🤩📚 Attending YA Midwest

YA Midwest: A Bookfest for YA Readers was held on July 27 in Naperville, IL. What a great event celebrating all things YA lit! This event brought together both popular and emerging YA writers for a day filled with a shared love for young adult literature.

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly opportunity to hear from authors. Karen McManus was the keynote speaker, and friend and fellow YA author Samira Ahmed joined her in the conversation about McManus's new book Such Charming Liars.

More than 20 panel sessions, each featuring a unique group of authors discussing a variety of engaging topics, were held throughout the day. One panel, "Fresh Perspectives," featured authors Kristin Nilsen, Brittany Cavallaro, Jeff Zentner, Lexi Underwood, and Kristen Simmons, who all shared their experiences writing from mulitple perspectives or POVs.

Another panel, "The Weight of Words," struck a powerful chord as authors like Rex Ogle (author of Free Lunch and Punching Bag) and Jordan Sonnenblick (author of Stepping Out and Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie) delved into the importance of addressing heavier subject matter through YA literature. They and their fellow panelists discussed the impact of writing about topics such as mental health, identity, abuse, and poverty emphasizing the role of literature in fostering empathy and understanding among readers.

One panel conversation with Neal Shusterman, Kekla Magoon, Aimee Carter, and June CL Tan related to the impact movement and travel have related to the writing process. Who knew?! Neal Shusterman likes to write on cruise ships and in crowed, bustling settings!

History--not only a writer's personal history but also American and world history--was a focus that another panel addressed. Kekla Magoon, debut author Hayley Dennings, and Kim Johnson joined other authors to share how human history and personal experience can become the basis for YA books.

The event concluded with an author signing session, allowing attendees to meet their favorite writers and get their books signed. How exciting to see the excitement and joy on the faces of attendees as they interacted with the authors they admire! (Eeeek! It's Neal Shusterman!)

These signed copies are now available in the library, along with two more signed copies from Zentner and Cavallaro's new book Silent Nights and Samira Ahmed's This Book Won't Burn. Stop by to take a look when school resumes!

🎊 📚 Celebrating Literacy and Learning in the Library

Our year-end infographic, showcasing the literacy activities, classes, and collection development, highlights the various programs and resources offered to support and inspire students' love for reading and lifelong learning.

From tailored collection development tasks to research skills classes and interactive AO sessions, the library was a hub of activity enriching students' school experience. The diverse collection spans a wide range of genres and subjects, ensuring that every student can find something that captivates their interest.

Take a look the infographic and discover how the library is making a difference in promoting literacy and learning. Whether you're a student, teacher, or parent, there's something here for everyone. Join us in celebrating the vibrant community of readers and learners at our school!

💻 Database Work

English II students visited the library for an interactive lesson related to an upcoming research paper, an argumentative paper related to modern-day witch hunts to correspond with their reading of The Crucible. The classroom teacher asked for a database lesson that would include content like search terms and smart searching, reading a results page, and making the most of a particular search result. We used EBSCOhost Points of View Reference Center, as well as Newspaper Source for our work.

Our students are on a block schedule, and the teacher indicated that students would be in the library for about 1/2 of the period. After talking with one of the instructional coaches, we decided to use a pattern of direct instruction and shared practice to allow for time to practice the database skills the teacher wanted. A portion of the lesson plan appears below:

To introduce the day's lesson, students worked in table groups to identify what research skills or research means to them--these responses helped drive the first part of the lesson, and students returned to the page to complete the other side of the T-chart as their ticket out at the end of the period.

We "upped the ante" on student engagement and movement throughout the lesson in a variety of ways. One was to ask a student from each class to hook up to the projection screen and run a database search with guidance as the teacher and I ran a side-by-side comparison Google search. Another way was to have a search results contest to see how students could use combinations of search terms and search refinements to lessen the number of their search results; students moved about the room sharing their numbers. Finally, a "stand-up/sit down" activity reinforced how Boolean searching can broader or lessen search results numbers. 

Armed with some database information and searching tips, students returned to the library in the following days to conduct some of their research.

🌟💻 Exciting First Adventure with AI!

It's hard to read anything about schools and libraries or scroll through social media and *not* read about AI. I've been fascinated about AI's potential in classrooms and in the library, and with encouragement from a colleague, I've joined the world of SchoolAI to find ways to engage and inspire students beyond the traditional classroom setting and learning. Today was my first foray into AI with students, and I'm hooked!

SchoolAI offers tools and resources for teachers, as well as Spaces to share with students. For our first endeavor with AI, I decided to have students try an already-created Choose Your Own Adventure activity that uses AI-powered prompts and guides students on a journey of creativity and exploration. With student input, we developed a 6-item list of topics that appealed to them: pets, food, music, travel, hobbies, and gaming. Students narrowed the list to their three favorites before narrowing the list to the winning topic--hobbies.

