ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL LIBRARY - UMS Blog

Welcome Back!

8/16/2020

Welcome back, SFS readers! Here's a sneak preview of our first LA library visit: All About Sora! Sora is an app that enables you to use your SFS username and password to check out eBooks and eAudiobooks! Learn more about Sora in the video below, or get started with Sora by clicking here.

Introducing Comics Plus!

5/11/2020

I'm so very excited to share our latest resource to kick start your summer reading COMICS PLUS! Comics Plus is our very own database of over 7,000 comics. You'll never have to wait to read your favorite comics because they are available on demand! You can read them on your computer, or download the ComicsPlus app (App Store / Google Play) to read them on your phone or tablet. After you download a comic it will be available even if you don't have WIFI. Here's how to access it:

Go to Comics Plus or download the Comics Plus App to your phone/tablet.
Click: Sign Up (in the top right corner if accessing via browser)
It should say St. Francis School (if not, simply select our school).
Enter the code emailed to your family/posted within Bloomz or Jupiter.
Enter your email address and create a password.
Enjoy searching for and reading comics!

5 Book Suggestions

5/4/2020

MIDDLE GRADE REALISTIC FICTION

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert

7th grade surfer Alberta loves living in her small town in Coastal California, but it's hard to be the only African-American girl in her grade, especially when when a classmate makes insensitive and racist remarks, Alberta is excited when Edie moves across the street, and they bond over solving a mystery in journals found in Edie's attic...

Sneak preview this book here!

HISTORICAL FICTION POETRY

This heartbreaking novel in verse is based on true events. Kent State tells the story of 4 university students who were murdered by the National Guard during a Vietnam War protest. Keep in mind that this story is told from different POVs, so pay attention to the fonts and placement of text to discern between narrators.

Learn more about Kent State here.

YA FANTASY

Elisabeth has spent her entire life training to be a warden of the library; which means it will be up to her to protect powerful and dangerous grimoires (magical books). Everything changes one night when Elisabeth wakes up one night and discovers a murder and a monster...

Learn more here!

YA REALISTIC FICTION

With the Fire on High tells the story of teen mom Emoni's senior year of high school. For the first time, Emoni's school offers a Culinary Arts elective, and Emoni has to decide if she can fit one more responsibility into her already extremely busy life....

REALISTIC FICTION GRAPHIC NOVEL

Being the new kid is rough! When Jordan starts 7th grade at new fancy school, he must navigate new friendships, homework, microagressions and negative stereotypes, as well as the fact that he'd rather just be in art school...

Watch a video from the author here!

Webcomics, and more!

4/27/2020

It's not a surprise to any of you that I believe reading is a magical experience that happens any time you get lost in a story. However, this doesn't always happen easily for every reader.. Whether you're reading all the time or not at all currently, I see each of you as a reader. Be open to the wonderfully wide variety of stories out there. Be adventurous in your explorations of information and stories. Make a conscious effort avoid labeling yourself with any sort of negative identities (i.e. someone who hates reading or only does when forced). Even if you weren't a reader yesterday, you have a choice to change that any time you read something new whether it's a comic, article, book, audiobook, blog post, manga, etc!

With all of this in mind, here are some suggestions that might hopefully start you off on a reading adventure! If you have anything to add to my list, please drop it in the comments section below!

Webcomics:
- "As Per Usual:" a slice of life YA comic about becoming a "real lady person." This staying home comic got me laughing about quarantine.
- "Breaking Cat News:" humorous webcomic about cat news anchors. I liked the random roll the dice button that enables you to see new comics!
- "Ozy and Millie" snarky fox adventures by the author who wrote Phoebe and Her Unicorn!
- Check, Please! another slice of life YA comic about a figurer skater turned college hockey player!
Epic! eBooks (access via this link and enter class code: kat0251
- `Check out these novels in verse. My personal favorite is Garvey's Choice by Nikki Grimes. This realistic fiction novel tells the story of a kid named Garvey who attempts to reconcile his own interests and identity with his father's single-minded plan to mold him into a sports star.
MackinVia eBooks
- Our library now has access to 1000s of eBooks in Mackin Via.
- Go t o Mackin Via. Enter: St, Francis School / Username: stfrancisschool / password: wolfpack
- Search by "Categories" on the left sidebar to browse books by topic and genre.

If you have suggestions for books, comics or resources your peers might enjoy drop them in the comments below!

