It’s September! Welcome back to school, and welcome to the MC library blog, a place where you can learn about upcoming library events, activities, contests and book themes. 

BACK TO THE BOOKS CHALLENGE:

Read a book from one of this month’s themes and tell us about it to win a prize fro the library prize bin! This month’s themes are…

   

 

Guess the Teacher favs:

Match each teacher to their favourite book correctly by the end of the week to win a candy! Come to the learning commons for info on this challenge.

The Library is closed for the summer… reading doesn’t have to stop!

 

Summer Reading Bingo!

Complete one or more rows of this reading bingo board and submit completed rows to this form for prizes in September!

Click here to download a bingo board

Complete a row to win: 
-Early access to the Learning Commons and first dibs on checking out new books in September
-Magnetic bookmark
-Enter the draw to win a $20 indigo gift card (complete 2 rows, enter the draw twice!)

Going for a blackout: 
-Get all 5 rows to win a McLibrary tote bag!

*Note: If you complete more than 1 row, please submit a form for each row.

submit your completed rows here!

eBooks & Audiobooks available through sora all summer!

Click here to learn more about using sora!

 

Looking for more info on these activities, you’ve come to the right place!

IMPORTANT DATES:

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JUNE Reads

Check out this months reading themes below! Check out these books in the Learning Commons or click on the signs to browse the collections in destiny discover:

              

Click on the signs to explore the books in this category and place one on hold!

ONCE YOU’VE READ YOUR BOOK, SUBMIT YOUR FORM HERE

 

You’ll get a sticker and enter a draw to win a free book at the end of the month. Collect all FOUR stickers and come to the movie party!  

 

 

June Maker Challenge: 3D Book Covers

The Challenge:  Create a 3D book cover using Lego, pom poms, tissue paper, clay or Perler beads.  

Come at lunch June 6-10

Draws for participants for  VINYL STICKERS
Winning team gets the PRIZE BOX!

 

BOOK RETURN CHALLENGE:

 Win Ice cream for your homeroom by returning your library books by JUNE 10th!

 

Books available through sora all summer!

Click here to learn more about using sora!

We have five great new reads being featured this month and you can enter a draw to be the FIRST person to check this book out from our school! See below for a summary of each of the books, and come at lunch MON-WED to get your name in a draw. You can have 1 ticket each day at lunch!

 

THIS MONTHS BOOKS:

   

WINGS OF FIRE- THE FLAMES OF HOPE
Calling all Wings of Fire Fans….The 15th and concluding book is finally here! Luna has always wanted to change the world, to fix it and free it, even if she’s never known how. Now that all the dragons, and humankind are in mortal danger, Luna is flying back home to Pantala with a team of dragons on a rescue mission. But saving a continent isn’t as easy as a prophecy makes it sound. As she fights her way to the abyss that hides the dark roots poisoning Pantala, Luna must uncover a long-buried secret and unite her friends, enemies and her own powers. If she doesn’t, she won’t be able to change the world and she’ll have to say goodbye to it, forever! Get ready for adventure, action and the fight for the survival of all dragonkind! 

READALIKES
If you liked…Wings of Fire (you’ll want to read the other books first), The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart, Legends of the Sky…you might like this book

 

DREAM ANNIE, DREAM
Annie Inoue was taught by her dad to dream big. She tries out for the basketball team, despite being less than 5’3” and when auditions for the school musical are scheduled, she sets her sights on a lead role. Annie is thrilled when she lands an impressive role in the production of The King and I, until she begins to hear rumours and grumbling from her mostly white classmates, who are claiming that she was only cast because she is Japanese, and the character happens to be Asian. Annie is hurt and confused. Is this all people see when they look at her? Not only that, but the rumour comes from an unexpected source, forcing Annie to wrestle with who she can trust while dealing with all the microaggressions directed at her. Disheartened but determined, Annie channels her hurt into a new dream: Showing people what she is made of. An empowering story about a Japanese American girl’s fight to find her place, rise above racism and push past the trials of middle school to chase her dreams. 

