GAA Secondary Library Newsletter SY 2022-2023

October Issue

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hello GAA Wildcats! As you may know, it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so in this issue you will find reading recommendations for Breast Cancer Awareness and reading materials about the Prophet Muhammad in honor of his birthday. On top of that, you can also find details of various library clubs that you can participate. Furthermore, there is information about the Book Drive and what kind of books you can donate and the Book Fair that will occur next month. We are also featuring the CAS library volunteers in this issue! I hope you enjoy this and see you all next month! - Annika

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2022

Breast Cancer Awareness Reading Recommendations

Breastcancer.org Online Community Page

Breastcancer.org online community mission is to help people make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast health and breast cancer, so they can make best decisions for their lives.

B is for Breast Cancer by Christine Hamill

This book is about Christine Hamill's experience during her cancer treatment. It is full of frank and honest talk about the impact of a diagnosis on one's physical and emotional health.

The C Word by Lisa Lynch

This book is Lisa's narrative is dramatic, painful, and frequently amusing, from the good days when she could almost pretend it wasn't happening to the awful days when she couldn't stand to get up. The C-Word will make you smile and cry while eventually reinforcing your belief in the meaning of life.

Mummy's Lump by Gillian Forrest

Mummy's Lump is a children's book that was written by a mother who got breast cancer while she had two kids: ages seven and five. Although this book is a children's book, it is extremely interactive and provides readers with a new perspective of breast cancer.

Book Drive 2022

Join the Library Clubs!

HS Makerspace Club

This club is formed for students to learn the skills of creating products they want to use. It will be focusing on the whole aspect of creation, from designing to developing the physical skills needed to create different items. Throughout the year, we will be tackling different projects.

You don't need any background knowledge in any part of the design process, everyone is welcome!

The sessions take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the library during lunch times. Please contact Aleezah Ahmad if you are interested to join: aleezah.a_gaa@gaa-ad.com

Book Club

Interested in reading and discussing popular books? Lead the HS Book Club or be a member!

Email Ms. Anna a.parente_gaa@gemsedu.com if interested.

Reading Ambassadors Club

This club creates and plans activities and events that encourage the love for reading at GAA.

It is a fun way to contribute to the school community and the library as well as a great way to express your love for reading!

During meetings we plan out or help carry out fun activities, decorating, and other unique projects. Meetings take place every other week during lunch at the library. We really only meet if we have something specific that we need to work on or plan.

We are open to all MS and HS students who is interested in joining! Please contact leah.t_gaa@gaa-ad.com layal.a_gaa@gaa-ad.com

Our CAS Library Volunteers!

What is CAS? And what is it to be an IB student?

When taking the IB course, students are required to complete CAS activities and plan out CAS projects in order to be able to receive their Diploma and graduate. These projects must be related to creativity, activity and service. CAS can be whatever you want and whatever you like! As long as you reflect and provide evidence through pictures. It is one of the most interesting parts of the IB, including TOK and EE of course…Through the course of the two DP years, students are required to have continuous CAS experiences happening as well as two or more projects.

CAS allows students to explore new areas of interest by also giving back to the community, it’s an amazing way to do things you never had the chance to do and simultaneously get credit for it. It motivates you to become more active at school by starting clubs or joining clubs (of your own interest), and to also help around the school.

This year, CAS students have been volunteering at the library during lunch and study hall time, and they have been a great help with the organization and the aesthetic of the library!

To be an IB student means to be balanced, principled, open-minded, a good communicator and having good time-management (as an IB student you really don’t want to procrastinate). The IB opens doors and opportunities and it betters both a student and as a person, but in order to open these doors students must show commitment to achieve them.

Rina Tanaka

Rina has been working and contributing at the library during her study hall. She has made beautiful library book display decorations just like the Breast Cancer Awareness display we have this month.

Lina Van Thiel

Lina is working on shelf dividers for the book shelves.

Omeir Aljasmi

Omeir helping with the shelving of library books and has done a wonderful job organizing them.

Isabella Coetzee

Isabella fixing the book clock display.

Mina Song

Mina working on with the If you Liked slides for next to read suggestions.

Camila Salazar

Camila working alongside Isabella to make the book clock display.

Anoud Algahraibeh

Anoud putting up some library displays.

Prophet Muhammad Reading Recommendations

Muhammad: His Life based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Ling

This book provides a new account of Muhammad's life, with details that had not been explained in other accounts. It is based on old Arab sources and offers new insights into how the profit was internationally acclaimed, comprehensive, and authoritative.

The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad by Lesley Hazleton

A thoroughly researched and thrilling book, Hazleton's narrative reveals a man who was torn between his ideals of peace and nonviolence, as well as his struggles with faith and politics. The First Muslim is essential reading for anyone who is interested in learning more about Muhammad's legacy.

Daily Wisdom: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad by Abdur Raheem Kidwaid

This book is a curated collection of the Prophet's teaching that engages the reader and promote the core values of Islam. Kidwai also engages the reader by activley calling them to make daily reflections

The Noble Quran - Quran.comThe Quran translated into many languages in a simple and easy interface

An online Quran that has translations to many different languages. You can find the great deed of Prophet Muhammed in the various stories in the Quran. You can also find more of his morals, teachings and core values .

Arabic Reading List for Students of Knowledge - Siblings Of IlmIn order to comfortably read Arabic texts without the need for diacritical marks, one must master the rules pertaining to Naḥw and Ṣarf before embarking on

Arabic Reading List for students is a resource where you can find several Arabic book recommendations that can help you practice your Arabic Literacy and a better understanding of the Holy Quran. The books listed not only help you understand the Quran but also learn about the lives and missions of the Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran, specifically Prophet Muhammed.

Book Recommendation Display

Our book recommendation display is at the library counter. Here you can check out book recommendations from students as well as give your own book recommendations in the speech bubbles shown below. The display allows you to share your favorite books and also explore and find new genres you may like from the recommendations of other people.

Judy's (10th grade) recommendation

_A Good Girls Guide to Murder_

"Teenage crime thriller A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a novel created by Holly Jackson, and follows 17-year-old Pippa Fitz-Amobi as she looks into a local murder that happened in her town several years ago. Everyone in Little Kilton is aware of the murder of Andie Bell, and they all believed that Sal Singh, her college friend, committed the crime, but Pippa isn't completely certain. She begins to learn truths that someone in the community urgently wants to keep concealed when she selects the case as the subject for her senior year project. As we move further into the book, we are placed as the third point of view on the causes and results of Pip's choices."

"As she examines the significance of establishing and maintaining strong ties throughout the book, Jackson strengthens the notion of friendship. There are enough surprises and red herrings in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder to keep the reader on the edge of their seat all the way to the end. It is cleverly plotted, full of different, interesting characters, intense tension, a budding romance, a healthy dose of humor, and of course some horror." (Wouldn't recommend reading when it’s too dark.)