DHS Library News

December 2022

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

Seasons Greetings! In this month’s newsletter you can check out our display of winter-themed books, find out about the best books of 2022, learn about the 2023 finalists for the Morris Award, and read about some new books on order for our library. If you are a student interested in writing book reviews for the library, please see that article and complete the google form. There is also information about our December makerspace activity: Make Your Own Snowflakes.

As always, I welcome any suggestions and feedback on how we can make the library better for our school community. Please email me or use the appropriate feedback form on our library's website.

Let me know if you need to grab a print book (or two or three) for the break! You can also borrow eBooks or audiobooks online at anytime. Happy Holidays!

― Mrs. Johnson

"Winter is coming."

―from A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. (1948- )

Student Book Reviewers - We Want You!

The DHS Library is looking for students to write book reviews that can be included in our library newsletter and/or our online library catalog. By sharing your thoughts and opinions about the books you have read, you can help other students find books that are a good fit for them. Plus, it's a great way for you to work on your own reading and writing skills.

If interested, please complete this form and I'll get in touch with you will all of the details. Help us create a community of readers!

Snow is Falling, Books are Calling!

Our December book display includes a bit of everything:
holiday and winter-themed fiction, true survival stories set in cold climates, winter sports books, and books about snowy and icy places.

Cozy up with a good winter-themed book. Stop by to see what's available and check out the beautiful display set up by Ms. Fares.

View our book list for a complete list of titles.

Makerspace Activity: Make Your Own Snowflakes!

Create your own snowflakes! Use paper! Use string! Use craft sticks! Use any of the available materials; the choice is yours. All supplies will be provided. All YOU need to do is use your creativity, and have some FUN! The only requirement is to keep your design symmetrical, just like actual snowflakes.

Join us during X-BLOCK on TUESDAY, DEC 20 for this activity. We will be working in the DHS Library's Makerspace area (high-top blue tables).

If interested, you MUST SIGN UP for this activity in advance. There is a 20 person limit for this activity. PLEASE SIGN UP ON THIS GOOGLE FORM.

All About Snowflakes!

Have you ever really examined a snowflake? They're amazingly beautiful and intricate. I thought it would be fun to explore these amazing little ice crystals. Read on to learn more!

Snowflake Photography

Find out about "Snowflake" Bentley, the first person who ever photographed a single snow crystal, and then went on to capture the images of over 5000 snow crystals (never finding two of the same). His work helped benefit the study of meteorology during his time. Also, check out the work of a contemporary Russian photographer, Alexey Kljatov, who rigged together his own camera setup to take beautiful close-up images of snowflakes.

Make Your Own Snowflakes at Home!

Create your own snowflake at home! Decorate your windows, make one for a friend, or send one in the mail to someone as a surprise! If can't join us for the makerspace activity on December 20 and/or you want to work on this at home, you can try your hand at creating some snowflake designs by visiting the links below. Some involve supplies that you might have around the house, but I've also included a link to a virtual option as well. For inspiration, check out some of "Snowflake" Bentley's incredible snowflake images, as well as Kljatov's amazing macro photography of ice crystals. Remember to keep your design symmetrical, just like actual snowflakes.

Paper Snowflake Templates | Snowflake Coloring Pages | Online Virtual Snowflake Maker

Pop Culture Paper Snowflake Patterns: Star Wars | Guardians of the Galaxy | Disney's Frozen | Harry Potter

Want to Learn More?

Learn the science behind how snowflakes are created and why no two ever look alike.

Mr. Willey's Robotics Class Made a Virtual Tour of the Library!

Mr. Willey's Robotics class has been programming autonomous robots using Arduino boards. Here is a virtual tour of the library hosted by Otto, the autonomous robot. Check it out! You can use your computer mouse to turn and look in different directions.

Anthony Kairous, grade 12, helped to develop the turning algorithm used once the robot senses an obstacle. The robot sends out 2 sonic pulses and triangulates the signal, from there the turning radius was calculated using the inverse tangent. You can see Anthony's math here.

If you are interested in learning more about robotics and programming using Arduino boards, check out these related books available in the DHS Library.

“In the winter she curls up around a good book and dreams away the cold.”

― from Broken Homes (Rivers of London series) by Ben Aaronovitch, English author and screenwriter (1964- )

We have many of these books on order.
Watch for their arrival in January!

Best Books of the Year - 2022

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy browsing all the best books lists that come out this time of the year. I like to see if any of my favorites made it onto these lists and I also like to discover new books to read. If you're looking for some ideas, check out these lists:

GoodReads Choice Awards 2022: Best Young Adult Fiction

GoodReads Choice Awards 2022: Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

Publisher's Weekly: Best Young Adult Books 2022

NPR's Best Books of 2022: Young Adult

BookPage: Best Young Adult Books of 2022

School Library Journal: Best Young Adult Books 2022

If you see something you want to read, you can check to see if we have that book available through the DHS library.

If you are looking for print books ..... search our catalog.

If you want to borrow ebooks or digital audiobooks ..... search Sora. (Log in with school email address to borrow books.)

If you would like to suggest a book for us to add to the DHS Library collection .... complete this suggestion form.

If we don't have what you're looking for, you can also check to see if it is available through the Dedham Public Library.

“Snow was falling, so much like stars filling the dark trees that one could easily imagine its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness.”

― from Snowy Night by Mary Oliver, American poet (1935-2019)

A Sampling of New Books Arriving Soon!

Take a look at some of the new high interest fiction and nonfiction books we have on order. Complete this book suggestion form if you have suggestions for other books you would like to see added in the future.

2023 Morris Award Finalists Announced

The American Library Association's William C. Morris Award, first given in 2009, honors the year’s best books written for young adults by a previously unpublished author. The five finalists for 2023 were just announced on December 13 and the winner will be named in January.

You can learn more about the award and view a list of all the previous winners and finalists here.

Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!

“After breakfast he called to his friends from across the hall, and they went out together into the deep, deep snow. ”

― from the Caldecott Medal winning picture book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, American writer and illustrator of children's books (1916-1983)

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