Earth Week: Do One Thing for the Planet

4/17/2020

April 22 is Earth Day. Marking this day will look a little different this year given that we'll be staying home and mostly indoors, but that doesn't mean we can't do at least one thing to take care of the Earth. Here are 5 easy things you can do to celebrate Earth Day from home:

Consider your use of plastic. Watch the video to the left to get you started. For example, next time your family gets take out, maybe ask them to skip the plastic forks and knives, and use your own silverware.
Think about electricity. Do you forget to turn off the lights when you leave a room? Is your TV on all night? Be intentional about turning off the lights, and spend a screen-free evening reading or playing a game with your family.
Try some of these plant based swaps to reduce your foodprint.
Repurpose supplies in your home into art. I recently cut up cardboard boxes, an Amazon mailer, and the pages of an old book to make some bubble print art! Here's a very simple tutoria l to get started.
Research climate change. Try Britannica (username: stfrancis/password: Ktwelve), or choose a book from this list of environmentally themed fiction , or peruse the wealth of information available on the World Wildlife Organization.

Blackout Poetry!

4/14/2020

Poetry could be existing within lines of any type of writing! Recycle an old magazine article or book that you were about to donate by turning it into blackout poetry! All you need is text (you can print it too), pencils and markers! Here are the steps for creating thoughtful Black Out Poetry (adapted from Scholastic):

Skim the page. Notice and use your pencil to mark any anchor words. Anchor words are words that you feel are packed with meaning. These words can help you start to imagine the theme of your poem.
Read the page. Use your pencil to circle or underline words that connect your anchor words.
List your circled words in order on a separate piece of paper.
Piece the words together to create your poem. You can eliminate part of words, especially endings.
Go back to the original text and cross out any words that aren't part of your poem.
Share your poems with Mrs. Echols (msechols@stfrancis-school.org).

5 Fresh Reading Ideas

4/6/2020

5In this season of being mostly indoors, I'm finding myself so tied to screens. It's been a huge relief to set up dedicated moments for audiobooks. Don't have any audiobooks? Feel free to reach out to me in the comments below, or start here with Audible's free collection. Here are a couple of ways you might consider adding audiobooks to your routines!

If I'm feeling stressed, it's been so nice to make a cup of tea (or juice or soda), settle into the coziest spot in my house, dim the lights, and just listen. Even just 1o minutes can be a total peaceful reset.
If you're feeling artsy, audiobooks make great companions to drawing or painting. If you're like me can can barely manage stick figures, try coloring! I'm loving the free printable Harry Potter coloring pages! Or try these manga, abstract mandalas, or quotes pages coloring pages if they're more your style.
If it's safe in your neighborhood and ok with your family, audiobooks can make excellent walking companions. Make sure to leave one ear bud out so that you're aware of traffic and can be sure to practice social distancing!

If audiobooks aren't your thing, consider these fun (free) ways to get inspired to get inspired about books!

4. Every FREE book available on SimonTeen's Riveted Lit page. There are some absolute treasures available here. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare has a delightfully cringy movie and CW TV show that you could pai with your reading. If you're a fantasy reader, definitely go for Alanna: The First Adventure. It's fiercely feminist, classic high fantasy.

5. Do you love personality quizzes? Try this personality and book matching quiz at Penguin's Underlined. I got the Lucky Ones!

April: National Poetry Month

3/27/2020

Hello!

How are you all? I miss our IRL L.A. Labs! Please use the feedback form below if you've got questions, content ideas or suggestions for how I can assist you in this season of distance learning. Alternatively, you could drop into our Flipgrid (7th and 8th), SFS Library Instagram or schedule a Zoom meeting with Mrs. Echols.

In the meantime, I've rounded up ways for you dive into National Poetry Month from home.

Sign up for free Epic! ebooks. This book selection trends a little young, but you can find some old favorites like Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Weird But True, as well as novels in verse and poetry. Ask your family to email me at eechols@stfrancis-school.org to set up an account.
Peruse BookRiot's 100 YA Novels in Verse list.
Need to buy books? You can still get books from:
1. BookPeople's Online BookShop
2. Amazon (tip: notice if the top results are labeled "Sponsored"),
3. Austin Public Library's Virtual Library
4. Half-Price Books online.
The Poetry Foundation (learn about poets and read their poetry! Start with the current Young People's Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye)
Poetry Organization (I especially loved the Poem-a-Day!

Hello!

3/22/2020

Hello UMS! I miss you all, and I'm hoping that you are safe and well at home. However, I'm grateful that we're able to continue sharing our reading adventures online. I'll be sharing posting weekly with ideas to connect you to not just books, but also information and fun. Please feel free to reach out to me at my school email address (mrsechols@stfrancis-school.org) or through our community Flipgrid below with questions or suggestions for our library community.

To kick off our Flipgrid chat, I hopped over to EpicReads! (Harper Collins' YA Literature resource which has TONS of book recommendations), and took the quiz: Are You a Hero or AntiHero? Watch the Flipgrid tutorial, and take the quiz at Epic Reads, and share your reaction to the quiz in our Flipgrid boards!

Please watch the Flipgrid tutorial before clicking the links below!