READALIKES
If you liked…Broken Strings, Front Desk, Blended…you might like this book

 

RED FOX ROAD
Francie and her parents embark on a spring road trip driving through British Columbia and down into the Grand Canyon. They plan to hike, camp and adventure but when their GPS leads them astray down an old logging road that was supposed to be a shortcut, disaster strikes. Their truck hits a rock and wipes out the oil pan and they are stuck in the middle of nowhere. Francie can’t help but feel a little excited. She’s often imagined how she’d survive if she got stranded in the forest, and now here they are. But her survival skills will be put to the test. Will her knowledge of how to build a fire, gather dandelion leaves for tea and find their way be enough when hours stretch into days? A compelling survival story set in BC! 

READALIKES
If you liked…Hatchet, Wildfire, The Barren Grounds…you might like this book

 

ARU SHAH AND THE CITY OF GOLD
Aru Shah is BACK for a 4th adventure in The City of Gold! Aru made a wish on the tree of wishes, but she can’t remember what it was. However, she’s pretty sure she didn’t wish for a new sister, one who looks strangely familiar and claims to be the Sleeper’s daughter, just like her. She also isn’t sure she still wants to fight with the devas in the war against the Sleeper but her and her sisters embark on a journey to find their mentors in Lanka, the city of gold before war breaks out between the devas and the asuras. Kubera, the ruler of the city of gold promises to give the Pandavas two powerful weapons, but only if they win his trials. If they lose, they won’t stand a chance against the Sleeper’s troops. Aru’s biggest question though, is why every adult she has loved and trusted keeps disappointing her. Will she come to peace with what they’ve done before she has to wage the battle of her life? Find out in this wonderful magical, fantasy adventure! 

READALIKES
If you liked…Aru Shah and the End of Time (You’ll want to read the other books first), Percy Jackson, The Storm Runner…you might like this book

 

SHINJI TAKAHASHI AND THE MARK OF THE COATL
Ever since Shinji’s parents died, he has been raised and homeschooled by his Aunt Yui. Being homeschooled has some perks, in that they live a life that includes months of travel, and he joins her as she hunts for unique items from around the world to sell in her shop in Miami. While floating down the Zambezi River in one of these quests, Shinji find a mysterious small figurine of a Coatl, a mythical feathered serpent, that seems to be calling to him. But after he buys it, he is kidnapped and held captive by the Highwater Corporation in New York City and informed that it brings with it, a deadly curse. As his concern and distrust for the Hightower Corporation grows, he must hatch a plan escape from the corporation and find his aunt again. A fun filled globe-trotting adventure that is the perfect blend of old-world legends and a little bit of magic! 

READALIKES
If you liked…Trials of Apollo, Aru Shah, City Spies….you might like this book

 

*Summaries are powered by Goodreads and Kirkus reviews!

Come get your name in the draw this week!

Looking for more info on these activities, you’ve come to the right place!

THIS MONTH’S THEME IS… Enter a new world, open a book!

 

May Reads

Check out this months reading themes below! Read a book from one of these categories to get a sticker and enter a draw to win a free book! Check out these books in the Learning Commons or click on the signs to browse the collections in destiny discover:

           

Click on the signs to explore the books in this category and place one on hold!

ONCE YOU’VE READ YOUR BOOK, SUBMIT YOUR FORM HERE

 

You’ll get a sticker and enter a draw to win a free book at the end of the month. Collect all FOUR stickers for an invite to the end of year movie party!

 

 

 

May the fourth Challenge: 

The Challenge:  Design a 3D spaceship model. Must be an original design (made by you) but you can gain inspiration from models that exist or real spaceships.

Wed May 4th- Wed May 11th 

Participants enter a draw for STAR WARS SWAG!!

 

CREATE A WORLD IN YOUR HANDS: 

The challenge is to read a fantasy novel and CREATE something something based on or inspired by a fantasy novel you that bring the world of that novel or the characters to life! 

This could be an art piece, a piece of writing, fan fiction, write an alternate ending, imagine yourself in a scenario (in art or writing), book character bookmarks, a baked good (cookies, cupcakes, cake) a board game, book maze, the possibilities are endless!

ALL SUBMISSIONS DUE MAY 31st

Come to the Learning Commons for more info!

 

MARBLE SOMETHING FOR MOM:

Missed the Mothers Day craft? Or want to try it at home?

Learn how to make one at home here

Looking for more info on these activities, you’ve come to the right place!

