A Poem About the Library

The Cone Library

Is the place to be

When studying or writing about vitamin d (or other topics of course)

Theres plenty of books

And be sure to look

At the selections on the front table

Here you'll find reading suggestions

Picked by the finest librarians

Don't forget to ask questions

To the SLP's who will give you suggestions

As to where to find what you need


Please dont eat

So we can keep the library neat

Respect your peers

And keep your headphones in your ears

Or at least play your music so no one else can hear

Follow the rules

And the library will be your favorite tool

At Berkeley Preparatory School.


--Kimberly

http://www.walpoletownlibrary.org/Images/Library%20Card%20cartoon.jpg

Hey guys! Today I'm going to write a review on a book that I just finished--Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

This book is about a group of young English boys who get stranded on an island during World War II. Ralph, one of the main characters, becomes the leader of this group of boys as he competes with Jack, a mean "bully" who also wants to be the leader so he can boss people around. And all alone on the side, with nobody ever listening to him, is little old Piggy, a plump, lazy, but smart boy who proves to be the wisest of them all. Oh, but, please don't call him Piggy, because he doesn't like that name! Anyway, Lord of the Flies is a story of teamwork, survival, and betrayal, but be careful, it does contain a good amount of violence and bloodshed. One key question that the book discusses is Are humans really savages? What do you think? Are we, deep down, savages, just like the cavemen from millions of years ago or the wild animals living in the Sahara? Let me know after you read the book!

Yours Truly,

Eva :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Wrinkle In Time

This week I review another of my favorite books of all time: A Wrinkle In Time!

Book Cover

Fourteen-year-old Meg Murry's classmates and teachers see her as a troublesome student. Her family knows that she is emotionally immature but also see her as capable of great things. The family includes her beautiful scientist mother; her mysteriously absent scientist father; her athletic 10-year-old twin brothers, Sandy and Dennys; and her five year-old brother Charles Wallace Murry, a super-genius who can sometimes read Meg's mind. Follow this motley crew of children as they cross the universe in an attempt to rescue their father from the forces of evil!

I really like this book because it is both a great adventure story and an interesting scientific novel, including concepts like rearranging atoms and the tesseract, a 5-dimensional cube.

Whoa...

All in all, I would rate this book 5 Tesseracts out of 5! Find it at call # F LENGLE MADELEINE TIME 1, or its graphic novel counterpart at call # GN-ALL LENGLE MADELINE WRINKLE.

Library Film Festival

The Library's first Film Festival of the year is going to be occuring NEXT FRIDAY, October 11th from 4:00-9:00PM.  Come and join us for Pixar movies and good eats!  Don't forget to vote for your favorite Pixar movie and to sign up by Wednesday, October 9th if you are going to be attending the Film Festival!

From: http://pixar.wikia.com/Pixar_Animation_Studios

Banned Books Week

Hi everyone! It's Eva here! I'm a new SLP this year, and I'm part of the blogging team. If you didn't know already, this past week was Banned Books Week. All around the world, many books are banned, like the Bible, John Green's Looking for Alaska, and even the one-and-only Harry Potter series! Just think about it--What would your life be like if you weren't allowed to read any of your favorite books?

Today I'm going to talk about one of the best books of all time (in my opinion, of course)--Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. This was not only one of my all-time childhood favorites, but I still read it for fun even to this day! After spending hours and hours reading about Absolutism in the 17th century for AP Euro, Where the Wild Things Are lets me let loose my imagination and relax my mind. But why, you may think, is this childish book banned in some places? Well, on the outside, the book may look very simple, talking about a little boy's crazy dreams and imaginations, but if you delve deeply into the book, there are a few controversial themes that pop up. First of all, the book talks about the somewhat naughty and mischievous behavior of little kids.  For example, when the main character, Max tells his mom "I'll eat you up!" some parents believed that this book would encourage what they call "bad" behavior in kids. The book is also somewhat gloomy, and the first time I read the book, I felt pretty depressed at the end. Max's family is a little messed up and disorganized, with his mom who calls him "a wild thing" and doesn't give him any dinner. The combination of his somewhat abusive household and his own dark emotions caused many parents to believe that this book would, simply put, frighten children, and expose them to the blunt truths of the world way too early. In other words, many parents believe that Where the Wild Things Are can scare their children and even turn them into bad kids.

Well, anyway, I've got good news, because Where the Wild Things Are is not banned in our library! I encourage you to find some time to read this book, because it will truly make your imagination run wild (hence the title). But, be careful-- don't let your imagination run too wild.

:)

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes

Welcome back to school everybody!

This week's review is:

BEYONDERS: A World Without Heroes

Beyonders is a fantasy series written by Brandon Mull, a really great fantasy author who wrote the Fablehaven book series.
Jason Walker has often wished his life could be less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank into a strange, imperiled world. Lyrian holds dangers and challenges unlike anyplace Jason has ever known. The people all live in fear of their malicious wizard emperor, Maldor. The brave resistors who once opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.
In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.
All in all, this series is an interesting read if you like fantasy! I rate this series 6/6 syllables of the word of power!
See you next time,
Evan

Welcome Back!

