibrant and varied American Jewish experience from the dawn of our nation to the present day." SHR Library gathered books by and about Jewish Americans to participate. With antisemitism on the rise, sharing the stories of Jewish Americans is all the more important. Our book display makes it easy for students to discover these stories for themselves.
The SHR library acknowledged and celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month by offering a book display of "great reads." In 1977, the first ten days in May were proclaimed to be Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. Across America, the contibutions and acievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander are honored. Fiction books were selected which are written by Asian/Pacific Islander authors and/or feature Asian/Pacific Islander characteres. Non-fiction and biographies about notable Asian/Pacific Islanders and events are also on display.
April is Poetry Month. SHR library highlighted works of poetry from the library collection, including verse novels. Verse novels tell a story poem by poem instead of chapter by chaper.
Reading poetry and verse novels inspires the poet in everyone. They are also a "quick read" for busy students. Studies show that reading poety provides many benefits, such as "positive short and long-term mood changes as well as behavioral effects in school and work performance." Poetry helps to reduce stress and anxiety, build empathy, increse memory, and support phyical health.
The library hosted a GSA Club meeting and RAINBOW potluck lunch organized by club advisor Ms. Damron. The event featurered guests from PowerBack. They spoke on the importance of developing healthy relationships. This talk explained what an unhealthy relationship looks like, as well as how to avoid and cope with one.
According to Love is Respect, "One in three adolescents in the U.S. will be the victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner." LGBTQ+ students are just as vulneralbe! But, knowledge is power, and a supportive community is strength.
Middle and high school manga fans gathered for a "Manga Meetup," a time to share all things manga. Book recommendations were shared, manga themed buttons were made, and an episode of Naruto anime was screened. Naruto is one of SHR's latest manga series; we have volumes 1-27, thanks to generous community support for our Manga Makes Readers! DonorsChoose grant. Many manga fans were introduced to the book genre through their love of anime, Japanese animated movies and series.
The GSA Club met in the library to prepare for the Day of Silence in April. Day of Silence is "GLSEN's annual day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students." The library is the traditional place for SHR participants to gather and to break their day-long silence together. Library Squad members were on hand to assist with pin-back button making.
Everyone is talking about the HBO series The Last of Us. In a new twist, the dystopian world depicted in this show is triggered by a fungus. For students who are intrigued by the post-apocalyptic story-telling, own latest mini-book display has a few suggestions!
The SHR Library celebrated St. Valentine's Day with a manga-themed event: Manga is My Crush. ❤ Manga and anime fans gathered to preview the new books and watch anime previews of the new series, like Naruto, Spy X Family, Blue Lock, and Mob Psycho 100, Given, and more.
The word is...it was TRUE LOVE! Ms. Smyth & Mrs. Cathcart acted as matchmakers, and students met their next big read. The students also got to make recommendations to each other and suggest new titles for the library. Isn't love grand?!
SHR Library received a $959 grant from DonorsChoose for the purchase of manga book series: Manga Makes Readers! This was a true student-suggested and student-approved project: our biggest manga readers serve as Ms. Smyth's manga advisors and helped select these books. Special thanks to Tobias Zacapala-Lopez for his hard work and fantastic suggestions! Way to "Work Hard, and Be Kind," Tobi!
Manga are Japanese-style graphic novels that usually read right to left and back to front, and are instantly recognizable by their trademark look and often exaggerated emotions. They cover all genres--sci-fi, humor, adventure, romance--and are exciting, engaging, and a quick read. This makes them perfect for busy students.
SHR fans of manga gobble up stand-alone works, but they especially love manga series. Series can be quite long...some run to 20, 30, or more books. It can be tough to purchase complete runs. But the demand is there! In fact, we can't keep up. That is why we so appreciate the community support for this purchase!
To honor Black history month, South's new club, the Black Student Union, celebrated in the library. The BSU members met to curate a selection of books that highlight black history. Their selections also included fiction by Black authors in order to amplify Black voices. Thank you to the BSU members and their club advisor, Ms. Brown, for this wonderful collaboration!
SHR library once again participated in the Global Traveling Mural Project. Schools across the world team up to create group murals, with 1,000s of students of all ages participating. The SHR library organized the creation of a mural in honor of the Shad Festival. The SHR Library Squad members painted a river background, and Middle & High School students colored a fish to contribute to SHR’s mural.