APRIL READS

Check out this months reading themes below! Read a book from one of these categories to get a sticker and enter a draw to win a free book! Check out these books in the Learning Commons or click on the signs to browse the collections in destiny discover:

              

Click on the signs to explore the books in this category and place one on hold!

ONCE YOU’VE READ YOUR BOOK, SUBMIT YOUR FORM HERE

You’ll get a sticker and enter a draw to win a free book at the end of the month. Collect all FOUR stickers for an invite to the end of year movie party!

 

 

THIS WEEK ONLY: join In for….

Each day this week, you will see a series of green, yellow or grey letters posted outside the Learning Commons window, and you will have ONE chance based on these to see if you can guess which 5 letter book title it represents!

NEXT UP: The Olym-poet-ics!

A poetry challenge for national poetry month!

5 POETRY CHALLENGES
Points awarded to the gold, silver, bronze submissions of reach of these for a grand prize at the end. Come this FRIDAY at lunch to learn more!

 

LAST WEEK OF APRIL: THE ROBOT MAZE RACE

Come Friday April 22nd for more info and a mini sphero tutorial. Challenge runs Mon Apr 25- Fri Apr 29th.

Winning team will receive the Robot Maze Prize Box!

 

For more information on any of these events, check out this video: 

 

Welcome to March! March break is around the corner. Whether you are travelling or staying put, I hope you get a chance to at least escape into the world of a good book this month!

 

This month’s theme is… Reading can take you places!

 

March Reads

This month we’re featuring adventure, dystopian and historical novels. Read a book from one of these categories to get a sticker and enter a draw to win a free book! Check out the books on display in the Learning Commons or browse the collections in destiny discover: 

Click on the signs to explore the books in this category and place one on hold!

            

ONCE YOU’VE READ YOUR BOOK, SUBMIT YOUR FORM HERE

 

You’ll get a sticker for your bookmark and enter the draw for the free book!

 

 

The LEGO Landmark contest

Come any lunch between Mar 2nd- Mar 8th to create a famous landmark or building out of lego. All landmarks due WEDNESDAY MARCH 10th 

Winning team will receive the Lego Prize Box
(on display in the Learning Commons)!

 

 

This is where I read photo contest

Submit a photo of yourself either in the usual spot that your read, or a completely UNUSUAL spot to be reading- up to you to decide!

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Submit your photo by emailing it to sjenden@myrcs.ca by March 31st 

3 photos will win a prize from the library prize bin!

Looking for more info on these activities, you’ve come to the right place!

 

Design a Colouring Book page!

It would be a good idea to outline or fine line your design with a thin black marker, but remember not to colour it in. The idea is to create a page that someone else can colour in! 

 

Stop Motion Love Stories

February Reads

Read a book from one of these categories this month, and enter a draw to win a free book! Check out the books on display in the Learning Commons or browse the collections in destiny discover: 

Click on the signs to explore the books in this category and place one on hold!

                            

Once you’ve read your book, submit your form HERE

We have five great new reads being featured this month and you can enter a draw to be the FIRST person to check this book out from our school! See below for a summary of each of the books, and come at lunch Wed-Fri to get your name in a draw. You can have 1 ticket each day at lunch!

THIS MONTHS BOOKS:

A SOFT PLACE TO LAND
For Joy, home has always been her family’s house. But when her dad loses his job and they are forced to downsize to a tiny apartment, her notion of what home is begins to change. Their new apartment is far from ideal with it’s paper-thin walls and shared bedrooms but the worst part is that this also means she can’t take piano lessons anymore and now she doesn’t have music to escape to when mom and dad are fighting. The move is really hard on Joy, until she discovers her apartment complex’s best kept secret: The Hideout, a cozy hidden storage area that only kids know about. Here, she starts connecting with other kids in the building and discovers another kid whose grafitti makes her think they are also struggling. Joy is determined to figure out who this mystery writer is but with everything else on her plate, she feels like she is barely keeping her own head above water. A timely and heartfelt story about friendship, community, and connection!