Hey All - it's Annie!

I'm in charge of the blog this year so expect posts from me and the rest of the blog team. The library is going to do some really cool things this year so stay posted and look for announcements. We're planning on 2 film festivals and just in general reaching out to the Berkeley community. Dewey is having a great time, he's just so cute. He's a bit timid so be careful when you approach him but otherwise he's a total sweetie.

That's all for now - stop by the library and check everything out

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This week's book review is:

EPIC POSTER

Okay, so, if you know me, you know this is one of my favorite books ever. With amazing humor, in-depth development, and a roller coaster ride of a plot, this quick read will leave you part giggling, part amazed, and part wondering what the heck just happened, but in a good way! The series follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, a hapless Englishman, although the story also follows the adventure of other major characters: Ford Prefect, who named himself after the Ford Prefect car to blend in with what was assumed to be the dominant life form, automobiles, is an alien from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse and a researcher for the eponymous guidebook; Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ford's semi-cousin and the Galactic President; the depressed robot Marvin the Paranoid Android; and Trillian, formerly known as Tricia McMillan, a woman Arthur once met at a party in Islington and the only other human survivor of Earth's destruction.

This book is a great choice for any sci-fi or humor buffs who want a quick read that will entertain them for a while. I rate this book 42/42 Towels.

That's it for today! Evan signing out.

Why do I Read?

I was taught to read at a very young age, two or three. Some of my earliest memories are when my Dad would read Harry Potter before I went to bed and how my Mom would get tired of reading picture book after picture book so eventually she just grabbed a stack off my shelf and I read to myself. I remember reading on the bus on the way to kindergarten and how mesmerizing the Rudolph Library was when I was in first grade. I grew up reading and I've come to view certain books like Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, Peak by Roland Smith, and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan as old friends. Books never leave you; there is always a familiar story to pick up whenever you feel like it. Going to a bookstore and buying a brand new book is an amazing feeling and finding a new story at a library is thrilling. Throughout my life books have always been there for me. So the answer to the question “Why do I read?” I read to escape reality and to immerse myself in a world that is not mine, in problems that aren't mine, and adventures that become mine through reading. 

Announcing the Head SLPs for the 2013-2014 School Year!!

...and they are *drumroll please*:

Raichell Kim & Laurel Avery

(Head SLPs)

Caroline Leeflang, Kevin Cucchi, & the Library Blog's very own Annie Allred

(Assistant Head SLPs)


Congratulations, and may you thoroughly enjoy your next year in the library!


I will miss you, Berkeley! I will miss the Jean Ann Cone Library, Mrs. McLean, Mrs. Connors, Ms. Arcuri, all of our conversations, your friendly smiles, doing crosswords together, and your unrelenting support and enthusiasm for the SLP program!!

Thank you and I will miss all of you,

-Carly

The Alchemyst: The Secrects of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - By Michael Scott

Hey Guys it’s Annie, I hope you all had a great spring break. I personally used my spring break to read and sleep. The one book I mainly read was The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott. The Alchemyst is the first in a six book series about twins Sophie and Josh Newman. When Sophie and Josh started living and working in San Francisco while their parents were away for the summer they didn’t expect to be sucked into a world of magic and monsters but with the help of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle they might just make it through the life threatening adventures they have and maybe discover that they have magical powers of their own. I really enjoyed The Alchemyst, the story is told through different points of view throughout the story which helps to give an understanding to the world which this book is set. I also like how Scott took references from history and pop culture and mixed it into the Flamels and many of the other immortal characters histories. I’ve personally been looking for books that are series (who likes to have a story end?) and I really enjoy how Scott took the time in the first book to lay ground work for the rest, I look forward to the rest of the series. If you have any good books that you read over the summer leave a comment and the Blog Team will check them out J.

Group Study Rooms

One of the library's many features is its group study rooms. These are places that you can go if you need some private study time, or if you are working on a project with friends. The whiteboards in each room prove useful when working on math, and when writing a paper, there are dictionaries on the shelves. If you want to reserve a study room, please talk to one of the librarians.

And now for something completely different:

The Results Are In!

...and the winner is:

DEWEY

Thank you to all of the SLPs who baked and shopped to make this naming possible! And much thanks to the upper division for buying goodies and for giving the name DEWEY an overwhelming victory!!

Big News!!!!!!

We've met our fundraising goal! After months of bake sales, careful planning, and stints manning the Straz concession stand, the SLP's have exceeded their $3,000 goal!! Thanks is due to all of you who donated to Coach's page and to Student Forum whose last minute, sizable contribution pushed us over the threshold.

Our next step is attending SEGD's annual Walk-A-Thon at 10am in Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg on March 9! You too can sign up and receive a T-shirt after donating $25 to SEGD. You may walk individually or sign up to walk with Coach at http://sitstaygive.org/coach. Either way, we hope to see you there!!

