Hahnvi l le High School L ibrary

Our library newsletter has been in

the works since September. Our

wish is to provide you with news

about literary events, contests, and

what our library has in store for you.

We want you to be part of this news-

letter, too. After all, this is your library!

For this issue, we sought out students

who would provide us with book re-

views on what they’ve been reading.

The reviews include summer reading

novels and novels that were read for

the pure joy of reading . For every

issue we will seek reviews from our

students , teachers, and staff—and we

hope to hear from you!

The newsletter will be published

quarterly along with some special

editions. We will highlight new titles

along with the classics, and encour-

age you to explore both. It doesn’t

matter whether you’re an avid reader,

an occasional reader, or someone

who reads for instructional purposes

(cookbooks , for example!), we hope

to stock our library to suit the needs

of all students, teachers, and staff

members.

Let us know what you think about

the newsletter. We would love to hear

from you!

Volume 1 , Issue 1

WEL C OM E T O O UR NEW SL ETTER !

Oct/Nov/Dec 2016

In This Issue

• HHS Library

Audio Books & eBooks

• Banned Books

• Christmas Picks

• Book Reviews

• New Arrivals

• The Last Word

O FF THE SHELF

T H E H H S L I B R A R Y H A S E B O O K S & A U D I O B O O K S

Taking that long car ride to grandma’s house for Christmas? Why not try an audio book? Not only will you be thoroughly entertained by listening to great fiction and nonfiction, but you will also be giving your brain a workout. Listening to audio books on a regular basis improves comprehension by 76%. Combining print (or an eBook) and audio increases recall by 40% over print alone—and 85% of what we learn is learned by listening. Listening to an audio book also helps with pronunciation. Visit the library before the Christmas break and check out a couple of audio books! We also have great non fiction eBooks available on the Gale data-base. Stop by the library, and we will show you how to access them! (Statistics quoted from

http://www.booklistreader.com/)

A book is a device to ignite

the imagination.

–Alan Bennett

HHS Library decks the halls for Christmas! Special thanks to our

own Lauren Jones, Holley Johnson, and Gabrielle deBruler for

their hard work and talents!

“I wish you all the joy you can wish.”

William Shakespeare

A book is a gift you

can open again and

again. (G.Keillor)

Christmas Tree designed

by Lauren Jones

Happy Birthday

Jane Austen

December 16

Page 2

G E T T I N G R E A DY F O R T H E H O L I DAY S

O C T O B E R—B A N N E D B O O K S M O N T H

W R I T I N G C O N T E S T S & P U B L I S H I N G O P P O R T U N T I E S _ _ _ _ _ _ _

and develops a rich vocabulary.

There is an array of great books to

share with children, or to enjoy

alone. Books also make excellent

and lasting gifts! Here are some

holiday favorites:

After Halloween, there seems to be a

rush to get to Christmas. It’s not unu-

sual to see a Santa Claus next to a

witch when entering a store—and No-

vember seems to be made for shop-

ping . In this mad rush of nonstop

spending and rushing Christmas, it’s

more important than ever to slow

down, reflect, and enjoy the moment—

the here and now. It has been proven

that reading works of fiction relieves

stress. Holiday books especially can

transport our imaginations, even just

for an hour, to miraculous worlds.

What about reading to a younger sib-

ling ? Studies show that reading to

your child or sibling creates lasting

bonds, builds self-esteem in the child,

Reading is not optional. ~Walter Dean Myers~

Volume 1 , Issue 1

Although the time for entering the

Young Authors Contest has passed,

there will be other publishing opportunities.

Check the HHS Library web page for more information.

If you are interested in joining the

Creative Writing Club, stop by the

Library speak with Ms. Sopczak for more info. You can also

reach her at bsopczak@stcharles.k12.la.us

During the month of October, the HHS Library cele-

brated Banned Books. We displayed classic

literature that has been banned and challenged

over the decades.and also featured

contemporary fiction that is currently challenged in

schools and public libraries. Books such as To Kill

A Mockingbird, the Harry Potter series, Speak, I

Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Adventures

of Huckleberry Finn, and even the Bible, have

faced condemnation and removal from libraries.

We are fortunate to live in a country where free

speech and creative ideas expressed in the form

of the written word is possible. Books that offend

our sensibilities are ripe with possibilities of open-

ing dialog of sensitive subject matter that will, per-

haps, lead to a greater understanding of

humankind.

If you would like to know more about

banned and challenged books, please

stop by the library. The public library is

also well stocked with books that have

been challenged.

You can also visit the American Library

Association at

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/

Reading Facts

1. Reading reduces stress.

2. Reading fiction

improves our ethical and em-

pathetic skills.

3. Poetry improves inference

skills.

4. Reading rewires your brain,

making you smart!

For more info on what reading

does for your brain, visit

Cambridge Medicine

https://goo.gl/OdGIZ1

“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.”

~Laurie Halse Anderson~

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Christmas Stories from Louisiana (Story Collection)

Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris

Silent Night: The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce

Cookie Craft Christmas ( Baking)

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas

by Maya Angelou

Stop by the library to check one out for the Holidays!

New Arrivals

The Wrath

& the Dawn

by Renée Ahdieh.

Calvin

by Martine

Leavitt.

The Boy In The

Black Suit

by

Jason Reynolds

The Emperor of

Any Place

by Tim Wynne-

Jones

Stop by the library to check out

all our new arrivals.

