SMILEBOX! CHS Christmas fun on December 18th

Mrs. Seidensticker sent me a Smilebox card and I got inspired to try it out. It's super easy - give it a try and save some Christmas memories.

Free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

goodreads Choice Awards 2014!

I was excited to see the book, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, won the Young Adult goodreads Choice Award for this year. The CHS Library has two copies that are always checked out. Make sure you reserve this great book so you can read it.

Go to goodreads Choice Awards

Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?

I heard this on the radio on my way to work yesterday and marveled at the simple message of Prince Ea. If you haven't heard this, take a moment to listen. I enjoy all the benefits of using technology, but it can soon overwhelm if not consciously limited. I hope you are in control of your "etime" and refuse to let technology control your life. 
(I realize this YouTube video cannot be watched at school, but hopefully you can turn in on your own device outside of school - ironic, isn't it.)

MORE eBooks!!!

If you haven't used any of our library's eBooks yet, now is the time to start! 

We just received more eBooks including:

 

Click on the MackinVia link above or on the CHS Library webpage to get started reading eBooks!

The user name is: cashmere

The password is: bulldogs

I got to meet another author - Marie Lu!

This past week I attended a library conference in Yakima and had the opportunity to meet YA author Marie Lu. You may have read her books we have in our library: Legend, Progidy and Champion. Her inspiration when writing Legend was the book she was reading at the time: Les Miserables (another CHS book). Marie grew up in China and immigrated to the US as a child. She remembers going with her aunt and eating popcicles at Beijing's Tian'anmen Square in the morning before the terrible violence occured when hundreds were killed. Her advise to writers, "Get the words down and finish your rough drafts, remember rough drafts are always bad, and keep reading, READ-READ-READ". I couldn't have said it better myself. She also reminded us of the power of books and gave us a current example: she missed her plane from Seattle to Yakima because she was finishing her book.  

Meeting author Jack Gantos!

This week I had the privilege of meeting award winning author Jack Gantos. You may have read some of his books (the Joey Pigza series or Rotten Ralph) in elementary or middle school. The high school has a copy The Hole in my Life and a couple of his short stories. I hope you get a change to read his stories, they are funny, witty, zaney and very lively. Mr. Gantos spoke at the Wenatchee Public Library where I got to meet him and have his book autographed. A funny thing also happend with Mr. Gantos the day before. I walk with my friend each morning by the Columbia River, but Wednesday morning we decided to walk downtown. As we passed by Caffe Mela, I noticed a man outside on a sidewalk chair drinking a coffee. I recognized him from the publicity photos so I stopped and asked him if he was Jack Gantos and he replied he was. I introduced myself and told him I planned on attending his talk at the library the next day. He told me I better, so I made sure I got there. I went with another high school librarian and sat by Mrs. Milne, the Cashmere Middle School librarian. We had a great time and laughed a lot with Mr. Gantos.  The next time you get a chance to pick up one of his books, make sure you do read it. I don't think you will be sorry you did.

Welcome to the CHS Library!

As you walk into the CHS Library you might notice this happy guy welcoming you. Some of you might wonder just who he is, so I thought I would introduce you to Sergeant Santos. He was given to me years ago by a army recruiter and I use him around the library to help me post notices including "Welcome back!".
I hope you get into the library soon and check out our new books and our new online library catalog, Destiny. The link is on the library page and hopefully I'll have a chance to introduce you to all the feature of this robust program. If you  haven't dropped by yet, please do.

 Mention this post and I'll give you a Smartie!

Summer reading

Hopefully your summer is going good and you are taking some time to have fun and do a some summer reading. I haven't read a lot of "school" books this summer, but I did pick this new book of Laurie Halse Anderson last week and finished it when I was camping at Lake Chelan. I wasn't disappointed in Anderson's newest book and would highly recommend it. Anderson is one of my favorite authors and her books are very popular at CHS. We have two copies and I will probably order more if we need them. A quick look at Amazon's reviews (see below) assures me that The Impossible Knife of Memory will become another YA classic.

Review

PRAISE FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY:

* "As in Speak, Anderson provides a riveting study of a psychologically scarred teenager . . . absorbing" —Publishers Weekly, starred review
 

* "Compelling, powerful, and timely . . . This is challenging material, but in Anderson's skilled hands, readers will find a light shining on the shadowy reality of living with someone who has lived through war" —Booklist, starred review

* "The book offers an eloquent portrait of the effects of both war and family legacies, and many readers will find reflections of their own struggle to keep family connections while obtaining their independence.” —BCCB, starred review

* "With powerful themes of loyalty and forgiveness, this tightly woven story is a forthright examination of the realities of war and its aftermath on soldiers and their families. One of Anderson’s strongest and most relevant works to date.” —School Library Journal, starred review

* "It is Anderson at her absolute best, providing significant and touching realistic fiction."--VOYA, starred review

"Anderson's novels . . . speak for the still-silent among us, and force all of us to acknowledge the real and painful truths that are too dangerous to ignore." —New York Times

“The Impossible Knife of Memory isn’t always an easy read-Anderson’s gritty, authentic look at PTSD is by turns painful and heartbreaking-but it’s an important one." —Entertainment Weekly

“Andy comes home from the war in Iraq honored for his service, and haunted by it.  The war still goes on inside of him and threatens to make Hayley another causality. Laurie Halse Anderson is one of the best known writers of literature for young adults and children in the world. ” —Scott Simon, NPR Weekend Edition