The next step was to cut our mural into ten sections and mail nine to our group's other mural-makers. The swaps have been made with schools across the country including Missouri, South Carolina, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, California, and New Hampshire. And now, the completed mural is on display in the library. Ms. Walker, school librarian at Maercker Intermediate School in Westmont, IL, emailed to say that her students "not only love the mural, they are also super excited to see that it’s made by high school students! Your students did an amazing job." Please stop by the library to check it out!
Twenty-five students and staff took time for self-care in the library. Yoga instructor Alison Belli, from One Voice of Hunterdon County, presented a special hour-long program, "Music: the Bridge to the Mind/Body Connection." Ms. Belli began by discussing the connection between music and mood, and offered tips for self-regulating mood. She then led everyone through a yoga session, all to the tune of a custom playlist, made from song suggestions submitted by participants. After a wonderful session, everyone shared a meal, courtesy of One Voice of Hunterdon County. Shout out to Library Squad members for helping with set up and reception for the event: Anthony, Briana, Irene, Iris, Mackenzie, and Yesinia! Thanks, Rehz, for set-up help!
Our new mini-display highlights books with more going on beneath the surface than you think! Across several genres--supernatural, mystery, sci-fi, horror, realistic fiction --all assumptions and senses are challenged. Happy reading!
Students and staff got into the holiday spirit with a reading contest in the library. The "Selfie with the Elfie" contest was simple: snap a photo of you, your fav book, and Will Ferrell's Buddy the elf, from the movie Elf. Winner's were randomly selected, and 10 won Dunkin Donut gift cards and other prizes. Happy reading!
The SHR Library is getting in to the holiday spirit! December "Crafternoon" was a whirl of snowflake making and decorating. Kids had fun, relaxed, and unplugged. Doesn't the library look festive?
TableTop Game Club (formerly Dungeons & Dragons Club) began the 2022-23 school season in December. Members meet to play Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering, chess, and other card and board games. To kick off the year, club members and Library Squad members offered a tutorial during House on how to play chess. Ms. Smyth also wrote a DonorsChoose grant to purchase additional games and chess time clocks. So, let the games begin!!
Open to all middle and high school students, the Tabletop Game Club meets in the library every Friday during House and two Mondays a month, from 3 to 5 pm. Interested students can talk with Ms. Smyth or Mrs. Cathcart to get details and to be added to the club's Google Classroom.
Everyone at South is watching Wednesday, a modern reimagining "The Addams Family." Created by New Jersey's own, cartoonist Charles Addams, from Westfield, NJ, the Addams family has been depicted in numerous cartoons, TV series, toys, and movies. This recent streaming series version has everyone wild for Wednesday! Our book display offers reading suggestions for fans.
A mini-display was created to highlight titles gifted to the library through DonorsChoose. The grant, "A Library Book for Every Student", allowed the purchase of some new titles and the replacement of some lost books. DonorsChoose is an amazing website where individuals can contribute to public schools. It is secure and trustworthy...and directly helps our students! Check out past SHR Library projects. And, thanks for the continued support!!
Our mini book display--KNOWvember--highlights interesting non-fiction.
SHR library is once again participating in the Global Traveling Mural Project. Schools across the world team up to create group murals, with 1,000s of students of all ages participating.
The SHR library organized the creation of a mural in honor of the Shad Festival. The SHR Library Squad members painted a river background, and Middle & High School students colored a fish to contribute to SHR’s mural. For now, it is on display in the H-wing hall, just outside of Mrs. Steven's art classroom. The mural will soon be divided and mailed to other schools around the country. As pieces arrive at SHR from other schools, a new, group mural will be created and displayed in the library. Please stop by to check it out in December!
A new "current music-maker vs. esteemed poet" bulletin board is now on display. These interactive bulletin boards highlight the work of noted poets and "test" students on their "pop chops" and poetry knowledge. "Taylor Swift or Sylvia Plath" replaces "Harry Styles or Emily Dickinson." Students have been enjoying the challenge, as they learn while making comparisons and connections to familiar popular songs.
