DPS Library Newsletter December 2021

CHECK IT OUT! Da r i e n P u b l i c S c h o o l L i b r a r i e s

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R e c o mm e n d e d B o o k s

Our Library Media Specialists collaborated on a selection of books for all our students! Be sure to check out these interesting and powerful picks that are sure to engage young readers of any age.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY

p a g e s 2 - 4

p a g e 5

p a g e 6

TRAVELING FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

Check out an ebook or an audiobook to enhance your holiday travels. Each of Darien’s school libraries has a robust ebook and audiobook collection for download to your school or personal device. If you need help accessing the collection, please connect with your friendly school library media specialist.

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TITLES FOR K-1

A picture book that reminds us that we all have things we haven't learned...yet.

A fun early graphic novel series. Each book features three friendship and adventure stories.

Here is the final addition to Maxwell Eaton III's humorous nonfiction series.

A boy and his grandfather discover how much the local giant does to protect the town while hiding in the shadows.

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TITLES FOR 2-3

Do you like popsicles? Read how Frank William Epperson invented this cool treat that’s perfect for a hot day.

Mia Mayhem is an action- packed series about a regular girl who has a super-secret— she’s a superhero-in-training !

The newest addition to Graham Annable’s graphic novel series about the adventures of two friends with different personalities.

Meet one of Rosie Revere's friends. Aaron is a boy with a disability who discovers it will not define him.

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ELEMENTARY

TITLES FOR 4-5

For those readers that enjoyed Harry Potter and are looking for another fantasy series with compelling characters and an action packed storyline join telepath, Sophie and Fitz as they battle forces trying to change their world.

A nonfiction picture book that conveys the story of the sentinel guards at The Tomb of the Unknowns.

Seven dragon tribes compete to fulfill a prophecy for domination.

Sophie’s need for order and structure is disrupted when her dog, Rain, goes missing in a storm.

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MIDDLESEX MIDDLE SCHOOL

At only eight years old, Srulik Frydman says goodbye to his father for the last time and becomes Jurek Staniak, an orphan on the run in the Polish countryside at the height of the Holocaust. With the danger of capture by German soldiers ever-present, Jurek must fight against starvation, the punishing Polish winters, and widespread anti-Semitism as he desperately searches for refuge. Told with the unflinching honesty and unique perspective of such a young child, Run, Boy, Run is the extraordinary account of one boy’s struggle to stay alive in the face of almost insurmountable odds—a story all the more incredible because it is true. (non fiction) RUN, BOY RUN BY URI ORLEV There’s nothing All-Star pitcher Peter Friedman loves more than baseball. It’s his life. He breathes baseball, dreams about it, and works hard to be great. Most kids are nervous about starting high school, but Pete’s amazing arm is going to make his life pretty easy. When you’re the star, popularity is sure to follow. But Pete’s freshman year doesn’t turn out as planned. A pitching accident over the summer ruins his arm. If he can’t play baseball, what is he supposed to do? If he isn’t the star pitcher, then who is he? (realistic fiction) CURVEBALL: THE YEAR I LOST MY GRIP BY JORDAN SONNEBLICK

TRULY TYLER BY TERRI LIBENSON

In the latest installation of Emmie and Friends, a middle school athlete struggles to reconcile playing ball with making art. Why should this be a conflict? This fun yet substantive series deals with social tensions, identity struggles, friendships, crushes, academic pressures, and self- acceptance. Each novel stands alone, but the whole series is recommended. Truly Tyler is the first installation with a male protagonist. (novel/graphic novel hybrid 8-13)

All three titles available as books, e-books, andaudiobooks

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DARIEN HIGH SCHOOL

Jason Reynolds’s novel in verse, Long Way Down, is the story of 15- year-old Will’s 60 second elevator ride during which he contemplates whether or not he is going to murder the person who killed his brother, Shawn. While on the elevator, Will is visited by seven ghosts who knew his brother, and they reveal truths Will needs to know. (fiction) LONGWAY DOWN BY JASON REYNOLDS

A memoir about Vladek Spiegleman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe, and his son, Artie, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father, his father’s story, and with history itself. (graphic novel) MAUS BY ART SPIELGELMAN

UNBROKEN BY LAURENHILLENBRAND A biography of Olympic runner and World War II bombardier, Louis Zamperini, who had been rambunctious in childhood before succeeding in track and eventually serving in the military, which led to a trial in which he was forced to find a way to survive in the open ocean after being shot down. (non fiction)

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