“Laurie Halse Anderson has been lauded and awarded for her ability to channel the teenage mind (and heart) dealing with tough issues. In The Impossible Knife of Memory, she takes on PTSD through the story of a girl coping with her troubled veteran dad.” —Family Circle

"At turns heartbreaking, at turns funny, the narrative in this book is so spot on I wanted to give Hayley my phone number so she would have a friend in times of crisis.  Seriously—does ANYONE write troubled teen characters with the realism, grace, and soul of Laurie Halse Anderson?" —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of The Storyteller and Between the Lines

“Laurie Halse Anderson serves the families of veterans with the same honor, dignity, and respect that the veterans, who serve us, deserve. With her trademark hope, humor, and heart-breaking realism, Laurie Halse Anderson has given us a roadmap to heal. She is a treasure.” —Stephen Chobsky, New York Times bestselling author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

SUMMER READING PROGRAM @ NCRL!

I remember how exciting it was to sign up for the summer reading program at the public library when I was young. If you are babysitting or taking care of younger siblings this summer, please make sure those kids are signed up! 

For more information or to sign up, go to www.ncrl.org

GRADUATE GREETINGS

Shmoop, one of my favorite websites, offers greetings to this year's graduates: click here to read it for yourself.
Some of their suggestions include:

I also like their "Quote of the Week":

"My only plan after graduation was to become

a full time gunter."

~ Ready Player One  (one of this year's Washington Evergreen Book Award nominees)

IT'S SO SAD - A recent report shows teens aren't reading for fun!

Not that it's a surprise, but I recently read in a Common Sense Media report that teens aren't reading for fun. I have always known high school students don't have as much time to read and that they have many distractions to keep them from reading, but I guess I still was saddened to read this report. If there is one thing I can impress upon you today, it is this: KEEP READING THIS SUMMER!!!! Reading is a skill like anything else, you have to practice and keep doing it to keep your skills strong and proficient. If you don't like to read books, then read the newspaper or magazines (print or online), blogs, eBooks, wikis or even the cereal box! Just READ! It not only will help keep you fluent in your reading, it might even increase your vocabulary and comprehension. I challenge you to read this summer and tell me what you read when you come back in the fall.

Books to movies

It seems recently there have been a lot of movies made from popular YA books (Maze Runner, Hunger Games, Divergent, Ender's Game, Fault in our stars, etc.). I haven't seen a lot of them, but from what I heard, some die-hard readers have been a little disappointed in the movie versions of their favorite books. This recent Unshelved comic says it all:

I love the last sentence, "Aren't great books miracle enough?".

5/28/14: I tried watching "Odd Thomas" this weekend and had to quit after just a few minutes. It was so disappointing - the book is WAY better!

Have you been on the CHS English Wiki???

Have you been to the CHS English Wiki recently? Mrs. Gemeinhart's 9th grade English classes are posting their "Personal Narratives" and I think you would find many of them very interesting. You can even make a comment (you have to "Join" the wiki first). The link in on the bottom left side of the CHS homepage or click the wiki photo above on this page. Have fun and read about the adventures of the Class of 2017!

DIVERGENT - Movie Trailer !

  

“Everyone’s afraid of something,” declares the new trailer for Divergent.

Based on the first book in Veronica Roth’s bestselling YA trilogy, the latest trailer for the highly anticipated film gives fans their most in-depth look yet at the dystopian world Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her community inhabit. Fans of the franchise will likely be most excited to see the first extended look at the fear landscape, where Tris will battle her demons and discover she may not be as ordinary as she once thought. There’s also a look at Tris and Four (Theo James) on the Ferris wheel, as well an a peek at sinister Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet).

“Fear doesn’t shut you down, it wakes you up,” Four explains to Tris in the trailer. “That’s what makes you dangerous.”                                                                                (from Entertainment Weekly)

It's time to vote for your favorite Evergreen Young Adult Book!

Which of the above books was your favorite?

If you have read at least two of the nominees you can VOTE!

Log onto the Evergreen Young Adult Book Award site to vote online or get a ballot from Mrs. Hightower. Voting closes April 1st, so do it today.

Have you used VIA???

We have eBooks!!! Have you looked at them? Find out more and watch the Mackin VIA video.





Remember, our user name is Cashmere, and our password is the plural form of our mascot. (if you need help figuring that out, please talk to Mrs. Hightower!)

To log into Mackin VIA, click here

Safer Internet Day 2014

Did you know today is Safer Internet Day?? For more information, click here

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

I belong to a professional learning and social network of educators called edWeb.net. We are all concerned how to help our students become safe, responsible and respectful participants in a digital world. People from all over the world post ideas to help and support the members. The following list of desirable traits came from a teacher in Abu Dhabi:

1.     Balanced students use screen time wisely and do not let the cyber world take over the real world.
2.     Literate students look at digital resources critically considering the bias, authority and currency of sources.
3.     Responsible students know how to protect themselves online. They avoid sharing personal information and think before they post information or send messages.
4.     Ethical students give credit where credit is due. They know how to research for information without plagiarizing from the web.
5.     Positive students  use technology to learn, communicate and create. They do not use it to the detriment of others. 

                Heather Roy (Technology Learning Coach, American Community School of Abu Dhabi

Which trait do you think is most important?