Summer Reading

Check out our student book review blog PAWPRINTS for ideas to help you choose your summer reading!

SYNC BOOKS TO YOUR EARPHONES - Free, starting May 30th!




http://www.audiobooksync.com/

 

SYNC offers free Young Adult and Classic audiobook downloads to students this summer!

Link here, or from the SYNC image on our library BOOKS page. Sign up, and enjoy listening to some great narration of favorite literature all summer long.




SYNC Titles -
Summer 2013
May 30 – June 5

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
June 6 – June 12, 2013

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

June 13 – June 19, 2013

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

June 20 – June 26

Once by Morris Gleitzman
Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.

June 27 – July 3

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

July 4 – July 10

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith

July 11 – July 17
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

July 18 – July 24

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

July 25 – July 31

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Aug 1 – Aug 7
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Aug 8 – Aug 14

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Aug 15 – Aug 21

Sold by Patricia McCormick
Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie

Creation of Hope

Friday before our spring break, we had a very special opportunity at OKM. The award winning author, Eric Walters, made an impassioned presentation about his books and the experiences that led to the stories. We learned that he is also an activist involved in founding the Creation of Hope, an orphanage and outreach program in Kenya.

Mr. Walters spoke to our students about his travels, about the writing process, about humanitarianism and about respect and honesty in portrayal of groups of people or individuals. On his website he included advice for young writers, stating that: "The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write,"  In our presentation he demonstrated how exciting the research can be; working with young tigers, meeting up with members of a motorcycle gang, travelling to far corners of the world, and more!

The presentation by Eric Walters included some good natured teasing, lots of laughter and some genuine inspiration. Some OKM students in Ms. Franczak's class are now interested in following up with some type of fundraising effort for the Creation of Hope. They were particularly impressed with how all funds raised go directly to projects that help people create opportunities locally without the costs of middle men. For information contact the school library, Ms. Franczak, or the Creation of Hope website.

Link to more information about Eric Walters.



Classes are booked to see the presentation, but there is still room for a few more individual students.
If you are interested, please sign up in the library!

Walters, like fellow writer Eric Wilson, started his writing career while teaching school.  It was his way of encouraging his reluctant readers and writers to become more involved in literature.  Since his first book in 1993 he has gone on to write more than 70 novels for young adults.  Some deal with contemporary historical fiction—Run (Terry Fox), Safe as Houses (Hurricane Hazel), We all Fall Down (World Trade Centre disaster), while others deal with topics related to social activism—Shattered (soup kitchens and war), Rebound (being wheelchair bound), etc.  His books have won numerous awards.  We have 30 of Walters's books on our library shelves and more in our English textbook and lit circle collections. 

For more information on Walters you can visit his website at http://www.ericwalters.net/.