Using either the SchoolAI-generated web address or QR code, students accessed the hobbies-themed adventure, immersing themselves in a world where the boundaries of imagination knew no limits. Armed with curiosity and a sense of adventure, students eagerly experimented with different prompts, eager to see where the AI would take them. So many great conversations about how to prompt the AI, especially when the AI placed students in a world or offered hobbies students didn't want or weren't interesting to them!

What made this experience truly great was the freedom and flexibility it offered students. Don't want to move through a fantasy setting? Prompt the AI. Don't like the hobby options it suggested? Prompt the AI. Looking for a certain type of hobby? Prompt the AI! Unlike traditional classroom activities, where the path and outcome may be predetermined, this Choose Your Own Adventure with AI allowed students to take control of their own narratives, shaping the story with each prompt they chose. This prompt writing and rewriting and revising is definitely an added benefit to the activity as it pushed students to think about word choice and clarity when generating a new prompt.

Another benefit to using SchoolAI is that the students' interactions with the bot are saved, and as the teacher, I can see a brief analysis of students' engagement, and I can also see their chats. SchoolAI offers an overview of the students' participation, like these seen below:

Chats between student and chatbot are also available to access:

Seeing students' enthusiasm and curiosity come to life in such a tangible way as they interacted with the AI was great! It reaffirmed my belief in the power of technology to inspire, empower, and transform the learning experience, opening doors to new possibilities, as well as technological and learning adventures.

So, what's next? With so many AI tools and possible interactions to consider, the journey continues, full of possibilities waiting to be discovered. And as the students and I embark on this exciting new chapter, I invite you to join us on this AI journey, where the only limit is our imagination!

🌐 🙌 Celebrating Diversity Through Book Trailers

A celebration of diversity and inclusivity has been underway these last two weeks as the student body celebrates Culture Week. Students could sign up to watch book trailers featuring stories with diverse characters and written by diverse authors. With each click of the play button, students embarked on a journey of exploration, delving into the district voices and experiences that make up the literary world.

To access the document, click HERE.

These powerful narratives--many of them new books in the collection--explored themes of identity and belonging or were heartwarming tales of friendship and resilience. Students were not only entertained but also enlightened, gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for the diverse perspectives that shape our society.

In our library, diversity isn't just celebrated; it's embraced wholeheartedly as we strive to create an inclusive space where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. When offering book trailers featuring diverse voices, we aim to spark curiosity, empathy, and a lifelong love of reading. So come join us on this journey of discovery as we celebrate the beauty of diversity through the pages of our books this week during Culture Week and every week. Happy viewing! 📚✨

⇤📚Throwback Reads are Here!

Excitement fills the air as we unveil our latest addition to the library collection: Throwback Reads! Thanks to a generous grant from Casey's, we've been able to stock our shelves with beloved middle school favorites that students have been requesting. From timeless classics to contemporary gems in both chapter book and graphic novel formats, these books are sure to evoke fond memories and spark new adventures for our high school readers.

With Throwback Reads, students can rediscover old favorites and share the magic of beloved stories with a new generation of readers. Whether it's revisiting the fantastical world of the Amulet series, embarking on thrilling adventures from author Stuart Gibbs, or hanging out with Greg Heffley again, there's something for every reader to enjoy.

This new section of the collection required quite a bit of movement of existing genres on the shelves. While an open bookcase was available, it was between other genres. Shifting the Adventure books allowed for the Throwback Reads to be shelved in the first case.

And while we're moving parts of the collection, why not undertake a large weeding project in the science fiction genre to be able to move the expanding thriller/suspense books into a larger space? 😀

For now, the collection is settled into their new places, and in moving one-third of the collection's genres, we're satisfied that books are on cases that will allow for continued expansion of the collection. So come on down to the library to not only see how we've rearranged but also to check out these nostalgic treasures. Let's embark on a journey down memory lane and celebrate the joy of reading with Throwback Reads!

📚✨YA Literature Trivia

What better way to head into spring break than with an enthusiastic round of YA Lit Trivia during advisory! The library recently hosted a trivia event that students could choose as an advisory offering, and based on their enthusiasm, more trivia events will follow!

Two rounds of 10 questions pitted students against each other in rounds centered on both classic and contemporary young adult literature. Students could choose to work individually or in teams--and name themselves in clever and "punny" ways.

Teams dove into the depths of general literature trivia as well as character trivia. The event not only highlighted the joy of reading but also fostered a sense of community as shared their experiences and passion for some of the titles. (The Outsiders and Dally and Ponyboy! Scythe! Brian and the Hatchet series!) Winners celebrated their literary knowledge and could choose a prize from The Prize Vault, 😀 leaving everyone with smiles on their faces and a renewed appreciation for the magic found within the pages of our library's collection.

The Trivia Extravaganza was more than a competition; it was a shared experience of friendly rivalry and a collective love for the written word. Until the next literary challenge, happy reading!