Summer Fun!

Our supportive and devoted school community has made our library a wonderful place to read, conduct research, and study. It has been a terrific academic year, and we enjoyed student and faculty visits. The library was filled to capacity every single period of the day.

Remember...library activities do not have to end in the summer.

Go to the beautifully crafted New York Public Library website summerreading.org which has a menu of activities to keep you busy. You can log all of the books you read, share your favorite titles with friends, and investigate summer reading lists that have been compiled and recommended by librarians.

You can also practice your database navigation skills in preparation for the upcoming academic year.

I look forward to seeing you in the Fall! Enjoy the summer!

Treasures From The Public Library!

Welcome To The World Of New York Public Library Databases!

Another wealth of resources for our school community is The New York Public Library's website.

Here is where you will find databases on a variety of different subjects to fulfill your research needs.

1. Access the website: www.nypl.org
2. Navigate to Research
3. Go to Articles and Databases

Some of my favorite databases are:

Biography in Context - Provides thorough biographical material about individuals from all time periods with a worldwide scope.

Literature Resource Center - Highlights information on literary figures from all time periods and numerous genres (fiction, drama, and journalism, etc.).

Opposing Viewpoints -  High-quality materials (articles, primary source documents, and websites, etc.) present both sides of controversial topics.

World History in Context - A wealth of resources (primary documents, periodicals, etc.) cover events, movements, and individuals who have indelibly impacted world history.

Deceptive Appearances

The prolific Werlin (The Killer's Cousin) has crafted a powerful suspense novel with intriguing psychological overtones that will keep readers hooked until its gripping conclusion. In Black Mirror, Frances, a Japanese-Jewish teenager whose parents are divorced, attends a private school called Pettengill with her brother, Daniel. When Daniel commits suicide by a drug overdose, Frances tries to understand the reasons behind his unexpected death. Therefore, she joins Unity, a charity organization to which her brother was devoted, but finds herself unwanted by its members. Gradually, Frances realizes that Unity is not what it seems to be on the surface. Is there a conspiracy? Why does she feel that her life is in danger? Was Daniel's death really a suicide? This is a well-done offering from a unique mystery writer.

Poem In Your Pocket Day

This year, The Bronx High School of Science community will celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day on Friday, April 26th! Carry a poem in your pocket so you can read or recite it when asked by school staff members throughout this exciting day. You will then receive a card which you will bring into the library and exchange for a prize.

At the beginning of 9th period there will be a drawing for a grand prize. Remember...the more you read, the more chances to win! Enjoy this wonderful event!

Chaos And Confusion

What do you do when the comfortable life you have taken for granted is suddenly changed forever? In The Face On The Milk Carton, 15-year-old Janie Johnson  lives in a suburb of Connecticut with her doting parents. She is an excellent student, has a wonderful group of friends, and is beginning to fall in love with Reeve, her next door neighbor. One day, Janie's life is thrown into chaos  when she sees a photograph of herself as a three year-old missing child on a milk carton who was abducted from a shopping mall in New Jersey. As Janie reels in shock, she wonders how she should proceed to unravel this mystery. Who is she, and who are the people who claim to be her parents? An engaging page-turner, this novel is the first of the "Janey" books which includes Whatever Happened To Janie?, The Voice On The Radio, What Janie Found, and Janie Face To Face, which is the most recent entry in the series.

Who Am I?

The extraordinary Joy Fielding has crafted another exciting suspense novel that takes a woman through her worst nightmare and entices the reader to follow along on her harrowing journey. Jane Whittaker finds herself wandering through the streets of Boston wearing a dress that is mysteriously soaked with blood, and a coat that has $10,000 in its pockets. She does not know who she is - her memory and details of her life have been completely eradicated. Finally, she goes to a hospital for help, and her husband, Michael, a renowned pediatric surgeon, is located. When Jane is finally taken home to hopefully regain her memory, she begins to doubt those around her, and questions abound. Michael seems eager to help, but why does Jane harbor nagging suspicions? Why does she constantly feel drugged? Where is her daughter? Why do Michael and the housekeeper, Paula, try to keep Jane isolated? Something important is being hidden from Jane, and she must find out what it is. If you like endings with an unexpected twist, pick up this novel, which is one of my favorites by Fielding.