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the SHR library is featuring a display of fiction and non-fiction books. By highlighting books by and about Native Americans, we can offer SHR students "windows and mirrors." Windows are books that offer "a view" of indigenous life for non-Native Americans; for Native Americans, the book is a mirror that reflect their own life and experience. These books can help SHR students understand themselves and the wider world.
Fall is here and that means football fever has hit South. Perfect time for a display of SHR Library's fabulous football fiction and informative football non-fiction!
The annual library Halloween Read Aloud is back! This year, a suspenseful story, "The Hitchhiker," from Anthony Horowitz's More Horowitz Horror, was performed by teachers Ms. Brown, Mr. Hall, Mrs. Hart, Mr. Vergalito, and Mr. Vorgity. Mr Chan and Mr. Gardnier provided sound effects. Middle school students gathered to hear the scary story. A shout out to Library Squad members Irene, Iris, Yesenia, and Jake for help setting up and running the program! And a BIG thank you to our special teacher performers!!
We had our first "Crafternoon" event, using the crafting supplies from the DonorsChoose "Unplug & CREATE in the Library!" grant. We will offer Crafternoon monthly, as an opportunity for our students to be creative and to have some mindful relaxation. This month's Crafternoon project was creating colorful leaves using diffusing paper sprayed water, and bleeding art tissue. Our student volunteers, the "Library Squad," lead the event, demonstrating the process. The high school and middle school participants enjoyed it immensely! The final products were used to decorate the library entrance doors, with a welcoming and inviting fall theme. Students are already asking about our next Crafternoon event!
The Lambertville area is famous for its love of Halloween, and SHR students can get in the spirit with a good horror or supernatural book. Displays were created featuring witch stories, ghost stories, and all-around terrifying tales. READ if you DARE!
You may have heard of TikTok, an app for sharing videos that has become a social media sensation, one especially popular with teens. But, what is BookTok? BookTok is a part of TikTok which is devoted to books...book reviews, recommendations, and discussions. Readers and authors post videos about specific titles, favorite genres, and more. According to Anna Garrison of Distractify, "If you search the #BookTok hashtag on TikTok, there are currently over 29.1 billion views for videos about reading, recommending, and reviewing books." Over 29.1 BILLION views?! That's a lot of book talking! Our newest mini-display is a selection of books currently trending on BookTok. SHR library LOVES the energy, enthusiasm, and creativity found in BookTok. Our display has already put books into the hands of SHR readers!
Banned Book Week, September 18 -24, celebrates and recognizes our right to read. Each year, since 1982, Banned Book Week hopes to bring awareness to book challenges faced by school libraries, public libraries, and book stores. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks challenges and maintains a list of "Top 10 Most Challenged Books" and "Frequently Challenged Books, " some of which might be surprising! Our coffee table display raises awareness of this issue and encourages students to appreciate their right to read!
Students returned to school, and the library was ready to welcome them. Book displays highlighted new books, graphic novels, and dystopian book selections. Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15) was celebrated with a display of books by Latinx authors and Spanish-language books. Bulletin boards were prepared and the book shelves were set up to highlight choices. The Miss DeLuca's 7th graders came in to "meet" their new library, take a genre personality quiz, and select a book. Mr. Gardiner's classes came in for a tour and book selection, too. Ms. Feeney's 8th grade classes visited for a refresher and to choice their independent reading book. Ms. Damron's 10th grader English classes also came in to learn some catalog hacks for finding the perfect book for classroom independent reading. Mr. Gardiner's English classes and Mrs. Hart's classes came in for a tour and book selection, too. During House/Lunch, it was great to see students settling in for some reading time!
Summertime, and the readin' is easy!! SHR students may borrow up to 5 books over the summer. Make sure your account is clear (no overdue books), and have a guardian fill out the Summer Borrowing Permission Form. Then, come stock up on some good books! Ms. Smyth and Mrs. Cathcart have plenty of recommendations! Or, check out the reading lists in the catalog "Resource List" section for great suggestions on many topics and interests!
A DonorsChoose project was funded in one day, thanks to support from the community and a matching gift in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day! "Unplug & CREATE in the Library!" allowed us to purchase traditional hands-on arts & crafts so that students can “unplug” and take a mindful moment in the library. We will launch monthly "Crafternoons" during House next school year.
