DHS Library News

September 2021

By Alice N. Johnson, Library Media Specialist | ajohnson@dedham.k12.ma.us

Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm | DHS Library Website

From the Librarian

Welcome! I am so happy to be back for another year at DHS (my 10th!) and am looking forward to working with all of you: assisting you with your school projects and assignments, helping you find great books to read, supporting your technology needs, and providing you with a welcoming space within the school.

View from Hancock Loop, Lincoln, NH - August 2021

photo credit: Alice Johnson

Over the summer, I really enjoyed the time spent with my family. My husband, sons (10th & 12th graders), and I did a great deal of hiking. We hiked six of the forty-eight 4000 ft mountains in NH, plus we also hiked Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak in VT. It was great to unplug and spend time outdoors. Of course, another highlight of my summer was having the time to read so many great books. A few of my favorite books were Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From by Jennifer De Leon, What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins, and How We Got to the Moon by John Rocco (my DHS Summer Reading book). I am eager to hear about your summer experiences, as well as any of the great books you enjoyed.

This year we will continue to offer and expand our library programming with events like our annual Blind Date with a Book program and bring back some of our makerspace activities, if possible. Please let me know if you have any new ideas. We are fortunate to continue to have Ms. Fares as our library aide. I can’t wait to see what amazing book displays she sets up this year! I’d like to remind you that the library is open from 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. As a reminder, students are always welcome in the library; if you’re not sure about our sign-in procedures, just ask! I am very excited about this year and hope that you stop by to visit the library soon, if you haven’t done so already.

― Mrs. Johnson

"Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while. "

—Malorie Blackman, British Writer & Children's Laureate (1962 - )

Author Visit - Jennifer De Leon

On Thursday, October 14 (Day 1), author and Framingham State University writing professor Jennifer De Leon will be visiting our school. Her visit has been generously funded through a DEF grant. Ms. De Leon will be speaking to World Languages classes, offering a creating writing workshop, and working with an affinity and allies group in a breakout session.

For those of you interested in learning more about Ms. De Leon and her writing, you can access her biography, read some of her essays, and learn more about her YA novel by accessing this handout. (Log in with your school email address to access this document.)

Her YA novel, Don't Ask Me Where I'm From, was one of the books featured on our 2021 Summer Reading List. The DHS Library has several print copies of this book available for checkout. You can also access either the eBook or audiobook version through our Sora Collection (log in with your school email).

Hispanic Heritage Month - Library Resources

Print Books

DHS Library's collection of PRINT BOOKS for Hispanic Heritage Month - As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to direct you to some great books available through the DHS Library. These books are either written by, or about, Hispanic and Latino fictional or real characters. Stop by the library or contact Mrs. Johnson if you see something you would like to borrow.

eBooks & Audiobooks

MLS Sora eBOOK/AUDIOBOOKS collection for National Hispanic American Heritage Month - Our MLS Sora eBook subscription has recently announced a new curated collection of ebooks & audiobooks for National Hispanic American Heritage Month. This list contains 210 ebooks & audiobooks for grades PreK-12. Students and staff can borrow any of these resources by logging in with their school email address.

Additional Resources

HispanicHeritageMonth.gov - Explore this collection of resources provided by The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Biography (Gale in Context) Database - Read about some influential Hispanic Americans in our Biography in Context database. From the main screen, click on the light bulb icon to "browse people" and then use the drop-down menu to select "Hispanic Americans."

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

― Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer (1949- )

Banned Books Week 2021

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During the week of September 26 - October 2, we are celebrating our freedom to read during Banned Books Week.

This year's theme is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”

Stop by the library to see our display set up by Ms. Fares!

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Typically held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. The week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. Although this is celebrated during one week, this is a topic we can give our attention to at any time. Try some of these related activities, and send me an email if you do! I'd love to hear from you.

Read More Books!

Try another book from our Summer Reading List!

Summer Reading 2021

Our schoolwide Summer Reading Book Discussions took place on Friday, September 17. We had 53 discussion groups representing 41 different books! It's always exciting to know that the entire school is talking about books and reading during that time.

Many thanks to all of our group leaders; their support is instrumental in making this program work.

Even though "summer reading" is over, I encourage you to try another book on our 2021 summer reading list for your independent reading. There are so many great books to choose from. Get a recommendation from a friend about what they read over the summer. Try something new! Stop by the Library or contact Mrs. Johnson if you're interested in borrowing any of these books or need a suggestion on what to read next.

Many thanks to DLIT (Dedham Library Innovation Team) for generously funding the purchase of additional copies our 2021 DHS Summer Reading books for our Library!

Feeling Puzzled?

Without you, our puzzle is incomplete! Please help us finish our current puzzle.

Once again, we’ve set up our puzzle table in the library. Stop by to exercise your brain and/or relieve some stress. When it’s completed, we’ll put out another one for you to try.

"An original idea. That can't be too hard. The library must be full of them."

—Stephen Fry, English actor (1957- )

BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! Looking for Suggestions!

I am in the process of placing book orders for this school year. Please complete this book suggestion form if you have any suggestions, whether it is a topic, series, author, or a specific title. We may not be able to acquire all the books that are suggested, but we appreciate your help in maintaining a selection of books that will be of interest to our school community!

Looking for your input!

We would love to hear from you.

If you have any questions about our library program and/or any suggestions on what we can offer, please let us know by completing the appropriate form.

Tech Support

Reminder: The library is your first stop for any technical problems.

Please stop by the library to see either Mrs. Johnson or Ms. Fares should you have any questions regarding your Chromebook, email, or other technology issues. If we cannot address the problem, we will contact the Technology Team. We also have Borrowed Chromebooks available should you need one.

"We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading."

—B. F. Skinner, American psychologist (1904-1990)

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