Welcome To The Library Webpage

Our library webpage is the home of a treasure trove of resources for the school community.
www.bxscience.edu--> Academics --> Library

Please take the time to familiarize yourselves with some of my favorite and most visited links.

a) Class Projects - Here is where you will find resources gathered by the librarians for student research  assignments.

b) Databases/Database User Names and Password List - The library purchases many subscription databases that can be accessed at any time of day. All that is needed is the master password (available in the library) to retrieve the database passwords for excellent resources such as GALE, PROQUEST, and JSTOR .

c) Bibliocommons – Visit our online catalog which includes resources from our library as well as branches of The New York Public Library!

d) Citation Generators and Examples - If you don't remember how to credit a book, an online resource, or a journal article, please use these tools to help you construct a correct citation.

f) Recommended Reading Lists - If you are not sure what you would like to read next, please allow these librarian-generated lists to assist you in your quest.

g) Mrs. Goldstein's Blog - This blog reviews current young adult literature, discusses new electronic resources in the library, and upcoming events.

Lost And Found

Dead To You by Lisa McMann deftly explores the abduction and recovery of a child and its impact on a family. When Ethan Manuel De Wilde was seven years old, he was kidnapped from the front lawn of his house, and  began a very difficult odyssey. He lived with a woman named Ellen for several years, and when she began to have difficulty raising and supporting him, she abandoned Ethan to a group home. After a while, he ran away and lived on the streets. Miraculously, Ethan was able to  locate his family on an Internet site for missing children, and was returned to them. However, the transition to family life is fraught with heartache and tension. Ethan's brother, Blake, feels that this young man is not his brother, Ethan cannot recall any memories of life with his family from before his abduction, and he suffers from debilitating panic attacks. What is behind this disturbing memory loss? Will Ethan ever be able to reclaim his old life? This is a fast-paced, engaging read, with an unforgettable conclusion.

Starting Over

What would it be like to run away from everything you've ever known and begin life all over again?

Katie Feldman has fled her Massachusetts home to the sleepy, yet lovely town of Southport, North Carolina, carrying only her bare essentials and a wealth of painful secrets that she tries to keep buried. As she slowly rebuilds her life, tentatively forms relationships with others, and embarks on a new romance with Alex, one of the town's residents, she constantly wonders how long it will take for her past to catch up with her and destroy the new life that she has painstakingly created.

If you enjoy romance novels with a dose of suspense, then this book is for you.

Update: The movie, which is an effective adaptation of this story, appeared in theaters on Valentine's Day weekend.

"Starting Over" is a popular theme in Nicholas Sparks' works. Nights In Rodanthe is about two troubled people, Dr. Paul Flanner and Adrienne Willis, who meet by chance at an inn in Rodanthe, North Carolina. It is a weekend that changes their lives forever and demonstrates that the heart should always be open to the idea of second chances and change.



 

 

Choices Of The Heart

 

Christy, by Catherine Marshall, is a beautifully written and inspirational story about a 19-year-old woman who comes from a family of wealth and privilege and is desperately looking to find fulfillment in her life. As she is bored with the expectations of her world, which she finds confining and stifling, she accepts a position to teach in a mission school in the poverty-stricken Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. As she begins to acclimate to her harsh surroundings, she develops an affection for the mountain people, particularly the children. Throughout her challenge-filled journey, her faith in God is tested and strengthened in countless ways. She is also romantically drawn to two very different men: the handsome Reverend David Grantland, a man of God, and Doctor Neil MacNeill, a man of science, who is devoted to his work and community. Who will Christy choose? While classified as fiction, Marshall's novel is based on her mother's life. There is also an acclaimed and moving television series entitled "Christy," which starred Kellie Martin and Emmy-award winning actress Tyne Daly.

Escape The Past

How would you feel if you had to change your identity, leave everyone and everything you knew behind, and run for your life? In Don't Look Behind You, by Lois Duncan, teenager April Corrigan is shocked to learn that her father has been working undercover for the FBI. His testimony against a ruthless drug dealer has endangered his entire family, and now they must go into The Federal Witness Security Program. Suddenly, April must  relocate and give up her friends. When she tries to reconnect with a part of her former life, a fatal mistake is made. Would you be able to eradicate your past for a new and uncertain future? What sacrifices would you make to help your family? This novel is chilling and thought-provoking and certainly one of Duncan's best.