Off the Shel f Page 3

B O O K R E V I E W S B Y O U R S T U D E N T S More New Books!

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling—You probably know about Harry Potter from

the well –known movies, but what about the books? The lesser-known books are

great in every way. J.K. Rowling created numerous, diverse characters that make you

want to cheer for them. The story makes you feel that the made up world in the book

could actually be real—and this is exciting! Rowling uses words to put you inside her

world and gives the feeling that you can truly see what she has put before you. Read-

ing Harry Potter is a thrilling series that entraps your heart. Brooke Makofsky

Red Queen (The Red Queen Series) by Victoria Aveyard—I would recommend this

book to other students. The twists and turns in the novel give it fire. It takes the read-

er on a whirlwind of adventure. I give it 5 stars! One word: AMAZiNG. Amber Williams

I’ll Give You The Sun by Randy Nelson– I’ve read two books by Nelson, and I love her

style of writing. The title attracted me to the book initially, but I kept reading because

the story was so original. This romance has many ups and downs and will get you

emotional—especially if you relate to any of the characters or their problems. Points

of view switch with the chapters, but this adds to the flow of the story.—Payton Hill

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher—This book was exemplary. It was beautifully written in

the sense that it was easy to follow, and the characters were well diverse. The plot

flow was absolutely amazing, even with the switch from her life to his life—they were

well placed and easily noticed. His use of setting and plot gave the story a sense of

suspense. People in the same situation should find this story inspiring. I would 100%

recommend this book to anyone—even if you are especially picky about what you

read. Kaitlyn Champagne

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald—The Great Gatsby is a romantic twist! It

keeps you intrigued with multiple surprises. This is the only Fitzgerald book I’ve read,

but I bet if I read his other books, I would love them just as much. The book is well-

written, and it flows well. Some parts became boring, and the non interesting parts

seemed to carry on too long. Raegan Young

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines—I give this novel 5 stars. It is a realistic

fiction narrative—and if it became a movie, I would be first in line to see it. This book

was assigned to freshmen in Mrs. Schouest’s English Honors’ class. This is the only

book I read by Ernest J. Gaines. To sum the story up, two men learn a lesson before

one dies. Gaines did an excellent job of writing the story. He didn’t include much, if

any, irony or foreshadowing. He does include symbolism. It is the kind of book that

you take with you forever. It is sad and inspirational at once. I advise anyone above

8th grade to read this book. I enjoyed it very much. Hayley Carman

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card—This was one of my favorite books. Although it

was very slow in the beginning, the middle, and end made up for it. I have never read

any other books by Card, nor have I ever read science fiction. The plot is thoroughly

spread out and flows around the characters’ actions and descriptions. Ender’s char-

acter was inspirational to me even though at times he would let things get to him, he

still wouldn’t give up; he strived to do his best. I would recommend this book to peo-

ple who like science fiction and space books. Ender battles on the final game! -

Kristen Crutti

200 Tiger Drive

Boutte, Louisiana 70039

OFF THE SHELF Hahnvi l le High School L ibrary

P U B L I C L I B R A R I E S & B O O K E V E N T S P E R H A P S N O P L A C E I N A N Y C O M M U N I T Y I S S O T O T A L L Y D E M O C R A T I C A S

T H E T O W N L I B R A R Y . T H E O N L Y E N T R A N C E R E Q U I R E M E N T I S I N T E R E S T . – L A D Y B I R D J O H N S O N

Phone: 985-758-7537

Fax: 985-758-9876

bsopczak@stcharles.k12.la.us

hjohnson1@stcharles.k12.la.us

ljones3@stcharles.k12.la.us

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BOOK REVIEWS

We want to share your book

reviews and recommendations.

Students, faculty, and staff are

encouraged to participate.

Please visit our library website

and click on OFF THE SHELF to

view our newsletter and for

suggestions on how to write a

short book review. Feel free to

use the form provided on our

web page.

To check out what is going on at your public library, visit their website. Infor-

mation for the Louisiana State Library is also provided. If you do not have a pub-

lic library card, get one! It will allow you to access movies, music, ebooks, and

REAL BOOKS, too!

St. Charles Parish Public Library http://www.myscpl.org/

Phone Numbers:

East Regional: (985) 764-2366 West Regional: (985) 785-8471 St. Rose: (504) 465-0646 Paradis: (985) 758-1868 Norco: (985) 764-6581 Hahnville: (985) 783-2341 Bookmobile: (985) 764-2366

The public library offers many online resources, all which are available with your library card.

Flipster: Browse through 71 of the most popular magazine titles covering topics such as cooking, crafts, lifestyle, fashion, and much more.

Newsbank: Access local and national newspapers.

Overdrive: Read popular fiction and non-fiction titles for all age ranges. Watch a selection of children's animated favorites.

Hoopla: Offers classic and current popular films and TV shows, documentaries, and kids’ shows; popular fiction & nonfiction books in an ebook or audio book format.

State Library of Louisiana

http://www.state.lib.la.us/

The State Library of Louisiana has resources too

numerous to list here. Please visit their website!

Other Literary Realms

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/

Barnes & Noble—Metairie

Join the Barnes and Noble Teen Blog

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/teen/

For more info about the events, visit their website at

http://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2768

You may also contact Holley Johnson in the library, or at

hjohnson1@stcharles.k12.la.us

The Last Word