Paul F. Gilligan III Media Center

Dear Students & Families,

Another week into Remote Learning and it still feels like a very unusual situation to me! Although I completed my Masters' Degree in Library and Information Sciences (Rutgers) one hundred percent online, this form of learning does not feel even close to the same. Knowing school hallways and classrooms are empty, children are cooped up inside and we are not getting the level of interaction most of us crave feels entirely unnatural.

This newsletter will offer you some ideas to battle boredom. I have written two book recommendations, one for middle grades readers and one for young adult readers. A link to the latest Bookworm Biddies YouTube video is featured. A link to sign up for a temporary library card from the Camden County Library System is included. Finally, I've curated a list of articles and links to welcome you into the world of viewing museums virtually.

I hope everyone is finding their days to be fulfilling and meaningful. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@HaddonTwpLMC) for more frequent updates. Until next week...

Take Care,

Mrs. Amanda Tagmire

@HaddonTwpLMC

Visit the Media Center's Website!

MIddle grades novel & recommended for ages 10 and up

Front Desk, by Kelly Yang, is a book of secrets. The protagonist, ten year old Mia Tang, lives in a Colavista Motel, not a fancy house like her classmates. She dreams of being a writer, even though her mother thinks she should focus on mathematics. Mia's reality is that Mia and her parents are struggling immigrants from China, living hard, exhausting lives. Mia works the front desk of the motel and her parents clean the rooms. It's hard work, but what makes it dangerous work is their family secret---they hide struggling Chinese immigrants in the empty guest rooms unbeknownst to the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao. If Mr. Yao finds out their secret, the Tang family is doomed. Will Mia get through the year and realize her dreams? Read Front Desk to find out!

Based on Kelly Yang's childhood after she immigrated at age six to California, Front Desk is a rich and fulfilling read that helps the reader understand and emphasize with the Chinese immigration experience. Heavy themes are explored and balanced out with the fresh and hopeful dreams of younger children.

Front Desk is the winner of may awards including, but not limited to:

WINNER 2019 - Asian / Pacific American Award for Literature

WINNER 2018 - Parents' Choice Gold Medal Fiction

WINNER 2018 - Bookstagram Choice Awards Best Diverse Middle Grade Fiction

WINNER 2019 - Chinese American Librarians Association CALA Best Book Award

2019 Global Read Aloud Middle Grade Fiction

2019 New York Historical Society Children's History Book Prize Honor Book

2019 E.B. White Read Aloud Award Honor Book

2019 Project Lit Selection Middle Grade Selection

...and the list goes on, and on, and on!

Young adult novel & recommended for grade 9 and up

Annabelle does not have a perfect life, but her life is full and rich. She has an unbreakable bond with her best friend, a boyfriend who is popular and well-liked, fantastic grades and a varsity spot on her cross country team. Life in Seattle is amazing until one day---it's isn't.

Without a full understanding of what is pushing her, Annabelle embarks on a 2,700 mile cross country run across America, determined to reach Washington, D.C. before the start of autumn. With her Grandpa Ed trailing her in his RV, and a support crew and a Go Fund Me back home, Annabelle struggles to cross America on foot, propelled by haunting demons and that threaten to destroy her.

The strength of this book is in its slow revelation of the events that jarred Annabelle into her journey. By the conclusion of the novel, the reader has read two plots that are set months apart, yet woven together into one beautiful, frightening web. Throughout her journey, the reader feels the pain in her feet, the rain and heat pounding on her skin and the depression that waits to suck her in.

A Printz Honor Book and a National Book Award Finalist, A Heart in the Body in the World is a story of trauma, healing and hope. As a Young Adult book, parents of younger readers should determine if this book is appropriate for their children.

This book has earned the following awards:

A Printz Honor Book

A Bank Street Children’s Books Josette Frank Award Winner

A New York Public Library Best Book For Teens 2018

A Chicago Public Library Best Book For Teens of 2018

A Bookpage Best Book of 2018

An Amelia Bloomer Book List 2019 Selection

YALSA Best Fiction For Teens, Top Ten Selection

The Camden County Library System is currently closed until (at least) April 13th. It is strongly encouraged that any student who holds a public library card use it! Camden County residents, including students, who DO NOT have a public library card can apply for a free, one-month digital library card. Although this is just a temporary card, when the library re-opens, residents can apply for a permanent library card.

Instructions for applying for a card AND the services offered with the card can be found at the Camden County Library System's website. The graphic below, taken from their website, highlights the services offered.

Bookworm Biddies has released four new episodes since last week's newsletter. Subscribe to Bookworm Biddies on YouTube to keep with with what we are reading and our journeys in the real of homeschooling and remote teaching!

By now, you have probably seen dozens of articles encouraging you to take a virtual tour of a museum. I have curated the list below to help you narrow down the many recommendations floating around online.

Each article will contain links that take you directly to the museums' virtual tours.

1. Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch (Video) (printed by Travel + Leisure)

2. 10 of the world’s best virtual museum and art gallery tours (printed by The Guardian

3. Common Sense Media presents "Free Online Activities for Kids at Home." This article has dozens of ideas, which are definitely worth exploring. Below are the virtual tours that are included. It is recommended readers visit the article to find other awesome activities.

• Virtual tour of American National Parks (Google Arts & Culture)
• Virtual tour of the deYoung Art Museum in San Francisco (Google Arts & Culture)
• Virtual museums, classes, and exhibits in San Francisco (curated by Red Tricycle)
• Virtual museums, classes, and exhibits in Seattle (curated by Red Tricycle)
• Virtual museums, classes, and exhibits in San Diego (curated by Red Tricycle)
• Virtual museums, classes, and exhibits in Chicago (curated by Red Tricycle)
• Virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
• Virtual tour of the Louvre museum in Paris, France
• Virtual tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
• Virtual tour of the Boston Children's Museum (Google Earth)
• Virtual tour of the Great Wall of China
• Virtual tour of Mars from pictures from NASA's Curiosity rover (Google)
• Virtual "field trips" to zoos, dairies, symphonies, and operas (curated by Red Tricycle)

The Paul F. Gilligan III Media Center is the Library Media Center for both Haddon Township High School and Rohrer Middle School. We are located in Westmont, NJ. We service students from grades 6-12.

Email: atagmire@htsd.us
Website: www.haddontwpschools.com
Location: 406 Memorial Avenue, Haddon Township, NJ, USA
Phone: (856)869-7750
Twitter: @HaddonTwpLMC