Looking for a challenge?

We all know that the house cup is fast approaching, but perhaps you're looking for a different way to challenge yourself? If so, these books are a good place to get started. good luck!


Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
A Tale of a Tub by Jonathan Swift
The Phenomenology of Spirit by GF Hegel
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Clarissa, or, The History of a Young Lady by Samuel Richardson
Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
Being and Time by Martin Heidegger
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser
The Making of Americans by Gertrude Stein
Women and Men by Joseph McElroy

Why the Library?

Second semester is a time when many favorite study areas- the junior deck, the aye, and the student lounge- become much more crowded. Why? Because many freshmen, sophomores, and even juniors leave silent study in gills hall. With all this extra traffic, these areas are bound to become much louder and more hectic. But, there's always one place you can go to study and work in peaceful science. Where might that be? The library of course! Not only is the library quiet, you can also seek shelter from those rainy Florida afternoons. No work to do during study hall? No worries, thousands of books are waiting to be read, and the library's magazine selection is sure to keep you up to date on all the current events. So the real question is, why aren't you taking your study halls in the library?

Movie Time

Lately I’ve been really into movie adaptations of books. While it is generally the case that the book is better than the movie, often time’s movies will do the book justice. I just acquired the movie version of Pride & Prejudice originally written by Jane Austen, yes some of the book is cut out but the storyline is well represented and I think it’s a great movie that sticks to the story line very well. The best movies of books are the ones that stick closest to the story line (ie. Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings) but sometimes a movie is only based on a book, for example Stardust. The movie version of Stardust, originally written by Neil Gaiman, takes some liberties but it stays very true to the story and portrays it very well. However there are some movie adaptations that just cross the line ex: Percy Jackson and The Olympians. While it may be okay (very loose use of the word) for those who have never read the books for those who have read the books it is an absolute travesty. Some movies that are coming out soon are The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio (coming out May 10, 2013) originally written by F. Scott Fitzgerald,  and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (coming out August 23, 2013) originally written by Cassandra Clare. We have both these books in the library so come check them out before you go see the movie. J

Don't Be Strangers!

Hey Everyone,
Have you been neglecting your reading time? Come back and read with us! There's a bunch of new books in the library just waiting to be enjoyed! Check out all our new stories! Most of them are on the display bookshelf in front of the circulation desk. If you don't have a specific book in mind, but are in the mood for a certain type, than talk to our librarians! They'll give you some great suggestions on what to read. Keep reading!

Research Papers!

It's that time of year again everybody! Yep, you guessed it, time to start researching for your term paper. Whether its an opinionated paper on current topics for Gov/Econ, or a historic topic paper for APUSH, you will need sources. Here are a few of my favorites, with instructions on how to use them.

EbscoHOST

Aah, EbscoHOST. This database has Periodical articles, science research, scholarly papers, and much more. This is your main place to go unless you are researching very early recorded history, but it's still worth a try.

Passwords are on Edline, click Cone Library, then click Password List. Then click All Student Reference Databases. Along with a theme change, you will be presented with a list of databases. I usually select a cocktail of Advanced Placement Source, MAS Ultra, Newspaper Source, Primary Search, and Topic Search, but there are many specified databases for various topics, including Science, Health, Environment, and Literature, among others. Feel free to read through the descriptions for these and add them if you like. Enter in some key words in the search bar. If you want to search for an exact phrase, put it in "quotation marks." Also, before clicking search, scroll down a bit and tick Full Text. This makes sure you get the actual document instead of an abstract.

ProQuest

ProQuest is a good resource for more historically focused papers. With its History Study Center and Historical Newspapers databases, it is worth your while to go there to find good information and/or primary sources.

Passwords are on Edline, click Cone Library, then click Password List and choose a database to search. Depending on which one you choose, you will get a different page. They all have search boxes front and center, mostly, so you will be able to find some good results.

CQ Researcher

CQ Researcher is a good place to find information on more modern topics. Things that are talked about on the news, things that are debated in major court cases, these are the things that will be found on this database. To sign in, click "Log In" at the top.

Passwords are on Edline, click Cone Library, then click Password List and search for your keywords in the search box in the center of the page. You will be given pages that delve in to the subject that they describe.

Fundraising Update

Thanks to a generous donation from Ms. Schneider and the Serve Tutors, we are now only $800 away from our fundraising goal!!!! (We get a $500 discount, because Mrs. McLean is a current puppy raiser.) Just as a reminder, all of the money goes toward South Eastern Guide Dogs and their pursuit of matching every visually impaired person with a well-trained and capable guide dog.

You can see the updated bone graphic at www.sitstaygive.org/coach.

Help us raise the rest of the money; come out to Headmaster's Challenge tomorrow and purchase items from the concession stand in the Straz Family Field House!! We'll have coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and ice cream :)

Thank you for your support and GO BUCS!