The Library Squad, the student library volunteers and ambassadors, worked with other SHR students to raise $365 to support the work of World Central Kitchen. This organization provides meals during crises, and is on the ground feeding Ukrainian refugees and those in need in the Ukraine. Students created and sold pin-back buttons to raise money. Our brand new button maker machine was funded through the generous support of the Lambertville Area Education Foundation (LAEF). Our sister library, The Lambertville Free Public Library, and the Kalmia Club both joined this effort and hosted donation jugs. A true community effort to help those in need!
Our brand new button maker machine was funded through the generous support of the Lambertville Area Education Foundation (LAEF). This grant launched with co-sponsored projects with GSA and Library Squad, the student library volunteers. The first project was creating pronoun buttons. This ensured students and staff a chance to be heard and to support others in their expression of gender identity. The second project was a button and button bookmark week, crafts that promotes self-expression and a mindful break from tech and school pressures. This button-making week coincided with Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother's Day, so many students made gifts to celebrate. Thank you, LAEF, for your continued support of the SHR Library and all students and staff at SHR!!
Celebrating Black History Month in February with an array of titles. Suggested books include ones by black authors, about black characters, biographies, and non-fiction.
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month this November.
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with a selection of books by and about Latinx people in September.
Books for National Poetry Month, April
SHR's own eagleWordle can be found on the library's bulletin board, daily announcements, on the TV screen by the main office and on the SHR library's website. Library Squad members Nathaniel and Dylan created and posting eagleWordles every Tuesday & Thursday April and May, with library-themed words. Missed one? They are ALL posted on the website!
The Library Squad hosted a "Read With a Friend" contest, with prizes including books signed by authors and D&D gift cards. Students picked a book, and read it with a friend or family member...at the same time. All who registered received a bag of goodies, including a make-your-own origami bookmark, delivered to their English class!
A DonorsChoose grant was successfully submitted to purchase 49 Spanish and bilingual books. The grant, "Spanish Language Library Books," raised $806 through the support of 17 community gifts and a match from DonorsChoose. The books consisted of popular fiction titles such as Buscando a Alaska (Looking for Alaska), La Casa en Mango Street (The House on Mango Street), Pocho (Mexican Whiteboy), and La Selección (The Selection); graphic novels, including El Club De Las Baby-sitters (The Baby-sitters Club), Agallas (Guts), and Fútbol Extremo (Soccer Switch); and non-fiction like the cookbook Dulce sin culpa (Sinless Sweets), En el país que amamos : mi familia dividida (In the Country We Love: My Family Divided), Stamped: el Racismo, el Antirracismo y Tú (Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You), and Voces Sin Fronteras: Our Stories, Our Truth. This addition increase SHR Library's Spanish-Language collection by 56%! Buzz was been positive, and circulation was up, up, up! Once the DonorsChoose books were added to the library collection, borrowing of Spanish-language genre subcategory went from 13th place out of 17 genres to 5th place out of 17 genres! The added titles definity had a tremendous, positive impact that was measurable. We are so grateful for the support!
SHR Library and the Library Squad shared StoryCorps' "The Great Thanksgiving Listen Project'' with the SHR School Community. Students were encouraged to record conversations with family members during Thanksgiving. Thanks to English teacher Ms. Haber for encouraging her classes to participate!
StoryCorps creates opportunities for everyone to have meaningful conversations that can be uploaded to the Library of Congress’ archives to help individuals preserve their unique voices and become part of history!
This year, the Library's annual Halloween Read Aloud went virtual! The Drama students recorded creepy stories, complete with sound effects and an original musical score! Students were invited to listen during House, to get into the Halloween mood!! Or, listen on their own...IF THEY DARED!! Links to the sound files were posted on the SHR Library Website. The listening window was Wednesday, Oct. 27th, to Friday, Oct. 29th. The drama students presented the stories again, during Festival of the Arts in April, complete with a creepy listening station. Thanks, Ms. Damron, for making this events truly creeptastic!!
The Cast: Michayla Barbosa, Brianna Garcia, Kalle Morgan, JJ Nabinger, Alexa Tettemer, Kaylyn Trivino
Original Music Composed by: Iggy Mokriski