READALIKES
If you liked…A Good Kind of Trouble, Maybe he Just likes you, From the Desk of Zoe Washington…you might like this book

 

STOWAWAY
When scientists discover a rare and mysterious mineral buried in the Earth’s crust, they have no idea that it just happens to be the most valuable substance in the entire universe. So valuable, in fact, that it is worth starting a war over. A war that is very soon making it’s way to Earth. Leo knows this all too well. His father is an intergalactic coalition scientist and decides it would be best for them to leave earth behind, but on their expedition their ship is attacked, Leo’s father is kidnapped and his brothers stranded in space. Their last hope is for Leo to stow away on a strange ship of space pirates, and beg the captain to help him find his father. The mission is dangerous, and Leo must decide who to trust as he tries to stay alive and save his family. And he soon comes to learn that there aren’t many beings—human or alien—that he can count on in this brave new universe.

READALIKES
If you liked…Enders Game, I am Number Four, Posted…you might like this book

THE TRAITOR’S BLADE
Calling all Blackthorn Key Fans….Book FIVE is finally here! Christopher, Tom and Sally are back in London at last. The plague has ended, and the King offers a surprising reward, but trouble has followed them home. First an old friend is ambushed, next a mysterious riddle arrives with a warning of a murderous conspiracy. Someone is out to kill the King, and anyone else who dares stand in the traitor’s way! Get ready for another action-packed adventure with no shortage of riddles, puzzles, potions and codes- all waiting to be cracked!

READALIKES
If you liked…Blackthorn Key, Space Case, The Storm Runner…you might like this book

THE MANY MEANINGS OF MEILAN
Meilan’s world consists of her family, the family run bakery and her favourite Chinese fairy tales. When Nai Nai passes away and her family has a falling-out, Meilan, her parents and Gong Gong leave Boston, the only home she’s ever known, and end up landing in Redbud, Ohio. It is a stark transition from the tight-knit community she has in the heart of Boston’s Chinatown to rural Redbud, Ohio and Meilan is not quite sure who she is anymore. On her first day of school, she is renamed “Melanie”, to try to ‘help her fit in’, the first of many instances of racism she encounters and she continues to deal with countless micro-aggressions as she tries to find her place in a small town where she is the only Asian girl at her school.  She tries to lay low as she finds her place, but when an injustice occurs at school she must decide to push past her insecurities and do something about it! A powerful story about family, justice and standing up for what you believe in.

READALIKES
If you liked…Front desk, Blended, Out of my Mind…you might like this book

 

ACROSS THE DESERT
Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: The Desert Aviator, where twelve-year-old “Addie Earhart” shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. Jolene dreams of what it would be like to fly far away from her own troubled home life. And Addie, who is grieving the loss of her father, finds comfort in her online conversations with Jolene, her one and only fan. One day, Jolene witnesses a disaster, as Addie’s engine stops abruptly and her plane plummets to the ground. Jolene knows that Addie won’t survive long in the extreme heat of the treacherous Arizona desert and sets out to rescue this young pilot with only a hand drawn map and a stolen cell phone.  A captivating survival story about not giving up on someone who needs you!

READALIKES
If you liked…Hatchet, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus….you might like this book

*Summaries are powered by Goodreads!

Come get your name in the draw this week!

Hi Grade 8s- This week you will have the opportunity to “taste” a variety of books before you select one for your Social Justice Book Report. If you are absent this week, do not fret, follow these instructions to do a virtual book tasting! 🙂

 

Book Tasting INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Read through the descriptions of each form of injustice

2.  Choose the 2-3 topics that are most interesting to you, explore the books on those lists. 

3. Each Wakelet contains a summary of this book and if you click on the book it will take you to a sample in google books that you can read

4.  Download this handout and take notes of books that catch your attention or spark your interest! You will need to choose a book that you have not read yet!

 

Click on the box to view the book list for each topic:

   

    

    

     

    

How do I get a book?

A sign up will be posted on teams that you can use to claim a library copy in Monday January 24th at 7:00 pm. This will be FIRST COME FIRST SERVE and these books will be checked out to you and delivered to your homeroom later that week.

If you do not get your top choice and want to find this book on your own you are welcome to purchase the book or locate it at a public library as long as you can have a copy of the book by the start of your first work block!

Stay tuned!
The book sign up will be posted
MONDAY JAN 24th at 7:00 pm!